Image source, re

In the southern port city of Mariupol, Russian forces are continuing to attack the Azovstal steelworks, where fighters and some civilians are holed up, an aide to the city's mayor says.

Russian President Vladimir Putin last week said his forces would halt their attack on the industrial complex - the last part of the port city not under Russian control - and instead block its exits.

Speaking to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres yesterday, Putin insisted no-one was being refused permission to leave Mariupol or the steel plant, suggesting Russia's military operation in the city was finished and civilians could leave the area at any time.

But this morning Petro Andryushchenko, aide to the mayor of Mariupol, said no agreements had been reached on establishing humanitarian corridors out of the port city and attacks were continuing.

Humanitarian corridors have continued to be almost impossible to set up and use while attacks by Russia continue and multiple checkpoints on the way out of the city are enforced.

In a post on Telegram, the city council said "women, children and the elderly" were trapped in the steelworks - as well as the soldiers who have been holed-up there.

Away from the events today around gas supplies, we have news from the Russian-backed separatist region of Moldova, Transnistria, where authorities have said shots were fired from Ukraine overnight towards a village that houses a large ammunition depot in the region.

Transnistria's Interior Ministry added that it had detected drones launched from Ukraine.

Transnistria has seen a number of attacks in the last few days, from radio masts being destroyed to a military unit being attacked.

Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russian special services were behind the attacks.

Ukraine has claimed these are "false flag" attacks aimed at destabilising the region and drawing it into the war.

You can see where the area sits in the map below and read more about it here.

Send in your questions...published at 12:16 British Summer Time 27 April 2022

12:16 BST 27 April 2022

Have you got questions about the recent developments in the Ukraine war and the escalation in tensions in Russia's relationship with the West?

BBC News and BBC World News have a Your Questions Answered programme on Ukraine on Thursday at 12:30 BST.

We'll have panellists able to speak about a range of aspects of the war - from the battle raging in the east of the country, to the consequences for civilians, and what more western countries could or should be doing to stop Russia.

You can get in touch on Twitter using the hashtag BBC Your Questions - and you can email us on yourquestions@bbc.co.uk

Victoria Lindrea

Image source, Getty Images

As we've been reporting, Russian energy giant Gazprom says it's cutting off gas supplies to Poland and Bulgaria. But how might the decision affect UK consumers?

Russia only provides about 5% of the UK's gas supplies, but that did not stop gas prices rising following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine at the end of February.

Prices that people pay for energy and fuel depend on wholesale markets, which can go down as well as up. A reduction in energy supplies has a global impact on prices, including in the UK.

On Wednesday, early trading saw European gas prices rise by 19% - nearly a fifth - to 117 euros per megawatt hour, following Gazprom's announcement.

The UK also has limited gas storage facilities, which means it is more affected by short-term price fluctuations in the wholesale market than countries which can hold greater reserves.

If Russian gas supplies to the wider EU were cut off, there would be increased competition for alternative supplies.

A third of the UK's gas comes through pipelines from Norway - this morning Vaar Energi company said it's currently directing as much gas as it can to the European continent, where prices are higher than they are in the UK.

Currently energy bills in the UK are predicted to reach as high as £3,000 a year, at a time when many households are struggling with the soaring cost of living.

Poland needs to find gas from somewhere elsepublished at 11:41 British Summer Time 27 April 2022

11:41 BST 27 April 2022

Adam Easton
Warsaw Correspondent

Polish consumers will still have gas for their stoves this morning, but the supply cut is a significant challenge for the remainder of the year.

In the first quarter of this year PGNiG (Poland's state gas company) bought 53% of its gas imports from Gazprom, down from 61% in the whole of last year. That’s a lot of gas to replace in one go.

Yes, the Polish government has successfully reduced its dependence on Gazprom in recent years, by building a liquefied natural gas, or LNG, terminal in Swinoujscie, where it receives tankers from Qatar.

And pipeline capacity with neighbouring EU countries is increasing. Forward thinking means Poland’s gas storage is about three quarters full and consumer demand is lower over spring and summer.

But the fact remains, Poland still needs to secure alternative supplies for the rest of the year in an already tight global market.

By the end of the year, a new pipeline that will allow Poland to directly import gas from Norway, replacing Russian deliveries, will be fully operational.

Emily McGarvey
BBC News Live reporter

Image source, Reuters

What is Russia doing?

Russian energy giant Gazprom has today halted gas exports to Poland and Bulgaria after the countries refused Moscow's demand to pay for supplies in roubles.

Russian President Vladimir Putin previously ordered "unfriendly" countries to pay for gas in the Russian currency - and Gazprom said services won't be restored until they do so.

Why is Russia targeting Poland and Bulgaria?

Moscow has not yet said why Poland and Bulgaria have been specifically targeted.

They have both refused to Moscow's request to pay for gas in roubles, but so have other EU members. Indeed, the only EU country to offer to pay for its Russian gas in roubles is Hungary.

Poland has a long border with Ukraine and has been helping Kyiv with military and financial aid since the start of the war. It has also sanctioned 50 Russian oligarchs and companies, including Gazprom.

Bulgaria, once one of Moscow's closest allies, has condemned Russia's invasion of Ukraine and voted to support European Union sanctions against them. While Bulgaria has been hesitant to provide military weapons to Ukraine, it has supplied humanitarian aid during the war.

What’s the wider impact?

If Russian gas supplies dried up - which currently accounts for 40% of the EU's natural gas imports - Europe could turn to existing gas exporters such Qatar, Algeria or Nigeria.

Russia only provides about 5% of the UK's gas supplies and it plans to phase out Russian oil by the end of the year, with gas to follow as soon as possible - and the US doesn't import any Russian gas.

Cutting gas supplies could shake the energy markets and raise gas prices and bills for households and businesses even further, when the cost of living is already sky-high.

Hungary is one country to ally closer to the Kremlin and break ranks with other EU states in terms of paying for Russian gas into the Kremlin's preferred rouble account.

Its leader, Viktor Orban, is known for his warm relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Image source, Getty Images

As we've been reporting, Poland and Bulgaria have accused Moscow of "blackmail" after the Russian energy giant Gazprom said it had cut off gas exports to the countries.

Bulgarian Prime Minister Kiril Petkov described Gazprom's move as a "grave breach of a current contract".

Petkov said in a tweet, external that he has been discussing the situation with the prime minister of Greece, which borders Bulgaria.

Petkov said Bulgaria and Greece will continue to work together on energy security and diversification.

He added that it will be of "strategic importance for both countries and the region".

Europe needs to find new sources of gas now in order to meet its energy demands this winter, energy expert Samuel Ciszuk from the ELS Anaylsis consultancy tells the BBC.

He says there's pressure on all EU countries to start increasing gas storage supplies in preparation for the colder months, when demand is higher.

"Going into the summer, everything is about stocking up."

"There have been orders going out from several governments to companies in their countries to buy as much as possible in order to fill their storages," he said. "Even including buying as much Russian gas as possible."

Ciszuk added that one unanswered question is what will happen to Russian gas originally destined for Poland and Bulgaria.

"What remains to be seen is whether Russia will offer some of these volumes to buyers other than Poland," he says.

Katya Adler
Europe Editor

Just a few weeks ago, the EU was importing 30% of its oil and 40% of its gas from Russia. For some countries - like EU giant Germany, Italy, Austria and Hungary - it's even more than that.

Those country’s governments fretted cutting supplies as part of a sanctions package could lose them voter support. Energy prices are already high across Europe.

But public pressure has been growing on the EU to take concrete action after evidence of human rights abuses by Russian soldiers has been fast-emerging in Ukraine.

According to the EU’s foreign policy chief Josep Borell, the bloc has spent more than €35bn on Russian energy since the country began its invasion of Ukraine. That’s €35 billion to help fund a brutal war effort the West claims to be doing everything to stop.

Already in place is an EU ban on Russian coal. That was an easy energy move.

The accepted wisdom was that the oil embargo would have to wait till after the French presidential election, so as not to risk rising fuel prices affecting the result. Now Gazprom has upped the ante.

Germany says it’s ready to stop using Russian oil ‘within days’. And a ban on Russian gas is no longer a taboo in EU circles. The EU’s gas coordination group is meeting as I write.

Katya Adler
Reporting from Brussels

An "instrument of blackmail” is how the European Commission president has just described Russia's use of gas supplies to Europe.

But frankly, energy imports and exports have been broadly “weaponised” since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The Kremlin has threatened to cut off supplies, leaving western consumers potentially in the cold, the dark, unable to fill their cars with petrol, even having to close down factories and lay off workers.

The West in turn has threatened to stop buying energy from Moscow, cutting off a massive source of revenue.

But the Russia-Ukraine crisis has exposed the EU’s massive reliance on Russian energy. Hugely weakening the bloc’s hand when it comes to sanctioning Russian behaviour.

The US and UK were far quicker off the mark to say they’d be stopping imports. That is, of course, easier to do when energy links are looser.

While Poland and Bulgaria are the first in the EU to have their Russian gas supplies cut off, they're not the only countries to have refused Moscow's demand that deliveries be paid for in roubles - which Gazprom says is the reason it's turned off supplies this morning.

Other countries report that they are continuing to receive gas normally include:

Austria, which has continued paying for its Russian gas in euros, said this morning that supplies were continuing unrestricted. It receives around 80% of its gas from Russia.

Similarly, Germany has also refused to pay for its gas in roubles. Last night its network regulator said it was monitoring the situation but said the security of its supplies was "currently guaranteed."

The only EU country to offer to pay for its Russian gas in roubles is Hungary. Its foreign minister said this morning that supplies were normal, adding that in May it would be transferring its next payment for Russian gas in euros for Gazprombank to then convert it into roubles.

Image source, Reuters

Russia's decision to stop delivering gas to customers in Europe is "an instrument of blackmail", European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen says.

The move is "unjustified and unacceptable" and shows the unreliability of Russia as a gas supplier, she adds.

She says EU member states have contingency plans in place for this scenario and the European Commission is in close contact with them to ensure alternative deliveries and the best possible storage levels across the bloc.

A meeting of the gas coordination group is taking place now to map out the EU's coordinated response, von der Leyen adds.

"We will also continue working with international partners to secure alternative flows - and I will continue working with European and world leaders to ensure the security of energy supply in Europe," she says.

"Europeans can count on our full support."

Following this morning's announcement from Russia's Gazprom that it's cutting off all gas to Bulgaria and Poland, one of the big questions is whether other gas exporters are in a position to step up supplies.

Norway's Vaar Energi says that it's currently producing as much natural gas as it can, and doesn't foresee further increasing its output in the short term.

The company is already directing as much gas as it can to the European continent, where its chief executive said prices are higher than they are in the UK.

Norway is a key gas supplier for the EU. In 2020 it exported more gas to the bloc than any country other than Russia.

Image source, .

Image source, Getty Images

Russia's top lawmaker has said Russian gas giant Gazprom made the right decision in fully suspending gas supplies to Bulgaria and Poland.

Vyacheslav Volodin, who is the speaker of Russia's lower house of parliament, wrote on his Telegram channel that Russia should do the same with other "unfriendly" countries.

Image source, Reuters

Stepping away from gas for a moment, Russia has moved two tactical battalions from its Belgorod region to the city of Izyum in the Kharkiv region, in north-east Ukraine, to increase its presence, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said in its daily update on Wednesday.

The update also said:

• Russia has deployed two missile divisions of the short-range ballistic missile system Iskander-M in the Belgorod region
• In Ukraine's Donetsk region, Russian units were focused on conducting offensive actions in Severodonetsky, Popasnyansky and Kurahivsky to take full control of Popasnoí and Rubizhny
• In Mariupol, Russian troops continued to block Ukrainian units in the Azovstal steel plant where several hundred Ukrainians have taken refuge
• Ukraine said its soldiers were able to repulse nine attacks in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions in the past 24 hours

The BBC could not independently verify this information.

More reaction now from Poland's energy provider PGNiG to the news that Russian energy giant Gazprom has halted supplies to the country and Bulgaria.

The Polish energy provider says cutting gas supplies is a breach of contract and it will use "all available contractual and legal means" to seek compensation.

Bulgaria has also accused Gazprom of breaching its contract (see our post at 8:12 BST).

Russia's decision to cut off gas supplies to Poland and Bulgaria is only isolating it further on the international stage, British Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab has said.

"It will have a very damaging effect on Russia as well because it is becoming further and further, more and more, not just a political pariah, but an economic pariah," he told Sky News.

More reaction now to the news that Russia is cutting off gas supplies completely to Poland and Bulgaria after both countries refused to start paying for deliveries in roubles.

Bulgaria says it has paid for its April gas deliveries in full already and has accused Gazprom of breaching its contract.

"At the moment, the natural gas is being used more as a political and economic weapon in the current war," Bulgaria's energy minister Alexander Nikolov said.

He added that Bulgaria was following the EU's position which was for countries not to submit to Russian demands to start paying for gas in roubles.

Image source, Reuters

Poland's energy provider PGNiG has now confirmed that Russian gas supplies to the country have been halted.

PGNiG imported more than half of its gas through Gazprom in the first three months of this year, but Warsaw says it "will manage" without Russian gas and can source it elsewhere.

The Polish energy provider said its underground gas storage was almost 80% full and, with summer approaching, demand was lower.

As we've reported, Russia's energy giant Gazprom says it has completely cut off gas supplies to both Bulgaria and Poland after not receiving its April payments in roubles.

The announcement comes after Russian President Vladimir Putin demanded that countries deemed "unfriendly" to Russia must start paying for gas supplies from the country in roubles - something both Poland and Bulgaria have refused to do.

The demand is seen as an attempt to boost the rouble, which has been hit by Western sanctions.

Others European countries have also refused to pay in roubles - but right now Poland and Bulgaria are the only two that Russia has announced it is cutting off supplies to.

In its statement, Gazprom also warned Poland and Bulgaria against "unauthorised withdrawals" of gas running through either country on its way elsewhere.

Image source, .