Ukraine news – live: Putin’s blackmail on food grain deal has failed, says Zelensky

The US has collected evidence which indicates that North Korea is covertly supplying Russia with a “significant” number of artillery shells for its war in Ukraine, it has been revealed.

White House national security spokesperson John Kirby explained on Wednesday that Pyongyang was attempting to obscure the shipments by funneling them through countries in the Middle East and North Africa.

“It is not an insignificant number of shells, but we don’t believe they are in such a quantity that the would change the momentum of the war,” Mr Kirby said.

It comes afyer Russian president Vladimir Putin resumed Moscow’s participation in a UN-brokered deal allowing Ukrainian grain exports after he was urged by western officials to “stop using food as a weapon.”

Russia suspended its involvement in the Black Sea Grain Initiative over the weekend, saying it could not guarantee the safety of civilian ships because of a major drone attack on Russian vessels in the Bay of Sevastopol on the Crimean peninsula – an area Mr Putin annexed from Ukraine in 2014.

Key points

• North Korea supplying Russia with artillery shells, US says

• UK sanctions four Russian steel and petrochemical tycoons

• Russia to resume participation in UN-brokered Black Sea Grain Initiative

• Russia summons UK ambassador over Black Sea Fleet drone strike

• Poland building electric fence along border with Russia’s Kaliningrad

• UN Security Council to vote on Russia's dirty bomb claims

Putin is plunging world’s poorest into further ‘despair’, Cleverly to warn

04:13 , Arpan Rai

Foreign secretary James Cleverly will urge international allies to bolster resilience against Vladimir Putin’s “weaponisation” of energy and food at a meeting of G7 foreign minister in Germany today.

Mr Cleverly will warn that the Russian leader is plunging the world’s poorest “further into despair”.

He is set to stress the need to work together in the face of economic insecurity driven by Moscow’s war on its neighbour.

Mr Cleverly will accuse the Russian president of exploiting a scheme to export grain from Ukraine to low-income countries around the globe – claiming this shows his willingness to “hold the world’s vulnerable hostage”, the foreign office said.

Read the full story here:

Cleverly to warn allies Putin is plunging world’s poorest into further ‘despair’

Ukraine destroys four Russian ammunitions depots

03:35 , Arpan Rai

At least four Russian ammunition depots situated in Ukraine’s south have been destroyed, the Ukrainian military’s southern unit said today.

The Ukrainian salvo of 150 fire missions and an airstrike on Russian positions traced in Ukraine’s south have destroyed four Russian depots and tanks carrying fuel, the southern command said in an update.

Now, Russia now has seven ships in the Black Sea, including one warship and one surface-to-surface missile carrier with eight Kalibr cruise missiles on board, the military unit said.

Russia’s blackmail on food grain deal has failed, says Zelensky

03:25 , Arpan Rai

Volodymyr Zelensky said Moscow’s blackmail has failed and remained fruitless as Vladimir Putin has been forced to take a U-turn and resume the grain exports deal in Europe.

“Today, we have a significant diplomatic outcome for our country and the whole world – the Grain Export Initiative will continue being implemented. Russian blackmail has led nowhere,” Mr Zelensky said in his address last night.

He added: “Once again, everyone saw that there is only one threat to global food security in our region, and that is the Russian Federation, and no one else.”

The Ukrainian president thanked the UN and secretary general Antonio Guterres for “personally responding in a principled and effective way.”

“This entire situation was immediately reflected in the stock exchanges’ indicators – we see some decrease in the price of both wheat and corn. Every time Russian blackmail intensifies, food prices rise. And every time the world does not give in to blackmail, foodstuffs become cheaper,” Mr Zelensky said.

Mr Zelensky said that the phantom threat of the global food crisis would have not existed had there been no attack from Russia on Ukraine.

“Because every Russian missile that hits our ports, grain storage facilities, and power plants that power our agricultural production ultimately affects the standard of living of tens of millions of people in many countries. This includes Egypt, Algeria, Somalia, Sudan, Lebanon, Bangladesh, India, China, Indonesia, Vietnam...,” he said.

03:14 , Arpan Rai

Good morning, welcome to our coverage of the Ukraine war on Thursday, 3 November.

Wednesday 2 November 2022 18:31 , Katy Clifton

Thanks for following our live updates, we are pausing our coverage for the evening.

Pakistan slams ‘baseless’ claim from Russian senator of helping Ukraine develop nukes

Wednesday 2 November 2022 17:30 , Emily Atkinson

Pakistan has denounced statements from a Russian senator that accused Islamabad of helping Ukraine develop nuclear bombs, calling them illogical.

Pakistan’s ministry of foreign affairs said on Tuesday that the statements were baseless and sought an explanation from its Russian counterpart.

“We are surprised by such an unfounded and baseless statement. It is without any rationale, and is entirely inconsistent with the spirit of Pakistan-Russia relations,” foreign office spokesperson Asim Iftikhar said in a statement.

Shweta Sharma reports:

Pakistan slams ‘baseless’ claim from Russian senator of helping Ukraine develop nukes

Watch: Ben Wallace pledges to 'fight for as much money as he can get' to fund defence department

Wednesday 2 November 2022 17:00 , Emily Atkinson

Putin U-turn on grain deal as West tells Russia to ‘stop using food as a weapon’

Wednesday 2 November 2022 16:30 , Emily Atkinson

Russian president Vladimir Putin has been urged by Western officials “stop using food as a weapon” after Moscow agreed to rejoin the UN-brokered deal allowing Ukraine grain exports.

Russia suspended its involvement in the Black Sea Grain Initiative over the weekend, saying it could not guarantee the safety of civilian ships crossing the Black Sea because of an attack on its fleet there.

The Kremlin claimed there was a major drone strike on Russian vessels in the Bay of Sevastopol on the Crimean peninsula – an area Mr Putin annexed from Ukraine in 2014 – part of which it said had originated from within the grain export corridor. Ukraine has said that was a false pretext.

Read our full report here:

Putin U-turn on grain deal as West urges Russia to ‘stop using food as a weapon’

Moscow reserves right to quit grain deal, says Putin

Wednesday 2 November 2022 16:00 , Emily Atkinson

Vladimir Putin has said Moscow reserved the right to withdraw again from a UN-brokered grain shipment deal that it had returned to – but that if it did so, it would not impede grain shipments from Ukraine to Turkey.

In televised remarks, Putin said that, in return for rejoining the agreement, Russia had demanded guarantees that Ukraine would not launch attacks from parts of the Black Sea covered by the deal.

North Korea supplying Russia with artillery shells, US says

Wednesday 2 November 2022 15:34 , Emily Atkinson

The US has collected evidence which indicates that North Korea is covertly supplying Russia with a “significant” number of artillery shells for its war in Ukraine, it has been revealed.

White House national security spokesperson John Kirby explained on Wednesday that Pyongyang was attempting to obscure the shipments by funneling them through countries in the Middle East and North Africa.

“Our indications are that the DPRK is covertly supplying and we are going to monitor to see whether the shipments are received,” Kirby said.

“It is not an insignificant number of shells, but we don’t believe they are in such a quantity that the would change the momentum of the war,” he said.

“And it’s certainly not going to change our calculus ... or with so many of our allies and partners about the kinds of capabilities we’re going to continue to provide the Ukrainians.”

Putin ‘weakened’ by Ukraine war but no leadership change expected ‘anytime soon

Wednesday 2 November 2022 15:11 , Emily Atkinson

Vladimir Putin has been “weakened” by the invasion of Ukraine but the world should not expect a leadership change in Moscow “anytime soon”, Western officials believe.

The Russian military has suffered a series of humiliating blows on the battlefield in recent weeks, with the momentum behind Ukraine’s armed forces heading into the winter.

But it comes amid concerns among some in the West Mr Putin may resort to nuclear weapons as hopes of an easy victory remain out of reach.

Western officials believe while Mr Putin has been weakened, with reports of a growing unhappiness in relation to the conflict, there is little doubt the war will continue to drag on.

Dominic McGrath reports:

Putin ‘weakened’ by Ukraine war but no leadership change expected ‘anytime soon’

Russia says it is committed to preventing nuclear clash

Wednesday 2 November 2022 14:53 , Emily Atkinson

Russia has claimed that avoiding a nuclear clash was its first priority, but accused the West of “encouraging provocations with weapons of mass destruction”.

The Russian foreign ministry said it feared the five declared nuclear powers were teetering “on the brink of a direct armed conflict.”

“We are strongly convinced that in the current complicated and turbulent situation, caused by irresponsible and impudent actions aimed at undermining our national security, the most immediate task is to avoid any military clash of nuclear powers,” the ministry said in a statement.

Putin must stop using food as a weapon, says Cleverly

Wednesday 2 November 2022 14:12 , Emily Atkinson

Foreign secretary James Cleverly has urged Russian president Vladimir Putin to “stop using food as a weapon” after he froze and later resumed Moscow’s participation in a UN-brokered deal allowing Ukraine grain exports.

Taking to Twitter on Wednesday afternoon, Mr Cleverly added: “He has realised he shot himself in the foot by stopping ships from entering Ukrainian ports to load up grain to feed the world.

“The Grain Initiative must now be extended beyond November without further Russian impediments.”

Putin calls for Russia’s weapons to be modernised

Wednesday 2 November 2022 13:48 , Emily Atkinson

President Vladimir Putin has called for the weapons used by Russia‘s military to be modernised.

“Weapons must constantly, continuously improve and remain effective. To achieve this, I repeat, it is important to ensure that there is active competition between manufacturers and developers,” Putin told a meeting of his co-ordination council.

Russia-Ukraine war: What is a dirty bomb?

Wednesday 2 November 2022 13:20 , Emily Atkinson

Kyiv and western allies have accused Russia of claiming Ukraine plans to use a “dirty bomb” as a plot to use a threat of a missile laced with nuclear material as a pretext for escalation of the war.

Moscow’s defence minister Sergei Shoigu phoned Western counterparts to tell them his country suspected Kyiv of planning to use a “dirty bomb“ and that the war was trending towards “uncontrolled escalation.”

Ukraine does not possess nuclear weapons, while Russia has said it could protect its territory with its nuclear arsenal.

Russia-Ukraine war: What is a dirty bomb?

Watch: No water for much of Kyiv amid heavy barrage of Russian missile and drone strikes

Wednesday 2 November 2022 12:55 , Emily Atkinson

US 'sees no indications Russia to use nuclear weapons’

Wednesday 2 November 2022 12:30 , Emily Atkinson

Washington does not see any signs that Moscow is making preparations to use nuclear weapons, a White House spokesman has said.

John Kirby also said that he had no specific comment on a New York Times report about such Russian discussions.

“We’ve been clear from the outset that Russia‘s comments about the potential use of nuclear weapons are deeply concerning, and we take them seriously,” Mr Kirby said.

“We continue to monitor this as best we can, and we see no indications that Russia is making preparations for such use.”

Russia can’t block world’s food, US envoy to UN says

Wednesday 2 November 2022 12:05 , Emily Atkinson

Russia cannot stand in the way of global food production, Washington’s ambassador to the United Nations said as Moscow announced it would resume participation in a UN-brokered deal allowing Ukraine grain exports.

“They can’t stand in the way of feeding the entire world.” US ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield told CNN in an interview, adding that she was “delighted” to hear about Russia‘s return to the agreement, and that Moscow clearly had been “convinced” they needed to resume participation.

UK sanctions four Russian steel and petrochemical tycoons

Wednesday 2 November 2022 11:40 , Emily Atkinson

Four Russian steel and petrochemical tycoons have been sanctioned by the UK government in relation to the war in Ukraine.

Those sanctioned included Alexander Abramov and Alexander Frolov, who the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) described as known associates of oligarch Roman Abramovich, who was himself sanctioned earlier this year.

The pair were targeted for their involvement in the extractive, transport and construction sectors, the FCDO said.

“Today we are sanctioning an additional four oligarchs who rely on Putin for their positions of authority and in turn fund his military machine,” foreign secretary James Cleverly said.

“By targeting these individuals, we are ramping up the economic pressure on Putin and will continue to do so until Ukraine prevails.”

Watch: Russia summons UK ambassador over Black Sea Fleet drone strike

Wednesday 2 November 2022 11:09 , Emily Atkinson

Russia ‘to resume participation in UN-brokered Black Sea Grain Initiative'

Wednesday 2 November 2022 10:33 , Emily Atkinson

Russia will resume its participation in the Black Sea grain deal, state news agency TASS reported, citing the defence ministry.

Moscow suspended its involvement in the deal over the weekend, saying it could not guarantee the safety of civilian ships crossing the Black Sea because of an attack on its fleet there.

Russia summons UK ambassador over Black Sea Fleet drone strike

Wednesday 2 November 2022 10:25 , Emily Atkinson

Moscow will summon the UK ambassador to Russia Deborah Bronnert over its baseless accusation that British specialists had been involved in an alleged Ukrainian drone strike on its Black Sea Fleet in Crimea.

The foreign ministry announced the intervention after it suspended participation in a UN-brokered Black Sea Grain Initiative on Saturday for what it claimed was a major drone attack on vessels in the Bay of Sevastopol on the Crimean peninsula – an area the Kremlin annexed from Ukraine in 2014.

Russia‘s defence ministry said the attack was carried out under the guidance and leadership of British navy specialists, an assertion the UK has dismissed as false.

“These actions were carried out under the guidance of British specialists,” foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.

“In this regard, the British ambassador will shortly be summoned to the Russian foreign ministry.”

Moscow detains Ukrainian citizen on allegation of ‘sabotage’ to Crimean power line

Wednesday 2 November 2022 10:00 , Emily Atkinson

Moscow has detained a Ukrainian citizen on suspicion of planning to “sabotage” a power line in Crimea, Russia‘s Federal Security Service (FSB) said on Wednesday.

The FSB said a man in his 40s had been found carrying diagrams of power lines, three explosive devices and instructions on how to use them, and suspected the man had been recruited by Ukrainian intelligence.

Ukraine grain exports ‘down 32%'

Wednesday 2 November 2022 09:21 , Emily Atkinson

Ukrainian grain exports have slumped in the 2022/23 season to almost 13.4 million tonnes from 19.7 million tonnes at the same date a season earlier, agriculture ministry data shows.

The country’s grain exports have plummeted since Russia invaded in February, with the closing off of its Black Sea ports driving up global food prices and prompting fears of shortages in Africa and the Middle East.

Three Black Sea ports were unblocked at the end of July under a deal between Moscow and Kyiv, brokered by the United Nations and Turkey. The shipments are continuing despite Russia‘s decision to suspend its participation in the agreement.

Poland orders construction of wall along Kaliningrad border

Wednesday 2 November 2022 08:40 , Emily Atkinson

Poland’s defence minister has ordered the construction of a temporary barrier along the border with the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad.

The move comes as Warsaw suspects that Russia plans to facilitate illegal border crossings by Asian and African migrants.

Defence minister Mariusz Blaszczak said the border needs to be secured in order for Poland to feel secure. He said he had authorised the construction of a temporary barrier along the 210-kilometre (130-mile) border.

The work will begin on Wednesday.

Russian Wagner forces ‘making advances of 100-200m per day'

Wednesday 2 November 2022 08:09 , Emily Atkinson

The owner of the Russian Wagner Group private military company has claimed that its forces were making advances of 100-200m per day, according to the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD).

In its daily intelligence update, posted to Twitter, the MoD said that Yevgeny Prigozhin alleged the sizeable advance was “normal in modern warfare.”

The post continues: “According to their military doctrine, Russian forces plan to advance 30km or more per day in most conditions. In February, Russian forces planned to make a 1000km advance through Ukraine within a month. In September, Ukrainian forces achieved advances of over 20km per day.”

“In the last two months, Prigozhin has abandoned any pretence that he is not associated with Wagner and has been more explicit in his public statements. He is likely trying to burnish his credibility within the stressed Russian national security system.”

Russia ‘launches Soyuz rocket carrying military satellite'

Wednesday 2 November 2022 07:50 , Emily Atkinson

Moscow has launched a Soyuz rocket carrying a military satellite into space, Russian news agencies reported, citing the defence ministry.

The rocket - a Soyuz-2.1b medium-class launch vehicle - was launched at 9:48 a.m. Moscow time (0648 GMT) from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome, the ministry was quoted as saying.

It did not provide details about the purpose of the satellite.

Watch: Russian state TV editor blames 'Friends' for division between Russia and America

Wednesday 2 November 2022 07:30 , Emily Atkinson

Ships sail after Russia exits grain deal

Wednesday 2 November 2022 07:15 , Sravasti Dasgupta

Ships loaded with grain have departed Ukraine despite Russia suspending its participation in the UN-brokered deal that ensures safe wartime passage of food supplies.

The UN said that three ships carrying 84,490 metric tons of corn, wheat and sunflower meal left Ukraine through the humanitarian sea corridor set up in July, while 36 other vessels cleared inspections near Turkey to head to their final destinations.

The corridor, brokered by Turkey and the UN, was seen as a breakthrough to ensure Africa, the Middle East and parts of Asia would receive grain and other food from the Black Sea region during Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Russia backed out of the deal last weekend.

The UN said that while ships sailed on Tuesday, such vessels would not travel on Wednesday, raising fears about the future of the initiative.

Amir Abdulla, the agreement’s UN coordinator, said that ships are expected to sail again on Thursday.

Ukraine official pleads for more air defence help

Wednesday 2 November 2022 07:00 , Sravasti Dasgupta

Mykhailo Podolyak, a senior Ukrainian adviser and a chief negotiator, said to The Independent that Russia had one aim: “to destroy the civilian population of Ukraine” by making them freeze to death.

Mr Podolyak wants Ukraine’s allies, particularly the UK, to help reconstruct damaged facilities and to send more weapons.

Read Bel Trew’s exclusive report from Kyiv:

‘Don’t watch us die of cold live on TV’: Ukraine pleads for more air defence help

Russia begins semi-annual autumn recruitment drive

Wednesday 2 November 2022 06:45 , Sravasti Dasgupta

Russia has started its semi-annual military recruitment drive for the autumn amid reports of continuing covert mobilisation for the war in Ukraine.

2,700 draft committees across the country have begun the process of calling up 120,000 men, Russian defence minister Sergey Shoigu was quoted as saying by The Kyiv Independent.

Experts say that Russia is continuing to enlist and mobilise soldiers despite the minister’s earlier statements announcing the conclusion of partial mobilisation and transition into the conscription period on 28 October.

Putin may consider resuming grain deal if Ukraine gives 'guarantees'

Wednesday 2 November 2022 06:30 , Sravasti Dasgupta

Russian president Vladimir Putin has said that Moscow may consider resuming a deal allowing grain exports from Ukrainian seaports but only after securing “real guarantees” from Kyiv.

According to a statement released by the Kremlin, Mr Putin told his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan on a phone call that Russia has sought “real guarantees from Kyiv about the strict observance of the Istanbul agreement, in particular about not using the humanitarian corridor for military purposes”.

Last weekend Russia claimed a Ukrainian drone attack against its Black Sea fleet in announcing that it was suspending its participation in the grain deal.

The Kremlin statement added that Russia wants “a detailed investigation into the circumstances of this incident”.

Kyiv prepares 1,000 heating points amid Russian attacks on energy infrastructure

Wednesday 2 November 2022 06:15 , Sravasti Dasgupta

Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko said that authorities in Ukraine’s capital are preparing more than 1,000 heating points in case its district heating system is disabled by continued Russian attacks.

“The worst one is where there will be no electric power, water or district heating at all,” he said in a post on Telegram.

“For that case, we are preparing over 1,000 heating points in our city.”

He added that the locations will be equipped by generators and have a stock of necessities such as water.

Zelensky calls for stronger defence of grain corridor

Wednesday 2 November 2022 06:00 , Sravasti Dasgupta

Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky has sought stronger defence of the UN-backed grain corridor.

In a late night address on Tuesday, Mr Zelensky said that while ships were still moving out of Ukrainian ports with cargoes a long term defence is needed.

“But a reliable and long-term defence is needed for the grain corridor.”

“Russia must clearly be made aware that it will receive a tough response from the world to any steps to disrupt our food exports.”

“At issue here clearly are the lives of tens of millions of people.”

The UN-brokered Black Sea grain export deal is aimed at easing a global food crisis.

Russia withdrew from the accord last week and said it could not guarantee safety for civilian ships because of an attack on its Black Sea fleet.

UN Security Council to vote on Russia's dirty bomb claims

Wednesday 2 November 2022 05:46 , Sravasti Dasgupta

The UN Security Council will vote on a resolution that calls for a commission to probe Russia’s claims that Ukraine and the US are carrying out “military biological” activities that violate the convention prohibiting the use of biological weapons.

Russia called the meeting last week, after making unsubstantiated allegations that Ukraine is planning to use a “dirty bomb” and blame Moscow for the blast.

The claim has been dismissed by Kyiv and many western states as “transparently false”.

According to diplomats it is highly unlikely that the Russian draft resolution will be adopted by the Security Council.

Wednesday 2 November 2022 05:36 , Sravasti Dasgupta

Welcome to The Independent’s live coverage of the Ukraine war for Wednesday 2 November.