Germany said on Monday it would keep two nuclear plants on standby beyond the end of the year in a policy U-turn as Europe scrambles to make up for a sharp drop in Russian gas supplies. Meanwhile, Ukrainian forces claimed gains in a counter-offensive against the Russian army in southern Ukraine, saying they had re-captured several areas and destroyed targets including a pontoon bridge. Follow FRANCE 24’s liveblog for all the latest developments. All times are Paris time (GMT+2).
<!-- wp:html --><p>Germany said on Monday it would keep two nuclear plants on standby beyond the end of the year in a policy U-turn as Europe scrambles to make up for a sharp drop in Russian gas supplies. Meanwhile, Ukrainian forces claimed gains in a counter-offensive against the Russian army in southern Ukraine, saying they had re-captured several areas and destroyed targets including a pontoon bridge. Follow FRANCE 24’s liveblog for all the latest developments. All times are Paris time (GMT+2).</p><!-- /wp:html -->