Ukrainian military intelligence warned again on the risk of Russian sabotage to the occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine, saying in a report that “mines and explosives are currently being delivered” to the site. The UN’s atomic watchdog said Friday it’s seen no “visible indications of mines or explosives” in areas it has been allowed to view, while pushing for greater access.
(Bloomberg) — Ukrainian military intelligence warned again on the risk of Russian sabotage to the occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine, saying in a report that “mines and explosives are currently being delivered” to the site. The UN’s atomic watchdog said Friday it’s seen no “visible indications of mines or explosives” in areas it has been allowed to view, while pushing for greater access.
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy marked the 500th day of Russia’s invasion with a visit to Snake Island in the Black Sea, a symbol of the nation’s defiance, and a memorial service in Istanbul with senior Turkish clergy. He earlier met with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan about the future of the Black Sea grain initiative that’s up for renewal this month.
Zelenskiy has engaged in days of whirlwind diplomacy with NATO members ahead of the summit in Vilnius, including calls with the leaders of Portugal and the Netherlands, as he seeks a clearer path to joining the military alliance. President Joe Biden told CNN, though, that a vote on Ukraine by NATO members would be premature. “I don’t think it’s ready for membership in NATO,” Biden told correspondent Fareed Zakaria in the Oval Office on Friday.
Ukraine said it would maintain strict controls over controversial cluster bombs to be provided by the US, as allies the UK and Spain criticized the decision to send the weapons. Intense fighting is underway again around Bakhmut in Ukraine’s east, the UK defense ministry said. It added that Kyiv’s troops are showing “steady gains” while “Russian leadership almost certainly see it as politically unacceptable to concede” the city that’s been mostly razed over the past year.
Latest Coverage
- US Sends Cluster Bombs to Ukraine Despite Civilian Threat
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- Ukraine Vows Strict Controls Over Cluster Bomb Use
- Macron Is Trying to Get Back on Right Side of History and NATO
Coming Up
- NATO summit in Lithuania July 11-12
Markets
Wheat Prices Fall on Russia Supply Outlook
Benchmark wheat futures fell for a second day on Friday as the outlook improved for supplies from key exporters France and Russia.
While the outlook for Ukraine’s grain shipments hangs in the balance, Russia’s wheat exports for the season that closed in June jumped to a record 46.6 million tons, and are likely to climb higher in the coming year, consultant SovEcon said.
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