Ukraine war live updates: Ukraine and U.S. to jointly produce weapons; Russia inflicts ‘significant damage’ on Odesa in attack

Poland’s president appeared to soften Warsaw’s recent rhetoric toward Ukraine after tensions rose in recent weeks between the allies and neighbors, particularly over grain imports.

“We need to get our emotions under control, because let’s remember who will benefit most if the paths of Poland and Ukraine diverge. The consequences could be tragic,” Polish President Andrzej Duda told a Polish newspaper Sunday.

Duda’s comments come after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appeared to suggest, when addressing the U.N. General Assembly last week in New York, that some of Ukraine’s allies had feigned solidarity with Kyiv.

That comment appeared to prompt Poland’s prime minister to state that Poland would no longer supply Kyiv with weapons, escalating tensions further.

Poland has been one of Ukraine’s staunchest supporters in the war, but tensions have grown recently over Ukraine’s agricultural exports that have been transported via eastern Europe, with local farmers saying their own livelihoods have been affected by a glut of cheaper imports.

In an interview with a Polish newspaper on Sunday, Duda noted that Zelenskyy’s comments at the U.N. General Assembly could have been down to stress.

“Let’s not forget that Zelenskyy is under enormous pressure,” he told Polish newspaper Super Express.  “He is sending people to the front, often to their deaths.”

Referring to defense spending, he said new equipment “must serve to strengthen the Polish army,” before more can be sent to Ukraine. “We are not spending billions for us to suddenly give it away,” he said.

“But that doesn’t mean that we won’t hand over armaments to Ukraine at all,” he said, adding that “when the old equipment is replaced by modern equipment, I don’t see a problem with sending that [old equipment] to the Ukrainians.”

Zelenskyy seemed to attempt to dial down the rhetoric when he posted on Telegram a message thanking Poles for their support in the war, saying “thank you to all of Poland for the invaluable support and solidarity that helps defend the freedom of our entire Europe.”

— Holly Ellyatt

Ukrainian grain exports over Sept. 1-24 totalled 1.57 million metric tons, down sharply from the 3.21 million tons in the corresponding period last year, agriculture ministry data showed on Monday.

The ministry gave no explanation for the decline.

Traders and agricultural unions have said that Ukrainian the blocking of Black Sea ports and recent Russian attacks on Ukrainian ports on the Danube River are the main reasons for the reduced exports.

The ministry data showed that Ukraine has exported a total of 6.2 million tons of grain so far in the 2023/24 July-June season, versus 7.5 million tons in the same period of the previous season.

The volume included almost 3 million tons of wheat, 2.5 million tons of corn and 599,000 tons of barley.

Ukraine has traditionally shipped most of its exports through its deep-water Black Sea ports.

An agreement brokered by the United Nations and Turkey to allow such exports collapsed in July when Russia walked away from the deal, saying its demands for an easing of sanctions on its own grain and fertiliser exports had not been met.

Ukraine is able to export limited volumes through small river ports on the Danube and via its western land border with the European Union.

Ukraine is expected to harvest at least 80 million tons of grain and oilseed in 2023 and the 2023/24 exportable surplus totals about 50 million tons.

— Reuters

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in his nightly address on Sunday that the U.S. had agreed to jointly produce weapons with Kyiv.

“There is a historic decision by the United States to jointly produce weapons and defense systems. In particular, air defense. This is something that was an absolute fantasy until recently. But it will become a reality. We will make it a reality,” Zelenskyy said.

Zelenskyy has spent the last week in the U.S. and Canada, having attended the latest U.N. General Assembly in New York before separate talks with President Joe Biden and then Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

“It was a productive week. Very productive. We have many good defense and other decisions,” Zelenskyy said, listing defense packages from the U.S. including artillery, shells, HIMARS munitions, air defense missiles, additional air defense systems and tactical vehicles, and some other types of weapons that will prove themselves on the battlefield.

“From Canada, we have a decision on long-term defense support worth half a billion U.S. dollars. In particular, these are medevac vehicles, which are very much needed at the front … We have agreed on their production and supply,” he added.

— Holly Ellyatt

Russia said its air defense systems destroyed Ukrainian drones over Russian territory as well as Crimea overnight.

Posting on Telegram, the Russian Defense Ministry said two Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles had been intercepted over the territory of Kursk in southwestern Russia, and two other drones destroyed over the neighboring Bryansk region. Both regions have been targeted a number of times in alleged Ukrainian drone attacks against Russian territory. Kyiv has been tight-lipped about such attacks.

The defense ministry also said four Ukrainian drones had been destroyed over the northwestern part of the Black Sea and over Russian-occupied Crimea.

It was not immediately known whether there was any damage or injuries as a result of the reported attacks.

CNBC was not able to independently verify the information and there was no comment from Ukraine.

—Holly Ellyatt

Ukraine’s important port city of Odesa suffered what officials called “significant damage” in a large-scale Russian attack overnight.

Ukraine’s southern defense forces said 19 Shahed-136/131 type attacking drones, 12 Kalibr missiles and 2 Onyx supersonic missiles were used in the attack on Odesa. It said its air defense forces had shot down 19 drones and 11 Kalibr missiles.

“Unfortunately, the enemy hit the port infrastructure,” officials said on Telegram.

“The sea port in Odesa suffered significant damage, a fire broke out in the building of the station hotel, which has not been functioning for several years. Firefighters promptly eliminated it,” the post translated by NBC said. Onyx missiles destroyed granaries but no one was hurt.

“As a result of falling debris during combat operations, the warehouse buildings of one of the enterprises and a private house in the suburbs of Odesa were damaged and ignited,” the post added. Fires have since been extinguished.

— Holly Ellyatt