On the 163rd day of Russia’s full-scale military invasion of Ukraine, Russian troops continue their attempts to capture the neighboring country’s settlements. Ukraine’s armed forces and territorial defense units resist aggression. It is impossible to verify the statements of representatives of both sides of the conflict from independent sources. According to the UN, about 14 million Ukrainians have already left their homes. DW continues to monitor developments on Friday, August 5 (Moscow time).

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As a result bombing of Nikolaev’s ship area 22 people were injured, one died, city mayor Alexander Senkevich said. Private houses and buildings of two private companies were damaged.

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Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Friday the expansion of the blacklist of Canadian citizens who are barred from entering the country. The Foreign Office called this step a response to new sanctions that Canada imposed on June 27 and July 7, including against Patriarch Kirill.

One person has been added to the blacklist, among them are employees of the office of the Deputy Prime Minister of Canada of Ukrainian origin Chrystia Freeland, several military personnel and businessmen, heads of departments of the Canadian Ukrainian Congress, journalists, singer Chantal Krevyazuk, two priests, notes the newspaper Eevropeyskaya Pravda.

In July, Canada imposed sanctions on 29 people in connection with Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. In particular, the list included – Vladimir Gundyaev (Kirill), official representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia Maria Zakharova, propagandist Olga Skabeeva. And in August, 43 military personnel and 17 organizations were added to Canada’s list of parades that “are involved in President Putin’s senseless bloodshed, including the horrific events at Bucha”.

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The monument to the T-34 tank, installed in the Estonian town of Narva, on the Russian border, is due to be dismantled despite protests from some local residents. This opinion was expressed Estonian President Alar Karis on Friday. According to him, Russia’s attack on Ukraine, launched by order of Russian President Vladimir Putin, “changed the meaning of many World War II monuments in Europe, including Estonia.” “And the T-34 tank on the banks of the Narova no longer symbolizes just the events of 1944 – the withdrawal of German troops, the Red Army offensive, fallen soldiers and Estonia, which was under foreign rule. For many Estonians, this old tank symbolizes the deadly attacks by Russian troops on Ukrainian towns and villages,” the president emphasized.

Russia and Turkey start paying for gas in rubles

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Russia and Turkey are moving to pay Russian gas supplies in rubles. As told to reporters Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak, the corresponding agreement was reached on Friday in talks between the presidents of the two countries in Sochi. “The presidents agreed that we would start partial gas supplies and pay in rubles,” Novak said. He recalled that currently Russia annually supplies about 26 billion cubic meters of gas to Turkey.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan completed their meeting in the Russian seaside resort of Sochi. Talks between the two heads of state lasted four hours, the Turkish presidential administration’s press service reported late on Friday. This was also confirmed by Putin’s press secretary Dmitry Peskov to the Russian state news agency TASS. A press conference after the negotiations was not originally planned.

Later, the Kremlin press service reported that Putin and Erdogan reached an agreement to strengthen cooperation on economic and energy issues. As noted, they agreed to strengthen trade between the two countries “despite current regional and global problems.”

ACTOR: The Consular Service of Bulgaria in the Russian Federation suspends the acceptance of documents for tourist visas and visas for property owners

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consular service Bulgaria in the Russian Federation indefinitely suspends the acceptance of documents for tourist visas and visas for property owners. This was reported by the Association of Tour Operators of Russia (ATOR). “According to information from tour operators, the Bulgarian Consulate in Moscow has informed them of the temporary suspension of accepting documents for tourist visas and visas for property owners” due to the current emergency situation,” the report says. persona non grata of 14 officials from the diplomatic mission and consular offices of Bulgaria in Russia, remembered in ATOR.

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Russia addresses to Turkey and other potential new trading partners in an attempt to circumvent Western sanctions, writes the Washington Post (WP), citing Ukrainian intelligence. On the eve of the meeting between Turkish President Recep Tayp Erdogan and Russian leader Vladimir Putin, Moscow expressed hope that Turkey would agree to its proposals to help lift restrictions on the banking, energy and industrial sectors, according to the publication. The Russian Federation is urging the Erdogan government to allow Russia to acquire stakes in Turkish oil refineries and terminals, a move that some economists say could help hide the origin of Russian exports after the EU’s oil embargo takes effect. in the next year. Russia is also asking several Turkish state-owned banks to allow major Russian banks to maintain correspondent accounts, which Western sanctions experts say would be a blatant violation of restrictive measures. Finally, Russia wants Russian industrial producers to be able to operate in Turkey’s free economic zones, the paper notes.

EU emergency plan to reduce gas consumption ready to take effect

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EU emergency plan to reduce gas consumption overcame the last formal hurdle before entry into force. This was reported by the representation of the Czech Republic – the current President of the Council of the European Union.
The plan calls for all EU countries to voluntarily reduce gas consumption by 15% from early August to March next year, compared to average consumption over the past five years over the same period. The aim is to reduce the risks that could arise as a result of a complete interruption of gas supplies from Russia.

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Ukrainian “Energoatom” reported on the repeated bombings of the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant. “Three ‘arrivals’ were recorded right at the station site, near one of the power units where the nuclear reactor is located”, the nitrogen-oxygen station and auxiliary building were seriously damaged. There is a risk of hydrogen leakage and dispersion of radioactive substances, the risk of fire is high, the company said. Ukraine considers the incident a provocation by the Russian Federation, Russian state media accuses the Armed Forces of Ukraine. According to Energoatom, during the first bombing, three projectiles hit the area near the industrial site of the nuclear power plant and damaged the high-voltage communication line.

Ukraine’s government has approved the seizure of several Russian assets

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government of Ukraine approved the decree of President Volodymyr Zelensky on the seizure in favor of Kyiv and the Ukrainian people of various Russian assets. The announcement was made by Prime Minister Denys Shmygal. As the head of government noted, all properties planned to be confiscated are divided into three categories. The first is owned by the Russian state. The second is the assets of sanctioned Russian citizens and companies. The third is the assets of Russian banks. We are talking about 903 objects in general.

Zaporozhye nuclear power plant was bombed

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The Zaporozhye nuclear power plant was targeted. Ukraine considers this a provocation by the Russian Federation, Russian state media accuses the Armed Forces of Ukraine. According to the Ukrainian “Energoatom”, three projectiles hit the territory near the industrial site of the nuclear power plant and damaged the high-voltage communication line. Releases of radioactive substances were not recorded.

The Zaporozhye nuclear power plant is the largest nuclear power plant in Europe. It is located in the territory occupied by Russian troops. According to reports from the Ukrainian side, as well as British intelligence, the Russian military is firing from the vicinity of the nuclear plant, using it as cover.

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European Commission (EC) stressed that EU sanctions against Russia do not prevent the delivery of a Siemens turbine to Moscow, which is necessary to increase the capacity of the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline that links Germany to Russia. This was stated by EC press secretary Eric Mamer. “There is nothing in the sanctions that prevents the Siemens turbine, which was supposed to be installed in Russia, from being installed there. Everything that is said on this subject is simply wrong,” said Mamer, quoted by dpa.