Summary
As the time in Kyiv approaches 9pm, here’s a summary of today’s news and latest developments.
The Kremlin has said it will rejoin the UN-administered grain export corridor from Ukraine. Russia pulled out over the weekend following a drone attack on Russian warships in the port of Sevastopol.
Moscow’s humiliating climbdown came two days after a large convoy of ships moved a record amount of grain in defiance of Russia’s warnings that it would be unsafe without its participation, and after high-level diplomatic contacts between Turkey – one of the guarantors of the scheme with the UN – and Russia.
The Russian defence ministry said it had received written guarantees from Kyiv not to use the Black Sea grain corridor for military operations against Russia.
The Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, will be seen as having successfully called the Russians’ bluff to blockade Ukrainian ports or even sink civilian cargo ships carrying grain abroad. The Turkish leader had said exports of grain from Ukraine would continue with or without Russian approval and appears to have brokered the Russian climbdown.
In a phone conversation, Volodymyr Zelenskiy thanked Erdoğan for his role in restoring the deal.
Meanwhile Russia has said it is fully committed to preventing nuclear war, and that avoiding a clash among countries that have nuclear weapons is its highest priority.
Moscow said it would summon the UK ambassador to Russia, Deborah Bronnert, over its accusation, that is unsubstantiated, that “British specialists” were involved in the Sevastopol attack.
Details have been published of the damage caused to the Nord Stream gas pipeline by explosions at the end of September. Nord Stream AG said that about 250 metres (820 feet) of the pipeline in the Baltic Sea was “destroyed”.
The governor of the Kyiv region, Oleksiy Kuleba, said that it is once again becoming an “outpost” in Russia’s strategy to target the capital.
Two Russian oligarchs and business partners of Roman Abramovich have been added to the UK government’s sanctions list in response to the invasion of Ukraine. Alexander Abramov and Alexander Frolov, whom the UK government said were “known to be business associates” of the former Chelsea FC owner, were on Wednesday among four new Russian steel and petrochemical tycoons added to the sanctions list.
Passenger numbers on Russian airlines were down 20% in September compared to last year, as the impact of western sanctions continues to weigh on the industry.
That’s all for today. Thank you for following along.
A readout from Istanbul after Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s conversation with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy earlier on Wednesday.
He told Zelenskiy by phone that the ability of Ukraine and Russia to sell grain was of critical importance for the whole world, Erdoğan’s office said.
Speaking after Russia said it would resume its participation in a deal freeing up grain exports from war-torn Ukraine, Erdoğan said diplomatic efforts should be increased to end the war with a just solution, according to Reuters.
