Russia-Ukraine war: Poland's Prez to gather support for Kyiv's EU bid on Europe tour

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Russia is unwilling to negotiate an end to the war because it still feels strong. Zelenskyy told US corporate leaders Wednesday that for Russia to join in negotiations “is simply not possible now because Russia can still feel its power.”

Speaking via a video link through a translator, he added: “We need to weaken Russia and the world is supposed to do it.” Zelenskyy said Ukraine is doing its part on the battlefield and called for even tougher sanctions to weaken Russia economically. He told the business leaders: “We need to switch Russia off the global financial system completely.”

He also said Ukraine is willing to negotiate with Russia to end the war — but “not at the expense of our independence.”

(AP)

A senior Russian diplomat claimed that weapons provided by the West to Ukraine are already being sold in the black market and also supplied to the Middle East. The statement by made by Konstantin Gavrilov, the head of the Russian delegation at the military security and arms control talks in Vienna, as several western countries have provided armaments to Ukraine in the midst of ongoing conflict.

"There is a danger of the spread of light small arms from the conflict zone, especially Javelins, MANPADS and anti-tank weapons around the world. There are already facts that these weapons are sold on the black market and sent to the Middle East, to Syria's Idlib city. We have already seen the footage," he told Rossiya 24 broadcaster, Sputnik reported. 

Polish President Andrzej Duda has started his trip to southern Europe to convince bloc countries to support granting Ukraine the EU candidate status. During his tour of Southern Europe, Duda will visit Portugal to meet Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa, Eurointegration reported. After he visits Portugal, he will travel to Italy to hold talks with Italian President Sergio Mattarella. Read full story.

According to The Kyiv Independent's report, the Ukrainian city of Mariupol, which is currently occupied by Russia, is facing a medical collapse. Petro Andriushchenko, Advisor to Mariupol mayor, revealed that there is a serious shortage of medical staff in the city hospitals and that the Russians are forcing locals over 80 years old to return to work. He also revealed that around one lakh Ukrainians are trapped in the city without food, water and other utilities.

An Odesa resident named Viktor was sentenced to eight years of imprisonment for providing details about Ukrainian forces to the Russian military, The Kyiv Independent reported. According to a Ukraine court's verdict, the convict also provided information to Russian proxies in Russia-occupied Donbas about Ukrainian checkpoints in the Odesa Oblast region. Moreover, the accused has also been found guilty of searching for other pro-Russian Ukrainians in the area and recruiting them for the same job. 

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, on Wednesday, met with his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu and discussed key issues pertaining to the situation in Ukraine. Addressing a joint press conference in Ankara, Lavrov said that Russia is ready to ensure the safety of ships leaving Ukrainian ports. He also assured Cavusoglu that Moscow will not take advantage of Ukrainian ports for military purposes. The Russian minister also went on to say that problem lies with Ukraine, as it has refused to clear its own territorial waters. 

"But if now, as our Turkish friends tell us, the Ukrainian side is ready to ensure the passage, then let's hope that the problem will be solved. If the Kyiv authorities have matured, we will only be happy to cooperate," Lavrov asserted, the TASS news agency reported. 

On the possibility of Russian leader Vladimir Putin meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Lavrov said that it would only be possible after the resumption of the negotiation process as a whole. "First, it is necessary that the negotiating teams resume work," he said. 

Ukraine’s military intelligence agency says Russia has so far returned the bodies of 210 Ukrainian fighters killed in the battle for Mariupol. It says most of them were among the last holdouts in the Azovstal steel plant. The agency did not specify how many more bodies are believed to remain in the rubble of the plant. The Ukrainian fighters defended the steelworks for nearly three months before surrendering in May under relentless Russian attacks from the ground, sea and air, The Associated Press (AP) reported. 

In the latest development, Muscovites on Wednesday voted for naming the square near the US embassy in Moscow after the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR). The city is also expected to name a square or street in honour of the Lugansk People's Republic, the Moscow city mayor said in a statement. "Muscovites have chosen a name for a square in the Presnensky district. The largest number of votes - 44.69% - was cast for Donetsk People's Republic Square. According to the terms of the poll another square or street will be proposed to be named for the Lugansk People's Republic," the mayor stated, the TASS news agency reported. 

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba stated that his country will not accept alternatives to European Union (EU) candidacy status. Speaking to reportres on Wednesday, the minister said that Ukraine fits the EU candidacy criteria, but that doubters in Europe are attempting to impose alternatives to full candidate status, The Kyiv Independent reported. 

The European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has accused Russia of weaponizing hunger. Speaking at the European Parliament Plenary on the conclusions of the special European Council meeting, Leyen said that the Russian invasion of Ukraine has not only affected economics, geopolitics or security architecture. However, it has also impacted the lives and livelihoods of millions of people around the world. She accused Kremlin of making food a part of its "arsenal of terror." 

"This is a cold, callous and calculated siege by Putin on some of the most vulnerable countries and people in the world. Food has become part of the Kremlin's arsenal of terror," Ursula von der Leyen said in her speech. 

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Italy is demanding that Russia release grain from Ukrainian silos to ease the global food crisis, saying the continued blockade of Ukraine’s ports “is sentencing to death millions of children, women and men, far from the battleground.” Speaking at a conference in Rome, Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio also warned that increased food insecurity in the developing world will trigger political instability and migratory flows.

Many countries in Africa and the Middle East, including Somalia, Tunisia, Libya and Egypt, import much of their grain from Ukraine. Drought and high fuel prices even before the war in Ukraine already had threatened food availability for many developing countries.

Di Maio described the following weeks as crucial. “I want to say clearly that we expect a sign from Russia because blocking exports of wheat means holding hostage and sentencing to death millions of children, women and men far from the battleground.”

(AP)

In its latest operational update, the Ukrainian Defence Ministry claimed that Russia has lost nearly 31,500 soldiers, 3,429 Armored Personnel Vehicles (APV), 1,393 tanks, 703 artillery systems and 212 Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS), and at least 96 anti-aircraft warfare. In addition, the invaders also lost as many as 2,406 vehicles and fuel tanks, 559 Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV), 213 aircraft, 178 helicopters, 125 cruise missiles, and 53 special equipment and 13 boats, the Ukrainian Defence Ministry stated on Twitter. 

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu met his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov and discussed about the situation of Ukrainian grain. Addressing a joint press conference with Lavrov, the Turkish minister said that a UN plan to resume Ukrainian grain exports over a sea corridor was "realistic," but that more negotiations with Moscow and Kyiv are needed to secure the safety of ships. 

On Tuesday, Norway delivered 20 self-propelled Howitzers to Ukraine for use on the frontlines, said Norwegian Defence minister Bjorn Arild Gram. 

Russian airline Aeroflot on Tuesday announced that it will maintain a record of toilet paper rolls on flights to Turkey. 

Russian soldiers, fighting for President Vladimir Putin’s “special” military operation in Ukraine, are approaching exhaustion as the war moves past the grim 100-day mark. Russia’s military aggression in eastern Ukraine has brought some desperately-needed success for Moscow especially after being dissatisfied with its advances in Kyiv. Putin’s forces have also gradually moved towards fierce fighting in Donbas. 

However, all these gains have come at a high price for the Russian troops in Ukraine. Evidence has also emerged that shows significantly high level of casualties amid increased fatigue. Ever since the war started in late February, some fightings in the Russian army have gone public with their appeals to the Kremlin leader to probe into battlefield conditions and if their deployment to the front lines is even legal. 

The Guardian cited two videos, which emerged on social media, showing fighters from Russia-controlled east Ukraine complaining about the poor conditions and long terms of duty on the front lines leading to exhaustion. 

The Russian fighters from the 113th regiment in Donetsk said in one video, “Our personnel have faced hunger and cold…For a significant period, we were without any material, medical or food support.”

“Given our continuous presence and the fact that amongst our personnel there are people with chronic medical issues, people with mental issues, many questions arise that are ignored by the higher-ups at headquarters,” the fighters added. 

Read more here

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelennskyy has said that a “book of Tortures” will be launched in the country which would document “war criminals and criminals from the Russian army". In the daily nightly address on Tuesday, Zelenskyy noted, “These are specific facts about specific people who are guilty of specific violent crimes against Ukrainians”. He also said that the creation of this system has been ongoing for some time now, as the Russia Ukraine war entered day 105.

Zelenskyy said, “And such a ‘Book of Torturers’ is one of the foundations of the responsibility of not only the direct perpetrators of war crimes — soldiers of the occupying army, but also their commanders. Those who gave orders. Those who made possible everything they did in Ukraine. In Bucha, in Mariupol, in all our cities, in all the communities they have reached."
 

In a statement, IBM President Arvind Krishna on Tuesday informed that the company will be "winding down" its operations in Russia "due to the war" in Ukraine. The decision was taken to ensure the safety of the employees, he said. However, the company will be paying its employees in Russia. 

Odesa regional military administration spokesperson Serhiy Bratchuk, on Tuesday, claimed that a Russian soldier "dies every five minutes" on Ukraine soil. His Telegram post came after Ukrainian defence forces on Tuesday night "destroyed" an ammo depot in southern Odesa region that reportedly belonged to the Russian troops.

'Ukraine's further success in the war against the Russian aggressor and the de-occupation of territories depend not only on the unity of the Ukrainian people and the strength of the Armed Forces but also on the weapons supplied to us by partner states, political support, and consistent Western sanctions policy," stated by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in an interview with Financial Times Editor Roula Khalaf.

The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) in its latest war briefing claimed that Russian troops had "indiscriminately" fired at civilians and vehicles at a checkpoint in Kherson Oblast. The US-based think tank also said that the arbitrary attack was a resultant of "growing fear" of defeat among Russin troops in the wake of strong Ukrainian defence. 

US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman on Tuesday met with her Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Senik. The diplomats discussed the impact of Russia's brutal war on global food security and our support for the export of Ukrainian grain to international markets," said US State Department spokesperson Ned Price in a statement. 

Ex-German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Tuesday explained her opposition to Ukraine's ascension to NATO in 2008. Speaking to Germany-based news agency, ARD, Merkel said she thinks Kyiv's membership will push Moscow to "harm" Ukraine. 

Amid the looming global food crisis, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Wednesday arrived in Turkey. Lavrov will discuss potential plans to resume grain exports from Ukrainian ports in the Black Sea. The meeting comes after Ankara had offered to escort maritime convoys from blocked southern Ukraine ports- mainly Odesa and Mariupol, RFERL reported. 

US ambassador to Ukraine, Bridget Brink on Tuesday visited the town of Bucha on the outskirts of Kyiv. “The place of mass burial of the citizens killed by the occupiers, the torture chamber in the children's camp, where civilians were shot, the houses smashed by shells. The Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States to Ukraine Bridget Brink saw all these places of large-scale crimes of the Russian Federation's army in Bucha today, ” said Kyiv Police Chief Andriy Nebytov, as quoted by Ukrinform.

The new Ambassador of Ukraine to Canada, Yulia Kovaliv, on Tuesday presented her credentials to Canadian Governor-General Mary Simon. The ceremony formalised Kovaliv as the head of the Ukrainian diplomatic mission in the country.

US Congress Republican leader in the Senate, Mitch McConnell, extended his support for more weapons supplies to Ukraine in order to deter the Russian offensive. "As Russia sends troops to the front, Ukrainian soldiers need more weapons. They need more powerful weapons, they need weapons of greater range to safely withstand Russia's offensive forces, "McConnell said, as quoted by Ukrinform on Tuesday. 

The Head of Kyiv regional administration, Oleskiy Kuleba, informed that at least 44 enterprises were "completely destroyed" in Russian attacks on Tuesday. 

The United Nations Human Rights Agency on Tuesday published its latest casualties report in the burgeoning Russia-Ukraine conflict in eastern Europe. At least 4,253 civilians have been killed in the war since February 24, when the Russian invasion began, the agency said. 

The fundraising initiative launched by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has raised about $52.5 million in four weeks to meet the needs of Ukrainians. " Funds will be transferred to the official accounts of the National Bank of Ukraine and allocated by assigned ministries to cover the most pressing needs- like medical aid, rebuilding infrastructure, and defence and demining,"  the website says. 

Russia’s ambassador to the United States  Anatoly Antonov has accused Washington of "harassing" Russian journalists. He wrote on Telegram, "Russian journalists sent to the United States are being harassed. They face direct bans on broadcasting on American soil. They have limited access to official events. The process of obtaining work visas is complicated. Bank accounts are blocked. Special services approach employees of our media, persuading them to cooperate".

"Numerous attempts by the embassy to convey to ordinary US citizens our position on topical issues of international politics, with rare exceptions, are immediately rejected by local publications as ‘malicious propaganda’. There is no possibility to publish materials even on a commercial basis,” Antonov added.

Approximately 800 workers have sought shelter in the chemical factory in Severodonetsk, said Lanny Davis, lawyer of Dmytro Firtash, who owns the facility. The total refugees include at least 200 workers out of 3,000 employees of the plant itself, he noted, as reported by the Guardian.

According to the US Congress, at least $4 billion worth of military supplies has been delivered to Ukraine since the Russian war broke out. 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during his Tuesday address informed that Kyiv has decided to keep the energy exports low amid an ongoing global fuel price hike. The move is in the wake of coming winter season when demand for energy is maximum. Also, it is expected to reduce the financial strain on citizens. 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy claimed the Russians had a day of no gains shortly after Moscow claimed control of 97% of one of the two provinces that make up Ukraine's Donbas on June 7. Russian forces have made no substantial progress in the eastern Donbas region, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

"the absolutely heroic defense of the Donbas continues," Zelenskyy said late Tuesday in his nightly video message.

According to Zelenskyy, the Russians plainly did not expect to face such fierce opposition and are now attempting to bring in more troops and weaponry. He claims that the same is true in the southern Kherson region, which was seized by Russian troops early in the conflict.

Russia claimed control of 97% of one of the two provinces that make up Ukraine's Donbas on June 7, putting the Kremlin one step closer to capturing the eastern industrial heartland of coal mining and manufacturing. According to Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, Moscow's forces control practically the whole province of Luhansk. According to Ukrainian officials and military analysts, Russia now controls nearly half of the Donetsk province.

According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, Russia has sanctioned 61 US officials, including Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, as well as the executives of major defence and media corporations. The action was made in response to ever-expanding US sanctions on Russian political and public personalities, as well as representatives of domestic industries, according to the ministry.

The individuals were stated to be the heads of leading military-industrial businesses, media platforms, rating agencies, aircraft and shipbuilding companies, as well as individual US State Department officials involved with propagating misleading claims about'malicious' Russian hacks.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova has announced the suspension of the 1998 agreement with Japan that permitted Japanese fishermen to fish near the Southern Kuril Islands allocated by Russia. She stated that Japan had frozen the payments that were due under the agreement between the two countries, RIA Novosti. Zakharova said that Tokyo was causing a delay in the signing of the document which was signed annually on the "provision of gratuitous technical assistance to the Sakhalin region." 

Russia has suspended the agreement signed in 1998 with Japan on cooperation in fishing of marine living resources. The Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson stressed that the agreement will remain suspended until Japan does not fulfil its financial obligations. As per the RIA Novosti report, Maria Zakharova noted that the agreement between Japan and Russia had been formed on the basis of the balance of interests between the two countries. Under the agreement signed on February 21 in 1998, Japanese vessels were allowed to do fishing in the Southern Kuril according to an allocated quota for a certain fee. 

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The Russian Orthodox Church has reportedly taken full control of Ukrainian eparchies in the occupied region of Crimea. According to reports, the Dzhankoi, Simferopol, and Feodosia eparchies of the Moscow-controlled Ukrainian Orthodox Church have been moved under the direct jurisdiction of Patriarch Kirill.

Russia claimed that it has occupied large swaths of eastern Ukraine after a relentless, weeks-long barrage and the recent deployment of more troops. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said Moscow’s forces have control of 97% of the Luhansk region.

Russia has declared that fully capturing the entire Donbas, which includes the Donetsk and Luhansk regions and where Russia-backed separatists have fought the Ukrainian government since 2014, is its main goal in the invasion of its neighbouring country which began Feb. 24. The region recently has been bearing the brunt of the Russian onslaught.

It’s not clear whether Russia would try to expand its offensive elsewhere in Ukraine if it takes the Donbas. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov warned Monday that if the West provides Ukraine with long-range rockets capable of reaching Russian territory, Moscow will respond by pressing its offensive deeper into Ukraine.

(AP)

In the latest development, the Russian authorities have admitted to sending conscripts to Ukraine amid the ongoing war. According to the military prosecutor of Russia's Western District, as many as 600 conscripts were dispatched to fight in Ukraine. Earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin had stated that the country will not be sending conscripts and reservists to Ukraine. 
 

In the latest update, Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu claimed that the total number of Ukrainian prisoners of war is 6,489. According to reports, there could be more than just military personnel among them as occupiers often kidnap civilians. However, the Ukrainian authorities are yet to comment on the numbers claimed by the Russian Defence Minister. 

In the latest update, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine has accused Russian forces of "remote mining" on their route towards Rubizne in Luhansk. According to Ukraine, the Russian forces have focused their main efforts on the continuous attack on Izium and Slaviansk. The Ukrainian General Staff of the Armed Forces has said that the Russian forces continue to keep the occupied borders in Kharkiv and have been preventing the advancement of troops of Ukraine.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine has claimed that the Russian side continues to conduct mortar shelling of Ukrainian troops in the Sumy region. According to Ukraine, Russian troops continue firing at Ukrainian soldiers in Bazalivka, Brazkivka and Grusuvaha. In addition, Russian soldiers launched air strikes using planes and helicopters in the Donetsk region. 

The Ukrainian General Staff of the Armed forces accused Russian troops of launching a missile strike on Mykolaivka and added that combat between Russian and Ukrainian troops continues in Severodonetsk. In the latest update, the Ukrainian General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine claimed that Russian forces using artillery and military aviation made offensive actions towards Lozove and Bila Krynytsia and noted that the Russian side was unsuccessful in their action. The Ukrainian troops have repelled ten attacks by Russian forces in the past 24 hours and air defence units of Ukraine shot down two Orlan-10 unmanned aircraft.

Ukraine's state nuclear company Energoatom, on Tuesday, rejected an International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) plan to send a team to the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) in southern Ukraine. The statement came a day after IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi stated that the agency is looking to send an expert mission to the Zaporizhzhya NPP -- the largest nuclear plant in Europe. "We're working to send an expert mission to Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant. The biggest NPP in Europe is currently disconnected from @IAEAorg safeguards communications systems. Ukraine requested us, we will go there [sic]," he wrote in a Twitter post. 

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu claimed that the seaports of Mariupol and Berdyansk are functioning normally and are ready to ship grain. "The seaport of Berdyansk has also started working. On behalf of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, we are ready to load grain at Berdyansk and Mariupol ports," Shoigu added, as per the TASS news agency. 

In its latest operational update, the Ukrainian Defence Ministry claimed that Russia has lost nearly 31,360 soldiers, 3,416 Armored Personnel Vehicles (APV), 1,390 tanks, 694 artillery systems and 207 Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS), and at least 96 anti-aircraft warfare. In addition, the invaders also lost as many as 2,405 vehicles and fuel tanks, 553 Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV), 212 aircraft, 177 helicopters, 125 cruise missiles, and 53 special equipment and 13 boats, the Ukrainian Defence Ministry stated on Twitter. 

Ukraine’s president is asking for a secure corridor for Ukrainian vessels to be able to ship out the grain and prevent food shortages in Africa and Asia. Addressing a press conference, Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Kyiv is in talks with countries like Turkey and the United Kingdom about security guarantees for Ukrainian ships.

"It is important for us that there is a security corridor ... that the fleet of this or that country ensures the shipping of the grain. If now we have 22-25 million tons blocked there, in the fall we might have 75 (million tons). What are we going to do? he asked. ”That’s why we can’t do without the ports," Zelenskyy stated.

The issue of blocked grain will be on the agenda on Wednesday during Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s visit to Turkey. Ankara is involved in efforts by the United Nations to reach an agreement for the shipment of Ukrainian grain amid an escalating food crisis.

(AP)

The United States will do everything it can do to put Ukraine in a position of strength in face of Russian aggression, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre asserted on Monday. As the battle for Kyiv’s sovereignty spiralled into its fourth month, Jean-Pierre stressed that a strong position was a pre-requisite for negotiations with the Russian Federation. While she stopped short of spilling details of US support, the official emphasised that it was Russia’s aggression on Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. 

“They [Ukrainians] are fighting for their democracy.  And so, we’re going to do everything that we can to put them in a position of strength so that they can defend themselves.  And if there is an opportunity for them to negotiate, they would be able to do that in a position of strength,” White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said at a briefing.

The Mariupol City Council claimed that Russia is planning to replace the city sign in Ukrainian with the one in Russian. "Footage published by the council shows utility workers near the concrete name of the city at its entrance, as someone behind the camera announces the upcoming replacement," as per The Kyiv Independent. 

On the morning of June 7, 2022, the Russian military opened fire on the city of Mykolaiv. Hostilities are underway in Donetsk Region, Luhansk Region and Kherson Region, stated Ukrinform citing a consolidated report by military and civil administrations on the situation across Ukraine.

Ukraine's armed forces have said on Tuesday that in the Kharkiv region, the Russians are mining the territory on the route of the offensive of the Ukrainian army towards Rubizhne. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine posted on Facebook, "In Kharkiv direction, the enemy's main efforts are focused on holding the occupied frontiers, border areas north of Kharkiv city, and restraining the advance of our troops. The enemy remotely delivers mines on the route of the offensive of our troops towards Rubizhne".

In vague support for  Russia, China on Monday warned against providing weapons to Ukraine or imposing sanctions on Moscow amid war. In the address to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) during the session on Sexual Violence and Human Trafficking in Ukraine, China’s deputy permanent representative to the UN, Dai Bing said that such measures would “only perpetuate and expand the conflict”. According to him, the international community should work with each other to promote peace talks. 

Dai said, “Eliminating sexual violence and human trafficking in conflict is not the end of our efforts. Only through ceasefire and restoring peace can the trauma of conflict for women and children be fundamentally avoided. The international community should work together to promote peace talks, and encourage Russia and Ukraine to come back to the negotiation track.”

“Providing weapons or imposing sanctions and pressure will not solve the problem, but will only perpetuate and expand the conflict. People in Ukraine and other developing countries have no reason to pay the price for geopolitical and bloc confrontations,” he added. 

Russia has slammed the EU for "not listening to the truth and maintaining "low professional standards" after its envoy left the UNSC meeting over allegations that Moscow troops are committing crimes in Ukraine. This comes as UNSC meeting on Sunday witnessed the European Union Council hurling strong allegations against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine. European Council President Charles Michel accused Moscow of committing sexual violence in the war-torn Ukraine and using food supply as a "stealth missile against developing countries", as per an official statement by the EU. Following the allegations levelled against Moscow, Russian Permanent Representative Vasily Nebenzya left the meeting.

Later, the Russian First Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN Dmitry Polyanskiy, took to Twitter to Justify his country's stand. In the tweet, he lambasted the EU by saying that "We came there to listen to the truth." "But the EU clearly doesn’t need it and we heard only cheeky lies and unsubstantiated claims, many of which have been already debunked. It’s painful to see such low professional standards and lack of manners from key EU functioners!".  

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European Council President Charles Michel accused Russia of using food supplies as “a stealth missile against developing countries” and blamed the Kremlin for the looming global food crisis, prompting Moscow’s U.N. ambassador to walk out of a Security Council meeting.

Michel addressed Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia directly at a council meeting Monday, saying he saw millions of tons of grain and wheat stuck in containers and ships at the Ukrainian port of Odessa a few weeks ago “because of Russian warships in the Black Sea.” He said Moscow’s attacks on Ukraine’s transport infrastructure and grain storage facilities, and its tanks, airstrikes and mines are preventing Ukraine from planting and harvesting.

“This is driving up food prices, pushing people into poverty and destabilizing entire regions,” Michel said. “Russia is solely responsible for this looming food crisis. Russia alone.”

Michel accused Russian forces of stealing grain from areas in Ukraine that it has occupied “while shifting the blame of others,” calling this “cowardly” and “propaganda, pure and simple.”

(AP)

The Governor of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast claimed that Russian forces have attacked the region with Uragan missile launchers. Governor Valentyn Reznichenko stated that the region’s Kryvorizky district came under Russian attack on Tuesday night. He further stated that one man has been injured during the attack. 

Russia, which has allegedly plundered millions of tonnes of food grains from Ukraine, is now seeking to make profits by selling it to hunger-stricken countries, New York Times reported citing American officials. It is to note that before the war started, Ukraine made up one-tenth of global wheat exports but with Putin’s forces blocking ports and sabotaging agrarian fields, a threat of global food crisis has surfaced. The continent of Africa is particularly impacted, with many countries facing a potential family in near future. 

Read more. 

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda stated that grain from Ukraine cannot be transported to the Baltic ports through Belarus. He further asserted that there is a need to look for other alternatives as Belarus has been supporting Russia's unjustified attack on Ukraine. "In my opinion, the situation has only worsened recently, and Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko has shown that he is in the same boat as Vladimir Putin in this vile aggression. My opinion and assessment do not change - we must look for other alternatives to transport Ukrainian grain," Nauseda told the Delfi news portal. 

In the latest intelligence update, the UK Ministry of Defence said, "Russia made gains on the southern, Popasna axis through May but its progress in the area has stalled over the last week. Reports of heavy shelling near Izium suggests Russia is preparing to make a renewed effort on the northern axis."

Britain said, "Over the weekend, Ukrainian forces have recaptured parts of Sieverodonetsk although Russian forces likely continue to occupy eastern districts. Russia’s broader plan likely continues to be to cut off the Sieverodonetsk area from both the north and the south."

" Russia will almost certainly need to achieve a breakthrough on at least one of these axes to translate tactical gains to operational level success and progress towards its political objective of controlling all of Donetsk Oblast," it added.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is scheduled to travel to Turkey on Wednesday for talks expected to centre on the issue of establishing a mechanism that would allow Ukraine to export grain through the Black Sea to global markets. Turkey is involved in efforts by the United Nations to reach an agreement for the shipment of Ukrainian grain amid an escalating food crisis. But the discussions in the Turkish capital are also expected to focus on Turkey's plans to launch a new cross-border offensive in northern Syria against Syrian Kurdish militia that Ankara considers to be a security threat.

(AP)

Russia’s ambassador to the United States  Anatoly Antonov has accused Washington of "harassing" Russian journalists. He wrote on Telegram, "Russian journalists sent to the United States are being harassed. They face direct bans on broadcasting on American soil. They have limited access to official events. The process of obtaining work visas is complicated. Bank accounts are blocked. Special services approach employees of our media, persuading them to cooperate".

"Numerous attempts by the embassy to convey to ordinary US citizens our position on topical issues of international politics, with rare exceptions, are immediately rejected by local publications as ‘malicious propaganda’. There is no possibility to publish materials even on a commercial basis,” Antonov added.

Japan imposed sanctions against Rosselkhoz Bank, Moscow Credit Bank and Belinvest Bank in Belarus, a staunch ally of Russia.

The "Ministry of Culture" of the so-called "Donetsk People's Republic" occupied by pro-Russian separatists, has said that a delegation of cultural activists from the self-proclaimed "Donetsk People's Republic" has paid an official visit to Syria. They agreed to develop cultural ties. 

The “unprecedented” displacement of millions of Ukrainians amidst the Russian invasion is “turning into a human trafficking crisis”, the UN Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Armed Conflict said. Addressing members of the UN Security Council (UNSC), Pramila Patten underscored many incidents of trafficking and violence that were recorded amidst the ongoing migration crisis. Therefore, she called for a “coherent and coordinated response” by the international community to address the emergency.

"Women and children fleeing the conflict are being targeted for trafficking and exploitation – in some cases facing further exposure to rape and other risks while seeking refuge,” she told UNSC on Monday.

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The US-based think tank, Institute for the Study of War reported that forced retreat of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet may ease pressure on blockade of Ukraine’s southern ports. It cited Ukraine’s navy in saying that it pushed Russian ships over 100 kilometers from the Ukrainian coast.

It further reported that, while urban combat in Sievierodonetsk is “likely obfuscating reports of control,” Russian troops likely to have control over more parts of the city.

A theater in Ukraine's capital has reopened for the first time since Russian forces invaded the country, and tickets sold out for Sunday's performance.

Theater on Podil was the latest cultural institution in Kyiv to resume operations. Movie theaters and the National Opera opened their doors at the end of May.

“We were wondering how it would be, whether spectators would come during the war, whether they think at all about theater, whether it's of any interest,” said one of the actors, Yuriy Felipenko. “And we were happy that the first three plays were sold out.” Filipenko saysthe theater is putting on plays with just a few actors.

Actor Kostya Tomlyak says he had hesitated to perform in wartime. But the influx of people returning to Kyiv since hostilities there have lessened persuaded him that it's necessary to go on.

In his words, “You continue living, although you don't forget that there is the war. The main question is how actors can be helpful.”

(AP)

Melitopol Mayor Ivan Fedorov said on June 6 that Russian troops leave 'almost all' military checkpoints around Melitopol amid Ukrainian advances. He added that Ukrainian forces are conducting a successful offensive in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, according to Kyiv Independent. 

In a retaliatory move, Russia has imposed sanctions on at least 61 US officials and businesspeople including Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, as well as U.S. heads of defence and media industries, such as Edward Bastian, chief executive of Delta Air Lines. Russia’s Foreign Ministry cited “ever-expanding U.S. sanctions on Russian political and public figures, as well as representatives of domestic businesses” as justification for its decision. All sanctioned officials are barred from entering Russia. 

As the Russia-Ukraine crisis in Eastern Europe has entered its 104th day, the President of war-torn Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted that the United Kingdom has been delivering the armaments to Kyiv as per their requirements to resist Russia's advancement. He further expressed gratitude to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson for having "complete" knowledge of the situation's need. 

During his nightly video address, Zelenskyy said, “I am grateful to Prime Minister Boris Johnson for the complete understanding of our demands and preparedness to provide Ukraine with exactly the weapons that it so needs to protect the lives of our people."

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Sumy Oblast Governor Dmytro Zhyvytsky said that on the evening of June 6, Russian forces attacked several communities in the region with mortars and self-propelled artillery and the region was fired by Moscow 40 times. 

The European Union's High Representative, Josep Borrell, condemned a Russian missile attack, this weekend, which destroyed the second-largest grain terminal in Ukraine. "Another Russian missile strike contributing to the global food crisis. Russian forces have destroyed the second biggest grain terminal in #Ukraine, in #Mykolaiv," Borrell said in a tweet Monday. It is to note here that Mykolaiv is close to some of Ukraine's most fertile grain-producing regions in the war-torn nation. 

Russian Permanent Representative Vasily Nebenzya left the UN Security Council chamber during a speech by European Council President Charles Michel. Michel accused Russia of sexual violence in Ukraine, blockading Ukrainian ports, mining fields and bombing granaries.

Noting that Russian forces sustained personnel, and equipment losses in southern Ukraine, Ukraine’s Operational Command “South” said it killed 26 Russian troops and destroyed 10 units of equipment, including a tank, six armoured combat vehicles, two cars, and a howitzer, according to Kyiv Independent. 

United States President Joe Biden ordered declassifying intelligence in the run-up to the Russia-Ukraine war because US officials’ claims about the impending attack were being met with “scepticism” by American partners and allies, said America's spy chief, according to CNN. US Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines said at a cybersecurity conference on Monday, "When we explained to our policymakers and our policymakers went to their interlocutors, they found that there was a fair amount of skepticism about it". 

He added, "As a consequence, the President came back to us and said, ‘you need to go out and share as much as you possibly can and ensure that folks see what it is that you're seeing, so that we can engage again and perhaps have more productive conversations about how to plan for essentially the potential of a Russian invasion'."

Media reports have stated that Russia has begun handing over bodies of Ukrainian fighters killed at the Azovstal steelwork which was the shelter for people in the besieged city of Mariupol.  Dozens of bodies have been transferred to Kyiv, where DNA testing is under way to identify the remains, according to both a military leader and a spokesperson for the Azov battalion, stated The Guardian.

Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, acknowledged that Russian forces have a numerical advantage in the battle for the eastern city of Sievierodonetsk, but stressed that Ukrainian soldiers have "every chance" of fighting back. "Our heroes do not give up positions in Sievierodonetsk. In the city, fierce street fighting continues," he declared in his most recent national speech, adding that "the Ukrainian Donbas stands strong." Zelenskyy, further, described Sievierodonetsk and its sister city, Lysychansk, as "dead cities today."

Ukraine has concentrated enough soldiers to oppose Russian attacks in the eastern city of Sievierodonetsk, but neither side is prepared to evacuate, and street combat continues, according to mayor Oleksandr Stryuk, who spoke to Ukrainian television.

"We've concentrated enough men and resources there to repel attacks on the city," Stryuk said.

Separately, Defence Ministry spokeswoman Oleksandr Motuzyanyk told a press conference that Russia was not sparing troops or equipment in its effort to take Sievierodonetsk, the largest remaining Ukrainian-controlled city in the Luhansk region.

For breaking US export and sanctions regulations, a US judge allowed the seizure of two of Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich's private planes worth more than $400 million. According to an FBI agent's affidavit supporting the seizure warrant, the jets, a Gulfstream and a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, are now in Russia and Dubai. The Dreamliner is thought to be one of the world's most costly private planes.

Abramovich has also been charged administratively by the US Department of Commerce. According to an administration official, if proven guilty, the maximum punishment could be as much as the worth of the planes.

Josep Borrell, the European Union's High Representative, criticised a Russian missile strike on a huge grain storage station in the southern port city of Mykolaiv this weekend. According to Borrell, the strike contradicts Russian President Vladimir Putin's previous vow to provide merchant shipping with safe access via the Black Sea from Ukrainian ports.

Heavy warfare is taking place in the eastern Ukrainian Donbass areas of Donetsk and Luhansk. Russian troops have resumed an onslaught on the northern approaches to the strategic city of Sloviansk in Donetsk.

According to the Ukrainian military, Russia launched five cruise missiles against the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv on Sunday. Russian President Vladimir Putin has threatened that if the US sends long-range missiles to Ukraine, his forces will hit new targets.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that the risk of another invasion of his country by Belarus is negligible. "We are preparing for all the risks of invasion, but so far our analysts and experts do not see real risks of a second invasion from Belarus," he claimed, as per NEXTA. 

The Ukrainian Navy claimed that nearly 30 Russian ships and submarines continue to block Ukrainian ports. It further stated that at least 12 landing ships still threaten the Ukrainian coast. According to the Ukrainian Navy, Russia has launched as many as 300 cruise missiles and also switched to anti-ship missiles. "Russia's Black Sea Fleet has been pushed back more than 100 kilometres from Ukrainian shores," Ukrainian Navy claimed, as per The Kyiv Independent. 
 

Kremlin spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, stated that Russia is willing to initiate nuclear arms talks with the United States but negotiations are unlikely to take place amid the prevailing situation. "We are interested in such talks as we believe that it’s necessary to continue talks and discuss this issue given the tectonic shifts in the field of European and even global security. Such talks are necessary, the whole world needs them," TASS quoted Peskov as saying. 

The Russian foreign minister has warned the West that if it provides Ukraine with long-range rockets, Moscow will respond by taking over larger areas of Ukraine. Speaking during an online news conference, Sergey Lavrov said that “the longer the range of weapons you supply, the farther away the line from where neo-Nazis could threaten the Russian Federation will be pushed.”

The U.S. and Britain have announced they will provide Ukraine with multiple rocket launchers capable of striking targets up to 80 kilometres away. The systems are capable of firing longer-range rockets that can hit areas of up to 300 kilometres away, but the US said it wouldn’t supply the rockets.

(AP)

As the fuel prices hit a record high in Warsaw due to the EU’s sixth package of sanctions which includes phasing out Russian oil reliance and uncertainties over the alternative source of oil loomed, Polish citizens flooded the streets demonstrating against the government.

Russia’s unprovoked Ukraine invasion since February 24 has skyrocketed the oil prices across the bloc, pushing the prices to a whopping 7.62 zlotys per litre, 1.66 euros on average. The soaring prices of oil triggered civil unrest, particularly in the Polish town of Bielsko-Biała on Sunday, as several drivers parked their cars blocking the fuel stations and protesting in front of the partially state-owned PKN Orlen fuel corporation. 

The unrest marred the Polish towns after President Andrzej Duda signed a major amendment to the VAT Act prolonging the so-called “anti-inflation shield”. Duda extended the lower excise tax rates that his government had introduced in February until the end of July to bring the rising fuel prices under control. His decision, however, was widely criticised as lawmakers argued that it would further push up the fuel prices.

The Central Intelligence Agency of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine has released an audio interception in which the mother of a Russian soldier informs her son that the Russian command has recognized people with disabilities fit for war in Ukraine. The Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense stated that the Russian military was trying to avoid direct combat clashes with Ukrainian defence forces, Ukrinform reported. 

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov condemned some North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) countries' decisions to not allow his aircraft to enter Serbia for a visit. Addressing a press conference on Monday, the Russian minister termed the incident "unprecedented." According to reports, Sergey had to abandon his visit to Siberia as Bulgaria, North Macedonia and Montenegro closed their airspace for the minister. "Of course, the unthinkable happened, I understand the interest you show in our assessment of these outrageous actions," he told reporters, TASS news agency reported. 

The Culture Minister of Ukraine claimed that as many as 32 journalists have been killed by the Russian attack since the onset of the war. “We have lost even more journalists in eight years of war,” Ukraine’s Culture Minister Oleksandr Tkachenko said on June 6, which is considered "journalist day" in Ukraine, The Kyiv Independent reported. 

The Ukrainian military, in its daily war update on Monday, accused Russian forces of using a medium-range surface-to-air missile and anti-aircraft artillery systems Pantsir, S-400 missile systems, and operational and tactical aircraft along the Belarus border. Besides, it also said that the aggressor has deployed "Iskander-M", anti-gun complexes "C1 armour", and C-400 anti-aircraft missile systems. 

"In order to demonstrate presence in the border areas, individual units of the enemy are operating, which carry out shelling of civilian infrastructure of the settlements of Chernihiv and Sumy regions of Ukraine," it said. 

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UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson stated that his country will gift multiple-launch rocket systems M270 to the Ukrainian forces to counter the Russian aggression effectively. "We cannot stand by while Russian long-range artillery flattens cities and kills innocent civilians.  The UK will gift the Ukrainian Armed Forces multiple-launch rocket systems so they can effectively repel the continuing Russian onslaught," PM Johnson wrote in a Twitter post. 

A regional governor in Ukraine stated that the situation in a key eastern town has worsened. Luhansk Governor, Serhiy Haidai, said that fierce fighting was continuing in the city of Sievierodonetsk in the epicentre of the Russian offensive. He described the combat situation as “quite dynamic.”

“Our defenders managed to conduct counteroffensive and free nearly half of the city, but the situation has worsened again now. Our guys are defending the positions in the industrial zone on the outskirts of the city," he stated. 

“The shelling of Sievierodonetsk has intensified, (the Russians) are destroying everything in line with their scorched earth tactics,” he further alleged.

(AP)

Ukraine has claimed that the Russian attack has killed at least 3 people and injured 10 others in Kharkiv Oblast on Monday. According to the region's Governor, Oleh Synehubov, Russian troops escalated the shelling of residential areas in the Oblast, The Kyiv Independent reported. 

Ukraine's army said Monday that Russia used mortars and artillery against civilian infrastructure in

settlements of the Chernihiv and Sumy regions of Ukraine.

Russian forces are conducting offensive operations in Slovyansk and Lysychansk and continue to storm the city of Sivirodonetsk, the spokesperson for Ukraine's Armed Forces Oleksandr Shtupun said during the daily briefing.

"In the Donetsk direction, the units of the aggressor are engaged in fire destruction of the positions of our troops along the entire line of collision," according to Shtupun.

Associated Press

Amid the ongoing ravaging war in Eastern Europe, Ukraine has alleged that Russian forces are regrouping in the Black Sea. The spokesperson of the Odessa regional military administration, Sergey Bratchuk, claimed this amid talks of freeing passage of Ukraine's blocked grains by Russia in the region. "The enemy is regrouping forces in the Black Sea. The enemy has left a ship and submarine equipped with cruise missiles and several large landing ships in the Black Sea. Missile strikes are the main tactic of invaders. Do not ignore air alarms," he stated on Telegram. 

The Ukrainian spokesperson further stated that the threat of a naval landing continues in the region, but the enemy's preparations for the active phase of the landing operation have so far remained undetected. According to him, the invaders are also boosting their combat potential on Snake Island, but the Ukrainian troops are taking a series of preventative measures to thwart any danger. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has also accused Russia of blocking around 22 million tonnes of grain including barley, sunflowers, etc., at Ukrainian ports.

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Ukraine Armed Forces in their latest briefing claimed that the defenders have "liquidated" at least 31,250 Russian troops in Ukraine since February 24. 

United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is set to hold an open briefing on the ravaging Russian war in Ukraine. The meeting will focus on the conflict-related risks to women and society as a whole. 

The EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borell has said that Russia is "directly responsible" for "any shortages in international trade in grains." He accused Russia of trying to blame the sanctions imposed by the EU for any shortage in international trade of grains and labelled it as "disinformation." Taking to his official Twitter handle, Josep Borrell stressed that Russia's blockade of Ukrainian ports has halted the export of tons of grain, like corn and wheat. 

In a series of tweets, Josep Borrell emphasized that the EU's sanctions imposed against Russia are aimed to target Moscow's capacity to continue the ongoing military offensive in Ukraine. He further stated that the sanctions do not target agricultural products and their transportation. He accused Russia of blocking Ukrainian ports which has resulted in tons of grain, like corn and wheat being trapped in Ukraine, which is one of the main world producers. Borrell reiterated European Union's support for Ukraine and added that they will continue to make efforts with other countries to address the consequences of war.

A parliamentary delegation from the Republic of Korea (ROK) visited the Kyiv region, including Bucha and Irpin towns to assess the gravity of atrocities committed by Russians, said Head of the Kyiv Regional Military Administration Oleksiy Kuleba in a telegram post. The South Korean team was headed by Lee Jun-seok, the leader of the ruling People Power Party. 

Leader of the Belarusian opposition Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya on Sunday said that when the war broke out, “many people in Belarus thought that Ukrainians needed help, so battalions were organized.” Speaking to state news publication Corriere della Sera, she informed about 1,500 Belarusians are fighting in Ukraine's legion of volunteers.

Advisor of self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) chief, Yan Gagin, alleged that retreating Ukrainian forces from Mariupol set tonnes of wheat and corn in storage facilities on fire on Sunday. "There is a large amount of grain on the territory of the Mariupol port, this is both corn and wheat. Judging by the smell and appearance, it is unsuitable for further use... And this is due to the fact that the enemy, retreating from the port, set fire to the granaries so that this grain would not go to the Donetsk People's Republic, so that it would be impossible to use it in any way," Gagin said, as quoted by Sputnik. 

In a successful attempt to push back Russian troops, Ukraine on Monday claimed control of the "half of" Severodonetsk city- the largest in Donbass region, which has become the latest flashpoint between both sides. This comes after Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday visited the embattled region, which Russia has claimed to be its "priority" in the war now. The Ukrainian president met with the defenders on the frontline, calling them "true heroes."

As the Russian forces continue to attack several Ukrainian cities including-- Donbas and Severodonetsk- the UK Ministry of Defence, in its daily intelligence report on Monday, claimed the aggressor had attacked rail infrastructures in Kyiv on June 5. As per the report, it was an attempt to disrupt the supply of Western military equipment to frontline Ukrainian units.
Regarding Donbass, it said that heavy fighting continues in the contested town of Sieverodonetsk and Russian forces continue to push towards Sloviansk as part of their attempted encirclement of Ukrainian forces.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, on Sunday, that Europe was in a panic mode over the ongoing war in Ukraine. According to him, Turkey has successfully coped with illegal migration from Syria for more than eleven years, however, "we are observing panic in Europe over the Russian-Ukrainian crisis".

In a bid to support Ukraine's fight against Russian invasion, the United Kingdom has announced to deliver its first long-range missiles to the war-torn nation. This comes as Russia has attacked the outskirts of the national capital Kyiv for the first time since April, Britain is set to provide an undefined number of M270 launchers, which can shoot precision-guided rockets up to 50 miles, according to Defence Secretary Ben Wallace. 

Amid the ongoing war, another Russian general was killed during fighting in the Donbass region, Russian state media reported. According to Russian state television, Major General Roman Kutuzov was killed in eastern Ukraine. However, the Russian Defence Ministry did not comment or confirm his death.

Russian President Vladimir Putin "can only be stopped at a battlefield," said former Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite said in an interview with the country's state broadcaster.

A school in Kharkiv on Sunday celebrated its 134th graduation ceremony in its dilapidated buildings. The students enjoyed some moments of joy amid the grilling tension of war. 10 graduating kids, dressed in black and white co-ords, tapped their feet on a waltz. 

Ukrainian Armed Forces on Monday claimed to have eliminated the "famous" pro-Russian commander Buryat Vladimir Andanov near Kharkiv. He was allegedly fighting in Donbass since 2014. 

Ukraine’s General Staff accused Russian forces Sunday of using phosphorus munitions in the Kharkiv region, and said Moscow continues to carry out missile and airstrikes on military and civilian infrastructure, including in Kyiv. In his morning briefing, spokesperson Oleksandr Shtupun, claimed that the Russian troops used phosphorus munitions in the area of the Cherkaski Tyshky village in the Kharkiv region. The claim couldn't be independently verified. The update also confirmed strikes on Kyiv, which occurred in the early hours of Sunday. It wasn’t immediately clear from the statement which infrastructure facilities in Kyiv were hit.

The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) in its Sunday war briefing informed that despite Russian renewing its assault on important regions of Ukraine, the defenders have continued to make small but "successful" counterattacks on Russian positions. 

The UK Ministry of defence (MoD) on Sunday shared a fresh map outlining the renewed hostilities in Ukrainian territories. 

Ukrainian state-owned nuclear energy producer Energoatom on Monday released footage of a Russian missile that "flew critically low" above the NPP.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday reiterated his claims that Moscow was not responsible for the imminent global food and energy crisis. In an interview with state TV channel Rossiya-1, the Kremlin head blamed the US for "injecting large sums of money", thus, leading to unprecedented domestic inflation. He also held the European countries responsible for the "short-sighted" economic and financial policies that created a dent in the food and energy market. 

Nearly two days after the European Union (EU) imposed a ban on the Russian oil, Serbian multinational oil and gas company, Naftna Industrija Srbije (NIS), said that it could not receive crude oil through the Jadranski naftovod (JANAF) pipeline. While answering a query, the Ministry of Mining and Energy said Serbia is not the only European country that has been affected by the new package of EU sanctions, but several countries are facing similar challenges. However, the ministry said that it is making every effort to ensure a secure supply.

"The new package of sanctions prohibits the supply of Russian crude oil via any port, by sea, and NIS is supplied with crude oil that is delivered by tankers to the port of Omisalj (in Croatia). This means that there is no possibility to deliver more Russian crude oil to the Pancevo Refinery," Rs.n1info quoted the ministry as saying.

"NIS could import all other types of crude oil except Russian, as it had already imported oil from Iraq and some other countries in the previous period," it added.

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The Ukrainian military, in its daily war update on Sunday, reported heavy shelling by the Russian forces in several regions including Donetsk, and Sviatohirsk. According to the armed forces General Staff, the aggressor was now targetting the northern regions of the country but stated it did not lose any of its territories. Instead, the Ukrainian military claimed that the enemy suffered a major loss in the Sloviansk region, with 100 soldiers killed since Saturday. While, in the Slobozhansky region, it said the Russian forces continue to fire on units of the Defense Forces with artillery, rocket-propelled grenade launchers, mortars and tanks.

Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov called off his visit to Serbia after countries surrounding Serbia closed their airspace to his aircraft, Interfax news agency reported. As per the report, Bulgaria, North Macedonia and Montenegro had closed their airspace to the plane that would have carried Moscow’s top diplomat to Belgrade on Monday. 

As Russia renews its attack on the Ukrainian capital city of Kyiv, on Sunday governor of Zaporizhzhia, Oleksandr Starukh, informed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that at least 60% of Zaporizhzhia was occupied by Russian troops.

Ukraine Joint Forces Operation on Sunday claimed that it has repelled at least 56 Russian attacks in the last week. 

As the Ukrainian ports have been blocked for three months in a row, an Italian minister believes a "bread war" has already begun in African nations. The Italian Foreign Minister, Luigi Di Maio, said that the situation in several vulnerable countries, especially African nations, which are already facing the worst ever food crisis, has plunged into a further "food emergency". 
"The global bread war is already going on and we must stop it. We risk political instability in Africa. For the proliferation of terrorist organizations, for coups: this can lead to the grain crisis that we are experiencing," The Business Tribune quoted Di Maio as saying. 

Hungary's parliament Speaker Laszlo Kever criticised the Ukrainian President's way of asking for help from his allies amid the ongoing war with Russia. Kever said that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's way of harshly asking for help from his partners shows he has "mental problems". "Statements by the president of Ukraine are sometimes strange. Usually, those who need help ask for it politely persistently, but ask, not demand or threaten. One usually threatens enemies, not those they want to have as friends. There is a personal mental problem here," Kever told Hungarian newspaper 444.hu.

On Sunday, the advisor to the mayor of Mariupol, Petro Andriushchenko, informed through a Telegram message that people in the Russia-occupied territories of Mariupol are facing a severe water crisis. He added that people are signing up for collection and waiting up to two days to receive a batch. 

Russia imposed sanctions against Gazprom Germania - a subsidiary of Russian Gazprom- in May. The company ever since has been put under trustee management. Now, Berlin estimates that Germany requires an extra 10m cubic meters per day to secure an adequate replacement of Russian gas, which would currently cost about €3.5bn a year, Welt am Sonntag weekly reported, citing industry representatives.

In a massive development, the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) on Sunday carried out joint military exercises with Finland and Sweden on the Baltic sea. The drills comprised of more than 7,000 sailors, airmen and marines from 16 nations, including two aspiring to join the military alliance, Finland and Sweden. It also had 45 vessels and 75 aircraft, the top US military official said in Sweden the host of the BALTOPS 22 exercise that it was "particularly important" for NATO to show support to the governments in Helsinki and Stockholm.