Putin Bans Oil Exports To Capped Countries
More Russians who spoke against Putin fall out of windows
More news about the Engels airbase attack, apparently it prevented a major attack that the Russians had planned on Ukraine as the aircraft were due to be launched from Engels. By taking out the flight control centre in Engels, the Ukrainians prevented an attack on their country.
Over the past few days, the same stories of Kherson and Kyiv being attacked surface and more bodies of Ukrainian defenders are being buried. We must remember their sacrifice while NATO and the UN sit around avoiding the inevitable. Blood is on their hands IMHO. They cannot have died in vain, hence Ukraine must win and Russia must be held accountable for all the deaths.
Day 307 (27 December)
As expected, Putin has banned the export of oil to countries that have imposed the price cap. While the price cap in the opinion of the Ukrainians wasn’t substantial (weak) enough to cause damage to the Russian economy, this is how Russia has chosen to react and they have said they will produce less. The price cap is $60 a barrel where the current trading price in $80 a barrel so there is not much difference. Ukraine had wanted a lower cap of say $30 which would have made a far bigger difference. As it stands, Russia doesn’t want to sell cheap oil.
The Russian presidential decree to ban sales comes into effect from 1 February until 1 July 2023, but the president also has ‘special permission’ to supply to those countries by which we assume Hungary is one of those countries.
Reports claim that the US Patriot missile battery will be operational within 6 months. After nearly a year of asking for such weapons, they finally arrive, but why are they announcing this publicly? Perhaps to deter the Russians, or will this provoke the Russians?
Another critic of the Kremlin has fallen out of a hotel window while on holiday in India. Pavel Antov who was a Russian MP who criticised the war and killing of Ukrainians was found dead in mysterious circumstances in Rayagada, India on 26 December 2022.
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Alexander Buzakov, the director of Admiralty Shipyards died suddenly on 24 December 2022, and Alexi Maslov, the former Commander-in-Chief of the Ground Forces died as reported on 25 December 2022.
There are reports of Ukrainians killed inside of Russia. It is unknown what their mission was near Bryansk in the north of Ukraine. The soldiers were named as Borden Lyahov (19), Taras Karpyuk (38), Maksym Mykhaylov (320 and Yuri Hornets (34).
Italy is considered supply air defence systems to Ukraine since there has been a change in government. The new Prime Minister, Giorgio Meloni has taken a difference stance compared to her predecessor Mario Draghi, who has proposed Ukraine cede land to Russia in a peace deal.
Three people from Svetlahorsk in Belarus have been given prison sentences of 21-23 years for destroying and tampering with the railway lines to prevent the Russians from reaching Kyiv at the start of the invasion. This is a difficult situation where many Belarusians support Ukraine’s independence as that is what they wish for, but who have a dictator (Lukashenko) who is in bed with Putin who is charge of the country.
Ukraine has seized $54 million of assets from Alisher Usmanov, a Russian oligarch who deals with iron ore whose business is housed in Ukrainian seaports.
Ukraine is aiming to organise a peace summit next year according to Kuleba, at the UN, but states that Russia can only be invited if a special war tribunal is set up. That is what Ukraine wants, but they need the UN and the major G7 countries to push for it before it can happen.
Day 308 (28 December)
Kherson has been shelled relentlessly since it was liberated, with more deaths and people opting to leave the city. It was a case of the Russians making sure no one survived if they couldn’t occupy it.
Russia and China have been carrying out joint naval drill in the East China Sea, which included how to capture submarines. What it shows is that China still supports Russia from the sidelines which is a concern should the war expand outside of Ukraine.
As long as Putin remains alive, I fear the war will expand and the combination of Russia and China is something I don't want to think about at my age.