At the dawn of the 148th day of conflict, Moscow and Kiev continue to face each other on the ground. Ukrainian kamikaze drones hit the Enerhodar nuclear power plant in the night, controlled by the Russian military as Moscow continues to tighten its grip around Mariupol.
Russia-Ukraine war, Kiev: Russians armored Mariupol in and out
UPDATES BY MARCO ACCOSSATO, GIACOMO GALEAZZI, DANIELA LANNI, MARINA PALUMBO
The news of the wheat agreement reached yesterday 21 July does not seem to have eased the tensions between the two warring countries. Russia and Ukraine have in fact signed an agreement with Turkey and the UN but there is no direct agreement between the two opponents. The agreement signed in Istanbul concerns the creation of safe corridors from Odessa and two other ports under Ukrainian control and does not provide for military escorts for ships. At the signing ceremony in the sumptuous Dolmabahce Palace in Istanbul, in addition to the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, the Russian Minister Shoigu, his Turkish counterpart Hulusi Akar and for Ukraine the Minister of Infrastructure Alexander Kubrakov. “In Ukraine there is grain worth 10 billion dollars” that can be sold, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote on Telegram in the evening.
Ukraine and Russia have signed the wheat agreement with Turkey and the UN. Erdogan: “Historic day, the nightmare of world hunger avoided”
Meanwhile on the other side of the ocean, Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed to Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba his appreciation for Ukrainian First Lady Olena Zelenska’s trip to Washington this week, noting that “her visit offered an important opportunity to recognize the human cost of the Russian war and to underline the continuing commitment of the United States to humanitarian aid and assistance in the recovery of Ukraine “.
The UK Ministry of Defense believes Russia is experiencing a “critical shortage” of ground attack missiles, even as it advances on Kramatorsk and Siversk. Until 6 am on Monday 25 July, the Russians will blast the city of Mariupol at the entrance and exit.
In terms of energy, the plan presented by the European Union to cut gas consumption by 15% has been much discussed in the last few hours: opposition expressed not only by Italy but also by other member countries.
Focus – Ukraine and Russia have signed the wheat agreement
00.10 – A thousand Russian soldiers encircled in Kherson: evacuation corridor requested
More than 1,000 Russian soldiers were surrounded in the Vysokopole region and asked Ukraine for a “corridor” for evacuation. This was reported by the Russian online newspaper ‘The Insider’ citing sources of the Ukrainian armed forces, confirmed by the Moscow military. According to the newspaper, three Russian battle groups have asked Kiev for a “gesture of goodwill” having been surrounded during the Kiev counter-offensive in the direction of Kherson, conducted in two directions at the same time. The problems for the Russian army add to the difficulty of relocating the units to the right bank of the Dnieper River due to significant damage to both existing crossings: the Antonovsky bridge in Kherson and the dam of the Kakhovskaya hydroelectric plant in Novaya Kakhovka. According to observers, the ongoing operation could allow Ukrainians to surround Russian troops north of Kherson, changing the course of the entire campaign on the southern front.
00.00 – Fitch cuts Ukraine’s rating to ‘C’, -33% GDP 2022
Fitch downgrades Ukraine’s rating to ‘C’ from ‘CCC’. This was stated by Fitch in a note, stressing that he expects a debt restructuring. “The war could continue next year, with weak prospects for a political agreement,” the agency highlights. Fitch estimates that the Ukrainian economy will contract by 33% this year and then register + 4% in 2023.