War in Ukraine: Latest developments

By: 2 years ago

Anton, a teacher, carries out surviving items from his school destroyed as a result of a shelling in Bakhmut, Donetsk region on July 24, 2022. AFP

KYIV — Here are the latest developments in the war in Ukraine:

Odessa strike ‘destroyed Ukrainian warship’

Russia says its missiles had destroyed a Ukrainian warship and weapons from the United States after a strike on Ukraine’s Black Sea port of Odessa, crucial for grain exports.

The strike Saturday came a day after Kyiv and Moscow signed a landmark agreement hammered out over months of negotiations aimed at relieving a global food crisis.

The deal signed in Istanbul was brokered by Turkey and the United Nations.

“High-precision, long-range missiles launched from the sea destroyed a docked Ukrainian warship and a stockpile of anti-ship missiles delivered by the United States to the Kyiv regime,” the Russian defense ministry says.

“A Ukrainian army repair and upgrade plant has also been put out of order,” the ministry adds in a statement on Telegram.

Earlier, Russia’s foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Russian Kalibr missiles destroyed a Ukrainian “patrol boat” in the strike.

Zelensky denounces Odessa attack

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says the missile attack on Odessa is an example of “Russian barbarism”.

“Today’s Russian missile attack on Odessa, on our port, is a cynical one, and it was also a blow to the political positions of Russia itself,” Zelensky says in his nightly address, adding dialogue with Moscow was becoming increasingly untenable.

“This apparent Russian barbarism brings us even closer to obtaining the very weapons we need for our victory,” Zelensky adds.

The deal brought little reprieve on the battlefield as four Russian cruise missiles hit residential areas in the southern city of Mykolaiv, injuring five people, including a teenager.

UK, US condemn port strike

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken condemns the Odessa attack, saying it “casts serious doubt” on Russia’s commitment to the deal with Ukraine.

“This attack casts serious doubt on the credibility of Russia’s commitment to yesterday’s deal and undermines the work of the UN, Turkey, and Ukraine to get critical food to world markets,” Blinken says.

Meanwhile, UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss calls the attack “absolutely appalling” and “completely unwarranted”.

“We need to urgently work with our international partners to find a better way of getting the grain out of Ukraine that doesn’t involve Russia and their broken promises,” she adds.

North Korea accuses US of biological warfare

North Korea accuses the United States of manufacturing biological weapons in Ukraine, echoing a Russian claim dismissed by the United Nations in March.

Washington “set up many biological labs in tens of countries and regions, including Ukraine, in disregard of the international treaties”, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) says, citing what it says had been “detected” by Russia.

Orban calls for Russia-US peace talks

Hungary’s nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban calls for US-Russian peace talks to end the war in Ukraine, lashing out at the European Union’s strategy on the conflict.

Orban says “only Russian-US talks can put an end to the conflict because Russia wants security guarantees” only Washington can give.

The EU, he adds, “should not side with the Ukrainians, but position itself” between both sides.