Ukraine cuts Russia gas at 1 hub, underlining risk to supply

ZAPORIZHZHIA, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine stopped the flow of Russian natural gas through one hub that feeds European homes and industry.

Meanwhile, a pro-Kremlin official in a southern region seized by Russian troops said it would ask Moscow to annex it.

The remarks could be another sign of Russia’s broader plan for Ukraine as it tries to salvage an invasion that has so far gone awry.

After his forces failed to quickly overrun the capital, President Vladimir Putin shifted his focus to the country’s eastern heartland of the Donbas.

But one of his commanders has suggested that Moscow’s plans are broader, saying it also hopes to take control of the country’s south.

An official installed by Moscow in Kherson said authorities there want to make the area a “proper region” of Russia.