Ukrainian forces said they shot down Russian Ka-52 attack helicopters Thursday in the Zaporizhzhia and Bakhmut regions, respectively. There was no confirmation from Moscow.
Kyiv’s troops continued to push ahead after capturing the small but strategically important village of Urozhaine in the south following an intense week-long battle, the Ukrainian General Staff said on Facebook. They’re seeking to cut off Russia’s land bridge to the Crimea region as a critical element of Ukraine’s counteroffensive.
The first trade ship to leave Ukraine’s seaports since the collapse of a safe-corridor grain deal with Russia is expected to arrive in Istanbul tonight after reaching Romanian waters on Wednesday. The container ship Joseph Schulte sailed from Odesa via a new temporary Black Sea route established by Kyiv as it seeks to reclaim control over its maritime trade. Russian authorities won’t tighten capital controls for now after officials reached an informal agreement with exporters to surrender more of their foreign revenues, the business daily Vedomosti reported.
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Markets
Wheat prices retreated Thursday after a rally that followed reports of Russian drones hitting a key Danube River grain port on Wednesday in a fresh attack on Ukraine’s crop-export infrastructure. While Ukraine struggles, Russian ports loaded grain for Kenya, Sudan and Bangladesh, Mozambique, Algeria, Turkey and Venezuela in the latest week, according to shipping lineups.
Coming Up
- Putin meets with the State Council to discuss development of public transport in Russia.
- Ukraine’s deputy PM for European integration discusses reforms with key ministers
- Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu is on a three-day visit to Belarus