Tuesday, July 18

Russia’s war against Ukraine

A vessel is seen in the port upon arriving under the Black Sea Grain Initiative, Odesa, southern Ukraine, April 12, 2023. (Photo credit: Yulii Zozulia/Ukrinform/Future Publishing via Getty Images)

Russia opposes grain deal extension. Russia opposes the prolongation of the Black Sea Grain Initiative, the Russian state news agency RIA Novosti reported on July 17, citing the Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova.

Explosions reported at Crimean Bridge, Russia blames Ukraine. Russia accused Ukraine of carrying out an attack against the Crimean Bridge, which connects the occupied peninsula with Russia’s Krasnodar Oblast, on July 17.

Zelensky, Kuleba on grain deal collapse: Russian actions are ‘blackmail.’ Speaking on U.S. television on July 17, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said that “Russia is using hunger as an instrument to blackmail the world.” President Volodymyr Zelensky similarly referred to Russia’s decision to refuse to sign the extension of the Black Sea Grain Deal as “blackmail” in his evening address.

Defense Ministry: Ukraine liberates almost 18 square kilometers within week. Ukrainian forces have liberated 7 square kilometers in the Bakhmut direction and 10.9 square kilometers in the south over the past week, Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar reported on July 17.

Monitoring group: Third Wagner convoy arrives in Belarus. A third convoy of the Wagner Group has arrived in Belarus, heading to the Asipovichy camp, the monitoring group Belarusian Hajun reported on July 17.

USAID chief Samantha Power arrives in Ukraine. Samantha Power, the head of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), arrived in Ukraine, as she informed on social media on July 17.

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Black Sea grain deal collapses as Russia pulls from agreement. Russia announced on July 17 that it is pulling out of the Black Sea Grain Initiative, critical for ensuring global food security, effectively collapsing the deal.

Putin claims ‘there will be a response’ to Crimean Bridge attacks. In a meeting broadcast on July 17, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin claimed that the Defense Ministry is preparing a response to the “acts of terrorism” which damaged the Crimean Bridge earlier in the day.

UK Defense Ministry: Russia faces worsening counter-battery capabilities. Russian forces deal with worsening counter-battery capabilities due to growing equipment shortages, the U.K. Defense Ministry reported on July 17.

Ukrainian filmmaker Oleh Sentsov again injured in battle. Oleh Sentsov, the Ukrainian filmmaker, writer, and activist who joined the military in February 2022, was yet again wounded in battle, Sentsov informed on social media on July 17.

Military: Explosion at Crimean Bridge may have been ‘planned provocation’ by Russia. The explosion on the Crimean Bridge on July 17 may have been a planned provocation by Russia because of its reluctance to continue the Black Sea Grain Initiative, Southern Operational Command spokesperson Natalia Humeniuk said.

Media: Russian military jet crashes into Azov Sea. A Russian military SU-25 jet has crashed into the Sea of Azov during a training flight on July 17, the Russian military confirmed, as reported by Russian state news agency RIA Novosti.

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Ukraine’s fight to bring Russian leadership to justice puts legal systems to ultimate test

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has already launched investigations into alleged Russian war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide in Ukraine.

Photo: AFP via Getty Images

Ukraine war latest: US to formally allow European countries to train Ukrainians on F-16s

U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan told CNN that U.S. President Joe Biden will allow European countries to launch the much-anticipated training for Ukrainian pilots to use F-16 fighter jets.

Photo: Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images

Human cost of war

General Staff: Russia has lost 238,300 troops in Ukraine. The General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces reported on July 17 that Russia had lost 238,300 troops in Ukraine since the beginning of its full-scale invasion on Feb. 24 last year. This number includes 620 casualties Russian forces suffered just over the past day.

UN: 9,300 civilians have died since beginning of war. Around 9,300 civilians have died since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022, UN Deputy Secretary General for Political Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo said at the UN Security Council meeting on July 17.

International response

UK slaps new sanctions against Russia over deportation of Ukrainian children. U.K. Foreign Secretary James Cleverly announced on July 17 new sanctions against Russia over the attempts to destroy Ukrainian national identity and the abduction of Ukrainian children.

Blinken: Russia ‘weaponizing food’; US to help Ukraine with exports after grain deal collapse. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that Washington is looking for ways to help Ukraine export grain and other food products following Russia’s announcement on July 17 that it is pulling out of the Black Sea Grain Initiative.

Guterres: Russia’s pull-out of grain deal ‘will strike a blow to people in need everywhere.’ “Today’s decision by the Russian Federation will strike a blow to people in need everywhere,” UN Secretary-General António Guterres said.

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Today’s Ukraine Daily was brought to you by Igor Kossov, Toma Istomina, Oleksiy Sorokin, Kate Tsurkan, Asami Terajima, Alexander Khrebet, Oleg Sukhov, Olena Goncharova, Brad LaFoy, and Haley Zehrung.

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