German Energy Security: Germany confirmed plans for a strategic gas reserve equal to 10% of storage capacity, to be filled in 2027-28 and funded via consumer levies, aiming to cover about two weeks of winter use. EU Gas Dependence: Despite a planned Russian LNG ban from 2027, the EU imported a record 9.89m tonnes of LNG from Russia’s Yamal project in H1 2026, with Yamal shipments to Asia sharply down. Nuclear Safety in Focus: Zaporizhzhia NPP in Russian-occupied Ukraine recorded its tenth blackout of 2026, with external power restored after switching to diesel backup. Middle East Shock to Energy Markets: Escalating US-Iran strikes and renewed Strait of Hormuz disruption fears pushed oil higher and weighed on European stocks, even as ASML lifted AI-linked chip optimism. Policy Pressure on Russian Oil: A US bipartisan bill proposes up to 100% tariffs on the five biggest buyers of Russian oil (including India and China), while exempting 15 European gas importers. Renewables Milestone: Solar hit a record 25% share of EU electricity generation in June, led by Germany, Spain and Poland, helping during heatwave demand. Grid & Storage Buildout: Chinese firms secured new European battery storage orders totaling about 1.35GWh across Sweden, Germany and the UK. Heatwave Strain: France temporarily shut down three nuclear plants as extreme heat gripped the country.