Live blog: Ships backed up in Black Sea lanes amid Russian warning shots

Monday, August 14, 2023

Merchant ships remained backed up in lanes around the Black Sea as ports struggled to clear backlogs amid growing unease among insurers and shipping companies a day after a Russian warship fired warning shots at a cargo vessel.

Russia said its Vasily Bykov patrol ship fired on the Palau-flagged Sukru Okan vessel after the ship's captain failed to respond to a request to halt for an inspection.

After an inspection, the vessel continued its journey towards the Ukrainian port of Izmail along the Danube river, Russia said.

Kiev has condemned what it called "provocative" Russian actions and called for decisive countermeasures by the international community.

There were at least 20 ships anchored leading up to Izmail. In addition, there were at least 35 commercial ships waiting close to the Romanian port of Constanta, 15 more than last week, the MarineTraffic data showed. Many of the vessels had reported their destination as Romanian ports.

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1915 GMT — Three dead in blast at car service in Russian city of Makhachkala

At least three people were killed in an explosion at a car service station in the city of Makhachkala in Southern Russia, state news agency RIA reported citing the local mayor's office.

"According to preliminary information, in Makhachkala, an explosion occurred in a car service building near the Globus shopping centre. All emergency services are involved."

The agency provided no details about the incident.

1432 GMT — Twenty-two Russian diplomats leave Moldova as relations slide

Twenty-two Russian diplomats have flown out of the Moldovan capital of Chisinau, leaving behind a skeleton staff as relations between the two countries deteriorated after Moldova last month ordered Moscow to withdraw most of its delegation.

Moldovan officials have said the reduction of staff at the Russian embassy to 25 from 80 will establish parity with Moldova's embassy in Moscow.

Ex-Soviet state Moldova has been buffeted by Russia's war in neighbouring Ukraine and its pro-European President Maia Sandu has denounced the military offensive and accused Moscow of trying to destabilise her country.

"This unfriendly step of official Chisinau will undoubtedly have consequences for Russian-Moldovan relations," Russia's foreign ministry said in a statement.

Chisinau has distanced itself from Moscow since Sandu came to power in 2020. In February, Sandu accused Moscow of plotting a coup against her government.

1314 GMT — US announces new $200M arms package for Ukraine amid grinding counteroffensive

The US administration has announced a fresh $200M security package for Ukraine to bolster Kiev's ongoing counter-offensive to liberate parts of the country under Russian offensive.

The latest tranche includes additional ammunition for already-supplied Patriot air defence and HIMARS rocket systems, mine clearing equipment, 155 mm and 105 mm artillery rounds, 120 mm tank ammunition, TOW anti-tank missiles, and Javelin and other anti-armor systems and rockets, the Pentagon said in a statement.

Over three dozen tactical vehicles are also being sent to Ukraine to help tow and haul equipment damaged on the battlefield as Ukraine's forces slog through deeply entrenched Russian positions.

The Pentagon is also sending demolitions equipment to help clear obstacles erected by Moscow's forces in occupied territories.

Some 12 million small arms rounds are included in the package in addition to grenades.

1243 GMT — Russia says scrambled jet to intercept Norwegian aircraft nearing border

Russia has announced that it had dispatched a MiG-29 fighter jet to "prevent a violation" of its border by a Norwegian military patrol aircraft over the Barents Sea.

"As the Russian fighter approached, the foreign military plane made a U-turn away from the borders of the Russian Federation," the Russian defence ministry said.

"There was no violation of the border," the statement added, identifying the Norwegian aircraft as a P-8A Poseidon patrol plane.

The defence ministry said its flight was carried out in accordance with international rules, "without crossing air routes or making dangerous rapprochement."

NATO member Norway shares a land border with Russia as well as a maritime border in the Barents Sea.

Incidents involving Russian and Western aircraft have multiplied over the recent months against the backdrop of Russia's large-scale military operation in Ukraine.

1237 GMT — Zelenskyy says met troops in Ukraine's frontline Donetsk region

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has visited troops in the frontline region of Donetsk, where Kiev has been painstakingly clawing back territory from Russian forces around the war-battered city of Bakhmut.

"Today we are working in Donetsk region. We discussed with the brigade commander problems faced by the warriors and proposals for their solution," Zelenskyy said in a statement on social media, referring to a meeting with troops from the 22nd separate mechanised brigade.

1137 GMT — Britain says it intercepted two Russian bomber aircraft north of Scotland

Britain said its Typhoon fighter jets intercepted two Russian maritime patrol bomber aircraft in international airspace north of Scotland, within NATO's northern air policing area.

"Pilots launched in their Typhoon jets to intercept two Russian long-range bombers this morning, monitoring them as they passed north of the Shetland Islands, ready to counter any potential threat to UK territory," British armed forces minister James Heappey said.

Britain said its Typhoon jets are routinely scrambled during such incidents to secure and safeguard its skies.

Earlier on Monday, Russia said its strategic bombers had carried out routine flights over international waters in the Arctic.

0910 GMT — Three square km around Bakhmut recaptured: Ukraine

Ukraine said its forces had recaptured a clutch of territory around the war-battered eastern town of Bakhmut last week, wresting back land taken by Russian forces this summer.

Kiev launched a highly-anticipated counter-offensive in June after building up assault battalions and stockpiling Western-donated weapons but has acknowledged slow progress.

"In the Bakhmut sector, three square kilometres (1.2 square miles) were liberated last week," Deputy Defence Minister Ganna Malyar told state television.

"In total, 40 square kilometres have been liberated on the southern flank of the Bakhmut sector," she added.

Russian forces, spearheaded by the Wagner mercenary group, captured the town of some 70,000 in May after months of fierce fighting.

0842 GMT — Poland arrests two Russians on allegations of spreading propaganda for the Wagner group

Two Russian citizens have been arrested on allegations of spreading propaganda for Russia’s Wagner mercenary group, Poland's security authorities has said.

The Internal Security Agency, or ABW, said that the men had been acting on behalf of Russia’s secret services and were distributing leaflets in Warsaw and Krakow advocating joining the mercenaries.

The two, identified only as Alexei T. and Andrei G., were to receive the equivalent of some $5,000 for their work, the agency said.

They were arrested on Friday on allegations of working for a foreign intelligence agency and participation in an organized group having terrorist goals. If convicted, they could face up to 10 years in prison.

In recent months Poland has arrested 22 people suspected of spying for Russia or for its ally, Belarus, in what Warsaw sees as part of a hybrid war on Poland due to its support for Ukraine in the war against Russia’s aggression.

0629 GMT — Poland expects understanding from Ukraine on national interests - President

The Polish president has said his country will continue to support Ukraine against Russia but expects understanding from Kiev on Warsaw's national interests, the state-run PAP news agency reported.

Andrzej Duda said Poland will extend an import ban on Ukrainian agricultural products, adding that Warsaw has an "obligation" to protect its domestic market, as well as that of the EU.

Asked on the statements by presidential adviser Marcin Przydacz about "Ukraine's failure" to appreciate Poland's support, Duda said: "... we expect understanding on certain issues - including that we have our own interests and obligations."

Poland is at the forefront of European allies calling to help Kiev against Moscow, which launched its “special military operation” in Ukraine in February 2022.

But earlier this year, it, along with Hungary, Slovakia, Bulgaria and Romania, imposed temporary restrictions on some Ukrainian agricultural products to protect farmers' interests. The ban, valid till September 15, is expected to be extended through 2023.

0555 GMT — Strikes on Odessa leave 3 wounded

At least three people were wounded in two-waves of Russian drone and missile attacks overnight on the port city of Odessa, an official and the military in the Ukrainian region on the Black Sea said.

The Operational Command South said on Telegram that Ukraine has downed three waves of Russian missiles and drones targeting Odessa.

Air defence forces repelled all the attacks, but falling debris damaged a student dormitory and a supermarket in Odessa's city centre, leaving three workers wounded, the army said.

Russia and Ukraine have stepped up attacks in the Black Sea since Moscow exited a deal last month that had granted Kiev's grain exports safe passage during the conflict.

Since withdrawing from the agreement, Moscow has pounded ports in the Odessa region that were key for Ukrainian grain exports under the deal.

0810 GMT — China's defence minister to visit Russia, Belarus

Chinese Defence Minister Li Shangfu will visit Russia and Belarus this week, his ministry said, as relations between Beijing and Moscow flourish with high-level visits and phone calls.

Ties have remained warm in recent years, with China refusing to speak out against Russia's widely condemned offensive against neighbouring Ukraine.

Li has refused to hold meetings with US counterparts until Washington lifts sanctions on him, imposed for his procurement of Russian military technology.

0800 GMT — Navalny ally goes on trial in Russia

An ally of jailed Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny went on trial in Russia, accused of having created an "extremist organisation", a court spokeswoman told AFP.

The trial is the latest in a series of cases brought against vocal critics of the Kremlin, a crackdown that intensified after Russia launched large-scale military operation in Ukraine last year.

Ksenia Fadeyeva, 31, is a former local deputy in the Siberian city of Tomsk who was added to Russia's "terrorist" list in January 2022.

She headed Navalny's political office in Tomsk, where the opposition leader was poisoned with Novichok in August 2020 on a visit ahead of the elections.

0752 GMT — Poland detained two Russians

Poland has detained two Russian citizens who were "distributing propaganda materials of the Wagner Group" in Warsaw and Krakow, the two biggest Polish cities, the interior minister said.

"Both were charged with... espionage and arrested," Mariusz Kaminski said on X, the former Twitter, without providing further details about the detained men.

Poland has recently warned of possible provocations coming from the mercenary group currently based in neighbouring Belarus, and said it would in response increase troop levels at the border between the two countries to 10,000.

1011 GMT — Russian shelling kills seven civilians in Kherson

Russian forces shelled two villages in the southern Ukrainian region of Kherson, killing seven civilians including a baby, Ukrainian authorities said.

A couple, their 23-day-old child and another man were killed in the village of Shyroka Balka, Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said. The couple's 12-year-old son was critically wounded and died in hospital, he added.

Two people were killed and one wounded in the neighbouring village of Stanislav, which Klymenko said was struck 12 times with artillery.

"The terrorists will never willingly stop killing civilians," Klymenko wrote in a Telegram post along with two photos of damaged houses. "The terrorists must be stopped. With force. They don't understand anything else."

Praising the success of Ukrainian forces against the Russians, President Zelenskyy said: “Every time we have something to thank our warriors for, Ukraine becomes closer to justice, closer to victory".

For our live updates from Sunday (August 13), click here.