🔴 Live: Putin will not attend BRICS summit by ‘mutual agreement’, says South Africa

5:26pm: Russia says it will consider Ukraine-bound ships as potential carriers of military cargo

Russia’s Defence Ministry said on Wednesday it would consider all ships traveling to Ukrainian ports on the Black Sea as potential carriers of military cargoes from midnight on Thursday morning Moscow time (2100 GMT on Wednesday), following the end of the Black Sea grain deal.

In a statement posted on the Telegram messenger app, the ministry said that it was declaring southeastern and northwestern parts of the Black Sea’s international waters as unsafe for navigation, and that the flag states of ships travelling to Ukrainian ports would be considered parties to the conflict on the Ukrainian side.

5:09pm: Kyiv seeks joint patrol of Black Sea countries for grain deliveries

Kyiv is seeking a joint military patrol among Black Sea countries in order to continue grain exports from its ports after Russia exited a deal ensuring the safety of cargo ships, Ukraine’s presidential aide Mykhailo Podolyak told AFP.

“Negotiations are ongoing at all levels. A UN mandate should be added here to create a military patrol that would include countries in contact with the region, for example Turkey, Bulgaria or any others,” Podolyak said in an interview with AFP.

4:50pm: Russia’s Duma backs bill to arm National Guard with heavy weapons

Russian lawmakers on Wednesday passed a bill that would allow the National Guard to deploy heavy weapons, including tanks, in the wake of a short-lived insurrection by mercenary group Wagner. 

The National Guard was created by Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2016 with the aim of warding off unrest and breaking up protests. 

The force has since taken on a broader role, joining Moscow’s offensive on Ukraine launched in February last year.

According to the legislation passed by parliament’s lower house, the Duma, the force, which answers directly to Putin, will be able to possess military-grade weapons, including heavy weapons. 

The bill was approved after the Russian defence ministry said it was taking possession of military hardware from Wagner mercenaries following their aborted uprising last month.

4:15pm: Ukraine neighbours urge EU to extend grain import ban

Ukraine’s neighbours urged the EU to extend the grain import ban set to expire on September 15, said Poland’s Agriculture Minister Robert Telus.

“We signed a joint statement of five countries – Poland, Bulgaria, Hungary, Slovakia and Romania – on the extension of the ban on imports… of grain from Ukraine to our countries until the end of the year,” Telus said following a meeting with his counterparts in Warsaw. 

In June, the EU agreed to restrict imports of grain from Ukraine to five member states seeking to protect their farmers who blamed those imports for the slump in prices on local markets.

Poland, a staunch ally of Ukraine as it battles invading Russian forces, has at the same time criticised imports of Ukrainian grain that triggered protests from local farmers.

“This is not against the Ukrainians, this is… for the Polish farmers,” said Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, adding that Poland currently allows the transit of grain from Ukraine.

3:37pm: Video appears to show Prigozhin welcoming his men to Belarus

A video purporting to show Russian mercenary boss Yevgeny Prigozhin welcoming his Wagner fighters to Belarus surfaced on Wednesday on one of his official Telegram channels.

In the video, which was not yet verified, a man whose voice sounded like Prigozhin’s is heard welcoming his men, telling them to behave, and saying their training will make the Belarusian army the second best in the world.

The video was shot after nightfall and it was only possible to discern what looked like Prigozhin’s profile.

He is heard saying that his men will stay in Belarus for some time and calling what is happening on the front line in Ukraine a “disgrace” that Wagner should not take part in.

2:27pm: Kyiv says 60,000 tonnes of grain destroyed in Chornomorsk port attack

Russia destroyed 60,000 tons of grain meant for export in overnight strikes on the Chornomorsk port in the Odesa region, according to Ukraine’s agriculture ministry.

The attack deliberately targeted grain terminals, said Ukraine’s Agriculture Minister Mykola Solsky in a statement on the Telegram messaging app.

“In the port of Chornomorsk (outside Odesa), 60,000 tons of grain were also destroyed,” said Solsky, adding that the grain was meant to be “sent through the grain corridor 60 days ago.” 

Russia attacked Odesa and nearby Chornomorsk after quitting the Black Sea grain deal on Monday that allowed the safe passage of Ukrainian grain. 

1:41pm: Russia says it has advanced more than 1km in northeast Ukraine

Russia said Wednesday that its forces had advanced one kilometre (less than one mile) along the front line in Ukraine’s northeastern region of Kharkiv.

“Over the last day, the advance of Russian units amounted to more than a kilometre in depth and up to two kilometres along the front. The advancing units captured the Molchanovo railway station in the Kharkiv region,” the defence ministry said in a statement.

1:40pm: Russian army says it hit military facilities around Odesa overnight

Russia said Wednesday it hit military facilities overnight near Ukraine’s port of Odesa, where Kyiv accused Moscow of targeting sites used to export grain. 

“At night Russia’s armed forces carried out a group strike with long-range precision-guided air-launched weapons against military industrial facilities, infrastructure for fuel, and ammunition depots of the Ukrainian armed forces near the city of Odesa,” the Russian army said in a statement.

1:38pm: Russia says it seizes railway station in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region

The Russian Defence Ministry said on Wednesday that its forces had captured the Movchanove railway station in Ukraine’s northeastern Kharkiv region, the TASS news agency reported.

Ukraine, which recaptured much of the region last September, said this week that Russia was again on the offensive there and that “heavy fighting” was taking place.

1:31pm: Russian attack damages grain infrastructure at Ukraine’s Chornomorsk port, says agriculture minister

Agriculture Minister Mykola Solsky said on Wednesday that a “considerable” amount of grain export infrastructure at the Chornomorsk port in Ukraine’s Odesa region had been damaged in a Russian attack.

He said the attack had also destroyed 60,000 tonnes of grain that should have been loaded and shipped via the Black Sea Grain Initiative 60 days ago.

1:24pm: Britain’s MI6 chief says his spies are using AI to disrupt flow of weapons to Russia

British spies are already using artificial intelligence to hamper the supply of weapons to Russia, the head of Britain’s MI6 agency said Wednesday, predicting that Western spies will increasingly have to focus on tracking the malign use of AI by hostile states.

In a rare public speech, Richard Moore also urged Russians who oppose the invasion of Ukraine to spy for Britain, saying others had already done so since the war began.

“Our door is always open,” he said.

In a speech that depicted artificial intelligence as both a huge potential asset and a major threat, Moore said his staff at Britain’s foreign intelligence agency “are combining their skills with AI and bulk data to identify and disrupt the flow of weapons to Russia for use against Ukraine”.

1:15pm: Putin briefed on fire at Crimea military site, says Kremlin

Russian President Vladimir Putin has been informed about a fire at a military site in Moscow-annexed Crimea that forced authorities to evacuate thousands of civilians on Wednesday, the Kremlin said. 

“Of course, this is reported to the president. (Crimea’s head Sergei) Aksyonov reacted very quickly. We know that there was a fire there. Emergency measures are being taken, the situation is being clarified,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

12:58pm: Putin will not attend BRICS summit by ‘mutual agreement’, says South Africa

Russian President Vladimir Putin will not attend the summit of the BRICS group of nations in South Africa in August “by mutual agreement”, South Africa’s presidency said on Wednesday.

Russia will be represented by its Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov instead, the presidency said in a statement.

South Africa faced a dilemma in hosting the summit because, as a member of the International Criminal Court (ICC), it would theoretically be required to arrest Putin for alleged war crimes if he were to attend.

The ICC has issued an arrest warrant for Putin. The leaders of Brazil, India, China and South Africa will attend the summit, the presidency said.

12:40pm: Kremlin accuses West of turning blind eye to Ukrainian ‘terror attacks’ on Russia

The Kremlin said on Wednesday that the West had shown it was ready to turn a blind eye to what it said were “terrorist attacks” committed by Ukraine inside Russia.

Two people were killed on Monday after Moscow said Ukraine used naval drones to attack the bridge linking Russia to the Crimean Peninsula, which Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014.

Kyiv says Crimea is Ukrainian and that it intends to take it back by force.

12:00pm: Zelensky says Russia ‘targeted’ grain deal sites

President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday said Russian strikes had “deliberately” hit sites in Ukraine used to export grain after Moscow attacked the coastal region of Odesa for a second night in a row.

“Russian terrorists deliberately targeted the grain deal infrastructure, and every Russian missile is a blow not only to Ukraine, but to everyone in the world who wants a normal and safe life,” Zelensky said on social media.

11:43am: Russia says it destroys stray Ukrainian mine in Black Sea

The Russian Defence Ministry said on Wednesday its forces destroyed a stray Ukrainian mine drifting in the south-western part of the Black Sea.

It said the mine was detected by Russia’s Black Sea fleet, floating about 180 km (111 miles) northeast of the Bosporus Strait.

“On the decision of the ship’s commander, a Ka-27 helicopter was taken into the air, whose crew eliminated the mine with machine-gun fire,” the ministry said.

11:34am: Ukraine’s farmers fear the worst after grain deal collapses

Farmers whose work on Ukraine’s fertile land has long been vital to its economy fear losing their livelihoods after Russia this week quit a wartime deal allowing the safe Black Sea export of grain.

For Kees Huizinga, who moved from his native Netherlands to farm in central Ukraine in 2003, Moscow’s refusal to extend the deal makes his finances, already squeezed by Russia’s invasion last year, appear catastrophic.

“We have some reserves so we can survive for a month or so, but if we can’t sell it’s going to be a disaster,” he told Reuters at his 15,000-hectare farm in a village in the rolling hills and green flat plains of the Cherkasy region in central Ukraine.

10:51am: Ukraine says Russia intentionally struck grain terminals, port in Odesa

Russia intentionally struck grain terminals and port infrastructure in Odesa in its latest air strikes, a senior Ukrainian presidential adviser said on Wednesday.

Political adviser Mykhailo Podolyak said on Twitter that the attacks on Ukraine’s main Black Sea port reflected Russia’s attitude towards food security.

“The main objective is to destroy the possibility of shipping Ukrainian grain,” he said.

9:40am: Ukraine says conducted ‘successful operation’ as Crimea fights fire

Ukraine said Wednesday its forces had carried out a successful operation in the Russian-annexed Crimea peninsula after authorities there said a fire at a military facility prompted mass civilian evacuations.

“A successful operation was conducted on occupied Crimea. The enemy conceals the extent of the damage and the number of losses in manpower,” Kylylo Budanov, the head of Ukraine’s military intelligence, said in a statement.

8:20am: Ukraine’s air force says it destroyed 37 of 63 targets in overnight attack

Ukraine’s air force said on Wednesday it downed 37 out of 63 targets in a vast Russian overnight missile and drone attack, including 23 suicide drones and 14 cruise missiles.

The air force said critical infrastructure and military facilities had been attacked in the nighttime strikes, and that the main target was Ukraine’s southern Odesa region.

6:30am: More than 2,000 to be evacuated from near military base on fire in Crimea, says Russia-backed governor

More than 2,000 people from the area near the Kirovske military base in Crimea will be temporarily evacuated after a fire broke out at the base, Russian-installed Governor Sergei Aksyonov of Crimea said on the Telegram messaging app.

“It is planned to temporarily evacuate residents of four settlements – this is more than 2,000 people,” Aksyonov said.

6:15am: Fire at military base in Crimea, major highway closed, says Russia-backed governor

A fire broke out at the military training grounds in the Kirovske district on the Crimean Peninsula, the Moscow-backed governor of Crimea said on Wednesday.

The fire forced the closure of the nearby Tavrida Highway, Russian-installed Governor Sergei Aksyonov of Crimea said on the Telegram messaging app.

2:30am: Biden, Vatican envoy discuss Ukraine war

US President Joe Biden and a Vatican envoy discussed the Russian invasion of Ukraine and deportation of Ukrainian children Tuesday, the White House said.

Biden and Cardinal Matteo Maria Zuppi discussed the papacy’s efforts to provide “humanitarian aid to address the widespread suffering caused by Russia’s continuing aggression in Ukraine, as well as the Vatican’s advocacy for the return of forcibly deported Ukrainian children,” a White House statement said.

Zuppi, archbishop of Bologna and president of the Italian Episcopal Conference, came to the White House at the request of Pope Francis, the Biden administration said.

Biden, only the second Roman Catholic to become US president, also delivered “his wishes for Pope Francis’s continued ministry and global leadership and welcomed the recent nomination of a US archbishop as cardinal”, the White House said.

1:40am: Russia strikes Ukraine’s Odesa port for second night 

Russia launched air attacks on Odesa for a second night in row but the key port will not be intimidated and will continue its work to export grains,Ukrainian officials said early on Wednesday.

The Odesa region’s governor, Oleh Kiper, said on social media that air defence systems were engaged in repelling the Russian air attack and urged residents of the region to stay in shelters.

The attacks on Odesa, one of Ukraine’s main ports for exporting grain, followed a pledge of retaliation by Russia after a blast on a bridge linking Russia to the Crimean Peninsula on Monday that Moscow blamed on Ukraine.

Shortly after the bridge was hit on Monday, Moscow withdrew from the year-old grain agreement, a move the United Nations said risked creating hunger around the world.

12:17am: Ukraine’s FM says need to find alternative to Black Sea grain deal

Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said an alternative to the Black Sea grain deal had to be found and “there are very active discussions now.”

The European Union said on Tuesday it is seeking to transport more Ukrainian grains via road and rail. While appreciative of EU efforts, Kuleba said Ukrainian exports through Europe would not be able to “compensate for the absence of deliveries from Ukrainian ports on the Black Sea”.

Kuleba said the focus on reviving Black Sea shipments was either to continue within the existing framework or create a new model, but added: “The problem, of course, is what is going to happen if Russia decides to attack a vessel carrying grain.”

“We have to take risks and we have to demonstrate that we can carry on without Russia,” he told reporters on Tuesday during a visit to the United Nations.

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Tuesday in his nightly video address that without Ukraine’s exports “the deficit on the global market will, unfortunately, be quite tangible”.

“And not only for the poorest countries. Different countries will feel it – from Libya and Egypt to Bangladesh and China,” he said. “We are working with our partners to prevent this.”

Key developments from Tuesday, July 18:

Ukraine’s counteroffensive is “far from a failure” but the fight ahead will be “long” and “bloody”, the top US General Mark Milley said on Tuesday. Milley’s comments came after Russia attacked the Ukrainian port cities of Odesa and Mykolaiv in a “mass revenge strike” for an attack on the Crimean Bridge, Russia’s defence ministry said.

Russia repelled a Ukrainian drone attack on Crimea in the early hours of Tuesday, the Russian defence ministry said, a day after an attack on the Crimean bridge which damaged it and disrupted car traffic.

Seventeen drones sent by Ukraine’s forces overnight were “destroyed” and another 11 were “suppressed” by electronic means, Russia’s defence ministry said in a statement.

Read yesterday’s blog to see how the day’s events unfolded. 

(FRANCE 24 with AFP, AP and Reuters)