Ukraine’s infrastructure minister Oleksandr Kubrakov has said two bulk carriers, named Anna-Theresa and Ocean Courtesy, left the port of Pivdennyi through a temporary corridor for civilian vessels to attempt to journey across the Black Sea with cargo.
This would make them just the third and fourth to transit from deep-water Ukrainian ports through the Black Sea since Russia withdrew from a grain in July.
The ships were carrying 56,000 metric tonnes of pig iron and 172,000 tonnes of iron ore concentrate between them, Kubrakov wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
President Putin is set to discuss the failed grain deal with President Erdogan of Turkey when the pair meet in Sochi on Monday.
Attack on Pskov airfield was made from Russia, Ukraine says
A Ukrainian attack on an airfield in Pskov was carried out from Russian territory, a Ukrainian intelligence official has said.
“We are working from the territory of Russia,” Kyrylo Budanov, head of the main intelligence directorate at the defence ministry, told The War Zone.
He did not give any further detail of the number and type of combat drones used.
Mr Budanov also said drones targeted “the fuel tanks and an important part of the wing spar, which are located in the upper part of the IL-76”.
He also refused to answer who exactly carried out the attack – whether that be employees of the GUR or partisans supervised by the Ukrainian special service.