New sentencing of Russian soldiers
A Ukrainian court on Tuesday sentenced to 11 and a half years in prison two Russian soldiers accused of having bombarded with a missile launcher “critical infrastructure and apartment buildings” in the villages of Kozatchia Lopan, as well as a school in Veterynarné, in the Kharkiv region, in the east of the country, on the first day of the invasion.
Alexander Bobykin and Alexander Ivanov were found guilty of “violation of the laws and customs of war”, following a trial which began in mid-May, the Prosecutor General of Ukraine announced on Telegram. The two defendants would have “totally admitted their guilt”.
Prosecutor Iryna Venediktova also announced on Monday the opening of the first case concerning a rape committed by Russian soldiers. The case targets a soldier accused of murdering a civilian and raping his wife during the occupation of the town of Brovary, near kyiv. However, the accused has not been arrested and is “currently wanted”.
The prosecution is also investigating two other Russian soldiers accused of torturing civilians in Cherniguiv, in the north of the country.
New Canadian Sanctions
Canada on Tuesday targeted 21 people close to Vladimir Putin and four financial institutions in a new wave of sanctions in retaliation for the invasion of Ukraine.
“We are targeting banks and oligarchs close to the Putin regime, as well as what I would call ‘his partner’,” Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly told reporters. Among the people targeted by these new sanctions is indeed Alina Kabaeva, a former Olympic gymnast who, according to certain media and opponents, has a relationship with Vladimir Putin – which he denied in 2008.
Canada also added the Russian Agricultural Bank to its list, along with Investtradebank and two fund management companies. Their assets are frozen and their leaders are prohibited from entering the country.
Gazprom closes more taps to Europe
The Russian gas giant Gazprom announced on Tuesday the interruption from Wednesday of gas deliveries to several European customers – the list of which is growing – having refused to pay in rubles, a dispute born of the Russian military offensive against Ukraine .
In response to the sanctions imposed by the European Union, Vladimir Putin had demanded that “unfriendly” countries pay their accounts in rubles or risk being deprived of supplies, despite contracts providing for payments in euros or in dollars.
Gazprom therefore announced on Tuesday morning that it had “completely ceased its gas deliveries to the company GasTerra BV (Netherlands) due to non-payment in rubles”. In the evening, the Russian company added that deliveries to Ørsted and Shell Energy Export would also be interrupted from Wednesday for the same reason.
Russia had already cut off gas for the same reason to Finland, Bulgaria and Poland.