Key occasions
Right here is the UK’s Ministry of Defence newest intelligence replace on Ukraine.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken landed in South Africa on Sunday to kick off a three-nation go to aimed toward countering Russian affect on the continent, AFP studies.
The go to come after Russian overseas minister Sergei Lavrov undertook an in depth tour of Africa late final month.
South Africa has remained impartial within the Ukraine battle, refusing to affix Western calls to sentence Moscow, which had opposed apartheid earlier than the top of white minority rule in 1994.
Blinken will maintain talks on Monday with South African counterpart Naledi Pandor and in addition make an announcement on the US authorities’s new Africa technique, Pretoria stated in a press release. They are going to “focus on ongoing and up to date developments referring to the worldwide geopolitical scenario,” it stated.
The State Division final month referred to as African nations “geostrategic gamers and demanding companions on probably the most urgent problems with our day, from selling an open and secure worldwide system, to tackling the consequences of local weather change, meals insecurity and international pandemics to shaping our technological and financial futures”.
Blinken who’s on his second journey to Africa since his appointment early final yr, is because of proceed to the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda later this week.
This evaluation by the Guardian’s Africa correspondent Jason Burke of Lavrov’s tour offers a superb perception into the battle for affect on the African continent. You may learn it right here:
Extra particulars on the ships which have left Ukrainian ports. They included Glory, with a cargo of 66,000 tonnes of corn sure for Istanbul, and Riva Wind, loaded with 44,000 tonnes of corn, heading for Turkey’s Iskenderun, the Turkish defence ministry stated.
It stated the opposite two vessels to have left Ukraine had been Star Helena, with a cargo of 45,000 tonnes of meal heading to China, and Mustafa Necati, carrying 6,000 tonnes of sunflower oil and heading for Italy, Reuters studies.
The JCC additionally stated it was close to finalisation of the delivery procedures to regularise operations to assist implementation of the grain deal. The procedures had been anticipated to be printed early this week, it stated.
The primary 4 ships left Ukraine final week underneath the settlement.
The JCC stated it has additionally licensed the motion, pending inspection, of Osprey S, inbound for Chornomorsk. That ship is at the moment at anchorage northwest of Istanbul and was to be inspected on Sunday.
On Saturday, the JCC accomplished the inspection of Navistar, which was cleared to sail, and its joint inspection groups had been to proceed inspections on Sunday morning of the remaining two vessels that departed Ukrainian ports on Friday.
The primary ship to depart a Ukrainian port underneath the deal is not going to arrive in Lebanon on Sunday as deliberate, the Ukrainian embassy in Lebanon stated. The Razoni left Odesa final Monday carrying 26,527 tonnes of corn. The embassy informed Reuters the ship was “having a delay” and “not arriving at present,” with no particulars on a brand new arrival date or the reason for the delay. Transport information on MarineTraffic.com confirmed the Razoni off the Turkish coast on Sunday morning.
An official with the Russian occupying authorities in Ukraine’s Kherson area has died after an assassination try, native Moscow-backed authorities as saying..
Vitaly Gura, the deputy chief of the Kakhovka district, “died of his accidents”, native official Katerina Gubareva, stated on Telegram, AFP studies.
Gura was attacked at dwelling on Saturday morning and was gravely wounded by bullets, a supply within the Russian-backed administration is reported to have informed TASS information company.
Kakhovka is about 80 kilometres (50 miles) east of Kherson metropolis.
A number of assassination makes an attempt have been reported in opposition to officers in Ukrainian areas seized by Russia because the begin of its army operation in Ukraine in February.
4 extra ships carrying meals depart Black Sea ports
4 ships carrying Ukrainian foodstuffs sailed from Ukrainian Black Sea ports on Sunday as a part of a deal to unblock the nation’s sea exports, Ukrainian and Turkish officers stated.
The 4 bulk carriers had been loaded with greater than 160,000 tonnes of corn and different foodstuffs, Reuters studies.
The resumption of grain exports is being overseen by a Joint Coordination Centre (JCC) in Istanbul the place Russian, Ukrainian, Turkish and UN personnel are working.
The United Nations and Turkey brokered the deal final month after UN warnings of attainable outbreaks of famine in components of the world as a result of a halt in grain shipments from Ukraine that had squeezed provides and despatched costs hovering.
Earlier than the invasion, Russia and Ukraine collectively accounted for practically a 3rd of world wheat exports.
The JCC has authorised the departure of a complete of 5 new vessels by the Black Sea hall: 4 vessels outbound from Chornomorsk and Odesa carrying 161,084 metric tonnes of foodstuffs, and one inbound. The primary 4 ships left Ukraine final week underneath the settlement
Russian shelling reported in dozens of cities
The Ukrainian army stated Russian shelling was recorded in dozens of cities alongside the japanese and southern entrance traces.
Reuters studies Ukraine’s army stated late on Saturday that Russian forces had shelled dozens of front-line cities and had been making an attempt to assault in six completely different areas within the Donetsk area, all of which did not achieve any territory and had been held again by Ukrainian forces. Reuters couldn’t confirm both aspect’s assertions about battlefield developments.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy stated on Saturday stated that over the previous week its forces had “achieved highly effective outcomes” in destroying Russia’s logistics provides and rear bases.
He stated in a late night time handle:
“Each strike on the enemy’s ammunition depots, on their command posts, and on accumulations of Russian tools saves the lives of all of us, the lives of Ukrainian army and civilians.
Reuters additionally studies:
- Russia’s battle in Ukraine is about to enter a brand new section, with most preventing shifting to an almost 350-km (217-mile) entrance stretching southwest from close to Zaporizhzhia to Kherson, British army intelligence stated.
- North Macedonia has agreed to provide tanks and planes to Ukraine to assist fend off Moscow’s ongoing invasion, senior Ukrainian presidential aide Mykhailo Podolyak stated.
- The following weapons bundle to Ukraine from the United States was anticipated to be $1 billion and embody munitions for long-range weapons and armoured medical transport automobiles, sources briefed on the matter informed Reuters.
Extra on the Zaporizhzhia energy plant
Reuters studies:
- Shells hit a high-voltage energy line on the plant, prompting operators to disconnect a reactor regardless of no radioactive leak being detected. The plant was captured by Russian forces in early March, however it’s nonetheless run by its Ukrainian technicians.
- Ukraine’s state nuclear energy firm Energoatom blamed Russia for the harm on the energy plant.
- Russia’s defence ministry accused Ukrainian forces of shelling the plant, saying a leak of radiation had been prevented solely by luck.
- America has accused Russia of utilizing it as a “nuclear protect” whereas Russia’s defence ministry stated harm to the plant had solely been prevented due to the “skilful, competent and efficient actions” of its items.
IAEA Director Basic Rafael Mariano Grossi stated in a press release on Saturday:
I’m extraordinarily involved by the shelling yesterday at Europe’s largest nuclear energy plant, which underlines the very actual danger of a nuclear catastrophe,”
Each side have accused one another of participating in “nuclear terrorism”.
Learn extra right here:
IAEA raises issues over nuclear plant shelling
Caroline Davies
Good morning and welcome to the weblog, the place we begin with a round-up of the newest developments.
- The pinnacle of the Worldwide Atomic Vitality Company has raised grave issues about shelling at a nuclear energy plant in Ukraine. Ukraine’s Prosecutor Basic’s workplace stated it had began felony proceedings in opposition to what it stated was a rocket and artillery shelling by the Russian army of the Zaporizhzhia energy plant on Friday.
- The Ukrainian army stated Russian shelling was recorded in dozens of cities alongside the japanese and southern entrance traces.
- The pinnacle of Amnesty Worldwide’s Ukraine workplace has give up the human rights physique in a disagreement with it after the group accused Ukraine’s armed forces of endangering civilians by basing troops in residential areas through the Russian invasion.
- A foreign-flagged ship arrived in Ukraine on Saturday for the primary time because the battle began and shall be loaded with grain, Ukraine’s infrastructure minister stated.
I’m Caroline Davies and shall be taking you thru different developments all through the day. You may get in contact on caroline.davies@theguardian.com
