August 22, 2023 - Russia-Ukraine news | CNN (2024)

Our live coverage of Russia’s war in Ukraine has moved here.

Russian air defenses thwarted a Ukrainian drone attack on Moscow early Wednesday, Russia’s defense ministry said, the latest in a string of aerial assaults targeting the Russian capital.

There were no casualties, it said.

CNN is unable to independently verify the ministry’s claims.

The alleged attack marks the fourth time in recent weeks that Moscow’s financial district has been targeted by suspected Ukrainian drones, according to a CNN tally.

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky speaks during a meeting at Maximou mansion in Athens, on Monday, August 21, 2023.

International support for Ukraine is pouring in on the heels of a Ukraine-Balkans summit held in Athens, Greece.

TenBalkanandEuropeancountriessigned ajointdeclarationto express their support for Ukraine on Tuesday. And Serbian PresidentAleksandar Vucic said his country respects Ukraine’s territorial integrity on the sidelines of the summit in Athens.

Meanwhile back in Kyiv, the Netherland’s Defense Minister Kajsa Ollongren assured in a meeting with her Ukrainian counterpart that the Netherlands will remain a loyal partner of Ukraine and will continue providing support.

Ukrainian President VolodymyrZelensky said he is returning home “with new political support and new agreements,” after concluding his trip through Europe.

Here are other headlines you should know:

At least five people were killed and three others injured as a result of Russian shelling on Ukraine’s Donetsk region, according to the region’s military administration on Tuesday.

The shelling happened in the Lyman district, said Pavlo Kyrylenko, head of the Donetsk region military administration.

Three residents were killed while sitting on a bench near a private house in the village of Torske, while another Torske resident “suffered multiple chest, shoulder and hip injuries,” according to the Donetsk regional prosecutor’s office.

In the village of Zakitne “a 26-year-old man suffered a skull fracture and a brain contusion,” the office said.

The Russian shelling killed two civilians and wounded another in the Donetsk region’s Yampil settlement on Tuesday as well, Kyrylenko said in an interview with Ukrainian media.

Russia also launched an airstrike on the Niu-York village in the Donetsk region, using aerial bombs that weigh 250 kilograms (551 pounds) each, according to Kyrylenko. There were no casualties following the strike, he added.

Kyrylenko said “171 children still remain on the frontline territories of Donetsk region.” However, local authorities plan “a forced evacuation” for them and their parents “in the next two weeks.”

A total of 492,000 people remain in the Donetsk region as Ukraine continues evacuation efforts, according to Kyrylenko.

Two Ukrainian drones thatwere conducting reconnaissance near Crimea changed their course after Russia activated fighter jets to counter reconnaissance activities andprevent a possible violation of the state border, Russia’s defense ministry said in a statement Tuesday.

After fighter jets were raised into the air“the UAVs changed their flight direction and left the areas of aerial reconnaissance,” the ministry said.

Earlier on Tuesday, the Russian defense ministry said Ukraine attempted a drone attack on facilities in Russia late Monday, but the drones were jammed by electronic warfare and crashed into the Black Sea northwest of Crimea.

Ukraine’s Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov met in Kyiv with his counterpart from the Netherlands,Kajsa Ollongren, who is in Ukraine on a working visit, according to Ukraine’s Defense Ministry.

This is Ollongren’s third visit to Ukraine since February 24, 2022, “and it is a strong signal to all our defenders that we have such a powerful friend in the international arena,” Reznikov said.

Ollongren assured the Netherlands will remain a loyal partner of Ukraine and will continue providing support.She said she feels “admiration and respect” for Ukraine as well as it’s leadership and military.

The Netherlands officialsaid F-16 jet training will begin for Ukrainian pilots at a center in Romania.

“We all know how quickly the Ukrainian military learns, there is no doubt that the training will take place, but it will also need to be integrated into the support system and the system of the Armed Forces, including the Air Force,” she said.“This is not only a matter of training, but also a matter of capabilities and technical support. But we are already working on this. We have made a commitment to do this as soon as possible,” she added.

Pentagon spokesman Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said Tuesday that the US was “prepared to support” F-16 fighter pilot training for Ukrainian pilots in the continental US if needed.

Serbian President AleksandarVucic shakes hands with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy at the Maximos Mansion in Athens, Greece,on Monday, August 21.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky held talks with Serbian PresidentAleksandar Vucic on the sidelines ofa Ukraine-Balkans summit in Athens on Tuesday, according to both sides.

“The parties noted that mutual support for territorial integrity and sovereignty is an important part of the partnership between Ukraine and Serbia,”Zelensky’s office said in a statement.

Vucic said he had“a good and open conversation” with Zelensky about the important issues both countries face.

Zelensky thanked Vucic for the humanitarian assistance provided by Serbia to Ukraine, as well as for the support for Ukrainians who have found refuge in Serbia after the start of the war, Zelensky’s office said.

Some background: Traditionally one of Moscow’s closest allies in Europe, Belgrade has long tried to tread the line between its historical ties to Russia and a potential future of closer European integration.

Western diplomats have sought to pull Vucic from the orbit of his Russian counterpart, President Vladimir Putin, by pledging a swifter path to EU membership while simultaneously warning of isolation if they break rank.

But, 18 months on, some observers say the current approach has been all carrot and no stick, and as a result, is failing to achieve both of its aims.

Serbia has refused to participate in all rounds of EU sanctions against Putin. And Serbia has continued to pursue its own interests in the region with diminishing accountability, stirring conflicts abroad to distract fromdiscontent at home, safe in the knowledge it will not be rebuked in the West.

Read more on the West’s approach to Serbia

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky speaks in Athens, Greece, on Monday.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he is returning home “with new political support and new agreements,” after concluding a trip through Europe Tuesday.

“We are returning home with new political support and new agreements. Everyone clearly reaffirms the territorial integrity of Ukraine,” Zelensky said in his evening address.

Zelensky said that at “almost all the meetings,” protecting export routes “through the Black Sea and through ‘solidarity corridors’ on land” was discussed.

Some more context: Over the last few days, Zelensky traveled to Sweden, the Netherlands, Denmark and Greece, where he attended a Ukraine-Balkans summit. He said he held talks on the sidelines of the summitwith Bulgaria, Serbia, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Moldova and the President of the European CommissionUrsula von der Leyen.

“A very important agreement with Greece, for which I am particularly grateful to the Prime Minister, is Greece’s willingness to take patronage of the restoration of our Odesa. The decision is not only substantive but also very symbolic. It is filled with many historical and cultural meanings,” Zelensky said.

“The overall result of these days is that Ukraine has become stronger,” Zelensky said, adding he is grateful to Luxembourgfor joining the Group of Seven declaration on security guarantees for Ukraine.

TenBalkanandEuropeancountriessigned a jointdeclarationto express their support for Ukraine on Tuesday in Athens.

The countries pledged “unwavering support forUkraine’s independence,sovereigntyand territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders.”

With Ukrainian PresidentVolodymyrZelensky, President of theEuropeanCouncil Charles Michel and the President of theEuropeanCommission Ursula von der Leyen also in attendance, the10leaderssigned the eight-pointdeclarationin a meeting marking 20 years since theEU-WesternBalkans Summit in Thessaloniki.

Thedeclarationalso expressed support for Zelensky’s 10-point peace formula, which calls for the withdrawal of Russian troops and restoration of*ckraine’s borders.

National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan speaks to the press at Camp David on Friday.

US national security adviser JakeSullivantold reporters Tuesday that President Joe Biden’s administration isconfidentit’ll be able to secure additionalfundingforUkraine, despite pushback from some House Republicans backing an amendment last month that would’ve stripped allUkrainefunding.

“So we believe that the supportwillbe there andwillbe sustained — even if there are some dissident voices on the other side of the aisle, we believe that at the core, there is still a strong bipartisan foundation of supportforourUkrainepolicy andforsupporting and defendingUkraine,” he continued.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said Monday he expected Congress to pass a supplemental funding bill to increase support for Ukraine.

AndSullivansaid that the administration has communicated to representatives in Kyiv, as well as to allies and partners, that it has “confidence that the United Stateswillcontinue to be there as we have committed to be there as long as it takes.”

Polling: Most Americans oppose Congress authorizing additional funding to supportUkraine in its war with Russia, according to a recentCNN poll conducted by SSRS, as the public splits over whether the US has already done enough to assist Ukraine.

Overall, 55% say the US Congress should not authorize additional funding to support Ukraine vs. 45% who say Congress should authorize such funding. And 51% say that the US has already done enough to help Ukraine, while 48% say it should do more. A poll conducted in the early days of the Russian invasion in late February 2022 found 62% who felt the US should have been doing more.

Russia said its air force destroyed an American-made high-speed military boat “with a landing group of the Armed Forces of Ukraine” near Snake Island on Tuesday morning.

A spokesperson for the Ukrainian Navy denied Russia’s claims.

“No such incident took place in the Ukrainian Navy.There are no losses among the Navy personnel,” the spokesperson told CNN on the phone.“Accordingly, in this case, we have nothing to comment on,” he added.

Ukraine regained control of Snake Island last year and has stepped up its attacks in the Black Sea over the past week.The small rocky island off the southwestern Ukrainian coast first gained widespread recognition early in Russia’s invasion, when sailors defending it told the Russian Navy to “go f**k yourself.”

The Russian defense ministry released video purportedly showing the military boat incident but has not provided further details.

The video shows multiple firings at a target but without identifying details. CNN cannot independently verify it.

CNN examines what Russian President Vladimir Putin’s public persona says about his shifting image — from long-table diplomacy to meet-and-greets with crowds of apparently adoring fans.

Remember: In June, Putin faced the greatest threat to his authority in two decadeswhen the founder of private mercenary company Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, launched anapparent insurrection, claimed control of military facilities in two Russian cities, and warned that his troops would head for Moscow, before he turned back the march.

Watch here:

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The International Court of Justice (ICJ) will hear Russia’s preliminary objections in the case concerning “Allegations of Genocide under the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide” next month, the court said in a statement on Tuesday.

The public hearings will be held in the Hague between September 18 and 27 and will include oral arguments by Russia, Ukraine and 32 intervening states.

Some more context: On February 27, 2022, Kyiv filed a case against Moscow in the ICJ, stating that “the Russian Federation has falsely claimed that acts of genocide have occurred in the Luhansk and Donetsk oblasts of Ukraine, and on that basis recognized the so-called ‘Donetsk People’s Republic’ and ‘Luhansk People’s Republic’, and then declared and implemented a ‘special military operation’ against Ukraine.”

The United Nations’ top court granted applications from the UK, Canada and 30 other states to participate.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky held a meeting with Prime Minister of the Republic of Croatia Andrej Plenković during the Ukraine-Balkans summit in Athens.

Ukrainian President VolodymyrZelenskymet with the Croatian, Moldovan and North Macedonian leaders in Greece, according to his office.

Zelenskythanked Croatia for preparing a new defense package for Ukraine and briefed Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković about Russia’s “illegal blockade of navigation in the Black Sea and heavy Russian missile strikes on Ukraine’s port infrastructure, which endanger world food security,” according toZelensky’s office.

The Ukrainian president also thanked North Macedonia Prime Minister Dimitar Kovačevski for defense support, his office said.

Zelenskydiscussed creating alternative routes for exporting Ukrainian grain after Russia withdrew from the Black Sea Grain Initiative with Moldovan President Maia Sandu, his office added.

On Monday, Zelensky also met with Bulgaria’s Prime Minister Nikolai Denkov to talk about a “grain corridor” in the Black Sea.

More background: Russia’s withdrawal from the Black Sea grain deal, negotiated by Turkey and the United Nations last year, threatens the safe passage of ships carrying grain to and from Ukrainian ports.

The collapse of the deal has already pushed upglobal food pricesand could tip millions in poor countries into hunger.

Ukraine confirms it attacked a Russian air base used to store Tu-22M3 supersonic bombers. Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky continues his latest European tour in Greece, where he met with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Bulgaria’s Prime Minister Nikolai Dekovof.

Here are the latest headlines:

In this image released on social media on August 20, a Russian plane is pictured burning at the Soltsy air base in the Novgorod region in northwestern Russia.

A Russian air base that came under attack on Saturday was used to house Tu-22M3 supersonic bombers, according to CNN analysis of satellite and social media images of the base.

In this satellite photo from Planet Labs PBC, Tupolev Tu-22M bombers sit on the apron of the Soltsy air base in the Novgorod region of northwestern Russia on August 8.

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Stellite images provided by Planet Labs and taken on August 8, show a number of Tu-22M3 bombers parked at the airfield in Soltsi inside Russia’snorthwestNovgorod region.

Another Planet Labs satellite image taken on August 21 appears to show charred ground where one Tu-22M3 was parked, while the rest of the parked aircrafts appear to have been moved.

In this satellite photo from Planet Labs PBC, the apron of the Soltsy air base in the Novgorod region of northwestern Russia sits empty on August 21.

Two ocial media images geolocated by CNN show a similar aircraft on fire at the same Russian base.

Some context: The Russian defense ministry had said earlier that Ukrainian drones attacked the airfield causing fire in the aircraft parking lot. Ukraine hasn’t claimed responsibility for this August 19 attack.

Ukraine on Monday confirmed it carried out a drone attack on Shaykovka air base in Russia’s Kaluga region, located more than 200 kilometers (130 miles) northeast of the countries’ shared border, which left “at least one aircraft damaged.”

Ukrainian media reported that attacks on Russian bases over the past few days destroyed several aircrafts including two bombers, citing unnamed Ukrainian defense intelligence officials.

Ukraine on Monday confirmed it carried out a drone attack on Shaykovka air base in Russia’s Kaluga region, located more than 200 kilometers (130 miles) northeast of the countries’ shared border, which left “at least one aircraft damaged.”

The aircraft is capable of performing nuclear strikes as well as conventional attacks and anti-ship missions, according to open-source intelligence company Jane’s.

President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, left, speaks with the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the Greek Prime Minister's office in Athens, Greece, on August 21.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen says she held a “productive” meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Athens on Tuesday, as he carries out another tour of European nations.

Von der Leyen said the two leaders discussed “Ukraine’s progress on the EU path” in a post on X, formerly Twitter, on Tuesday.

Zelensky said Ukraine hopes for a decision by the bloc’s member states to open accession talks linked to Ukraine’s EU membership bid by the end of 2023.

Von der Leyen also outlined the EU’s commitment to bringing “Ukraine’s grain to world markets” as the country continues to deal with the fallout from Russia’s withdrawal from a UN-brokered grain deal in July.

She also underlined a commitment to providing “economic assistance” to Ukraine as it fights off the Russian invasion.

Zelensky thanked von der Leyen for “her efforts to normalize Ukraine’s agricultural exports and transit” in a post on his official Telegram account.

Hong-Kong-flagged container ship "Joseph Schulte" transits Bosphorus in Istanbul, Turkey, on August 18.

Leaders of Ukraine and Bulgaria have discussed their countries’ cooperation on the Black Sea to secure a “grain corridor” in the wake of Russia’s withdrawal from a crucial deal that has led to growing fears about global food security.

The withdrawal of Russia from the grain deal negotiated by Turkey and the United Nations has had a chilling effect on merchant shipping using the three Ukrainian Black Sea ports from which most grain is exported. Russia has warned that ships leaving these ports may come under attack.

Ukraine has since created its own maritime corridor for shipping, but it is unable to guarantee its safety because of Russian naval superiority in the Black Sea.

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky met with Bulgaria’s Prime Minister Nikolai Denkov to talk about the corridor on the sidelines of Ukraine-Balkans Summit held in Athens, Greece on Monday.

The two leaders “discussed cooperation between the Black Sea states to ensure sustainable security in the Black Sea and the functioning of the “grain corridor” in alternative ways,” Zelensky’s office said.

Zelensky thanked Denkov for the recent Bulgarian decision to provide defense support to Ukraine, according to the office.

Some context: Kyiv is in talks with some of the world’s biggest insurance companies to cover ships traveling to and from its ports in the Black Sea — a crucial step toward a full resumption ofvital grain exportsaround the globe.

Work on an insurance mechanism followsRussia’s withdrawalfrom the Black Sea Grain Initiative last month, which threatens the safe passage of ships carrying grain to and from Ukrainian ports.

The collapse of the deal — brokered by Turkey and the United Nations a year ago — has already pushed upglobal food pricesand could tip millions in poor countries into hunger.

To keep grain shipments moving, Ukraine’s government will share potential losses with insurers, which should make cover for travel through risky Ukrainian waters more affordable for commercial shipping companies.

A 51-year-old man was killed and another man was wounded after Ukraine’s southern Zaporizhzhia region endured a barrage of Russian attacks overnight, a local official said Tuesday.

In a Telegram post, Zaporizhzhia military administration chief Yurii Malashko said the region was hit 96 times by missiles and shells during the past 24 hours.

Homes were damaged in Zaporizhzhia city following missile and drone strikes, he said. Firefighters later extinguished a blaze in the city covering 200 square meters, the State Emergency Service of Ukraine said.

Russia also attacked multiple towns on the front line, using artillery, multiple rocket launchers and jets, Malashko added.

More than 20 homes and power infrastructure were damaged after Russian missiles struck the central city of Kryvyi Rih on Tuesday, a local official said.

An elderly man suffered light cuts to his face in the attack, the city’s defense council chief Oleksandr Vilkul said on Telegram.

Power and water supply in the city have been restored, Vilkul said.

A Russian fighter jet destroyed a Ukrainian “reconnaissance boat” in the Black Sea overnight, Russia’s Ministry of Defense said Tuesday.

In a Telegram statement, the ministry said the boat was near a Russian gas production facility.

It comes after Russian air defenses shot down two Ukrainiandrones over the Black Sea Monday, according to the defense ministry.

Some context: Recent Ukrainian attacks on Russian ships and Black Sea naval bases have brought the war to an area that Moscow had previously considered beyond the reach of Kyiv’s forces. Last week, Ukrainian security services released to CNN exclusive footage showing the moment in July when they used an experimental sea drone to attackRussia’s bridge to annexed Crimea, providing new details on the attack and warning more such assaults will follow.

Four Ukrainian drones were intercepted over Russia’s Moscow and Bryansk regions early Tuesday, Russia’s defense ministry said.

It marks the latest in a barrage of alleged Ukrainian aerial attacks on Russian territory in recent days, including an assault on a Russian air base claimed by Kyiv.

The attack on Shaykovka air base in Russia’s Kaluga region left “at least one aircraft damaged,” a spokesperson for Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence said Monday.

Here’s what else you need to know:

Law enforcement officers work at the site of a drone attack in Krasnogorsk, in the Moscow region, Russia, on August 22.

Four Ukrainian drones were intercepted over Russia’s Moscow and Bryansk regions early Tuesday, Russia’s defense ministry said.

It marks the latest in a barrage of alleged Ukrainian aerial attacks on Russian territory in recent days, including an assault on a Russian air base claimed by Kyiv.

Another two UAVs were destroyed over the Moscow region, the statement added.

There were no casualties, it said.

The drones intercepted over the Moscow region Tuesday were brought down near Krasnogorsk, northwest of the capital, Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin said on Telegram.

Another UAV was brought down over Chastsy, southwest of Moscow, he said.

Flights have resumed in Moscow Tuesday after aviation authorities temporarily closed all airports in the region.

Ukraine has not commented on Tuesday’s alleged attack.

Remember: Astring of drone strikes have peppered Russian cities including Moscow throughout the summer, with an emboldened Kyiv warning that more will come.

A person walks past the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg, South Africa on August 19.

Members of the BRICS economic group of major emerging economies are meeting this week in South Africa for a summit that could determine the future of the bloc — and how hard it pushes back against a world order it sees as unfairly dominated by the West.

The group of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa has never been more prominent on the world stage. But the BRICS themselves are complicated.

Russia’s leader can’t attend the summit because host country South Africa would be obliged to arrest him for alleged war crimes. Two other members, India and China, have a simmeringborder conflict. And while Beijing islocked in a rivalrywith the United States, New Delhi hasclose tieswith Washington.

It’s not the happiest of families. But nonetheless that family is now entertaining formal bids from nearly two dozen countries to join their bloc of major emerging economies.

Discussions around adding new members are expected to figure high on the agenda of the three-day summit beginning Tuesday,where BRICS leaders — with the exception of Russia’s Vladimir Putin — will gather in-person for thefirst time since the pandemic.

Putin, who has an International Criminal Courtwarrantout for his arrest linked to hisbrutal invasion of Ukraine, will attend virtually.

At stake in decisions around expanding is the direction and identity of the group, whose members aim for more say in an international system they see as favoring the West and Group of Seven (G7) nations, despite a shift in who dominates the global economy over recent decades.

Read the full analysis here.

Russian air defenses shot down two Ukrainiandrones over the Black Sea Monday, Russia’s defense ministry said.

Meanwhile, Russian air defenses intercepted twodrones over Russia’s Belgorod region and twodrones over the Moscow region on Monday.

There were no casualties reported and only minimal damage, the ministry said.

Accounts from other Russian officials said two people were injured after Russia downed two Ukrainian drones near Moscow early Monday. It follows a weekend of multiple alleged drone attacks across Russia, including at a railway station in the city ofKursk.

Ukraine has not yet commented.

Yevgeny Prigozhin attends a meeting in Moscow on July 4, 2017.

Wagner mercenary chiefYevgeny Prigozhinsays he is in Africa “making Russia even greater on all continents, and Africa even freer,” in a video circulating on pro-Russian military blogs Monday.

In the clip, Prigozhin is seen holding a rifle in a desert area while wearing camouflage. Behind him, in the distance, is a truck and two other men in camouflage.

The warlord says “the temperature is plus 50 [degrees Celsius],” and that Wagner is conducting reconnaissance and search operations.

CNN has not been able to locate where the clip was filmed nor verify the authenticity of the video, which comes months after Prigozhin launched an abortive mutiny against Russia’s military leadership.

Read the full story here.

Ukraine on Monday confirmed it carried out a drone attack on a Russian military air base located more than 200 kilometers (130 miles) northeast of the countries’ shared border.

The Ukrainian drone attack on Shaykovka air base in Russia’s Kaluga region left “at least one aircraft damaged,” said Andriy Yusov, a spokesperson for Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence, in an interview with Ukrainian media Liga.net.

The air base operates Tupolev Tu-22M3 supersonic long-range bombers that have been used by Russia to strike targets in Ukraine since the start of the invasion last year.

The Ukrainian air force reported on August 15 that aircraft operating from the base had launched four Kh-22 air cruise missiles toward Ukraine.

According to Yusov, Monday’s attack was carried out “in clear coordination with the Main Directorate of Intelligence of Ukraine’s Defense Ministry.”

Unofficial Russian accounts: Russian social media blog Baza, which has close contacts with the Russian security services, said a Ukrainian drone had crashed on the territory of the Shaykovka air base on Monday.Baza reported that “an unused aircraft at the airfield was damaged … However, this information has not been officially confirmed.”

Another Russian Telegram channel, Mash, said “the Ukrainian armed forces attempted to attack the Shaykovka military airfield in the Kaluga region.”

The Russian defense ministry has not commented on the incident.

Greecewill train Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighter jets, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said during a joint news conference with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis in Athens Monday.

Zelensky said that in addition to the training, Kyiv is grateful for a new defense package for Ukraine pledged by Athens.

Zelensky also said “Greek companies are ready to take part in the transporting of Ukrainian grain,” and his country is counting on it as restoration work on the port of Odesa is under way.

Mitsotakisemphasized that Greece will help reconstruct Ukraine with a focus on the city of Odesa.

Zelensky also noted that Greece, a NATO member, has joined the G7 countries on security guarantees for Ukraine and signed a declaration to support Ukrainian Euro-Atlantic integration.

Ukraine’s appreciation for F-16s:Earlier, Zelensky used an address to Denmark’s Parliament tothank the countryfor its support, including a pledge to provide Kyiv with F-16 fighter jets. The Netherlands is also sending the aircraft. The Russian ambassador to Denmark has described the proposed transfer of F-16s as an “escalation” in the conflict.

Russia and Iranon Monday agreed to increase ground force military cooperation, according to both countries’ state media.

Russian state-run news agency TASS reported that “the sides reached an agreement on further enhancing cooperation between the Russian and Iranian Ground Forces in various areas,” citing Russia’s Defense Ministry.

“Iran is considered by the Russian Federation to be a key state in the Middle East. It is Russia’s strategic partner, and continual, intensive political dialog is a characteristic feature of the current stage of our partnership,” the commander-in-chief of Russian ground forces,Gen. Oleg Salyukov, said during the talks, according to TASS.

Remember: Relations between Tehran and Moscow have grown much closer during Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Last month, US intelligence officials warned that Russia is building a drone-manufacturing facilityin country with Iran’s help that could have a significant impact on the war in Ukraineonce it is completed.

Ukraine is in talks with some of the world’s biggest insurance companies to cover ships traveling to and from its ports in the Black Sea — a crucial step toward a full resumption ofvital grain exportsaround the globe.

Work on an insurance mechanism followsRussia’s withdrawal from the Black Sea Grain Initiative last month, which threatens the safe passage of ships carrying grain to and from Ukrainian ports.

The collapse of the deal — brokered by Turkey and the United Nations a year ago — has already pushed upglobal food pricesand could tip millions in poor countries into hunger.

To keep grain shipments moving, Ukraine’s government will share potential losses with insurers, which should make cover for travel through risky Ukrainian waters more affordable for commercial shipping companies.

Read more here.