Ukraine-Russia war – live: First lady issues sobering warning in rare interview

Ukrainian first lady Olena Zelenska has issued a sobering warning to the world as the conflict enters its 18 month, in an exclusive interview with Independent TV.

Speaking from the command centre in Kyiv, Ms Zelenska warned that her country is in desperate need of “faster” support to enable it to fight Vladimir Putin’s troops.

“We keep hearing from our Western partners that they will be with us as long as it takes. ‘Long’ is not the word we should use. We should use the word ‘faster’,” she told Independent TV.

“Ukrainians are paying for this war with the lives of our compatriots. The rest of the world pays with its resources. These are incomparable things, so we urge you to speed up this help,” she added.

A comedy screenwriter and the childhood sweetheart of Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, Ms Zelenska gave up her day job to become an ambassador for Ukraine after Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.

Founding the Olena Zelenska Foundation in September 2022, the organisation’s work is wide-ranging, encompassing everything from reconstructing hospitals to supporting those suffering with their mental health.

Key Points

• Explosions and drone debris hit Kyiv in overnight attacks

• Poland rushes troops to border with Belarus

• Russia strikes port, grain storage in Odesa

• Putin ‘unlikely to find enough new troops to resource even one new army’, says UK MoD

• Torture, sexual violence commonly used by Russian forces in Ukraine, say experts

Polish PM states fears over ‘extremely dangerous' Wagner troops

15:54 , William Mata

Poland’s prime minister has raised fears that the Wagner mercenary force is moving to destabilise Nato’s eastern flank.

The Russian-aligned soldiers have been training with the Belarus national army, which has prompted Poland to locate 1,000 troops close to its own border. It follows Poland, on Tuesday, accusing Belarus of violating its airspace with military helicopters.

Prime minister Mateusz Morawiecki said: “We need to be aware that the number of provocations will rise.”

He spoke after meeting Lithuanian president Gitanas Nauseda in eastern Poland.

“The Wagner group is extremely dangerous and they are being moved to the eastern flank to destabilise it.”

The politicians met in the Suwalki Gap, a sparsely populated but strategically important area of Polish territory between Belarus and the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad that joins the Baltic states to other NATO members.

Blasts and gunfire reported near Russian Black Sea port of Novorossiysk

04:30 , Namita Singh

Russian social media users reported hearing explosions and gunfire near the Russian Black Sea port of Novorossiysk this morning.

Videos posted on a local online community and circulated by Russian online news outlet Astra showed the movement of ships just off the coast with the sound of gunfire coming from the direction of the sea.

The emergencies department of the city of Novorossiysk, whose port is one of the biggest in the Black Sea, could not be reached for comment.

Clashes in the Black Sea and adjacent ports have escalated since Russia refused last month to extend a deal allowing for the safe exports of grain from Ukrainian ports; Russian drones and missiles have struck several Ukrainian port facilities and grain silos on or near the Black Sea.

Russia has also reported an attack by Ukrainian sea drones on its warships which were escorting a civilian vessel.

Mapped: The latest strikes on Ukraine and Russia as war rages on

04:00 , Eleanor Noyce

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has cheered the recent flurry of drone strikes on Moscow as evidence that Vladimir Putin’s illegal invasion of his country is backfiring and that its consequences are becoming ever clearer to the Russian people.

“Gradually, the war is returning to the territory of Russia – to its symbolic centres and military bases, and this is an inevitable, natural and absolutely fair process,” he said in a video address from the western city of Ivano-Frankivsk.

Russia’s defence ministry conceded on Sunday (30 July) that a 50-storey building containing the offices of a number of government agencies and a shopping precinct in the capital’s western Moskva-Citi business district were both hit by drone strikes it blamed on Ukraine, claiming to have brought down three more devices.

Joe Sommerlad reports:

Mapped: The latest strikes on Ukraine and Russia as war rages on

Face to face with a mercenary: Inside Wagner and its blood-soaked role in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine

03:00 , Eleanor Noyce

Amid the ravages of war, Sergey, a seasoned Wagner mercenary, found himself grappling with the relentless violence that has become a way of life and death on the front line. The savage conflict, the sense of betrayal from the Kremlin, and rumours of plots, all combined to create an atmosphere of uncertainty and dread.

At the end he decided to abandon the Wagner group and the savage, meat-grinding combat of Donbas where corpses piled up, and towns and cities were razed.

With the future of the mercenary group in the balance after Yevgeny Prigozhin’s failed march on Moscow and fear of future retribution, Sergey cannot forget the terrible things he witnessed in the months of bloody conflict.

Kim Sengupta meets a fighter – a father of two – who has recently left the mercenary group and hears about the daily routine of ‘fight, eat, pray’ on some of the fiercest frontlines in the war:

Face to face with a mercenary: Inside Wagner and its bloody role in the Ukraine war

Drones, military confusion and cracks in Putin’s authority: Ukraine’s push to sow discord in Russia’s ranks

02:00 , Eleanor Noyce

With Moscow facing a flurry of drone attacks in recent weeks – the latest over the weekend – Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, has said the war in his country is “returning to Russia”.

While Kyiv is always very cagey about claiming direct responsibility for attacks on Russian soil, the number of incidents has coincided with the Ukrainian counteroffensive to retake territory occupied by Moscow’s forces. All while the Kremlin is still dealing with the fallout from a mutiny last month by the battle-hardened mercenaries of the Wagner Group, led by Yevgeny Prigozhin.

The attempted uprising, which was halted after 24 hours with Prigozhin’s fighters about 125 miles from Moscow, opened the way for a barrage of criticism of Moscow’s top military leadership by some of its own most senior generals commanding Russia’s invasion forces in Ukraine. Kyiv’s aim? To take advantage of this discord, and to increase it. Anything that will help them on the front line.

Askold Krushelnycky speaks to Ukrainian officials about the ongoing counteroffensive and how Kyiv is seeking to exploit the extended fallout from Wagner’s short-lived mutiny:

Drones and discord: Ukraine’s push to spread anxiety in Russia’s ranks

EU imposes sanctions on dozens in Belarus over protest crackdown and support for Russia

01:30 , Eleanor Noyce

The European Union on Thursday imposed sanctions on several Belarus police, justice and prison officials over a crackdown on anti-government activists, and on media personnel and a company accused of supporting Russia’s war on Ukraine.

Travel bans in Europe and asset freezes were slapped on 38 officials, including several judges and prosecutors. The EU also froze the assets of state oil and chemicals giant Belneftekhim.

It said the company “represents a fundamental asset for the Belarusian economy and foreign policy, in particular in relation to the cooperation between Russia and Belarus in developing a common oil market.”

Read more:

EU imposes sanctions on dozens in Belarus over protest crackdown and support for Russia

Why did Russia invade Ukraine?

01:00 , Eleanor Noyce

Russia’s “special military operation” in Ukraine has been raging for one year now as the conflict continues to record devastating casualties and force the mass displacement of millions of blameless Ukrainians.

Vladimir Putin began the war by claiming Russia’s neighbour needed to be “demilitarised and de-Nazified”, a baseless pretext on which to launch a landgrab against an independent state that happens to have a Jewish president in Volodymyr Zelensky.

Ukraine has fought back courageously against Mr Putin’s warped bid to restore territory lost to Moscow with the collapse of the Soviet Union and has continued to defy the odds by defending itself against Russian onslaughts with the help of Western military aid.

Thomas Kingsley and Joe Sommerlad:

Here’s why Putin really invaded Ukraine

‘We stand united’: RAF interception of Russian jets ‘sends strong message’ to Putin

00:01 , Eleanor Noyce

The Royal Air Force has delivered a powerful message of unity to Russian president Vladimir Putin with the interception of dozens of Russian aircraft during its leadership of a Nato air policing mission in Estonia, Ben Wallace has said.

The defence secretary praised the RAF’s success, emphasising the unwavering commitment of the UK and its allies in safeguarding European airspace and standing against any potential threat to their borders.

His comments come as RAF personnel have returned to the UK after leading the air policing mission in Eastern Europe for four months, during which pilots intercepted 50 Russian aircraft and flew for a combined total of more than 500 hours.

Martina Bet reports:

‘We stand united’: RAF interception of Russian jets ‘sends strong message’ to Putin

US sees price cap on Russian oil working despite upturn in prices

23:30 , Eleanor Noyce

The United States remains confident that the Group of Seven’s price cap on Russian oil is working to squeeze Moscow’s revenues and stabilize energy markets despite a recent upturn in prices, a senior U.S. Treasury official said on Thursday.

Acting Assistant Secretary for Economic Policy Eric Van Nostrand hailed the price cap as a successful part of the multilateral sanctions regime imposed on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine and said Washington and its partners were working to thwart any evasion.

“Our approach has struck at the heart of the Kremlin’s most important cash cow. Before the war, oil revenues constituted about a third of the total Russian budget, but in 2023 that number has fallen to just 25%,” he said in remarks prepared for a London conference.

The G7, the European Union and Australia imposed the $60 per barrel cap last December on sea-borne exports of Russian crude in retaliation for Russia’s war on Ukraine. It bans Western companies from providing services such as transportation, insurance and financing for the oil sold above the cap.

Van Nostrand said Russian data showed federal government oil revenues were nearly 50% lower in the first half of 2023 than a year earlier, and Russian oil was trading at “a significant discount” to Brent oil.

Russian officials had also complained about the impact of the price cap, he said, and the Kremlin has been forced to consider raising taxes on oil exporters to boost revenues, which could weaken the long-term outlook for its oil industry.

Van Nostrand said the average reported price for Russian Urals had hovered around $60, the level of the price cap, despite recent price increases as well as widespread expectations that the price would rise in the second half of 2023.

Russia’s Finance Ministry this week said Urals crude oil blend traded at $64.37 per barrel on average in July, up from $55.28 per barrel in June.

Russia will cut exports by 300,000 barrels per day (bpd) in September, Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said on Thursday. Russia, the world’s biggest oil exporter after Saudi Arabia, had already pledged to cut oil output by 500,000 bpd, or about 5%, from March until year-end.

I have a frozen embryo in Russia called Tallulah – the war in Ukraine means it’s trapped there

23:00 , Eleanor Noyce

It’s front-page news today: the heart of Moscow has been hit by early-morning drone attacks. It makes me think of Tallulah. She’s a frozen embryo I have stored in an IVF clinic in St Petersburg. What if I ever wanted to get her home? Is she safe?

I know it sounds over the top to actually call a frozen embryo by a name – but I’m not alone.

I don’t want another child, writes Charlotte Cripps – but it doesn’t stop me from worrying about my frozen embryo in St Petersburg:

My frozen embryo is trapped in Russia – how do I get it out? | Charlotte Cripps

Face to face with a mercenary: Inside Wagner and its blood-soaked role in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine

22:00 , Eleanor Noyce

Amid the ravages of war, Sergey, a seasoned Wagner mercenary, found himself grappling with the relentless violence that has become a way of life and death on the front line. The savage conflict, the sense of betrayal from the Kremlin, and rumours of plots, all combined to create an atmosphere of uncertainty and dread.

At the end he decided to abandon the Wagner group and the savage, meat-grinding combat of Donbas where corpses piled up, and towns and cities were razed.

With the future of the mercenary group in the balance after Yevgeny Prigozhin’s failed march on Moscow and fear of future retribution, Sergey cannot forget the terrible things he witnessed in the months of bloody conflict.

Kim Sengupta meets a fighter – a father of two – who has recently left the mercenary group and hears about the daily routine of ‘fight, eat, pray’ on some of the fiercest frontlines in the war:

Face to face with a mercenary: Inside Wagner and its bloody role in the Ukraine war

US to keep Russia's food exports flowing if grain deal revived, Blinken says

21:30 , Eleanor Noyce

The United States would continue to do “whatever is necessary” to ensure Russia can freely export food if there was a revival of a deal allowing the safe Black Sea export of Ukrainian grain, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Thursday.

Russia last month quit the July 2022 deal brokered by the United Nations and Turkey aimed at easing a global food crisis after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine five months earlier. Ukraine and Russia are both leading grain exporters.

“In the event of return to the agreement, of course, we’ll continue to do whatever is necessary to make sure that everyone can export their food and food products freely and safely to include Russia,” Blinken told reporters at the United Nations.

“We want to see that food on world markets. We want everyone to benefit from the lower prices,” he said after chairing a U.N. Security Council meeting on food insecurity caused by conflict.

Many countries at the gathering expressed disappointment that Russia had quit the deal and urged them to reconsider.

To convince Russia to agree to the Black Sea deal, another pact was also struck in July 2022 under which U.N. officials agreed to help Russia get its food and fertilizer exports to foreign markets.

While Russian exports of food and fertilizer are not subject to Western sanctions imposed after Russia’s February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Moscow has said restrictions on payments, logistics and insurance have hindered shipments.

During the Security Council meeting on Thursday, Russia’s Deputy U.N. Ambassador Dmitry Polyanskiy accused Western countries of an “arrogant unwillingness” to help fulfill the U.N. pact with Moscow.

He stressed that Russia held a larger share of the global wheat market than Ukraine and was a key fertilizer exporter.

“Western countries need to focus on ensuring that Russian grain and fertilizers can get to countries in need without hindrance,” Polyanskiy said.

ICYMI: The Crimean Peninsula is both a playground and a battleground, coveted by Ukraine and Russia

21:00 , Eleanor Noyce

Its balmy beaches have been vacation spots for Russian czars and Soviet general secretaries. It has hosted history-shaking meetings of world leaders and boasts a strategic naval base. And it has been the site of ethnic persecutions, forced deportations and political repression.

Now, as Russia’s war in Ukraine enters its 18th month, the Crimean Peninsula is again both a playground and a battleground, with drone attacks and bombs seeking to dislodge Moscow’s hold on the territory and bring it back under Kyiv’s authority, no matter how loudly the Kremlin proclaims its ownership.

Read more:

The Crimean Peninsula: playground and battleground, coveted by Ukraine and Russia

Russian guards ‘using torture and genital electrocution on Ukrainian prisoners’ – investigators

20:30 , Eleanor Noyce

Russian guards subjected Ukrainian prisoners to torture and sexual violence – including genital electrocution – according to a team of international experts investigating conditions in makeshift detention centres.

Almost half of Ukrainian prisoners held in Kherson, in Russian-occupied southern Ukraine, said such tactics were frequent, according to the Mobile Justice Team, which was established by international humanitarian law firm Global Rights Compliance and is working with war crimes prosecutors.

Researchers said at least 36 victims described the use of electrocution while being interrogated.

Maya Oppenheim reports:

Russian guards using torture and genital electrocution on Ukrainian prisoners – study

White House says it is concerned N. Korea will send munitions to Russia

20:24 , Eleanor Noyce

The United States remains concerned that North Korea will send munitions to Russia, White House national security advisor John Kirby told a briefing on Thursday.

“Our information indicates that Russia is seeking to increase military cooperation” with North Korea, he said.

Zelensky: Troops face difficulty at front, but Ukrainian strength dominates

20:15 , Eleanor Noyce

President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Thursday that Ukraine‘s military faced difficulties on front lines in the east and south of the country, but were dominant in their campaign.

“There is heavy fighting. The occupiers are trying to stop our boys with all their strength. Very fierce attacks,” Zelenskiy said in his nightly video address, referring to several centres in the east where battles are raging.

“In the south, everything is difficult. But whatever the enemy does, it is Ukrainian strength that dominates.”

What Ukraine’s First Lady Olena Zelenska wants the world to know

20:00 , Eleanor Noyce

In a rare interview the First Lady of Ukraine, Olena Zelenska, has spoken to Independent TV about her work rebuilding Ukraine in the middle of war, the pressures on her family and concerns for the future of her country.

From the presidential palace, she told The Independent’s Bel Trew about the need to reconstruct cities despite the fighting raging on, about building cutting-edge facilities to treat the country’s’ war-wounded and fighting stigma on trauma around the country.

What Ukraine’s First Lady Olena Zelenska wants the world to know

From the command centre in Kyiv, Olena Zelenska’s urgent plea to help her nation as war rages around her

19:30 , Eleanor Noyce

As if on cue, the haunting wail of the air-raid siren sifts through the sunshine as we pull up to the checkpoint by the presidential complex in Kyiv. Like swathes of Ukraine, the contours of this heavily guarded compound have been re-carved by President Vladimir Putin’s invasion. Instead of a sweeping pedestrian boulevard leading to 10 Bankova – Ukraine’s 10 Downing Street – the complex is a disorientating labyrinth of blast walls, sandbags, and soldiers.

Bel Trew sits down with the first lady in a wide-ranging interview discussing her work rebuilding Ukraine in the middle of war – and the pressures on her family:

From Kyiv, Olena Zelenska’s urgent plea to help her nation as war rages

‘We stand united’: RAF interception of Russian jets ‘sends strong message’ to Putin

19:15 , Eleanor Noyce

The Royal Air Force has delivered a powerful message of unity to Russian president Vladimir Putin with the interception of dozens of Russian aircraft during its leadership of a Nato air policing mission in Estonia, Ben Wallace has said.

The defence secretary praised the RAF’s success, emphasising the unwavering commitment of the UK and its allies in safeguarding European airspace and standing against any potential threat to their borders.

His comments come as RAF personnel have returned to the UK after leading the air policing mission in Eastern Europe for four months, during which pilots intercepted 50 Russian aircraft and flew for a combined total of more than 500 hours.

Martina Bet has the full story:

‘We stand united’: RAF interception of Russian jets ‘sends strong message’ to Putin

US sees price cap on Russian oil working despite upturn in prices

18:47 , Eleanor Noyce

The United States remains confident that the Group of Seven’s price cap on Russian oil is working to squeeze Moscow’s revenues and stabilize energy markets despite a recent upturn in prices, a senior U.S. Treasury official said on Thursday.

Acting Assistant Secretary for Economic Policy Eric Van Nostrand hailed the price cap as a successful part of the multilateral sanctions regime imposed on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine and said Washington and its partners were working to thwart any evasion.

“Our approach has struck at the heart of the Kremlin’s most important cash cow. Before the war, oil revenues constituted about a third of the total Russian budget, but in 2023 that number has fallen to just 25%,” he said in remarks prepared for a London conference.

The G7, the European Union and Australia imposed the $60 per barrel cap last December on sea-borne exports of Russian crude in retaliation for Russia’s war on Ukraine. It bans Western companies from providing services such as transportation, insurance and financing for the oil sold above the cap.

Van Nostrand said Russian data showed federal government oil revenues were nearly 50% lower in the first half of 2023 than a year earlier, and Russian oil was trading at “a significant discount” to Brent oil.

Russian officials had also complained about the impact of the price cap, he said, and the Kremlin has been forced to consider raising taxes on oil exporters to boost revenues, which could weaken the long-term outlook for its oil industry.

Van Nostrand said the average reported price for Russian Urals had hovered around $60, the level of the price cap, despite recent price increases as well as widespread expectations that the price would rise in the second half of 2023.

Russia’s Finance Ministry this week said Urals crude oil blend traded at $64.37 per barrel on average in July, up from $55.28 per barrel in June.

Russia will cut exports by 300,000 barrels per day (bpd) in September, Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said on Thursday. Russia, the world’s biggest oil exporter after Saudi Arabia, had already pledged to cut oil output by 500,000 bpd, or about 5%, from March until year-end.

‘With you until the end’: Defence secretary Ben Wallace’s dramatic pledge to Ukraine after first lady’s plea

18:30 , Eleanor Noyce

The UK’s support for Ukraine is tireless, the defence secretary has pledged, after Ukraine’s first lady issued an emotional plea for the world not to lose interest in the fight against Russia.

Britain will back Ukraine “every way we can” until the war is over, Ben Wallace said.

His comments follow a heartfelt call from Olena Zelenska, in an exclusive interview with Independent TV, to other nations, in which she said: “Please don’t get fatigued, because we as Ukrainians have no right to get tired.”

Kate Devlin reports:

‘Until the end’: Ben Wallace’s dramatic pledge to Ukraine after first lady’s plea

EU imposes sanctions on dozens in Belarus over protest crackdown and support for Russia

18:20 , Eleanor Noyce

The European Union on Thursday imposed sanctions on several Belarus police, justice and prison officials over a crackdown on anti-government activists, and on media personnel and a company accused of supporting Russia’s war on Ukraine.

Travel bans in Europe and asset freezes were slapped on 38 officials, including several judges and prosecutors. The EU also froze the assets of state oil and chemicals giant Belneftekhim.

It said the company “represents a fundamental asset for the Belarusian economy and foreign policy, in particular in relation to the cooperation between Russia and Belarus in developing a common oil market.”

Read more:

EU imposes sanctions on dozens in Belarus over protest crackdown and support for Russia

When do attacks on civilian installations amount to war crimes?

18:00 , Eleanor Noyce

Russian air strikes this week hit silos and shipping terminals for Ukrainian grain, potentially violating international law, which forbids attacks on resources essential to the civilian population.

Drone attacks wrecked buildings in the port of Izmail and prevented ships on the Danube River from loading grain for export. Around 100,000 metric tons have been destroyed, by Kyiv’s accounts.

Ukraine‘s prosecutors and the International Criminal Court in The Hague were already investigating possible war crimes in the shape of a winter campaign of air strikes on Ukrainian energy and utilities infrastructure as well as the attack on the Nova Kakhovka hydroelectric dam in the southern Kherson region.

WHAT DOES INTERNATIONAL LAW SAY?

The 1949 Geneva Conventions on humanitarian conduct in war and their protocols prohibit attacks on sites considered essential for civilians: “In no event shall actions against these objects be taken which may be expected to leave the civilian population with such inadequate food or water as to cause its starvation or force its movement.”

They explicitly prohibit attacks on “objects indispensable to the survival of the civilian population, such as foodstuffs, agricultural areas for the production of foodstuffs, crops, livestock, drinking water installations and supplies and irrigation works...”

Russia’s has conducted more than 100 attacks on Ukraine‘s grain and port infrastructure since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, according to Ukraine‘s prosecutor general’s office, which is investigating the strikes as potential war crimes.

Senior lawyer Yousuf Syed Khan at the international humanitarian law firm Global Rights Compliance, which is working with Ukraine to document war crimes, said:

“The ... intent to starve civilians as a method of warfare is quite clear here, and the starvation of civilians as a method of warfare qualifies as a war crime...

“The civilian population affected includes not only Ukrainians but also civilians who would benefit from the exports, including those in African states.”

US would make sure Russia can export food safely if grain deal reinstated - Blinken

17:45 , Eleanor Noyce

The United States would make sure that everyone including Russia would be able to export food products safely in the event of a return to the Black Sea grain deal, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters at the United Nations on Thursday.

Blinken urges world to tell Russia: Enough using Black Sea as blackmail

17:31 , Eleanor Noyce

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged all countries at the United Nations on Thursday to tell Russia to stop using the Black Sea as blackmail after Moscow quit a deal that had allowed Ukraine to safely ship its grain to global markets.

“Every member of the United Nations should tell Moscow ‘enough’,” said Blinken as he chaired a U.N. Security Council meeting on famine and food insecurity caused by conflict.

“Enough using the Black Sea as blackmail. Enough treating the world’s most vulnerable people as leverage. Enough of this unjustified unconscionable war,” he told the 15-member body.

Blinken announced that nearly 90 countries had backed a short U.S.-drafted communique in which they commit “to take action to end the use of food as a weapon of war and the starvation of civilians as a tactic of warfare.”

While the United States, the European Union and others have accused Russia of using food as a weapon of war by worsening a global food crisis when it invaded Ukraine in February 2022, the U.S. communique does not specifically call out any countries.

Russia last month quit a deal that had allowed the safe Black Sea export of Ukraine grain for the past year. The pact was brokered by the United Nations and Turkey to help ease a global food crisis following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Ukraine and Russia are both leading grain exporters.

After Moscow quit, it began targeting Ukrainian ports and grain infrastructure on the Black Sea and Danube River, sending global grain prices soaring. Moscow has said it may resurrect the Black Sea agreement if its demands to improve its own exports of grain and fertilizer are met.

Moscow argues that restrictions on payments, logistics and insurance have hindered its agricultural exports.

“In reality, sanctions explicitly exclude food and fertilizer,” Blinken said. “At the time it abandoned the initiative, Russia was exporting more grain at higher prices than ever before.”

Blinken added that the United States would provide $362 million in new funding to “tackle the drivers of food insecurity and to enhance resilience” in 11 African countries and Haiti.

Separately, the Security Council in a formal statement adopted on Thursday, said it “strongly condemns the use of starvation of civilians as a method of warfare, which is prohibited by international humanitarian law, and the unlawful denial of humanitarian access.”

Lifted by Ukraine war, Finnish academic Mika Aaltola to run for president

17:15 , Eleanor Noyce

Finnish foreign and security policy think-tank chief Mika Aaltola, a political outsider whose profile has been boosted by his role as a TV commentator on the Ukraine war, said on Thursday he would run for president in NATO’s newest member.

Finns will go to the polls on 28 January next year to elect a president to replace Sauli Niinisto, 74, who is required to retire after leading Finland’s foreign policy for two consecutive six-year terms.

“Finland clearly needs vision. New foreign policy has emerged, turbulence has occurred and there’s a lot more to come,” Aaltola, 54, told Reuters in an interview ahead of the announcement, referring to Finland’s swift foreign policy U-turn to join the NATO military alliance following neighbour Russia’s February 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

The president is the commander-in-chief of Finland’s defence forces, represents Finland in NATO meetings and leads foreign policy in cooperation with the government.

Aaltola has never been a member of any political party, but began surging in presidential polls - even topping one last year - in a spontaneous response to his rising popularity as a TV analyst of the consequences of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

“We need to unlearn our strategic silence, which I’ve sometimes called strategic haziness. We have a somewhat stoic reputation abroad,” said Aaltola.

Aaltola wants Finland to remain a strong supporter of Ukraine, to bring its defence spending close to, “if not above”, 3% of its gross domestic product, he said.

Ukraine looks for support on ‘peace blueprint’ in Saudi Arabia talks

17:01 , William Mata

Ukraine is looking to rally for support for a “peace blueprint” in talks in Saudi Arabia this weekend - it has been reported - although China’s participation remais in doubt.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Wednesday he hoped the initiative will lead to a “peace summit” of leaders from around the world this autumn to endorse the principles, based on his own 10-point formula for a peace settlement, Reuters has said.

Any deal would likely require international intervention with direct peace talks between Ukraine and Russia seeming unlikely.

Neither the Jeddah gathering - which is expected to begin on Friday, with the main discussions on Saturday and Sunday - nor the peace summit would involve Russia.

Apple fined for not deleting ‘inaccurate’ content about Russia - reports

16:48 , William Mata

A Moscow court has reportedly fined Apple around £3,000 for what it described as not deleting “inaccurate” content about Russia’s action in Ukraine.

The RussianTASS news agency said it was the first time the tech giant has been slapped with a fine and that it has not deleted the offending apps or podcasts.

Interfax, another news agency, cited the court as saying that the flagged content included information “aimed at involving minors in illegal activities in order to destabilise the political situation in the Russian Federation”.

Apple did not respond to an emailed request for comment and paused all product sales in Russia invaded Ukraine.

Statue of Putin surprises children and parents in Rome park

16:34 , William Mata

Rome residents have been surprised and perhaps frightened by a French artist’s statue of Vladimir Putin.

The Russian president is shown to be riding a red tank in James Colomina’s work which sprung up, without warning, next to a children’s play area.

The work is designed to show the childishness of Putin who is in a dangerous positon.

EU announce sanctions on Belarus officials and chemicals firm

16:27 , William Mata

The European Union has announced sanctions on several Belarus police, justice and prison officials over how Russia’s ally has cracked down on Ukrainian sentiment.

The EU has taken action after what it sees as a crackdown on anti-government activists, and on media personnel.

Chemicals giant Belneftekhim has also seen its assets frozen as it “benefits from the support” provided by Belarus president Alexander Lukashenko’s regime to lessen the impact of Western sanctions, the EU said.

The union has put travel bans and asset freezes upon 38 officials, including several judges and prosecutors.

Finn looks to become new president on pro-Ukraine mandate

16:15 , William Mata

A politician who was, until recently, something of an outsider is set to run to be president of Finland after gaining a public profile through his TV commentary on the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Finnish foreign and security policy think-tank chief Mika Aaltola announced his candidacy on Thursday and is set to be on the ballot when Finns go to the polls on January 28.

The leader of Finland is the prime minister and, although the president is head of state, he or she only has residual powers. But the president is still commander in chief of defence forces and represents the country at Nato meetings.

Current president Sauli Niinisto, 74, is required to retire after being at the helm for two consecutive six-year terms since 2012.

Mr Aaltola has said he wants Finland to remain a strong supporter of Ukraine, to bring its defence spending close to, “if not above”, 3 per cent of its gross domestic product.

Ukraine to investigate Russian attacks on agricultural infrastructure as war crimes

16:03 , William Mata

Ukraine is investigating Russian attacks on its agriculture infrastructure as war crimes, it has been reported.

Kyiv’s presecutor general is wanting the shelling on agriculture installations to be looked at, Reuters has reported, after the attacks intensified since Russia withdrew from the Black Sea Grain Initiative export deal with Ukraine on July 17.

A statement from the prosecutor’s office said: “Overall, since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Russian forces have conducted more than 100 attacks on Ukraine‘s grain and port infrastructure,” the prosecutor general’s office said in a statement.

“Ukraine is investigating these acts as potential war crimes.”

This will add to the backlog of the reported 97,000 potential war crimes which have been flagged with the International Criminal Court in The Hague

Zelensky meets “warrior” soldiers

14:25 , William Mata

The Ukrainian president tweeted that he had met with battalion.

“The warriors of the 45th separate rifle battalion are absolutely heroic. It was an honor for me to visit the defenders in Ivano-Frankivsk who are undergoing treatment there and talk to them. It was an honor to receive a chevron and add it to the chevron board in my office.

“The battalion took part in battles in the north and east of Ukraine. The repulsed enemy attacks and retained positions are a feat, lives saved, Ukraine saved. I am proud of you, warriors! And thank you!”

Poland and Lithuania say they fear provocations from Russia and Belarus at NATO's eastern flank

12:20 , AP

Polish and Lithuanian leaders held an urgent meeting Thursday in a strategically sensitive area where their NATO nations border Belarus and the Russian territory of Kaliningrad, warning that they are bracing for provocations from Moscow and Minsk in the area.

The meeting came two days after two Belarusian helicopters flew briefly at low altitude into Polish air space, in what was viewed as a provocative move. Both nations on NATO’s eastern flank have increased their border security following the arrival of thousands of Russia-linked Wagner group mercenaries just across their borders in Belarus after an aborted mutiny in Russia in June.

“Russia and Belarus are increasing the pressure on the borders, increasing the number of their provocations, and we must be aware that the number of these provocations will grow,” Polish prime minister Mateusz Morawiecki said at a news conference with Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda.

The Belarusian foreign ministry denied that its country’s helicopters entered Poland. Local Polish residents posted photos on social media of helicopters with Belarusian insignia flying above.

They met in Suwalki, a town in the Suwalki Gap, a sparsely populated stretch of land running 96 kilometers (60 miles) along the Polish-Lithuanian border. Also known as the Suwalki Corridor, the stretch of territory links the three Baltic states of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia with the rest of the NATO alliance. It separates Belarus, an ally of Russia, from Kaliningrad, a heavily militarized exclave of Russia located on the Baltic Sea which is separated from the Russian mainland.

India says it will participate in Ukraine peace talks hosted by Saudi Arabia

12:12 , Reuters

India will participate in Ukraine peace talks to be hosted by Saudi Arabia on August 5 and 6, a foreign ministry spokesperson said during a news briefing on Thursday.

EU says Poland's new law on Russian influence raises "serious concerns"

11:43 , Reuters

The European Union executive said on Thursday Poland’s new law on Russian influence “continues to raise serious concerns.”

Despite criticism that it could serve as a tool to persecute political rivals ahead of a national election due this autumn, Poland’s President Andrzej Duda - an ally of the ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party - signed the law into force on Wednesday.

The law would, among other things, create a special committee to investigate any undue Russian influence in Poland.

A spokeswoman of the European Commission also said that risked putting Poland at odds with EU laws when the panel starts operating.

Pictures: August 3 in Ukraine and Russia

11:37 , William Mata

Traders union raises Ukraine 2023 combined grain/oilseed crop forecast to 76.8 mln T

11:19 , Reuters

Ukrainian grain traders union UGA has increased its 2023 combined grain and oilseed crop forecast for Ukraine by almost eight million metric tons to 76.8 million tons, the union said on Thursday.

The harvest is likely to include 26.9 million tons of corn, 20.2 million tons of wheat, 5.2 million tons of barley, 13.9 million tons of sunflower seeds, 3.9 million tons of rapeseed and 4.8 million tons of soybeans, UGA said in a statement.

“The increase in this year’s harvest forecast is due to favourable weather conditions and better-than-expected crop yields, although the area planted is 2.2 million hectares less than last year,” UGA said.

UGA said it saw exports of Ukrainian grain and oilseeds at 48 million tons in the 2023/24 July-June season compared to 58 million tons in 2022/23.

The export of wheat could total 15 million tons in 2023/24 compared with 16.8 million in 2022/23, and Ukrainian corn shipments could fall to 22 million tons from 29.5 million, it said.

“UGA emphasises that in general, exports of grains and oilseeds in the new 2023/2024 season can be expected to remain at the specified level if Ukraine is able to export through its Black Sea ports, as well as if the logistics of alternative routes, including the Danube route, are improved and cheaper,” it said.

Russia left a Black Sea exports deal on July 17 after saying its demands that sanctions be eased on its own grain and fertilizer exports had not been met. Moscow also complained that not enough grain had reached poor countries.

Russia targets neighbour Kazakhstan with army recruitment ads

11:12 , Reuters

Advertisements offering an immediate payment of over $5,000 for joining the Russian army have began popping up on the screens of Kazakh internet users amid the escalating Ukrainian conflict.

Kazakhstan, a former Soviet republic bordering Russia, is home to over 3 million ethnic Russians and has traditionally been one of Russia’s closest allies. The Astana government, however, has not supported what Moscow calls its “special military operation” in Ukraine, and has called for peace.

Clearly targeting Kazakhs, ads seen by Reuters feature Russian and Kazakh flags and the slogan “Shoulder to shoulder”. They promise a one-off payment of 495,000 Russian roubles ($5,300) to those who sign a contract with the Russian military, along with a monthly salary of at least 190,000 roubles ($2,000) and undisclosed extra benefits.

The ads lead to a website that offers potential recruits a chance to join the Russian army in the Sakhalin region in Russia’s Far East. The website lists its owner as the Human Capital Development Agency of the Sakhalin region, an organisation set up by the local government.

Its call centre operators said they could not comment on the ad placement, and the organisation did not reply to emailed questions. Joining military conflicts abroad for pay is illegal under Kazakh law.

Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Information and Social Development did not immediately reply to a request for comment on the ads.

‘The provocations will rise’: Wagner seeking to destabilise Nato’s eastern flank, warns Poland

10:48 , Andy Gregory

Fighters from the Wagner mercenary group are being moved close to Nato’s eastern flank to destabilise the military alliance, Poland’s prime minister has warned.

Wagner soldiers have begun training with the Belarus national army, prompting Warsaw to start moving more than 1,000 troops closer to the border, after accusing Belarus of violating its airspace with military helicopters on Tuesday.

“We need to be aware that the number of provocations will rise,” Mateusz Morawiecki said, following a meeting with Lithuanian president Gitanas Nauseda in eastern Poland. “The Wagner group is extremely dangerous and they are being moved to the eastern flank to destabilise it.”

The politicians met in the Suwalki Gap, a sparsely populated but strategically important area of Polish territory between Belarus and the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad that joins the Baltic states to other NATO members.

Mr Nauseda said the number of Wagner fighters in Belarus could be higher than 4,000.

“We must not only talk about measures at the national level but also ... what should be done if this situation becomes even more complicated, including the closure of the border with Belarus,” Nauseda said. “This should be done in a coordinated manner between Poland, Lithuania and Latvia.”

Russia adds Norway to list of ‘unfriendly’ foreign states

09:55 , Reuters

Russia has added Norway to its list of foreign states that have committed so-called “unfriendly” acts against Russian diplomatic missions, state news agencies report.

Countries on the list are limited in the number of local staff they can hire in Russia, with Norway restricted to 27, RIA Novosti said.

Norway expelled 15 Russian diplomats for alleged spying in April, and Russia responded by ordering out 10 Norwegian diplomats. Norway said there was no reason to claim that it had behaved in an unfriendly manner towards Russia, with whom it shares a border in the Arctic.

“Today’s situation is the result of Russia’s war on Ukraine. Russia can itself choose to end the war,” Norwegian foreign minister Anniken Huitfeldt told Reuters. “As neighbouring countries we both have an interest in functioning diplomatic relations and channels of contact, not least in difficult times.”

A Norwegian foreign ministry spokesperson separately said that Norway had not yet received an official notification from Moscow, and declined to comment on any specific consequences of Russia’s decision.

‘With you until the end’: Ben Wallace’s dramatic pledge to Ukraine after first lady’s plea

09:29 , Andy Gregory

The UK’s support for Ukraine is “tireless” the defence secretary has pledged, after the country’s first lady issued an emotional plea for the world not to lose interest in the fight against Russia.

Britain will back Ukraine “every way we can” until the war is over, Ben Wallace said.

His comments follow a heartfelt call from Olena Zelenska, in an exclusive interview with Independent TV, to other nations: “Please don’t get fatigued, because we as Ukrainians have no right to get tired.”

Our politics and Whitehall editor Kate Devlin has the exclusive report:

‘Until the end’: Ben Wallace’s dramatic pledge to Ukraine after first lady’s plea

Ukrainians being forced to assume Russian citizenship, report says

09:06 , Reuters

Ukrainians living in Russian-occupied territory are being forced to assume Russian citizenship or face harsh retaliation, including possible deportation or detention, US-backed researchers have alleged.

Yale University researchers said that as part of a plan by Moscow to assert authority over Ukrainians, residents of the Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhya regions are being targeted by a systematic effort to strip them of Ukrainian identity.

A series of decrees signed by Vladimir Putin compel Ukrainians to get Russian passports, in violation of international humanitarian law, the report said.

Ukrainians in occupied territory who do not seek Russian citizenship “are subjected to threats, intimidation, restrictions on humanitarian aid and basic necessities, and possible detention or deportation – all designed to force them to become Russian citizens,” the report said.

“What is concerning here is that it represents, basically, a violation of the Hague and Geneva Conventions,” executive director Nathaniel Raymond of the Humanitarian Research Lab at the Yale School of Public Health, told Reuters. “It is very widespread and very ongoing.”

Ukrainians in areas under Russian control have no choice but to accept a Russian passport if they want to survive, or they face potential detention and, as the team has documented, deportation into Russia if they fail to comply,” Mr Raymond said.

Seven injured in repeat strike on church in Kherson, Ukraine says

08:42 , Andy Gregory

A Russian strike on a church in central Kherson has injured three civilians and four emergency service workers, Ukraine’s state broadcaster reports, citing regional governor Oleksandr Prokudin.

Three people who were traveling on a bus past the church were injured and hospitalised, Mr Produkin said – with officials alleging that Russia struck once more as the emergency services sought to extinguish the fire, injuring four.

Russia striving to cause global food catastrophe, claims Zelensky

08:21 , Andy Gregory

Russia is striving to cause a global food catastrophe, Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky has claimed.

In his nightly address, Mr Zelensky said Russia had attacked ports in Odesa and other areas with 37 Iranian-made Shahed drones, some of which were shot down by air defences.

“It is very important for the world not to get used to this Russian terror,” he said. “Every hit is a common problem. Not only for Ukraine, but also for all those in the world whose stability Russia is trying to destroy by attacking our ports and infrastructure.

“Now, for the Russian state, this is a battle not only against our freedom, not only against our state. Moscow is fighting a battle for a global catastrophe: these lunatics need the world food market to collapse - they need price crises, supply disruptions.

“Someone in Moscow thinks they can make money on this ... Someone in Moscow hopes they will be able to bargain for something ... These are very, very dangerous hopes.”

Putin’s ‘energy ransom’ and deadly virus escaping lab ‘among serious threats facing UK’

07:57 , Andy Gregory

Vladimir Putin’s potential to disrupt world energy supplies, a deadly pathogen escaping from a lab and extreme weather linked to the climate crisis are among the serious risks facing the UK, according to a new government list.

The Cabinet Office has published a register designed to help Britain prepare for “worst-case scenarios” of some of the serious threats posed to the country.

Alongside a future pandemic and “Putin’s energy ransom”, other key risks outlined in the national register include the potential for the malicious use of drones and cyber attacks on health and social care systems.

Our politics and Whitehall editor Kate Devlin has the full report:

Putin’s ‘energy ransom’ and deadly virus escaping lab ‘among key threats facing UK’

Russian strikes hit port less than a mile from Nato territory

07:38 , Andy Gregory

In strikes landing less than a mile from Nato territory, Russia attacked Ukraine’s main inland port across the River Danube from Romania on Wednesday – sending global food prices higher as it ramps up its use of force to prevent Kyiv from exporting grain.

The attacks destroyed buildings in the port of Izmail, south of Moldova, and halted ships in their tracks as they prepared to arrive there to load up with Ukrainian grain in defiance of a de-facto Black Sea blockade reimposed by Russia last month.

The port, which lies across the river from Nato-member Romania, is the main alternative route for exports. Ukraine said the Russian attacks damaged almost 40,000 tons of grain destined for countries in Africa as well as China and Israel.

Our daily edition editor Alastair Jamieson has the full story:

Russia attacks grain port across River Danube from Romania

Anti-aircraft units ‘mobilised against drones’ in Kyiv

07:24 , Andy Gregory

Anti-aircraft units were mobilised against attack drones during a three-hour air raid alert in and around Kyiv on Thursday, Ukraine’s military said – with several explosions reported but no strikes or casualties announced.

Kyiv military authorities lifted the alert just after 4am local time. One report by the military said airborne targets had been shot down, but no details were provided. Alerts were also lifted in most other areas of the country.

Weeds and shrub undergrowth slowing Ukraine’s progress in southern area, says UK MoD

07:10 , Arpan Rai

Undergrowth regrowing across the battlefields of southern Ukraine is likely one factor contributing to the generally slow progress of combat in the area, the British Ministry of Defence has said.

“The predominately arable land in the combat zone has now been left fallow for 18 months, with the return of weeds and shrubs accelerating under the warm, damp summer conditions. The extra cover helps camouflage Russian defensive positions and makes defensive mine fields harder to clear,” the ministry said.

It added that while undergrowth can also provide cover for “small stealthy infantry assaults, the net effect has been to make it harder for either side to make advances”.

From the command centre in Kyiv, Olena Zelenska’s urgent plea to help her nation as war rages around her

06:56 , Arpan Rai

As if on cue, the haunting wail of the air-raid siren sifts through the sunshine as we pull up to the checkpoint by the presidential complex in Kyiv.

Like swathes of Ukraine, the contours of this heavily guarded compound have been re-carved by President Vladimir Putin’s invasion. Instead of a sweeping pedestrian boulevard leading to 10 Bankova – Ukraine’s 10 Downing Street – the complex is a disorientating labyrinth of blast walls, sandbags, and soldiers.

Inside this bunker, it is as quiet and dark as a sunken cathedral. The windows are boarded up and filters cover each light casting an eerie muted glow. Sandbags, like used tissues, are wedged between marble columns. A chandelier which is not switched on, crowns the sweeping stairwell which leads up to makeshift barricades punctured by embrasures.

It feels like the presidential compound and its inhabitants are poised and prepared. Including the First Lady - Olena Zelenska - whom we are here to meet.

Bel Trew sits down with the first lady in a wide-ranging interview discussing her work rebuilding Ukraine in the middle of war – and the pressures on her family:

From Kyiv, Olena Zelenska’s urgent plea to help her nation as war rages

If Russia wins now it’s the worst-case scenario for humanity, warns Ukraine’s first lady Olena Zelenska

05:40 , Arpan Rai

Ukraine’s first lady has warned that Russia winning the war it started is “the worst-case scenario for all humanity”, in a heartfelt plea for the world not to lose interest in her country as its soldiers are fighting for “the democratic balance of the world”.

Speaking exclusively to Independent TV, Olena Zelenska said Ukraine is deeply concerned that the world is underestimating the wider threat from Moscow as the conflict grinds into its 18th month.

Read the full interview here:

If Russia wins it’s humanity’s worst-case scenario, says Ukraine’s Olena Zelenska

Ukrainians forced to become Russian citizens, US-backed research finds

05:21 , Arpan Rai

Ukrainians living in Russian-occupied territory are being forced to assume Russian citizenship or face harsh retaliation, including possible deportation or detention, US-backed research published yesterday said.

A series of decrees signed by Russian president Vladimir Putin compel Ukrainians to get Russian passports, in violation of international humanitarian law, the report said.

Yale University researchers said that as part of a plan by Moscow to assert authority over Ukrainians, residents of the Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions are being targeted by a systematic effort to strip them of Ukrainian identity.

The Kremlin has consistently denied allegations of war crimes in Ukraine by forces taking part in a “special military operation” it says was launched to “de-Nazify” its neighbour and protect Russia.

Russian prime minister Mikhail Mishustin said in May that Moscow has given passports to almost 1.5 million people living in the annexed parts of Ukraine‘s Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions since last October.

ICYMI: Mideast countries that are already struggling fear price hikes after Russia exits grain deal

05:00 , Eleanor Noyce

Ahmed Salah grew anxious when he heard the news that Russia had suspended a crucial wartime grain deal. The bakery owner in Egypt‘s capital is concerned it could mean global food prices soar.

“There mightn’t be immediate impact,” the 52-year-old said last week as he oversaw workers baking bread in his shop in Cairo, “but if they didn’t find a solution soonest, things would be very difficult.”

Russia pulled out of the deal brokered by the U.N. and Turkey to allow Ukraine’s grain to flow during a global food crisis. It helped stabilize food prices that soared last year after Russia invaded Ukraine — two countries that are major suppliers of wheat, barley, sunflower oil and other food to developing nations.

Read more:

Mideast countries that are already struggling fear price hikes after Russia exits grain deal

Putin’s troops fail to advance but are well dug in, says Ukrainian official

04:30 , Arpan Rai

Even though Russian forces have not made any significant headway along the front lines, they are entrenched in heavily mined areas they control, making it difficult for Ukrainian troops to move east and south, Ukrainian officials said on Wednesday.

Russian forces have utilised ample time this year during their occupation in frontline areas to prepare defences and lay extensive minefields, Oleksiy Danilov, the Secretary of Ukraine’s Security Council, said.

“The enemy has prepared very thoroughly for these events,” he told national television. “The number of mines on the territory that our troops have retaken is utterly mad. On average, there are three, four, five mines per square metre.”

In June, Ukrainian forces launched a drive to retake occupied areas and have been pressing southward toward the Sea of Azov to sever a land bridge between occupied eastern Ukraine and the Russian-annexed Crimean peninsula.

Several explosions in Kyiv overnight as anti-aircraft units repel attacks

04:07 , Arpan Rai

Anti-aircraft units were in action against attack drones during a three-hour air raid alert in and around Kyiv in the early hours today, the military said, with several explosions reported but no strikes or casualties announced.

Kyiv military authorities lifted the alert just after 4am (1am GMT).

One report by the military said airborne targets had been downed, but no details were provided.

Alerts were also lifted in most other areas of the country.

Face to face with a mercenary: Inside Wagner and its blood-soaked role in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine

04:00 , Eleanor Noyce

Amid the ravages of war, Sergey, a seasoned Wagner mercenary, found himself grappling with the relentless violence that has become a way of life and death on the front line. The savage conflict, the sense of betrayal from the Kremlin, and rumours of plots, all combined to create an atmosphere of uncertainty and dread.

At the end he decided to abandon the Wagner group and the savage, meat-grinding combat of Donbas where corpses piled up, and towns and cities were razed.

Kim Sengupta meets a fighter – a father of two – who has recently left the mercenary group and hears about the daily routine of ‘fight, eat, pray’ on some of the fiercest frontlines in the war:

Face to face with a mercenary: Inside Wagner and its bloody role in the Ukraine war

Areas near Bakhmut recaptured, says Kyiv

03:51 , Arpan Rai

Officials in Kyiv have said its troops have retaken areas near Bakhmut, an eastern city seized by Russian forces in May after months of battles.

Deputy Ukrainian defence minister Hanna Maliar said Russian forces had “tried quite persistently to halt our advance in the Bakhmut sector. Without success.”

Russian forces, she wrote on Telegram, were beefing up reserves and equipment in three areas further north, where heavy fighting has also been reported in recent weeks.

Russia attacks grain port across River Danube from Romania

03:44 , Arpan Rai

Russia attacked Ukraine’s main inland port across the River Danube from Romania yesterday, sending global food prices higher as it ramps up its use of force to prevent Kyiv from exporting grain.

The attacks destroyed buildings in the port of Izmail, south of Moldova, and halted ships in their tracks as they prepared to arrive there to load up with Ukrainian grain in defiance of a de-facto Black Sea blockade reimposed by Russia last month.

The port, which lies across the river from Nato-member Romania, is the main alternative route for exports.

Russia attacks grain port across River Danube from Romania

Mapped: The latest strikes on Ukraine and Russia as war rages on

03:00 , Eleanor Noyce

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has cheered the recent flurry of drone strikes on Moscow as evidence that Vladimir Putin’s illegal invasion of his country is backfiring and that its consequences are becoming ever clearer to the Russian people.

“Gradually, the war is returning to the territory of Russia – to its symbolic centres and military bases, and this is an inevitable, natural and absolutely fair process,” he said in a video address from the western city of Ivano-Frankivsk.

Russia’s defence ministry conceded on Sunday (30 July) that a 50-storey building containing the offices of a number of government agencies and a shopping precinct in the capital’s western Moskva-Citi business district were both hit by drone strikes it blamed on Ukraine, claiming to have brought down three more devices.

Joe Sommerlad has the full story:

Mapped: The latest strikes on Ukraine and Russia as war rages on

Why are Wagner mercenaries in Belarus – and would they try to invade Poland?

02:00 , Eleanor Noyce

Thousands of Wagner mercenaries have arrived in Belarus since the group’s failed mutiny against Moscow led by its founder Yevgeny Prigozhin – leading to Nato member Poland reinforcing its eastern border against the “potential threat” they pose.

Adding to the tension, Poland’s government said that two Belarusian helicopters entered Poland’s airspace on Tuesday, with Warsaw authorities saying it is rushing more troops to the border in light of the incident. It said it had informed Nato of the border violation, which Belarus denies.

The country’s defence ministry said: “There was a violation of Polish airspace by two Belarusian helicopters that were carrying out training near the border.” It added that Belarus had earlier informed Poland of plans to carry out training exercises in the area. It said they were flying at a low altitude and were not picked up by radar.

Chris Stevenson reports:

Why are Wagner mercenaries in Belarus – and would they try to invade Poland?

ICYMI: China imposes curbs on drone exports citing Ukraine and concern about military use

01:00 , Eleanor Noyce

China imposed restrictions Monday on exports of long-range civilian drones, citing Russia’s war in Ukraine and concern that drones might be converted to military use.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s government is friendly with Moscow but says it is neutral in the 18-month-old war. It has been stung by reports that both sides might be using Chinese-made drones for reconnaissance and possibly attacks.

Export controls will take effect Tuesday to prevent use of drones for “non-peaceful purposes,” the Ministry of Commerce said in a statement. It said exports still will be allowed but didn’t say what restrictions would apply.

Read more:

China imposes curbs on drone exports, citing Ukraine and concern about military use

Voices: I have a frozen embryo in Russia called Tallulah – the war in Ukraine means it’s trapped there

Thursday 3 August 2023 00:01 , Eleanor Noyce

It’s front-page news today: the heart of Moscow has been hit by early-morning drone attacks. It makes me think of Tallulah. She’s a frozen embryo I have stored in an IVF clinic in St Petersburg. What if I ever wanted to get her home? Is she safe?

I know it sounds over the top to actually call a frozen embryo by a name – but I’m not alone.

I don’t want another child, writes Charlotte Cripps - but it doesn’t stop me from worrying about my frozen embryo in St Petersburg:

My frozen embryo is trapped in Russia – how do I get it out? | Charlotte Cripps

Biden delays plans to restock nation’s emergency oil reserve

Wednesday 2 August 2023 23:30 , Eleanor Noyce

The Biden administration is delaying plans to restock the nation’s emergency oil reserve amid a price hike that has pushed oil above $80 a barrel.

The Energy Department cancelled a planned purchase of 6 million barrels for the strategic reserve this week, saying it wants to secure a good deal for taxpayers.

The administration said it remains committed to refilling the reserve, which President Joe Biden significantly drained last year in a bid to stop gasoline prices from rising amid production cuts by OPEC and a ban on Russian oil imports because of the war in Ukraine.

Read more:

Biden delays plans to restock nation’s emergency oil reserve

Olena Zelenska: ‘I have to be effective in my role to support the president and the people of Ukraine’

Wednesday 2 August 2023 23:00 , Eleanor Noyce

Ukrainian first lady Olena Zelenska further spoke of her transition to a public figure during wartime, noting that she has to be “effective” in her role “to support the president and the people of Ukraine.”

“All the fears, all the phobias, all the unpleasant moments that we experienced in peacetime fade into the background,” she said in an exclusive interview with Independent TV.

“The fact that I said that I don’t really like public speaking - does not matter now. I have to be effective in my role to support the president and the people of Ukraine.”

“I hope they feel that I am”, she adds.

Missing children ‘one of the biggest wounds in Ukraine’, says Ukrainian first lady

Wednesday 2 August 2023 22:30 , Eleanor Noyce

In an exclusive interview with Independent TV, Ukrainian first lady Olena Zelenska has labelled finding the tens of thousands of children that Ukraine has accused Russia of abducting “one of the biggest wounds in Ukraine.”

“We are trying to get our children back. It is hard to find an area of children’s life that the war has not touched”, Ms Zelenska told The Independent’s Bel Trew.

That includes the lives of her own children, who are forced to live separately from their father for security reasons.

“Maybe [now] it is more frequent that we can see each other altogether but these are still isolated instances,” she says, with a quiet sadness. “I am sure that we will pass this test.”

From the command centre in Kyiv, Olena Zelenska’s urgent plea to help her nation as war rages around her

Wednesday 2 August 2023 22:15 , Eleanor Noyce

As if on cue, the haunting wail of the air-raid siren sifts through the sunshine as we pull up to the checkpoint by the presidential complex in Kyiv. Like swathes of Ukraine, the contours of this heavily guarded compound have been re-carved by President Vladimir Putin’s invasion. Instead of a sweeping pedestrian boulevard leading to 10 Bankova – Ukraine’s 10 Downing Street – the complex is a disorientating labyrinth of blast walls, sandbags, and soldiers.

Bel Trew sits down with the first lady in a wide-ranging interview discussing her work rebuilding Ukraine in the middle of war – and the pressures on her family:

From Kyiv, Olena Zelenska’s urgent plea to help her nation as war rages

What Ukraine’s First Lady Olena Zelenska wants the world to know

Wednesday 2 August 2023 22:07 , Eleanor Noyce

In a rare interview the First Lady of Ukraine, Olena Zelenska, has spoken to Independent TV about her work rebuilding Ukraine in the middle of war, the pressures on her family and concerns for the future of her country.

From the presidential palace, she told The Independent’s Bel Trew about the need to reconstruct cities despite the fighting raging on, about building cutting-edge facilities to treat the country’s’ war-wounded and fighting stigma on trauma around the country.

Watch:

What Ukraine’s First Lady Olena Zelenska wants the world to know

If Russia wins now it’s the worst-case scenario for humanity, warns Ukraine’s first lady Olena Zelenska

Wednesday 2 August 2023 22:06 , Eleanor Noyce

Ukraine’s first lady has warned that Russia winning the war it started is “the worst-case scenario for all humanity”, in a heartfelt plea for the world not to lose interest in her country as its soldiers are fighting for “the democratic balance of the world”.

Speaking exclusively to Independent TV, Olena Zelenska said Ukraine is deeply concerned that the world is underestimating the wider threat from Moscow as the conflict grinds into its 18th month.

“If the aggressor wins now, it will be the worst-case scenario for all of humanity,” Ms Zelenska said from the heavily guarded presidential palace in Kyiv.

“This will mean that global deterrents aren’t working. This will mean that anyone with power, strength and sufficient financial capacity can do whatever they want.”

Read more:

If Russia wins it’s humanity’s worst-case scenario, says Ukraine’s Olena Zelenska

Ukraine’s Zelensky: Russia wants ‘global catastrophe,’ collapse of food markets

Wednesday 2 August 2023 21:15 , Eleanor Noyce

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said on Wednesday that Russia’s attacks on port infrastructure showed Moscow was intent on creating a “global catastrophe,” with a crisis in food markets, prices and supplies.

“For the Russian state, this is not just a battle against our freedom and against our country,” Zelensky said in his nightly video address.

“Moscow is waging a battle for a global catastrophe. In their madness, they need world food markets to collapse, they need a price crisis, they need disruptions in supplies.”

Russian guards ‘using torture and genital electrocution on Ukrainian prisoners’ – investigators

Wednesday 2 August 2023 21:00 , Eleanor Noyce

Russian guards subjected Ukrainian prisoners to torture and sexual violence – including genital electrocution – according to a team of international experts investigating conditions in makeshift detention centres.

Almost half of Ukrainian prisoners held in Kherson, in Russian-occupied southern Ukraine, said such tactics were frequent, according to the Mobile Justice Team, which was established by international humanitarian law firm Global Rights Compliance and is working with war crimes prosecutors.

Researchers said at least 36 victims described the use of electrocution while being interrogated.

Maya Oppenheim reports:

Russian guards using torture and genital electrocution on Ukrainian prisoners – study

Ukrainians forced to become Russian citizens, U.S.-backed research finds

Wednesday 2 August 2023 20:53 , Eleanor Noyce

Ukrainians living in Russian-occupied territory are being forced to assume Russian citizenship or face harsh retaliation, including possible deportation or detention, U.S.-backed research published on Wednesday said.

Yale University researchers said that as part of a plan by Moscow to assert authority over Ukrainians, residents of the Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhya regions are being targeted by a systematic effort to strip them of Ukrainian identity.

A series of decrees signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin compel Ukrainians to get Russian passports, in violation of international humanitarian law, the report said.

The Kremlin has consistently denied allegations of war crimes in Ukraine by forces taking part in a “special military operation” it says was launched to “de-Nazify” its neighbour and protect Russia.

Ukrainians in occupied territory who do not seek Russian citizenship “are subjected to threats, intimidation, restrictions on humanitarian aid and basic necessities, and possible detention or deportation – all designed to force them to become Russian citizens,” the report said.

“What is concerning here is that it represents, basically, a violation of the Hague and Geneva Conventions,” Executive Director Nathaniel Raymond of the Humanitarian Research Lab at the Yale School of Public Health, told Reuters. “It is very widespread and very ongoing.”

Ukrainians in areas under Russian control have no choice but to accept a Russian passport if they want to survive, or they face potential detention and, as the team has documented, deportation into Russia if they fail to comply,” Raymond said.

Responsibility lies at the Kremlin with President Putin, who has been indicted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for the war crime of deporting Ukrainian children and occupation authorities, he said.

The Kremlin has said that the ICC’s decision to issue an arrest warrant for Putin is a sign of the “clear hostility” that exists against Russia and against Putin personally.

The report was released as part of the Conflict Observatory program, with the support of the U.S. State Department and conducted by research partner the Yale School of Public Health’s Humanitarian Research Lab.

Nervous NATO nations are beefing up security due to Wagner fighters across their borders in Belarus

Wednesday 2 August 2023 20:00 , Eleanor Noyce

NATO allies located along the alliance’s eastern front are growing increasingly worried about the presence of Russia-linked Wagner group mercenaries in Belarus, where some have been deployed since a short-lived mutiny in Russia in June.

Poland, Lithuania and Latvia — members of NATO and the European Union which border Belarus — had already been on alert since large numbers of migrants and refugees began arriving at their borders from Belarus two years ago. They have accused Belarus leader Alexander Lukashenko, an ally of Russia, of opening the migration route in an act of “hybrid warfare” aimed at creating instability in the West.

Now concerns have grown further since the Wagner troops began arriving in Belarus after their short-lived mutiny in Russia.

Vanessa Gera reports:

Nervous NATO nations are beefing up security due to Wagner fighters across their borders in Belarus

Russia attacks grain port across River Danube from Romania amid Black Sea blockade

Wednesday 2 August 2023 19:30 , Eleanor Noyce

Russia attacked Ukraine’s main inland port across the River Danube from Romania on Wednesday, sending global food prices higher as it ramps up its use of force to prevent Kyiv from exporting grain.

The attacks destroyed buildings in the port of Izmail, south of Moldova, and halted ships in their tracks as they prepared to arrive there to load up with Ukrainian grain in defiance of a de-facto Black Sea blockade reimposed by Russia last month.

The port, which lies across the river from Nato-member Romania, is the main alternative route for exports.

Alastair Jamieson reports:

Russia attacks grain port across River Danube from Romania

ICYMI: Drone attacks in Moscow’s glittering business district leave residents on edge

Wednesday 2 August 2023 19:15 , Eleanor Noyce

The glittering towers of the Moscow City business district dominate the skyline of the Russian capital. The sleek glass-and-steel buildings -- designed to attract investment amid an economic boom in the early 2000s – are a dramatic, modern contrast to the rest of the more than 800-year-old city.

Now they are a sign of its vulnerability, following a series of drone attacks that rattled some Muscovites and brought the war in Ukraine home to the seat of Russian power.

The attacks on Sunday and Tuesday aren’t the first to hit Moscow — a drone even struck the Kremlin harmlessly in May. But these latest blasts, which caused no casualties but blew out part of a section of windows on a high-rise building and sent glass cascading to the streets, seemed particularly unsettling.

Read more:

Drone attacks in Moscow’s glittering business district leave residents on edge

Why did Russia invade Ukraine?

Wednesday 2 August 2023 18:45 , Eleanor Noyce

Russia’s “special military operation” in Ukraine has been raging for one year now as the conflict continues to record devastating casualties and force the mass displacement of millions of blameless Ukrainians.

Vladimir Putin began the war by claiming Russia’s neighbour needed to be “demilitarised and de-Nazified”, a baseless pretext on which to launch a landgrab against an independent state that happens to have a Jewish president in Volodymyr Zelensky.

Ukraine has fought back courageously against Mr Putin’s warped bid to restore territory lost to Moscow with the collapse of the Soviet Union and has continued to defy the odds by defending itself against Russian onslaughts with the help of Western military aid.

Joe Sommerlad and Thomas Kingsley report:

Here’s why Putin really invaded Ukraine

‘Brazil’s role is to try to arrive at a peace proposal together with others for when both countries want it’, says Brazil’s president

Wednesday 2 August 2023 18:15 , Eleanor Noyce

Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said his country is working for peace in Ukraine but neither its leader nor Russia’s are prepared to talk peace.

“Neither Putin nor Zelenskiy are ready,” Lula told foreign correspondents in a news conference, adding that peace proposals he is seeking with other countries will be ready when Russia and Ukraine are willing to negotiate.

“Brazil’s role is to try to arrive at a peace proposal together with others for when both countries want it,” he said.

Lula has tried to form a group of neutral countries to get peace talks going. He has been criticized for saying that Ukraine and Russia are equally responsible for the war.

The leftist president, who was elected last year for a third term, lashed out at the Western powers backing Ukraine and the permanent U.N. Security Council members for not stopping war.

“The U.N. Security Council has not worked. United States invaded Iraq, France and England invaded Libya, now Russia. And everyone has veto power,” he stated.

Lula said the G7 group of advanced economies should no longer exist since the creation of the larger G20 group of leading and emerging economies.

“I hope once and for all that people see that discussing politics in the G7 is out of date. After the G20 there shouldn’t even be the G7,” he said.

Lula said the BRICS group of emerging economies should allow new members “as long as they meet the requirements.”

His country has become the main opponent of expanding BRICS, but the Brazilian president indicated that could change to make the five-country group stronger.

“I think it’s extremely important for Saudi Arabia to join the BRICS (and) for the United Arab Emirates join, if they want to. Argentina too,” he said.

Lula said the New Development Bank created by the BRICS should be more generous than the International Monetary Fund.

“The bank exists to help save countries and not to help sink countries, which is what the IMF often does,” he said.

Russia limits movement in Kerch Strait near Crimea - TASS cites defence ministry

Wednesday 2 August 2023 17:45 , Eleanor Noyce

Russia’s defence ministry said on Wednesday that it had imposed restrictions on movement of ships and aircraft in the Kerch Strait, the TASS news agency reported.

It did not immediately give a reason for the move. The Kerch Strait connects the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea, to the east of the Crimean peninsula.

Ukraine’s Zelensky says he hopes for peace summit this autumn

Wednesday 2 August 2023 17:15 , Eleanor Noyce

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Wednesday he hoped a Peace Summit could be held this autumn, and that talks in Saudi Arabia this week were stepping stone towards that goal.

Zelensky told Ukrainian diplomats in a speech that almost 40 countries would be represented at the meeting in Saudi Arabia.

“We are working on making it (the summit) happen this fall,” he said.

Drones, military confusion and cracks in Putin’s authority: Ukraine’s push to sow discord in Russia’s ranks

Wednesday 2 August 2023 17:00 , Eleanor Noyce

With Moscow facing a flurry of drone attacks in recent weeks – the latest over the weekend – Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, has said the war in his country is “returning to Russia”.

While Kyiv is always very cagey about claiming direct responsibility for attacks on Russian soil, the number of incidents has coincided with the Ukrainian counteroffensive to retake territory occupied by Moscow’s forces. All while the Kremlin is still dealing with the fallout from a mutiny last month by the battle-hardened mercenaries of the Wagner Group, led by Yevgeny Prigozhin.

Askold Krushelnycky speaks to Ukrainian officials about the ongoing counteroffensive and how Kyiv is seeking to exploit the extended fallout from Wagner’s short-lived mutiny:

Drones and discord: Ukraine’s push to spread anxiety in Russia’s ranks

Moment Russian shell explodes in Ukrainian port captured by nearby Romanian fisherman

Wednesday 2 August 2023 16:45 , Eleanor Noyce

Russia attacked Ukraine‘s main inland port across the Danube River from Romania on Wednesday, sending global food prices higher as it ramps up its use of force to prevent Ukraine from exporting grain.

The attacks destroyed buildings in the port of Izmail and halted ships in their tracks as they prepared to arrive there to load up with Ukrainian grain in defiance of a de-facto blockade Russia reimposed in mid-July.

Ukrainian deputy prime minister Oleksandr Kubrakov said the Russian drone attacks damaged almost 40,000 tons of grains which had been destined for countries in Africa as well as China and Israel.

“Russian terrorists have once again attacked ports, grain, global food security,” President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Telegram.

Russian state news agency RIA said the port and grain infrastructure hit at the port was housing foreign mercenaries and military hardware and a naval ship repair yard had also been targeted. Reuters was not able to verify the report.

Video released by the Ukrainian authorities showed firefighters on ladders battling a blaze several storeys high in a building covered with broken windows. Several other large buildings were in ruins, and grain spilled out of at least two wrecked silos.

There were no reports of casualties, Odesa region governor Oleh Kiper wrote in a post on the Telegram messaging app.

Watch:

Ukraine removes Soviet emblem from Kyiv’s Motherland Monument

Wednesday 2 August 2023 16:30 , Eleanor Noyce

Workers removed a Soviet emblem from the shield of the “Motherland” monument in Kyiv, Ukraine.

Created by Soviet sculptor Yevgeny Vuchetich in 1981, the original monument featured a hammer and sickle, which were taken down on Tuesday, 1 August at a compound of the World War II museum in the capital city.

They will be replaced by a tryzub, a three-pronged emblem of Ukraine, in time for the country’s Independence Day on 24 August.

Yuriy Savchuk, director of the Museum of the History of Ukraine in World War II, said: “This is the moment that millions of Ukrainians, generations of Ukrainians have dreamed about.”

Ukraine removes Soviet emblem from Kyiv’s Motherland Monument

Russian guards ‘using torture and genital electrocution on Ukrainian prisoners’ – investigators

Wednesday 2 August 2023 16:15 , Eleanor Noyce

Russian guards subjected Ukrainian prisoners to torture and sexual violence – including genital electrocution – according to a team of international experts investigating conditions in makeshift detention centres.

Almost half of Ukrainian prisoners held in Kherson, in Russian-occupied southern Ukraine, said such tactics were frequent, according to the Mobile Justice Team, which was established by international humanitarian law firm Global Rights Compliance and is working with war crimes prosecutors.

Researchers said at least 36 victims described the use of electrocution while being interrogated.

Maya Oppenheim reports:

Russian guards using torture and genital electrocution on Ukrainian prisoners – study

Brazil's Lula says 'neither Putin nor Zelensky ready for peace'

Wednesday 2 August 2023 15:58 , Eleanor Noyce

Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said his country is working for peace in Ukraine but neither its leader nor Russia’s are ready to talk peace.

“Neither Putin nor Zelensky are ready for peace,” Lula told foreign correspondents in a news conference, adding that peace proposals he is seeking with other neutral countries will be ready for when Russia and Ukraine are ready to negotiate.

Lula said the BRICS group of emerging economies should allow new members “as long as they meet the requirements.” His country has been the main opponent of expanding BRICS.

Putin reaffirms Russian stance on grain deal in call to Erdogan

Wednesday 2 August 2023 15:45 , Eleanor Noyce

Russian president Vladimir Putin told his Turkish counterpart Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday that Moscow was ready to return to the Black Sea grain deal as soon as the West met its obligations with regard to Russia’s own grain exports.

The deal, brokered by Turkey and the United Nations in July 2022, allowed for the safe export of grain from Ukraine’s Black Sea ports. Last month Moscow exited the deal, accusing the West of hampering Russia’s own grain and fertiliser exports.

In a statement on Putin’s call with Erdogan, the Kremlin said: “It was noted that in the conditions of a complete lack of progress in the implementation of the Russian part of the ‘grain deal’, its further extension has lost all meaning.”

It added that Russia would return to the deal “as soon as the West actually fulfils all the obligations to Russia” contained within it.

Russia’s grain and fertiliser exports are not subject to Western sanctions imposed on Moscow over its military actions in Ukraine. But Moscow has said restrictions on payments, logistics and insurance have been a barrier to shipments.

The U.S. envoy to the United Nations said on Tuesday there were “indications” that Russia might be interested in returning to talks about the deal. Asked about those comments on Wednesday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stressed the need for the West to honour parts of the deal concerning Russian exports.

The Crimean Peninsula is both a playground and a battleground, coveted by Ukraine and Russia

Wednesday 2 August 2023 15:20 , Eleanor Noyce

Its balmy beaches have been vacation spots for Russian czars and Soviet general secretaries. It has hosted history-shaking meetings of world leaders and boasts a strategic naval base. And it has been the site of ethnic persecutions, forced deportations and political repression.

Now, as Russia’s war in Ukraine enters its 18th month, the Crimean Peninsula is again both a playground and a battleground, with drone attacks and bombs seeking to dislodge Moscow’s hold on the territory and bring it back under Kyiv’s authority, no matter how loudly the Kremlin proclaims its ownership.

Read more:

The Crimean Peninsula: playground and battleground, coveted by Ukraine and Russia

Nervous NATO nations are beefing up security due to Wagner fighters across their borders in Belarus

Wednesday 2 August 2023 14:58 , Eleanor Noyce

NATO allies located along the alliance’s eastern front are growing increasingly worried about the presence of Russia-linked Wagner group mercenaries in Belarus, where some have been deployed since a short-lived mutiny in Russia in June.

Poland, Lithuania and Latvia — members of NATO and the European Union which border Belarus — had already been on alert since large numbers of migrants and refugees began arriving at their borders from Belarus two years ago. They have accused Belarus leader Alexander Lukashenko, an ally of Russia, of opening the migration route in an act of “hybrid warfare” aimed at creating instability in the West.

Now concerns have grown further since the Wagner troops began arriving in Belarus after their short-lived mutiny in Russia.

Poland’s prime minister, Mateusz Morawiecki, said on the weekend that some 100 Wagner fighters in Belarus had approached the border with Poland, specifically a strategically sensitive area known as the Suwalki Gap.

“Now the situation becomes even more dangerous,” Morawiecki told reporters. “This is certainly a step towards a further hybrid attack on Polish territory.”

In pictures: Russia strikes Ukraine's Danube port, sending global grain prices higher

Wednesday 2 August 2023 14:45 , Eleanor Noyce

Russia attacked Ukraine’s grain ports in the early hours of Wednesday, including an inland port across the Danube River from Romania, sending global food prices soaring as Moscow ramps up its use of force to reimpose a blockade of Ukrainian exports.

Ukraine’s defence ministry said a grain silo was damaged in the Danube port of Izmail in the Odesa region: “Ukrainian grain has the potential to feed millions of people worldwide,” the ministry wrote on messaging platform X, formerly known as Twitter.

There were no reports of casualties, Odesa region governor Oleh Kiper wrote in a post on the Telegram messaging app. Kiper posted several photos showing firefighting crews trying to put out a fire in a blighted high-rise building next to a river.

“Unfortunately, there are damages,” President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Telegram.

“The most significant ones are in the south of the country. Russian terrorists have once again attacked ports, grain, global food security.”

An industrial source also confirmed Izmail was the main target of the attack, describing the level of damage as “serious”.

Ukraine’s prosecutor’s office released pictures showing a war crimes investigator outside a ruined building, and at least two damaged silos with wheat tumbling out.

The port, across the river from NATO-member Romania, has served as the main alternative route out of Ukraine for grain exports since Russia reimposed its de facto blockade of Ukraine’s Black Sea ports in mid-July.

Mapped: The latest strikes on Ukraine and Russia as war rages on

Wednesday 2 August 2023 14:30 , Eleanor Noyce

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has cheered the recent flurry of drone strikes on Moscow as evidence that Vladimir Putin’s illegal invasion of his country is backfiring and that its consequences are becoming ever clearer to the Russian people.

“Gradually, the war is returning to the territory of Russia – to its symbolic centres and military bases, and this is an inevitable, natural and absolutely fair process,” he said in a video address from the western city of Ivano-Frankivsk.

Russia’s defence ministry conceded on Sunday (30 July) that a 50-storey building containing the offices of a number of government agencies and a shopping precinct in the capital’s western Moskva-Citi business district were both hit by drone strikes it blamed on Ukraine, claiming to have brought down three more devices.

Joe Sommerlad reports:

Mapped: The latest strikes on Ukraine and Russia as war rages on

Why are Wagner mercenaries in Belarus – and would they try to invade Poland?

Wednesday 2 August 2023 14:15 , Eleanor Noyce

Thousands of Wagner mercenaries have arrived in Belarus since the group’s failed mutiny against Moscow led by its founder Yevgeny Prigozhin – leading to Nato member Poland reinforcing its eastern border against the “potential threat” they pose.

Adding to the tension, Poland’s government said that two Belarusian helicopters entered Poland’s airspace on Tuesday, with Warsaw authorities saying it is rushing more troops to the border in light of the incident. It said it had informed Nato of the border violation, which Belarus denies.

The country’s defence ministry said: “There was a violation of Polish airspace by two Belarusian helicopters that were carrying out training near the border.” It added that Belarus had earlier informed Poland of plans to carry out training exercises in the area. It said they were flying at a low altitude and were not picked up by radar.

Read more:

Why are Wagner mercenaries in Belarus – and would they try to invade Poland?

Poland says it protests against Belarus actions near border

Wednesday 2 August 2023 14:00 , Eleanor Noyce

Poland issued a protest against Belarusian actions near its border, Deputy Foreign Minister Pawel Jablonski said on Wednesday, after the country accused Belarus of violating its airspace with military helicopters.

“Poland has issued a firm protest against Belarus’ actions, which we perceive as provocations,” Jablonski said after the Belarusian charge d’affaires was summoned to the ministry.

The Belarusian military denied any such violation took place.

Putin reaffirms Russian stance on grain deal in call to Erdogan

Wednesday 2 August 2023 13:35 , Eleanor Noyce

Russian President Vladimir Putin told his Turkish counterpart Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday that Moscow was ready to return to the Black Sea grain deal as soon as the West met its obligations with regard to Russia’s own grain exports.

The deal, brokered by Turkey and the United Nations in July 2022, allowed for the safe export of grain from Ukraine‘s Black Sea ports. Last month Moscow exited the deal, accusing the West of hampering Russia’s own grain and fertiliser exports.

In a statement on Putin’s call with Erdogan, the Kremlin said: “It was noted that in the conditions of a complete lack of progress in the implementation of the Russian part of the ‘grain deal’, its further extension has lost all meaning.”

It added that Russia would return to the deal “as soon as the West actually fulfils all the obligations to Russia” contained within it.

Russia’s grain and fertiliser exports are not subject to Western sanctions imposed on Moscow over its military actions in Ukraine. But Moscow has said restrictions on payments, logistics and insurance have been a barrier to shipments.

The U.S. envoy to the United Nations said on Tuesday there were “indications” that Russia might be interested in returning to talks about the deal. Asked about those comments on Wednesday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stressed the need for the West to honour parts of the deal concerning Russian exports.

Russia says a Ukrainian naval drone tried to attack one of its warships in Black Sea - RIA

Wednesday 2 August 2023 13:24 , Eleanor Noyce

A Ukrainian naval drone tried to attack a Russian warship escorting a civilian transport ship in the Black Sea early on Wednesday, the RIA news agency cited Russia’s Defence Ministry as saying.

The warship destroyed the drone, it was quoted as saying.