Russia-Ukraine latest updates: ‘Life-saving’ grain deal signed
- Kyiv and Moscow have signed a deal on resuming grain exports from Ukraine’s Black Sea ports.
- Ukraine ruled out signing a direct accord with Russia, with both sides instead adopting “mirror” agreements with Ankara and the UN.
- Kyiv and Moscow have signed a deal on resuming grain exports from Ukraine’s Black Sea ports.
- Ukraine ruled out signing a direct accord with Russia, with both sides instead adopting “mirror” agreements with Ankara and the UN.
- Flows of Russian gas through Nord Stream 1 appear stable following a brief shutdown for maintenance.
- Russia says it has destroyed four HIMARS weapons platforms in Ukraine, contradicting claims made by the United States.
This live blog is now closed, thank you for joining us. These were the updates on the Ukraine war on Friday, July 22:
Russia launches criminal investigation into Ukraine war critic
Russian investigators have launched a criminal investigation into a pregnant city councillor in Siberia who is one of the last allies of jailed opposition leader Alexey Navalny still in the country, AFP reported.
Criminal proceedings were launched against Helga Pirogova for spreading “disinformation” concerning Russia’s military. Pirogova is an independent member of the city council in Novosibirsk, Russia’s third-largest city.
The 33-year-old has spoken up against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and faces up to three years in prison if convicted. She was briefly detained on Thursday and according to her supporters, Pirogova is in her fourth month of pregnancy.
Zelenskyy: Ukraine has $10bn worth of grain available for sale
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has announced that Ukraine has approximately $10bn worth of grain available for sale in the wake of a deal signed with Russia earlier today to unblock supplies.
“This is another demonstration that Ukraine can withstand the war,” he said in a late-night address, Reuters reported. He said that Ukraine will also have a chance to sell the current harvest.
He went on to add that approximately 20 million tonnes of last year’s harvest will be exported after the conclusion of what he called an important deal.
US signs off on additional $270m in military aid to Ukraine
The US has signed off on an additional $270m in military aid to Ukraine, including four new HIMARS precision rocket systems.
The new aid will total the number of M142 HIMARS sent to Ukraine to 20.
The White House also said that the new military package will also include 500 new Phoenix Ghosts, small and highly portable drones that detonate on their target, as well as 36,000 rounds of artillery ammunition.
The majority of the aid comes from a $40bn package that Congress approved in May.
Zelenskyy: No ceasefire with Russia without reclaiming occupied territory
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said a ceasefire with Russia without reclaiming occupied territory would only prolong the war.
In an interview with the Wall Street Journal on Friday, he warned that a ceasefire that allows Russia to keep Ukrainian lands seized since the invasion in February would only encourage an even wider conflict, giving Moscow a much-needed opportunity to replenish and regroup for the next round of fighting.
“Freezing the conflict with the Russian Federation means a pause that gives the Russian Federation a break for rest,” Zelenskyy told WSJ.
Grain export deal ‘life-saving’, Red Cross chief says
Robert Mardini, director general of the International Committee of the Red Cross, has welcomed the grain export deal Russia and Ukraine have reached in Turkey and stressed its importance.
“A deal that allows grain to leave Black Sea ports is nothing short of life-saving for people across the world who are struggling to feed their families,” he said, noting that over the past six months prices for food staples have risen 187 percent in Sudan, 86 percent in Syria, 60 percent in Yemen and 54 percent in Ethiopia.
“Nowhere are the consequences felt harder than in communities already impacted by armed conflict and climate shocks,” Mardini added.
Ukraine grain crisis a ‘wake-up call’ for Africa: Ramaphosa
The Ukraine grain crisis should act as a “wake-up call” for Africa to become self-reliant in producing cereals and fertilisers, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Friday.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February has prevented millions of tonnes of Ukrainian wheat and other grain from leaving the country’s ports, sparking fears of global shortages.
Ramaphosa spoke as Russia and Ukraine on Friday penned a landmark deal with the United Nations and Turkey to unblock Black Sea delivery routes, which could ease the global food crisis.
The South African president said the recent grain supply crunch should spur African countries to boost food production to reduce imports, AFP reports.
Boris Johnson tells Zelenskyy that UK support will ‘not waver’
Boris Johnson spoke to Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday, telling the Ukrainian president that UK support will “not waver” regardless of who becomes the next prime minister.
The UK prime minister also welcomed news of much-anticipated deal to get grain out of Ukraine, amid hopes that the agreement can avoid a global food crisis.
In a call between the two leaders, Johnson “stressed the UK’s ongoing determination to support the Ukrainian people and said that resolve will not waver, no matter who becomes the next UK prime minister”.
Ukraine grain backlog could take months to clear: AJ correspondent
Al Jazeera’s diplomatic editor James Bays, reporting from the UN headquarters, says he expects it will be a “couple of weeks” before the first shipment of grain leaves Ukraine under the deal with Russia.
“There will be a test of implementation in the coming weeks,” Bays said, noting there was a backlog of millions of tonnes of Ukrainian grain in the country.
“It is going to take some time to get all of that grain out – experts estimate probably about four months,” he added.
Bays said there were likely to be questions over why Russia had agreed to the deal now, and whether the accord suggests “Russia is changing its overall calculations with regards to the war.”
He added most diplomats canvassed did not think the agreement would “necessarily translate to peace in Ukraine”.
UK says Russia’s actions must match words over grain deal
The United Kingdom’s foreign secretary has said Russia’s actions must “match its words” after Moscow and Kyiv reached an agreement on resuming grain exports from Ukraine’s Black Sea ports.
“[Russian President Vladimir] Putin’s barbaric invasion of Ukraine has meant some of the poorest and most vulnerable people in the world are at risk of having nothing to eat,” Liz Truss, who is one of two Conservative Party parliamentarians vying to replace outgoing British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, said in a statement.
“Now this agreement must be implemented, and we will be watching to ensure Russia’s actions match its words,” she added.
Grain shipments from Ukraine's Black Sea ports can resume thanks to a @UN-brokered agreement.
This is a positive step for global food security and will help some of the world's poorest and most vulnerable people.
The Foreign Secretary's statement ‵ïž
— Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (@FCDOGovUK) July 22, 2022
EU foreign policy chief urges ‘swift implementation’ of grain deal
The European Union’s foreign policy chief has welcomed the grain deal struck between Russia and Ukraine.
“Today’s Istanbul agreement is a step in the right direction. We call for its swift implementation,” Josep Borrell tweeted. He added the bloc remained “committed” to helping Ukraine bring “as much of its grain into global markets as possible”.
In a fuller statement published online, Borrell also accused Moscow of having “endangered food security for millions of people across the world”.
“The present agreement offers an opportunity to start reversing this negative course,” he said.
The agreements signed by Ukraine, Russia, Turkey & @UN are a critical step in overcoming the global food insecurity caused by Russia‘s aggression against Ukraine.
EU remains committed to help #Ukraine bring as much of its grain into global markets as possible.
Full Statement: https://t.co/fAC3vuh7nY
— Josep Borrell Fontelles (@JosepBorrellF) July 22, 2022
Moscow won’t ‘take advantage’ of grain deal: Shoigu
Russia’s defence minister has said that Moscow will not “take advantage” of the de-mining and opening of Ukrainian ports as part of a UN-brokered deal to restart vital grain exports from the country.
“Russia has taken on the obligations that are clearly spelled out in this document. We will not take advantage of the fact that the ports will be cleared and opened. We have made this commitment,” Sergei Shoigu said on the Rossiya-24 state TV channel after attending a signing ceremony for the accord in Istanbul.
G7 to ensure grain deal does not increase risks for Ukraine: Trudeau
The G7 will be watching closely to ensure a deal to resume Ukrainian grain exports through the Black Sea does not “put Ukraine further at risk of being further invaded and attacked by Russia,” Canada’s prime minister has said.
“The G7 is working closely with partners like Turkey and others to ensure that we can get that grain out of Ukraine and to places around the world where it’s needed without putting at risk Ukraine’s sovereignty and protection,” Justin Trudeau said.
US says it will hold Russia accountable for implementing grain deal
Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the US ambassador to the UN, says Washington will work to hold Russia accountable for implementing the agreement reached on resuming Ukraine’s Black Sea grain exports.
The US also wants China to stop stockpiling grain and offer more to meet global humanitarian aid needs, James O’Brien, head of the US Department of States Office of Sanctions Coordination, told reporters.
Abramovich appears at grain deal signing ceremony
Reclusive Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich was seen attending the grain deal signing ceremony in Istanbul.
It was not immediately clear in what capacity the former Chelsea Football Club owner was attending the event.
Kyiv and Moscow have both previously indicated he was operating as a broker between the two sides earlier in the war.
Russia, Ukraine seal grain deal in Istanbul
Russia and Ukraine have signed a deal on resuming grains exports from the latter’s Black Sea ports.
Officials from the warring countries signed the deal separately, carefully avoiding sitting at the same table and any shaking of hands at the ceremony in Istanbul held to mark the agreement.
Further underlining the deep-seated enmity and mistrust between the two sides, their respective flags were not placed next to one another at the ceremony, with the UN’s banner interposed between them.
Turkey’s Erdogan says deal will prevent billions from facing famine
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said the grain export deal signed by Russia and Ukraine will prevent billions of people from facing the “danger of famine” and ease global food inflation.
“We have carried out intensive work together with the UN … and have been in constant contact with representatives of Russia and Ukraine,” Erdogan said at the deal’s signing ceremony in Istanbul.
“Soon, a new flow of shipments will begin and this will bring a sigh of relief,” he added.
‘A beacon of hope’: UN chief hails grain exports deal
The UN’s secretary-general has praised the grain export deal agreed to by Russia and Ukraine, saying the move will offer “relief” to the world.
“Today, there is a beacon on the Black Sea, a beacon of hope, a beacon of possiblity, a beacon of relief in a world that needs it more than ever,” Guterres said at a ceremony in Istanbul.
He added he was thankful for Turkey’s “facilitation and persistence” in helping to broker the deal, saying Ankara’s role had been “essential through every step of the process”.
The UN chief said the accord would open the way to significant volumes of commercial food exports from three key Ukrainian ports – Odesa, Chernomorsk and Yuzhny. He added the UN would set up a coordination centre to monitor the implementation of the deal.
Russia will not supply oil to countries that impose price cap: Central bank governor
The governor of Russia’s central bank has said Moscow will not supply oil to countries that decide to impose a price cap on the commodity.
Elvira Nabiullina told a briefing that the proposal by G7 nations, which is aimed at stripping Russia of energy revenues in a bid to limit Moscow’s options for financing its offensive in Ukraine, would also spur on global oil prices.
Ukraine says it is dealing with UN, not Russia over grain agreement: AJ correspondent
Al Jazeera’s Alan Fisher, reporting from the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, says Ukraine wants to “make it clear” it is dealing with the United Nations and not Russia over the agreement on resuming grain exports from its Black Sea ports.
“There are many caveats to this deal that they say have been inserted, and you have to remember that until late on Thursday night in Kyiv people were saying this was not a done deal, even though the UN and Turkey were saying the final wording had been agreed,” Fisher said.
“So, clearly, it had gone until the last possible minute before the Ukrainians signed on,” he added.
Kyiv has made it clear the deal will not allow for Russian ships to access Ukrainian waters, Fisher said, and will not permit any Russian officials to be stationed at any of Ukraine’s ports.
“They also want to make sure that any searches carried out on ships, which is a key part of the agreement for the Russians, will be done in Turkish territorial waters,” he added.
“They want to make it absolutely clear that they are trying to get grain out … rather than because they want to reach any sort of deal with the Russians.”
Kremlin rejects report Nord Stream turbine is stuck in transit
The Kremlin has rejected a report that a turbine for the Nord Stream 1 pipeline taking gas from Russia to Germany is stuck in transit.
The Reuters news agency reported on Thursday that Moscow had not yet given the go-ahead to transport the turbine back to Russia, citing two people familiar with the matter.
But in a conference call with reporters on Friday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed the report as “nonsense”. He said the sources cited by Reuters were “wrong” and rejected their accusations as “groundless”.
Russia cut flows through Nord Stream 1 to 40 percent of its capacity in June, citing the delayed return of the turbine from routine maintenance in Canada, which had to issue a special waiver to allow for its delivery to Germany due to sanctions imposed on Moscow by the West.
Russia losing hundreds of troops daily: US official
The United States believes that Russia’s military is sustaining hundreds of casualties a day in its war in Ukraine, including having lost thousands of lieutenants and captains in total, a senior US defence official has said.
The official, speaking to reporters on the condition of anonymity, said that Washington also believed that Ukraine had destroyed more than 100 “high-value” Russian targets inside Ukraine, including command posts, ammunition depots and air-defence sites, Reuters reported.
Washington estimates that Russian casualties in Ukraine so far have reached about 15,000 killed and perhaps 45,000 wounded, CIA Director William Burns said on Wednesday, adding that Ukraine has also endured significant casualties.
Neither Ukraine nor Russia has given detailed estimates of their own losses.
Erdogan promises ‘good news’ on grain exports
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said he will give good news to the world about grain exports after delegations from Ukraine and Russia sign a deal on the matter.
Ukraine, Russia, Turkey and the UN will sign the agreement at 13:30 GMT in Istanbul, in a move that has raised expectations of easing a global food crisis.
“Shortly, signatures will be put down with the participation of Russia, Ukraine and the UN secretary- general, overcoming problems on the grain issue, and we will give the world good news then,” Erdogan told an event in Istanbul.
Relief measures for gas consumers amid Uniper bailout: Scholz
German gas consumers will not be left to shoulder higher energy costs alone, the country’s chancellor has said after Berlin reached a state bailout deal with utility firm Uniper.
Olaf Scholz told reporters at a news conference in the German capital that his government would introduce relief measures to protect low-income families in tandem with the Uniper deal.
The reforms are meant to help cushion higher energy bills on account of Uniper being permitted to pass additional costs on to consumers from September or October, said Scholz, who warned that eventually, everyone will feel the effects of the increases.
Kyiv warns of military response to any Russian ‘provocations’ over grain deal
Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak has warned any “provocations” by Russia over a deal to reopen Ukrainian ports for grain exports will be met with a military response from Kyiv.
“1. Ukraine does not sign any documents with Russia. We sign an agreement with Turkey and the UN and undertake obligations to them. Russia signs a mirror agreement with Turkey and the UN,” Podolyak tweeted.
“2. No escorting of transport by Russian ships and the presence of Russian representatives in our ports. In case of provocations, an immediate military response,” he added.
“3. All inspections of transport ships will be carried out by joint teams in Turkish waters should the need arise.”
Regarding the Istanbul agreement "on the export of 🇺🇦 grain". Previously.
1. Ukraine does not sign any documents with Russia. We sign an agreement with Turkey and the UN and undertake obligations to them. Russia signs a mirror agreement with Turkey and the UN. 1/2
— Михайло Подоляк (@Podolyak_M) July 22, 2022
Germany’s Uniper gets state bailout to avert collapse
Uniper has received 15 billion euros ($15.2bn) in guarantees and equity after the German government stepped in to save the gas importer that is the biggest casualty of Europe’s energy crisis so far.
The state bailout caps weeks of intense negotiations between Germany and Finland, which controls Uniper’s majority shareholder Fortum. It provides a lifeline after falling Russian gas supplies drained the company’s finances.
As part of the deal, the German government will take a 30 percent stake in Uniper. Fortum will end up holding 56 percent in Uniper, down from about 80 percent currently.
“We are living through an unprecedented energy crisis that requires robust measures,” Fortum CEO Markus Rauramo said, adding the deal reflected the interests of all parties. “We were driven by urgency and the need to protect Europe’s security of supply in a time of war.”