Moscow said on Tuesday it was responding to comments by Vadim Skibitsky, Ukraine’s deputy head of military intelligence, about how Kyiv used the US’s long-range HIMARS missile launch systems based on what it called excellent satellite imagery and intelligence. in real time. Skimitsky told the U.K.’s Telegraph newspaper that there was consultation between U.S. and Ukrainian intelligence officials before the attacks and that Washington had an effective veto over the intended targets, though he said U.S. officials did not provide direct targeting information. The Russian Defense Ministry, headed by a close ally of President Vladimir Putin, said the interview showed Washington was directly involved despite repeated statements that it is limiting its role in the conflict to arms supplies because it does not want a direct confrontation with Moscow. “All this proves beyond doubt that Washington, contrary to the claims of the White House and the Pentagon, is directly involved in the conflict in Ukraine,” the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement. “The Biden administration is directly responsible for all Kyiv-sanctioned rocket attacks on populated areas and civilian infrastructure in populated areas of the Donbass and other regions, resulting in mass civilian casualties,” the Defense Department said. There was no immediate reaction to the defense department’s allegations from the White House or the Pentagon. Ukraine and the West have accused Russia of launching devastating missile attacks on civilian targets on an almost daily basis. Moscow and Kyiv have denied that they deliberately targeted civilians. Western nations’ supplies of sophisticated long-range weapons systems to Ukraine are seen as vital if Kiev’s forces are to turn the tide of the war, in which Russia relies heavily on long-range bombing of urban areas.
Safe passage
The Russian Defense Ministry’s statement came after Turkey said the first ship carrying Ukrainian grain since Russia’s invasion blocked exports more than five months ago was on track to arrive safely in Istanbul later Tuesday . The vessel’s departure on Monday from the Ukrainian port of Odessa for Lebanon via Turkey under a safe transit agreement has raised hopes for further such departures that could help ease a looming global food crisis. Turkey expects about one grain ship to leave Ukrainian ports every day for as long as the safe transit agreement is in place, a senior Turkish official said on condition of anonymity, according to Reuters news agency on Tuesday. The United Nations has warned of the risk of multiple famines this year due to the war in Ukraine. Monday’s sailing was made possible after Turkey and the United Nations brokered a grain and fertilizer export deal between Russia and Ukraine last month — a rare diplomatic breakthrough in a conflict that has devolved into a protracted war of attrition since Russian troops poured in. at the borders. February 24. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in a late-night speech on Monday, called the ship’s departure “the first positive sign” but warned it was too early to draw conclusions or predict how things will develop. “We cannot be under any illusions that Russia will simply refrain from trying to disrupt Ukrainian exports,” Zelensky said.
The ship will arrive in Turkey at midnight
Ozcan Altunbudak, Turkey’s representative at a coordination center set up to oversee the resumption of Ukrainian grain exports, said on Tuesday that the ship, the Sierra Leone-flagged Razoni, was on track to dock in Istanbul on Tuesday night . The only problem so far has been a slight delay caused by bad weather, he said. The ship, which is carrying 26,527 tons of corn, was due to arrive in Istanbul around midnight local time (21:00 GMT). It will then be inspected by Russian, Turkish, Ukrainian and UN officials under the terms of the safe transit agreement before continuing its journey to the Lebanese port of Tripoli, its planned final destination. There are other hurdles to overcome, however, before millions of tons of Ukrainian grain can leave, including clearing mines and creating a framework for ships to safely enter the conflict zone and pick up cargo. Known as the breadbasket of Europe, Ukraine hopes to export 20 million tonnes of grain in silos and 40 million tonnes of the harvest now underway, initially from Odessa and nearby Pivdennyi and Chornomorsk, to help clearing the silos for the new crop.
