Izvestia: Russian-Ukrainian prisoner swap to be held soon despite difficulties

Read also Kremlin hails Vyshinsky’s release but expects Kiev to implement Minsk accords

The defense counsel representing RIA Novosti Ukraine director Kirill Vyshinsky is not aware of plans to exchange him for Oleg Sentsov. His attorney Andrey Domansky told Izvestia that Vyshinsky seeks to prove his innocence in court and does not intend to change his mind. The decision to change the preventive measure for the journalist was connected to the termination of political pressure on the court by the authorities, his lawyer said. Meanwhile, Valentin Rybin, the defense counsel of other Russians detained in Ukraine, believes that the exchange of prisoners is hindered by the absence of a decree by Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky to pardon the detainees. Domansky told Izvestia that he did not know anything about plans to connect Vyshinsky to the exchange, and assured that his client’s position had not changed. "We will move to an acquittal by representing interests and protecting Kirill’s rights. Our position is strong," he told Izvestia. Nevertheless, the media reported that filmmaker Oleg Sentsov, sentenced to 20 years behind bars on charges of plotting a terrorist attack in Crimea, was brought to Moscow. A source told Izvestia that Kiev seeks an arrangement that would make it look like Vyshinsky is being exchanged for Sentsov, the newspaper wrote. Attorney Valentin Rybin told Izvestia that despite some difficulties, the swap should nonetheless take place in the near future. According to him, the main hitch is the absence of a decree on pardon by President Vladimir Zelensky. At the same time, a source close to the negotiations between Moscow and Kiev told Izvestia that until the court makes a decision on the 24 detained Ukrainian sailors, their inclusion in the swap is impossible. At the same time, the lawyer of the Ukrainians, Nikolai Polozov, earlier refused to comment on this topic, so as "not to harm the ongoing processes." Nezavisimaya Gazeta: Naftogaz-Gazprom feud might complicate gas transit talks

Read also Hearings on Naftogaz freezing Gazprom's assets in Netherlands scheduled for December

With 2020 only a few months away, there is less and less clarity on further gas cooperation between Russia and Ukraine. Naftogaz’s pursuit to recover around $3 bln from Gazprom in 2020 only worsens the situation. According to experts interviewed by Nezavisimaya Gazeta, the concern is not going to pay the billions sought by the Stockholm arbitration to Ukraine. Meanwhile, the date of trilateral transit negotiations has not yet been determined, although at the highest level, Russia and Germany agreed that negotiations should be accelerated. Ukraine has far-reaching plans to recover funds from Gazprom, the newspaper wrote. Thus, Yury Vitrenko, a high-ranking Naftogaz Group executive, said that assets were frozen in the UK and the Netherlands, and restrictive measures are in effect in Luxembourg and Switzerland. This year, Gazprom deposited $345 mln in security payments to the High Court of Justice in England and Wales as part of a dispute with Naftogaz. Experts interviewed by Nezavisimaya Gazeta explained that Gazprom’s security payment deposit into a UK account does not mean that the group recognized their debt to Ukraine. "The court is awaiting the results of Gazprom’s appeal against the Stockholm arbitration ruling. The deposit of $345 mln in security payments into the court’s account does not mean the automatic transfer of these funds to Naftogaz," Associate Professor of the Higher School of Corporate Management of the RANEPA Tamara Safonova told the newspaper. The dispute might impact the future of trilateral gas negotiations between Moscow, Kiev and the European Union concerning Russia’s gas transit through Ukraine. "The current language of negotiations in Ukraine is judicial," Safonova said. "Delaying the negotiation process may be related to the hope placed on the court decision in favor of Naftogaz and the search for a window of opportunity to agree on the best conditions for the supply of Russian fuel," she added. "The sides, both Russian and Ukrainian, are now in a difficult bargaining situation regarding the terms of new contracts," Director of the Law and Mediation Fund for the Fuel and Energy Complex Alexander Pakhomov said. "The presence or absence of progress in litigation is used by them as arguments when agreeing on conditions," the expert told Nezavisimaya Gazeta. Izvestia: Rosneft quadruples sales of jet fuel to foreign airports

In the first half of 2019, Rosneft almost quadrupled the volume of deliveries of jet fuel to foreign airports to 200,000 tonnes, the company told Izvestia. Such results were achieved through access to German airports, where 142,500 tonnes were sold, according to Director of the Special Oil Products Department Timofei Khokhlov. Experts interviewed by the newspaper confirm that Germany is one of the main directions in the oil company’s foreign expansion. This year, Rosneft Deutschland's subsidiary has signed contracts to provide jet fuel for the air hubs of Berlin and Munich and the producer now plans to enter other cities of Germany. Leading expert at the Union of Oil and Gas Industrialists Rustam Tankayev told Izvestia that the company indeed focuses heavily on the German market. "The company has shares in three oil refineries in Germany and supplies approximately 12% of all motor fuel sold in this country. I think this figure will grow. The start of deliveries of jet fuel to German airports is a logical next step towards increasing its share in this profitable market," he said. In addition to Germany, Rosneft refuels aircraft at the airports of the three largest cities of Georgia (Tbilisi, Kutaisi, and Batumi) and the capital of Mongolia, Ulan Bator. In Russia, the company also aims to further expand to regional airports. Rosneft Aero, a Rosneft subsidiary that sells jet fuel, told Izvestia that growth of fuel sales was most noticeable at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport, as well as at Pulkovo in St. Petersburg, and at Pashkovsky Airport in Krasnodar. According to senior analyst at BCS Premier Sergey Suverov, the demand for jet fuel will only grow. Kommersant: Spotify postpones launch in Russia

Read also Spotify will enter Russian market, Sberbank CIB forecasts