Ukraine has reported air strikes early Thursday that rocked its capital and other areas, after reaching a rare agreement with Russia to extend a deal allowing grain exports across the Black Sea. The United States and United Nations welcomed the deal, but called for more certainty over the exports, as Russia has threatened to end the pact, which is crucial to global food security. However, doubts about the viability of the deal were raised after Ukraine accused Russia of launching an extraordinary series of air attacks on Kyiv and other regions.
The deal came after Ukraine’s foreign minister met with China’s special envoy in Kyiv, and insisted that the war-torn country would not accept any peace plan that relied on giving up territory. China, a close ally of Moscow, has not publicly condemned Russia’s invasion, and envoy Li Hui sought to promote Beijing-led negotiations to resolve the conflict.
Since Russia invaded, Western arms—mostly from the US—have poured into Ukraine, including Patriot systems to help shield against relentless missile strikes targeting civilians and infrastructure. One of only two Patriot systems confirmed to be in Ukraine was damaged by an unspecified projectile landing nearby, US officials confirmed Wednesday, though they said it was still functioning. Ukraine’s air defences have played a key role in protecting the country from strikes and preventing Moscow’s forces from gaining control of the skies.
Turkey’s President Erdogan, which has a central role in the grain deal, announced the two-month extension, saying Russia had agreed not to block ships from leaving two Ukrainian ports. “These agreements matter for global food security; Ukrainian and Russian products feed the world,” UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said. “I hope we will reach a comprehensive agreement to improve, expand, and extend the initiative.”
But Russia has repeatedly threatened to pull out of the deal, which was meant to expire on May 18, and again on Wednesday denounced “disparities” in how it is implemented. Kyiv has accused Russia of effectively still blocking its ships by refusing to register them and conducting lengthy inspections.
On the ground, fighting continued for control of the eastern town of Bakhmut. Ukraine is seeking to take back territory occupied by Russian forces in the wake of the February 2022 invasion and also areas seized by Russia in 2014. The battle for Bakhmut has turned into the longest standoff of the war. Ukraine is now saying it is advancing in the area, retaking Russian positions in its suburbs.
The statistics agency Rosstat said Wednesday that Russia’s gross domestic product shrank by 1.9 percent in the first quarter of 2023 due to the conflict’s toll on its economy. The country is weighed down by another wave of Western sanctions, including a ban by the European Union on Russian petroleum products, on top of an oil price cap agreed with the G7 and Australia.
