Ukraine news – live: Over 45 countries agree to co-ordinate Russia war crimes inquiry

The US, UK and more than 40 other countries have agreed to co-ordinate investigations into suspected war crimes in Ukraine, shortly after what Kyiv said was a Russian missile strike that killed civilians far from front lines.

The nations - which also includes EU states, Canada, Mexico and Australia - signed the political declaration at a conference in The Hague, the headquarters of the International Criminal Court.

It came as Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russia of committing an “open act of terrorism” with a strike on an office block that has killed more than 20 and injuring 90 others.

The Russian missiles struck the city of Vinnytsia, which sits southwest of Kyiv and has become a a hub for humanitarian aid.

Officials said they hit an office building, damaged nearby residential blocks and setting parked cars on fire.

“Every day Russia is destroying the civilian population, killing Ukrainian children, directing missiles at civilian objects,” Mr Zelensky wrote on Telegram after the strike.

Key Points

• Dozens of nations promise to work together in war crimes investigation

• Vinnytsia strike ‘open act of terrorism’, Zelensky says

• War continues, shelling does not stop even for a day – Zelensky

• Putin to visit Iran amid reports Tehran wants to supply ‘several hundred’ drones to Russia

• Three reported dead and 31 injured as Russian ‘hits civilian areas’ in Kharkiv

• Moscow says missile strike hit and killed Ukrainian troops on Snake Island

‘We should prepare ourselves for the scenario where we have to go without all Russian gas,’ Macron says

16:16 , Zoe Tidman

President Emmanuel Macron has warned French citizens to prepare for a total cut-off of Russian natural gas by supporting alternatives, having public lights switched off at night and engaging in a period of nationwide energy “sobriety”.

“This war will continue,” he said in a televised interview marking France’s national holiday, Bastille Day.

“The summer, early autumn will be very hard.”

“Russia is using energy, like it is using food, as a weapon of war,” Mr Macron said.

“We should prepare ourselves for the scenario where we have to go without all Russian gas.”

AP

Dozens of nations promise to work together in war crimes investigation

14:51 , Zoe Tidman

More than 40 countries have signed a political declaration to work together on investigations into war crimes in Ukraine.

The agreement was made during a conference in The Hague, headquarters of the International Criminal Court (ICC).

The 45 nations also pledged €20m (£17m) to assist the ICC, as well as the prosecutor general’s office in Ukraine and United Nations support efforts.

With more than 20,000 war crimes investigations now open and different countries heading teams, evidence needs to be credible and organised, officials said.

Additional reporting by Reuters

Death toll rises to 20 in Vinnytsia

14:04 , Zoe Tidman

At least 20 people, including a child, have been killed in a rare Russian strike on the central city of Vinnytsia, Ukraine’s State Emergency Services have said.

Another 90 people were injured said officials, Bel Trew reports from Kyiv:

At least 20 killed after Russia launches rare attack on central Ukraine city

Vinnytsia strike images

13:37 , Zoe Tidman

Here are some images coming out of Vinnytsia:

Details of Vinnytsia strike

13:15 , Zoe Tidman

The missile strike hit the car park of the nine-storey Yuvelirniy office block at around 10.50am local time (7.50am GMT), according to the State Emergency Service.

The attack also destroyed a medical centre and involved three missiles, according to police.

As below, a death toll of 17 - including two children - is being reported.

The city lies about 200 km southwest of Kyiv and is far from the main frontlines in eastern and southern Ukraine.

Seventeen killed in Vinnytsia, officials say

12:48 , Zoe Tidman

It is now being reported the strike on Vinnytsia killed 17 people and wounded about 90 more.

Ukraine’s general prosector’s office gave the latest tally, saying two children were among the dead.

Watch: Scenes from Vinnytsia

12:18 , Zoe Tidman

Here are some scenes emerging from Vinnytsia after the deadly strike:

Full story: At least 12 - including child - killed in strike on Vinnytsia

11:46 , Zoe Tidman

At least 12 people, including a child, have been killed in a rare Russian strike on Vinnytsia, Ukraine’s State Emergency Services have said.

The city has escaped the worst of a Russia’s bombardment, and has become a hub for humanitarian aid as it lies on the crossroads of the east and the west of the country, Bel Trew reports from Ukraine:

At least a dozen dead after Russia launches rare attack on central Ukraine city

Vinnytsia strike ‘open act of terrorism’, Zelensky says

11:17 , Zoe Tidman

Volodymry Zelensky has called the strike in Vinnytsia - now believed to have killed 12 - an “open act of terrorism”.

Ukraine‘s national police said three missiles hit an office building and damaged nearby residential buildings in the city located south-west of the capital Kyiv.

The missile strike ignited a fire that expanded to engulf 50 cars in an adjacent car park.

It is believed to have killed 12 people and injured 25 more.

Ukraine’s presidentsaid a child was among the dead and uggested the attack was deliberately aimed at terrorising civilians.

“Every day Russia is destroying the civilian population, killing Ukrainian children, directing missiles at civilian objects. Where there is no military (targets). What is it if not an open act of terrorism?” Mr Zelensky wrote on the Telegram messaging app.

Eight killed in Vinnytsia strike, officials say

10:29 , Zoe Tidman

At least eight have been killed in a Russian missile strike on the city of Vinnytsia, according to the Ukrainian president’s office.

Governments meeting International Criminal Court chief prosecutor today

09:38 , Zoe Tidman

Government officials from dozens of nations are meeting in the Netherlands today to discuss with the International Criminal Court‘s chief prosecutor how best to coordinate efforts to bring perpetrators of war crimes in Ukraine to justice.

Full story:

Nations discuss coordinating Ukraine war crimes probes

Strikes in Russian-held area in Ukraine

08:47 , Zoe Tidman

Ukrainian forces hit two military checkpoints and a landing pad in the second strike this week on a Russian-held area in southern Ukraine, Ukrainian officials said.

The new attack on Nova Kakhovka in the Kherson region killed 13 “occupiers”, Serhiy Bratchuk, spokesperson for the Odesa regional administration, quoted the Operational Command South as saying. He cited no evidence for the death toll.

Ukraine‘s military said on Tuesday that an attack by its forces on Nova Kakhovka had killed 52 people. The town’s Russia-installed authorities said at least seven people were killed in that attack, Russia’s TASS news agency reported.

Reuters

EU says it will not recognise Russian passports issued to Ukrainians

08:00 , Lamiat Sabin

The European Union said it will not recognise the Russian passports issued to Ukrainian citizens.

It also condemned Russian president Vladimir Putin’s decision earlier this week to fast-track citizenship procedures for Ukrainians.

Josep Borrell – the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy – reportedly said: “The new Russian legislation now simplifying the procedure for all Ukrainians to obtain Russian citizenship is yet another flagrant violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty, linked to Russia’s illegal war.”

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine has called on the country’s allies in the West to “to react strongly to Putin’s passport fantasies.”

Water supply to Mariupol to resume in the latter half of July

07:30 , Lamiat Sabin

Water supplies will reportedly resume over the coming weeks in the Russian-held Ukrainian city of Mariupol.

Russian state news agency TASS cited the Russian-designated mayor Konstantin Ivaschenko.

Ivaschenko, whose appointment to the post has not been recognised by Ukraine, said authorities plan to resume operation of the city’s passenger port that links to Russia’s Rostov-on-Don and Black Sea cities.

Russia has not achieved significant territorial advances in last 72 hours - British MoD

06:59 , Arpan Rai

The Russian troops in Ukraine have not made any significant territorial advances over the last 72 hours and risk losing the momentum built up in the eastern part of the besieged country, the British defence ministry said in its latest intelligence update.

“…they have achieved no significant territorial advances over the last 72 hours and are in danger of losing any momentum built up following the capture of Lysychansk,” the ministry said on Thursday morning.

“In the Donbas, Russian forces continue to conduct artillery strikes across a broad front followed by, in some areas, probing assaults by small company and platoon-sized units,” the MoD said.

The British defence ministry also claimed that the Russian forces are saddled with archaic artillery in its war with Ukraine.

“The ageing vehicles, weapons, and Soviet-era tactics used by Russian forces do not lend themselves to quickly regaining or building momentum unless used in overwhelming mass – which Russia is currently unable to bring to bear,” the ministry said.

However, it warned that the prospects for wider talks to end the war in Ukraine remain low despite “talks between delegations from Ukraine, Russia, Turkey, and the UN on grain exports and recent successfully negotiated prisoner exchanges”.

Making significant efforts to restore food supply to world market - Zelensky

05:48 , Arpan Rai

Welcoming the unblocking of agricultural exports in Europe, Volodymyr Zelensky thanked the United Nations and Turkey, which brokered the talks with Russia, for their help in making the first such attempt to resolve the ongoing food crisis.

“We are indeed making significant efforts to restore the supply of food to the world market. And I am grateful to the United Nations and Turkey for their respective efforts. The success of this story is needed not only by our state, but also, without exaggeration, by the whole world,” Mr Zelensky said.

He added: “If we manage to remove the Russian threat to navigation in the Black Sea, it will remove the severity of the world food crisis.”

“The Ukrainian delegation informed me that there is some progress. We will agree on the details with the UN Secretary General in the coming days,” the Ukrainian president said.

Zelensky to address Hague on Russian war criminals

05:19 , Arpan Rai

Volodymyr Zelensky has said he will address the forum in The Hague tomorrow and talk about the prosecution of Russian war criminals.

“I am preparing to address the participants of the forum in The Hague in the Netherlands, which will be held tomorrow and dedicated to the prosecution of Russian war criminals. World democracies are willing to do everything necessary to make every Russian terrorist responsible for evil against Ukrainians,” Mr Zelensky said in his nightly address.

“We must coordinate our efforts in such a way that all the guilty receive fair sentences” as there will be a tribunal, he added.

In the battle-hit places, Mr Zelensky said that debris clearance continued after the Russian attack on the city of Chasiv Yar.

“As of this time, the list of the dead includes 48 people, including one child. Unfortunately, the number of those rescued has not changed - 9 people. Rescuers will work on site until all debris is cleared,” he said.

“It was one of the most brutal Russian strikes during the entire war - so many victims... My condolences to the relatives and friends of the victims,” Mr Zelensky said.

IMF further downgrades global growth projections for 2022 and 2023

04:47 , Arpan Rai

The International Monetary Fund has decided to further bring down the projections of global growth for 2022 and 2023 in the wake of the ongoing war in Ukraine and surging fuel prices, which has impacted the inflation globally in a domino-effect.

In a statement yesterday, the IMF’s head Kristalina Georgieva said: “The human tragedy of the war in Ukraine has worsened. So, too, has its economic impact especially through commodity price shocks that are slowing growth and exacerbating a cost-of-living crisis that affects hundreds of millions of people—and especially poor people who cannot afford to feed their families. And it’s only getting worse”.

Ms Georgieva added that the inflation is “higher than expected and has broadened beyond food and energy prices”.

“This has prompted major central banks to announce further monetary tightening—which is necessary but will weigh on the recovery. Continuing pandemic-related disruptions—especially in China—and renewed bottlenecks in global supply chains have hampered economic activity,” the statement read.

“As a result, recent indicators imply a weak second quarter—and we will be projecting a further downgrade to global growth for both 2022 and 2023 in our World Economic Outlook Update later this month,” it added.

The IMF has stated that the outlook remains “extremely uncertain”.

“Think of how further disruption in the natural gas supply to Europe could plunge many economies into recession and trigger a global energy crisis. This is just one of the factors that could worsen an already difficult situation,” the IMF head said.

It is going to be a tough 2022—and possibly an even tougher 2023, with increased risk of recession, the statement added.

Explosions heard in Ukrainian city near Black Sea

04:25 , Arpan Rai

The Ukrainian city of Mykolaiv was rocked by explosions early today, officials said.

The explosions were reported by Mykolaiv mayor Oleksandr Sienkevych, who urged residents to stay in shelters, reported The Kyiv Independent.

British men captured in Ukraine appeal death sentences – separatist leader

04:15 , Liam James

The leader of a Moscow-backed separatist government in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk province said two British foreign fighters convicted of terrorism and trying to overturn constitutional order for helping Ukrainian troops have appealed their death sentences.

If the court rejects the appeals, the British men and a Moroccan could face a firing squad.

Donetsk separatist leader Denis Pushilin said about 100 members of a Ukrainian National Guard battalion captured after the fall of Mariupol were scheduled to appear before a court soon.

Aiden Aslin and Shaun Pinner, the two British men, were captured weeks after the war began after travelling to fight with Ukrainian forces against the advice of the UK Foreign Office.

Lego pulls out of Russia ‘indefinitely’ and closes 81 stores

03:12 , Liam James

Lego has made the decision to close its shops in Russia “indefinitely” following Vladmir Putin’s launch of war on Ukraine (Maryam Zakir-Hussain writes).

The Danish toy company had already ended its sales into Russia in February, shortly after the invasion began.

But on 12 July, Lego cut off its partnership with Inventive Retail Group- a local company which runs many of the toy giant’s stores.

In a statement released on Tuesday, the company said: “The Lego Group paused shipments to Russia in March. Given the continued extensive disruption in the operating environment, we have decided to indefinitely cease commercial operations in Russia.

“This includes ending employment for most of our Moscow-based team and our partnership with Inventive Retail Group who owned and operated 81 stores on the brand’s behalf.”

Lego pulls out of Russia ‘indefinitely’ and closes 81 stores

Ukrainian military tries to reclaim captured city in south as Russia sets sights on east

02:08 , Liam James

The Ukrainian military claimed on Tuesday to have used missiles to destroy a Russian ammunition depot in occupied Nova Kakhovka, a city east of the Russian-occupied Black Sea port of Kherson.

The precision of the depot strike suggested Ukrainian forces had employed US-supplied multiple-launch High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, or Himars.

Russia’s Tass news agency said the reported blast occurred when a mineral fertiliser storage facility exploded. Some ingredients in fertiliser can be used for ammunition.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian and Russian officials met face-to-face on Wednesday for the first time in months. Military delegations from the two countries and Turkey were holding talks in Istanbul on a potential deal to get grain out of Ukraine’s blockaded and mined ports through the Black Sea.

United Nations representatives also were involved in the talks. Ukraine is one of the world’s largest exporters of wheat, corn and sunflower oil, but Russia’s invasion has halted shipments, endangering food supplies in many developing countries and contributing to higher global prices.

The Ukrainian foreign minister says grain exports from his country’s ports won’t resume without security guarantees for ship owners, cargo owners and Ukraine as an independent nation.

‘If you can’t send tanks, send crisps’: The Briton on the front line in Ukraine’s foreign legion

Thursday 14 July 2022 00:20 , Liam James

The one thing Craig, a Londoner, misses more than anything else while fighting on the front line in Ukraine is salt and vinegar crisps.

At the start of 2022, the 31-year-old was a semi-retired network cabling engineer more likely to be found “chilling out and snowboarding”.

Then, on 24 February, Russia invaded Ukraine. The Stockwell resident was so enraged he couldn’t sleep for three days. In the end, despite having no combat experience, he travelled to the war-torn country and signed up for the foreign legion. Four months on, he is still fighting as an infantryman on one of many front lines, where the fighting is ferocious.

In the worst moments in the trenches, under relentless Russian fire, when food and supplies are scarce, he says home comforts get the troops through.

Bel Trew reports on the ground in Kharkiv:

‘If you can’t send tanks, send crisps’: The Briton in Ukraine’s foreign legion

Warning household energy costs could triple in Germany as Russian gas supplies dwindle

Wednesday 13 July 2022 23:04 , Sam Rkaina

Household energy costs could triple in Germany as Russian gas supplies dwindle, officials in the sector said, and one company representative raised the possibility of social unrest unless there was a cap on prices.

In an interview with the RND newspaper group published on Thursday, Klaus Mueller, head of the Federal Network Agency regulator urged consumers to reduce consumption and set aside money.

And in an interview with Reuters, the head of the municipal works of Chemnitz, one of the 900 city-owned public companies that are a major part of Germany’s energy landscape, went further.

“We must help average households and set an upper limit for energy costs,” Roland Warner said, warning that annual bills of 1,500 euros could rise to 4,700 euros in October. “If we get social unrest the state won’t be able to cope.”

The energy ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent after working hours.

Energy minister Robert Habeck has in the past rejected calls for state price caps, saying the state cannot fully offset increased prices and that attempting to do so would send the wrong signal about the need to conserve energy.

After prospering from cheap Russian gas for decades, Europe’s largest economy is facing a crunch as Russia dials back supplies.

Western governments say Moscow is retaliating against sanctions imposed over its invasion of Ukraine, but Moscow blames technical problems.

Some analysts warn that public backing for a tough line against Moscow could weaken further if living standards decline.

A Forsa poll published on Wednesday found that support for a boycott of Russian gas - a major source of finance for what Moscow calls its “special operation” in Ukraine - had fallen from 44% of respondents six weeks ago to just 32% now.

With spot prices soaring, Mueller warned that end-consumers rolling over their fixed-term contracts now would find themselves paying twice as much now, and three times at the end of the summer.

“Some prices on exchanges are up sevenfold,” said Mueller. “It’s not all going to come through immediately, and won’t be fully passed on, but it’s going to have to be paid eventually,” he said.

Irish Government warns of “severe shortage” of accommodation for Ukrainian refugees

Wednesday 13 July 2022 22:30 , Sam Rkaina

The Irish Government has warned of a “severe shortage” of state accommodation for arriving Ukrainian refugees.

Amid worsening overcrowding at the transit centre at the Citywest hotel complex in Dublin, new arrivals who do not have alternative accommodation already arranged are being asked to remain at Dublin Airport overnight and into Thursday.

Ireland has taken in around 40,000 refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine – the majority of them women and children.

Asylum seekers from other countries also continue to seek sanctuary in Ireland through the International Protection Service.

Taoiseach Micheal Martin is to hold talks with other ministers on Thursday to discuss the situation as the Government attempts to put alternative accommodation arrangements in place.

“Ensuring the security, health and safety of people who are fleeing Ukraine has been, and remains, a top priority for the Government since the Russian attack began in February,” a Government statement said.

“Most of the people arriving in Ireland are women and children.

“This effort has involved, inter alia, all relevant Government departments and offices, local authorities, the Defence Forces and state agencies such as Tusla (Child and Family Agency) and the HSE (Health Service Executive).

“Over the past number of weeks there has been a very significant increase in the number of people seeking access to the International Protection Service (IPS) and this is causing a severe shortage of available accommodation for both people arriving from Ukraine and international protection applicants.

“This is also causing overcrowding in the Citywest Transit Hub.

“Incoming arrivals overnight will remain in Dublin Airport if they do not have an alternative source of accommodation.

“Government is working intensively to put alternative arrangements in place with immediate effect.

“The Taoiseach is meeting with relevant ministers tomorrow to discuss the situation and review the current policies and processes.”

Talks in Istanbul held behind closed doors

Wednesday 13 July 2022 21:30 , Sam Rkaina

Pyotr Ilyichev, head of the international organisations department at Russia’s foreign ministry, said Russia wanted to control and inspect vessels itself to rule out arms smuggling.

Several Ukrainian cities meanwhile reported heavy Russian shelling and, while not linking a grain deal to progress in talks to end the war, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba was downbeat on prospects for peace.

More than 20 million tonnes of Ukrainian grain are stuck in silos at the Black Sea port of Odesa and dozens of ships have been stranded due to Russia’s blockade, part of what Moscow calls its “special military operation” in Ukraine but which Kyiv and the West say is an unjustified war of aggression.

The talks, in Istanbul between Ukrainian, Russian, Turkish and U.N. officials, took place behind closed doors at an undisclosed location.

Igor Konashenkov, a spokesperson for Russia’s defence ministry, said Moscow had put forward proposals to resolve the grain issue as soon as possible.

Turkey published a photograph of the meeting showing the Russian and Ukrainian delegations sitting opposite each other looking stony-faced.

Apart from being major global wheat suppliers, Russia is also a large fertilizer exporter and Ukraine a significant producer of corn and sunflower oil.

So, clinching a deal to unblock exports is seen as vital for food security, notably among developing nations, and for stabilising markets.

Turkey announces grain deal

Wednesday 13 July 2022 21:00 , Sam Rkaina

Turkey has announced a deal with Ukraine, Russia and the United Nations aimed at resuming Ukrainian grain exports blocked by Russia, raising prospects for an end to a standoff that has exposed millions to the risk of starvation.

Turkish defence minister Hulusi Akar said the deal would be signed when the parties meet again next week and included joint controls for checking grains in ports and Turkey ensuring the safety of Black Sea export routes for Ukrainian grain.

Turkey would also set up a coordination centre with Ukraine, Russia and the United Nations for grain exports, he said.

Ukraine, which was invaded by Russia in February in what has become Europe’s biggest conflict since World War Two, had said earlier that a deal appeared just “two steps away” as Turkey hosted the four-way talks in Istanbul.

U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres said a “critical step forward” had been made toward reviving Ukrainian grain exports but cautioned that “more technical work will now be needed to materialize today’s progress”.

“Today is an important and substantive step, a step on the way to a comprehensive agreement”.

Ukraine and Russia had shown they could talk, but “for peace we still have a long way to go,” he told reporters in New York.

North Korea recognises two Russian-backed breakaway “people’s republics”

Wednesday 13 July 2022 20:30 , Sam Rkaina

North Korea has recognised two Russian-backed breakaway “people’s republics” in eastern Ukraine as independent states, a separatist leader and a Russian state news agency said.

The move makes North Korea only the third country after Russia and Syria to recognise the two breakaway entities, the Donetsk (DPR) and Luhansk People’s Republics (LPR), in Ukraine’s Donbas region.

In a post on his Telegram channel, DPR leader Denis Pushilin said he hoped for “fruitful cooperation” and increased trade with North Korea, an isolated, nuclear-armed state more than 4,000 miles away.

The DPR’s Embassy in Moscow posted a photo on its Telegram channel of a ceremony in which North Korea’s ambassador to Moscow, Sin Hong-chol, handed a certificate of recognition to DPR envoy Olga Makeyeva.

North Korea’s Embassy in Moscow confirmed it had recognised the independence of both entities on Wednesday, Russia’s TASS news agency later reported.

Ukraine immediately severed relations with Pyongyang over the move.

But the recognition was welcomed by some Donetsk residents living in the self-proclaimed “republic”.

“Of course I’m happy,” said Olga, who declined to give her surname. “Let more recognise us, so that everybody knows we’re here.”

Anastasia, who also declined to give her surname, told Reuters the more countries that recognise the entities, the less chance Kyiv had of recapturing control of territory seized by the Russian-backed separatists and Russian armed forces.

“Step by step we are joining the world stage,” she said.

Russia, which has backed the regions since 2014, recognised them on the eve of its invasion of Ukraine in a move condemned by Kyiv and the West as illegal.

Russia justified its decision to launch the war, which it calls a “special military operation”, by saying it was protecting Russian speakers who live there from “genocide”.

Kyiv and the West have dismissed these assertions as a pretext for waging war and seizing swathes of Ukraine’s territory.

North Korea previously expressed support for Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014.

‘Most Ukraine refugees want to return home’ UN says

Wednesday 13 July 2022 20:00 , Sam Rkaina

The United Nations refugee agency reported that most Ukrainian refugees want to return home but plan to wait until the war subsides.

Nearly two-thirds plan to stay put in their host countries for now. The vast majority of refugees from Ukraine are women and children.

The UN agency’s findings came in a survey based on 4,900 interviews with refugees in the Czech Republic, Hungary, Moldova, Poland, Romania and Slovakia.

Two British men and Moroccan appeal against death sentences

Wednesday 13 July 2022 19:30 , Sam Rkaina

The leader of a Moscow-backed separatist government in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk province said foreign fighters convicted of terrorism and trying to overturn constitutional order for helping Ukrainian troops have appealed against their death sentences.

If the appellate court in the separatists’ self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic rejects the appeals, two British men and a Moroccan could face a firing squad.

Rebel leader Denis Pushilin said about 100 members of Ukrainian National Guard battalion captured after the fall of Mariupol were scheduled to appear before a court soon.

Ukrainian military tries to reclaim captured city in south as Russia sets sights on east

Wednesday 13 July 2022 18:55 , Sam Rkaina

With Russia’s sights set on the east, the Ukrainian military has tried to reclaim a captured city in the south.

The Ukrainian military claimed on Tuesday to have used missiles to destroy a Russian ammunition depot in occupied Nova Kakhovka, a city east of the Black Sea port of Kherson.

The precision of the depot strike suggested Ukrainian forces had employed US-supplied multiple-launch High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, or HIMARS.

Russia’s Tass news agency said the reported blast occurred when a mineral fertiliser storage facility exploded. Some ingredients in fertiliser can be used for ammunition.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian and Russian officials met face-to-face on Wednesday for the first time in months. Military delegations from the two countries and Turkey were holding talks in Istanbul on a potential deal to get grain out of Ukraine’s blockaded and mined ports through the Black Sea.

United Nations representatives also were involved in the talks. Ukraine is one of the world’s largest exporters of wheat, corn and sunflower oil, but Russia’s invasion has halted shipments, endangering food supplies in many developing countries and contributing to higher global prices.

The Ukrainian foreign minister says grain exports from his country’s ports won’t resume without security guarantees for ship owners, cargo owners and Ukraine as an independent nation.

US Secretary of State condemns ‘unlawful transfer of protected persons'

Wednesday 13 July 2022 18:20 , Sam Rkaina

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has condemned the “unlawful transfer and deportation of protected persons” from areas in Ukraine that Russia now controls.

“Russian authorities must release those detained and allow Ukrainian citizens forcibly removed or coerced into leaving their country the ability to promptly and safely return home,” Mr Blinken said in a statement.

Mr Blinken said an estimated 900,000 to 1.6 million Ukrainian citizens - including 260,000 children - have been interrogated, detained and deported to Russia, in areas including the country’s far east.

“Moscow’s actions appear pre-meditated and draw immediate historical comparisons to Russian “filtration” operations in Chechnya and other areas,” the US official said.

“President Putin’s ‘filtration’ operations are separating families, confiscating Ukrainian passports, and issuing Russian passports in an apparent effort to change the demographic makeup of parts of Ukraine.”

Mr Bliken cited mounting evidence that Russian authorities are detaining, torturing or “disappearing” thousands of Ukrainian civilians who Russia considers threatening because of their potential ties to the Ukrainian army, media, government or civil society groups. Some Ukrainians, according to reports, have been summarily executed.

“President Putin and his government will not be able to engage in these systematic abuses with impunity. Accountability is imperative,” said Mr Blinken. “The United States and our partners will not be silent. Ukraine and its citizens deserve justice.”

Ukraine soldiers battle to hold onto outlying villages

Wednesday 13 July 2022 17:45 , Sam Rkaina

In adjacent Luhansk province, which Russian and separatist forces have all but conquered, Ukrainian soldiers battled to retain control of two outlying villages amid Russian shelling, Governor Serhiy Haidai said.

Luhansk and Donetsk together make up Ukraine’s Donbas region, a mostly Russian-speaking region of steel factories, mines and other industries vital to Ukraine’s economy.

The Russians are “deliberately turning Donbas into ashes, and there will be just no people left on the territories captured,” Mr Haidai said.

Russian artillery also rained down in north-east Ukraine, where a regional governor, Oleg Syniehubov, accused Russian forces of trying to “terrorise civilians” in Kharkiv, the country’s second-largest city.

Five killed in missile strikes on southern Ukraine city

Wednesday 13 July 2022 17:13 , Sam Rkaina

Russian missile strikes in Ukraine’s southern city of Mykolaiv killed at least five people, Ukrainian authorities have said.

It’s he latest in a series of artillery barrages across the country in the past day that left at least 10 dead and nearly 20 wounded in eastern and southern regions.

While Mykolaiv has repeatedly been the target of Russian fire in recent days, Russian missiles also struck the town of Zaporizhzhia on Wednesday, an attack that could signal Moscow’s determination to hold onto territory in Ukraine’s south as it aims to fully conquer the east.

Ukrainian forces have stepped up actions in a bid to reclaim more territory in the south.

Amid the artillery and missile strikes, the US top diplomat accused Russia of committing a “war crime” by forcibly deporting hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian men, women and children to Russia in a bid to change Ukraine’s demographic makeup.

Some of the civilian deaths occurred in Donetsk province, which is part of a region where pro-Russia separatists have fought the government for eight years and which the Kremlin is intent on capturing.

The city of Bakhmut faced particularly heavy shelling as the current focus of Russia’s offensive, Donetsk administrative chief Pavlo Kyrylenko said.

Over 9 million border crossings registered from Ukraine - UN agency

Wednesday 13 July 2022 15:54 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

More than 9 million people have crossed the border from Ukraine since Russia invaded the country, according to the UN Refugee Agency.

A total of 9,136,006 border crossings have been recorded since the Russian invasion began on Feb. 24, the agency’s tally showed on Wednesday.

North Korea recognises breakaway of Russia's proxies in east Ukraine

Wednesday 13 July 2022 15:24 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

North Korea on Wednesday recognised two Russian-backed breakaway “people’s republics” in eastern Ukraine as independent states, a separatist leader and a Russian state news agency said.

The move makes North Korea only the third country after Russia and Syria to recognise the two breakaway entities, the Donetsk (DPR) and Luhansk People’s Republics (LPR), in Ukraine‘s Donbas region.

In a post on his Telegram channel, DPR leader Denis Pushilin said he hoped for “fruitful cooperation” and increased trade with North Korea, an isolated, nuclear-armed state more than 4,000 miles (6,500 km) away.

The DPR’s embassy in Moscow posted a photo on its Telegram channel of a ceremony in which North Korea’s ambassador to Moscow Sin Hong-chol handed a certificate of recognition to DPR envoy Olga Makeyeva.

North Korea’s embassy in Moscow confirmed it had recognised the independence of both entities on Wednesday, Russia‘s TASS news agency later reported.

Russia, which has backed the regions since 2014, recognised them on the eve of its invasion of Ukraine in a move condemned by Kyiv and the West as illegal.

It justified its decision to launch the war, which it calls a “special military operation”, by saying it was protecting Russian-speakers who live there from “genocide”.

Kyiv and the West have dismissed these assertions as a pretext for waging war and seizing swathes of Ukraine‘s territory.

Ukraine needs assurances to resume grain exports, minister says

Wednesday 13 July 2022 14:59 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The Ukrainian foreign minister says grain exports from his country’s ports won’t resume without security guarantees for ship owners, cargo owners and Ukraine as an independent nation.Military officials from Russia and Ukraine held their governments’ first face-to-face talks in months Wednesday.

They met in Istanbul to discuss a United Nations plan for getting blocked Ukrainian grain to world markets through the Black Sea.Speaking to The Associated Press ahead of the talks, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said any agreement needs to ensure Russia “will respect these corridors, they will not sneak into the harbor and attack ports or that they will not attack ports from the air with their missiles.”

Kuleba also told the AP on Tuesday that Ukraine‘s military is “planning and preparing for full liberation” of Russian-occupied cities and towns near the country’s Black Sea coast.

Ukrainian forces already have stepped up their activity to retake territory in the south as Russia concentrates on eastern Ukraine.Asked about the likelihood of negotiations to end the war that started when Russia invaded neighboring Ukraine on Feb. 24, the foreign minister said peace talks were unlikely to happen soon.

“Russia continues to be in the war mood, and they are not seeking negotiations in good faith. They are seeking a way to make us implement their ultimatums, which is not going to happen,” said Kuleba, who because Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s foreign minister in March 2020.

Death toll from weekend Russian air strike rises to 47

Wednesday 13 July 2022 14:40 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Ukraine‘s emergency services agency says the death toll from a weekend Russian air strike in the Donestsk town of Chasiv Yar rose to 47.

Rescue crews continued searching for survivors on Wednesday in the rubble of three apartment buildings hit by missiles on Saturday.

The buildings in a residential area of the town were inhabited mostly by people who work in nearby factories.

Wednesday 13 July 2022 14:20 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The leader of a Moscow-backed separatist government in eastern Ukraine‘s Donetsk province said foreign fighters convicted of terrorism and trying to overturn constitutional order for working with Ukrainian troops have appealed against their death sentences.

If the appellate court in the separatists’ self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic rejects the appeals, two British men and a Moroccan could face a firing squad.

Rebel leader Denis Pushilin said about 100 members of Ukrainian National Guard battalion captured after the fall of the city of Mariupol were scheduled to appear before a court soon.

Russia's fast-tracking of passports for Ukrainians is 'propaganda', Germany says

Wednesday 13 July 2022 14:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Germany on Wednesday dismissed as “propaganda” a Russian decree that simplifies rules for Ukrainians to obtain Russian passports.

Russia has said that residents of areas of southern and eastern Ukraine occupied since February’s invasion are entitled to become Russian citizens, a move that Ukraine and Western countries say confirms that Moscow plans to retain control of those regions.

The German spokesperson said that “it’s part of Russian propaganda. Ukraine is a sovereign, independent state. No other state can give Ukrainian citizens any kind of passport.”

U.S. calls for observers in Russian-held amid reports of child separation

Wednesday 13 July 2022 13:40 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The United States on Wednesday called on Russia to immediately release Ukrainians it has forced out from their home country and to allow outside observers, citing reports that Moscow was putting Ukrainian children up for adoption and “disappearing’ thousands of others.

“The unlawful transfer and deportation of protected persons is a grave breach of the Fourth Geneva Convention on the protection of civilians and  is a war crime,” U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement.