Washington and its partners are considering additional sanctions if the parties do not observe a ceasefire, with political and technical negotiations between Europe and the U.S. intensifying since last week, Reuters' source said.
The Kyiv Independent’s contributor Ignatius Ivlev-Yorke spent a day with a mobile team from the State Emergency Service in Nikopol in the south of Ukraine as they responded to relentless drone, artillery, and mortar strikes from Russian forces just across the Dnipro River. Nikopol is located across from the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in the city of Enerhodar.
Peter Szijjarto's announcement came after Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) allegedly dismantled a Hungarian military intelligence network operating in Zakarpattia Oblast.
Moscow and Washington discuss the potential resumption of Russian gas supplies to Europe, among other issues related to the peaceful settlement of Russia's war in Ukraine, Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov confirmed to the Russian state-run Interfax news agency.
"This is a historic decision, as weapons for Ukraine will be purchased at the expense of the proceeds from frozen Russian assets through the European Peace Fund," Denys Shmyhal said.
The approval marks a key step in international efforts to hold Moscow accountable for what is considered the gravest violation of international law committed against Ukraine.
Illustrative purposes: A view from Russian oil company Tatneft in Tatarstan, Russia, on June 4, 2023. (Alexander Manzyuk/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
The Indonesian state-owned refinery Pertamina has included Russian crude oil grades in its September tender lists for purchase, Reuters reported on July 23, citing three traders.
Pertamina has not bought Russian oil for many years. The last time the Indonesian company bought ESPO Blend and Sokol oil from Russia was more than 10 years ago, according to the London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG), a global financial markets infrastructure and data provider.
Pertamina requested Russian Urals oil along with sour grades, including Kirkuk, Jubilee, Al Shakheen, and others, for Sep. 15-17 arrival at its Cilacap refinery.
The company also asked for Sokol oil among sweet oil grades such as Azeri BTC, El Sharara, Qua Iboe, and others for arrival at Cilacap over Sept. 18-20, Reuters reported.
The Sokol is to be supplied under CFR (cost and freight) or DAP (delivery at place) terms only, according to the tender.
One of the tenders was held last week, and another was closed on July 22. The results of the tenders have not yet been announced, Reuters said, citing its source.
The source told Reuters that Pertamina can only buy Russian oil if it is sold within the price cap regulation, which means at a price of less than $60 per barrel.
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Ukraine Business Roundup
A spokesperson for Pertamina's refining unit, Hermansyah Nasroen, said on July 23 that the company will buy crude oil that meets its refinery specifications while complying with all relevant regulations.
Western sanctions against the Russian energy sector, including the EU embargo on Russian oil and the price cap mechanism, have made China, India, and Turkey the main buyers of Russian oil.
Russia uses a so-called "shadow fleet" to circumvent sanctions. The shadow fleet refers to aging and largely uninsured oil tankers that Russia uses to transport oil above the $60 per barrel price cap that the EU, the U.S., and the Group of Seven (G7) countries imposed in December 2022 as part of the effort to cut Moscow's fossil fuels revenue.
Aiming at one of Russia's main sources of funds to finance its war, Ukraine has made a concerted effort to target the Russian oil industry with long-range drone strikes.
Kateryna Hodunova
