Russia denounced a blockade by Lithuania
Russian diplomacy denounced the introduction of “hostile restrictions” on rail transit through Lithuania for goods destined for the city of Kaliningradlocated on the Baltic Sea coast, as a result of European sanctions adopted after Russia’s offensive against Ukraine.
“We have demanded (Lithuania) the immediate lifting of these restrictions,” Russian diplomacy said in a statement. If transit “is not fully restored, Russia reserves the right to act to defend its national interests”he underlined.
“As a member country of the EU, Lithuania within the framework of sanctions violates a number of legally binding international acts that affect not only the obligations of Lithuania, but also of the European Union as a whole,” said Konstantin Kosachov, vice president of the Russian Senate, on its Telegram channel.
Kaliningrad – which until 1945 was Konigsberg, a Prussian city – is an enclave that is separated from the rest of Russia and borders two countries of the European Union and NATO: Lithuania and Poland.
According to Kosachov, the blockade affects almost 50 percent of imports that the population of Kaliningrad requires.
“If we continue like this, the West may end up violating the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, where there is also freedom of transit and freedom in open water, which still allows ships to cross neutral waters to reach Kaliningrad. The same goes for airspace,” said the deputy chairman of the Russian Senate.
Ukraine attacks Donetsk
Pro-Russian city authorities Donetsk reported that the Kuibyshev, kyiv and Petrovsky neighborhoods is under fire from Ukrainian artillery.
The mayor of Donetsk, Alexei Kulemzin, also announced that a strong fire is affecting the Azotny area and called on residents to follow security measures and hide in shelters.
Representatives of Donetsk in the Joint Center for Control and Coordination on the ceasefire and stabilization on the demarcation line of the parties to the conflict denounced that the Ukrainian military launched eight 155-millimeter caliber projectiles.
Russia accuses Ukraine of attacking offshore oil drilling rigs
Officials of the Russian government denounced that this Monday the ukrainian army attacked oil gas drilling platforms and at least three people were injured.
According to the head of the Republic of Crimea, Sergei Aksionov, the Ukrainian armed forces fired on a facility of the Chernomorneftegaz oil and gas company in the Black Sea.
“This morning the enemy attacked the Chernomorneftegaz drilling rigs… we are working to save people,” Aksionov said on Telegram.