European Union set to ban Russian oil, ministers hold crisis talks on gas

The UN human rights office said on Monday that the death toll of civilians killed in Ukraine since the start of the Russian invasion on February 24 had exceeded 3,000 people

The European Union was preparing a ban on Russian oil, with possible exemptions for wary countries, as EU energy ministers on Monday held crisis talks on Moscow’s demand that foreign buyers pay for gas in rubles or lose their supply.

The UN human rights office (OHCHR) said on Monday that the death toll of civilians killed in Ukraine since the start of the Russian invasion on February 24 had exceeded 3,000 people.

The toll of 3,153 killed so far represents an increase of 254 from Friday. 

The European Commission is expected to propose a sixth package of EU sanctions this week against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, including an embargo on buying Russian oil — a measure that would deprive Moscow of a large revenue stream, but that has so far divided EU countries. 

Russia supplies 40 per cent of EU gas and 26 per cent of its oil imports. 

To keep the 27-nation bloc united, the Commission may offer Hungary and Slovakia an exemption or a long transition period — with the overall ban likely to be phased in by the year-end, officials said. Hungary, which said it would oppose energy sanctions, and Slovakia are heavily dependent on Russian crude.

EU countries have paid more than $47.43 billion to Russia for gas and oil since it invaded Ukraine on February 24, according to the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air. Reuters

Ukraine says it sank 2 Russian patrol boats

Kyiv said Monday that its drones sank two Russian patrol boats near the Black Sea’s Snake Island where Ukrainian soldiers rebuffed Moscow’s demands to surrender at the start of its invasion. Agencies

Israel slams Russia over ‘Nazi’ remarks

Israel on Monday lashed out at Russia over “unforgivable” comments by its foreign minister Sergei Lavrov about Nazism and antisemitism — including claims that Adolf Hitler was Jewish. Israel said the remarks blamed Jews for their own murder in the Holocaust.  AP