Ukraine war live updates: ‘Massive’ attack at Odesa port for second straight day; Crimea military base fire forces evacuation – UnlistedNews

A huge fire at a Russian training center in Crimea prompted a large evacuation and forced the closure of a nearby road, Russian officials said.

“It is planned to temporarily evacuate the residents of four settlements, there are 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 was given for the fire. Ukrainian media reported that an ammunition depot caught fire after a Ukrainian airstrike overnight. CNBC was unable to independently verify those reports and there was no official comment from kyiv.

—Natasha Turak

Andriy Yermak, Ukraine’s presidential chief of staff, reiterated calls for donations of long-range missile weapons from the West, in the wake of a stepped-up Russian offensive against Ukraine’s key port of Odessa.

“The Russian Odessa terror shows once again that they need hunger and trouble in the countries of the Global South. They want to create a refugee crisis for the West.” said on Telegramaccording to a Google translation.

“Everything is done to weaken the allies and intervene politically in the internal affairs of these countries.”

Moscow has renewed air hostilities against Ukraine for the second night in a row, in a retaliatory strike after what it characterized as kyiv’s “terrorist attack” on the Crimean bridge.

“The response to terror is force. Weapons, aviation, long-range missiles – this is what Ukraine needs. We must expel the Russian Federation from our territory,” Yermak said.

The request for long-range missiles echoes Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s request for donations from NATO allies during the summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, last week.

— Ruxandra Iordache

Russian troops launched another night attack on the Ukrainian capital kyiv, the city’s military administration. said on Telegramaccording to a Google translation.

Russian forces once again deployed Iranian-made Shahed drones, but the offensive caused no damage or injuries, said Serhiy Popko, head of kyiv’s military administration.

Much of last night’s military offensive focused on Ukraine’s key port of Odessa, which Moscow has been targeting in retaliation for what it calls a recent “terrorist attack” on the Crimean bridge.

Russia has stepped up its hostilities against kyiv since early last week, coinciding with a Ukraine-focused NATO military alliance summit in Vilnius, Lithuania.

CNBC was unable to independently confirm the reports.

— Ruxandra Iordache

Russian forces launched a missile strike overnight on the main Ukrainian port of Odessa, where kyiv maintains its navy, for the second night in a row, regional governor Oleh Kiper said. said in comments translated by Google on Telegram.

The Ukrainian air force also noted Russian missiles hit Odessa last nightaccording to a Google translation.

Russian troops wounded three people, while attacking “the port and critical infrastructure,” the governor added.

“A grain and oil terminal was hit, tanks and cargo equipment were damaged, a fire started, all the competent services are working to eliminate the consequences,” Kiper said.

CNBC has not independently verified developments on the ground.

The Russian offensive against Odessa and the neighboring port Mykolaiv intensified this week as Moscow carried out retaliatory strikes after what it called a “terrorist attack” on the Crimean bridge in recent days.

— Ruxandra Iordache

South Africa’s president said on Tuesday that arresting Russian President Vladimir Putin if he were to appear at an economic summit next month in Johannesburg 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 economies known as BRICS. Authorities have said Putin wants to attend the meeting but have been trying to persuade him to stay away to avoid legal and diplomatic fallout from the international warrant for his arrest.

Putin is the subject of an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court related to alleged war crimes during the Russian invasion of Ukraine. As a signatory to the Rome Statute that established the ICC, South Africa would be required to arrest Putin if he visits the African nation.

South Africa’s largest opposition political party, the Democratic Alliance, has tried to force the government of President Cyril Ramaphosa to agree to arrest Putin in an action before the Pretoria High Court.

But in a strongly worded affidavit in court released Tuesday, Ramaphosa reiterated his earlier statement that such action against Putin could also derail any effort to end the war in Ukraine.

“I must point out, for the sake of transparency, that South Africa has obvious problems executing a request to arrest and surrender President Putin,” he said. “Russia has made it clear that arresting its sitting president would be a declaration of war.”

“It would be incompatible with our Constitution to risk going to war with Russia,” Ramaphosa added.

– The Associated Press

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, or OHCHR, said more than 16,300 civilians have been injured since the start of Russia’s war in Ukraine last year. The agency also said that more than 9,200 civilians have been killed by the war.

OHCHR added that deaths and injuries are likely to be higher due to the inability to access cities under Russian occupation, as well as reporting delays due to armed conflict.

—Amanda Macias

A cargo insurance facility providing cover for Ukraine’s grain shipments through a secure shipping corridor has been suspended after Russia left the United Nations-backed deal. broker Marsh told Reuters.

Moscow withdrew from the one-year grain export deal in a move the United Nations says risks creating worldwide famine.

The maritime warfare and cargo facility provided cover of up to $50 million per cargo and was run by Ascot, Lloyd’s of London’s insurer, along with other underwriters.

“It is currently on hiatus,” said David Roe, UK freight manager at Marsh, who acted as a go-between for the installation. “It is effectively suspended for not extending the agreement.”

“Without the corridor in place, there is a higher degree of uncertainty associated with risk.”

Ascot declined to comment.

Insurance has been vital in securing shipments through the corridor.

— Reuters