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renewables and gas from other suppliers, but in 2023, the bloc still received 15% of its gas from Russia. Last year, Russia sent more than 15.6 million metric tons of liquefied natural gas to EU ports, which is 37.7% more than in 2021. "For the sake of our energy sovereignty and security, we must continue to systematically reduce the import of gas, oil, and radioactive materials from Russia," German and Czech government officials said.
Several Kyrgyz banks partially suspended operations with Russia, media report. Mbank, Kompanion Bank, RKS Bank, Kyrgyz-Swiss Bank (KSB), Kyrgyzcommerzbank, and Keremet Bank have imposed various restrictions on transfers using Russian payment systems.
EU states agree on new sanctions package against Belarus to 'strengthen measures' in response to Russia's war. "Belarus must no longer serve as a route to circumvent our sanctions against Russia," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said.
Russian oligarch Pumpyansky wins appeal against EU sanctions. Russian oligarch and business tycoon Dmitry Pumpyansky has successfully appealed against sanctions imposed by the European Union, according to a decision by the EU General Court published on June 26.
Sanctioned Russian Interior Minister attends UN meeting in New York. The US announced sanctions against Russian Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev and other top Russian officials on February 25, 2022, the day after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began. Despite being sanctioned, Kolokoltsev does not appear on the US Treasury's list of individuals barred from entering the US
● Domestic Politics
On June 17, Vladimir Putin continued the changes in the federal government by dismissing four deputy defense ministers and appointing three new ones. One of the three is Anna Tsivilyova, who, according to press investigations, is the daughter of one of Putin’s cousins. Her husband, Sergey Tsivilyov, was recently appointed to serve as Energy Minister in the federal government after having served as the governor of the coal-rich Kemerovo Region. There, according to local rumors, his wife was not simply a bystander but an active participant in regional governance, in addition to commanding her own business interests. For the past year, Tsivilyova was overseeing various initiatives regarding returning war participants. Another new deputy defense minister is Pavel Fradkov, the son of Mihail Fradkov (a former Putin-era prime minister) and the brother of Pyotr Fradkov (the head of Promsvyazbank, which was turned into the bank of the defense industrial sector over the past years). The third new deputy minister is Leonid Gornin, who had been the First Deputy Finance Minister and who will now hold the same position in the Defense Ministry.
Apart from removing some of the last officials associated with ex-minister
47 RUSSIA Country Report July 2024 www.intellinews.com