The Kremlin said that President Vladimir Putin discussed in a phone call with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Schulz the situation in Ukraine, and warned them of the dangers of continuing to export arms to Ukraine, while Russia took control of a Ukrainian city described as a strategic.

He also confirmed that Putin informed the European leaders of Moscow's readiness to help find ways to export grain, including Ukrainian grain, through the Black Sea ports, and to increase its exports of fertilizers and agricultural products, provided that sanctions are lifted, stressing that Moscow is open to resuming dialogue with the Ukrainian side.

For its part, the German chancellor's office said that Schulz and Macron had asked Putin to conduct serious and direct negotiations with the Ukrainian president, and that Putin had assured Schulz and Macron of his desire to allow the resumption of wheat exports from Ukraine.

The French presidency said Macron and Schulz had urged Putin to release 2,500 fighters held by Russia at the Azovstal complex.

In Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky said that he discussed with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, strengthening defense support for Ukraine and intensifying work on security guarantees and refueling it.

In his tweet, the Ukrainian president stressed the need for collective action to prevent a food crisis and to abolish the ban on ports.

For its part, the British Prime Minister's office said that Johnson briefed Zelensky on international efforts to resume wheat exports from Ukraine.


Russia denies blockading ports

In this context, the Russian Foreign Ministry denied the accusations against Moscow of besieging the ports of the Sea of ​​Azov and the Black Sea, and stressed that they were unfounded.

In a statement, her spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stressed Russia's intention to implement the agreements concluded in the areas of supplying agricultural commodities, fertilizers, energy resources and other important products.

Zakharova also denied that the special military operation in Ukraine was the reason for the sharp rise in agricultural prices, and attributed this to the Corona pandemic.

She pointed out that Western sanctions against her country have cut the chain in the field of global logistics and transportation infrastructure.

The British Ministry of Defense announced the participation of its armed forces in a training led by the United States and the participation of 17 countries from Eastern Europe.

The British Defense described its deployment in the maneuvers as the largest since the Cold War in a series of NATO exercises, confirming its deployment of forces from 16 air attack brigades in North Macedonia.

The ministry added that the exercises were designed to demonstrate NATO's ability to carry out major ground combat operations in support of its members and allies.

A strategic city in the hands of the Russians

On the ground, Reuters news agency quoted Sergey Gaidi, governor of the eastern Ukrainian province of Lugansk, as saying that Russian forces entered the strategic city of Severodonetsk, after a days-long attempt to besiege Ukrainian forces, in light of the largest advance of Russian forces in the Donbass region since the start of the war last February.

The governor of Lugansk region added that the Ukrainian forces may be forced to withdraw from the city, which is the last area of ​​their control in the region, in order to avoid being encircled or capturing its elements with the rapid progress made by the Russian forces in the eastern region.

The local military administration in Severodonetsk said that these forces are almost completely surrounded by Russian forces, and the governor of Lugansk region reported that 90% of the buildings of Severodonetsk, one of the largest cities in Donbass, were destroyed.

Before the Russian army entered Severodonetsk, Moscow-backed separatist forces took control of Lyman, a major railway center to the west of Severodonetsk, opening the way to major cities such as Loviansk and Kramatorsk.

Ukrainian officials said Russia had captured most of the city, but added that their forces were blocking the advance to Sloviansk, a city half an hour's drive southwest of Lyman and one of the main cities in the Donbass region.

In southern Ukraine, where Moscow has also seized swathes of territory since the war began, Ukrainian officials believe Russia aims to impose permanent rule.

The Ukrainian military said Russia was shipping military equipment from Crimea to build defenses in anticipation of a possible counterattack by Ukraine, and was laying mines on the banks of a huge reservoir behind a dam on the Dnipro River that serves as a dividing line between Russian and Ukrainian forces.

Harpoon missiles and howitzers

Ukraine has started receiving Harpoon anti-ship missiles from Denmark and self-propelled howitzers from the United States, Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov said on Saturday, adding that the weapons will support the forces resisting the Russian invasion.

"The Harpoon missiles will not only strengthen the defense of the coasts of our country, but will also be used by trained Ukrainian teams," Reznikov wrote on his Facebook page.

He said that the Harpoon anti-ship missiles will be operated alongside Ukraine's Neptune missiles to defend the country's coasts, including the southern port of Odessa.

Reznikov added that the supplies of Harpoon missiles came as a result of cooperation between several countries, noting that the shipments from Denmark were made "with the participation of our British friends."

Ukraine says it wants to receive shipments of US-made M270 long-range multiple rocket launchers and use them to repel Russian forces in the east of the country.

After the start of its invasion of Ukraine on February 24, Russia imposed a naval blockade on Ukrainian ports, hampering vital grain exports, and used its Black Sea fleet to launch missile attacks on Ukraine, which has since begun receiving Western military aid.


Russia warns of supplying Kyiv with long-range missiles

The Russian ambassador to Washington, Anatoly Antonov, warned the United States against supplying Kyiv with long-range missile weapons, pointing out that this has unpredictable repercussions on global security.

Antonov said that Russia hopes that common sense and correct thinking (on the American side) will overcome the issue of the alleged supply of long-range missile weapons from the United States to Ukraine, according to what Russia Today reported.

"For the time being, we proceed from the statement by the official representative of the Pentagon, John Kirby, that the final decision on this issue and the supply of this type of weapon has not been taken. We hope that common sense will prevail and that Washington will not take such a provocative step."

The ambassador noted that Russia, through diplomatic channels, has repeatedly told the United States that the unprecedented supply of weapons to Ukraine significantly increases the risks of an escalation of the conflict.

The Russian ambassador explained that in the event of the supply of such weapons to Kiev, the danger of placing them near the Russian borders exists, and therefore the Ukrainians will be able to strike Russian cities.

Yesterday, the Wall Street Journal quoted US officials as saying that the administration of President Joe Biden is expected to announce next week the dispatch of long-range multiple launch missile systems "MLRS" (MLRS) to Ukraine, Kyiv says. They are necessary to counter the Russian attack in the Donbass, but Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said yesterday that the United States has not yet made a final decision on the supply of "MLRS" (long-range missile systems) to Ukraine, according to Russia today. .