The third largest oil producer in Russia, Gazpromneft, is partnering with Swiss-based bitcoin mining firm BitRiver to build out mining operations located at oil fields according to a memorandum from the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.
The Eastern Mediterranean and the islands of the Aegean, where Greek and Turkish claims overlap, are once again in the focus amid the latest dispute between Greece and Turkey.
The complexity of the issue under international law is now further exacerbated by a lack of diplomacy.
The two NATO allies are still in a dispute over islands in the Aegean Sea. In particular, Turkey rejects what it calls a “militarisation” of some islands by Greece.
Europe’s refineries took in an increasing amount of crude oil last week, tanker tracking data compiled by Bloomberg has shown.
Europe’s refineries took in 1.84 million barrels per day of Russian crude oil last week—the third increase in the amount of Russian crude for the refineries in as many weeks.
The oil flows from Russia to Europe, including to Turkey, are now the highest they’ve been in nearly two months.
Russia has vowed to retaliate against Lithuania with measures that 'will have a serious negative impact on the Lithuanian population' after the country blocked EU-sanctioned goods from reaching the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad.
Russia's Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev said Moscow will respond shortly to Lithuania's move to block deliveries of coal, metals, construction materials and advanced technology from mainland Russia to Kaliningrad.
NATO bases were to be deployed in Severodonetsk and Lisichansk as well as in "Popasnaya and Mariupol, or along the entire line of engagement
MOSCOW, June 20. /TASS/. Washington was planning to involve France and Great Britain in the deployment of NATO military bases along the entire line of engagement back two years ago, a senior official at the Lugansk People’s Republic’s Interior Ministry said on Monday.
EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell stated that there is no blockade of Kaliningrad, the overland transit of passengers and goods continues, and only the transportation of goods included in the EU sanctions lists has been stopped. He said this speaking at a press conference following the meeting of EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg on Monday.
"There is no blockade. Transit of passengers and goods which are not sanctioned continue," Borrell said.
The Council of the European Union extended sanctions against Crimea and Sevastopol, originally introduced in June 2014 as part of the community's strategy to not recognize the peninsula joining Russia, for another 12 months, according to a statement published on Monday.
"The Council has today decided to renew the sanctions introduced by the EU in response to the illegal annexation of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol by the Russian Federation, until 23 June 2023," the statement said.
Russia warned NATO member Lithuania on Monday that unless the transit of goods to Russia's Kaliningrad exclave on the Baltic Sea was swiftly restored then Moscow would take undisclosed measures to defend its national interests.
With east-west relations at a half-century low over Russia's Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine, Vilnius banned the transit of goods sanctioned by the European Union through Lithuanian territory to and from the exclave, citing EU sanction rules.
Update (1100ET): The Russian Foreign Ministry has responded to Lithuania's partial blockade of Kaliningrad, writing in a statement that they consider the "provocative measures" to be "openly hostile" and warning that the Kremlin may take action to "protect its national interests."