Russia fights largest incursion by Kyiv troops; Poland to spend billions on civil defence

Poland is preparing to spend billions of zlotys on civil defence as the European Union nation ramps up its capabilities in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

European gas prices surged to the highest level this year following a report that Ukrainian troops seized a key gas transit point near the border in Russia.

Russia fights largest incursion by Ukraine troops

President Vladimir Putin summoned his top defence and security officials to brief him on efforts to repel Ukraine’s biggest assault on Russian territory since he ordered the 2022 invasion of the neighbouring country.

As many as 1,000 Ukrainian troops had crossed the border with the goal of seizing part of the Kursk region, army chief Valery Gerasimov told Putin in a televised meeting on Wednesday. Russia had deployed troops, air strikes and artillery to prevent an “advance deep into the territory” and fighting was continuing to try to end the offensive, he said.

European natural gas prices jumped on a report from Russia’s unofficial Rybar military blogger that Ukrainian forces had seized the key transit point of Sudzha in the region that carries gas via Ukraine to Europe. The claim couldn’t be independently verified.

Russia’s state-controlled Gazprom declined to comment, as did Ukraine’s Defence Ministry.

As Ukraine continues to defend against the invasion that’s now in its third year, it’s been conducting drone strikes targeting Russian infrastructure and industrial capacity alongside military facilities to try to undermine the Kremlin’s war machine. The assault on the Kursk region is among its most audacious so far, though, taking Putin’s war back on to his territory and undermining his claim to be able to guarantee the security of ordinary Russians.

Ukrainian officials have remained tight-lipped on the operation and its possible objectives. A Defence Ministry spokesperson declined to comment and the General Staff press service didn’t return calls for comment.

Putin ordered his officials, who included Defence Minister Andrey Belousov and Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu, to report on the situation in Kursk after he accused Ukraine of a “large-scale provocation” in his first public comment on the incursion that began early on Tuesday.

Russia’s Defence Ministry had declared soon after the assault started that it involved some 300 Ukrainian troops backed by 11 tanks and more than 20 armoured vehicles. After initially saying in a statement that the Ukrainians had retreated across the border with “significant losses”, the ministry later deleted that claim without explanation.

Gerasimov’s report made clear far larger numbers were involved, telling Putin that Russia’s military had destroyed 54 Ukrainian armoured vehicles during clashes.

Acting Kursk Governor Alexey Smirnov said on Telegram that there’d been “massive” strikes in the border area and that the Kremlin had sent doctors to assist in treating casualties.

Russian military bloggers had reported earlier on Wednesday that Ukrainian troops continued to occupy several border villages and were advancing toward Sudzha.

Ukraine reported that its air defences downed 30 Russian Shahed drones laden with explosives overnight. Russia continued attacks along the frontline and shelled border villages in Ukraine’s northeastern Sumy region, on the border with Kursk, and neighbouring Chernihiv region, the General Staff in Kyiv said.

Officials in Russia’s southern city of Voronezh said on Wednesday that 22 apartments, five other buildings and 38 vehicles were damaged by debris from downed Ukrainian drones, according to Tass.

Poland to spend billions on civil defence revamp

Poland is preparing to spend billions of zlotys on civil defence as the European Union nation ramps up its capabilities in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

With the Kremlin’s campaign in its third year, Warsaw has tabled several initiatives and plans to strengthen the country’s eastern frontier from hybrid threats from Russia and Belarus.

The government is now seeking to establish the coordination of agencies in the event of an emergency and address calls from state auditors for a legal act comprehensively regulating all issues relating to the population’s protection.

“This is a revolutionary project, it changes the civil protection system,” said Interior Minister Tomasz Siemoniak on Wednesday in an interview with Public Radio 1. The plan involves “multibillion costs,” he said.

The administration aims to set up procedures based on existing resources and structures, including the fire and health services, as well as emergency notification processes and crisis-management arrangements.

The draft legislation also seeks the active participation of local municipalities, which would be tasked with developing plans for the evacuation of civilians. They should also list cultural heritage items, as well as the means of forces and transportation that can be used for operations.

Read more: Poland, Baltic states urge EU to spend on eastern border defence

“Money is a problem that is also on the table here, because it is an expensive system,” said Siemoniak.

In May, Prime Minister Donald Tusk outlined 10 billion zlotys ($2.5-billion) in investment to upgrade a wall along the Belarus border set up by the previous administration with several layers of obstacles, including anti-tank barriers, trenches and fortifications.

Along with leaders from Baltic states, Tusk urged the EU to step up support for an initiative to bolster defences on the bloc’s eastern frontier.

In a joint effort with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Tusk also submitted in May a proposal to European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen to lead a charge in creating a common air defence shield that would be financed by the EU.

European gas rises to 2024 high on Ukraine pipeline concerns

European gas prices surged to the highest level this year following a report that Ukrainian troops seized a key gas transit point near the border in Russia.

Benchmark futures settled 4.8% higher at €38.45 a megawatt-hour, the highest since December. The unofficial Russian military blog Rybar said Ukrainian troops had seized the gas intake point near the town of Sudzha. The claim couldn’t be independently verified.

Russia’s state-controlled Gazprom PJSC declined to comment, as did Ukraine’s defence ministry and general staff of the armed forces.

The Sudzha station is part of the last remaining pipeline link bringing Russian gas to Europe via Ukraine. While Europe has made efforts to wean itself off piped Russian gas since the war, a potential cut to supplies would still be a shock, pushing up prices for consumers and industry. Europe hasn’t sanctioned Russian gas and parts of the continent still depend on it.

The Ukrainian gas transmission system operator said in a daily update that flows for Thursday were set to be within their normal range. Gazprom said in a daily update earlier that flows were at usual levels on Wednesday.

“The gas flow is stable, no changes,” said Sergiy Makogon, former chief executive of Gas TSO of Ukraine, which runs the network. “If Ukraine wanted to stop the flow it could do it without capturing Sudzha.”

Niger cuts ties with Ukraine over its alleged backing of Malian rebels

Niger’s military junta joined Mali in severing diplomatic ties with Ukraine over the Eastern European nation’s alleged support for a Malian rebel group.

The largely symbolic move came two days after Mali took a similar step, and comes as anti-Western sentiment has swept Africa’s Sahel region in recent years. That announcement was in response to a Ukraine military intelligence spokesman saying his country assisted an attack by rebels last month in which scores of Malian soldiers and Russian-backed mercenaries were killed.

Read more: Mali cuts Ukraine ties over alleged aiding of rebel attack

Niger acted in solidarity with Mali by cutting ties with Ukraine with “immediate effect,” junta spokesperson Amadou Abdramane said in an address broadcast in the capital, Niamey, on Tuesday. Ukraine’s alleged support for the rebels “threatens the stability of the African continent and risks exacerbating the suffering of civilians”, he said.

Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

The military rulers who overthrew democratically elected governments in Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso have all independently cut military ties with France and the US — which have suspended foreign aid to the countries — since 2022 and moved closer to Russia.

Moscow, which has boosted its influence in West Africa’s Sahel region through the Kremlin-backed mercenary Wagner Group, is seeking to take over uranium assets in Niger held by a state-controlled French company. DM