Live blog: First cargo ships sail to Ukraine after grain deal collapse

Saturday, September 16, 2023

0900 GMT — Ukraine will be able to conduct more attacks on Russian ships, a Ukrainian minister who has played a key role in building the country's drone industry told Reuters after a recent series of sea raids.

"There will be more drones, more attacks, and fewer Russian ships. That’s for sure," Digital Transformation Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said in an interview on Friday, answering a question about recent attacks near Russian-occupied Crimea.

Russia has acknowledged a Ukrainian missile attack that damaged a warship and a submarine this week but says it has repelled all sea drone attacks.

Fedorov also said Ukraine’s aerial drone production had increased by over 100 times in 2023 from last year.

"I think it'll be an increase of around 120 to 140 times by the end of this year if you compare it to the previous one."

The first cargo ships are heading to Ukraine to load grain for African and Asian markets since the collapse of a deal with Russia to ensure the safety of ships exporting via the Black Sea, a Kiev official has said.

"The first civilian ships used the temporary corridor to enter Ukrainian ports," Deputy Prime Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov said in a statement on Facebook.

He said the two ships, the Resilient Africa and Aroyat, were en route to load nearly 20,000 tonnes of wheat for African and Asian countries.

"The vessels are under the flag of Palau," he added.

More updates👇

North Korea may be able to boost Russia's supply of artillery munitions for the war in Ukraine, but that is not likely to make a big difference, the top American military officer said as he arrived in Norway for NATO meetings that began on Saturday and will focus in part on the conflict.

US Army Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the recent meeting in Russia between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin will probably lead North Korea to provide Soviet-era 152 mm artillery rounds to Moscow. But he said it was not yet clear how many or how soon.

“Would it have a huge difference? I’m sceptical of that,” Milley told reporters travelling with him. He said that while he does not want to play down the weapons assistance too much, "I doubt that it would be decisive.”

Foreign governments and experts have speculated that Kim will likely supply ammunition to Russia in exchange for receiving advanced weapons or technology from Russia.

Milley and the other defence chiefs from NATO countries are meeting at the Holmenkollen ski area on the edge of Oslo over the next several days to discuss support for Ukraine and other regional defence issues.

1603 GMT - North Korean arms for Russia probably wouldn't make a 'huge difference' in the Ukraine war

North Korea may be able to boost Russia's supply of artillery munitions for the war in Ukraine, but that is not likely to make a big difference, the top American military officer said as he arrived in Norway for NATO meetings that began on Saturday and will focus in part on the conflict.

US Army Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the recent meeting in Russia between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin will probably lead North Korea to provide Soviet-era 152 mm artillery rounds to Moscow. But he said it was not yet clear how many or how soon.

“Would it have a huge difference? I’m sceptical of that,” Milley told reporters travelling with him. He said that while he does not want to play down the weapons assistance too much, "I doubt that it would be decisive.”

Foreign governments and experts have speculated that Kim will likely supply ammunition to Russia in exchange for receiving advanced weapons or technology from Russia.

Milley and the other defence chiefs from NATO countries are meeting at the Holmenkollen ski area on the edge of Oslo over the next several days to discuss support for Ukraine and other regional defence issues.

1343 GMT — Ukrainian strike kills one in Russian village - authorities

One person died in a Russian village near the border with Ukraine in a Ukrainian strike, the regional governor of Kursk has said.

Governor Roman Starovoit said on Telegram the village of Plekhovo "was bombarded from Ukraine," adding that "a man of 30 was killed after receiving injuries from shell shrapnel."

Starovoit said several houses were damaged in the strike on the village a handful of kilometres from the border.

Recent months have seen a number of strikes from Ukrainian territory across into Russia.

1022 GMT — North Macedonia expels three Russian diplomats

North Macedonia has ordered the expulsion of three more Russian diplomats in the third such move since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine last year, the foreign ministry has confirmed.

"Such a decision was adopted after information was received from competent institutions about activities being taken against the Vienna Convention for diplomatic relations", a statement noted.

In March 2023, five Russian diplomats were expelled while a month later six more were ordered to leave.

In March 2020, the former Yugoslav republic became the latest member of NATO and is aspiring to European Union membership.

Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine at the end of February 2022, North Macedonia followed the EU's lead in sanctioning Moscow, with officials in Skopje labelling Russia a "hostile state".

0850 GMT - Russia denies Ukraine has retaken village of Andriivka, near Bakhmut

Russia has denied a Ukrainian claim to have recaptured the devastated eastern village of Andriivka, a stepping stone on the way to the town of Bakhmut.

"The enemy did not abandon plans to capture the city of Artyomovsk of the Donetsk People's Republic and continued to conduct assault operations ... unsuccessfully trying to oust Russian troops from the population centres of Klishchiivka and Andriivka," the Russian defence ministry said in its daily briefing.

Andriivka lies south of largely-ruined Bakhmut, a mainly symbolic prize that Russian forces seized in May after the fiercest and longest battle since Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

The Ukrainian General Staff on Friday also reported "partial success" near Klishchiivka, also south of Bakhmut.

0845 GMT — Poland to ban entry of Russia-registered passenger cars

Interior Minister Mariusz Kaminski has said that Poland would ban the entry of passenger cars registered in Russia starting from Sunday, state-run Polish news agency PAP reported.

The ban is a further part of sanctions imposed on Russia and its citizens in connection with the war in Ukraine, PAP said, citing Kaminski.

0558 GMT — Russian-backed authorities set to sell Ukrainian properties in Crimea

Russian-backed authorities in Crimea have said they planned to sell about 100 Ukrainian properties, including one belonging to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Vladimir Konstantinov, speaker of the Crimean parliament, said the nationalised properties would be sold "soon" and the authorities had held the first eight auctions for the properties of Ukrainian business figures.

The sale contracts amounted to more than 815 million rubles ($8.51 million), Konstantinov said in a statement on the Telegram messaging app.

Russian authorities in Crimea said in February that they had nationalised around 500 properties in Crimea including some belonging to senior Ukrainian politicians and business figures.

0340 GMT — Russia 'thwarts' two Ukrainian drones over Kaluga, Tver region

Russian air defences shot down two Ukrainian drones over the Kaluga and Tver region, Russian Defence Ministry has said.

"On the night of September 16, an attempt by the Kiev regime to carry out a terrorist attack on objects in the Russian Federation using two aircraft-type UAVs was thwarted. Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles were destroyed over the Kaluga and Tver regions by air defence systems on duty," the ministry said.

2250 GMT — Zelenskyy to make second wartime White House visit to rally support

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will pay his second wartime visit to Washington next week, the White House announced, in a bid to solidify the support of his country's crucial backer, which has shipped billions of dollars in aid to fight Russians.

Zelenskyy will travel to the White House on Thursday for talks with President Joe Biden and also hold meetings at the US Congress, where elements of the rival Republican Party are hesitant as Biden seeks to push through a major new package for Kiev.

Jake Sullivan, Biden's national security advisor, said that the trip came at a "critical time" as Ukraine wages a counteroffensive against Russia.

Biden will reaffirm "his commitment to continuing to lead the world in supporting Ukraine as it defends its independence, its sovereignty and its territorial integrity," Sullivan told reporters.

2316 GMT — Ukraine court orders ex-govt minister detained in treason case

A Ukrainian court has ordered a former government minister detained for 60 days with no option of bail on suspicion of espousing pro-Russian sentiments and committing treason.

Nestor Shufrych is accused of maintaining contacts with a fugitive Ukrainian parliamentarian suspected by investigators to have worked for Russian security services and of abetting plans to encourage pro-Moscow separatism in eastern Ukraine.

A video of a Kiev court ordering Shufrych's detention circulated on numerous Ukrainian news sites.

"This is what the authorities need," Shufrych said in a video issued by Public Suspilne Television as court officials placed him in handcuffs and led him away.

News reports quoted Shufrych's lawyers as saying they would appeal the court's ruling.

The investigators said Shufrych had been carrying out instructions by Russian and pro-Russian officials to promote pro-Moscow policies inside Ukraine.

For our live updates from Friday (September 15), click here.