On Wednesday, Russian forces intensified their operations to complete control of the strategic city of Severodonetsk in eastern Ukraine.

While the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) continued military exercises in the Baltic Sea, Russian-Turkish talks are being held on the resumption of grain export negotiations.

Russia said its forces had taken full control of the residential neighborhoods in Severodonetsk and were trying to seize the industrial zone.

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu announced that residential neighborhoods in Severodonetsk had been "completely liberated".

The Russian army is still seeking to tighten control over the industrial area and the nearest population centers, according to Shoigu, amid conflicting reports about the areas actually in the grip of the conflicting forces.

Moscow is seeking to control this industrial city as part of efforts to extend its influence over a vast area in eastern Ukraine, but Kyiv confirms that its forces are still doing their best to maintain their positions on the city's front line.


logistics corridor

The Russian and Ukrainian forces exchanged shelling in the vicinity of the city of Bakhmut, which is the logistical corridor of the cities of Severodonetsk and Lysechhansk, the last city of Lugansk Province that is still under Ukrainian control.

Russian forces and separatists tried to advance towards Bakhmut from the south and east in an attempt to cut off their way to Lugansk.

Shoigu said that his country's forces had taken control of the largest part of the separatist Donetsk and Luhansk regions in the Donbas region (eastern Ukraine).

Satellite images published by the company "Maxar" showed the effects of destruction in the cities of eastern Ukraine.

The pictures revealed the effects of the continuous artillery bombardment on the cities and villages of eastern Ukraine.

Images collected over the area on Monday also showed significant damage in Severodonetsk, and widespread artillery shelling in villages and towns northwest of Sloviansk.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that his country would not accept any negotiation with Moscow, and that it aimed to restore control over all of its territories occupied by Russian forces.

Zelensky added that Ukraine has already lost so many people that it will not be able to give up its territory.

Kyiv had previously stated that Russian forces currently occupy about 20% of Ukrainian territory.


NATO maneuvers

Meanwhile, NATO is continuing naval military exercises in the southern region of the Baltic Sea, with the aim of what the alliance described as strengthening the capabilities of the joint response of its countries to any aggression.

Training operations include anti-submarine warfare, maritime interdiction, anti-mine action, medical response, search and rescue, and amphibious operations.

These exercises come in light of the tension between NATO and Russia due to the Russian war on Ukraine, and coincide with Sweden and Finland officially submitting their request to join the alliance.

The US Treasury Secretary said that her country is seeking to limit Moscow's benefit from oil revenues, but indicated that the goal at the present time is to maintain the flow of Russian oil to the global market in order to avoid a rise in its prices.

US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said Washington was committed to doing everything it could to counter what she called "Putin's brutal war against Ukraine" at the international level.

Yellen stressed at a Senate Finance Committee hearing that inflation in the country has reached unacceptable levels, due to the turmoil associated with the Corona epidemic and the Russian war in Ukraine.

Shoigu (right) said that the ports of "Berdyansk" and "Mariopol" were prepared for the resumption of grain shipments (Reuters)

grain export crisis

Regarding the effects of the war in Russia on global food security, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said that the Ukrainian ports of "Berdyansk" and "Mariopol", which were controlled by Russian forces, were cleared of mines in order to be ready for the resumption of grain shipments.

In the same regard, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov arrived in Turkey for a two-day visit during which he will hold talks on liberating grain exports from Ukraine, which were stymied by the Russian invasion.

Lavrov will meet today, Wednesday, with his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu, whose country offers its services to escort maritime convoys from Ukrainian ports.

Turkish media had indicated that a Russian delegation, including the foreign and defense ministers, would visit Ankara and discuss the issue of stopping the war in Ukraine and ensuring safe corridors for the transport of grain and foodstuffs from Ukrainian ports.


The Kremlin denies

For its part, the Kremlin denied the existence of clear agreements on the removal of grain from Odessa, stressing that Ukraine must remove mines near the ports to achieve this.

The Turkish TRT station had stated that among the topics that Lavrov will discuss with his Turkish counterpart is the inauguration of the so-called corridor of Ukrainian grain shipments through Turkish waters, and then to the Mediterranean.

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that it would not accept any agreement between Turkey and Russia that does not take into account its interests on the export of grain.

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry expressed appreciation for Turkey's efforts, but stressed the need for any agreement on the export of grain to be concluded with the participation of all concerned parties.

She added that Kyiv needs effective security guarantees by providing it with appropriate weapons to protect its coasts from Russian naval threats and the involvement of naval forces from a third country to patrol within specific areas in the Black Sea.


African move

For his part, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken discussed with the Chairperson of the African Union Commission Moussa Faki in a phone call the importance of ending the Russian war on Ukraine and its effects on global food security.

A US State Department statement said that Blinken confirmed during the call that US sanctions do not prevent the export of Ukrainian or Russian agricultural products, nor the necessary commercial transactions associated with them.

Blinken also stressed the need for safe passage of merchant ships to and from Ukraine's ports on the Black Sea.