All articles tagged with #gazprom
Donald Trump Jr.’s private Bahamian wedding celebrations were funded by Umar Kremlev, the Putin-connected head of the International Boxing Association and a Gazprom-backed enterprise; Bettina Trump called the gift generous and non-political, while Trump Sr. did not attend.
ProPublica reports that Donald Trump Jr.'s Bahamas wedding was secretly funded by Umar Kremlev, a Putin-linked Russian oligarch who leads the International Boxing Association; payments flowed through a Dubai entity linked to the IBA, covering venues, fireworks, and other expenses for about 50 guests. The wedding drew a notable Russian presence and raised concerns among national security experts about potential influence, while Trump Jr. and his allies say there was no business relationship with Kremlev. The piece situates Kremlev’s rise—backed by Gazprom and close to the Russian government—and questions about the motives and implications of such funding for U.S. political figures and their families.
Drones attacked an industrial facility in Novy Urengoy in Russia’s gas-rich Yamal-Nenets region of Northern Siberia, marking the first strike on the country’s gas hinterland; there were no fatalities and damage details are being assessed, with Gazprom not commenting.
An AfD foreign policy spokesman, Markus Frohnmaier, met Gazprom chief Alexei Miller and Kirill Dmitriev in St. Petersburg during Putin’s economic forum, in a high‑level encounter between the German far‑right and Kremlin figures. They discussed reopening the Nord Stream pipelines and resuming Russian gas to Germany amid low storage levels and AfD polling gains in eastern Germany. Gazprom said the meeting was initiated by the German side; Frohnmaier stressed German interests and said the trip did not amount to endorsing the war, highlighting ongoing ties and energy‑policy sensitivities in Germany.
Peter Magyar’s victory signals a plan to reduce Hungary’s Russian energy dependence, but the shift will be costly and technically challenging due to reliance on Druzhba oil, Gazprom gas, and Rosatom nuclear power. Alternatives exist, like the Adriatic pipeline and the European grid, but they bring higher prices and require EU negotiations; Hungary is targeting ending Russian gas by 2035, not the EU’s 2027 deadline, and will likely press for structural funds to ease the transition.
SpaceX cut access to Starlink terminals along the Ukrainian front, leaving Russian troops with unreliable domestic Gazprom equipment that often cannot handle video or stable connections. Intercepted calls show soldiers complaining about Gazprom terminals and scrambling for non-analog alternatives; Ukrainian intelligence says the Starlink shutdown disrupted coordination, logistics, and drone operations. SpaceX had begun shutting down gray- and black-market Starlink terminals in Russia and occupied areas on Feb 4, but Ukrainian forces still rely on official Starlink terminals.
Gazprom's shares dropped over 3% after signing a non-binding memorandum with China to develop the long-delayed Power of Siberia 2 pipeline, raising concerns about project costs, funding, and its impact on Gazprom's finances amid ongoing geopolitical and economic challenges.
Austria's Chancellor Karl Nehammer assured citizens of a secure alternative fuel supply as Russia's Gazprom plans to halt gas deliveries to Austria, following a payment dispute linked to an arbitration award. Despite the cutoff, Austria, which heavily relies on Russian gas, is working to diversify its energy sources. The move is part of broader tensions over Europe's support for Ukraine, with Russia previously cutting gas supplies over payment disputes. Meanwhile, Germany's Chancellor Olaf Scholz has resumed direct communication with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Russia's Gazprom will cease natural gas deliveries to Austria this weekend, as announced by Austria's largest energy supplier, OMV. Despite this, Austria has secured alternative gas supplies from Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands, ensuring no disruption in energy supply. This decision follows an arbitration ruling awarding OMV €230 million in a dispute with Gazprom. Austria, heavily reliant on Russian gas, will maintain its Ukraine policy despite the halt in deliveries, with Chancellor Karl Nehammer affirming the country's energy security.
Russian energy giant Gazprom made a profit of £39m ($45m) from its gas field in the North Sea last year. The Sillimanite field, operated in a joint venture with German company Wintershall, produces gas that is taken onshore in the Netherlands. While there are no legal issues with the arrangement, the UK, US, and EU have imposed economic sanctions on Russia to limit its ability to profit from energy exports and fund the war in Ukraine. Gazprom executives are under UK sanctions, but the company itself is not. Critics argue that it is unacceptable for gas from UK territory to support Russia's war in Ukraine. The UK government vows to increase economic pressure on Russia and deny it access to goods and technologies that could be used in the war.
Hungary plans to increase its purchases of Russian gas for the upcoming winter, according to Gazprom, despite criticism from the West that the arrangement supports the war in Ukraine. Gazprom CEO Alexey Miller stated that significant additional volumes have already been delivered to Hungary this year, and more will be supplied in the autumn-winter period. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán recently held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, focusing on gas and oil shipments, as well as nuclear fuel supply. The deepening relationship between Hungary and Russia has raised concerns among Western diplomats, while Hungary's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade declined to comment on Gazprom's statement.
RusKhimAlyans, a subsidiary of Gazprom, has filed a lawsuit against UniCredit seeking $472 million in damages. UniCredit, along with Deutsche Bank and Commerzbank, were guarantors on a project held up by EU sanctions. The project, a gas complex at the Baltic port of Ust-Luga, had an engineering, procurement, and construction contract signed by Linde and Renaissance Heavy Industries with Gazprom and its partners. Linde suspended work under the contract due to EU sanctions imposed after Russia's actions in Ukraine. In January, the court froze nearly $500 million of Linde's assets at RusKhimAlyans's request.
Yevgeny Prigozhin's Wagner Group is not the only private military company operating in Russia. Other lesser-known players include Redut, Potok, Don Brigade, Moran Security Group, Slavonic Corps, and E.N.O.T. Corps. Some of these companies have been involved in conflicts in Ukraine, Syria, Tajikistan, and Nagorno-Karabakh. Gazprom has also established a private security company, Gazpromneft Okhrana, which is legal under Russian law.
At least three private military companies (PMCs) with links to Russian state gas monopoly Gazprom are fighting for the Russian side in Ukraine, according to an investigation by BBC News Russian. The PMCs, named Fakel, Potok, and Redut, emerged from the private security structures Gazprom subsidiaries created to protect its infrastructure projects in Russia and overseas operations in places like Syria. Wagner Group founder Evgeny Prigozhin mentioned the other PMCs himself during an interview with the publication in April.
German oil and gas giant Wintershall's joint venture with Russia's Gazprom has been linked to fuel supplies used by Russian military and intelligence units, including some believed to be fighting in Ukraine. The findings raise questions about Wintershall's continued investments and business dealings in Russia amid sweeping Western sanctions. While the data and evidence reviewed are not detailed enough to prove conclusively whether any given barrel of diesel from the Salavat refinery contains product refined from gas condensate extracted by Wintershall's joint venture, recipients of Salavat refined diesel include a unit of the Federal Protection Service (FSO), which is responsible for President Vladimir Putin's personal security, among other roles.