Thursday Briefing: Ukraine expects Russian assault in east after invaders pushed back near Kyiv

The Reuters Daily Briefing Thursday, March 31, 2022 by Linda Noakes Hello Here's what you need to know. The U.S. weighs the largest ever draw from its emergency oil reserve, how Volkswagen's Trinity aims to catch up with Tesla, and why Britain has a cucumber crisis Today's biggest stories A Ukrainian service member carries a dog next to a destroyed bridge over the Irpin river in Kyiv region, March 30, 2022. REUTERS/Oleksandr Ratushniak RUSSIA AND UKRAINE AT WAR SPECIAL REPORT: Putin targets enemies at home Long before Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine and the mass detentions of Russian peace protesters, the Kremlin was already stifling dissent - with choking bureaucracy. Ukrainian forces are preparing for new Russian attacks in the southeast region where Moscow's guns are now trained after its assault on the capital Kyiv was repelled, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said. Five weeks into an invasion that has blasted cities into wastelands and created more than 4 million refugees, U.S. and European officials said Russian president Vladimir Putin was misled by his generals about the dire performance of Russia's military. Britain's GCHQ spy chief said Russian soldiers refused to carry out orders. A convoy of Ukrainian buses set out for the southern port city of Mariupol to try to deliver humanitarian supplies and bring out civilians. Putin signed a decree ordering 134,500 new conscripts into the army as part of Russia's annual spring draft, but the defense ministry said the call-up had nothing to do with the war in Ukraine. Russian hackers have recently attempted to penetrate the networks of NATO and the militaries of some eastern European countries, Google's Threat Analysis Group said in a report. The White House criticized Donald Trump's request for Putin to release potentially damaging information on U.S. President Joe Biden's son, calling the move particularly poorly timed. Here's what you need to know about the Russia-Ukraine conflict right now BUSINESS & MARKETS Oil prices plunged on news that the United States was considering the release of up to 180 million barrels from its Strategic Petroleum Reserve, the largest in the near 50-year history of the SPR. Inflation continued to surge across Europe's biggest economies this month, leaving households poorer as they picked up the bill for soaring energy costs. British energy customers reported problems attempting to submit gas and electricity meter readings, a day before prices are set to soar, with many providers' websites appearing to be unreachable or offline. In a small corner of south-east England, vast glasshouses stand empty, the soaring cost of energy preventing their owner from using heat to grow cucumbers for the British market. Elsewhere in the country growers have also failed to plant peppers, aubergines and tomatoes after a surge in natural gas prices late last year was exacerbated by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, making the crops economically unviable. As Tesla kicks off production at its new German plant this month, Volkswagen is weeks away from finalizing plans for a $2.2 billion electric vehicle factory that it hopes will bring it up to speed with its U.S. rival. Meanwhile, automakers racing to develop battery-powered, software-driven vehicles to compete with Tesla are confronting a new challenge: what technology to build themselves, and what to keep buying from suppliers. Freshly emboldened retail investors have continued piling into risky assets, supporting a bounce that has buoyed everything from so-called meme stocks to cryptocurrencies despite economic worries and geopolitical uncertainty. The value of global merger and acquisition activity took a 29% hit in the first quarter of 2022 as market volatility fueled by Russia's invasion of Ukraine pushed the brakes on last year's breakneck pace of dealmaking. Insurers face potential multi-billion dollar claims for cyber attacks related to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, despite policy wording designed to get them off the hook for war, industry sources say. People line up outside a noodle store in Shanghai, China, March 31, 2022. REUTERS/Aly Song WORLD NEWS Residents in the western districts of Shanghai rushed to stock up on groceries as they braced to go under lockdown, as the city's authorities issued an appeal for continued cooperation with tight curbs imposed to stop COVID-19 spreading. Pakistan's parliament will today begin a debate of no-confidence in the leadership of Prime Minister Imran Khan, which could see the former cricket star ousted and the return of political uncertainty in the nuclear-armed country. A Turkish prosecutor called for the trial in Istanbul of Saudi suspects over the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi to be halted and transferred to Saudi authorities, a move which comes as Turkey seeks to mend ties with Riyadh. Sri Lanka is turning off its street lights to save electricity, a minister said, as its worst economic crisis in decades brought more power cuts and gloom to its main stock market, triggering a halt in trade as prices slid. Tunisian President Kais Saied issued a decree dissolving parliament, which has been suspended since last year, after it defied him by voting to repeal decrees that he used to assume near total power. The Constitutional Court in Seoul upheld a ban on tattooing, confirming South Korea as the only developed country that permits no one but medical professionals to perform the procedure. BREAKINGVIEWS Agenda-setting insight from the international commentary brand of Reuters Read Gina Chon on why China-U.S. ties will degrade regardless of Russia, Una Galani on how the West has sown the seeds of a growing sanctions backlash, and Liam Proud on how hackers are turning crypto’s strength into its Achilles heel. Plus, Breakingviews Global Editor Rob Cox bows out with a look back at two decades of commenting on the vicissitudes of world finance. Quote of the day "For them to let him stay in that room and enjoy the rest of the show and accept his award, I was like how gross is this? This is just the wrong message" Wanda Sykes Oscars co-host Will Smith refused to leave Oscars, academy says Video of the day This robot can stand, walk and drive The Swiss-developed device can navigate difficult terrain and perform basic human-like tasks such as pressing buttons. And finally… Glow-in-the-dark badminton entices Malaysian players back onto court 'Shuttle In The Dark' is encouraging people to take up the racquet sport after two years of social restrictions. More from Reuters COVID The Great Reboot Disrupted Legal News Breakingviews Thanks for spending part of your day with us. Share your thoughts You are receiving this email because you signed up for newsletters from Reuters. No longer want to hear from us? Unsubscribe from The Reuters Daily Briefing. Terms, conditions, and privacy statement © 2022 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved. 3 Times Square, New York, NY 10036