Ukraine’s front line comes under further pressure; UN warns of rising food prices after export deal

Ukraine has reported more shelling in several regions overnight, as well as intense fighting along the front line in Donetsk in eastern Ukraine, a day after it witnessed a wave of attacks across a number of regions.

Shelling has been reported in the Dnipropetrovsk region in southeast Ukraine and there have been reports of missile strikes on the southern port city of Mykolaiv overnight, demolishing half an apartment building and killing one resident, Reuters reported.

Meanwhile, Ukraine’s armed forces reported in its early morning update that fighting remained intense on the front line in Donetsk in eastern Ukraine. It said on Facebook that the Russian army was “concentrating its efforts on restraining Ukraine’s defense forces in certain directions, and is not stopping offensive operations in the Bakhmut and Avdiivka directions” in Donetsk.

 “The enemy continues shelling units of the defense forces along the contact line, carries out fortification equipment of the lines in separate directions and conducts aerial reconnaissance. Strikes critical infrastructure and civilian homes, violating international humanitarian law, laws and customs of war,” Spokesman of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Andriy Kovalev said Tuesday.

A wave of missile attacks targeted Ukraine’s critical energy infrastructure on Monday, with major cities Kyiv and Kharkiv among those targeted. Hundreds of thousands of people were left without power and water for hours, although Kyiv’s Mayor Vitali Klitschko said water supplies were restored Tuesday morning.

— Holly Ellyatt

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he spoke with United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres about Russia’s decision to suspend its role in the Black Sea Grain Initiative.

Zelenskky said he reaffirmed Ukraine’s support for the deal, which reopened three Ukrainian ports for agricultural exports, during his call with Guterres.

“We’re ready to remain a guarantor of global food safety,” Zelenskyy said on Twitter.

The Ukrainian leader also said he updated Guterres on Russia’s missile strikes and called for a “tough” U.N. response.

— Amanda Macias

The Secretary-General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development said that the FAO Food Price Index was in decline for six straight months, due in part to the Black Sea Grain Initiative.

The Black Sea Grain Initiative, a United Nations-backed deal brokered in July, eased Russia’s naval blockade and saw the reopening of three key Ukrainian ports. Since August, nearly 400 ships carrying a total of 9 million metric tons have departed Ukraine’s ports for international destinations.

“The Food and Agriculture Organization food price index has declined for six months in a row by about 16%. According to World Bank models, this decline may have prevented over 100,000,000 people from falling into poverty,” Rebeca Grynspan said before the United Nations Security Council.

Grynspan added that the uncertainty of the continuation of the Black Sea Grain Initiative is now causing food prices to rise again.

“Just today, wheat futures have risen by over 6%,” she said, urging all parties to make “every effort to resume and extend the Black Sea Grain Initiative.”

— Amanda Macias

Turkey’s representative to the United Nations called for “common sense” at a meeting of the U.N. Security Council regarding Russia’s suspension of its participation in the Black Sea Grain Initiative.

“Today we call for common sense, common sense in recognizing the need for restraint, common sense in upholding our responsibility to protect the most vulnerable populations of the world who have turned to the United Nations,” representative Feridun Sinirlio?lu said. He argued that the deal should be “decoupled from the developments on the ground,” as it was made in good faith and should continue that way.

He also lauded the achievements of the Initiative, which has moved more than 9.5 million metric tons of grain and foodstuff and brought down global food prices since it was agreed to in July.

“The Black Sea Grain Initiative marked a turning point in how we put the needs of those furthest behind first, even at times of war,” Sinirlio?lu said.

“Turkey hopes that reason will prevail and the Black Sea Grain Initiative will remain intact and in place,” he said. Turkey has been in contact with both Ukraine and Russia to ensure the continuation of the deal, according to Sinirlio?lu.

Russia suspended its participation in the program over the weekend in response to an alleged Ukrainian drone strike on a Russian fleet near Sevastopol.

— Rocio Fabbro

Ukraine’s Ambassador to the United Nations slammed Russia’s decision to suspend its role in the Black Sea Grain Initiative, a deal that reopened Ukrainian ports for agricultural exports.

“We are outraged but not surprised over the announcement by Russia to suspend its participation in the Black Sea Grain initiative. This announcement did not come all of a sudden, as Russia has never given up aggravating the food crisis as a tool to pressure and blackmail the world,” Sergey Kyslytsya said before the United Nations Security Council.

 “We have already heard Russian threats to quit the initiative,” Kyslytsya said of the deal, which is set to expire next month.

He added that Russia was carrying out “an absolutely deliberate blockade.”

“Their intention is crystal clear to make Ukraine succumb to Kremlin’s demands by blackmailing to bring back the threat of large-scale famine across the globe,” he said.

The Black Sea Grain Initiative, a United Nations-backed deal brokered in July, eased Russia’s naval blockade and saw the reopening of three key Ukrainian ports. Since August, nearly 400 ships carrying a total of 9 million metric tons of agricultural products have departed Ukraine’s ports.

— Amanda Macias

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said he spoke with Finland’s President Sauli Niinisto as the Nordic country prepares to join the world’s most powerful military alliance.

“We addressed Russia’s war on Ukraine and Finland’s path to NATO. Finland is already more secure, and your membership will make us all safer & stronger. We look forward to having you as full members of our alliance soon,” Stoltenberg wrote on Twitter.

Niinisto confirmed the call in a separate tweet adding that his country looks forward to “the future role of Finland as a NATO ally.”

He said the two spoke about the ratification process of adding Finland to the alliance and shared updates on Russia’s war in Ukraine.

— Amanda Macias

United States State Department spokesperson Ned Price said Russia’s suspension of the Black Sea Grain Initiative is akin to “collective punishment” for the world.

“Any acts by Russia to disrupt critical grain exports is essentially a statement that the Kremlin doesn’t care if people and families around the world pay more for food or go hungry,” Price said in a press briefing.

“We’ve seen Russia engage in what appears to be collective punishment for the people of Ukraine, again, ironically and cruelly in the context of a war that Russia itself started. But Moscow’s suspension of the initiative would be tantamount to collective punishment for the rest of the world.”

Price noted that the suspension especially affects lower and middle income countries, which have been the recipients of the vast majority of grain coming out of the deal. Two-thirds, or 66%, of the grain has gone to developing countries, with 19% going to the least developed countries of the world, according to Price.

“It is not in anyone’s interests. It is not in Russia’s interest. It is not in the interest of the international community to see what could be akin to a form of collective global punishment now for this to remain suspended,” he said.

Price put full U.S. support behind the United Nations, which helped to initially broker the deal, in its efforts to maintain the humanitarian corridor and encourage cooperation between Russia and Ukraine over grain exports.

“We are going to support the Secretary General in any way that we can, as he seeks to have this grain initiative resume and to add a degree of longevity to it,” Price said.

— Rocio Fabbro

President Joe Biden again placed blame for soaring gas prices on Russia’s war in Ukraine before outlining steps his administration has taken to address mounting energy costs for American consumers.

“Putin’s invasion in Ukraine in March sent gas prices soaring literally around the world and because of the actions we’ve taken since then,” Biden said, adding that prices have since lowered.

“This difference makes a difference in a difficult time,” Biden said. “Not everyone’s stepped up. The oil industry has not,” Biden added, slamming oil companies for “their war profiteering.”

— Amanda Macias

Intense fighting is taking place in the Kharkiv region in northeastern Ukraine with the country’s armed forces fighting to liberate 24 settlements, and facing active Russian resistance in the process.

“Our Armed Forces are actively fighting for the liberation of our territories. We still have an average of 24 settlements under occupation. I say ‘on average’ because the situation is really changing at the front,” Oleg Synehubov, head of the Kharkiv Regional Military Administration, said during a nationwide telethon, news agency Ukrinform reported Monday.

Synehubov said Ukraine’s forces were “making every effort to completely liberate the region as soon as possible” but that Russian units were “actively resisting and were not going to leave.”

“The situation is really tense there,” he added with both sides looking to reinforce their positions.

“Defense and fortification structures are being built. Let me remind you that we have a 315km border with the Russian Federation. The Russians are also reinforcing the positions from their territory. Indeed, construction is underway on fortified areas, concrete structures,” Synehubov said.

—Holly Ellyatt

Ukraine’s Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said that Russia’s shelling of various regions in Ukraine on Monday morning has damaged civilian energy infrastructure.

“Missiles and drones hit 10 regions, where 18 objects [facilities] were damaged, most of which are energy-related,” he said on Telegram.

“Hundreds of settlements in seven regions of Ukraine were cut off. The consequences could have been much worse. But thanks to the heroic and professional work of the Air Defense Forces, 44 of the more than 50 missiles fired at our territory were shot down,” he added.

A series of missile strikes hit major Ukrainian cities on Monday morning, with the capital Kyiv and cities to the northeast and south being targeted. Much of Kyiv is without power and water following the attacks.

Kyivvodokanal, a utilities company supplying water for Kyiv, said Monday that 80% of the city’s residents are currently without a water supply.

— Holly Ellyatt