Russia-Ukraine war news: Odessa, Mykolaiv hit by strikes
Ukraine live briefing: Strikes hit Odessa port region for third night after Russia ends grain deal A rescue operation is carried out Thursday at a residential building in Mykolaiv, Ukraine, that was heavily damaged in a Russian missile attack. (Viktoria Lakezina/Reuters)
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Here’s the latest on the war and its ripple effects across the globe.
Key developments
The latest attack on Odessa sparked a fire in the city and killed one person, regional governor Oleh Kiper said Thursday. Ukraine’s air force said eight aircraft carrying long-range supersonic missiles were recorded flying in the direction of the Black Sea, while anti-ship cruise missiles were launched toward the Odessa region. The attacks on Tuesday and Wednesday destroyed 60,000 tons of grain, Ukraine’s agriculture minister claimed in a statement.
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In Mykolaiv, the strike set garages on fire and damaged high-rise buildings overnight, Vitaliy Kim, the southern region’s governor, said on Telegram.
Ships headed to Ukrainian ports on the Black Sea could be considered potential carriers of military cargo as of Thursday, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement. “The flag countries of ships sailing to the Ukrainian ports of the Black Sea will be considered involved in the conflict” on the side of Kyiv, the ministry said. Russia is capable of replacing Ukrainian grain in international markets, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday during a meeting with government officials.
A drone attack in Crimea killed a teenage girl, Sergei Aksyonov, the Russian-backed head of occupied Crimea — which Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014 — said on Telegram early Thursday.
Global impact
The European Union’s top diplomat accused Russia of deepening a global food supply crisis after the Kremlin terminated its involvement in the grain export deal. “This is going to create a big and huge food crisis in the world,” Josep Borrell told reporters on Thursday.
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In a new video, Wagner Group head Yevgeniy Prigozhin appeared to confirm he was in Belarus. He vowed to continue operating the mercenary group, but not in Ukraine. The video, posted on Telegram and verified by The Washington Post, appears to be the first footage of him since the group’s short-lived mutiny in Russia last month. His fighters would continue working in Africa, Prigozhin said, and would train the Belarusian army.
Ireland will give an additional $5.6 million in humanitarian aid to Ukraine, Prime Minister Leo Varadkar announced during a state visit to Kyiv on Wednesday. “Ireland’s commitment to Ukraine means that we will support them on their pathway to E.U. membership,” he said.
From our correspondents
Putin, facing war crimes arrest, will skip BRICS summit in S. Africa: South Africa has announced that Russian President Vladimir Putin will not be attending the BRICS summit — composed of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa — there in August by “mutual agreement,” Mary Ilyushina and Robyn Dixon report.
“The agreement with the Kremlin puts an end to a diplomatic quandary for South Africa: As a member of the ICC, it would have an obligation to arrest Putin upon his arrival in the country,” they write.
Source: The Washington Post
