Day 192: Russia’s Gazprom Indefinitely Halts European Gas Supplies as G7 Countries Impose Price Cap on Russian Oil

Facts

• Russian gas giant Gazprom said on Fri. it’s indefinitely extending the halting of gas supplies through its Nord Stream 1 pipeline to Germany, citing a leak and “malfunctions” in one of the turbines, adding flows would not continue until essential maintenance work is carried out. The pipeline had been shut for three days of repairs on Wed. and was due to re-open on Saturday.
• The announcement came hours after G7 countries agreed to impose a price cap on Russian oil — sparking questions as to whether Russian Pres. Vladimir Putin had a part to play in the decision of Gazprom, a state-owned company. G7 members said the price cap was intended to curtail the funds available to the Kremlin.
• Meanwhile, as the mission of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) continued at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) in southern Ukraine, Russia again accused Ukraine of shelling the facility late on Friday. “At least four heavy [munitions] have landed in the ZNPP,” said Vladimir Rogov, a Russian-appointed official in Zaporizhzhia.
• On Sat., Rogov said roughly 40 Ukrainian boats with armed men were detected attempting to cross the Dniepr River towards Enerhodar, the Russian-controlled city which houses the ZNPP. Without providing detail, a later statement said “the attempt was thwarted.”
• A series of blasts were also reported in Enerhodar and, in a rare move, the General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces acknowledged striking the city. Ukraine also said it struck the Russia-controlled city of Kherson, a key target in Ukraine’s southern counteroffensive. Meanwhile, Russian shelling continued to be reported in the regions of Sumy, Kharkiv, and Dnipropetrovsk, with no reports of civilian injuries at this stage.
• Elsewhere, as world leaders prepare to travel to New York for an annual meeting of the UN, Russia has expressed “alarm” as none of its 56-member delegations have so far received US visas for the trip. Russia’s UN ambassador Vassily Nebenzia voiced his concerns in a letter to UN head António Guterres and called on the US to meet its obligations as the host of the world organization.

Sources: NBC, Guardian, Tass, and MSN.

Narratives

• Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by New Scientist. Experts have made it clear — the situation at Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant presents the risk of another Chernobyl. Nuclear disaster has, miraculously, been avoided so far, but continuing risks the safety and effectiveness of staff to control the reactors could have catastrophic consequences.
• Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by Politico. Although Zaporizhzhia’s cooling systems will be relatively vulnerable due to their contact with the outside world, the worst-case scenario would only cause serious damage at a local level. Both Russia and Ukraine are overstating the risk of nuclear catastrophe to galvanize domestic support for the invasion and play upon Western fears to incentivize providing military and public support respectively.

Predictions