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Ukraine war – live: Leaks on Russian gas pipeline clearly deliberate, says Denmark

Official assessment of gas leaks on major Russian gas pipelines to Europe found they were clearly deliberate, Denmark’s prime minister said after seismologists reported powerful underwater explosions near the ruptures.

European leaders had suspected sabotage was behind the malfunction of the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines. Poland’s prime minister suggested Russia had taken the move to escalate its punishment of European countries for their opposition of the war in Ukraine. The US said it was ready to stand by its European partners.

Mette Frederiksen, the Danish prime minister, said the explosions happened in international waters and no culprit had yet been determined. Swedish police are also investigating.

The incident could cause worry across Europe over the supply of Russian energy to the continent, which many nations remain reliant on despite a scramble to find other sources since Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.

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The extent of the damage means the pipelines are unlikely to be able to carry any gas to Europe this winter even if there was political will to bring them online, analysts at the Eurasia Group said.

Meanwhile, the first results from four occupied regions of Ukraine showed more than 96 per cent of people voted in favour of becoming part of Russia in referendums denounced by Kyiv and the West as a sham.

Key points

  • Russia’s Medvedev insists Putin ‘not bluffing’ over nuclear weapons

  • Putin may announce ‘sham referendum’ result on Friday

  • Ukrainians involved in Russian-backed referendums to face treason charges

  • Heavy fighting as annexation vote in Ukraine enters final day

  • Huge explosions detected near Russian gas pipeline after leaks

04:56 , Namita Singh

Welcome to The Independent’s blog on the war in Ukraine for Tuesday, 27 September 2022.

Heavy fighting as annexation vote in Ukraine enters final day

05:35 , Namita Singh

Ukrainian and Russian forces were locked in heavy fighting in different parts of Ukraine today as Russian-organised referendums in four regions Moscow hopes to annex drew to a close.

Moscow hopes to annex the provinces of Kherson, Luhansk, Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia, in the east and south, which make up about 15 per cent of Ukraine.

None of the provinces are fully under Moscow’s control and fighting has been underway along the entire front line, with Ukrainian forces reporting more advances since they routed Russian troops in a fifth province, Kharkiv, earlier this month.

A Ukrainian serviceman examines a rifle of a fallen soldier of the National Guard of Ukraine found at military positions near the village of Dementiivka, Kharkiv region, on 26 September 2022 (AFP via Getty Images)
A Ukrainian serviceman examines a rifle of a fallen soldier of the National Guard of Ukraine found at military positions near the village of Dementiivka, Kharkiv region, on 26 September 2022 (AFP via Getty Images)

Russian president Vladimir Putin has issued a veiled threat to use nuclear weapons to protect Russian soil, which would include the four provinces if annexed.

Voting on whether to join Russia began on Friday in the regions and is due to end on Tuesday, with the Russian parliament possibly approving the annexation within days.

Kyiv and the west have dismissed the referendums as a sham and pledged not to recognise the results.

Russian conscription sparks protests

05:45 , Namita Singh

In Russia, the call-up of some 300,000 reservists has led to the first sustained protests since the invasion began, with one monitoring group estimating at least 2,000 people have been arrested so far. All public criticism of Russia’s “special military operation” is banned.

Flights out of Russia have sold out and cars have clogged border checkpoints, with reports of a 48-hour queue at the sole road border to Georgia, the rare pro-western neighbour that allows Russian citizens to enter without a visa.

Asked about the prospect of the border being shut, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Monday: “I don’t know anything about this. At the moment, no decisions have been taken on this.”

Finnish border guards check a Russian vehicle at the Vaalimaa border check point in Virolahti, Finland, on 25 September 2022 (AFP via Getty Images)
Finnish border guards check a Russian vehicle at the Vaalimaa border check point in Virolahti, Finland, on 25 September 2022 (AFP via Getty Images)

Russia counts millions of former conscripts as official reservists. The authorities have not spelled out precisely who is due to be called up, as that part of the president’s order is classified.

The mobilisation has also seen the first sustained criticism of the authorities within state-controlled media since the war began.

But Sergei Tsekov, a senior lawmaker who represents Russian-annexed Crimea in Russia’s upper house of parliament, told RIA news agency: “Everyone who is of conscription age should be banned from travelling abroad in the current situation.”

Two exiled news sites - Meduza and Novaya Gazeta Europe - both reported that the authorities were planning to ban men from leaving, citing unidentified officials.

Russia detains Japanese consul on spying charge

05:55 , Namita Singh

Russia’s FSB security agency said on Monday it had detained a Japanese consul in Russia’s Pacific port city of Vladivostok for suspected espionage and ordered him to leave the country.

The consul was released after a few hours of detention by the Russian agency. Tokyo has lodged a “strong protest” about the detention and signalled it may retaliate, Japan’s chief cabinet secretary Hirokazu Matsuno told media today.

The FSB said the consul, Motoki Tatsunori, was declared persona non grata after he was caught “red-handed” receiving secret information on the effects of Western sanctions on the economic situation in Russia’s far east.

Japan’s chief cabinet secretary Hirokazu Matsuno speaks at a press conference in Tokyo Tuesday, 27 September 2022 (AP)
Japan’s chief cabinet secretary Hirokazu Matsuno speaks at a press conference in Tokyo Tuesday, 27 September 2022 (AP)

It said the classified information, which also concerned Russia’s cooperation with an unnamed Asia-Pacific country, had been obtained in return for a “monetary reward”.Moscow has protested to Tokyo over the consul’s actions through diplomatic channels, it said.

Japan’s top government spokesperson said Moscow took the consul into custody in an “intimidating manner” blindfolding and restraining him, which was “a clear violation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations”.

“The detained consul was not engaging in any illegal activity,” Mr Matsuno said, adding the Japanese deputy foreign minister told the Russian ambassador to Japan that Tokyo “needs to take equivalent steps” and demanded a formal apology from Moscow.

Military situation in Donetsk ‘particularly severe’, says Zelensky

06:17 , Namita Singh

President Volodymyr Zelensky described the military situation in Donetsk as “particularly severe.”

“We are doing everything to contain enemy activity. This is our No 1 goal right now because Donbas is still the No 1 goal for the occupiers,” he said, referring to the wider region that encompasses Donetsk and Luhansk.

Russia carried out at least five attacks on targets in the Odesa region using Iranian drones in the last few days, according to the regional administration.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky is seen on a screen as he remotely addresses the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly at the UN headquarters in New York City on 21 September 2022 (AFP via Getty Images)
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky is seen on a screen as he remotely addresses the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly at the UN headquarters in New York City on 21 September 2022 (AFP via Getty Images)

Russian missiles hit the airport in Kriviy Rih, the Ukrainian president’s home town in central Ukraine, destroying infrastructure and making the airport unusable, Valentyn Reznichenko, governor of the Dnipropetrovsk region, said on Telegram.

More US funding looks to be on the way as negotiators of a stop-gap spending bill in Congress have agreed to include nearly $12bn in new military and economic aid to Ukraine, according to sources.

Top guard to Uruguay president detained in Russian passport scheme

06:22 , Namita Singh

Uruguay’s police arrested the head of the president’s personal security detail yesterday at the presidential residence for allegedly participating in a scheme to help possibly hundreds of Russian nationals illegally obtain Uruguayan passports.

President Luis Lacalle Pou’s security chief Alejandro Astesiano was being investigated for participating in a criminal ring that created fake Russian birth certificates that claimed Uruguayan parents, said prosecutor Gabriela Fossati.

The goal was for the Russians to be able to obtain passports and other official identity documents, she said. “We’re talking about dozens of people, hundreds,” said Ms Fossati.Many Russians have been leaving their country since Russia invaded Ukraine on 24 February.

The accused used contacts that allowed him to process the required documentation to acquire passports for the Russians, reported local media citing police sources.

News of his arrest appeared to have left the president shaken.

“I’m as surprised as you all are,” the president said at a news conference he abruptly called on Monday in the capital Montevideo. “I’m sick,” he added.

Lacalle Pou promised that prosecutors and police working on the case will be independent, and he denied other reports that Mr Astesiano had a criminal record.

Russia gives citizenship to ex-NSA contractor Edward Snowden

06:40 , Namita Singh

Russia yesterday granted citizenship to former American intelligence contractor Edward Snowden, who fled prosecution after he revealed highly classified US surveillance programmes to capture communications and data from around the world.

A decree signed by Russian president Vladimir Putin listed him as one of 75 foreign citizens listed as being granted Russian citizenship. After fleeing the US in 2013, he was granted permanent Russian residency in 2020 and said at the time that he planned to apply for Russian citizenship without renouncing his US citizenship.

Ties between Washington and Moscow are already at their lowest point in decades following Mr Putin’s decision to launch what the Kremlin has dubbed a “special military operation” in Ukraine.

File: In this image made from video and released by WikiLeaks, former National Security Agency systems analyst Edward Snowden speaks in Moscow, 11 October 2013 (AP)
File: In this image made from video and released by WikiLeaks, former National Security Agency systems analyst Edward Snowden speaks in Moscow, 11 October 2013 (AP)

While Snowden, 39, is considered by supporters to be a righteous whistleblower who wanted to protect American civil liberties, US intelligence officials have accused him of putting US personnel at risk and damaging national security. He currently faces charges in the United States that could result in decades in prison.

“Our position has not changed,” State Department spokesman Ned Price said yesterday. “Mr Snowden should return to the United States where he should face justice as any other American citizen would.”

Mr Snowden becomes a Russian citizen as Moscow is mobilising reservists to go to Ukraine. In Russia, almost every man is considered a reservist until age 65, and officials on Monday stressed that men with dual citizenship are also eligible for the military call-up.

Russian military recruiter shot amid fear of Ukraine call-up

06:51 , Namita Singh

A young man shot a Russian military officer at close range at an enlistment office yesterday, an unusually bold attack reflecting resistance to Russian president Vladimir Putin’s efforts to mobilize hundreds of thousands of more men to wage war on Ukraine.

The shooting comes after scattered arson attacks on enlistment offices and protests in Russian cities against the military call-up that have resulted in at least 2,000 arrests. Russia is seeking to bolster its military as its Ukraine offensive has bogged down.

In the attack in the Siberian city of Ust-Ilimsk, 25-year-old resident Ruslan Zinin walked into the enlistment office saying “no one will go to fight” and “we will all go home now,” according to local media.

He was arrested and officials vowed tough punishment. Authorities said the military commandant was in intensive care. A witness quoted by a local news site said Mr Zinin was in a roomful of people called up to fight and troops from his region were heading to military bases the next day.

Protests also flared up in Dagestan, one of Russia’s poorer regions in the North Caucasus. Local media reported that “several hundred” demonstrators took to the streets today in its capital, Makhachkala. Videos circulated online showing dozens of protesters tussling with the police sent to disperse them.AP

UN meeting produces sense that a ‘new epoch’ is arriving

06:57 , Namita Singh

The war in Ukraine and its global fallout transfixed the meeting of world leaders at the UN General Assembly this year. When it wasn’t out front, it lurked in the background of virtually every speech.

There were near-unanimous calls for an end to the seven-month war, with rich and poor countries decrying the fallout from the conflict — widespread shortages and rising prices not only for food but for energy, inflation hitting the cost of living everywhere, and growing global inequality.

The speeches and side meetings produced no breakthroughs toward peace, but they did put the top diplomats from Russia and Ukraine in the same room for the first time in many months, however briefly.

And UN food chief David Beasley sounded an alarm that the war, on top of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, has left 50 million people in 45 countries “knocking on famine’s door.” He warned of starvation, destabilization of nations, riots, and mass migration if help doesn’t arrive quickly.

Read more in this report:

UN meeting produces sense that a 'new epoch' is arriving

Putin ‘deeply mourns’ death of 11 Russian school children, killed by gunman wearing swastika T-shirt

07:15 , Namita Singh

At least 15 people have been killed after a gunman with a swastika on his T-shirt opened fire at a school in the western Russian city of Izhevsk.

Among the dead were 11 children, said police. Two teachers and two security guards were also killed.

Another 24 people were injured, including 22 children, Russia’s Investigative Committee, which handles major crimes, said, amid fears the death toll could climb higher.

The gunman later killed himself, said the committee, who also revealed the details about what he was wearing.

David Harding reports:

Putin ‘mourns’ death of 7 schoolchildren, killed by gunman wearing swastika T-shirt

Ukrainians involved in Russian-backed referendums face treason charges

07:20 , Namita Singh

Ukrainians who help Russian-backed referendums to annexe large swathes of the country will face treason charges and at least five years in jail, Ukraine’s presidential adviser said, as voting in four regions entered its last day.

“We have lists of names of people who have been involved in some way,” presidential adviser Mikhailo Podolyak said in an interview with Swiss newspaper Blick.

“We are talking about hundreds of collaborators. They will be prosecuted for treason. They face prison sentences of at least five years.”

Mr Podolyak said Ukrainians who were forced to vote would not be punished. Ukrainians officials have reported ballot boxes being taken door to door and residents being coerced into voting in front of Russian-backed security.

Moscow hopes to annex the provinces of Kherson, Luhansk, Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia, in the east and south, which make up about 15 per cent of Ukraine.

Putin likely to announce accession of occupied regions of Ukrain on 30 September, says UK

07:47 , Namita Singh

Russian president Vladimir Putin is likely to announce the accession of occupied regions of Ukraine to the Russian Federation during his address to parliament on 30 September, the British Ministry of Defence said today.

The referendums currently underway within these territories are scheduled to conclude on 27 September, the Defence Ministry said in its daily briefing on Twitter.

Russia’s leaders almost certainly hope that any accession announcement will be seen as a vindication of the special military operation and will consolidate patriotic support for the conflict.

British Ministry of Defence

Japan protests Russia’s expulsion of official, denies spying

07:48 , Namita Singh

Japan protested to Russia today over the detention of a Japanese consulate official on espionage allegations, denying the allegations and accusing Russian authorities of abusive interrogation.

The official was detained on 22 September and interrogated with his eyes covered, his hands and head pressed and immobilized, Japan’s foreign ministry said, prompting it to lodge a protest and to demand an apology.

Yesterday, Russia’s foreign ministry notified Japan’s embassy in Moscow that the official had been declared “persona non grata,” or an undesirable person, on grounds he conducted illegal espionage activity and it ordered him to leave the country within 48 hours.

“The alleged illegal activity insisted by the Russian side is completely groundless,” chief cabinet secretary Hirokazu Matsuno told reporters.

Read more in this report:

Japan protests Russia's expulsion of official, denies spying

Pressure drops in second Russia gas pipeline, German economy ministry says

07:51 , Namita Singh

The Nord Stream 1 pipeline from Russia to Europe has reported a drop in pressure, only hours after a leak was reported in the Nord Stream 2 pipeline in the Baltic Sea off Denmark, the German economy ministry said.

“We are investigating this incident as well, together with the authorities concerned and the Federal Network Agency,” the ministry said in a statement.

“We currently do not know the reason for the drop in pressure.”

Both pipelines carry natural gas from Russia to Europe. While the Nord Stream 2 pipeline has never operated, Nord Stream 1 had been carrying gas to Germany until earlier this month, when Russian energy giant Gazprom cut off the supply, claiming there was a need for urgent maintenance work to repair key components.

Despite not delivering gas to Europe, both pipelines have still been filled with gas, German news agency DPA reported.

Gazprom’s citing of technical problems as the reason for reducing gas flows through Nord Stream 1 have been rejected by German officials as a cover for a political power play following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

AP

'We are not afraid': Russians flee to Mongolia to evade Ukraine mobilisation

08:10 , Namita Singh

Thousands of Russians have fled into Mongolia across its northern frontier in a bid to evade conscription to Ukraine, putting further pressure on the government in Ulaanbaatar and its efforts to distance itself from the conflict.

“My country has started partial mobilisation and I think it is negatively affecting society,” said one. “We waited a very long time at the Russian side of the border: about 16 hours.”

Suren Bat-Tur, the owner of a guesthouse in the capital Ulaanbaatar that normally caters for backpackers, has also been helping his friends in Buryatia to escape the draft.The guesthouse has filled up with Russians since Putin’s mobilisation order, and Bat-Tur said he has already turned away dozens of requests for beds.

“I wanted to help them, it has been very difficult,” said Bat-Tur. “Now they are looking for work in construction or agriculture so they have something to do while they are here.”

A Police officer detains a demonstrator during a protest against a partial mobilization in Moscow, Russia, Saturday, 24 September 2022 (AP)
A Police officer detains a demonstrator during a protest against a partial mobilization in Moscow, Russia, Saturday, 24 September 2022 (AP)

One newly-arrived guest, who identified himself as Aleksey, said he crossed into Mongolia last weekend, leaving behind his wife and three children. He arrived at the border late at night on a tourist bus packed with other young Russians.

“There were a lot of young people, a lot of people trying to get away from Putin,” he said.

Aleksey, 40, a construction worker, planned to stay in Mongolia until the situation in Russia improves, and said he would do whatever it takes to avoid the war.“We are not afraid, but why do we have to fight in Ukraine, why?”

Sweden issues warning of two gas leaks on Nord Stream 1 pipeline

08:30 , Namita Singh

Sweden’s Maritime Authority said it had issued a warning of two leaks on the Russian-owned Nord Stream 1 pipeline in Swedish and Danish waters, shortly after a leak on the nearby Nord Stream 2 project was discovered.

“There are two leaks on Nord Stream 1 - one in Swedish economic zone and one in Danish economic zone. They are very near each other,” a Swedish Maritime Administration (SMA) spokesperson told Reuters.

The leaks were located northeast of the Danish island Bornholm, the spokesperson said. It was not immediately clear what had caused the leaks.

“We are keeping extra watch to make sure no ship comes too close to the site,” a second SMA spokesperson said.

Yesterday, Danish authorities asked ships to steer clear of a five nautical mile radius southeast off Bornholm after a gas leak from the defunct Nord Stream 2 pipeline drained into the Baltic Sea.

Reuters

Putin may announce ‘sham referendum’ result on Friday

08:51 , Thomas Kingsley

Russian president Vladimir Putin is likely to announce the accession of occupied regions of Ukraine to the Russian Federation during his address to parliament on 30 September, the British Ministry of Defence said on Tuesday.

The referendums currently underway within these territories are scheduled to conclude on 27 September, the Defence Ministry said in its daily briefing on Twitter.

"Russia's leaders almost certainly hope that any accession announcement will be seen as a vindication of the special military operation and will consolidate patriotic support for the conflict", it said.

Voting in Russian-help regions of Ukraine to end Tuesday

09:10 , Thomas Kingsley

The final day of voting was taken place in Russian-held regions of Ukraine Tuesday, a referendum that is expected to serve as a pretext for their annexation by Moscow but that is rejected as a sham by Kyiv and its Western allies.

The five-day voting, in which residents are asked whether they want their regions to become part of Russia, has been anything but free or fair. Tens of thousands of residents had already fled the regions amid the war, and images shared by those who remained showed armed Russian troops going door-to-door to pressure Ukrainians into voting.

The balloting on Tuesday was held at polling stations.

The Kremlin is expected to move immediately to absorb the regions once the voting is over, with President Vlaidmir Putin expected to declare their incorporation into Russia later this week.

Russian media also speculated that Putin may follow up on last week's order of partial mobilization by declaring martial law and shutting the nation's borders for all men of fighting age.

Russia Mobilization Mood (Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)
Russia Mobilization Mood (Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

Offshore gas pipelines sustained ‘unprecedented damage'

09:30 , Thomas Kingsley

Three offshore lines of the Nord Stream gas pipeline system have sustained “unprecedented” damage in one day, Nord Stream AG, the operator of the network, said on Tuesday.

It also said that it was impossible to estimate when the gas network system's working capability would be restored.

 (Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)
(Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

Ukraine refugees push German population to all-time high

09:50 , Thomas Kingsley

Refugees arriving from Ukraine have helped drive Germany's population to its highest level, the Federal Statistical Office said, with more than 84 million people now living in the European Union's most populous country.

Germany has one of the world's lowest fertility rates and by some measures its most aged population, but its wealth, demand for labour and relatively open immigration policy made it an attractive target for migrants even before the EU opened its doors to Ukrainians fleeing their country after Russia's invasion in February.

In a report issued on Tuesday, the Federal Statistics Office said that the population had grown by 1 per cent, or 843,000 people, in the first half of 2022. The population grew just 0.1 per cent over the whole of 2021. Germany recorded net immigration of 750,000 people from Ukraine over the same period.

Growth on a comparable scale has been seen only three times since German reunification in 1990, and each time was linked to a wave of refugees.

Russian filmmaker resigns after officials snub Oscars

10:11 , Thomas Kingsley

In more revolt within Russia, the chairman of Russia's Oscars nomination commission has resigned, a state-run news outlet reported on Tuesday, after the country decided not to submit a film to the Academy Awards for 2022.

In a scathing letter partially published by TASS news agency, Pavel Chukhrai, whose film "The Thief" was nominated for an Oscar in 1997, wrote that the country's Film Academy had unilaterally decided not to a nominate a film without consulting him.

Slamming the decision as "illegal", Chukhrai said he was standing down. Another director from the commission also resigned in protest, he said.

Russia's Film Academy did not say why it was not submitting a film to the Oscars. In its statement it pointed out, however, that Chukhrai was its chairman, without providing further detail.

Russia's Oscars commission decides which film to put forward for the prestigious Best International Feature Film award, previously known as Best Foreign Language Film.

Russia's Medvedev warns West that nuclear threat 'is not a bluff'

10:38 , Thomas Kingsley

Former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev said on Tuesday that Moscow has the right to defend itself with nuclear weapons if it is pushed beyond its limits and that this is "certainly not a bluff".

Medvedev, deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council, also warned that Moscow has the right to respond "without much consultation", as tensions rise with the West over referendums held in large swathes of Russian-occupied Ukrainian territory.

Medvedev has regularly issued aggressive statements on the West and Ukraine in recent months, underlining his transformation from an apparently Western-minded liberaliser as president from 2008-2012 to strident geopolitical hawk.

 (Getty Images)
(Getty Images)

More from Medvedev on Putin’s nuclea threat

11:00 , Thomas Kingsley

Diplomats say Russia's nuclear sabre rattling indicates Putin is trying to scare the West into reducing its support for Ukraine by hinting at using a tactical nuclear weapon to defend the annexed territories of Ukraine.

Tactical nuclear weapons, simply a nuclear device used on the battlefield, typically have much smaller explosive power than the vast strategic nuclear warheads which Russia and the United States point at each other's major cities.

“I have to remind you again - for those deaf ears who hear only themselves. Russia has the right to use nuclear weapons if necessary," Mr Medvedev said, adding that it would do so “in predetermined cases” and in strict compliance with state policy.

When describing a possible strike on Ukraine, a Slavic neighbour which Putin describes as an artificial historical construct, Medvedev said Nato would not get involved in such a situation.

“I believe that Nato would not directly interfere in the conflict even in this scenario,” Mr Medvedev said. “The demagogues across the ocean and in Europe are not going to die in a nuclear apocalypse.”

Latest on Nord Stream 1 leakages

11:24 , Thomas Kingsley

Authorities are trying to determine the cause of mysterious leaks and pressure drops on natural gas pipelines running from Russia to Germany under the Baltic Sea, on the day a new supply meant to wean Europe off Russian gas is to be inaugurated.

Neither of the pipelines, Nord Stream 1 and 2, are yet bringing gas from Russia amid an energy standoff with Europe caused by the invasion of Ukraine, but both are filled with natural gas, used to heat homes, generate electricity and run factories.

Officials said the leaks did not pose any threat to energy supplies given that Russian is not supplying gas through them, and experts said the environmental impact would be limited.

Danish authorities announced on Monday that a leak had been detected in Nord Stream 2, which has never been used. They were later informed of a major pressure drop on Nord Stream 1, which until recently had been a key source of gas to Germany.

The Swedish Maritime Administration said on Tuesday that two leaks were discovered in Nord Stream 1, which partly runs in Swedish waters. Danish authorities confirmed the leaks.

German police search Russian businessman's yacht

11:41 , Thomas Kingsley

Police have searched a motor yacht in northern Germany as part of an investigation into a Russian businessman over alleged money-laundering, the state prosecutor's office in Frankfurt said on Tuesday.

According to the Spiegel news website, the vessel belongs to Alisher Usmanov, an oligarch on the European Union sanctions list who faced raids at his properties in Germany last week.

Farmers among Russians drafted into the military, Putin says

12:11 , Thomas Kingsley

Farmers are among the Russians being drafted into the military, president Vladimir Putin told a meeting with officials on Tuesday, signalling potential further risks for the 2023 crop.

Russia is the world's largest wheat exporter. Autumn is a busy season for farmers as they sow winter wheat for the next year's crop and harvest soybeans and sunflower seeds. Winter grain sowing has already been significantly delayed by rains.

“I would also like to address regional heads and the heads of agricultural enterprises. As part of the partial mobilisation, agricultural workers are also being drafted. Their families must be supported. I ask you to pay special attention to this issue,” Mr Putin told the televised meeting.

EU Commission says premature to speculate on cause of Russian gas pipeline leaks

12:30 , Thomas Kingsley

The European Commission on Tuesday said it was premature to speculate on the cause of leaks in the two Nord Stream pipelines designed to bring gas from Russia to Europe.

"At this stage, it's very premature to speculate on what the causes are... The member states are looking into this issue, we will remain in close contact with them, but it's really not the moment to speculate," a Commission spokesman told a regular EU news conference.

The Commission is following developments on the leaks closely, and so far does not see any impact on Europe's security of supply, the spokesman said. Although neither were in operation, both pipelines still contained gas under pressure.

EUROPA-GASODUCTOS (AP)
EUROPA-GASODUCTOS (AP)

Sabotage cannot be ruled out as reason for Nord Stream damage, Kremlin claims

12:50 , Thomas Kingsley

The Kremlin said on Tuesday that it did not rule out sabotage as a reason behind damage to the Russia-built network of Nord Stream pipelines which sprung unexplained leaks in the Baltic Sea.

The pipelines, designed to bring gas from Western Siberia's Yamal Peninsula directly to Germany, Europe's biggest economy, have been the focus of an energy war between Russia and its traditional European clients over the conflict in Ukraine.

Asked if sabotage was the reason for the damage, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters: "No option can be ruled out right now."

The Kremlin, Mr Peskov said, was very concerned by the situation, which required prompt investigation as it was an issue affecting the energy security of the "entire continent".

"This is a very concerning news. Indeed, we are talking about some damage of an unclear nature to the pipeline in Denmark's economic zone," Peskov said. "This is an issue related to the energy security of the entire continent."

Kazakhstan struggles to accommodate Russians fleeing war

13:21 , Thomas Kingsley

Kazakhstan is struggling to accommodate tens of thousands of Russians who have fled their homeland since Moscow announced a military mobilisation last week, officials say, but the Almaty government has no plans to close its border.

Russian men, some with families, started crossing the world's second-longest land border en masse after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the mobilisation of reservists last week amid a stalled military campaign in Ukraine.

Russians do not need a visa or even a passport to enter Kazakhstan, just their Russian identity papers. The Russian language is also widely spoken in the country, which is home to a large ethnic Russian minority.

However, the sudden influx of Russians - the government says almost 100,000 have crossed the border since the mobilisation announcement - has stretched the infrastructure of the vast but sparsely populated nation. Hotels and hostels are full, and rent has skyrocketed.

Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, whose administration has refused to support what Russia calls a "special military operation" in Ukraine, urged patience and tolerance.

Ukraine urges EU to impose economic sanctions on Russia over annexation votes

13:49 , Thomas Kingsley

Ukraine urged the European Union on Tuesday to impose economic sanctions on Russia to punish it for staging annexation votes in four occupied regions, and said the moves by Moscow would not change Ukraine's actions on the battlefield.

Foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba, after talks in Kyiv with French foreign minister Catherine Colonna, said personal sanctions would not suffice as punishment for the referendums, billed by Russia as a prelude to it annexing four Ukrainian regions.

"It won't be enough to limit oneself to cosmetic measures... the softer the reaction to the so-called referendums, the greater the motivation for Russia to escalate and annex further territories," Mr Kuleba told reporters.

"In the content of the eighth (EU) sanctions package, we will see just how seriously the EU takes the problem of referendums."

UN says Russia abuses prisoners in Ukraine

14:00 , Thomas Kingsley

Russian forces and their armed affiliates have subjected Ukrainian prisoners to extrajudicial executions, sexual violence and other abuses, the U.N. human rights office said in a report on Tuesday.

The report, issued by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), found some rights violations by both sides in the conflict but expressed particular concern about the ill treatment of civilians and prisoners of war by Russian forces and affiliated armed groups.

Russia and Ukraine did not immediately comment on the report, compiled between Feb. 1 and July 31 and based on work by the U.N. Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU). Both countries have denied allegations of human rights abuses.

"The ongoing armed attack by the Russian Federation against Ukraine and associated hostilities have resulted in a dire human rights situation across the country. The armed conflict has led to a wide range of human rights violations affecting both civilians and combatants," the report said.

Images show bubbles rushing to the surface of the Baltic Sea above Nord Stream 1 and 2

14:20 , Thomas Kingsley

Denmark's armed forces on Tuesday released images showing bubbles rushing to the surface of the Baltic Sea above the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines, and said the largest gas leak had caused surface disturbance of well over 1 kilometre in diameter.

 (Danish Defence Command)
(Danish Defence Command)
 (Danish Defence Command)
(Danish Defence Command)
Gas bubbles from the Nord Stream 2 leak reaching surface of the Baltic Sea (via REUTERS)
Gas bubbles from the Nord Stream 2 leak reaching surface of the Baltic Sea (via REUTERS)

Seismograph spiked twice on day of Baltic pipeline leaks

14:40 , Thomas Kingsley

A seismograph on the Danish island of Bornholm twice recorded spikes representing earth tremors on Monday, the day on which the Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines underwent dramatic falls in pressure, German geological research centre GFZ said.

The seismograph recorded near-silence until 00.03am GMT (2am local time) when there was a spike representing a tremor in the earth followed by a continuous hissing waveform. The pattern repeated itself at 5pm.

Nord Stream 2 was first reported to have depressurised on Monday afternoon. The depressurisation in the Nord Stream 1 pipeline was reported in the early evening, shortly after the second of the two spikes.

First partial vote results show over 96% in occupied Ukraine areas favour joining Russia

15:00 , Thomas Kingsley

First partial voting results from four Russian-occupied regions of Ukraine showed overwhelming majorities of residents in favour of joining Russia, Russian state news agency RIA said on Tuesday, after so-called referendums that Kyiv and the West have denounced as a sham.

Voting had taken place over five days in four regions - Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson - that make up about 15 per cent of Ukrainian territory.

The exercise paves the way for President Vladimir Putin to annex the four areas, after which he could portray any Ukrainian attempt to recapture them as an attack on Russia itself. He has said on Sept. 21 that he was willing to use nuclear weapons to defend the "territorial integrity" of Russia.

Ukraine has repeatedly warned that Russian annexation of additional territories would destroy any chance of peace talks while the West has condemned the referendum as a sham and would not recognise it.

Huge explosions detected close to Russian gas pipeline after leaks caused by ‘sabotage’

15:20 , Thomas Kingsley

Powerful underwater explosions have been recorded by seismologists in Denmark and Sweden after the discovery of gas leaks in major Russian gas pipelines to Europe.

The discovery of the explosion came after Denmark’s prime minister claimed the leaks may have been caused by sabotage.

“There is no doubt that these were explosions,” Bjorn Lund, a seismologist at Sweden’s National Seismology Centre told SVT.

If the explosions are linked to sabotaged leaks, it could dramatically escalate European concerns over the supply of Russian energy to the continent, which many nations remain reliant on despite a scramble to find other sources since Moscow’s invasion of World War Two.

Read the full story below:

Explosions detected close to Russian gas pipeline after leaks caused by ‘sabotage’

US 'ready to provide support' to Europe after Nord Stream gas pipeline leaks

15:40 , Thomas Kingsley

The United States is "ready" to help European allies after leaks erupted from the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines carrying Russian gas to western Europe, a senior White House official said Tuesday.

"I'm not going to speculate on the cause, and I know our European partners are investigating. We stand ready to provide support to their efforts," the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Gas bubbles from the Nord Stream 2 leak reaching surface of the Baltic Sea (via REUTERS)
Gas bubbles from the Nord Stream 2 leak reaching surface of the Baltic Sea (via REUTERS)

‘We do not recognise phoney’ referendum results, UK foreign secretary says

15:55 , Thomas Kingsley

UK foreign secretary James Cleverly said Britain will not recognise “phoney results” in Russia’s “sham referendum” carried out in occupied regions.

Writing on Twitter, Mr Cleverly said: “This is a desperate move by Putin to paint Ukraine as an aggressor rather than the truth: that the Ukrainians are defending their country from an illegal invasion of their sovereign territory.”

First partial voting results from four Russian-occupied regions of Ukraine showed overwhelming majorities of residents in favour of joining Russia, Russian state news agency RIA said on Tuesday, after so-called referendums that Kyiv and the West have denounced as a sham.

Russian crossings into EU up 30%

16:34 , Liam James

The number of Russians entering the EU has jumped following a partial mobilisation ordered by Moscow, and illegal crossings are likely to increase should Russia decide to close the border for potential conscripts, EU border agency Frontex said today.

“Over the past week, nearly 66,000 Russian citizens entered the EU, more than 30 per cent compared to the preceding week. Most of them arrived to Finland and Estonia,” Frontex said in a statement.

Over the last four days alone, 30,000 Russian citizens arrived in Finland, according to the statement.

“Frontex estimates that illegal border crossings are likely to increase if the Russian Federation decides to close the border for potential conscripts,” the agency said.

Finnish border guards check a Russian vehicle at the Vaalimaa border check point in Virolahti, Finland on Sunday (Lehtikuva/AFP/Getty)
Finnish border guards check a Russian vehicle at the Vaalimaa border check point in Virolahti, Finland on Sunday (Lehtikuva/AFP/Getty)

Swedish police launch investigation into Nord Stream leak

16:55 , Liam James

Swedish police have launched a preliminary investigation into possible sabotage related to the Nord Stream 1 gas leak in the Baltic Sea.

“We have established a report and the crime classification is gross sabotage,” a national police spokesperson said.

The US said it stands ready to support European partners investigating Nord Stream 2, which is also suspected to have been sabotaged.

Leaks on the major gas lines from Russia to Europe were accompanied by powerful underwater explosions, according to seismologists in Denmark and Sweden.

The Danish prime minister, along with Poland’s president and prime minister, raised the possibility of sabotage on the pipes.

Seismograph shows two tremors near Nord Stream rupture

17:14 , Liam James

A seismograph on the Danish island of Bornholm twice recorded spikes representing earth tremors on Monday, the day on which the Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines underwent dramatic falls in pressure, German geological research centre GFZ said.

The seismograph recorded near-silence until 0003 GMT (2am local time) when there was a spike representing a tremor in the earth followed by a continuous hissing waveform. The pattern repeated itself at 1700.

European politicians and security experts have suggested that the pipeline rupture near Bornholm could have been caused by sabotage. GFZ declined to be drawn on whether the tremors recorded could have been the result of an explosion.

“There was a spike and then regular noise,” said GFZ spokesperson Josef Zens. “We cannot say if that could be gas streaming out.”

Nord Stream 2 was first reported to have depressurised on Monday afternoon. The depressurisation in the Nord Stream 1 pipeline was reported in the early evening, shortly after the second of the two spikes.

 (GFZ/Reuters)
(GFZ/Reuters)

First results from ‘sham’ Ukraine referendums show 96% want to join Russia

17:34 , Liam James

The first results from four occupied regions of Ukraine showed majorities of more than 96 per cent of people voting in favour of becoming part of Russia in referendums denounced by Kyiv and the West as a sham (Thomas Kingsley writes).

The state-owned Russian news agency RIA said the initial counts showed majorities ranging from 96.97 per cent in the Kherson region, based on 14 per cent of votes counted, to 98.19 per cent in Zaporizhzhia, based on 18 per cent of the count.

In the so-called Donetsk and Luhansk people’s republics, the majorities pushed 98 per cent with a similar number of votes counted.

The figures came as speculation mounted that Vladimir Putin is expected to announce annexation of territories later this week. Voting finishes on Tuesday.

First results from ‘sham’ Ukraine referendums show 96% want to join Russia

Nord Stream leaks won’t leave Europe in dark, says US

17:52 , Liam James

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said his understanding was leaks detected in the Nord Stream gas pipelines would not have a significant impact on Europe’s energy resilience.

Mr Blinken, speaking at a press conference alongside India’s foreign minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, said the United States had not yet confirmed initial reports that the leaks could be the result of an attack or sabotage, but said sabotage would not be in anyone’s interests.

Russia had already closed the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, on the disputed claim that it needed maintenance, and Nord Stream 2 was not yet in operation despite being functional. Both pipes still contained gas.

Europe has been working to reduce energy use in anticipation of a difficult winter as countries reliant on Russian gas supplies have yet to find replacements after European Union members agreed to turn away from Moscow in response to Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.

UNSC to meet over Russian referendums

18:16 , Liam James

The UN Security Council is meeting to discuss the separation referendums that Moscow-backed authorities held in four occupied regions of Ukraine.

Ukraine requested the Tuesday afternoon meeting and has asked for President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to be given time to address the council members by video.

Security Council diplomats said the United States and Albania were drafting a resolution which is expected to condemn the votes and say the preordained results will never be recognized.

The resolution is certain to be vetoed by Russia when put to a vote.

The referendums took place in the Russian-controlled Luhansk and Kherson regions of Ukraine and in occupied areas of the Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions. Five days of voting ended Tuesday and ballot counting started.

The balloting was widely viewed as a pretext for announcements that Russia is annexing the territories, just as it annexed Crimea in 2014.

Ukraine POWs ‘facing systematic mistreatment’ – even torture

18:39 , Liam James

UN human rights investigators say Ukrainian prisoners of war appear to be facing “systematic” mistreatment – including torture – both when they are captured and when they are transferred into areas controlled by Russian forces or Russia itself.

A monitoring mission set up by the UN human rights office says Russia must address such mistreatment that amounts to a grave violation of international law.

The findings emerged as the mission issued its first comprehensive look at rights violations and abuses committed by both sides of the war between 1 February and 31 July covering the first months after Russian forces invaded Ukraine on 24 February

The mission, which tracks the situation daily, has been monitoring rights in Ukraine ever since a conflict involving Russian-backed insurgents began in eastern Ukraine in 2014.

Aiden Aslin, a British man captured by Russian-backed forces in Donetsk who was released last week, complained of abuse at the hands of his jailers.

Russian propaganda floods Facebook

19:11 , Liam James

Facebook says it has identified and stopped a sprawling network of fake accounts that spread Russian propaganda about the invasion of Ukraine throughout Western Europe.

Facebook parent company Meta says the network created more than 60 websites that mimicked legitimate news organizations but parroted Russian talking points about Ukraine.

More than 1,600 fake Facebook accounts were used to spread the propaganda to audiences in Germany, Italy, France, the United Kingdom and Ukraine. Meta says it was the largest and most complex network linked to Russia that the California-based company has identified since the Ukraine invasion began.

The Russian Embassy in Washington hasn’t responded to a request for comment.

Danish PM says gas leaks clearly deliberate

19:37 , Liam James

Denmark’s prime minister said leaks detected in the Nord Stream gas pipelines clearly were deliberate and could not have been a result of accidents.

Investigators were looking at major leaks in the two Russian pipelines to Europe that spewed gas into the Baltic Sea near Sweden and Denmark. Powerful underwater explosions had been recorded nearby by seismologists.

“It is now the clear assessment by authorities that these are deliberate actions. It was not an accident,” Mette Frederiksen told journalists.

“There is no information yet to indicate who may be behind this action,” Ms Frederiksen added.

Poland’s prime minister earlier called the leaks an act of sabotage and suggested Russia had taken the move to escalate its punishment of European countries for their opposition of the war in Ukraine. The US said it was ready to stand by its European partners.

Japan summons Russian ambassador after its diplomat is ‘brutally interrogated’ in Moscow

21:22 , Liam James

Japan has demanded an apology from Russia after its diplomat was blindfolded and physically restrained during an interrogation and accused of being a spy, deepening a diplomatic row between the two countries (Shweta Sharma writes).

Tatsunori Motoki, who worked at the Japanese consulate general, was detained in Vladivostok in Russia’s far east on allegations that he obtained classified information about Russia, the foreign ministry in Moscow said.

On Monday, Russia‘s foreign ministry notified Japan‘s embassy in Moscow that the official had been declared “persona non grata”, or an undesirable person, on grounds that he conducted illegal espionage activity, and ordered him to leave the country within 48 hours.

According to the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB), he was detained while receiving classified information about “Russia’s cooperation with an Asia Pacific country” and the impacts of the west’s sanction policy on the economic situation in the maritime territory. It was alleged that he was caught paying money for it, Tass news agency reported.

Japan lodged a formal protest with Russia on Tuesday and rejected the espionage allegations against him.

Japan demands apology from Russia after its diplomat is ‘brutally interrogated’