Work of oil pumping rigs. File photoMOSCOW, Mar 8Australian oil companies Viva Energy and Ampol announced they were suspending purchases of crude oil from Russia due to a Russian special operation in Ukraine.
"Ampol did not buy Russian crude oil or oil products since the beginning of the conflict", the statement on the company's official website says.
Viva Energy noted that oil purchases were suspended until the end of the special operation. Both companies also said that they had purchased two batches of Russian crude oil, which should be delivered soon, but even before the start of the special operation in Ukraine, and also condemned the actions of the Russian Federation. Earlier, a number of companies announced the suspension of activities in Russia, including the sale of products, the provision of services or investments.
Japan has banned the export of oil refining equipment to RussiaRussia launched a military operation in Ukraine on February 24. President Vladimir Putin called its goal «the protection of people who have been subjected to bullying and genocide by the Kiev regime for eight years.» For this, according to him, it is planned to carry out «demilitarization and denazification of Ukraine», to bring to justice all war criminals responsible for «bloody crimes against civilians» in Donbass. According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, the Armed Forces strike only at military infrastructure and Ukrainian troops, the civilian population is not in danger. With the support of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, the DPR and LPR groups are developing an offensive. But the occupation of Ukraine is out of the question, the Russian President emphasized.