18 minutes ago
US approves $1.3 billion arms package for Ukraine
A member of Ukraine’s special forces tries to zero his weapon before a deployment during the Russian attack on Ukraine in Bakhmut region, Ukraine, April 6, 2023.
Kai Pfaffenbach | Portal
The Biden administration has approved a new $1.3 billion security aid package for Ukraine.
“This package includes more important air defense capabilities such as national advanced surface-to-air missile systems and additional systems designed to help Ukraine down Russian and Iranian drones,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said during a news briefing.
“The package also includes additional artillery shells and mine clearance equipment, as well as unmanned aerial systems and equipment that will help Ukraine better protect its exports. Those latter skills are becoming increasingly important, especially now that Russia has pulled out of the grain business,” she said, citing renewed Russian attacks on Ukrainian port cities.
According to the Pentagon, the latest armor pack includes:
- Four national advanced surface-to-air missile systems and munitions
- 152 mm artillery shells
- demining equipment
- Tube-launched, optically tracked, wire-guided missiles
- Phoenix Ghost and Switchblade unmanned aerial systems
- Precision Flight Ammunition
- Devices for countering UAS and detecting electronic warfare
- 150 tankers
- 115 tactical vehicles for towing and transporting equipment
- 50 tactical vehicles for equipment recovery
- Port and port security equipment
- Tactical secure communications systems
– Amanda Macias
Before an hour
Russia says all ships calling at Ukrainian ports will be considered military cargo ships
An aerial view of a dry cargo ship transporting grain from Ukraine as part of the United Nations-brokered Black Sea Agreement.
Agency Anadolu | Getty Images
The Russian Defense Ministry announced on its official Telegram channel that all ships calling at Ukrainian ports are considered military cargo ships.
The announcement follows Moscow’s exit from the Black Sea Grain Initiative, a maritime humanitarian corridor used for agricultural exports.
The Russian military also said that all ships navigating this waterway “are considered to be involved in the Ukraine conflict on the side of the Kiev regime”.
– Amanda Macias
2 hours ago
The US Senate holds a hearing on Switzerland’s role in circumventing Russian sanctions
The Swiss National Bank (SNB) meets ahead of the press conference on the bank’s interest rate announcement on Thursday, March 23, 2023, in Zurich, Switzerland.
Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images
The US Senate held a hearing highlighting Switzerland’s role in allowing Russia to bypass Western sanctions.
The Commission on Security and Co-operation in Europe, also known as the US-Helsinki Commission, held the hearing entitled “Russia’s Alpine Assets: Money Laundering and Sanctions Circumvention in Switzerland”. The focus was on Switzerland’s financial secrecy and allegations that the country, while condemning the Russian invasion of Ukraine, was also playing a key role in money laundering from Russia.
Speakers at the hearing also addressed Russia’s ability to source sanctioned goods through Switzerland. According to a study by the Kyiv School of Economics, Switzerland is among the top five source countries whose company components are still used in Russian military production.
“The principle of neutrality does not allow Switzerland to supply arms to help Ukraine. However, this principle does not prevent their companies from supplying components for missiles and drones for Russia to commit genocide and war crimes in Ukraine,” said Olena Tregub, secretary general of Das said the Independent Defense Anti-Corruption Committee of Ukraine.
US lawmakers have urged Swiss officials to take a tougher stance on Russian money and trade in certain goods.
The Swiss government dismisses the criticism, saying the sheer speed and scale of the sanctions makes it a challenge to implement them effectively.
— Natasha Turak
4 hours ago
Wagner’s Prigozhin says his forces are no longer fighting in Ukraine but preparing for Africa
A screenshot captured from video shows Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin delivering a speech after the Southern Military District headquarters surrounded by fighters from the Wagner paramilitary group in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, June 24, 2023. (Photo by Wagner/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Wagner | Agency Anadolu | Getty Images
The head of the Russian private mercenary group Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, said in a video that his troops would no longer fight in Ukraine, calling the situation on the Ukrainian front a “disgrace”.
“We fought honorably,” Prigozhin said in a video published by his press service on Telegram, the translation of which was provided by Portal. “You have done a lot for Russia. What is happening at the front is a disgrace that we do not have to face.”
NBC did not immediately verify the authenticity of the video, but it was released through Prigozhin’s official press account on Telegram.
If confirmed, the footage will be the first video of Prigozhin to be released since his short-lived mutiny against the Russian government in late June, which ended with the Wagner boss agreeing to a deal with Putin that would result in that he is leaving Russia for Belarus.
“Welcome guys… welcome to Belarusian soil,” Prigozhin said in the video. He then said his troops needed to train in Belarus and prepare for a “new voyage to Africa.” Wagner is already active in several African countries.
— Natasha Turak
5 hours before
Russian attack on Odessa port destroyed 60,000 tons of grain, says agriculture minister
On July 16, 2023, farmers use harvesting vehicles to harvest grain in Stavropol Territory, one of Russia’s main agricultural regions.
Agency Anadolu | Agency Anadolu | Getty Images
Russia’s missile and drone attack on Ukraine’s southern port of Odessa and the surrounding area over the past two days has destroyed 60,000 tons of grain and critical infrastructure, Ukraine’s agriculture minister said on Wednesday.
“The night attack disabled a significant part of the grain export infrastructure in the port of Chornomorsk,” Mykola Solsky said via the Telegram app, according to a Google translation.
The port of Chornomorsk in the Odessa region was an important port for the export of Ukrainian grain and other agricultural products such as corn and sunflower seeds. Before the war, Ukraine and Russia together accounted for 25% of world grain exports.
The two-day Russian attacks on Ukraine’s ports followed immediately after Russia’s withdrawal from a United Nations-brokered grain deal that allowed Ukrainian export ships safe passage from the Black Sea. They also followed an explosion on the Kerch Bridge in Crimea, which Moscow blames on Kyiv, although Kyiv has not claimed responsibility.
The United Nations and Western and Ukrainian officials have accused Russia of essentially targeting everyone who depends on Ukraine’s grain exports and risking a starvation crisis. A large part of Ukraine’s grain and food products go to the Middle East and Africa.
— Natasha Turak
7 hours ago
Putin will not attend the BRICS summit in South Africa
Russian President Vladimir Putin will not attend the BRICS summit in South Africa, ending months of speculation about whether the leader would travel to a country where he faces an International Criminal Court arrest warrant.
“By mutual agreement, the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin will not attend the summit, but the Russian Federation will be represented by Foreign Minister (Sergei) Lavrov,” Vincent Magvenya, a spokesman for South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, said in a statement.
The ICC issued arrest warrants for Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova, Russia’s commissioner for children’s rights, in March this year after an investigation concluded that the two were responsible for the unlawful deportation and transfer of children during the Russian war in Ukraine were responsible. The Kremlin does not recognize the jurisdiction of the ICC.
Kiev claims that more than 20,000 Ukrainian children have been kidnapped and deported by Russian forces, while an investigation by the Yale Humanitarian Lab put the number at around 6,000.
The South African President has been on friendly terms with Putin and has refused to implement Western-led sanctions against Russia, but has faced pressure at home and abroad to comply with the ICC’s arrest warrant or to uninvite Putin. He said Tuesday that arresting Putin if he traveled to South Africa would amount to a “declaration of war” by his country.
Russia’s decision followed “a series of consultations” Ramaphosa had held over the past few months, the last of which took place “last night,” Magwenya said.
— Natasha Turak
10 hours ago
Advisor to Ukraine’s president says Russia specifically targeted grain stockpiles in Odessa
Russia’s recent attacks on Ukraine’s port of Odessa were deliberately targeting its grain stores, said Ukraine’s presidential aide Mykhailo Podolyak said on Twitteraccording to a google translation.
“The Russian Federation has deliberately and deliberately attacked grain terminals and other port facilities. The main task is to destroy the possibility of Ukrainian grain shipments,” he said, adding that these are “blows to the global food program.”
Russia has stepped up its offensive against Odessa, launching airstrikes for the second night in a row in retaliation for the recent “terrorist” attack on the Crimean Bridge.
Ukraine’s grain shipments are in international focus this week after Moscow withdrew from a United Nations-brokered deal facilitating Kiev’s grain exports to world markets.
— Ruxandra Iordache
9 hours ago
A fire at a military base in Crimea forces 2,000 people to be evacuated
A major fire at a Russian training facility in Crimea sparked a major evacuation and forced a nearby highway to be closed, Russian officials said.
“It is planned to temporarily evacuate residents of four settlements – that’s more than 2,000 people,” Sergei Aksyonov, the Russian-installed governor of Crimea, said in a Telegram post, according to a Google translation.
No reason for the fire was given. Ukrainian media reported that an ammunition depot caught fire after a Ukrainian airstrike overnight. CNBC has not been able to independently verify these reports and there has been no official comment from Kyiv.
— Natasha Turak
10 hours ago
Senior Ukraine official calls for donations of long-range weapons after Odessa attack
“The Russian terror of Odessa proves once again that they need hunger and problems in the countries of the Global South. They want to create a refugee crisis for the West,” Andriy Yermak said on Telegram, according to a Google translation.
Nurphoto | Nurphoto | Getty Images
Andriy Yermak, the head of Ukraine’s presidential staff, has reiterated his calls for donations of long-range missile weapons from the West in the wake of an intensified Russian offensive against the key Ukrainian port of Odessa.
“The Russian terror of Odessa proves once again that they need hunger and problems in the countries of the Global South. They want to create a refugee crisis for the West,” he said, according to a Google translation on Telegram.
“Everything is being done to weaken allies and interfere politically in the internal affairs of these countries.”
Moscow has renewed airstrikes against Ukraine for the second straight day in retaliation for Kiev’s “terrorist attack” on the Crimean Bridge.
“The answer to terror is violence. Weapons, aviation, long-range missiles – that’s what Ukraine needs. We must expel the Russian Federation from our territory,” Yermak said.
The call for long-range missiles echoes Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s appeal for donations from NATO allies during the summit in Vilnius, Lithuania last week.
— Ruxandra Iordache
12 hours ago
Russia resumes attacks on Ukraine’s capital, Kiev
According to a Google translation, Russian troops launched another attack on Ukraine’s capital Kiev overnight, the city’s military administration said on Telegram.
Russian forces again used Iranian-made Shahed drones, but the offensive resulted in no damage or casualties, said Serhiy Popko, head of the Kyiv military administration.
Much of last night’s military offensive focused on Ukraine’s key port of Odessa, which Moscow has targeted in retaliation for a recent “terrorist” attack on the Crimean bridge.
Russia has stepped up hostilities against Kiev since early last week, coinciding with a Ukraine-focused NATO military alliance summit in Vilnius, Lithuania.
CNBC could not independently confirm the reports.
— Ruxandra Iordache
12 hours ago
Russia launches another missile offensive against the major Ukrainian port of Odessa
Russian forces launched a second consecutive overnight missile attack on Ukraine’s major port of Odessa, where Kiev bases its navy, regional governor Oleh Kiper said in Google-translated comments on Telegram.
According to a Google translation, the Ukrainian Air Force also noticed Russian missile attacks on Odessa last night.
Russian troops injured three people while attacking “the port and critical infrastructure,” the governor added.
““A grain and oil terminal was hit, tanks and loading equipment were damaged, a fire broke out, all relevant services are working to clean up the consequences,” Kiper said.
CNBC has not independently verified developments on the ground.
The Russian offensive against Odessa and the neighboring port of Mykolayiv intensified this week as Moscow retaliated against a so-called “terrorist attack” on the Crimean Bridge in recent days.
— Ruxandra Iordache
23 hours ago
South African leader says arresting Putin if he comes to Johannesburg next month would be ‘war’
South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa
MICHELE SPATARI | AFP | Getty Images
South Africa’s president said Tuesday that arresting Russian President Vladimir Putin – should he appear at an economic summit in Johannesburg next month – would amount to a “declaration of war” by his country, according to the Associated Press.
The August summit will bring together Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa – a bloc of developing countries known as the BRICS. Officials said Putin wanted to attend the gathering but had tried to persuade him to stay away to avoid the legal and diplomatic consequences of his international arrest warrant.
The International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Putin in connection with alleged war crimes during the Russian invasion of Ukraine. As a signatory to the Rome Statute establishing the International Criminal Court, South Africa would be obliged to arrest Putin if he visited the African country.
South Africa’s main political opposition party, the Democratic Alliance, has sought to force President Cyril Ramaphosa’s government to arrest Putin in a lawsuit in the Pretoria Supreme Court.
But in a harshly worded affidavit before the court, released on Tuesday, Ramaphosa reiterated his earlier statement that such action against Putin could also derail efforts to end the war in Ukraine.
“For the sake of transparency, I must stress that South Africa is having obvious problems in complying with a request for the arrest and extradition of President Putin,” he said. “Russia has made it clear that arresting its incumbent president would be tantamount to a declaration of war.”
“It would be inconsistent with our constitution to risk war with Russia,” Ramaphosa added.
– The Associated Press
Tue Jul 18, 2023 12:19 pm EDT
According to the United Nations, the Russian war in Ukraine has killed more than 9,200 civilians
Ukrainian flags are laid on the graves of soldiers at a cemetery in Kharkiv, Ukraine, January 24, 2023.
Spencer Platt | Getty Images
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) said more than 16,300 civilians have been injured since Russia’s war in Ukraine began last year. The agency also said more than 9,200 civilians had died as a result of the war.
OHCHR added that deaths and injuries were likely higher due to inaccessible cities under Russian occupation and reporting delays due to the armed conflict.
– Amanda Macias
Tue Jul 18, 2023 10:29 am EDT
Ukraine’s cargo insurance is suspended after Russia pulls out of landmark grain deal
A cargo insurance facility covering Ukrainian shipments of grain via a safe sea corridor has been suspended after Russia pulled out of the UN-backed deal, broker Marsh told Portal.
Moscow has pulled out of the year-old grain export deal, a move the United Nations says puts the world at risk of famine.
The Sea Freight and War Facility offered coverage of up to $50 million per cargo and was led by Lloyd’s of London insurer Ascot along with other insurers.
“There is a hiatus at the moment,” said David Roe, head of UK freight at Marsh, which acted as the facility’s broker. “It is effectively suspended as the agreement is not renewed.”
“Without the corridor, there is a higher level of uncertainty about the risk.”
Ascot declined to comment.
Insurance was vital to ensure shipment through the corridor.
— Portal
10 hours ago