Ukraine war live updates: Blinken urges Moscow to end Black Sea ‘blackmail’; Russia says it thwarted attack on key oil export hub

Explosions were reported at Russia’s port of Novorossiysk, a major hub on the Black Sea for Russian oil exports. Russia’s Defense Ministry says it repelled at attack by unmanned Ukrainian sea drones, and ship movement at the port was halted, according to emergency workers and pipeline services cited by Reuters.

Ukraine’s armed forces said that 40 clashes with Russian troops took place Thursday and that its air defenses shot down 15 Iranian-made Shahed drones.

Meanwhile, international leaders continue to urge Russia to return to the Black Sea grain deal, with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken calling on Moscow to end its “blackmail” over global food supplies. Since Russia’s withdrawal from the humanitarian initiative in July, it has launched attacks on several Ukrainian ports holding grain supplies set for export, and damaged or destroyed food storage and export infrastructure.