Ukraine war – live: Russia’s Kharkiv troop levels close to Soviet-era as 900 tanks, 100,000 soldiers seen

Russia has amassed more than 100,000 troops and hundreds of tanks in Ukraine’s northeastern region of Kharkiv, officials in Ukraine said.

Serhiy Cherevatyi, spokesperson for Ukraine’s eastern command added that more than 900 tanks are now deployed in the area as Russia has drafted in airborne units and their best motorised infantry units to the area. The military activity in the region has picked up, officials said.

The deployment of Russian troops is now close to the around 120,000 seen in the region at the height of the Soviet Union’s 1979-89 war in Afghanistan.

“For two days running, the enemy has been actively on the offensive in the Kupiansk sector in the Kharkiv region,” deputy defence minister Hanna Maliar wrote on Telegram.

In May, around 370,000 Russian troops were inside Ukraine as a whole, according to an estimate by Ukraine’s intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov.

This comes as Russia partially restored road traffic in one lane of the Kerch Bridge linking it to the Crimean peninsula after it was damaged by a suspected maritime drone attack.

Key Points

• Putin vows revenge after Crimea bridge attack

• Russia says road traffic partially restored on Crimean bridge

• Two 3am attacks on Crimean bridge, traffic suspended

• Why the expiry of the Black Sea grain deal matters

• Parents killed in Crimea bridge attack and child suffers injuries, Russia says

• Map shows damaged Crimean Bridge across the Kerch Strait

• Russia moves to ban iPhones for government officials over US spying fears

Crimea bridge attack: Everything to know about the Kerch bridge as critical Russian supply line attacked

11:29 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Two people were killed and their teenaged daughter wounded in an attack on the Crimean Bridge – connecting the Russian mainland to the peninsula.

The bridge, also known as the Kerch Bridge, is a major artery for Russian troops fighting in Ukraine and a prestige project personally opened by President Vladimir Putin. The bridge had had only recently returned to full operation after suffering severe damage in a similar attack last October.

Traffic along the 19km-long road and rail bridge was halted for six hours, following reports of multiple explosions at around 3am on Monday morning.

Here’s everything we know about the attack on the Crimean Bridge and its importance to Moscow:

Everything to know about the Crimean Bridge – as vital Russian supply line attacked

Russia hit Ukraine targets in 'mass revenge strike' after bridge attack

11:11 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russia‘s Defence Ministry said on Tuesday it had hit military targets in two Ukrainian port cities overnight in what it called “a mass revenge strike,” a day after an attack on the Crimean bridge which it blamed on Kyiv.

The ministry said it had struck Odesa, where the Ukrainian navy has a facility, and Mykolaiv on Ukraine‘s Black Sea coast.

“The armed forces of the Russian Federation carried out a mass retaliatory strike overnight using precision sea-based weapons against facilities where terrorist acts against the Russian Federation were being prepared using uncrewed boats,” the ministry said in a statement.

It said it had struck a ship repair plant near Odesa where such boats were being built.

“In addition, storage facilities holding around 70,000 tons of fuel used to supply the Ukrainian military’s equipment were destroyed” near the cities of Mykolaiv and Odesa, it said.

It said all the targets had been struck and destroyed, citing fires and detonations as evidence.

Reuters could not independently confirm the account.

Ukraine‘s air force said earlier that six Kalibr cruise missiles and 31 out of 36 drones had been shot down, mostly over the coastal Odesa and Mykolaiv regions in the south.

Russia says its troops advanced up to 2 km towards Ukraine’s Kupiansk

10:52 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russian forces have advanced by up to 2 kilometres (1.2 miles) in the direction of the city of Kupiansk in Ukraine‘s northeastern Kharkiv region, TASS cited Russia‘s defence ministry as saying on Tuesday.

More updates to follow.

Russia is using grain as ammunition, says Polish minister

10:22 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russia is using grain as ammunition, Poland’s Agriculture Minister Robert Telus told Reuters, commenting on the collapse of the year-old U.N.-brokered deal that allowed Ukraine export grain through the Black Sea.

Telus urged EU to help improve grain logistics as more Ukraine grain will start flowing through borders after the harvest.

Why the Crimea bridge attack will get under Putin’s skin

09:50 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The Kerch Bridge has both strategic and symbolic value to the Russian president, writes Bel Trew:

A pre-dawn deadly assault on the Kerch Bridge is the second such attack in just nine months. As Ukraine pushes ahead with a summer counteroffensive, it amounts to a personal jab at Vladimir Putin, who has often boasted about its construction.

The 12-mile rail and road structure – the longest in Europe – was a £2.7bn prestige project and was opened by Mr Putin five years ago. It links the Russian mainland and occupied Crimea, which Moscow illegally annexed from Ukraine in 2014. When it was opened, Mr Putin boasted that Russian tsars had dreamed of building this “miracle” but had never succeeded. Russian state media hailed it as the “construction of the century”.

Why the Crimea bridge attack will get under Putin’s skin

Ukraine says 'complicated' situation in fighting in east, some success in south

09:31 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Kyiv reported a “complicated” situation in fighting in eastern Ukraine and success in parts of the south on Tuesday as it pressed on with its counteroffensive against occupying Russian forces.

“The situation is complicated but under control (in the east),” General Oleksander Syrskyi, commander of Ukrainian ground forces, said on the Telegram messaging app.

He said Russia had concentrated forces in the direction of Kupiansk in the northeastern region of Kharkiv, but that Ukrainian troops were holding them back.

Ukrainian officials have increasingly pointed to an intensification of Russian military activity near Kupiansk and nearby Lyman in the northeast. Both cities were retaken by Ukraine late last year.

On Monday, a spokesperson for Ukraine‘s eastern forces said the Russian military had amassed more than 100,000 troops and more than 900 tanks in the area.

Syrskyi added that Russian troops were pulling up reserves in the Bakhmut sector in eastern Ukraine to try to stop Ukrainian forces advancing.

Taiwan says looking to buy NASAMS air defence system from US

09:05 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Taiwan is looking to buy National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems, or NASAMS, from the United States to upgrade its air defence capabilities having seen how well they work in Ukraine, the island’s defence minister said on Tuesday.

China, which claims Taiwan as its own territory, has stepped up military and political pressure over the past three years to try to force the democratically governed island to accept Beijing’s rule.

NASAMS have been provided by the United States for use in Ukraine, with U.S. officials saying they have had a 100% success rate in intercepting Russian missiles.

The system, developed and built by Raytheon Technologies and Norway’s Kongsberg Gruppen is a short- to medium-range ground-based air defence system that protects against drone, missile, and aircraft attack, which both Canada and Lithuania have also bought, or are buying for Ukraine.

Asked on the sidelines of parliament about Taiwan buying NASAMS, Defence Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng said “certainly” there was a proposal to get them.

“This work must be done in accordance with the enemy situation,” he said. “We have seen from the Russia-Ukraine war that these weapons definitely have good performance.”

However, Taiwan has not received any official notification from the U.S. that they will sell NASAMS to Taipei, Chiu said.

“But we need this work to be done as soon as possible.”

The U.S., Taiwan’s main foreign source of weapons, formally makes notifications to the island about the arms Washington is willing to sell.

The U.S. is bound by law to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself, despite a lack of formal diplomatic relations. China routinely denounces such arms sales.

Taiwan’s military has been paying close attention to the war in Ukraine for lessons on defending against a much larger opponent, for example by the use of drones.

Odesa port infrastructure damaged in overnight Russian attacks

08:31 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russia carried out missile and drone strikes on southern and eastern Ukraine overnight that caused damage to infrastructure in the Black Sea port of Odesa, Ukrainian officials said on Tuesday.

The attacks followed a pledge of retaliation by Russia after a blast on a bridge linking Russia to the Crimean Peninsula on Monday. Moscow accused Ukraine of attacking the bridge, which is used to transport military supplies to Crimea, seized and annexed by Russia in 2014.

Ukraine‘s air force said all six Kalibr missiles that were fired overnight, and 31 out of 36 drones, were shot down. The missiles and most of the drones were downed over Odesa and Mykolaiv regions in the south, while the rest were destroyed over the eastern regions of Donetsk, Kharkiv and Dnipropetrovsk.

Ukraine‘s southern operational military command said that all six Kalibr cruise missiles fired by Russia overnight were shot down over Odesa, and that 21 Iranian-made Shahed drones were downed over the surrounding region.

It said falling debris and blast waves damaged several homes and unspecified port infrastructure in Odesa, but gave few details. There was no word of any deaths but an elderly man was wounded in his home and was taken to hospital, it added.

Odesa has often been attacked since Russia‘s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 although the port was part of the U.N.-brokered deal allowing the safe Black Sea export of grain that Russia pulled out of on Monday.

The latest attack was “further proof that the country-terrorist wants to endanger the lives of 400 million people in various countries that depend on Ukrainian food exports,” Andriy Yermak, the head of the presidential staff, said on Telegram.

A B&Q generator and a commandeered truck: Behind the British Wolfram vehicles helping Ukraine fight Putin

07:50 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Wolfram vehicles are now standard weaponry for the British military, with possible export orders pending, writes Kim Sengupta:

The Wolfram armoured vehicle headed for the armoured column coming through the valley and fired salvos from its Brimstone missile system, setting the Russian T-57 tank aflame. Further along the frontline, a rider on an electronic bike was carrying out a lone attack, hitting the convoy at the flank using a Carl-Gustaf Mk4 rocket launcher.

The operation taking place was a military exercise in Lulworth, Dorset – but the tactics and weapons being used were from the Ukraine war. The Wolfram was developed by the British military in the early days of Vladimir Putin’s invasion with an urgent plea for help from Kyiv to counter Russian heavy armour.

A B&Q generator and a commandeered truck: The UK vehicles helping Ukraine fight Putin

Russia launches drones and missiles on Ukraine’s south and east

07:49 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russia launched overnight air attacks on Ukraine‘s south and east using drones and possibly ballistic missiles, Ukraine‘s Air Force and officials said early on Tuesday.

A fire broke out at one of the “facilities” in the port of Mykolaiv late on Monday, the city mayor said. The port city provides Ukraine with access to the Black Sea.

“It’s quite serious,” Mayor Oleksandr Senkevich said on the Telegram messaging app of the fire, adding that more detail will come in the morning.

The southern port of Odesa and the Mykolaiv, Donetsk, Kherson, Zaporizhzhia and Dnipropetrovsk regions were under threat of Russian drone attacks, the Air Force said on the Telegram messaging app.

It added that Russia may be using ballistic weaponry to attack the regions of Poltava, Cherkasy, Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv and Kirovohrad.

Reuters could not independently verify the reports.

Air raid alerts blared in many Ukrainian regions for hours, before being called off at around 04:30 a.m. local time (0130 GMT).

Oleh Kiper, the head of the Odesa region’s military administration, said air defence systems there were engaged in repelling several waves of Russian drone attacks.

Russia foils Ukrainian drone raid on Crimea

07:29 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russia repelled a Ukrainian drone attack on Crimea in the early hours of Tuesday, the Russian defence ministry said, a day after an attack on the Crimean bridge which damaged it and disrupted car traffic.

Russian air defences destroyed 17 drones and another 11 drones were intercepted by electronic warfare systems, the ministry said. The “terrorist attack” did not inflict any damage or casualties, it added.

On Monday, a blast knocked out Russia‘s bridge to Crimea in what Moscow called a strike by Ukrainian sea drones, killing two people.

Moscow annexed the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine in 2014.

Russia says Ukrainian drone raid foiled over Crimea

06:28 , Arpan Rai

Russia’s defence ministry has claimed the country’s air defences and electronic countermeasure systems downed 28 Ukrainian drones over Crimea in the early hours of today, reported the RIA news agency.

No casualties or damages have been seen so far, the ministry said.

The raid comes a day after an attack by suspected Ukrainian sea drones on the Kerch Bridge to Crimea, which damaged it and disrupted car traffic.

Ukraine has neither confirmed nor denied it carried out the attack.

Crimea bridge attack: Everything to know about the Kerch Bridge

06:17 , Arpan Rai

The Kerch Bridge saw traffic halted for six hours following reports of multiple explosions at around 3am yesterday.

Europe’s longest bridge connects the Russian city of Krasnodar in the east to Kerch in Crimea, which was illegally annexed from Ukraine by Moscow in 2014.

The Crimean Bridge runs over the Kerch Strait and is the only direct road link between Russia and the annexed peninsula.

It consists of a separate roadway and railway – fortified by concrete stilts – which give way to a wider span held by steel arches at the point where ships pass between the Black Sea and the smaller Azov Sea.

Here’s everything you need to know about the bridge, now a sensitive target in the invasion:

Everything to know about the Crimean Bridge – as vital Russian supply line attacked

Russia's Kharkiv troop levels close to Soviet-era, says Ukraine

05:48 , Arpan Rai

Russia has amassed more than 100,000 troops and hundreds of tanks in Ukraine’s northeastern region of Kharkiv, officials in Ukraine said.

“For two days running, the enemy has been actively on the offensive in the Kupiansk sector in Kharkiv region,” deputy defence minister Hanna Maliar wrote on Telegram.

“We are defending. Heavy fighting is going on and the positions of both sides change dynamically several times a day.”

More than 100,000 Russian troops and more than 900 tanks are now deployed in the area, said Serhiy Cherevatyi, spokesperson for Ukraine’s eastern command.

Russia has drafted in airborne units and their best motorised infantry units to the area, he said, with the deployment now close to the around 120,000 seen in the region at the height of the Soviet Union’s 1979-89 war in Afghanistan.

In May, around 370,000 Russian troops were inside Ukraine as a whole, according to an estimate by Ukraine’s intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov.

Russia is building up its defences and lining up troops near towns Kupiansk and nearby Lyman, regions retaken by Ukraine late last year as Kyiv’s forces remain stacked in the east and south for the counteroffensive launched several weeks ago.

Large groups of Russian personnel were now trying to break through Ukrainian defence lines in the area, officials have said.

“The enemy is concentrating everything in order to break through the defences of Ukrainian troops,” he said.

“Our soldiers are holding their defences, preventing the enemy from fully seizing the initiative and they are continuously launching counterattacks,” the spokesperson said.

Russia fires drones, missiles on Ukraine’s south and east

05:09 , Arpan Rai

Russia resumed overnight air attacks in the early hours today on Ukraine’s south and east using drones and possibly ballistic missiles, Ukraine’s Air Force and officials said.

A fire broke out at one of the “facilities” in the port of Mykolaiv late on Monday, the city mayor said. The port city provides Ukraine with access to the Black Sea.

“It’s quite serious,” mayor Oleksandr Senkevich said about the blaze on the Telegram, adding that more detail will come in the morning.

The air force warned that the southern port of Odesa and the Mykolaiv, Donetsk, Kherson, Zaporizhzhia and Dnipropetrovsk regions were under threat of Russian drone attacks.

Russia may be using ballistic weaponry to attack the regions of Poltava, Cherkasy, Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv and Kirovohrad, it added

Putin vows revenge after Crimea bridge attack

04:00 , Arpan Rai

Vladimir Putin has said his defence ministry is readying proposals for a response to an overnight attack on a bridge in Crimea as he blamed Ukraine for carrying out the strike.

Calling it a cruel and senseless act, the Russian president said the bridge “has not been used for military transportation for a long time”.

He was speaking after a televised video meeting with national and regional officials to assess the consequences of the attack.

While Kyiv has not claimed any responsibility for the attack, Ukrainian media said the war-hit nation’s security services had deployed maritime drones against the bridge.

The attack killed a Russian couple and injured their 14-year-old daughter. The family was driving over the bridge to go on a holiday in the annexed peninsula.

Ukraine has said Russians have no business holidaying on seized territory, especially while Moscow is bombing the country.

The attack on the bridge, the second in less than 10 months targeting a symbol of Russia’s illegal occupation of Crimea, comes around summer holiday season as Russians drive to or from the peninsula.

Putin preparing response to Crimea bridge attack

04:00 , Matt Drake

The Russian president said his defence ministry is preparing a response to the "terrorist" attack.

He said: "There will be a response from Russia to the terrorist attack on the Crimean bridge.

"The Ministry of Defence is preparing relevant proposals. What happened was another terrorist attack by the Kyiv regime, which had no logic from a military point of view."

Russia says road traffic partially restored on Crimean bridge

03:47 , Arpan Rai

Vehicular traffic in one lane of the Kerch Bridge in Crimea has been restored, Russian deputy prime minister Marat Khusnullin said late last night.

“Motor transport on the Crimean Bridge has been restored in reverse mode on the outer-most right lane,” he wrote on Telegram.

But ferry operations were suspended in the early hours today as Russian news agencies blamed bad weather.

An explosion yesterday knocked out the critical link between Russia and the Crimean peninsula as authorities in Moscow blamed Ukrainian sea drones. Ukraine has neither confirmed nor denied it carried out an attack on the bridge.

Top official in Justice Department's criminal division to depart

03:00 , Matt Drake

The head of the Justice Department’s criminal division is leaving at the end of July after two years of overseeing work that ranged from corporate fraud prosecution to war crimes investigations.

Assistant Attorney General Kenneth Polite’s tenure has included work to combat human smuggling, prosecute white-collar crime and pursue accountability for Russian war crimes in Ukraine, Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement.

“Under his leadership, the division has accelerated its efforts to keep the American people safe and tackle some of the most complex and urgent challenges our nation faces,” Garland said.

He did not name a reason for Polite’s departure, but the length of his tenure is similar to many of his predecessors. He is expected to join a law firm this summer after a short break, The Wall Street Journal reported.

Top official in Justice Department's criminal division to depart

Flying Russian flags, more Wagner troops roll into Belarus as part of deal that ended their mutiny

02:00 , Matt Drake

More mercenaries from Russia’s Wagner military contractor rolled into Belarus Monday, a monitoring group said, continuing their relocation to the ex-Soviet nation following last month’s short-lived mutiny.

Belaruski Hajun, a Belarusian activist group that monitors troops movements in Belarus, said that a convoy of about 20 vehicles carrying Russian flags and Wagner insignia entered the country Monday heading toward a field camp that Belarusian authorities had offered to the company.

The group said it was a third Wagner convoy entering the country since last week.

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, who brokered a deal that ended last month’s rebellion launched by Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin, has said that his country’s military could benefit from the mercenaries’ combat experience.

Flying Russian flags, more Wagner troops roll into Belarus as part of deal that ended their mutiny

Trump finally reveals how he thinks he could end Russia’s war in Ukraine in a day

01:00 , Matt Drake

Months after claiming he could end Russia’s war on Ukraine in 24 hours, former president Donald Trump has finally offered an explanation for why he thinks it’d be so simple for him.

Mr Trump was asked for his specific plan to bring the war to an end in an interview with Fox News host Maria Bartiromo on “Sunday Morning Futures” over the weekend.

His asserted that it would boil down to his established relationships with Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“I know Zelensky very well, I know Putin very well—even better—and I had a very good relationship with both of them,” he said.

He said he would tell Mr Zelensky: “No more, you gotta make a deal,” and Mr Putin: “If you don’t make a deal, we’re gonna give them a lot. We’re gonna give more than they ever got.”

Trump finally reveals how he thinks he could end Russia’s war in Ukraine in a day

Outgoing defence Secretary learned lessons from Ukraine

Tuesday 18 July 2023 00:29 , Matt Drake

On Tuesday, the long-awaited defence command paper will be published.

It will set out how the UK will invest an additional £2.5 billion in stockpiles and a global response force.

"I don't think of legacies, I just think it's the natural step," said Ben Wallace.

"We started talking about this at the beginning of the year; there was a commitment to the integration of review refresh, which obviously was going to trigger this.

"I was determined that the lessons from Ukraine were brought forward and so that people now know what we need to do and I think that's important."

Mr Wallace played a key role in the UK's response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Cleverly condemns Putin as Russia pulls out of Ukraine grain deal

Monday 17 July 2023 23:00 , Matt Drake

Vladimir Putin is using food supplies “as a weapon” by pulling out of an agreement to allow grain exports from Ukraine, James Cleverly said.

The Foreign Secretary condemned the Russian leader’s actions, pointing to United Nations (UN) estimates that it could condemn millions more people to hunger.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov announced that the Black Sea Grain Initiative (BSGI) deal would be halted, adding that Russia will return to the previous arrangements after its demands are met.

Moscow has claimed that restrictions on shipping and insurance have hampered its own exports of food and fertiliser – which it argues are also critical to the global food chain.

Cleverly condemns Putin as Russia pulls out of Ukraine grain deal

White House says US will continue to work with other countries after Russia suspends grain deal

Monday 17 July 2023 22:00 , Matt Drake

National security spokesperson John Kirby said: "I want to start today by addressing Russia's irresponsible and dangerous decision to suspend his participation in the Black Sea Green Initiative, which will exacerbate food scarcity and harm millions of vulnerable people around the world.

"Russia's decision to resume its effective blockade of Ukrainian ports and prevent this grain from getting to markets will harm people all over the world. Russia will be fully and solely responsible for the consequences of this military act of aggression.

"We urge the Government of Russia to immediately reverse its decision. Meanwhile, United States has and we will continue to work with other countries to enable both Russian and Ukrainian grain to reach the rest of the world including by ensuring that our sanctions do not target contrary to Russian propaganda.

"They do not target Russian food or fertiliser and we will continue to support Ukraine's efforts to get that grain to markets that desperately needed even if that's the other rounds, a lot of work to be done here. This is a deeply regrettable and as I said a dangerous decision that we urge Mr. Putin to reverse."

Russia stops crucial Ukraine grain export deal hours after attack on Crimea bridge

Monday 17 July 2023 21:29 , Matt Drake

Russia has stopped a crucial deal that allowed Ukraine to export millions of tonnes of grain through the Black Sea, hours after an attack on Russia’s bridge to occupied Crimea – which is a major artery for Moscow’s troops fighting in Ukraine.

The decision to end the deal, brokered by the UN and Turkey last year in order to alleviate a food crisis sparked by a Russian blockade of Ukrainian ports, was branded a “cynical move” by President of the EU Commission, Ursula von der Leyen. Ukraine is one of the world’s biggest exporters of grain and other foodstuffs and any interruption could drive up food prices across the globe

The head of the UN, Antonio Guterres, said that it “would strike a blow to people in need everywhere”. Both the hundreds of millions facing hunger around the globe and all those who are facing a cost of living crisis. The White House said that not extending the deal past its Monday deadline “will worsen food security and harm millions” with the US ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, describing the move as an “act of cruelty”.

Russia stops crucial Ukraine grain deal hours after attack on Crimea bridge

Vatican envoy to discuss suffering caused by Ukraine invasion

Monday 17 July 2023 21:00 , Matt Drake

The White House has confirmed that the Vatican envoy will discuss the suffering caused by Russia's war in Ukraine.

Why the Crimea bridge attack will get under Putin’s skin

Monday 17 July 2023 20:29 , Matt Drake

A pre-dawn deadly assault on the Kerch Bridge is the second such attack in just nine months. As Ukraine pushes ahead with a summer counteroffensive, it amounts to a personal jab at Vladimir Putin, who has often boasted about its construction.

The 12-mile rail and road structure – the longest in Europe – was a £2.7bn prestige project and was opened by Mr Putin five years ago. It links the Russian mainland and occupied Crimea, which Moscow illegally annexed from Ukraine in 2014. When it was opened, Mr Putin boasted that Russian tsars had dreamed of building this “miracle” but had never succeeded. Russian state media hailed it as the “construction of the century”.

Since Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine last February, the bridge has morphed into a military supply lifeline for Moscow’s men on the battlefield. In the summer it is also gridlocked with Russian tourists wanting to holiday in Crimea – a popular holiday destination, despite the war rumbling mere miles away.

In Ukraine, the bridge has become a focus of anger as a symbol of Russia’s long-standing efforts to take Ukrainian territory and to “Russify” the territory.

Losing the bridge would undermine Russia’s supply lines and potentially cut off tens of thousands of Russian holidaymakers in Crimea from the mainland.

Bel Trew | The Independent

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres says termination of Black Sea grain deal means a related pact between the UN and Moscow

Monday 17 July 2023 20:16 , Matt Drake

Pictures show the damaged Crimea bridge

Monday 17 July 2023 19:49 , Matt Drake

Images show the damaged stretch of the bridge in Kerch Straight.

The bridge was damaged this morning following multiple explosions at around 3am.

It runs over the Kerch Straight and is the only direct road link between Russia and Crimea.

Road bridge will be completely repaired by November, Kremlin says

Monday 17 July 2023 19:00 , Matt Drake

The Russian deputy prime minister, Marat Khusnullin said the bridge linking Russia and Crimea which was severely damaged overnight in an attack will be completely repaired by November 1.

Speaking in a televised meeting with Vladimir Putin, Khusnullin said there was one section of the road that was completely destroyed and would have to be rebuilt.

But he said road traffic would resume in one direction by September 15 and both by November 1.

Ukrainian Ministry of Defence’s Twitter trolls Putin

Monday 17 July 2023 18:30 , Matt Drake

The Ukrainian Defence Ministry tweeted just hours after explosions damaging a bridge linking Russia and Crimea.

Crimea is a popular holiday destination for Russians despite it being seized from Ukraine.

The ministry Tweeted: "The number of potential «domestic» summer tourist destinations for russians is falling. With alarming regularity."

Ukrainian troops storm Russian forces with machine guns and grenade launchers

Monday 17 July 2023 17:57 , Matt Drake

Footage has emerged showing a group of Ukrainian soldiers in a military vehicle before they get out and can be seen taking up their positions with their guns raised.

Explosions can be heard in the background while the soldier filming liaises with his comrades before heading off through undergrowth.

Machine gun fire can be heard in the background before one of his colleagues appear to fire a grenade launcher.

The soldier filming can then be seen advancing and opening fire to provide cover for a colleague.

A second Ukrainian soldier advances and joins the first soldier before the soldier filming does the same.

He then continues to advance while opening fire and liaising with command before apparently throwing a grenade.

Gunfire is then heard nearby, with the Ukrainian soldier returning fire, shooting into the undergrowth.

The soldier can then be seen loading a fresh magazine into his assault rifle as the footage ends.

The images were obtained from the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine along with a statement saying: “Hard and painstaking work to liberate our territories.”

Foreign Secretary has condemned Russia over grain initiative

Monday 17 July 2023 17:21 , Matt Drake

In a statement, James Cleverly said: “The United Kingdom condemns in the strongest terms Russia’s decision to withdraw from the Black Sea Grain Initiative.

“Russia’s illegal war against Ukraine has obstructed the free flow of grain and other foodstuffs through the Black Sea, causing worldwide suffering. We urge Russia to rejoin the initiative, which was developed by the UN in 2022, and allow the unimpeded export of grain.

“While exports of grain from Ukraine are restricted, Russian exports of food are at higher levels than before the invasion.

“We have always been clear that the target of our sanctions is Russia’s war machine and not the food and fertiliser sectors. Contrary to Russian claims, the UN and other partners have taken significant steps to ensure that Russian food is able to access world markets.

“The best way for Russia to address concerns around global food security would be for it to withdraw its forces from Ukraine and end the war.”

The Foreign Secretary has condemned Russia, after it halted a deal allowing grain to flow from Ukraine to countries in Africa, the Middle East and Asia.

Analysis | What the Crimea bridge attack means for Ukraine’s counteroffensive

Monday 17 July 2023 16:57 , Andy Gregory

In this Independent Voices piece, our world affairs editor Kim Sengupta writes:

The latest attack on the Kerch bridge came just weeks after Putin claimed that Ukrainian forces were suffering “catastrophic” losses in the ongoing counteroffensive by Volodymyr Zelensky’s government and he could order the seizure of more land to protect Russia’s frontiers. “We will have to consider creating a sanitary zone in Ukraine to prevent it from striking our territory”, he warned.

The blast on the bridge shows that even if a new “sanitary zone” is established, it is unlikely to be enough to stop Ukraine – armed with modern Western drones, missiles and artillery – from inflicting destruction inside Russia.

It is far from certain that Ukraine will get Crimea back. But, with the current offensive grinding on, with limited and slow reclaiming of territory, the Kerch attack is a potent symbol and morale-boosting action.

What the Crimea bridge attack means for Ukraine’s counteroffensive | Kim Sengupta

Watch: Trump reveals plan after claiming he would end Ukraine war 'in 24 hours'

Monday 17 July 2023 16:10 , Tara Cobham

Ukraine wants use of Black Sea grain corridor to continue

Monday 17 July 2023 15:55 , Tara Cobham

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Monday everything must be done so that the Black Sea grain export corridor continues to be used after Russia halted its participation, his spokesperson said.

"Even without the Russian Federation, everything must be done so that we can use this Black Sea corridor. We are not afraid," spokesperson Serhiy Nykyforov quoted Zelenskiy as saying. "We were approached by companies, ship-owners. They said that they are ready, if Ukraine lets them go, and Turkey continues to let them through, then everyone is ready to continue supplying grain."

Zelenskiy said Ukraine had two agreements on grain exports - one with Turkey and the United Nations, and the other with Russia, Turkey and the United Nations. He ordered Ukraine's foreign ministry to prepare an official note to the UN and Turkey on whether they would be ready to continue with the initiative.

Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, who is in New York this week to participate in a UN security council meeting, urged Russia to stop "playing hunger games."

"The immediate outcome of non-extension of the agreement will mean that prices for grain all across the globe will go up, and people in the most vulnerable regions of Asia, Africa, they will feel it, and this is the result of Russian actions," Kuleba said in an interview with CBS Mornings. "So Russia is using hunger as an instrument to blackmail the world, pursuing its own commercial interest. Stop playing hunger games."

Russia ending grain deal ‘will harm millions’, warns White House

Monday 17 July 2023 15:40 , Tara Cobham

Russia's suspension of a pact that has allowed the Black Sea export of grain from Ukraine "will worsen food security and harm millions," the White House said on Monday.

"We urge the Government of Russia to immediately reverse its decision,” White House National Security Council spokesperson Adam Hodge said in a statement.

Meanwhile, US Ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, described Moscow’s decision as an “act of cruelty” on Monday.

“Russia has dealt another blow to the world’s most vulnerable, this time by suspending its participation in the Black Sea grain initiative. This is really another act of cruelty,” she told reporters.

‘Russian decision on grain deal is final’ - state news agency quotes official

Monday 17 July 2023 15:37 , Tara Cobham

Russia's decision not to extend the Black Sea grain deal is final and no more talks are planned, state news agency TASS quoted a senior Russian official at the United Nations as saying on Monday.

End to grain deal ‘risks holding global food security at ransom’, says IRC President

Monday 17 July 2023 15:21 , Tara Cobham

The President and CEO of the International Rescue Committee (IRC) has said the expiration of the Black Sea grain export deal “risks holding global food security at ransom”.

David Miliband said: “The IRC is deeply alarmed at Russia’s withdrawal from the Black Sea Grain Initiative, putting the future of the grain exports from the region at risk - a decision which will be most painfully felt by the 349 million people around the world facing food insecurity today. From Ukraine to Somalia, IRC’s clients are facing the ripple effects on food and energy prices of 500 days of war. The expiration of the deal risks holding global food security at ransom.”

Watch live: UN Secretary-General gives update on grain exports in the Black Sea

Monday 17 July 2023 15:11 , Tara Cobham

Live: UN Secretary-General gives update on grain exports in the Black Sea

EU condemns Russia ending Ukraine grain deal as ‘cynical move'

Monday 17 July 2023 15:05 , Tara Cobham

European Union Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Monday called Russia's decision to suspend a Black Sea grain export deal a "cynical move", adding that the EU would continue to work towards ensuring food security for poor countries.

Russia said it had halted participation in a landmark UN-brokered deal that allowed Ukrainian grain to be exported through the Black Sea just hours after Moscow said Ukraine had attacked the Crimean Bridge. Prices for grains and oilseeds have already risen in response to news that Russia will suspend its participation in the deal.

"I strongly condemn Russia’s cynical move to terminate the Black Sea Grain Initiative, despite UN & Turkiye’s efforts. EU is working to ensure food security for the world’s vulnerable. EU Solidarity Lanes will continue bringing agrifood products out of Ukraine & to global markets," von der Leyen said in a Tweet.

EU Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell said Moscow's decision was unjustified and was using food as a weapon in the conflict with Ukraine.

"This is something very serious that will create a lot of troubles for many people around the world," Borrell told reporters on entering a summit with countries of South and Central America. "I have to blame Russia for this decision. (It is) completely unjustified, weaponising the hunger of the people.”

Ukraine is a major producer of grains and oilseeds and the interruption to its exports at the outbreak of war pushed global food prices to record highs. The deal, agreed in July 2022 some five months after the war started, helped to bring down prices and ease a global food crisis.

Watch live: Final grain ship arrives in Turkey after Russia pulls out of Ukraine deal

Monday 17 July 2023 15:00 , Tara Cobham

Watch live: Final grain ship arrives in Turkey after Russia pulls out of Ukraine deal

Why the Crimea bridge attack will get under Putin’s skin

Monday 17 July 2023 14:51 , Tara Cobham

A pre-dawn deadly assault on the Kerch Bridge is the second such attack in just nine months. As Ukraine pushes ahead with a summer counteroffensive, it amounts to a personal jab at Vladimir Putin, who has often boasted about its construction.

The 12-mile rail and road structure – the longest in Europe – was a £2.7 billion prestige project opened by Mr Putin five years ago. It links the Russian mainland and occupied Crimea, which Moscow illegally annexed from Ukraine in 2014. When it was opened, Mr Putin boasted that Russian Tsars had dreamed of building this “miracle” but never succeeded. Russian state media hailed it as the “construction of the century”.

Since Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine last February, the bridge has morphed into a military supply lifeline for Moscow’s men on the battlefield. In the summer it is also gridlocked with Russian tourists wanting to holiday in Crimea – a popular holiday destination, despite the war rumbling mere miles away.

In Ukraine, the bridge has become a focus of anger as a symbol of Russia’s long-standing efforts to take Ukrainian territory and to ‘Russify’ the territory.

Losing the bridge would undermine Russia’s supply lines and potentially cut off tens of thousands of Russian holidaymakers in Crimea from the mainland.

Bel Trew reports:

Why the Crimea bridge attack will get under Putin’s skin

Why the expiry of the Black Sea grain deal matters

Monday 17 July 2023 13:40 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

A deal allowing Ukraine to export grain via the Black Sea will expire at the end of Monday after Russia said it will suspend its participation.

The deal, brokered by the United Nations and Turkey last July, aimed to alleviate a global food crisis by allowing Ukrainian grain blocked by the Russia-Ukraine conflict to be exported safely.

Why is the deal important?

Ukraine is a major producer of grains and oilseeds and the interruption to its exports at the outbreak of war pushed global food prices to record highs. The deal, agreed in July 2022 some five months after the war started, helped to bring down prices and ease a global food crisis.

Read more here:

Why the expiry of the Black Sea grain deal matters

Russian officials sanctioned over ‘chilling’ deportations of Ukrainian children

Monday 17 July 2023 13:23 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russian officials are being hit by British sanctions over president Vladimir Putin’s “chilling” forced deportations of Ukrainian children.

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly announced 14 new asset bans and travel freezes against Russians deemed to have played a role in trying to erase Ukrainian national identity.

Some 19,000 children have been forcibly deported to Russia or territories controlled by Moscow during the invasion, Ukrainian figures suggest.

Many are sent to “re-education” camps where they are reported to be exposed to a programme of cultural, patriotic and military education drawn up by Russia.

Mr Cleverly said: “In his chilling programme of forced child deportation, and the hate-filled propaganda spewed by his lackeys, we see Putin’s true intention - to wipe Ukraine from the map.

“Today’s sanctions hold those who prop up Putin’s regime to account, including those who would see Ukraine destroyed, its national identity dissolved, and its future erased.”

Among the officials targeted are Russian education minister Sergei Kravtsov and Moscow’s children’s rights commissioner Ksenia Mishonova.

Meanwhile, Mr Cleverly was to use a speech at the UN Security Council in New York to demand that the Kremlin renews its Black Sea grain deal after suspending the agreement.

The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “Fundamentally, if Russia does not extend the deal, they will be robbing millions of people of access to vital grain and causing suffering across the globe.”

Papal envoy to visit Washington to talk Ukraine peace

Monday 17 July 2023 12:52 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Italian Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, tasked by Pope Francis to help bring peace to Ukraine, was heading to Washington on Monday to meet U.S. officials as a follow up to his talks in Kyiv and Moscow, the Vatican said.

A statement said he would be there for three days but did not say who he would be meeting.

The visit is aimed at promoting peace in Ukraine and supporting “humanitarian initiatives to alleviate the suffering of people who have been hit the hardest and the most fragile, in particular children,” the statement said.

Last month, Zuppi visited Moscow, where he met with the head of Russia‘s influential Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, and with Russia‘s Children’s Commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova.

Earlier in June, he visited Kyiv and met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.

Zelenskiy, who met the pope in May, has asked the Vatican to back his unconditional peace plan, which calls for restoring Ukraine‘s territorial integrity, the withdrawal of Russian troops and cessation of hostilities, and the restoration of Ukraine‘s state borders.

The Vatican statement’s mention of humanitarian initiatives and children appeared to be a reference to Kyiv’s request - and the Vatican’s willingness - to help with the repatriation of Ukrainian children.

Kyiv estimates nearly 19,500 children have been taken to Russia or Russian-occupied Crimea since February 2022, in what it condemns as illegal deportations.

Zuppi said earlier this month that he was working on a “mechanism” that could ensure the return of the children.

Turkish and Russian foreign ministers to discuss grain deal, Erdogan says

Monday 17 July 2023 12:33 , Tara Cobham

The Turkish and Russian foreign ministers will discuss the Black Sea grain deal on Monday, President Tayyip Erdogan said, adding that he hoped for progress on the issue after Moscow said it was suspending its participation.

"I hope that with this discussion, we can make some progress and continue on our way without a pause," Erdogan said, speaking to reporters shortly after Moscow said it was halted its participation in the deal.

Erdogan said he may also speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin before they meet in person in August.

Russia moves to ban iPhones for government officials over US spying fears

Monday 17 July 2023 12:00 , Tara Cobham

Russia is set to ban iPhones for government officials and state employees after accusing Apple of helping the US government conduct espionage operations.

Government officials at Russia’s trade ministry will be banned from using iPhones and other Apple products for “work purposes” from July 17, the Financial Times reported.

The trade ministry’s ban includes emailed correspondence relating to work activities, said its deputy head Vasily Osmako.

The digital development ministry said it will follow suit, while state-owned company Rostec, which is under Western sanctions, said it has already introduced a ban on Apple products.

Martha McHardy reports:

Russia moves to ban iPhones for government officials over US spying fears

Map: Crimean Bridge across the Kerch Strait

Monday 17 July 2023 11:45 , Tara Cobham

UK sanctions Russians involved in relocating Ukrainian children

Monday 17 July 2023 11:39 , Tara Cobham

The British government said on Monday it had introduced new sanctions, including against Russian education minister Sergey Kravtsov, related to what it describes as Moscow's forced deportation of Ukrainian children.

Britain sanctioned 14 people in response to "Russia's attempts to destroy Ukrainian national identity", 11 of whom it said were involved in the forceable relocation of children.

"In his chilling programme of forced child deportation, and the hate-filled propaganda spewed by his lackeys, we see Putin’s true intention - to wipe Ukraine from the map," British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said in a statement. "Today’s sanctions hold those who prop up Putin’s regime to account, including those who would see Ukraine destroyed, its national identity dissolved, and its future erased."

Russian culture minister Olga Lyubimova was sanctioned for providing support for an promoting policies and actions which "destabilise Ukraine or threaten the territorial integrity", Britain said.

Earlier this month Russia said it had brought some 700,000 children from the conflict zones in Ukraine into Russian territory. Moscow says its programme of bringing children from Ukraine into Russian territory is to protect orphans and children abandoned in the conflict zone.

However, Ukraine says many children have been illegally deported and the United States says thousands of children have been forcibly removed from their homes. Ukraine's Ministry of Integration of Occupied Territories has said 19,492 Ukrainian children are currently considered illegally deported.

‘Illegal designs to deliver Russian instruments of mass murder are short-lived’ - Zelenskyy adviser

Monday 17 July 2023 11:34 , Tara Cobham

The Adviser to the Head of the Office of President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that “any illegal designs used to deliver Russian instruments of mass murder are short-lived”.

In his post on social media, Mykhailo Podolyak added: “Regardless of the reasons for the destruction.”

It is unclear whether he is referring to the Crimea bridge incident.

Parents killed and daughter injured are all named

Monday 17 July 2023 11:29 , Tara Cobham

The Russian couple who were killed and their 14-year-old daughter who was wounded as they drove across the Crimean Bridge have been named.

Alexei and Nataliya were driving with their daughter Angelina in the early hours of Monday for what they hoped would be a family holiday on Crimea's Black Sea coast.

It was not immediately clear how the bridge, one of President Vladimir Putin's prestige projects, was attacked but video posted on social media showed the family's car smashed, with bloodied bodies contorted and silent.

As other drivers try to give assistance, a girl can be heard crying and whimpering.

Blood seeps from the door into a puddle on the road as one of the other drivers implores the girl to keep still.

Everything to know about the Crimean bridge as critical Russian supply line attacked

Monday 17 July 2023 11:25 , Tara Cobham

Two people were killed and their teenaged daughter wounded in an attack on the Crimean Bridge – connecting the Russian mainland to the peninsula.

The bridge, also known as the Kerch Bridge, is a major artery for Russian troops fighting in Ukraine and a prestige project personally opened by President Vladimir Putin. The bridge had had only recently returned to full operation after suffering severe damage in a similar attack last October.

Traffic along the 19km-long road and rail bridge was halted for six hours, following reports of multiple explosions at around 3am this morning.

Maanya Sachdeva reports on everything we know about today’s attack on the Crimean Bridge and its importance to Moscow:

Everything to know about the Crimean Bridge – as vital Russian supply line attacked

Ukraine is closely following aftermath of attack, says security service

Monday 17 July 2023 11:20 , Tara Cobham

A spokesperson from Ukraine's security service (SBU) has said they are closely following the aftermath of the attack.

In a written comment to the AFP news agency, Artem Dekhtiarenko said "we are watching with interest as one of the symbols of Putin's regime once again failed to withstand the military load".

Russia halts grain deal but says no link to bridge attack it blames on Ukraine

Monday 17 July 2023 11:04 , Tara Cobham

Russia said on Monday that it had halted participation in a landmark UN-brokered deal which allowed Ukrainian grain to be exported through the Black Sea just hours after Moscow said Ukraine had attacked the Crimean Bridge.

The Kremlin said the halting of the Black Sea grain deal, brokered by the United Nations and Turkey to combat a global food crisis worsened by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, had nothing to do with the bridge attack.

"In fact, the Black Sea agreements ceased to be valid today," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on a conference call. "Unfortunately, the part of these Black Sea agreements concerning Russia has not been implemented so far, so its effect is terminated."

Russia has notified Turkey, Ukraine and the UN that Moscow is against extending the deal, Maria Zakharova, a spokeswoman for Russia's foreign ministry, said.

The Chicago Board of Trade's most active wheat contract was up 3.4% at $6.84 a bushel by 0910 GMT after earlier rising over 4%.

Russia and Ukraine are two of the world's top agricultural producers, and major players in the wheat, barley, maize, rapeseed, rapeseed oil, sunflower seed and sunflower oil markets. Russia is also dominant in the fertiliser market.

In Pictures: Crimean Bridge and its reported damage

Monday 17 July 2023 09:20 , Tara Cobham