Live blog: Ukraine says it has no hope of using F-16 fighter jets this year

Wednesday, August 16, 2023

2151 GMT – Ukraine will not be able to operate US-built F-16 fighter jets this coming autumn and winter, air force spokesperson Yuriy Ihnat told Ukrainian television.

"It's already obvious we won't be able to defend Ukraine with F-16 fighter jets during this autumn and winter," Ihnat told a joint telethon broadcast by Ukrainian channels.

Ukraine has repeatedly called on its Western allies to supply the country with F-16s, which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said would be a signal that Russia's invasion would end in defeat.

US President Joe Biden endorsed training programmes for Ukrainian pilots on F-16s in May, but no timing for the supply of warplanes has been given so far.

"We had big hopes for this plane, that it will become part of air defence, able to protect us from Russia's missiles and drones" Ihnat said.

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1948 GMT – UN 'concerned' by Russian strikes on Ukrainian grain sites

The UN said on Wednesday it is "very concerned" by Russian strikes on Ukrainian grain and foodstuffs facilities that followed Moscow's withdrawal from a landmark deal that facilitated food exports.

Secretary General Antonio Guterres has "raised his concerns about the potential rise in global food prices" prompted by Moscow's exit, spokesperson Farhan Haq told reporters, adding that the attacks do "nothing to alleviate those concerns."

"Obviously, what he wants most is for a return to the Black Sea Grain Initiative and the sort of understandings that we had in place," said Haq.

"And he's doing everything he can to see what can be done to make sure that food and fertiliser exports go out from both Ukraine and the Russian Federation, but acts like this make that sort of activity even harder," he added.

1809 GMT – Zelenskyy says first cargo ship in Black Sea an 'important step'

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy hailed the departure of the first cargo ship to use a new Black Sea lane, after Moscow exited a deal protecting Ukrainian grain exports from its southern ports.

"Ukraine has just made an important step toward restoring the freedom of navigation in the Black Sea. The first civilian vessel has passed through Ukraine's new humanitarian corridor, departing from the port of Odessa," despite warnings from Moscow that its navy could target vessels, Zelenskyy said on social media.

1750 GMT — Russian strikes on ports threat to global food security: Zelenskyy

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has denounced Russian strikes on his country's ports as a threat to global food security, after another night of attacks.

Russia targeted "infrastructure guaranteeing not only our own, but also common global food security", Zelenskyy said in his daily address, adding that "every Russian attack on them is a blow to world food prices, it is a blow to social and political stability in Africa and Asia".

Zelenskyy also hailed the departure of the first cargo ship to use a new Black Sea lane, after Moscow exited a deal protecting Ukrainian grain exports from its southern ports.

1722 GMT — US condemns Russia's attacks on Ukraine's grain infrastructure

The United States condemns Russia's "continued attacks" on Ukraine's grain infrastructure, the State Department said as it called for Moscow to return immediately to the grain deal.

Russian President Vladimir Putin does not care about global food security, State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel told reporters after Ukraine earlier said Russia had attacked its grain storage facilities overnight.

1640 GMT — Around 45,000 Muscovites fight in Ukraine: Moscow mayor

Tens of thousands of Muscovites are taking part in combat operations in Ukraine, the Russian capital's mayor Sergei Sobyanin said, giving a rare estimate of the forces deployed.

Russia and Ukraine rarely communicate on the total number of troops involved in the conflict, or on their respective losses.

"Forty-five thousand Muscovites are fighting in the area of the special military operation," Sobyanin was cited as saying by Russia news agency Interfax.

The mayor added they represented a "considerable part" of the fighters there.

Among them, "at least 5,000 people are professional soldiers," he also said.

1545 GMT — Cargo ship exits Ukraine port despite threat from Russian navy

Kiev said a civilian cargo vessel had exited its southern port of Odessa despite warnings from Russia that its navy could target ships using Ukraine's Black Sea export hubs.

The announcement, which raises the spectre of a standoff with Russian warships, came hours after Ukraine said it had liberated a village as part of a grinding push against Moscow's forces along the southern front.

Russia issued its maritime threat after scuppering a key deal last month brokered by Türkiye and the UN, which guaranteed safe passage for grain shipments from three Ukrainian ports.

Ukraine's Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov said the Hong Kong-flagged Joseph Schulte left Wednesday morning from the port of Odessa - one of three that participated in the now-scrapped grain export deal.

1107 GMT — Russia claims it shot down Ukrainian drones over Crimea, Kaluga

Russia claimed that it shot down Ukrainian drones over the Kaluga region and the Moscow-annexed Crimean peninsula, which it annexed in 2014.

"Today, at about 5:00 a.m. Moscow time (0200GMT), an attempt by the Kiev regime to carry out a terrorist attack by three unmanned aerial vehicles on objects in the Kaluga region was thwarted," a Russian Defence Ministry statement said.

The statement said that all of the drones were “timely detected and destroyed” by Russian air defence systems, adding that no damage or casualties were inflicted.

0755 GMT — One killed by Ukrainian shelling in Russian border region: governor

One person has been killed by Ukrainian shelling in the Russian border region of Belgorod, the region's governor has announced.

"The village of Novaya Tavolzhanka in Shebekinsky District came under mortar shelling... Too much grief, there is one dead," governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said in a social media post.

0709 GMT — Ukraine says recaptured village of Urozhaine on southern front

Kiev has said its forces had liberated the settlement of Urozhaine in the industrial Donetsk region as part of a grinding push to wrest Russian forces along the southern front in Ukraine.

"Urozhaine was liberated. Our defenders are entrenched at the outskirts. The offensive continues," Deputy Defence Minister Ganna Malyar announced in a statement on social media.

Kiev launched its long anticipated counteroffensive in June, but has acknowledged tough battles as it struggles to break through heavily fortified Russian positions.

0630 GMT — Warehouses, grain silos damaged in Russian attacks on Ukraine port

Russian air strikes on southern Ukraine overnight have damaged grain silos and warehouses at one of the Danube river ports, a key facility for grains shipments, the governor of the Odessa region on the Black Sea said.

"Russian terrorists attacked Odessa region twice last night with attack drones," Governor Oleh Kiper said on the Telegram messaging app. "The main target is port and grain infrastructure in the south of the region."

The presidential office said in a separate statement that there were no casualties.

Photos released by the governor show the destroyed metal walls of the storage facilities and piles of scattered grain and sunflowers. Ukrainian officials have not yet said whether the attacked port is operating.

0432 GMT — Russia says shot down Ukraine drones southwest of Moscow

Russia's defence ministry has said it shot down three Ukrainian drones southwest of Moscow, the latest in a surge of aerial attacks near the capital.

Ukraine launched the attack at 0200 GMT (5:00 am local) using "three unmanned aerial vehicles on objects in the Kaluga region", the ministry said on Telegram.

"All UAVs were detected and destroyed in a timely manner by Russian air defence systems."

Kaluga's governor said the drones were shot down in the south of the region, a few hundred kilometres southwest of Moscow.

"There are no consequences for people and infrastructure," Vladislav Shapsha said on Telegram.

The air attack is at least the fifth this month over the Kaluga region that Russia says it has thwarted.

0009 GMT — Russian drones threatened key grain exports port: Ukraine

Ukraine's air force has said a large group of Russian army drones entered the mouth of the Danube river and headed toward the Izmail river port near the border with Romania.

Social media groups reported hearing air defence systems firing in the area near two Danube ports - Izmail and Reni.

Governor of southern Odessa region Oleh Kiper, asked residents of Izmail district to take shelter at around 2230 GMT (1:30 am local) and cancelled the air raid alert one hour later.

Danube ports accounted for around a quarter of grain exports before Russia pulled out of a Türkiye-brokered deal to provide safe passage for the export of Ukrainian grain via the Black Sea.

They have since become the main route out, with grain sent on barges to Romania's Black Sea port of Constanta for shipment onwards. A Russian attack on the Izmail port sent global food prices higher in early August.

For our live updates from Tuesday (August 15), click here.