Read all about Ukraine! Global crude oil and U.S. gasoline prices fall, but jet-fuel prices hit an 8-year high. Some Ukrainian refugees will be housed on a cruise ship. U.S. officials work to halt sales of spare parts to Russian airlines. Cuba is grinding to a halt because it cannot source spare parts for its Russian-made Lada cars and trucks. Russia's IT workers--and Army-aged young people--are leaving the country as fast as they can. And more.

Ukraine Update: Friday, April 8, 2022

Nearly two dozen European nations have expelled Russian diplomats suspected of spying for Putin or aiding the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The Washington Post has details. Here are today's other developments:
         Part(s) of the package   The U.S. government's latest sanctions against Russia include a ban on spare parts for Aeroflot, Utair and Azur Air. The Associated Press has details. Politico also weighs in on the effort to ground the Russian commercial fleet.
        Turkish delight   Russian kleptocrats worried about shielding their ill-gotten gains and average Russians looking to salvage what little they have are turning to Turkey, the only NATO-aligned nation not imposing sanctions on Putin and his invaders. Istanbul especially is drawing Russian money and emigres. The Wall Street Journal has details.
        Hanging around   The price of Brent crude oil, which most closely tracks the price of jet fuel, continues to hover around the $100 mark on world markets. That's not great, but, you know, compared to the $140 it reached a few weeks ago ...
        Dropping (two) dimes   Gasoline is selling today for an average of $4.139, according to the AAA. That's down about 1.5 cents from yesterday and off almost 20 cents from the all-time high of $4.331 on March 11.
        Chanel-i-cide   Russian influencers are unhappy that the West is pushing back against Putin's invasion of Ukraine. Their response? They are destroying Chanel handbags since Chanel has worked to stop sales in Russia and to Russian citizens. The Washington Post has details.

Ukraine Update: Thursday, April 7, 2022

Six Republicans in the House of Representatives are apparently in favor of covering up Russia's war crimes in Ukraine. They alone voted against a measure--sponsored by Texas Republican Mike McCaul--that would document and preserve evidence of Russian war crimes. The cover-up crew includes the usual gang of idiots--Marjorie Taylor Greene, Paul Gosar, Andy Biggs and Thomas Massie--as well as increasingly crazy Scott Perry of Pennsylvania and anti-masker Warren Davidson of Ohio. (FYI, Liz Cheney also voted no, but a spokesperson says it was a mistake and she'd change her vote.) Here are today's other developments:
         At sea, literally   Ukrainian immigrants at sea after Russia invaded their communities may now literally be at sea. Holland America Line is canceling cruises in order to house and feed approximately 1,500 Ukrainian refugees for three months aboard one of its ships docked in Rotterdam. Jalopnik.com has details.
        Not just a brain drain   Russian IT workers are fleeing the country after the Ukraine invasion (see below). But it's not just a classic "brain drain." Lots of Russians--especially young ones fearful of conscription--are bailing on their homeland. Politico.com has details.
        Bust   The price of Brent crude oil, which most closely tracks the price of jet fuel, dropped below $100 a barrel today for the first time in three weeks. Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of Transportation says that airlines paid an average of $2.60 a gallon for jet fuel in February. That's the highest price since October, 2014, which was several months after Russia invaded and annexed Crimea.
        Feeling better yet?   Gasoline was selling today for $4.153, according to the AAA. That's down another penny from yesterday and more than 18 cents below the all-time high of $4.331 on March 11.

Ukraine Update: Wednesday, April 6, 2022

It's still hard to tell exactly how Russia's invasion of Ukraine will affect European air traffic during the crucial summer season. But Eurocontrol, which manages air traffic control on the continent, seems bullish. It predicts 9.3 million flights in the summer of 2022, which would be an impressive 84% of 2019 traffic. Here are today's other developments:
        Follow the fleet   Netherlands customs authorities impounded 14 yachts in Dutch shipyards, including 12 still under construction, according to Foreign Minister Wopke Hoekstra.
        Still ...   The Dutch action notwithstanding, it's difficult to track Putin's ill-gotten gains because he and the kleptocrats have been so good at using shell companies and other tricks to foil detection. The New York Times has details.
        Still falling III   The price of Brent crude oil, which most closely tracks the price of jet fuel, settled at $101.07 today, down about five bucks from yesterday.
        Still falling III   Gasoline was selling today for $4.164, according to the AAA. That's down still another penny from yesterday and about 17 cents below the all-time high of $4.331 on March 11.
        Twitter tweak   Twitter has taken new measures against official Russian government accounts to reduce propaganda on the social network. Agence France Presse has details.

Ukraine Update: Tuesday, April 5, 2022

Our "friends" and "allies" in Saudi Arabia, who depend on us for protection against Russia, Iran and other Islamic states aligned against the Saudi leaders, have decided now is a peachy time to raise oil prices again. Because with friends like them ... The details are here. Here are today's other developments:
        That guy again   Kleptocrat, Chelsea football club owner and dedicated FOV (Friend of Vlad) Roman Abramovich is top of mind again. He's apparently channeling Putin in peace talks and hoping his "constructive" role will help save his riches in the West. The Financial Times has details.
        Still falling II   The price of Brent crude oil, which most closely tracks the price of jet fuel, settled at $106.64 today, down about a buck from yesterday.
        Still falling II   Gasoline was selling today for $4.176, according to the AAA. That's more than a penny lower than yesterday and around 16 cents below the all-time record high of $4.331 on March 11.
        Gasbags   The Baltic states--Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia--are most threatened by an empire-minded Putin. Yet they have mustered the courage to blockade Russian energy. The rest of Europe? Um, not so much ... TheHill.com has details.

Ukraine Update: Monday, April 4, 2022

The latest figures from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees says that 4.2 million Ukrainians have fled the country since Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24. Here are today's other developments:
        Yachting news   The KleptoCapture task force, a new U.S. interagency effort to seize assets from Russian allies of Putin, has its first target: a $90 million, 254-foot yacht docked in Spain. It is ostensibly owned by Viktor Vekselberg, an energy and metal tycoon and member of Putin’s inner circle. Politico has details.
        Still falling   The price of Brent crude oil, which most closely tracks the price of jet fuel, settled at $107.53 today, about $10 below ten days ago.
        Still falling   Gasoline was selling today for $4.189, according to the AAA. That's around 15 cents below the all-time record high of $4.331 on March 11.
        Brain drain   Russian high-tech and IT workers are bailing on the country faster than Putin can make bad military decisions. Bloomberg has details.

Ukraine Update: Weekend, April 2-3, 2022

Some states are being harder hit by rising energy prices than others. Mississippi, Alabama and Tennessee have taken the biggest hits. States in the Northeast and MidAtlantic are less impacted. TheHill.com has details. Here are this weekend's other developments:
        Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition!   Portuguese Jews are wondering how kleptocrat, Chelsea football club owner and FOV (Friend of Vlad) Roman Abramovich acquired his Portuguese citizenship. He qualified via a 2015 law meant to right the wrongs of persecution of Jews in Portugal more than 500 years ago. The rabbi who certified he was eligible is being investigated, too. The Wall Street Journal has details.
        Finns are moving fast   Finland Prime Minister Sanna Marin says that the country may decide to join NATO before the end of spring. "Russia is not the neighbor we thought it was," she said. YLE, a Finnish news outlet, has details.
        Cuban car crisis   Russia's invasion of Ukraine is having all sorts of unintended consequences. In Cuba, for example, the country's supply of spare parts for Russian-made Lada cars has dried up and the sanctions make them nearly impossible to replace. Despite the romantic notion that Cubans have miraculously maintained American cars from the 1950s, the reality is that the island runs on Lada cars and trucks. The Associated Press has details.

Daily Ukraine Updates for March 26-April 1:

Read all about Ukraine! Cathay Pacific's New York-Hong Kong flights now are the longest nonstops in the world since they have to fly around Russian airspace. United and Air Canada drop routes to Eastern Europe as Russia's invasion of Ukraine dampens flyer interest in nearby destinations. Finnair won't fly seven routes to Japan and Korea this summer because it can't overfly Russian airspace. Emirates claims we need it to keep flying to Russia. Ukraine says Russian attacks destroyed 15 of its airports. Aeroflot builds international hub in Sochi with Russian Superjet regional aircraft to avoid seizure of planes that belong to Western lessors. Meanwhile, the lessors say they won't do business with Russia again. And more. Click here for the week's updates.

Daily Ukraine Updates for March 19-25:

Read all about Ukraine! Ukraine International Airlines says it is grounded until April 15, but the carrier is willing to lease crews and aircraft to other airlines. Finland cuts the EU's last passenger rail link with Russia. Burger King's Russian franchisee refuses to close its restaurants in Russia. Renault and Nestle wind down Russian operations under intense global pressure. Will Russia aim for Poland next? Paul Manafort, Trump's convicted and pardoned 2016 campaign chief, caught trying to use a revoked passport to fly to Dubai. Russia says 78 commercial jets have been seized by Western lenders. And more. And more. Click here for the week's updates.

Daily Ukraine Updates for March 12-18:

Read all about it! U.S. gasoline prices reach record highs, then fall a bit. Uber and Lyft add surcharges to all rides. Air Astana drops Russia routes because it cannot secure flight insurance. Korean Air bails on Russian routes, too. No Western hotel chain has closed or deflagged a property in Russia. Brent crude, which closely tracks the price of jet fuel, plunges from last week's highs. Russian tourists are trapped at Thai beach resorts because they cannot find flights home. Finnair explains how Airbus A350s fly over the North Pole to avoid Russian airspace. Russia seizes hundreds of leased commercial jets that should have been returned to Western lessors. Canada and Britain ban RT from the airwaves. And more. Click here for the week's updates.

Daily Ukraine Updates for March 5-11:

Read all about it! Transatlantic bookings dropped 13% after Russia invaded Ukraine. Russia grounds most of its international flights to keep leased aircraft from being repossessed by the Western leasing firms. United Airlines drops two India routes. A scheme to help Ukrainians by renting their Airbnbs runs into the realities of home-sharing sites. Western carriers reroute flights and drop others to avoid Russian airspace, but runs are now hours longer. Western hotel chains have yet to sever their ties with Russian franchisees. Emirates blames high oil prices for its revival of fuel surcharges. And more. Click here for the week's updates.

Daily Ukraine Updates for Feb. 28-March 4:

Read all about it! The United States and Europe close airspace to Russian aircraft, but an Aeroflot jet eludes Canada's ban. Finnair is in financial turmoil as it loses Russian business and Asian traffic. Russia bans flights from dozens of countries. United, Air France, KLM and SAS drop Asia flights because they can't overfly Russian territory. JAL and ANA drop Europe flights because they can't overfly Russia. Oil firms, retailers and sports groups bailing on Russia. Boeing and Airbus won't service aircraft operated by Russian carriers. And more. Click here for the week's updates.