Friday, July 21, 2023

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy have discussed the extension of the Black Sea grain deal over a phone call.

"The leaders discussed in detail the extension of the Black Sea Grain Corridor Agreement during the phone call held at the request of President Zelenskyy of Ukraine," the Turkish Communications Directorate said on Twitter.

During the conversation, Erdogan emphasised that Türkiye has made "intense efforts" to maintain peace.

The agreement, initially signed in July of last year in Istanbul by Türkiye, the UN, Russia, and Ukraine, was aimed at resuming grain exports from Ukrainian ports which had been halted as a result of the Russia-Ukraine war.

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1626 GMT — Bulgaria to send armoured vehicles to Ukraine in U-turn

Bulgaria has decided to send about 100 armoured personnel carriers to Ukraine in the Balkan country's first shipment of heavy equipment to Kiev.

Parliament approved — with 148 votes in favour and 52 against — a proposal of the new government to send the vehicles along with armaments and spare parts.

"This equipment is no longer necessary for the needs of Bulgaria, and it can be of serious support to Ukraine in its battle to preserve the country's independence and territorial integrity after the unjustified and unprovoked Russian aggression," parliament said in its decision.

1535 GMT — Russia says understands 'concerns' of African countries over grain

Russia has said that it understood the concerns African nations may have after Moscow left the Ukrainian grain deal, promising to ensure deliveries to countries in need.

Those countries in need would receive the necessary assurances at a summit later this month, Russian deputy foreign minister Sergey Vershinin told journalists.

"We understand the concerns our African friends may have," said Vershinin. "These concerns are not only understandable but will be fully taken into account."

"The countries in need in the course of contacts with us and in the course of the upcoming Russia-Africa summit will naturally receive the necessary assurances regarding their needs for agricultural products — first of all, grain," he added.

1505 GMT — UN official says threats against Black Sea civilian grain vessels 'unacceptable'

Threats against civilian vessels in the Black Sea are "unacceptable," a senior UN official has said following statements by Moscow and Kiev after Russia withdrew from a key grain export deal.

Moscow announced on Monday that it was pulling out of the initiative, which allowed the safe export of Ukrainian grain, effectively ending the agreement signed in July last year between Russia, Ukraine, Türkiye and the UN.

Russian authorities then announced that they would consider any ships heading for Ukrainian grain ports on the Black Sea as military targets. Kiev responded by issuing a warning to ships heading for Russian-controlled ports.

1428 GMT — Russian shelling kills two children in Ukraine: governor

Russian shelling has killed two children—a 10-year-old brother and 16-year-old sister — in the village of Druzhba in eastern Ukraine, the local governor said.

In the region of Odessa, southern Ukraine, governor Oleg Kiper said that out of a total of 21 people wounded in a barrage of Russian missile and drone attacks over the past four days, four people were still hospitalised.

1354 GMT — Russia seeks 18 years in jail for founder of cybersecurity firm

A Russian prosecutor has requested an 18-year prison sentence for Ilya Sachkov, founder of one of the country's top cybersecurity firms, on treason charges, news agencies reported.

"State prosecutors requested that Sachkov be sentenced to 18 years in prison," his lawyer Sergei Afanasyev was quoted as saying by Russian news agencies.

Sachkov founded the Group-IB group, which specialises in the detection and prevention of cyberattacks.

1248 GMT — Russian diplomat accuses Ukraine of using Black Sea grain corridor for "terrorist attacks"

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Vershinin has accused Ukraine of using a grain export corridor in the Black Sea to launch "terrorist attacks" against Russian interests, including on the Crimean Bridge, earlier this week.

Vershinin was speaking at a briefing about Russia's decision to quit the Black Sea grain deal.

1209 GMT — UN nuclear watchdog experts awaiting access to rooftops of Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia plant

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) experts, who have carried out inspections at Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, are awaiting access to the rooftops of the plant.

The experts did not observe any heavy military equipment, explosives or mines, Rafael Mariano Grossi, head of the UN nuclear watchdog, said in a statement.

1159 GMT — Former separatist commander Girkin detained in Russia, lawyer confirms

Former separatist commander and nationalist blogger Igor Girkin, better known by his alias Igor Strelkov, has been detained after sharply criticising Putin, his lawyer said.

Girkin's detention came in the aftermath of a short-lived rebellion of the mercenary group Wagner that many analysts saw as the greatest challenge to Putin's rule.

"He has been detained by law enforcement," lawyer Alexander Molokhov told agencies.

1143 GMT — Russia holds a military drill in sea zone used for Ukraine's grain exports

The Russian Defence Ministry has said that it held military exercises on isolating an area in the Black Sea, which served as the corridor for transportation of grain from Ukraine.

The ministry said in a statement the forces of the Black Sea Fleet, ships and aircraft provided training to isolate the area temporarily closed to navigation and also carried out a set of measures to detain "intruder vessels."

According to the ministry, the control data and video monitoring from drones confirmed the successful execution of the exercise and the target ship was destroyed as a result of a missile strike.

1138 GMT —Putin says Western weapons support not helping Ukraine

Putin has said that Kiev's counteroffensive launched to push Russian troops back in the south and east of Ukraine, was failing despite military and financial support from Western countries.

"In any case, there are no results yet" of the counteroffensive, Putin said in televised remarks from a meeting of the Kremlin's Security Council.

Kiev last month launched a long-anticipated counteroffensive after stockpiling Western weapons.

"Neither the colossal resources that have been pumped into the Kiev regime nor the supplies of Western weapons, tanks, artillery, armoured vehicles and missiles are helping," Putin said.

1113 GMT — Türkiye working against the end of Black Sea grain deal and resulting fallout: President

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has warned that ending the Black Sea grain deal, as announced this week, would hit hard in numerous ways and that Türkiye is already working to prevent this.

"The termination of the Black Sea grain initiative will have a range of (harmful) effects, from raising global food prices in some regions to famine and new waves of migration. We do not hesitate to take the initiative to prevent this," Erdogan told reporters.

"I believe that by discussing the issue in detail with (Russian President Vladimir) Putin, we will ensure the continuation of this humanitarian movement,” he added, hinting at Türkiye’s unique role as a country on good terms with both Russia and Ukraine, which helped it originally broker the deal alongside the UN.

Under the landmark deal, more than 33 million tonnes of grain were shipped from Ukrainian ports, preventing a global food crisis, he said.

"The continuation of such a vital initiative in terms of its results is for the benefit of humanity," Erdogan said.

0539 GMT —Russia hits Ukraine's Odessa grain terminals - Regional governor

Russian missiles hit grain terminals of an agricultural enterprise in Ukraine's southern Odessa region, injuring two people, the regional governor said.

"Unfortunately, the grain terminals of an agricultural enterprise in Odessa region were hit. The enemy destroyed 100 tons of peas and 20 tons of barley," he said on the Telegram messaging app.

0530 GMT — Poland to move soldiers to east of country due to Wagner risks

Poland's security committee decided in a meeting on Wednesday to move military units to the country's east due to the Wagner Group's presence in Belarus, state-run news agency PAP quoted its secretary as saying.

Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin was shown in a video on Wednesday welcoming his fighters to Belarus, telling them they would take no further part in the Ukraine war for now but ordering them to gather their strength for Africa while they trained the Belarusian army.

On Thursday, the Belarusian defence ministry said Wagner mercenaries had started to train Belarusian special forces at a military range just a few miles from the border with NATO member Poland.

"Training or joint exercises of the Belarusian army and the Wagner Group is undoubtedly a provocation," Zbigniew Hoffmann told PAP.

0319 GMT — Ukraine using US cluster munitions on battlefield: White House

Ukrainian forces are using United States-supplied cluster munitions on the battlefield, the White House said, as Kiev seeks momentum in its grinding counteroffensive.

Washington provided the weapons to Ukraine for the first time earlier this month as Kiev attempts to dislodge entrenched Russian forces and retake land lost in the early months of Moscow's offensive last year.

Ukraine's forces started using the munitions "in the last week or so", White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters on Thursday.

"They're using them appropriately, they're using them effectively and they are actually having an impact on Russia’s defensive formations and Russia’s defensive manoeuvring," he said.

CIA sees no signs of Russia preparations to use nukes in Ukraine

The Central Intelligence Agency [CIA] of the United States sees no signs of Russian preparations to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine, CIA Director William Burns has told the Aspen Security Forum.

"We do not see today any concrete preparations for the potential use of nuclear weapons," he said, adding that "the nuclear sabre rattling is reckless and deeply irresponsible."

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in late September 2022 that all situations where Russia may potentially use nuclear weapons had been clearly spelt out in its military doctrine.

2345 GMT — Zelenskyy calls for spending restraint, minister offers to resign

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has urged his government to keep a tight rein on spending in wartime, in a call that resulted in his culture minister, a proponent of several high-profile and costly projects, offering his resignation.

"In a time of war like this, the maximum amount of state attention and therefore state resources should go to defence," Zelenskyy said in his new video address, referring to a conversation he had earlier with Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal.

He told Shmyhal to find alternative funding for projects "that are really necessary."

Zelenskyy asked Shmyhal to "consider replacing" Culture and Information Policy Minister Olexander Tkachenko.

Within an hour, Tkachenko said he had tendered his resignation, while remaining unapologetic about his projects.

"Culture in wartime is important as this war is not just about territory but also people — our memory, history, language and creativity despite the war," Tkachenko, who headed a television channel before entering politics, wrote on Telegram.

"Private and state funding for culture in wartime is no less important than for drones. Culture is the shield for our identity and our borders."

There was no word on whether his resignation had been accepted.

1902 GMT — Zelenskyy had first phone call in history of bilateral ties with Ethiopian PM Abiy

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had the first phone call in history of bilateral relations with Ethiopia's Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and spoke about developing bilateral relations between Kiev and Addis Ababa in areas of security and digitisation.

Zelenskyy also informed Abiy about Russia's unilateral withdrawal from the Black Sea grain deal, illegal blocking of navigation and shelling of energy infrastructure.

"The voice of Ethiopia, the African Union, the whole of Africa is very important to us," Zelenskyy said.

Zelenskyy also invited the Ethiopian PM to visit Ukraine.

1430 GMT — New US sanctions target Russian access to battlefield supplies

The United States has imposed Russia-related sanctions against nearly 120 people and entities aimed at blocking Moscow's access to electronics and other goods that aid its war against Ukraine, the Treasury and State departments announced.

The new measures also are designed to "reduce Russia’s revenue from the metals and mining sector, undermine its future energy capabilities and degrade Russia’s access to the international financial system," Treasury said in a statement.

"Today's actions represent another step in our efforts to constrain Russia’s military capabilities, its access to battlefield supplies, and its economic bottom line," Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo said in the statement.

Russia's embassy in Washington called the latest sanctions part of the "endless attacks" by US President Joe Biden's administration "in the context of the hybrid war unleashed by the West against our country."

The White House's "destructive actions" confirmed Russia's policy of boosting its "defence capability and financial and technological sovereignty" and leave no alternative "to speeding up the process of decoupling the dollar from worldwide economic relations," an embassy statement said.

For our live updates from Thursday (July 20), click here.