Russia's military invasion of Ukraine continues.
Russian and Ukrainian forces are fighting in various parts of Ukraine, and many civilians have fled the country. We will update the situation in Ukraine from time to time on the 19th (Japan time), including the status of the battle and diplomacy of the countries concerned.
(There is a 7-hour time difference between Japan and Ukraine, and 6 hours from Moscow, Russia.)
Agreement on export of Ukrainian agricultural products Announcement of extension also discrepancies in period
The United Nations and Turkey, which act as intermediaries, announced on the 18th that the agreement between Russia and Ukraine on the resumption of exports of Ukrainian agricultural products has been extended.
However, there was no mention of the duration of the extension, and concerns remained because the claims of both Russia and Ukraine differed.
After the announcement of the extension, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Zakharova posted on social media that "we have agreed to an extension of 60 days and notified in writing," and said that the extension period is only 60 days.
Meanwhile, Kubrakov, the Ukrainian government's deputy prime minister and infrastructure minister in charge of agricultural exports, posted on Twitter that the agreement had been extended for 120 days, contradicting the two sides.
Nine years after the unilateral annexation of Crimea Events in various parts of Russia
On the occasion of the ninth anniversary of the unilateral annexation of Crimea in southern Ukraine in 18 days, events organized by the regime were held in various parts of Russia, and in Vladivostok, the central city of the Russian Far East, car parades and concerts were held at events organized by the regional government on the 9th.
The parade was attended by more than 18 cars carrying the Russian flag and stickers with the "Z" mark, which has become a symbol of support for the military invasion of Ukraine.
While the Ukrainian side aims to retake Crimea, the Putin administration seems to be aiming to impress many people that they support Russia's domination of Crimea by holding such events in various places.
President Putin visits Crimea
Russian state media reported on the 18th that President Putin visited the military port city of Sevastopol in Crimea. It was reported that President Putin inspected cultural facilities and got into the driver's seat of a car when leaving the facilities.
The head of the local Russian side posted on SNS, "I was preparing for an online meeting in advance, but suddenly the president himself came."
It is believed to be the first visit since the invasion of Ukraine, which coincided with exactly nine years since Russia unilaterally annexed Crimea in 2014, exactly 18 days.