Russia pounds Ukraine amid uncertainty over gas pipeline

A police officer comforts a man as he holds the hand of a relative killed in Russian shelling in Kharkiv on Wednesday. Pic/AP

Russian forces shelled eastern and southern Ukraine on Wednesday after Washington said it saw signs Moscow was preparing to formally annex territory it has seized during nearly five months of war. Uncertainty swirled meanwhile over the planned restart on Thursday of a huge Russian gas pipeline to Europe, as Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that its capacity could be further reduced due to slow progress in equipment maintenance. Fearing Russia could cut off deliveries, the European Union will set out emergency plans to reduce gas demand within months.

Ukraine's military and politicians reported heavy and sometimes fatal Russian shelling amid what they said were largely unsuccessful attempts by Russian ground forces to advance. British military intelligence said Russia's offensive in the eastern Donbas region continued to make minimal gains as Ukrainian forces - which Britain helps support - held the line. More than two weeks have passed since Russia's last major territorial gain, Lysychansk. Ukraine will ask international bondholders to agree to a 2-year delay on its debt payments so it can focus its dwindling financial resources on repelling Russia, a government resolution published Wednesday showed.

The Kremlin has said there is no time limit to what it calls a "special military operation" to ensure its own security in the face of NATO's expansion, and that it will do whatever it takes to achieve its aims. Ukraine and the West condemn the conflict as an unprovoked war of aggression by Russia.

‘Ukrainians won't stick to peace deal'

President Putin on Wednesday said Moscow did see not see any desire from Ukraine to stick to terms of what had been a ‘preliminary peace deal' agreed to in March. Putin also said Saudi Arabia and the UAE were offering to mediate.

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