Grain deal: Putin considering withdrawal

Grain deal: Putin considering withdrawal

Russia is considering withdrawing from the deal to export Ukrainian grain from Black Sea ports, also because the corridor is used by Kiev forces to launch drone attacks.
President Vladimir Putin said this quoted by Russian agencies.

For Putin, the conflict in Ukraine showed that Russia lacks various types of armaments, in particular “high-precision munitions, drones and so on.”

“We have them, but not enough,” he precised Putin, quoted by the Interfax agency, during a meeting with war correspondents. The president, however, added that in the last year Moscow has increased the production of the main weapons by 2,7 times and the most requested ones by ten times.

“Russia also has depleted uranium shells, and reserves the right to use them in Ukraine if they are used by Kiev's forces” added Putin commenting on the news on the supplies of these munitions to Ukraine by Great Britain and the USA.

In fact, the Biden administration could supply Ukraine with depleted uranium shells as equipment for the Abrams tanks that the United States is about to send to Kiev. This was revealed by US officials quoted anonymously by the Wall Street Journal. The M1 Abrams tank is one of the most powerful land weapons in the US arsenal.

“The conflict in Ukraine showed that in the Russian armed forces there were “parquet generals”, that is, reception ones, but not suitable for war” stressed Putin, adding that other more effective officers have begun to “emerge from the shadows and need to be promoted”.

The United States announces additional aid of $325 million to Ukraine. The secretary of state says so Anthony Blinken, reiterating that the US continues to stand by the Ukrainian population”whose courage and solidarity inspire the world." In a note, Blinken explains that the aid is in the form of weapons and equipment to "strengthen Ukrainian forces on the battlefield."

The CIA had warned the Ukrainian government not to attack Nord Stream. The warning had been delivered last June after the CIA received information from Dutch intelligence about a plan by Kiev to destroy the gas pipelines. The Wall Street Journal reports this, citing some sources, according to which Dutch intelligence had told the CIA that Ukrainian saboteurs were trying to rent a boat on the Baltic Sea coast and wanted to use divers to plant explosives along the gas pipelines.

“The Ukrainian counteroffensive continues on a large scale and uses strategic reserves, but so far it has not been successful in any of the sectors” finally underlined Putin quoted by Moscow agencies underlining that Ukrainian forces' losses in the counteroffensive "are close to being catastrophic."

According to Putin, they lost over 160 tanks and those of the Kremlin 54, while the losses among the Russian military are ten times less than among the Ukrainian ones. At the moment the Russian president does not consider a new mobilization necessary, explaining that the objectives of the military operation in Ukraine "generally remain the same", even if "they are adapted to the current situation".

Putin then added that the conflict in Ukraine showed that there were "parquet generals" in the Russian armed forces., that is, for reception, but not suitable for war. President Vladimir Putin said this, adding that other, more efficient officers have begun to “emerge from the shadows and must be promoted”.

Meanwhile in Ukraine, armored vehicles destroyed by Russian anti-tank units in Donetsk.

Belarus would have "no hesitation" in using nuclear weapons if it were to be attacked. The president said so Alexander Lukashenko, stressing that it was he who insisted Russian President Vladimir Putin deploy tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus. These weapons are expected to arrive next month. This was reported by the Belarusian agency Belta, reported by the Russian ones. "Everything's ready. I think it will take a few days and we will get what we asked for. And even a little more,” Lukashenko said.

A couple of days ago, Putin said that the deployment of Russian tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus will begin after July 7 or 8, when the construction work of the necessary installations is expected to be completed.

Air raid warnings were triggered across Ukraine at dawn on Tuesday. Some civilian buildings in the central city of Kryvyi Rih were targeted by Russian attacks overnight, Mayor Oleksandr Vilkul said. The bombing of the city also hit a five-storey building, causing at least ten deaths and numerous injuries. “There are people injured in extremely serious conditions,” he said Vilkul on his Telegram profile adding that “there are probably also people under the rubble”.

Cases of cholera and Escherichia coli occurred in the Kherson region, under Ukrainian control, after floods caused by the explosion of the Kakhovka dam. This was announced by the head of the State Environmental Inspectorate of Ukraine Oleg Pavlenko, quoted by Rbc-Ukraine, explaining that the water is also contaminated by fuels, fertilizers and pesticides. “Cases of cholera and Escherichia coli have been reported in the flooded areas”, Pavlenko said. Water from wells in flooded areas can now only be used after testing. Meanwhile, the authorities have banned fishing and the sale of fish.

Videos published on social media show the affected condominium completely engulfed in flames. “The total area of ​​the fire was 700 square meters,” added Vilkul, underlining that “at 6:22 (5:22 in Italy) the fire was contained. Now the rubble is removed and the fire is put out.". According to the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, the country's air defense forces shot down 10 missiles out of 14 launched by the Russians over Ukraine last night.

The Russian attack on Kryvyi Rih, hometown of President Zelensky in the central Dnipropetrovsk region it caused the disconnection of the main electricity networks, leaving three mines without power and dozens of miners trapped. The miners were subsequently taken to safety, as Rbc-Ukraine reports on Telegram. The Ministry of Energy announced that initially nine thousand people were left without electricity, currently there are six thousand users in the region still without electricity. The shock wave also damaged the Kryvyi Rih thermal power plant building.

The Ukrainian president: “More terrorist missiles, Russian assassins continue their war against residential buildings, ordinary cities and people. Unfortunately there are deaths and injuries. The rescue operation in Kryvyi Rih continues. My condolences to all those who have lost their loved ones! Terrorists will never be forgiven and will be held responsible for every missile they launch.".

“We are gaining ground, maintaining and strengthening our operational dominance. We are increasing our control in the Bakhmut area“, said the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelesnky in a video message.

In particular, the Ukrainian General Staff announced that the army is successfully advancing in three areas at once: Bakhmut, Toretsk and Berdyansk. Seven settlements were liberated, RBC-Ukraine reports. In particular, the localities of Lobkovo, Levadne, Novodarovka (in the Zaporozhzhia region), and Neskuchnoe, Storozhevoe, Makarovka, Blagodatnoye (in the Donetsk region) have returned under Ukrainian control, said General Staff spokesman Andriy Kovalyov.
The Ukrainian air defense forces have destroyed 0 missiles and a drone launched by the Russians over Ukraine: this was announced by the General Staff of the Kiev armed forces, as reported by Ukrinform.