Russia-Ukraine meeting on grain crisis that has led to food shortages called 'a critical step forward': Live updates

The United Nations chief said a Wednesday meeting in Istanbul between Russia and Ukraine took “a critical step forward” in addressing the blocked export of grain from Ukraine’s Black Sea ports.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said “more technical work will now be needed” to reach an agreement, “but the momentum is clear … I’m encouraged, but it’s not yet fully done.”

The Russian blockage of millions of tons of grain from being exported from Ukraine has led to food shortages in Africa and Asia. Ukraine is one of the world’s largest exporters of wheat, corn and sunflower oil.

The negotiations Wednesday led to agreements that include establishing a coordination center in Istanbul, "joint control" of exit and arrival points and maintained safety of the transfer routes, according to a statement from Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar.

Akar said the parties would review details and sign the deal when they meet again next week.

Latest developments

►Ukrainian forces claim to have "liquidated" Russian Major General Artem Nasbulin in a missile attack on headquarters in the Kherson region of southern Ukraine, according to a Telegram post from the Odesa regional administration.

►North Korea on Wednesday joined Russia and Syria as the only nations recognizing the separatist, self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic.

►The Ukrainian military reported destroying a Russian ammunition depot in southern Ukraine, resulting in a massive explosion captured on social media, while rescuers said the death toll from a weekend Russian strike in the country’s east grew to 45.

►Russian President Vladimir Putin will visit Iran next week. The White House said this week that Iran could provide Russia with “hundreds” of drones to continue its attack on Ukraine.

USA TODAY ON TELEGRAM: Join our Russia-Ukraine war channel to receive updates straight to your phone.

Most Ukrainian refugees plan to return, survey says

The majority of Ukrainians who fled the war to other countries plan to return, but around two-thirds said they plan to stay in their host countries until hostilities subside, according to a new survey by the United Nation's refugee agency.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees surveyed nearly 5,000 refugees now living in the Czech Republic, Hungary, the Republic of Moldova, Poland, Romania and Slovakia between May and June.

About 16% said they plan to return to Ukraine within the next two months, a fraction of whom said they were planning to go temporarily to see family, get supplies or help loved ones evacuate.

"One thing that nearly all participants had in common was a shared uncertainty about the future, which prevented them from making long-term plans," the UNHCR said in its report.

'Puppet' leaders in occupied Ukraine face attacks

Anti-Russian sentiment in occupied areas of Ukraine has fueled attacks on the pro-Russian officials being placed in positions of authority by the invading forces, the British Defense Ministry said in an assessment of the war issued Wednesday.

The Russian-appointed administration in Velykyy Burluk, near Kharkiv in eastern Ukraine, acknowledged that one of its mayors was killed Monday in a car bombing. Ukraine news sites described Yevhen Yunakov as a "puppet" and "collaborator."

"The targeting of officials is likely to escalate, exacerbating the already significant challenges facing the Russian occupiers," the assessment said, adding that the violence could increase "the pressure on already reduced military and security formations."

Britons, Moroccan could soon face firing squad

The appeals of two Britons and a Moroccan convicted of terrorism and sentenced to death for fighting alongside Ukrainian troops could be dealt with within a month, the Moscow-backed separatist government in Ukraine's Donetsk province said Wednesday.

Last week the Donetsk People's Republic's parliament lifted a moratorium on executions, clearing the way for a possible firing squad if the appellate court denies the appeals.

U.K. foreign secretary Liz Truss has said she "utterly condemns" the sentencing.

"They are prisoners of war," she said. "This is a sham judgment with absolutely no legitimacy."

LeBron James critical of US efforts to free Brittney Griner

In a trailer for the latest episode of his show "The Shop," LeBron James said if he was in Brittney Griner's situation, he would have doubts about wanting to return to the U.S. after being a detainee in Russia. The episode of "The Shop" premieres Friday at noon ET on the Uninterrupted YouTube channel.

"Over 110 days, now how could she feel like America has her back?" James said. "I would be feeling like, 'Do I even want to go back to America?'"

On Tuesday night, James responded with a clarification, saying he "wasn't knocking our beautiful country." Griner has been incarcerated in Russia since Feb. 17 after law enforcement arrested her at an airport outside of Moscow because of possession of vape cartridges containing cannabis oil in her bag. Griner has since pleaded guilty to the charges – standard procedure in a country where virtually all trials result in convictions – and wrote a handwritten letter to the White House pleading for help.

– Toyloy Brown III

US doctors helping Ukraine medical teams via telehealth

An American health care network is taking an innovative approach to medical care in Ukraine, providing the expertise of its vast roster of specialists to several Ukraine medical centers while also donating hundreds of thousands of dollars in supplies.

Northwell Health, the largest health care provider in New York state, is incorporating the telemedicine system it developed through the COVID pandemic to offer free consultations to medical workers in Ukraine on a 24/7 basis.

Whether they are medics in battlefields, clinicians in war zones or providers caring for wounded soldiers and civilians elsewhere, they can reach Northwell’s experts through a number of web-based platforms, including Whatsapp and Telegram. Read more here.

– Jorge Ortiz, USA TODAY

Contributing: The Associated Press

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ukraine live updates: Russia-Ukraine leaders meet on grain crisis