Europe Will Face Higher Prices Unless Deal on Russian Gas Transit via Ukraine Not Extended, Russia Says

Russia announced Wednesday that European consumers would face higher prices unless the deal on Russian gas transit via Ukraine is not extended once it expires on Dec. 31. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on a daily conference call that Russia could find alternative routes if the deal is not extended. He said that European consumers will have to pay more for gas from other sellers, adding that such consumers will be compelled to pay more to receive warming services in the coming winter season. Moscow warnings come after Kyiv renewed its confirmation that it will not enter into a new gas transit deal with Russia in the future. This has raised concerns among European suppliers who still lean on Russian supplies to meet their gas needs coming through the Baltic Sea. In the meantime, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced that its forces have taken control of the town of Komyshivka, located in the Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine, with governor of the eastern Donetsk region, Vadym Filashkin, confirming on Telegram that four people were killed and a house was destroyed in the village of Izmailivka, which is remarkably close to the front lines. He added that another attack resulted in the death of two people near Chasiv Yar and the destruction of dozens of houses. On Wednesday, Kyiv authorities called for a wide-scale mandatory evacuation of residents from the area, which has been partially controlled by Russian-backed forces since 2014, as Russian troops advance towards Pokrovsk, a logistical city that was home to about 60,000 people. Source: Qatar News Agency