With russia. Foreign minister was in the african country on the latest stop of the store of the continent. Ah, its 70, im here in moscow from wherever youre tuning into the program. Welcome. Im Fiorella Isabel with the top stories this our starting 1st with the latest situation in ukraine work. You have forces of launched a barrage of attacks against a strategically important bridge in the city of harrison which is currently under the control of russian forces. Local authorities claim the structure wasnt damaged as the cities air Defense Systems intercepted the latest attack. Just one of these launched against the bridge on tuesday after previously striking it several times. The incident came after laura mere zalinski, confirm, Ukrainian Forces. Im started a counter attack in the region. As russia let forces continue to advance and the don bass will ganske authority say be allied army has taken control of the key. Glad course power plant ins on yeske lou ganske officials claim Ukrainian Forces mind the area before retreating. Now a clean up operation of the territory surrounding europe. Largest thermal power plant is underway. Among the Russian Troops involved in the operation are members of the wagners group. A private military company, our tv more garcia of reports from the region where he exclusively got to accompany the group on an operation. Ah, there were no safe roads leading to where we were doing that. Then again, the people we were visiting. Specialize in forging parts where there are none. The factors who took this village, good enough where they go there many different names. Theyre known as regular group. Theyre known as the orchestra wagner. Just as the musician. Very little is known about that, but the name itself is one that keeps weston politicians, president s by ministers, a generals awake at night. We turn out something called the wagner. The e u has announced sanctions on the Russian Private military company van as the church of the wagner group, as we know at 1st to have popped up in ukraine. The British DefenseMinistry Says more than a 1000 fighters from Russian Private military contractor. The wagner group are being deployed to the country. The russian mercenary falconer is recruiting and is making it known. And not just them give to, has learned to fear the worlds most talked about. And enigmatic private military company. With the whistling sound you heard was not an audio artifact. That was the sound of you pay the and plus the my rockets, this gorgeous hundreds of band appear that 1. 00 mines which characteristically flutter down to the ground stand by the ottawa anti personnel mind convey which ukraine the east party 2 weeks now they have attempted to stall, or at least slow the orchestras advance by carpet form in the countryside with band butterfly mines and other things besides his surprise left behind by ukrainian troops nationalists as they retreated from cleaner voya. You may see this very thing. Wire, careful, careful. Back and over there, something that shouldnt even be here, a man 50 anti personnel non. What ukraine signed a convention policy, it would never use, and it would destroy what the ensemble sappers can remove, safely. They do what they cant, what they deem could be a trap. They blew who thomas said for a 150 seconds is going to be quite the by. With these was a rare opportunity. Could you please do not hugely take kindly to outsiders. They work alone, where they operate. Cameras are almost always absent. T who conditions that they work in are a Permanent Health hazard. Artillery and mortar jewels here are definite and endless had minutes to not pass without an impact nearby. Uh they go, i 120 millimeter mortar team flooring that ukrainian positions. Its gotta be fun. 123, before enemy counter battery for kicks in. G as has thrown everything it could spare at the ensemble. Gradient special for is units the nationalist battalion, is dotted. At the elite tense mounted assault brigade, all arrayed against them. Thousands of mines and avalon troops, shells, and rockets, nothings health. The orchestra marches on silent, secretive, and relentless to a symphony. The sooner they can cheer work garcia archie, from fin the lawyer that its peoples republic and e u. Countries have committed to a 15 percent reduction in gas consumption until next spring. Although the small print shows that the Energy Saving plan is voluntary and comes with a pretty sizable chunk of exemptions, it falls russian energy, giant gas prompt announcement that it is to further cut supplies to europe from wednesday. Thats led to Natural Gas Prices climbing to their highest level since march. Meanwhile, you chief ursula vander, lay and praise the black, smooth, saying it shows the unanimity of member nations. I strongly welcome the endorsement by counsel of the regulation to reduce gas demand and prepare for the winter. It is a decisive step to face down the threat of a full gas disruption. Thanks to todays decision, europe is now ready to address its Energy Security as a union. The only really entity on this issue is the countries that refused to cut their gas use. Agree that those who have had no choice and new alternatives should really well. Yeah, ration their supply. So theres really no solidarity at all in brussels. The central request that all 27. 00 Member States reduce their gas consumption by 15 percent. This is really all about the entire e. You coming to the rescue of germany, the blocks top economic engine, which lacked the courage to stand up to american pressure to sanction its Pipeline Projects with russia. And then stood idly by while that you did exactly the same thing. All apparently, without any viable back, a plan for their own national economy. Berlin, me to really foolish, strategic mistake by depending so heavily on renewables when its pretty clear that they arent ready for prime time. So berlin, a gun by brussels, talked a good tough game about being strong and independent, not needing any russian energy. But well, i guess was all bluster because its still so reliant on that russian gas. It freaked out over attending maintenance shut down of the nord stream on pipeline, and is now panicking again over gas prongs, reduction of delivery volume by 80 percent starting tomorrow. So the berlin hands the blocks number states have decided today that if brussels ever imposes the 15 percent cut as a binding measure, well in all their spirit of unity, theyll just opt out. Thats the kind of unity over which you officials are all pad each other on the back today. It really cant make this stuff up. Malta, cypress, ireland, and portugal arent connected to the you grid arent reliant on gas. And well, they want to maintain their independence and sovereignty france almost made the same foolish choices that jeremy did by launching headlong into green energy. But then a dodged a bullet when at success, fully logging brussels to reclassify Nuclear Power as green earlier this year. So now it figures that they can just fire up a few more radioactive Energy Plants again and whether this turbulence. So as a french ecology Ministry Says they really werent cool with brussels proposed dictate. We do not want to introduce uniform objectives that would not be adapted to every ones reality in which ultimately would not have an impact on our ability to export gas to our neighbors. Graysons vein had also said no to the proposal, insisting on maintaining sovereign control over their own supply and hungry is well already in king. The russian, yas deals even as the rest of the u. Rings. Its hands over how it can possibly continue to keep ukraine President Library zalinski happy without completely bleeding out their own economies. Oh, and by the way, they really cant keep him happy clearly because hes been popping off yet today, even as the you states were meeting, repeating his mantra, that the you house to head back with even more sanctions, apparently oblivious to the fact that sanctions are exactly why the situation in europe is this bad as much as the you is paying with service to the idea of solidarity and making a lot of noise about it in public. The reality is that the increased pressure is causing any unity to start falling apart at the seams. German economist and publisher i camera believes its ordinary or europeans who will end up paying the price for the use plan to cut gas consumption. Im afraid that these european bureaucrats really think that they are in charge and they can take the order of ordering people. Busy that to, to limit their consumption of guess we have no chance of influencing who is going to be in the, in the european headquarter. And these people are just ruling from top to down. And this is all falling apart. It does not beneficial for their own people, theyre not only paying more for the gas. They have may get limits on what they get. And on top, they using that jobs because the companies are breaking apart. And on top, the euro is losing ground and is getting worthless and worthless, so no holiday and other things in the so Foreign Countries anymore. This is an uncontrolled demolition of economy with an impoverishment of the european people. Russia top diplomat has hinted that a key cause of europes Energy Crisis lies in pure politics survey. Love rob stress that the north thing to pipeline, which connects russia to germany, but doesnt currently have berlins operational approval. Is capable of meeting the demand just with those the lives. Were now witnessing the bus around the decision, my gas problem, the one more gas turbine of north stream, one has to be taken to maintenance. And the a u is conveying some Extraordinary Energy session on the matter in this regard i simply wanda, there are rules which provides secure operation to the pipeline. Did i get it right . That way of being ok to violate the rules as particular german representatives of doing. As far as im concerned, germans are famous for being committed to rules. How can they cool for the violation of rules on which dependence the security of people, when it comes to the north stream to it, is completely ready to make up for the demands of europe, which needs this particular fuel. However, its closed for purely political reasons, but it, you survey lab roughly speaking from the uganda during the 3rd leg of his african tor, the ugandan president praise russia as a partner in its struggle against colonialism and in the joint press conference. Both men confirmed the refusal to contribute to the polarization of the world. When the was the cold war. One did ask me a question. Are you approached or pro with a should you must you listen, come when did you. What did you think of my, my men job is to be for somebody i am through i should have an idea with or other people are good and how the lives with my own interest is people think with a stupid question. Is your question . Sure. To my, your report is still pro with through my shouldve presume you cant, as president gave the only right answer when asked whether hes pro western or pro eastern politician and answer which you can expect from a serious political figure. But unfortunately, right now, these instincts have colonialism emerged in the politics of western countries when they demand the whole well take their side and running against all the others. We also discussed the root causes of the unfolding energy and food crises. Mr. African friends understand that the origins of that have nothing to do with the military operation when it comes to bilateral relations. We agree to keep that in mind and look for opportunities in the energy and food sectors, which wouldnt depend on the whim of western partners. Precious foreign minister is an honored guest here on the side. Stress is all the time the delegation has been accepted at the president ial palace. This is where labranz met both his counterpart and the countries leader. Well gone days, a long term strategic on economic part. No rush, and that was one of just a few countries supported the gunners independence from bridge empire, gun days, highly dependent on russias grain, their global food crisis, that followed western economic sanctions against russia was among the key topics on the agenda. While the russia is very active here on the african continent, the west express has concerns about that and hes trying to put pressure on all right. You know, players working together with moscow or gander is the country minister law visits as part of his african tour. Next comes, is he or pm . Thats archie correspondent, maria for notion of from the ugandan capital earlier lab, ralph was in egypt and the republic of congo as part of his 4 country trip. After uganda, he travels to his final destination. Ethiopia. Russias top diplomat also spoke with representatives from over 20 arab league nations. Its a visit that hasnt exactly gone down well with the u. S. Department of state a spokesperson claiming that the tor demonstrates how isolated russia is. It is becoming clear that russia is recognizing that his own actions have caused it to become a we have good relations with russia. All countries of africa have sovereignty and are free to choose their own policies quicker. Our stance on the russia, ukraine crisis has remained unchanged. Since its break out, we never wanted to how what the wolves asked fuel to the fire independent Global Affairs analyst own p ocoee de la meanie says african nations are happy to engage with any partner. They just dont like being dictated to i think its very kind of by country, by general. Its very positive because, you know, i think i needs as many tape i can get as many security, but now its can get western countries tend to impose their values. And ive been on african countries. Russia in china are just larger for trade and for atlanta. So it was in countries are willing to meet up again, can do that quite in the same way that they are willing to meet face with the rebate cause and notes and not pictures would read their own human rights and detrimental homosexual people, for example. And are willing to take the kind of the same, tend to not crease to them. And the piece last. And i think everyone is what comes with taking up the kinds of life is enough because saving the planet is not. Our priority says a democratic republic of congo official, the countries decision to auction off, huge tracks of tropical pet lands. And pete lands and parts of the worlds 2nd largest brain for us for oil and gas really comes just months after a promise to reserve them at the c o. P 26 climate conference. It occurs as a world scrambles for fossil fuels as prices rise steeply in the wake of the west, the sanctions against moscow. The areas for sale extend into the room, Good National park, the worlds most important gorilla sanctuary, and congo least pete lands, which play an essential role in keeping carbon out of the atmosphere and from contributing to Global Warming to the decision to allow oil drilling in the areas marks a shift from the countries policy, protecting expressions, rein forth to actually using them as a source of revenue to reduce poverty. A local journalist says exploiting the countrys National Resources offers no tangible improvement. So the countrys environmental situation did the request. Cook of the cook congo is rich in monroe resources. And when we talk about a federal, normally the oil, this country is still remaining pool. This petal court held this country to get more for fineness resources to help the government, especially eva different and Development Program. But for protecting the nature when there is no development, there is no Development Program in this country. I think its a contradiction because these countries still remaining, cor. Ready are at the same time de worse in countries are using dep, it troll to develop their industries. But here this country is still a poor, for example, in canada, in the u. S. And they are using their patrol exploding down natural resources. But when it comes on lock, so said ok, we are predicting nature. I seen that is unfair for african country, especially the democratic republic of congo. Despite the way the sanctions on russia, its economy is said to be coping well with the challenge thats according to the International Monetary fund and its latest World Economic outlook. Russias economy is estimated to have contracted during the 2nd quarter by less than previously projected, with crude oil and non energy exports, holding up better than expected. Domestic demand is also showing some resilience, thanks to containment of the effect of the sanctions. The i m f has upgraded russias g d p estimate by a remarkable 2. 5 percentage points. Thats despite the sanctions being impose with the intention of isolating russia from the Global Financial system and damaging its economy. Soaring Energy Prices of also provided extra revenue Oil Prices Rising from 80. 00 a barrel at the beginning of the year to currently more than 100. 00. Earlier i spoke to jack ross was a professor of economics and politics at Saint Marys College of california. Who says that anti russian sanctions have had the opposite effect to western countries. His intentions. Basically the sanctions have not worked very well. If their major objective was to really shut down the russian economy. Even even western corporations leaving did not have the effect that they thought it was when this thing began late last year. And the sanctions were on the table with us. They didnt think him through very, very clearly. What could be some of the ramifications and some of the negative consequences . I saw estimates that it would cause a contract in the rushing economy. 12 to 15 percent. Of course its been much, much less than that, maybe 64 to 6 percent. And not, not that much difference probably from what were going to see in europe. So the whole idea of the sanctions was to deny russia revenue,