Latest news on Russia and the war in Ukraine

Russian forces downed a series of drones over the regions of Tula and Belgorod overnight, according to a Google-translated post on the country’s Ministry of Defense Telegram account.

The Ukrainian drones were “destroyed,” according to the ministry. It made no reference to causalities or damage caused.

— Hannah Ward-Glenton

Ukraine opposes any further restrictions on the import of its grain by neighboring countries, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said Monday.

Kuleba said he was “adamantly against” extending the bans currently in place on a trip to Prague in the Czech Republic, as reported by Reuters.

Five European countries banned Ukrainian grain imports over the summer on concerns that the glut in produce unable to be exported would damage the livelihoods of their domestic farmers. The European Union allowed the move, but the current bans expire on Sept. 15.

— Hannah Ward-Glenton

Ukraine was struck by 61 attacks Monday, according to Ukrainian official Oleksandr Prokudin.

The bombardments comprised 275 shells from mortars, artillery, tanks, drones and aircraft, with much of the firepower targeted at residential areas in Kherson, Prokudin wrote on Telegram, according to a Google translation.

One person died and another four were injured, he wrote.

— Hannah Ward-Glenton

South Korea announced it would be supplying Ukraine with a financial aid package worth 520 billion won ($394 million) for Ukraine next year, an increase of more than 800% on its assistance this year.

The package comprises 130 billion won for reconstruction, 260 billion for humanitarian aid and and 130 billion won through international organizations, according to South Korea’s 2024 budget, as translated and reported by Reuters.

— Hannah Ward-Glenton

Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to hold in-person talks with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan soon, as Ankara seeks to mediate a return to the Black Sea grain deal that Moscow exited last month.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Friday in a briefing with reporters that the time and location of the meeting is currently being finalized.

“We usually synchronize announcements of such visits with our partner countries. We will announce shortly when and where it will take place. The meeting is being prepared, and is being prepared very thoroughly,” he said, in comments reported by Reuters.

— Karen Gilchrist

The Kremlin on Friday rejected what it said was Western “speculation” that Wagner mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin had been killed on its orders, calling it an “absolute lie.”

Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that an investigation into Wednesday’s plane crash that President Vladimir Putin said had killed Prigozhin was ongoing, according to a Reuters translation of a call with reporters.

Peskov added that it’s impossible to say whether Putin would attend the funeral of Prigozhin, citing the president’s “very full schedule.”

— Karen Gilchrist

The United States will begin flight training for Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighter jets in October, the Pentagon said Thursday.

The training is set to take place at the Morris Air National Guard Base in Tucson, Arizona, once the pilots receive English-language training.

Norway on Thursday said it would donate F-16s to Ukraine, becoming the third country, after Denmark and the Netherlands, to pledge to fulfill Kyiv’s longstanding request for jets which it says will strengthen its air defenses against Russia.

— Karen Gilchrist