Zelensky asks the European Union to help restore electricity in his country
Russia resumes participation in Ukraine grain export deal
A cargo ship carrying Ukrainian grain is seen in the Black Sea off Kilyos, near Istanbul.
Reuters
Yesterday, Russia announced the end of the suspension of the agreement to export grain through the Ukrainian ports in the Black Sea, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky asked the European Union to help restore electricity in his country.
In detail, the Russian Defense Ministry said that with Turkish mediation, Ukraine had pledged not to use the sea lane for attacks against Russia.
The ministry added that thanks to the intervention of the United Nations and Turkey, it was possible to obtain written guarantees from Ukraine that it would not use the humanitarian corridor and Ukrainian ports to conduct military operations against Russia.
The statement marks a shift in the position of Moscow, which earlier said it would be dangerous and unacceptable for ships to continue sailing through the humanitarian corridor established under an agreement brokered by Turkey and the United Nations in July.
In Ankara, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told parliament yesterday that Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu phoned his Turkish counterpart Hulusi Akar to confirm the continuation of grain shipments "as of 12 noon yesterday."
Erdogan said poor countries in Africa, including Somalia, Djibouti and Sudan, would be given priority for new grain shipments from Ukraine.
The Turkish Defense Ministry separately confirmed that the shipments began at noon yesterday, as promised by the Russians.
The Kremlin suspended the grain export deal on Saturday, after a ship belonging to Russia's Black Sea Fleet was damaged in a Ukrainian drone strike.
The United Nations, Ankara and Kiev agreed to continue the shipments even without guarantees of free passage from Russia.
In Kyiv, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky asked the European Union for help to restore electricity in Ukraine, where energy infrastructure has been damaged by the latest Russian escalation.
The central and northern Ukrainian regions will be disconnected from the grid as the state-run utility operator tries to conserve electricity as winter approaches, Bloomberg News reported yesterday.
The situation will dominate the agenda in Berlin on Thursday, when the G7 foreign ministers meet.
In Washington, White House spokesman John Kirby said yesterday that the United States does not see any indications that Russia is preparing to use nuclear weapons, adding that he had no specific comment on a New York Times report on Russian discussions in this regard.
"We've made it clear from the start that Russia's comments about the potential use of nuclear weapons are of deep concern, and we take them seriously," Kirby added.
"We continue to monitor this as best we can, and we see no indications that Russia is preparing to use it," he added.
On the other hand, Russian news agencies reported yesterday, quoting the Ministry of Defense, that Russia launched a Soyuz missile carrying a military satellite into space.
The agencies quoted the ministry as saying that the missile, a Soyuz-2.1B medium launch vehicle, was launched yesterday morning from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome. The agencies did not give details about the purpose of launching the satellite.
America sees no indications that Russia is ready to use nuclear weapons.
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