Tuesday, July 18, 2023
0617 GMT — Russia's Defence Ministry has said it hit military targets in two Ukrainian port cities overnight in what it called "a mass revenge strike," a day after an attack on the Crimean bridge which it blamed on Kiev.
"The armed forces of the Russian Federation inflicted a group retaliation strike with high-precision sea-based weapons on objects where terrorist acts against the Russian Federation were being plotted," Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said in a statement.
He said Ukraine was plotting attacks using unmanned boats, but Russia struck down their manufacturing plant near the city of Odesa.
The spokesman added that fuel storage facilities of the Ukrainian army were destroyed in the cities of Mykolaiv and Odesa.
Ukraine's southern command said in a statement that six Kalibr missiles "launched from the waters of the Black Sea at Odesa" were destroyed by air defences,
Twenty-one Iran-built Shahed explosive drones were also destroyed on "approach from the sea in the Odesa region," it said.
"Unfortunately, the debris of the downed missiles and the blast wave from the downing damaged the port infrastructure facilities and several private homes," it added.
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1520 GMT — Arresting Putin a 'declaration of war': S.Africa's Ramaphosa
Arresting Vladimir Putin would amount to a declaration of war on Russia, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa wrote in court papers released on today as the country wrangles over hosting the Russian leader.
Putin has been invited to a BRICS summit in Johannesburg next month but is the target of an International Criminal Court arrest warrant -- a provision that Pretoria as an ICC member would be expected to implement were he to attend.
South Africa's diplomatic dilemma is playing out in court, where the leading opposition party, the Democratic Alliance (DA), is trying to force the government's hand and ensure the Kremlin leader is held and handed over to the ICC if he steps foot in the country.
But in a responding affidavit, Ramaphosa described the DA's application as "irresponsible" and said national security was at stake.
"Russia has made it clear that arresting its sitting President would be a declaration of war," he said.
1430 GMT — China reiterates need for political solution to Ukraine crisis
China has reiterated its call for political solutions in Ukraine after the attack on the Crimea Bridge.
"We hope all parties are committed to a political solution to the Ukraine crisis. Relevant parties should refrain from attacking civilian facilities and objects, protect the safety of civilians and abide by international humanitarian laws,” said a spokeswoman of China’s Foreign Ministry, Mao Ning, according to Beijing-based Global Times.
1057 GMT — Russia says has advanced 1.5 km in northeast Ukraine
The Russian military has said it had advanced on a limited section of the front in Ukraine's northeastern Kharkiv region, near the city of Kupyansk, after "successful offensive operations." "On the Kupyansk front, units from the Western group of troops continue successful offensive operations," the defence ministry said in a statement, adding that: "The total advance was up to two kilometres along the front and up to one and a half kilometres in depth". The ministry did not say over what period the gains were made.
0849 GMT — Russia arrests woman for helping Ukraine plot a 'terrorist act' on critical infrastructure
Russia's FSB security service has arrested a Russian woman it suspected of collecting information on a "critical infrastructure facility" at the order of Ukraine's intelligence services.
It did not name the facility, but a surveillance video that Russian media said was taken by the FSB showed the suspect using her phone to film near a hydroelectric power plant in the town of Uglich in Russia's Yaroslavl region north of Moscow.
She is then shown being arrested in her office by masked FSB and police agents. A court on Saturday ordered the suspect to be detained for two months, the RIA news agency reported.
0837 GMT — Japan condemns Russia over grain deal suspension, lauds ‘arduous work’ by Türkiye, UN
Lauding “arduous work” done by Türkiye and the UN in implementing the Black Sea Grain Initiative, Japan has condemned Russia’s pull out of the deal.
“Japan deplores the current situation and condemns Russia for terminating their participation,” Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi said in a statement.
The Kremlin announced on Monday that it suspended the deal, saying the Russian part of the agreement was not implemented.
0825 GMT — Ukrainian mine, explosive clearance experts arrive in Izium to restore war-torn areas
Ukrainian mine and explosive clearance experts from the cities of Dnipro and Zaporizhzhia have arrived in Ukraine's Izium city to restore the war-affected region.
The dedicated brigades have taken up the mantle of ensuring the safety and facilitating the restoration of the recaptured territories.
Also, the bumpy roads leading to Izium bear witness to the difficult challenges endured by the war-torn region.
0805 GMT — 'Complicated' situation in east, some success in south: Ukraine
Kiev has reported a "complicated" situation in eastern Ukraine and success in parts of the south as it pressed on with its counteroffensive against occupying Russian forces.
"The situation is complicated but under control (in the east)," General Oleksander Syrskyi, commander of Ukrainian ground forces, said on the Telegram messaging app.
He said Russia had concentrated forces in the direction of Kupiansk in the northeastern region of Kharkiv, but that Ukrainian troops were holding them back.
0713 GMT — Australia calls on Russia to return to negotiating table on grain deal
Australia has joined several other nations in urging Russia to return to the Black Sea grain deal.
“Russia’s decision to terminate the Black Sea Grain Initiative will hurt those most in need,” said Penny Wong, Australia’s foreign minister, on Twitter.
The grain deal was “critical to ensuring the predictable supply of food, including to our partners in the Indo-Pacific and Africa,” she said.
“We call on Russia to return to the negotiating table. Australia remains committed to working with partners to build their long-term food resilience,” she wrote.
0608 GMT — Odessa port facilities damaged by Russian strike: Ukraine
A Russian overnight strike has damaged port infrastructure facilities in Ukraine's Odesa, Kiev's military said hours after Moscow refused to extend a deal to allow grain export from the region.
"The debris of the downed missiles and the blast wave from the downing damaged the port infrastructure facilities," Ukraine's Operational Command South said in a statement.
0506 GMT — Russia 'downs' dozens of Ukraine drones over Crimea as grain deal ends
Russian air defences and electronic countermeasure systems have downed 28 Ukrainian drones over Crimea, the RIA news agency cited the Russian defence ministry as saying.
The drone attacks caused no casualties or damages, the ministry said.
The raid followed an attack by Ukrainian sea drones on the Crimea bridge on Monday which damaged it and disrupted car traffic.
0140 GMT — Halting Ukraine grain deal is 'irresponsible and dangerous': US
The US has said that Russia's decision to pull back from the Black Sea grain deal is “'irresponsible and dangerous,” adding it will "exacerbate food scarcity and harm millions of vulnerable people around the world.”
"The Black Sea Grain Initiative has been critical to bringing down (global) food prices, which have spiked as a result of Russia's brutal and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine," White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said.
Kirby said, "Russia's decision to resume its effective blockade of Ukrainian ports and prevent this grain from getting to markets will harm people all over the world."
Earlier on Monday, the Kremlin announced that it has suspended the deal, saying the Russian part of the agreement was not implemented.
0111 GMT — Ukraine activates air defences in Odessa region
Ukraine has activated aerial defences in coastal Odessa, a key enclave for grain departure, authorities said, hours after Russia refused to extend a deal allowing the safe export of grain from the region.
"Odesa. Air defence combat work continues," said Sergiy Bratchuk, spokesman for the Odesa military region, on Telegram.
Russia was "attacking the south of Ukraine with attack drones," the head of the Odessa region's military administration, Oleg Kiper, separately said on Telegram.
0030 GMT — Russia's grain deal withdrawal 'irresponsible', threatens food security: Ukraine FM
The Ukrainian foreign minister has accused Russia of “putting the global food security at risk” after Moscow withdrew from the Black Sea grain deal that allowed Ukraine to export tens of millions of tons of grains over the past year.
“It is an irresponsible move,” Dmytro Kuleba told reporters at the UN headquarters ahead of a Security Council meeting on Ukraine.
At the Security Council meeting on Monday, Russia's Deputy UN Ambassador Dmitry Polyanskiy told that there had been no progress on improving Russia's exports and accused Ukraine of using "the cover of the open maritime corridor to wage provocations and attacks against Russian civilians and military objects."
"For our part, we are committed to fulfilling all contractual obligations on Russian grain supplies to customers and continuing to provide assistance to those in need in developing countries despite all the obstacles," he noted.
For our live updates from Monday (July 17), click here.
