Russia-Ukraine war: Sweden launches sabotage investigation after explosions reported near Nord Stream pipelines – as it happened
Swedish seismologists says blasts detected near gas pipelines, which are leaking into Baltic sea. This live blog is now closed.
Details are still emerging about Russia detaining a Japanese consul and demanding he leave the country for alleged espionage. You can read about that in full from our Tokyo correspondent, Justin McCurry, here:
President Vladimir Putin is scheduled to address both houses of Russian parliament on Friday 30 September, and may use the address to formally announce the accession of Russian occupied territories of Ukraine into Russia, the British Ministry of Defence has said in its latest intelligence update:
There is a realistic possibility that Putin will use his address to formally announce the accession of the occupied regions of Ukraine to the Russian Federation. The referendums currently underway within these territories are scheduled to conclude on 27 September"
Russia's leaders almost certainly hope that any accession announcement will be seen as a vindication of the special military operation' and will consolidate patriotic support for the conflict.