Russian Digest 4/26
Top daily stories I'm keeping an eye on
Gazprom informed Bulgaria that it was cutting off gas supplies. Poland received a similar letter earlier.
Gazprom has warned the Bulgarian gas distribution company Bulgargaz to stop supplies from April 27. This is reported by the Ministry of Energy of the country, according to TASS.
On April 26, the Polish oil and gas concern PGNiG announced that it had received a notification from Gazprom about the complete suspension of gas supplies from April 27 through the delivery and acceptance points Drozdovichi, Vysokoye, Teterovka and Kondratki. These are all entry points for Russian gas to Poland.
Poland also said it would not pay for Russian gas in rubles. This was announced by the Government Commissioner for Strategic Energy Infrastructure Peter Naimsky. According to him, refusing to pay for gas in rubles, Poland is ready for possible risks.
Invaders raped 400 children and adults in the temporarily occupied territories - Denisova
The Ombudsman's Office receives complaints from citizens about cases of sexual violence by Russian aggressors. To date, there are about 400 such appeals.
This was stated by the Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights Lyudmila Denisova in an interview with Public News, a video of which she posted on Facebook, Ukrinform reports.
"Currently, there are such appeals from the Kherson region. Where the connection is renewed, there people tell. And if there is no connection - then how will they call? " said Denisova.
According to her, calls to the "hot line" of the Commissioner on the need for psychological assistance began to arrive when in late March, the Ukrainian military began to liberate the cities of Kyiv region and residents were able to safely get out of the basement. People confessed to being victims of sexual violence by the invaders. via Ukrinform
Russian governor says ammunition depot fire in Belgorod area extinguished
The governor of Belgorod, a Russian border city where Kremlin officials earlier this month accused Ukraine of carrying out a helicopter attack against a fuel depot, said Wednesday that authorities had extinguished a fire at an ammunition depot after explosions were heard in the city.
Vyacheslav Gladkov, the regional governor, said he was awakened about 3:35 a.m. local time by a “loud sound like an explosion” that was followed by several more explosions. via Washington Post
McCarthy Feared G.O.P. Lawmakers Put ‘People in Jeopardy’ After Jan. 6
Representative Kevin McCarthy, the House Republican leader, feared in the aftermath of the Jan. 6 attack that several far-right members of Congress would incite violence against other lawmakers, identifying several by name as security risks in private conversations with party leaders.
Mr. McCarthy talked to other congressional Republicans about wanting to rein in multiple hard-liners who were deeply involved in Donald J. Trump’s efforts to contest the 2020 election and undermine the peaceful transfer of power, according to an audio recording obtained by The New York Times.
But Mr. McCarthy did not follow through on the sterner steps that some Republicans encouraged him to take, opting instead to seek a political accommodation with the most extreme members of the G.O.P. in the interests of advancing his own career. via NYT
Tension soars over the breakaway Moldova region
Moldova said it was placing its security forces on alert Tuesday following a series of explosions in Transnistria, a breakaway pro-Russian enclave that has stirred concern over the role that some 1,500 Russian troops stationed there could play in shoring up Moscow’s military campaign in neighboring Ukraine. via WSJ
Also a warning of all the signs I am seeing in Russia.
Vice-President of Gazprombank Igor Volobuev left for Ukraine, is going to join the defense and called the death of top manager Avaev a murder
Vice-President of Gazprombank Igor Volobuev left Russia for Ukraine and is going to join the ranks of the defense. In a conversation with writer Sergei Loiko specifically for The Insider, he said that he was born in Akhtyrka, Sumy region, and decided to return to Ukraine to defend his homeland.
“I could no longer be in Russia. I am Ukrainian by nationality, I was born in Akhtyrka, I could no longer observe from the outside what Russia is doing with my homeland. My visit is like repentance, I want to wash off my Russian past. I want to stay in Ukraine until the victory,” Volobuev said.
He noted that since 2004 he wanted to return to Ukraine, but could not do this for family reasons.
Volobuev called Russia's aggression against Ukraine a war crime.
“This is a crime on the part of Putin, the Russian authorities and, in fact, the Russian people. Because it is not Putin who kills Ukrainians here, it is not Putin who steals toilet bowls, it is not Putin who rapes women. This is the Russian people. And I, although Ukrainian by nationality, also bear responsibility for this. I am ashamed of this, I will repent for this all my life, because I have a double responsibility - I am not just a Russian. I was born here, I lived here for 18 years, so I answer double and triple,” said Volobuev.
He also commented on the death of the former vice-president of Gazprombank Vladislav Avaev and his family. The media, citing the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation, wrote that the top manager killed his wife and child, and then committed suicide. According to Volobuev, the incident is a staged suicide.
“I want to clarify - he was not just a vice president, he was the first president, through one post. I don't know what he did, I never knew him and never heard of him before. I also know that at the time of his alleged suicide, he was the acting first vice president of Gazprombank. I do not believe that he could kill his wife and daughter, I think that this is a staging. Why? It is hard to say. Maybe he knew something and represented some kind of danger, ”Volobuev added. via The Insider
Also, another former senior Russian executive and his family were found dead in Spain.
Very surprising development re Mr Volubuev. I hope his family stays safe as he makes a good and brave decision. Also I am glad you are holding space for victims of rape in UKR both in print and in tomorrow’s online broadcast. Thank you Olga!