Here is a summary of today's developments
Russia’s investigation committee said that the results of genetic tests confirmed the identities of the 10 people who died in the plane crash on Wednesday and that they included the founder of the Wagner mercenary group, Yevgeny Prigozhin. However the statement did not offer any details as to what might have caused the crash.
A senior Ukrainian government official has confirmed the safe passage of a second vessel through the Black Sea from Ukraine’s Odesa port after Russia‘s withdrawal last month from a UN-brokered deal allowing the export of grain.
Russia’s defence ministry said it scrambled a fighter plane to deter a US air force reconnaissance drone from crossing its borders over the Black Sea. The Tass news agency said the drone had not breached Russia’s state border, Reuters reports.
Ukrainian authorities launched an investigation after a midair collision between two warplanes in the west of the country killed three pilots. One of the pilots, Andriy “Juice” Pilshchykov, had campaigned for the supply of F-16s. Volodymyr Zelenskiy is counting on swift training of crews to fly F-16 fighter jets which were eventually promised by western allies.
The co-founder of Russian tech giant Yandex made a formal request to have the EU sanctions which he is under be lifted, in a potential litmus test for whether the bloc will take a more sympathetic view with figures who distance themselves from the Kremlin.
Russia reported another series of drone attacks on its territory overnight that officials said killed at least one person in a region bordering Ukraine and again forced the temporary closure of three major airports serving the capital Moscow.
Ukraine’s reconstruction ministry also confirmed a second civilian cargo ship had left the southern port of Odesa, despite warnings from Russia that vessels using Ukraine’s Black Sea ports could be considered targets.
“The Liberian-flagged bulk carrier Primus of a Singaporean operator has left the port of Odesa,” the ministry said, adding the ship was carrying steel products destined for Africa.
“This is the second vessel to use the temporary corridor for civilian vessels,” it said.
Kyiv announced the new maritime corridor earlier this month after Russia left the Black Sea grain deal, which aimed to ensure safe navigation for civilian grain shipments from Ukraine ports.
Updated
