Russian officers Sunday insisted the nation’s missile airstrike on the Ukrainian port of Odesa this weekend – which got here simply hours after the 2 international locations signed an identical agreements with the U.N. to permit grain exports to renew – hit solely military targets.
Blockage of the port has created a world meals disaster. Saturday’s strike was a “spit in the face” to Turkey and the United Nations, which brokered the agreements, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry mentioned.
The Ukrainian military mentioned Saturday that Moscow had attacked the port with 4 cruise missiles, two of which had been shot down.
Command spokeswoman Nataliya Humenyuk mentioned no grain storage services had been hit in Odesa, however the two Russian Kalibr cruise missiles hit the port’s infrastructure and Ukrainian air defenses introduced down two others, the Ukrainian military’s Southern Command mentioned.
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Latest developments:
►Russian missiles hit Ukraine’s Black Sea port of Odesa simply hours after Moscow and Kyiv signed offers to permit grain exports to renew from there.
► Top Russian Diplomat Sergey Lavrov started the primary leg of his journey throughout Africa in Egypt on Sunday, searching for to revive diplomatic ties and deflect blame on Russia for meals shortages within the area.
►The State Department confirmed that two U.S. residents considered preventing for Ukraine just lately died within the nation’s Donbas area, ABC News reported.
►The U.S. is sending one other $270 million in safety help to Ukraine, White House spokesman John Kirby mentioned. The newest package deal consists of Phoenix Ghost drones, medium-range rocket programs in addition to ammunition and anti-armor programs.
Russia is kidnapping, adopting out Ukrainian youngsters, ambassador says
Ukrainian Ambassador to the United States Oksana Markarova claimed on “Face The Nation” Sunday that Russian forces are “forcefully deporting” adults, households and kids and dashing up adoption processes to position them in Russian households.
“Russians themselves already admitted that 350,000 children have been ‘evacuated’ as they say, but kidnapped,” Markarova said. “This is a brutal violation not only of international law, but of common decency. How can you steal our children and try to hide them somewhere in Russia?”
Earlier this month, Secretary of State Antony Blinken estimated that Russia has interrogated, detained and forcibly deported 900,000 to 1.6 million Ukrainian residents, together with 260,000 youngsters, from their houses to Russia.
Five months into the battle, what do we all know?
Sunday marks 5 months since Russia’s invasion into Ukraine. What Russian President Vladimir Putin as soon as regarded as a fast victory has reworked right into a months-long effort, as Ukrainian forces fend off heavy Russian artillery assaults in jap and southern Ukraine.
While western nations have condemned Putin’s invasion of its smaller neighbor, accusing Russia of battle crimes and imposing a number of rounds of sanctions, Ukrainians forces are engaged in intense preventing within the Luhansk and Donetsk territories as Russia goals to achieve management of the Donbas area.
From which Ukrainian territories are underneath Russian management, to a breakdown of U.S. help to Ukraine, read a breakdown of what we know about the war here.
– Sarah Elbeshbishi, USA TODAY
Exporting grain will take months, ex-minister says
It could take up to six months to ship out the grain stored in silos in Ukraine, if Russia does not interfere with the export, Ukraine’s ex-minister of trade and agriculture said.
Tymofiy Mylovanov, the former minister, told Al Jazeera that Russia’s “calculus” is to decelerate the Ukrainian export of grain.
“Currently, we can ship out 2.5 million tons per month out of Odesa port. So you have four months (to clear the backlog). If undisturbed and not harassed we could bring that up to 5.5 million tons,” Mylovanov instructed the outlet.
Ministry: Russia has dedicated ‘crimes in opposition to Ukrainian cultural heritage’
Ukraine’s Ministry of Culture reported this week that Russia has dedicated greater than 400 “crimes against the cultural heritage” of the nation throughout its invasion.
The ministry has documented destruction of and injury to things and places of cultural significance together with spiritual websites, monuments and memorials, museums, libraries and theaters.
“All the materials will be used as evidence for criminal proceedings against Russian criminals,” Kateryna Chuyeva, deputy minister of tradition and data coverage, mentioned in an announcement.
Contributing: The Associated Press