US urges allies to move ‘heaven and earth’ to keep Kyiv well supplied with weapons as Russia rains fire on eastern and southern Ukraine in ongoing fighting – now in their 63rd day.
Ukrainian servicemen pose for a photo in front of a damaged Russian T-72 BV tank. (Reuters)
Wednesday, April 27, 2022
Acceleration of the production of tanks and warplanes for Ukraine
Ukraine’s fate hangs in the balance and its allies must prepare for the long term and “step up” military production, including tanks and planes to help, Britain’s foreign secretary said on Wednesday.
Global security structures that should have prevented Russian President Vladimir Putin’s offensive have failed, Foreign Minister Liz Truss will say in a speech calling for “a new approach”.
“We cannot be complacent – the fate of Ukraine hangs in the balance,” she will say, according to a preview of her speech to diplomats and business leaders in London.
Explosions heard in Belgorod, Russia, ammunition depot on fire
A series of explosions were heard in the early hours of Wednesday in the Russian town of Belgorod near the Ukrainian border, regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said, and an ammunition depot in the province was on fire.
Gladkov said no civilians were injured in the fire that broke out at a facility near the village of Staraya Nelidovka. This month, Russia accused Ukraine of attacking a fuel depot in Belgorod with helicopters and opening fire on several villages in the province.
Belgorod province borders the Ukrainian regions of Luhansk, Sumy and Kharkiv, all of which have seen heavy fighting since Russia began attacking Ukraine two months ago.
Chinese drone maker DJI suspends operations in Russia and Ukraine
Drone giant DJI Technology Co Ltd has announced it will temporarily suspend operations in Russia and Ukraine, making it the first major Chinese company to suspend sales to Russia since the country launched its offensive in neighboring Ukraine. in February.
“DJI is internally reassessing compliance requirements in various jurisdictions,” the private company said in a statement. “Pending the ongoing review, DJI will temporarily suspend all business operations in Russia and Ukraine.”
Although Western companies withdrew from Russia in protest, many Chinese companies remained there, taking inspiration from Beijing’s stance of refraining from criticizing Moscow over the assault.
Ukrainian officials and citizens have accused DJI, the world’s largest maker of consumer and industrial drones, of leaking data about the Ukrainian military to Russia.
Indian ONGC struggles to get Russian oil to Asia – sources
India’s Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC) is struggling to find a vessel to ship 700,000 barrels of crude from Russia’s Far East in a growing sign of complex trade deals involving one of the largest Moscow’s partners are being cut off by Western sanctions, sources say.
Several Indian companies, including ONGC, have stakes in Russian oil and gas assets, and India has been buying more Russian crude since Moscow attacked Ukraine, grabbing the popular Urals crude grade, while other buyers avoided Russian exports.
ONGC has a 20% stake in the Sakhalin 1 project which produces a Russian grade known as Sokol, which ONGC exports through tenders. Sokol is mainly purchased by North Asian buyers and loaded from South Korea.
However, Moscow’s ability to ship this grade, which requires ice-capable vessels, is becoming increasingly difficult due to shippers’ concerns about reputational risk and the increasing difficulty for Russian assets to find a insurance cover.
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Source: TRTWorld and agencies
