Putin claims vital Black Sea deal "failed" to ensure the delivery of grain as Russia continues attacks on key Ukrainian port city
From CNN's Mariya Knight
Farmers harvest grain in Stavropol, Russia, on July 16. Denis Abramov/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Moscow withdrew from a vital Black Sea grain deal intended to stabilize global food prices and bring relief to developing countries because it "failed" to ensure the delivery of grain.
The deal struck a year ago allowed Ukraine to export grain by sea, with ships bypassing a Russian blockade of the country’s Black Sea ports and navigating safe passage through the waterway to Turkey’s Bosphorus Strait in order to reach global markets.
Vessels were inspected before they arrived in Ukraine by Russian, Ukrainian and Turkish officials, to ensure weapons were not being smuggled into Ukraine.
The impact of the war on global food markets was immediate and extremely painful, especially because Ukraine is a major supplier of grain to the World Food Programme (WFP).
Since quitting the deal, Russia has continually attacked the southern city of Odesa, a key Ukrainian food-exporting port.
In a self-penned article published Monday on the Kremlin’s website ahead of a Russia-Africa summit scheduled to take place later this week, Putin claimed Moscow could make up the shortfall in Ukrainian grain.
“I want to give assurances that our country is capable of replacing the Ukrainian grain both on a commercial and free-of-charge basis, especially as we expect another record harvest this year,” Putin wrote.
“Notwithstanding the sanctions, Russia will continue its energetic efforts to provide supplies of grain, food products, fertilizers and other goods to Africa,” he added.
Putin claimed the grain deal had been used for the "enrichment of large US and European businesses" and that “barriers have been mounted” to Russia’s own attempts to supply mineral fertilizers to countries in need -- an effort that, in his opinion, "should be exempt from any sanctions."
“Considering all these facts, there is no longer any use in continuing the “grain deal” as it has failed to serve its original humanitarian purpose,” Putin concluded.
Food security threats: Last week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres after Russia pulled out of the grain deal.
"This is another attempt by Russia to weaponize hunger and destabilize the global food market,” Zelensky said in a post on his Telegram page last Monday.
According to the European Commission, Ukraine accounts for 10% of the world wheat market, 15% of the corn market, and 13% of the barley market. It is also a key global player in the market of sunflower oil.
Prior to Russia's withdrawal, the deal had allowed for the export of almost 33 million metric tons of food through Ukrainian ports, according to data from the United Nations.
20 min ago
Russian assault on Odesa destroys historical cathedral. Here's what happened over the weekend:
From CNN staff
Another round of Russian attacks on the port city of Odesa killed at least one person and wounded 19 others overnight into Sunday, according to Ukrainian officials.
Kyiv's air defense systems are struggling to fend off the assaults because they're ill-equipped to knock down certain types of missiles, the defense ministry said.
Within Russia, drones strikes hit two non-residential buildings in the capital Moscow at early Monday morning, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said on Telegram.
Here's what you need to know:
Overnight strikes in Odesa: A fifth night of Russian strikes on the southern port city of Odesa damaged a Ukrainian Orthodox Church, architectural monuments and homes, according to Ukraine’s military. At least one person was killed and more than a dozen others were wounded. Russia’s defense ministry claimed Sunday that it is avoiding civilian infrastructure, as well as cultural and historical objects, in its strikes, which Ukraine, its allies and international bodies dismiss as patently false.
Monuments damaged: The attacks damaged 25 architectural monuments in the historic city center, many of which were protected by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Among the damaged buildings was an Orthodox cathedral that was the largest in the city and has a history that traces back to the 1800s.
Call for more air defense: Ukraine has been struggling in the past week to repel a wave of Russian strikes against Odesa, its air defenses unable to cope with the types of missiles that Moscow has used to pummel the region. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reiterated his call for a "sky shield" provided by partners.
Fighting in other areas of Ukraine: Deadly Russian shelling also continued overnight in Ukraine's Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhia regions. According to regional leaders, at least two people were killed in Kharkiv. Russia also shelled about 20 different civilian settlements in Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region, a military leader there said.
Black Sea grain deal: Russian President Vladimir Putin said Moscow withdrew from the Black Sea grain deal nearly two weeks ago because it has "failed" to ensure the delivery of grain, according to a an article he penned in the Kremlin website on Sunday. The deal allowed Ukraine to export grain by sea, with ships bypassing a Russian blockade of the country’s Black Sea ports, helping to stabilize global food prices and bring relief to developing countries which rely on Ukrainian exports.
Wagner fighters in Belarus: Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko told Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday that the Wagner mercenaries who are in his country have begun to "stress" him because they want to "go to the West" on "an excursion." Lukashenko is a close ally of Putin and he was apparently joking, but the tensions are very real surrounding the private military group's presence in Belarus and plans to hold training exercises near the border of NATO member Poland.
40 min ago
Russia claims drone strikes hit two non-residential buildings in Moscow
From CNN's Josh Pennington, Simone McCarthy and Sophie Jeong
This picture shows a damaged building following a reported drone attack in Moscow, Russia, on July 24. Maxim Shemetov/Reuters
Drones struck two non-residential buildings in Moscow in the early hours of Monday morning and were “suppressed” by defenses there, Russian authorities said, describing the incident a “thwarted” attack.
The strikes caused no serious damage or casualties, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said on Telegram Monday.
Russia’s Ministry of Defense blamed Ukraine, describing the strike as a “terrorist attack of the Kiev regime” and that the two drones were “suppressed” and crashed in Moscow.
According to Russian state media outlet, TASS, a drone hit a high-rise business center on Likhacheva Avenue in Moscow.
TASS reported drone debris was found on Komsomolsky Avenue in Moscow on Monday morning.
Traffic on Komsomolsky Avenue from the center of Moscow towards the region has been blocked off, TASS reported citing the Department of Transportation and Road Infrastructure Development of Moscow.
CNN could not independently verify the reports.
Ukraine almost never publicly claims responsibility for attacks which have taken place on Russian soil during the course of the war which Moscow began when it invaded in February last year.
Some context: The reported attack comes after Russian missiles badly damaged a historic Orthodox cathedral in the southern Ukrainian port city of Odesa, sparking outrage and prompting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to vow retaliation.
The Odesa strikes killed at least one person and injured several others, Ukrainian officials said, the latest in a wave of attacks on the port city. The attacks also destroyed other historic buildings, Ukraine’s culture ministry said.
Those include a drone attack on Moscow in May, which damaged two buildings and and injured two people for which Ukraine denied direct involvement.
Earlier this month, Russia said it “destroyed or neutralized” five Ukrainian drones in what it described as a “terrorist” attack.
58 min ago
Ukrainian defense minister says F-16 training will start in August, with pilots in the skies next year
From CNN’s Sebastian Shukla and Alex Marquardt in Kyiv
Oleksii Reznikov addresses the media in Vilnius, Lithuania on July 11. Ints Kalnins/Reuters
Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov says F-16 training for Ukrainian pilots will begin in August.
Reznikov, speaking in an exclusive interview with CNN over the weekend, added that the training will take “a minimum of 6 months” and that Ukraine still needs to add some infrastructure for the fighter jets.
The defense minister said he thought, optimistically, pilots could be operating F-16s in the skies of Ukraine by spring of next year.
Speaking to CNN’s Alex Marquardt in the Ukrainian capital, Reznikov, a lawyer turned defense official, did concede that if Ukraine had these fighter jets now they would “certainly” have helped Ukraine make more progress in the ongoing counteroffensive.
“If you have more sophisticated, more modern weaponry will be more efficient,” he said.
The training — which Reznikov said will likely be held in Denmark and the Netherlands, as well as possibly in the United Kingdom or Poland — will also include intensive sessions for technicians. The defense minister said the maintenance of the jets is a "serious task”.
He said the trainings may be split between countries, but the final plans were still being finalized.
The minister joked that the group of 11 nations that have committed to helping Ukraine train pilots on the F16s are called “Ocean’s 11,” after the popular film.
1 hr 1 min ago
Zelensky says NATO-Ukraine Council will meet Wednesday
From CNN's Mariya Knight
Volodymyr Zelenskyy attends a news conference in Kyiv, Ukraine, on July 19. Clodagh Kilcoyne/AP
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his nightly address Sunday that the NATO-Ukraine Council will meet Wednesday.
The news comes one day after Zelensky urgently called for a meeting with the military alliance, saying the council should convene to discuss the crisis caused by Russia pulling out of the Black Sea grain deal. The Ukrainian leader said the council needs to decide on steps “to unblock and ensure the stable operation of the grain corridor.”
The meeting will also come on the heels of several consecutive nights of Russian strikes on the southern port city of Odesa, which has further threatened Kyiv's ability to export food.
About the council: The NATO-Ukraine Council is the joint body where Zelensky formally meets with leaders from the alliance for crisis consultation, input on key issues and updates on Ukraine's ongoing membership efforts.
Ukrainian defense minister eyes next year for country's accession to NATO
From CNN's Sebastian Shukla and Alex Marquardt in Kyiv
Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleskii Reznikov speaks to the media after a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group at Ramstein Air Base in Ramstein-Miesenbach, Germany, on April 21. Thomas Lohnes/Getty Images
Ukraine’s defense minister says he is eyeing next year’s NATO summit as possible timing for Ukraine to be admitted to the alliance.
Oleskii Reznikov noted that next July’s summit in Washington, DC, will be the 75th anniversary of the alliance.
“Who knows, maybe it will be very important day for Ukraine,” Reznikov told CNN. “It is just my forecast.”
The United States and other NATO countries have said it is impossible to admit Ukraine now because of the ongoing war. The alliance’s Article 5 says allies will come to the aid of a member if attacked.
Reznikov acknowledged that Ukraine will only be able to join the alliance once the war is over, referencing Article 5 and saying "we have no options to have a unanimous vote" while the conflict is ongoing.
When asked if he thought the war would be over by next summer he quickly answered, “Yes. We will win this war.”
Reznikov downplayed the Biden administration’s refusal to commit to Ukraine getting admitted immediately after the war’s end.
“I think it's not necessary,” he said. Ukraine will have a streamlined admission process and in the meantime will continue to work on the necessary reforms, Reznikov added.
The defense minister emphasized that the benefits of admitting Ukraine to the alliance have only grown given its fight against Russia.
“After the victory, after then, it will be in the interest of NATO because we became a real eastern shield of NATO or eastern shield of Europe," he said. Ukraine has gained “real combat experience — how to deter Russians, to defeat them, to beat them with using NATO standard weaponry,” he added.
1 hr 2 min ago
Historic Ukrainian cathedral badly damaged in Russian strikes
From CNN's Heather Chen, Josh Pennington, Maria Kostenko and Radina Gigova
People clear away debris after a Russian missile struck the historic Holy Transfiguration Cathedral in central Odesa, Ukraine, on July 23. Scott Peterson/Getty Images
Russian missiles badly damaged a historic Orthodox cathedral in the southern Ukrainian port city of Odesa, sparking outrage and prompting President Zelensky to vow retaliation.
The strikes killed at least one person and injured several others, Ukrainian officials said, the latest in a wave of attacks on Odesa. The attacks also destroyed other historic buildings, Ukraine’s culture ministry said.
The Transfiguration Cathedral is Odesa’s largest church building. It was consecrated in 1809, destroyed during the Soviet era in 1936 before being rebuilt when Ukraine became an independent nation.
The cathedral lies in Odesa’s city center, which UNESCO named a World Heritage Site amid the threat of Russia’s invasion.
Video showed the inside of the cathedral strewn with debris. Ukrainian officials said the icon of the patroness of the city had been retrieved from under the rubble.
Odesa is a key cultural center, and has long links with Russia. It was founded under Catherine the Great and was once Russia’s second most important port.
Ukraine’s Operational Command said on Telegram “dozens of cars were damaged, facades and roofs of many buildings in the city were damaged and windows were blown out” in the strikes.
“Several craters have been formed in the city. There are power outages, which may hamper traffic and the route of public transport may be changed.”
Russia's denial: The Russian Ministry of Defense denied targeting the cathedral and said it carried out attacks on where “terrorist acts” were being prepared. “All targets scheduled for attack were destroyed,” a statement added.
Wave of Russian strikes: Ukraine has been struggling in the past week to repel a wave of Russian strikes against Odesa – its air defenses unable to cope with the types of missiles that Moscow has used to pummel the region.
In a statement on Sunday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned Moscow latest attack.
“Missiles against peaceful cities, against residential buildings, a cathedral… There can be no excuse for Russian evil,” Zelensky said. “As always, this evil will lose and there will definitely be a retaliation to Russian terrorists for Odesa. They will feel this retaliation,” he said.
Belarus President jokes with Putin, says Wagner fighters "stress" him as they want to go to Poland
From CNN’s Uliana Pavlova and Radina Gigova
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko told Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday the Wagner mercenaries in his country have begun to "stress" him, because they want to "go to the West" on "an excursion."
“Maybe I shouldn’t have said it, but I will. The Wagnerites began to stress us. ‘We want to go to the West. Let us,’ they tell us,” Lukashenko told Putin during a meeting in the Russian city of St. Petersburg.
“Why do you need to go to the West? 'Well, go on an excursion to Warsaw, to Rzeszow,'” Lukashenko said. “I keep them in the center, as agreed, of Belarus."
Lukashenko is a close ally of Putin and he was apparently joking with him. A video showed Putin smiling at the comments.
Key context: The Wagner private military group is in Belarus after Lukashenko helped broker a deal to end the group's short-lived rebellion against Moscow. Ukraine says as many as 5,000 fighters are already in the country.
On Friday, Putin, without providing any proof, accused NATO member Poland of wanting to annex parts of Belarus, saying any aggression would be met with "all the means at our disposal."
Western allies have responded in kind, with Germany publicly pledging that NATO will defend its alliance member Poland if there is an attack on its eastern flank from the Wagner troops in Belarus.
Russia once again attacked the port city of Odesa with strikes Sunday, killing at least one person and wounding 19 others, including children, Ukrainian officials said.
Russia’s Ministry of Defence claimed it shot down two drones fired by Ukraine, which hit two non-residential buildings in the Russian capital Moscow early morning on Monday,
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko joked with Russian leader Vladimir Putin Sunday about a Wagner private military group "excursion" into Poland. But the tensions are serious surrounding Wagner's presence in Belarus, near NATO's eastern flank.
Farmers harvest grain in Stavropol, Russia, on July 16. Denis Abramov/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Moscow withdrew from a vital Black Sea grain deal intended to stabilize global food prices and bring relief to developing countries because it "failed" to ensure the delivery of grain.
The deal struck a year ago allowed Ukraine to export grain by sea, with ships bypassing a Russian blockade of the country’s Black Sea ports and navigating safe passage through the waterway to Turkey’s Bosphorus Strait in order to reach global markets.
Vessels were inspected before they arrived in Ukraine by Russian, Ukrainian and Turkish officials, to ensure weapons were not being smuggled into Ukraine.
The impact of the war on global food markets was immediate and extremely painful, especially because Ukraine is a major supplier of grain to the World Food Programme (WFP).
Since quitting the deal, Russia has continually attacked the southern city of Odesa, a key Ukrainian food-exporting port.
In a self-penned article published Monday on the Kremlin’s website ahead of a Russia-Africa summit scheduled to take place later this week, Putin claimed Moscow could make up the shortfall in Ukrainian grain.
“I want to give assurances that our country is capable of replacing the Ukrainian grain both on a commercial and free-of-charge basis, especially as we expect another record harvest this year,” Putin wrote.
“Notwithstanding the sanctions, Russia will continue its energetic efforts to provide supplies of grain, food products, fertilizers and other goods to Africa,” he added.
Putin claimed the grain deal had been used for the "enrichment of large US and European businesses" and that “barriers have been mounted” to Russia’s own attempts to supply mineral fertilizers to countries in need -- an effort that, in his opinion, "should be exempt from any sanctions."
“Considering all these facts, there is no longer any use in continuing the “grain deal” as it has failed to serve its original humanitarian purpose,” Putin concluded.
Food security threats: Last week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres after Russia pulled out of the grain deal.
"This is another attempt by Russia to weaponize hunger and destabilize the global food market,” Zelensky said in a post on his Telegram page last Monday.
According to the European Commission, Ukraine accounts for 10% of the world wheat market, 15% of the corn market, and 13% of the barley market. It is also a key global player in the market of sunflower oil.
Prior to Russia's withdrawal, the deal had allowed for the export of almost 33 million metric tons of food through Ukrainian ports, according to data from the United Nations.
Another round of Russian attacks on the port city of Odesa killed at least one person and wounded 19 others overnight into Sunday, according to Ukrainian officials.
Kyiv's air defense systems are struggling to fend off the assaults because they're ill-equipped to knock down certain types of missiles, the defense ministry said.
Within Russia, drones strikes hit two non-residential buildings in the capital Moscow at early Monday morning, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said on Telegram.
Here's what you need to know:
Overnight strikes in Odesa: A fifth night of Russian strikes on the southern port city of Odesa damaged a Ukrainian Orthodox Church, architectural monuments and homes, according to Ukraine’s military. At least one person was killed and more than a dozen others were wounded. Russia’s defense ministry claimed Sunday that it is avoiding civilian infrastructure, as well as cultural and historical objects, in its strikes, which Ukraine, its allies and international bodies dismiss as patently false.
Monuments damaged: The attacks damaged 25 architectural monuments in the historic city center, many of which were protected by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Among the damaged buildings was an Orthodox cathedral that was the largest in the city and has a history that traces back to the 1800s.
Call for more air defense: Ukraine has been struggling in the past week to repel a wave of Russian strikes against Odesa, its air defenses unable to cope with the types of missiles that Moscow has used to pummel the region. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reiterated his call for a "sky shield" provided by partners.
Fighting in other areas of Ukraine: Deadly Russian shelling also continued overnight in Ukraine's Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhia regions. According to regional leaders, at least two people were killed in Kharkiv. Russia also shelled about 20 different civilian settlements in Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region, a military leader there said.
Black Sea grain deal: Russian President Vladimir Putin said Moscow withdrew from the Black Sea grain deal nearly two weeks ago because it has "failed" to ensure the delivery of grain, according to a an article he penned in the Kremlin website on Sunday. The deal allowed Ukraine to export grain by sea, with ships bypassing a Russian blockade of the country’s Black Sea ports, helping to stabilize global food prices and bring relief to developing countries which rely on Ukrainian exports.
Wagner fighters in Belarus: Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko told Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday that the Wagner mercenaries who are in his country have begun to "stress" him because they want to "go to the West" on "an excursion." Lukashenko is a close ally of Putin and he was apparently joking, but the tensions are very real surrounding the private military group's presence in Belarus and plans to hold training exercises near the border of NATO member Poland.
This picture shows a damaged building following a reported drone attack in Moscow, Russia, on July 24. Maxim Shemetov/Reuters
Drones struck two non-residential buildings in Moscow in the early hours of Monday morning and were “suppressed” by defenses there, Russian authorities said, describing the incident a “thwarted” attack.
The strikes caused no serious damage or casualties, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said on Telegram Monday.
Russia’s Ministry of Defense blamed Ukraine, describing the strike as a “terrorist attack of the Kiev regime” and that the two drones were “suppressed” and crashed in Moscow.
According to Russian state media outlet, TASS, a drone hit a high-rise business center on Likhacheva Avenue in Moscow.
TASS reported drone debris was found on Komsomolsky Avenue in Moscow on Monday morning.
Traffic on Komsomolsky Avenue from the center of Moscow towards the region has been blocked off, TASS reported citing the Department of Transportation and Road Infrastructure Development of Moscow.
CNN could not independently verify the reports.
Ukraine almost never publicly claims responsibility for attacks which have taken place on Russian soil during the course of the war which Moscow began when it invaded in February last year.
Some context: The reported attack comes after Russian missiles badly damaged a historic Orthodox cathedral in the southern Ukrainian port city of Odesa, sparking outrage and prompting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to vow retaliation.
The Odesa strikes killed at least one person and injured several others, Ukrainian officials said, the latest in a wave of attacks on the port city. The attacks also destroyed other historic buildings, Ukraine’s culture ministry said.
Those include a drone attack on Moscow in May, which damaged two buildings and and injured two people for which Ukraine denied direct involvement.
Earlier this month, Russia said it “destroyed or neutralized” five Ukrainian drones in what it described as a “terrorist” attack.
Oleksii Reznikov addresses the media in Vilnius, Lithuania on July 11. Ints Kalnins/Reuters
Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov says F-16 training for Ukrainian pilots will begin in August.
Reznikov, speaking in an exclusive interview with CNN over the weekend, added that the training will take “a minimum of 6 months” and that Ukraine still needs to add some infrastructure for the fighter jets.
The defense minister said he thought, optimistically, pilots could be operating F-16s in the skies of Ukraine by spring of next year.
Speaking to CNN’s Alex Marquardt in the Ukrainian capital, Reznikov, a lawyer turned defense official, did concede that if Ukraine had these fighter jets now they would “certainly” have helped Ukraine make more progress in the ongoing counteroffensive.
“If you have more sophisticated, more modern weaponry will be more efficient,” he said.
The training — which Reznikov said will likely be held in Denmark and the Netherlands, as well as possibly in the United Kingdom or Poland — will also include intensive sessions for technicians. The defense minister said the maintenance of the jets is a "serious task”.
He said the trainings may be split between countries, but the final plans were still being finalized.
The minister joked that the group of 11 nations that have committed to helping Ukraine train pilots on the F16s are called “Ocean’s 11,” after the popular film.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy attends a news conference in Kyiv, Ukraine, on July 19. Clodagh Kilcoyne/AP
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his nightly address Sunday that the NATO-Ukraine Council will meet Wednesday.
The news comes one day after Zelensky urgently called for a meeting with the military alliance, saying the council should convene to discuss the crisis caused by Russia pulling out of the Black Sea grain deal. The Ukrainian leader said the council needs to decide on steps “to unblock and ensure the stable operation of the grain corridor.”
The meeting will also come on the heels of several consecutive nights of Russian strikes on the southern port city of Odesa, which has further threatened Kyiv's ability to export food.
About the council: The NATO-Ukraine Council is the joint body where Zelensky formally meets with leaders from the alliance for crisis consultation, input on key issues and updates on Ukraine's ongoing membership efforts.
Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleskii Reznikov speaks to the media after a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group at Ramstein Air Base in Ramstein-Miesenbach, Germany, on April 21. Thomas Lohnes/Getty Images
Ukraine’s defense minister says he is eyeing next year’s NATO summit as possible timing for Ukraine to be admitted to the alliance.
Oleskii Reznikov noted that next July’s summit in Washington, DC, will be the 75th anniversary of the alliance.
“Who knows, maybe it will be very important day for Ukraine,” Reznikov told CNN. “It is just my forecast.”
The United States and other NATO countries have said it is impossible to admit Ukraine now because of the ongoing war. The alliance’s Article 5 says allies will come to the aid of a member if attacked.
Reznikov acknowledged that Ukraine will only be able to join the alliance once the war is over, referencing Article 5 and saying "we have no options to have a unanimous vote" while the conflict is ongoing.
When asked if he thought the war would be over by next summer he quickly answered, “Yes. We will win this war.”
Reznikov downplayed the Biden administration’s refusal to commit to Ukraine getting admitted immediately after the war’s end.
“I think it's not necessary,” he said. Ukraine will have a streamlined admission process and in the meantime will continue to work on the necessary reforms, Reznikov added.
The defense minister emphasized that the benefits of admitting Ukraine to the alliance have only grown given its fight against Russia.
“After the victory, after then, it will be in the interest of NATO because we became a real eastern shield of NATO or eastern shield of Europe," he said. Ukraine has gained “real combat experience — how to deter Russians, to defeat them, to beat them with using NATO standard weaponry,” he added.
People clear away debris after a Russian missile struck the historic Holy Transfiguration Cathedral in central Odesa, Ukraine, on July 23. Scott Peterson/Getty Images
Russian missiles badly damaged a historic Orthodox cathedral in the southern Ukrainian port city of Odesa, sparking outrage and prompting President Zelensky to vow retaliation.
The strikes killed at least one person and injured several others, Ukrainian officials said, the latest in a wave of attacks on Odesa. The attacks also destroyed other historic buildings, Ukraine’s culture ministry said.
The Transfiguration Cathedral is Odesa’s largest church building. It was consecrated in 1809, destroyed during the Soviet era in 1936 before being rebuilt when Ukraine became an independent nation.
The cathedral lies in Odesa’s city center, which UNESCO named a World Heritage Site amid the threat of Russia’s invasion.
Video showed the inside of the cathedral strewn with debris. Ukrainian officials said the icon of the patroness of the city had been retrieved from under the rubble.
Odesa is a key cultural center, and has long links with Russia. It was founded under Catherine the Great and was once Russia’s second most important port.
Ukraine’s Operational Command said on Telegram “dozens of cars were damaged, facades and roofs of many buildings in the city were damaged and windows were blown out” in the strikes.
“Several craters have been formed in the city. There are power outages, which may hamper traffic and the route of public transport may be changed.”
Russia's denial: The Russian Ministry of Defense denied targeting the cathedral and said it carried out attacks on where “terrorist acts” were being prepared. “All targets scheduled for attack were destroyed,” a statement added.
Wave of Russian strikes: Ukraine has been struggling in the past week to repel a wave of Russian strikes against Odesa – its air defenses unable to cope with the types of missiles that Moscow has used to pummel the region.
In a statement on Sunday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned Moscow latest attack.
“Missiles against peaceful cities, against residential buildings, a cathedral… There can be no excuse for Russian evil,” Zelensky said. “As always, this evil will lose and there will definitely be a retaliation to Russian terrorists for Odesa. They will feel this retaliation,” he said.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko told Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday the Wagner mercenaries in his country have begun to "stress" him, because they want to "go to the West" on "an excursion."
“Maybe I shouldn’t have said it, but I will. The Wagnerites began to stress us. ‘We want to go to the West. Let us,’ they tell us,” Lukashenko told Putin during a meeting in the Russian city of St. Petersburg.
“Why do you need to go to the West? 'Well, go on an excursion to Warsaw, to Rzeszow,'” Lukashenko said. “I keep them in the center, as agreed, of Belarus."
Lukashenko is a close ally of Putin and he was apparently joking with him. A video showed Putin smiling at the comments.
Key context: The Wagner private military group is in Belarus after Lukashenko helped broker a deal to end the group's short-lived rebellion against Moscow. Ukraine says as many as 5,000 fighters are already in the country.
On Friday, Putin, without providing any proof, accused NATO member Poland of wanting to annex parts of Belarus, saying any aggression would be met with "all the means at our disposal."
Western allies have responded in kind, with Germany publicly pledging that NATO will defend its alliance member Poland if there is an attack on its eastern flank from the Wagner troops in Belarus.
