The Euro File

Morning roundup

By Noah Eleazar: "No SWIFT, No gas—I will gladly freeze for democracy."

Our thanks to Monique Camarra, host of the Kremlin File and author of the Euro File, for compiling the first half of today’s roundup:

1. Putin met the UN Secretary-General in Moscow. The Kyiv Independent reports, “he denied the hostilities in Mariupol and called the Bucha massacre, where Russian soldiers tortured and killed more than 400 people, a ‘provocation.’”

2. Poland sanctioned fifty Russian firms and oligarchs, including Gazprom.

3. Russia cut off gas supplies to Poland and Bulgaria because they refused to pay in rubles. European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen called Russia’s decision “blackmail.” (There’s strong pro-Russian sentiment in Bulgaria. Why would they intentionally irritate a friendly country?—Monique.)

4. Ukraine’s mental health hotline has received at least 400 reports of Russians raping Ukrainian civilians, including kids.

5. BBC: “Russian forces are occupying [Ukrainian] towns, threatening journalists and demanding they spread pro-Kremlin views. Those who refuse are forced to close down their operations."

6. The EU Commission will approve the launch of the rule-of law-procedure against Hungary today. A council of national government representatives may suspend or block part of EU funding if it is proven that the EU’s financial interests have been directly affected by a breach of legal standards.

7. Zelensky accused Russian special services of carrying out the attacks in the breakaway region of Moldova.

8. Multiple explosions have been heard in the Russian city of Belgorod, about 40 kilometers north of the Ukrainian border, according to a local official.

Below the jump: Fires, explosions, train derailments, dead Gazprom executives, dead generals, surprise defections, false flags, the secret of the Flugabwehrkanonenpanzer, enraged siloviki, “Never again,” and more …