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CDS Daily brief (28.10.22) | CDS comments on key events

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Humanitarian aspect:

Scheduled blackouts to save energy continued in Ukraine. NEC “Ukrenergo” issued an order this morning to Oblenergo to limit electricity supply to different categories of consumers in all regions of Ukraine.

On October 27, Russian troops killed 10 civilians in Ukraine and wounded 12 more, Deputy Head of the Office of the President Kyrylo Tymoshenko said, citing the data of the Oblast military administrations as of 9:00 a.m. on October 28.

As a result of Russian shelling in Mykolaiv Oblast, Russian terrorists destroyed 8,297 objects, including 4,826 private houses and 1,155 high-rise buildings, Deputy Head of the President’s Office Kyrylo Tymoshenko said.

Deputy Head of the Office of the President Kyrylo Tymoshenko told a press briefing, that evacuation of people from the territories where active hostilities are taking place is ongoing. Over the past month, 3,719 people have been evacuated, including 614 children and 216 persons with disabilities.

The Russian forces continued shelling populated areas and civilian infrastructure. A total of 7 Oblasts came under Russian fire on October 27, among them:

  • 5 communities of Sumy Oblast were shelled throughout the day. In the morning, the Russians fired 25 shells at one of the villages of the Novoslobidska community. A power line and two civilian houses were damaged. Bilopillya, Khotin, Znob-Novhorod communities were also shelled.
  • 4 civilians in Donetsk Oblast were killed by Russians: 3 in Bakhmut and 1 in Sviatohirsk. Another 9 people were injured. In addition, law enforcement officers discovered the bodies of 5 civilians who died during the occupation — in Shandrygolovo, the head of the Donetsk oblast military administration, Pavlo Kyrylenko, said
  • The Nikopol district of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast was shelled all night with the Russian “Grad” MLRS and heavy artillery, in particular three communities – Nikopolska, Marganetska, and Chervonogrigorivska. People were not affected. A dozen high-rise and private buildings were damaged in Nikopol. Power lines were broken. In the Chervonogrihorivska community, summer houses and electricity grids were damaged. Almost 1,000 families are without electricity.
  • On the night, Russian troops fired at Mykolaiv with the S-300 anti-aircraft missile system; one person was injured.
  • The Russian forces shelled 3 border districts from the Russian territory in Kharkiv Oblast. No victims of injuries were reported.

Because of the war, the economy is going to drop by 30%, and the level of unemployment will increase, as a result, said Yuliya Svyridenko, First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy.

According to the employment service, 404,000 citizens have registered as unemployed since the beginning of hostilities. Currently, 230,000 registered unemployed people receive unemployment benefits. At the same time, the number of vacancies in the labor market has shrunk more than two times. There are only 31,000 of them; that is, eight unemployed people applying for one vacancy.

Occupied territories:

Dmytro Lubinets, the Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights, said that the Russian invaders turned Mariupol into a city of nameless graves. According to him, the number of mass graves at the Old Crimean Cemetery continues to increase. At first, the occupying authorities buried people killed by mass shelling there, and now the number of graves is growing due to the deaths of elderly people who could not leave the city. “The worst thing is that the graves do not have names, only numbers. And it is not known at all how many bodies were buried in one grave. It is also unknown how relatives can find the deceased’s body,” Lubinets said.

Of the 6,700 [Ukrainian] workers who remained to work at the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia NPP, only about a hundred signed contracts with Rosatom. Moreover, most of those who did so “agreed” under pressure from the Russian authorities. Another 4,300 pro-Ukrainian ZNPP workers left for the territory controlled by Ukraine, Ukrainian nuclear power generation company Enerhoatom reported.

According to the mayor of Enerhodar (Zaporizhzhia Oblast), Dmytro Orlov, the lack of mass demand for Russian passports in the temporarily occupied territories, particularly in Enerhodar, led to the fact that they decided to impose Russian citizenship on the residents of these territories automatically. Starting October 30, the invaders will consider the residents of Enerhodar, who remain in the city, citizens of the Russian Federation.

Operational situation

(please note that this part of the report is mainly on the previous day’s (October 27) developments)

It is the 247th day of the strategic air-ground offensive operation of the Russian Armed Forces against Ukraine (in the official terminology of the Russian Federation – “operation to protect Donbas”). The enemy tries to maintain control over the temporarily captured territories and improve its tactical position. It concentrates its efforts on disrupting the counteroffensive actions of the Ukrainian troops, and at the same time, does not give up attempts to conduct the offensive in the Bakhmut and Avdiivka directions.

Over the past day, units of the Ukrainian Defense Forces repelled Russian attacks in the areas around Andriivka and Bilohorivka in Luhansk Oblast; Bakhmut, Bakhmutske, Vremivka, Zelenopillya, Soledar, Mayorsk, Maryinka, Nevelske, Novobakhmutivka, Pervomaiske, Yakovlivka in Donetsk Oblast.

The Russian military shells the positions of the Ukrainian troops along the contact line, fortifies its positions in some directions, particularly on the left bank of the Dnipro River, and actively conducts aerial reconnaissance. In violation of the norms of international humanitarian law, the laws and customs of war, it continues to strike critical infrastructure. Over the past day, the Russian forces have launched fifteen air strikes and one missile strike and fired over 40 MLRS rounds. Bilohirka, Nova Kamianka, Novohredneve in Kherson Oblast, Stepove in Zaporizhia Oblast, and Maryinka and Pavlivka in Donetsk Oblast were affected. The Russian military shelled Boyaro-Lezhachi, Vodolahi, Hirky, Pysarivka, and Ryzhivka in Sumy Oblast and Vilkhuvatka, Vovchansk, Okhrimivka, and Starytsa in Kharkiv Oblast using different types of artillery from the territory of the Russian Federation.

The Republic of Belarus continues to support the armed aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, providing its territory, airspace, and infrastructure. The threat of missile and air strikes against critical infrastructure of Ukraine from the territory of the Republic of Belarus persists, including the use of attack UAVs.

The Ukrainian Defense Forces aircraft made 29 strikes over the past day. Impact on 21 enemy weapons and military equipment concentration areas, 3 strongholds, and 5 anti-aircraft missile systems positions are confirmed. In addition, Ukrainian air defense units shot down 2 Russian Ка- 52 helicopters and one Su-25 bomber.

Ukraine’s missile and artillery forces hit 4 areas of enemy manpower, weapons and equipment concentration, and 1 ammunition depot.

The morale and psychological state of the personnel of the invasion forces remain low.

The Russian occupying forces command tries to conceal the real manpower losses by all means to avoid panic among the personnel.

Kharkiv direction
  • Zolochiv-Balakleya section: approximate length of combat line – 147 km, number of BTGs of the RF Armed Forces – 10-12, the average width of the combat area of one BTG – 13.3 km;
  • Deployed enemy BTGs: 26th, 153rd, and 197th tank regiments, 245th motorized rifle regiment of the 47th tank division, 6th and 239th tank regiments, 228th motorized rifle regiment of the 90th tank division, 1st motorized rifle regiment, 1st tank regiment of the 2nd motorized rifle division, 25th and 138th separate motorized rifle brigades of the 6th Combined Arms Army, 27th separate motorized rifle brigade of the 1st Tank Army, 275th and 280th motorized rifle regiments, 11th tank regiment of the 18th motorized rifle division of the 11 Army Corps, 7th motorized rifle regiment of the 11th Army Corps, 80th separate motorized rifle brigade of the 14th Army Corps, 2nd and 45th separate SOF brigades of the Airborne Forces, 1st Army Corps of so-called DPR, PMCs.

The Ukrainian armed forces in the Svatove direction are very close to cutting the R-66 road. A significant part of the road between Svatove and Kreminna is already under their effective fire control. The section north of Svatove was also cut in at least two locations. The command of the

Russian troops is forced to bring supplies to the troops in the Svatove area exclusively through Troitske or Starobilsk.

A tactical grouping of the Russian troops (up to three BTGs, probably from the 3rd motorized rifle division of the 20th Army, reinforced by two rifle battalions of the mobilization reserve of the 2nd Army Corps) is kept on high alert for the offensive on Zarichne and Torske. Employing the forces of two platoons supported by three APCs, the grouping conducted a reconnaissance attack in the southwest direction but failed.

The combined battalion of the 27th separate motorized rifle brigade of the 1st tank army, defending along the Volodymyrivka-Kuzemivka frontier and covering the direction to Nizhnya Duvanka, suffered massive fire damage from the advanced units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on the night of October 24-25.

The enemy units of the 20th Army defending in west and southwest of Svatove along the Raihorodok-Novovodyane frontier suffered significant fire damage and are now “approaching the limit of combat capability”. Consequently, they were forced to withdraw gradually in the north-eastern direction.

On the right bank of the Siverskyi Donets River, employing the forces of up to one and a half BTG of the 74th separate motorized rifle brigade of the 41st Army, a combined assault detachment formed from the detachments of BARS-13 and BARS-19 and BTG from the 4th separate motorized rifle brigade of the 2nd Army Corps, the Russian military continues to launch attacks in the direction the eastern outskirts of Bilohorivka and from the oil refinery in the direction of Verkhnokamyanske. Their goal is to prevent the advance of the Ukrainian Defense Forces in the area of Shypylivka – Pryvillya – Novodruzhesk and to the border of Zolotarivka – Verkhnekamyanka.

Kramatorsk direction
  • Balakleya Siversk section: approximate length of the combat line – 184 km, the number of BTGs of the RF Armed Forces – 17-20, the average width of the combat area of one BTG – 9.6 km;
  • 252nd and 752nd motorized rifle regiments of the 3rd motorized rifle division, 1st, 13th, and 12th tank regiments, 423rd motorized rifle regiment of the 4th tank division, 201st military base, 15th, 21st, 30th separate motorized rifle brigades of the 2nd Combined Arms Army, 35th, 55th and 74th separate motorized rifle brigades of the 41st Combined Arms Army, 3rd and 14th separate SOF brigades, 2nd and 4th separate motorized rifle brigades of the 2nd Army Corps, 7th separate motorized rifle brigade of the 1st Army Corps, PMCs.

The Russian military shelled the positions of the Defense Forces in the areas of Druzhelyubivka, Petro-Ivanivka, Kharkiv, Zarichne, Yampolivka in Donetsk Oblast, and Makiivka and Nevske, in Luhansk Oblast with tanks, mortars, barrel and jet artillery.

Donetsk direction
  • Siversk – Maryinka section: approximate length of the combat line – 235 km, the number of BTGs of the RF Armed Forces – 13-15, the average width of the combat area of one BTG – 17 km;
  • Deployed BTGs: 68th and 163rd tank regiments, 102nd and 103rd motorized rifle regiments of the 150 motorized rifle division, 80th tank regiment of the 90th tank division, 35th, 55th, and 74th separate motorized rifle brigades of the 41st Combined Arms Army, 31st separate airborne assault brigade, 61st separate marines brigade of the Joint Strategic Command “Northern Fleet,” 336th separate marines brigade, 24th separate SOF brigade, 1st, 3rd, 5th, 15th, and 100th separate motorized rifle brigades, 9th and 11th separate motorized rifle regiment of the 1st Army Corps of the so-called DPR, 6th motorized rifle regiment of the 2nd Army Corps of the so-called LPR, PMCs.

The Russian military shelled the areas around Bakhmut, Bakhmutske, Verkhnyokamianske, Opytne, Rozdolivka, Soledar, Mayorsk, Yakovlivka, Avdiivka, Krasnohorivka, Maryinka, Nevelske, Novomykhailivka and Pervomaiske with tanks, mortars, barrel and jet artillery.

For two days, the Russian forces continued stubborn attacks north of Bakhmut, trying to break through to Krasna Gora through Bakhmutske and Soledar on the one hand, and at the same time, attacking in the area of Podgorodny. They failed to achieve their goal and retreated. After a sudden counterattack by units of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the vicinity of the SINIAT TDV plant two days ago, units of the Wagner PMC retreated at least 1.5 km and went on the defensive at an unprepared frontier.

South of Bakhmut, two reinforced companies from the 31st separate airborne assault brigade and units of the 6th motorized rifle regiment of the 2nd Army Corps, reinforced by individual tanks “Diesel” of the 1st Army Corps and the 3rd assault detachment of the “Wagner” PMC, for two days, have been unsuccessfully trying to break through to Bakhmut attacking from the intersection of M-03 and T-0504 roads and through Opytne, Ivanhrad.

The attacks of the 1st separate motorized rifle brigade of the 1st army corps, separate assault battalion “Somalia”, and separate reconnaissance battalion “Sparta” along the Vodyane – Opytne and Pisky – Pervomaiske line south of Avdiyivka and in the Krasnohorivka area north of it continue to have a stubborn, rough, but ineffective. They aim to break through the flanks of the Avdiyivka defense district of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and encircle them. The Russian military is suffering losses. The Russian command is trying to compensate for them by involving units of the 9th motorized rifle regiment, a separate assault battalion “Storm”, and a separate motorized rifle brigade “Pyatnashka” from other directions.

Zaporizhzhia direction
  • Maryinka – Vasylivka section: approximate length of the line of combat – 200 km, the number of BTGs of the RF Armed Forces – 17, the average width of the combat area of one BTG – 11.7 km;
  • Deployed BTGs: 36th separate motorized rifle brigade of the 29th Combined Arms Army, 38th and 64th separate motorized rifle brigades, 69th separate cover brigade of the 35th Combined Arms Army, 5th separate tank brigade, 37 separate motorized rifle brigade of the 36th Combined Arms Army, 135th, 429th, 503rd and 693rd motorized rifle regiments of the 19th motorized rifle division of the 58th Combined Arms Army, 70th, 71st and 291st motorized rifle regiments of the 42nd motorized rifle division of the 58th Combined Arms Army, 136th separate motorized rifle brigade of the 58 Combined Arms Army, 46th and 49th machine gun artillery regiments of the 18th machine gun artillery division of the 68th Army Corps, 39th separate motorized rifle brigade of the 68th Army Corps, 83th separate airborne assault brigade, 40th and 155th separate marines brigades, 22nd separate SOF brigade, 1st Army Corps of the so-called DPR, and 2nd Army Corps of the so-called LPR, PMCs.

Artillery was fired at 15 towns and villages, in particular Bilohirya, Hulyaipole, Dorozhnyanka of Zaporizhzhia Oblast and Vuhledar, Novosilka, Pavlivka and Prechistivka districts of Donetsk Oblast.

8 units of enemy armaments and military equipment of various types were destroyed, and up to 120 military servicemen were injured.

Tavriysk direction
  • Vasylivka – Stanislav section: approximate length of the battle line – 296 km, the number of BTGs of the RF Armed Forces – 39, the average width of the combat area of one BTG – 7,5 km;
  • Deployed BTGs of: the 8th and 49th Combined Arms Armies; 11th, 103rd, 109th, and 127th rifle regiments of the mobilization reserve of the 1st Army Corps of the Southern Military District; 35th and 36th Combined Arms Armies of the Eastern Military District; 3rd Army Corps of the Western Military District; 90th tank division of the Central Military District; the 22nd Army Corps of the Coastal Forces; the 810th separate marines brigade of the Black Sea Fleet; the 7th and 76th Air assault divisions, the 98th airborne division, and the 11th separate airborne assault brigade of the Airborne Forces.

Areas around 20 towns and villages located near the contact line were affected by the Russian fire. About 100 wounded occupiers were delivered to medical facilities.

The so-called “evacuation” from the temporarily occupied territory of Kherson Oblast continues. Medical equipment and property of, as the occupiers say, “nationalized” enterprises are removed with extra diligence. Thus, the local hospital equipment from the village of Bilozerka is transported to the towns of Skadovsk and Henichesk.

The strengthening of the Russian grouping on the right-bank part of Kherson Oblast by mobilized military personnel numbering up to 1,000 people is noted. They are resettled in the homes of local residents who have left these areas.

Azov-Black Sea Maritime Operational Area:

The forces of the Russian Black Sea Fleet continue to project force on the coast and the continental part of Ukraine and control the northwestern part of the Black Sea. The ultimate goal is to deprive Ukraine of access to the Black Sea and to maintain control over the captured territories.

The Russian fleet has 11 ships, boats, and submarines at sea. They are located along the southwestern coast of Crimea. Among them are 3 Kalibr cruise missile carriers: a Project 11356R frigate, a Project 21631 small missile ship, and two Project 636.3 submarines carrying a total of 16 missiles. This grouping at sea also has two amphibious ships of project 775. However, there are no signs that an amphibious detachment is being formed to conduct an amphibious operation.

In the Sea of Azov waters, 6 patrol ships and boats are located on the approaches to the Mariupol and Berdyansk seaports to block the Azov coast.

Russian aviation continues to fly from the Crimean airfields of Belbek and Hvardiyske over the northwestern part of the Black Sea. Over the past day, 14 combat aircraft from Belbek and Saki airfields were involved. A Tu-154M passenger plane (registration number RA-85136) took off from the Belbek military airfield in the direction of Moscow to move the command staff of the “Rosgvardiya” forces.

The intensity of the movement of military equipment by road and rail transport from Crimea to the Kherson region remains stable.

According to reports from the NTS TV channel (the local TV channel of occupied Sevastopol), on the night of October 27, an unknown drone attacked the TPP in Balaklava (Sevastopol). The power plant sustained minor damage. According to the report, the energy infrastructure was not affected. Following the statement, calls to “close Sevastopol” from Ukrainian citizens displaced from the war zone began to “suddenly” spread in social networks controlled by the occupiers.

According to foreign media, a floating crane operation in Balaklava Bay was observed during the last few days. The operation area overlaps with the exit of the ventilation corridors from the Soviet submarines’ bunker base, which was built in 1961 in case of a nuclear war. The occupiers have completely restored the tunnel passage to enable the submarines to enter the shelter. The occupiers are also restoring the ventilation system, which ensured the operation of the base in the Soviet times. This facility (Object 825 GTS) was intended to provide the shelter, repair and maintenance for submarines of the 613th and 633rd projects, as well as for storing ammunition intended for these submarines. The base could withstand the impact of a 100-kiloton nuclear charge. 7 submarines of the specified projects could be accommodated in the channel of the facility (602 meters long). The depth of the channel reaches 8 m, and the width varies from 12 to 22 m. The total area of all premises and passages of the plant is 9,600 m², and the area of the underground water surface is 5,200 m². The complex also included a repair and technical base (object 820) intended for the storage and maintenance of nuclear weapons.

The surmises of the mass media that this base can be restored by the Russian Federation to be used as a base for 636.3 project submarines looks unrealistic due to the much larger water tonnage and overall dimensions of this new project compared to those for which the facility was originally built.

This facility could be restored and used for the sheltered location of several hundred personnel and small boats. But this calls for restoring the facility’s engineering networks, which were dismantled in the early 1990s. Another purpose of such a demonstrative floating crane operation could be to continue the information and psychological operations campaign associated with the Russian nuclear threats.

“The Grain Initiative”:6 ships with 180,000 tons of agricultural products left the ports of Greater Odesa for the countries of Africa, Asia and Europe. Among them is the LINA bulker, with 25,000 tons of corn for Egypt. Since the departure of the first vessel with Ukrainian food, 9.1 million tons of agricultural products have been exported. A total of 403 ships with food for the countries of Asia, Europe and Africa left Ukrainian ports.

Russian operational losses from 24.02 to 28.10

Personnel – almost 69,700 people (+480);

Tanks – 2,640 (+9)

Armored combat vehicles – 5,378 (+14);

Artillery systems – 1,698 (+8);

Multiple rocket launchers (MLRS) – 379 (0); Anti-aircraft warfare systems – 192 (0); Vehicles and fuel tanks – 4,088 (+10); Aircraft – 272 (+1);

Helicopters – 251 (+2);

UAV operational and tactical level – 1,401 (+3); Intercepted cruise missiles – 351 (0);

Boats / ships – 16 (0).

Ukraine, general news

On the 78th anniversary of the day when the Nazis occupiers were driven out of Ukraine in WWII, a wreath from President Volodymyr Zelensky was laid at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in the Eternal Glory Park in Kyiv. “The liberation of Ukraine from the Nazis on the 247th day of our fight becomes a symbol: the result of our struggle is definitely the liberation of our Ukraine! One way or another, our land always becomes free. Resistance becomes pride. The struggle becomes a victory. And Ukraine becomes united!”, Zelenskiy said in his address to mark the day of Ukraine’s liberation from the Nazi invaders.

According to a public opinion poll conducted by Razumkov Center between September 22 and October 1, more than half of the population (51%) believe that the events in Ukraine are now developing in the right direction. “The paradox of this result lies not only in the optimism that the respondents show during the war, but also in the fact that in peacetime society very rarely shows such optimism”, the director of the sociological service of the Razumkov Center Andrii Bychenko stressed.

The interdepartmental working group on implementing the state sanctions policy approved a new sanction list of persons involved in Russian aggression. It will be submitted to the National

Security and Defense Council of Ukraine for consideration, the Ukrainian economy ministry reported. More than 1,000 people appear in the new sanctions package, including the aggressor state authorities, the military leadership of the Russian Federation, and heads of Russian banks.

As of October 27, 2022, Ukrainian farmers have already harvested 30.9 million tons of grain and leguminous crops, or 70% of the total area, the press service of the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine reports.

International diplomatic aspect

The US will send some $275 million in new weapons and equipment to Ukraine, which brings the total amount of assistance to nearly $18 billion. The package includes 500 Excalibur precision-guided 155 mm artillery rounds, 2,000 155 mm remote anti-armor mine systems, more than 1,300 anti-armor weapons, more than 2.75 million rounds of small arms ammunition, and an unspecified number of HIMARS rockets. On top of that, 125 Humvees and four satellite communications antennas.

The IAEA is sending inspectors to two locations where Russia believes Ukrainians are cooking “dirty bombs.” The director of the Agency expects experts to reach a conclusion in a matter of days. In the meantime, Russian troops have carried out secret construction work over the last week at the occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. Russians intimidate Ukrainian management and workers of the ZNPP into signing a contract with the illegal Russian entity. The IAEA chief said he made clear that he considers the ZNPP a Ukrainian plant and expressed concern at possible confusion about the chain of command following Russia’s announcement that it has “taken control” of the facility.

It’s difficult to guess what the UN agency should send its experts to investigate bizarre Russian claims that Ukraine has collected pathogens of dangerous infectious disease, allegedly spreading through birds, bats, and mosquitoes. Russia’s UN Permanent Representative claimed that Russian forces recovered containers from Kherson Oblast that could be used to “spray bioagents” and also mentioned a US patent for using a UAV to distribute infected mosquitoes, which could be used to harm army personnel.

“How much more of this nonsense do we have to endure?” the UK Ambassador replied diplomatically. The US Ambassador called the UN Security Council’s meeting “a colossal waste of time,” rejecting Russian allegations as “pure fabrications brought forth without a shred of evidence.” “Ukraine does not have a biological weapons program. The US does not have a biological weapons program. There are no Ukrainian biological weapons laboratories supported by the US,” she said. Adedeji Ebo, Director and Deputy to the High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, noting that the Russian Federation has filed an official complaint in line with the provisions of article VI of the Biological Weapons Convention regarding allegations of biological weapons programs in Ukraine, reiterated that the United Nations is unaware of any such biological weapons programs.

“The path to energy supply stability is different. It is necessary to recognize the legitimacy of Russia’s demands within the framework of the special military operation and its results, reflected in our Constitution. And then the light will come on…” Dmitry Medvedev said on his Telegram account. The former Russian President, once loved in the West for his liberal intentions, publicly admitted that Russia terrorizes the civilian population by targeting critical infrastructure, most of all energy facilities, as we are getting into the winter. A trained “lawyer,” apparently, has little knowledge of history, which proved wrong assumptions that the terror of civilians behind the frontlines isn’t capable of breaking the will to resist, not to mention defeating the enemy. Meanwhile, Ukraine has shot down more than 300 Iranian-made Shahed-136 drones.

“We’re very much interested in the deployment of NATO forces in Poland, and we’re interested in participating in the nuclear sharing program,” the Polish President’s top foreign policy aide said. The US has recently stated that they were not planning to station nuclear weapons in countries that joined the alliance after 1997. However, Jakub Kumoch believes that it could be revised since by invading Ukraine, Moscow “rendered invalid” a 1997 NATO-Russia agreement prohibiting the deployment of permanent NATO forces in Eastern Europe.

Canada imposed sanctions on Russian governmental officials, including two vice prime ministers and the minister of energy. The blacklist now includes top management of Gazprom. Among the sanctioned companies are Transoil, Lukoil, and Gas Industry Insurance Company. From January 1 2023, the UK is ending all imports of Russian liquefied natural gas. Contrary to Russian expectations and propaganda about “freezing Europeans,” the price of benchmark European natural gas futures has dropped 20% since last Thursday and by more than 70% since hitting a record high in late August. At the moment, 93.8% of the EU gas storage is filled.

Russia, relevant news

Poland canceled the simplified procedure for Russian citizens to be employed in the Polish labor market. Those entrepreneurs who want to hire a Russian citizen now have to follow the standard procedure, i.e., check whether there is a Polish citizen who could fill the vacancy before hiring a foreigner. At the same time, Russians who worked in Poland legally, under the simplified procedure, can continue to do so, but only until the expiration of the work permit.


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