UKRAINE WRAP | Ukraine's Zelenskiy: Sievierodonetsk defenders are inflicting big losses

June 08 2022 - 21:47

Ukraine's Zelenskiy: Sievierodonetsk defenders are inflicting big losses

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Wednesday said defenders in the city of Sievierodonetsk were inflicting major losses on Russian troops during what he called a very fierce and very difficult battle.

"In many respects, the fate of the Donbas is being decided there," he said in an online address.

-Reuters

June 08 2022 - 20:15

Russian forces control most of Sievierodonetsk, are shelling twin city -official

Russian forces control most of the strategic Ukrainian city of Sievierodonetsk and are heavily shelling the twin city of Lysychansk, causing major damage, the governor of Luhansk region said on Wednesday.

In an online post, Serhiy Gaidai also said there was no chance of Ukrainian troops in the Luhansk region being encircled.

Russian forces temporarily control 90% of the region, he added. 

-Reuters

June 08 2022 - 16:35

Canada bans export of support services for Russian oil, gas and chemical industries

 Canada said on Tuesday it was imposing new sanctions on Russia, banning export of 28 services, such as accounting and advertising, that are needed for the operation of Russian oil, gas and chemical industries.

Canada's new measures target an industry that accounts for about 50% of Russia’s federal budget revenues, according to a statement from Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly.

Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, Canada has imposed sanctions on more than 1,070 individuals and entities and Joly said Ottawa would "continue to relentlessly pursue accountability for Vladimir Putin's senseless war."

-Reuters

June 08 2022 - 15:02

Ukraine grain silos half-full ahead of harvest as exports remain stalled

 Grain silos in Ukraine's government-controlled territory are about half full in the run-up to this year's harvest, meaning crops could be left in the ground if Russia continues to blockade the country's ports, the head of the Ukraine Grain Association said on Wednesday.

There are some 30 million tonnes of grain stored in Ukrainian-held territory out of capacity of around 55 million tonnes, Mykola Gorbachov told an International Grains Council (IGC) conference in London, adding there were 13-15 million tonnes of storage capacity in Russian-occupied areas.

World food prices have soared to record levels and hunger levels are rising around the globe following Russia's Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine, the world's fourth largest grains exporter.

Gorbachov said without access to its Black Sea ports, Ukraine would at best be able export 20 million tonnes of grains next year, with alternate routes via road, river and rail limiting exports to no more than 2 million tonnes a month.

That compares to shipments of 44.7 million tonnes last year.Ukraine and the West accuse Moscow of weaponising food supplies. Russia blames the situation on what it says are Ukrainian mines in Black Sea waters and on international sanctions against Moscow.

Gorbachov estimated half of Ukraine's corn crop will be left in the ground, unharvested, if Russia maintains its blockade of the Black Sea ports. Ukraine is the world's fourth-largest corn exporter.

"I can tell you we won't find a solution (for) exports (without Black Sea port access)," he told the IGC conference.

The United Nations is trying to broker a deal to enable Ukraine's grain to be shipped from ports such as Odesa, while Turkey has also been holding talks with Russia aimed at securing Ukrainian exports via ports.

Gorbachov said the Turkey-Russia talks were not likely to lead to the security guarantees required to ship and instead called on the United States, Britain and France to provide safe convoy for vessels carrying Ukrainian grains out the country.

"I don't believe any company will load (Ukrainian) grain if the Russians sign something with the Turks. Insurance won't cover this risk. We need international guarantees, only in this case the grain will move," he said.

Reuters 

June 08 2022 - 13:18

Kremlin says Russia has 'no grounds for default'

The Kremlin has said there are no grounds for Russia to default on its debts, as the country struggles to make interest payments to bondholders because of Western sanctions.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov blamed the sanctions, which have seen almost half of the country's foreign currency reserves frozen, for "pushing Russia into an artificial man-made debt default".

Reuters 

June 08 2022 - 12:25

Moscow's chief rabbi leaves Russia amid pressure to back war in Ukraine

Moscow's chief rabbi has left Russia after coming under pressure to support its invasion of Ukraine, according to a relative.

Swiss-born Pinchas Goldschmidt had served as Moscow's chief rabbi since 1993, while also heading a large European rabbinical group.

"Can finally share that my in-laws, Moscow Chief Rabbi @PinchasRabbi @Rebbetzin Dara Goldschmidt, have been put under pressure by authorities to support the 'special operation' in Ukraine - and refused," Avital Chizhik-Goldschmidt tweeted on Tuesday.

Chizhik-Goldschmidt, a New York-based journalist, said that Goldschmidt flew to Hungary two weeks after the Feb. 24 invasion, raising money for refugees in Eastern Europe before continuing on to Israel.

Jewish organisations in Russia have struck a more critical tone on the war in Ukraine than other religious groups, including the powerful Orthodox Church which has backed the campaign.

On March 2, Russia's chief rabbi Berel Lazar called for participants in the conflict to "silence the guns and to stop the bombs", although he stopped short of condemning President Vladimir Putin. 

Reuters 

June 08 2022 - 12:14

Germany's Scholz fills Ukraine's Zelenskiy in on Putin call -govt spokesperson

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz discussed over the phone with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy his May 28 phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, a German government spokesperson said on Wednesday.

Zelenskiy and Scholz also discussed the situation in Ukraine and agreed that everything needed to be done to get Ukraine's grain exports out of the country, especially by sea routes, said the spokesperson.

Reuters 

June 08 2022 - 12:00

Ukraine has filed more eight war crimes cases to court - prosecutor

Ukraine has filed eight more war crimes cases to court in addition to three sentences already handed down to Russian soldiers, Ukraine's Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova said on Wednesday.

Ukraine has opened more than 16,000 investigations into possible war crimes during Russia's invasion which began on Feb. 24, she said on television. 

Reuters 

June 08 2022 - 11:51

Turkey is not powerful enough to guarantee Ukrainian grain exports - traders union

Turkey, which is negotiating with Russia to secure safe routes for grain exports from blocked Ukrainian seaports, is not powerful enough to act as a guarantor, the director of Ukrainian grain traders union UGA Serhiy Ivashchenko said on Wednesday.

He told an online grain conference in Kyiv that the demining of Ukrainian Black Sea ports could take no less than 2-3 months and that the Turkish and Romanian navies should be involved.

He also said there were no discussions under way about a discount for Ukrainian grain exported via the Black Sea. 

Reuters

June 08 2022 - 11:30

Lavrov says onus is on Ukraine to de-mine ports to allow grain shipments

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Wednesday the onus was on Ukraine to solve the problem of resuming grain shipments by de-mining its ports.

Lavrov said no action was required on the Russian side because it had already made the necessary commitments.

"We state daily that we're ready to guarantee the safety of vessels leaving Ukrainian ports and heading for the (Bosphorus) gulf, we're ready to do that in cooperation with our Turkish colleagues," he said after talks with his Turkish counterpart."

To solve the problem, the only thing needed is for the Ukrainians to let vessels out of their ports, either by demining them or by marking out safe corridors, nothing more is required.

"Ukraine is one of the world's biggest exporters of grain, and Western countries have accused Russia of creating the risk of global famine by shutting Ukraine's Black Sea ports.Moscow denies responsibility for the international food crisis, blaming Western sanctions.

Lavrov said the main problem was that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy had "categorically refused" to resolve the problem of the mined ports.

"If they've now changed their position, then on our side there are no complications, let's see how the preliminary agreements we discussed yesterday and today can be put into practice."

Speaking alongside his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu in Ankara, Lavrov said he appreciated Turkey's efforts in looking for ways to resolve the situation.

Lavrov said Russia's "special military operation" in Ukraine was going according to plan and that peace talks would need to resume before there was any chance of talks between President Vladimir Putin and Zelenskiy.

Reuters 

June 08 2022 - 09:06

Ukraine may have to pull back to stronger positions in Sievierodonetsk, governor says

Ukraine's military may have to pull back to stronger positions in the embattled eastern city of Sievierodonetsk, but they will not give up the city and fierce fighting raged there on Wednesday, the region's governor said.

Ukraine expects Russia to step up its bombardment of Sievierodonetsk and to mount a huge offensive where Moscow is focusing all its efforts, the governor, Serhiy Gaidai, said on television.

Reuters

June 08 2022 - 06:10

Summit of Americas unveils divisions over Ukraine war

Migrant caravans have set off at a time when regional leaders are now gathering in Los Angeles for the Summit of the Americas. The United States has been focused on rallying international condemnation of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. But many Latin American and Caribbean nations have not taken a strong position on the war.

June 08 2022 - 06:00

Russia further raises ceiling for cross-border transactions for individuals

The Russian central bank said on Tuesday Russian residents and non-residents from "friendly" states will be able to channel foreign currency abroad equivalent to up to $150,000 a month, up from the previous limit of $50,000.All the non-residents are still be able to send foreign currency abroad to the value of their salaries, the bank said.  

Reuters