5:50 a.m.: Gazprom suspends gas deliveries to several European clients this Wednesday
Gazprom, the Russian gas giant, announced Tuesday that gas deliveries to several European customers would be halted starting Wednesday due to refusal to pay in rubles. GasTerra B.V. (Netherlands), Orsted, Denmark and Shell Energy Export (United Kingdom are all targeted.
Russia had already shut off gas supplies to Poland, Finland, and Bulgaria for the same reasons. Russia supplies around 15% of the Netherlands' gas needs, which is approximately six billion cubic meters per year. Denmark uses 18% of its energy each year from gas, with three quarters of it coming from domestic production.
5:48 AM: The West hopes to deblock Ukrainian ports
Unblocking the ports of the Black Sea in Ukraine is a priority for Westerners. Russian blockades are preventing the export of hundreds upon hundreds of tonnes of Ukrainian cereals. This is raising concerns about a global food shortage. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will visit Turkey on June 8, to discuss the establishment "secure corridors" to transport Ukrainian grain, Mevlut Cavusoglu, his Turkish counterpart, announced Tuesday.
The European Union (EU), is also looking for a solution to the problem of Ukrainian cereals. French President Emmanuel Macron who is rotating as the EU's president stated on Tuesday that he proposed to Vladimir Putin, on Saturday, the adoption of a UN resolution that "would provide a very clear framework" to lift the blockade at Odessa port, the first Ukrainian port.
5:47 a.m.: A new conviction for Russian soldiers
The judicial front continues to march forward in Ukraine's pursuit of justice for "war crimes" that were committed by Russian troops. A Russian soldier was sentenced on May 23 to life for murdering a civilian. On Tuesday, a Ukrainian court sentenced two Russian soldiers to 11 and a quarter years imprisonment for bombing two villages using multiple missile launchers. The Russian invasion began in the Kharkiv region.
Alexander Bobykin, Alexander Ivanov were found guilty of violating the laws and customs of warfare," announced the General Prosecutor's Office of Ukraine via Telegram.
5:46 AM: Russian forces take control of the majority of Severodonetsk
Russian forces continued their advance into eastern Ukraine on Tuesday when they seized large swathes of Severodonetsk, a key city. Serguii Gaidai (the governor of the Lugansk Region) estimated that 90% of the city had been destroyed. He said that the fighting was taking place in the city's heart. In an intervention on Ukrainian television, he said that "our soldiers won't be surrounded". "Our soldiers are on defense but they hold their positions." Regional governor also stated that "now there is no way to leave Severodonetsk", as the fighting was too dangerous for civilian evacuation.
On Tuesday, he also stated that a Russian strike had "hit" a "nitric- acid tank at Severodonetsk's chemical plant.
5:45 AM: Good morning everyone! This live will cover the current situation in Ukraine on the 98th Day of the Russian Invasion.
