Latest news from Russia and the war in Ukraine

A hotel was bombed in the town of Bakhmut in Donetsk, killing one person and injuring others.

The two-storey building was partially destroyed during the strike that took place this morning at 7 a.m. local time, the Donetsk emergency services posted on Facebook.

“At 9.25 a.m., during search and rescue operations, a rescuer pulled a man out of the rubble, who was hospitalized in a medical facility. In general, since the beginning of the work, the body of 1 deceased person has been found at the scene. , and 4 people were injured. Acoustic contact is maintained separately with an injured person, the body of the other deceased person is visible. Demolition work continues.

Earlier Wednesday, the head of the Donetsk regional military administration, Pavlo Kyrylenko, said in an operational update that Russian forces had targeted a hotel and that there were dead and injured, and that a rescue operation was underway. CNBC was unable to immediately verify the information.

Bakhmut is a key target for Russian forces trying to advance towards Donetsk, part of Donbass in eastern Ukraine. The nearby towns of Kramatorsk and Sloviansk and surrounding villages also came under heavy fire.

—Holly Ellyatt

Ukraine has confirmed that it attacked the Antonivka Road Bridge, also known as the Antonovsky Bridge, which is a key supply route for Russian forces in the occupied city of Kherson.

The strikes on the bridge, reported overnight, were confirmed on Wednesday by Natalia Humeniuk, spokeswoman for the Ukrainian Armed Forces Southern Command, who said it was vital for Ukraine to regain control of the transport routes seized by Russia.

“It doesn’t allow them to maneuver or bring in more personnel or ammunition,” she said, according to an NBC translation, and she implied the strikes on the bridge were not intended to destroy it. completely but to render it unusable.

“I also want to emphasize that we appreciate all our infrastructure even when it is under occupation. We are not ruining the infrastructure itself, but the enemy’s plan. The work of our artillery is aimed at demoralizing the enemy There were knocks on deck, but they were sophisticated,” she said.

Last night, the Armed Forces of Ukraine posted a video on the social messaging site Telegram allegedly showing several missiles hitting the bridge, considered a vital supply route for Russian forces in the city, and used to store them as ammunition and other weapons and heavy equipment. Ukraine has already attacked the bridge, as seen in this image below.

Russian media also reported on Wednesday that the Antonoskyy Bridge was damaged following a Ukrainian attack, but tried to downplay the significance.

“There are blows on the bridge, the bridge has not been destroyed. Other holes have been added,” Tass news agency said, quoting the deputy head of the military-civilian administration installed by the Russia in the Kherson region, Kirill Stremousov.

“At the moment the bridge is completely closed to traffic,” he added, telling Tass that the strikes were carried out by HIMARS light multiple rocket launchers provided by Ukraine.

The Russian-installed official claimed that the damage to the bridge had “affected only civilian infrastructure and created inconvenience for residents of the Kherson region” and said that “the attack on the bridge does not affect the situation in the Kherson region”. Repair of the bridge will begin soon, he added.

— Holly Ellyatt

Gas flows through Nord Stream 1 from Russia to Germany fell to 20% of pipeline capacity on Wednesday, as Gazprom had previously warned.

Gas network operator Gascade said 1.28 million cubic meters per hour, or about 20% of Nord Stream’s maximum capacity, has been transported via Nord Stream 1 as per nominations since 8 a.m. local time. , Reuters reported on Wednesday morning.

The supply cut came into effect just two days after the pipeline’s majority owner Gazprom said it would cut off supply via the road – which was already operating at significantly reduced capacity and had just reopened last week after 10 days of annual maintenance – saying he had extra maintenance to do on a turbine.

The drop in flows worries Europe, and particularly Germany, which is still heavily dependent on Russian gas as it strives to reduce its dependence on these supplies due to the war in Ukraine.

EU countries agreed on Tuesday to cut their respective gas consumption by 15% from August to March as fears set in over the winter outlook. The deal calls for EU states to make voluntary reductions in their own gas demand, but could become mandatory if energy rationing is not properly implemented.

—Holly Ellyatt

US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen discussed a proposed Russian oil price cap with Britain’s Chancellor of the Exchequer Nadhim Zahawi, according to a Treasury reading.

Yellen has previously said that capping Russian oil prices would “deprive Putin of the revenue his war machine needs.”

The pair also discussed US and UK support for Ukraine as well as “opportunities to build on the historic sanctions imposed on Russia”, according to the Treasury report.

— Natalie Tam

Ukrainian armed forces reportedly shelled the Antonovskyy Bridge that leads to Russian-occupied Kherson in southern Ukraine.

The armed forces posted a video on the social messaging site Telegram last night allegedly showing several missiles hitting the occupied bridge at the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The information could not be independently confirmed by CNBC.

The bridge is considered a vital supply route for Russian forces in the city, used to store them in ammunition and other weapons and heavy equipment. It is not the first time the bridge has been attacked as Ukraine tries to retake the city.

Last week, Ukrainian shelling partially damaged the bridge and some reports suggest it may have been destroyed last night, but this has not been confirmed and the condition of the bridge is unknown.

—Holly Ellyatt

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said Russia is using gas prices to terrorize Europe.

“Among other things, the artificial increase in gas prices to more than $2,000 per 1,000 cubic meters in European markets is enough experience to expand sanctions against Russia,” Zelenskyy said in an overnight speech. .

“As it is clear to everyone that this is Russian terror against Europeans. Using Gazprom, Moscow is doing everything it can to make this winter as hard as possible for European countries. It we must respond to terror, impose sanctions,” he added. added.

—Amanda Macias

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin spoke with his Ukrainian counterpart and provided an update on the latest US military aid program.

Austin reassured Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov that the United States was moving as quickly as possible to deliver equipment to Ukraine. Reznikov also briefed Austin on the battlefield situation.

The latest security package will include additional High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, or HIMARS. HIMARS, manufactured by defense giant Lockheed Martin, are designed to fire a variety of missiles from a mobile 5-ton truck.

—Amanda Macias

Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo met with his government counterparts in Paris this week to discuss additional sanctions imposed on Russia for its war in Ukraine.

Adeyemo also spoke with the executive director of the International Energy Agency about a cap on Russian oil prices and other means of restricting revenue to fund the Russian military.

“In addition, Assistant Secretary Adeyemo met with financial services officials as well as economists and academics to analyze the economic outlook in the United States, France, Europe, and the world, as well as the impact of the war. illegality of Russia, particularly on global energy and food prices insecurity,” according to a Treasury Department reading.

In the months following Russia’s invasion of its former Soviet neighbor, Washington and its allies imposed a series of coordinated sanctions that moved Russia ahead of Iran and North Korea as the most sanctioned in the world.

—Amanda Macias