Russia said on Monday it had “suppressed” two Ukrainian drones in Moscow, accusing Kyiv of launching a “terrorist act” on the Russian capital. “A Kyiv regime attempt to carry out a terrorist act using two drones on objects on the territory of the city of Moscow was stopped,” Russia’s defence ministry said. “Two Ukrainian drones were suppressed and crashed. There are no casualties.” Read our live blog for all the latest developments in the war in Ukraine. All times are Paris time (GMT+2).
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4:17am: Moscow’s mayor says drones hit non-residential buildings
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said in the early hours of Monday that “drone strikes” hit two “non-residential” buildings in the Russian capital at night, but reported no casualties.
“Today around 4 am (0100 GMT), drone strikes on two non-residential buildings were reported. There is no serious destruction or casualties.” Sobyanin said on Telegram, adding emergency services were working at the scene.
The TASS news agency reported one drone fell on Komsomolsky Prospekt, which is close to Russia’s defence ministry, while another hit a business centre on Likhacheva Street near one of Moscow’s main ring roads.
2:40am: Putin says Russia will replace Ukrainian grain exports to Africa
Russia will replace exports of Ukrainian grain to Africa, President Vladimir Putin said on Monday, after Moscow exited a deal allowing their safe shipment.
“Russia will continue its energetic efforts to provide supplies of grain, food products, fertilisers and other goods to Africa,” Putin said in a statement published on the Kremlin’s website.
“I want to give assurances that our country is capable of replacing the Ukrainian grain both on a commercial and free-of-charge basis.”
Moscow’s military operation blocked Ukraine’s Black Sea ports with warships until a deal brokered by the UN and Turkey and signed in July 2022 allowed for the passage of critical grain shipments.
Key developments from Sunday, July 23:
Russia struck the Ukrainian Black Sea city of Odesa again on Sunday, local officials said, keeping up a barrage of attacks that has damaged critical port infrastructure in southern Ukraine in the past week. FRANCE 24 correspondent Gulliver Cragg says it’s the “heaviest strike on Odesa” so far.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has met his closest ally, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, for the first time since the latter helped broker a deal to end a mutiny by Wagner fighters inside Russia last month.
Lukashenko on Sunday said he was “keeping” Russian Wagner mercenaries in central Belarus and that Minsk was “controlling” the situation with the notorious fighters on its territory.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Ukraine has taken back about 50% of the territory that Russia seized, although Kyiv’s counteroffensive will extend several months.
Read yesterday’s live blog to see how the day’s events unfolded.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP, AP & Reuters)
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