The planned delivery of a serviced turbine for the Nord Stream 1 pipeline causes incomprehension on the part of President Zelenskyy. The move will be interpreted in Moscow as a “manifestation of weakness,” he warns. At the same time, the United States assumes that Iran wants to deliver “hundreds” of drones to Russia.

Zelenskyj: Moscow sees “manifestation of weakness”

Ukraine is fiercely protesting that Canada, at the urging of the federal government, has approved the export of a repaired turbine for the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline coming from Russia. In view of this “unacceptable exception to the sanctions regime against Russia”, the Canadian ambassador was summoned, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj told Telegram. Zelenskyy warned against concessions to Russia due to concerns about energy shortages in Europe. The planned delivery of the turbine sends a completely wrong signal to Moscow, he said in a video message. The decision to “exception sanctions” was perceived in Moscow as a “manifestation of weakness,” Zelensky said.

“That is their logic. And now there is no doubt that Russia will try not only to limit gas supplies to Europe as much as possible, but to completely stop them at the most acute moment.” Any concession would be seen by Moscow as an incentive for further, stronger pressure, he said. “Russia has never played by the rules in the energy sector and will not do so now unless it sees strength.” A government spokeswoman said on Monday in Berlin that the delivery of the turbine would not fall under the EU sanctions because, with good reason, they were not aimed at gas transit.

USA: Iran wants to supply drones to Russia

The United States has indications that Iran wants to support Russia in a war of aggression against Ukraine. “Our information shows that the Iranian government is preparing to rapidly deploy several hundred unmanned aerial vehicles, including those capable of carrying weapons,” US President Joe Biden’s National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said in Washington. Iran will also train Russians to use these aircraft, often referred to colloquially as drones, Sullivan said. According to US knowledge, such training could begin as early as mid-July. However, it is unclear whether such weapons have already been delivered.

Mass flight from the Donbass

According to the authorities, around 1.3 million people have fled from the government-controlled part of the contested Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine alone since the start of the Russian war of aggression four and a half months ago. According to Governor Pavlo Kyrylenko, that’s about 80 percent of the civilian population. Since Russia took control of the Luhansk region, the focus of fighting has shifted to neighboring Donetsk.

Death toll rises after rocket attack on Chasiv Yar

After a rocket attack on Chasiv Yar in the Donetsk region, the number of dead recovered from a destroyed house has risen to more than 30. The Ukrainian Interior Ministry spoke of 33 bodies on Monday. Nine people have been rescued from the rubble since the weekend. The Ukrainian side accuses Russia of attacking civilians. Moscow claims it destroyed a military target. On Monday evening, the Russian side reported injuries in an attack by Ukraine near Nowa Kakhovka. Reports from the combat zones can hardly be checked independently.

Putin and Erdogan talk about grain crisis

Putin and Turkish head of state Recep Tayyip Erdogan have talked on the phone about possible solutions to the dispute over grain exports from Ukraine. Turkey’s Presidential Office said it was time for the United Nations to implement the plan for a grain corridor through the Black Sea. The Kremlin said the talks also included economic cooperation. There was also talk of a planned “Russian-Turkish meeting at the highest level” in the near future. Later, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote on Twitter that he too had spoken to Erdogan about ways to unblock ports and resume grain exports.

Prosecution of war crimes could take years

Attorney General Peter Frank dampens hopes of rapid success in prosecuting war crimes in the Ukraine war. “Please don’t expect that we will have identified any suspects tomorrow or the day after tomorrow,” said Frank at the annual press reception of the federal prosecutor’s office in Karlsruhe. In international criminal law, you need “staying power”. He drew parallels with the Syrian civil war that began in 2011. The first charges were not filed in Germany until 2019. Ten years had passed before the first final judgment. “In particular, there are still no personal investigations at all in the Ukraine war,” said Frank.

That will be important on Tuesday

You can read all further developments in our live ticker on the Ukraine war.