Russia resumes gas flows to Europe

Russia has resumed gas supplies through its biggest pipeline to Europe while in Ukraine, Russian forces were reported to be close to seizing the country's second biggest power plant. 

The resumption of gas flows via the Nord Stream 1 pipeline to Germany ended a nerve-jangling 10 days for Europe in which leaders have expressed concern Russia might not restart them at a time when alternative energy supplies are tight and prices high.  

Nord Stream 1 has traditionally carried more than one third of Russia's gas exports to Europe. Gas flows have restored 40% of the capacity levels that had been running at before the maintenance pause. However Germany said supplies were not enough for the country to reach its storage requirements while Germany's Economy Minister Robert Habeck accused Russia of blackmailing Europe over energy. 

The Kremlin denied the accusations and blamed Europe for disruption which it said was caused by EU sanctions which had complicated the pipeline's maintenance. 

Meanwhile British military intelligence said on Thursday that Russian forces were likely closing in on Ukraine's second biggest power plant at Vuhlehirska, 50 km (31 miles) north-east of Donetsk.

"Russia is prioritising the capture of critical national infrastructure, such as power plants," the ministry, which supports Ukrainian forces, said in a regular bulletin.

It said taking the power plant, a Soviet-era coal-fired facility, was also probably part of Russia's attempt to regain momentum as it tried to advance towards the key cities of Kramatorsk and Sloviansk in eastern Ukraine.
LONDON/KYIV, July 21 Reuters