Show only key events Please enable JavaScript to use this feature The international community condemned Russia’s decision to suspend the UN-brokered Black Sea grain initiative. US President Joe Biden called the move “purely outrageous”, while US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said Russia was weaponizing food. The European Union called on Russia to reverse its decision. “Russia’s decision to suspend participation in the Black Sea agreement puts at risk its main export route for grain and fertilizer to deal with the global food crisis caused by its war on Ukraine,” the EU’s foreign policy chief said. Josep Borrell. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was “deeply concerned” by Russia’s suspension of the deal “indefinitely” and delayed his departure to attend the Arab League summit in Algiers for a day to try to revive her. Russia requested a meeting on Monday of the UN Security Council to discuss the issue.
The Black Sea grain deal will continue despite Russia’s withdrawal
The United Nations, Turkey and Ukraine said they would push to implement a Black Sea grain deal with a transit plan for 16 ships on Monday, despite Russia suspending its participation in the pact. The UN, NATO, the EU and the US have urged Russia to reverse its decision to withdraw from the deal. In a statement, the Joint Coordination Center (JCC) in Istanbul, where Russian, Ukrainian and Turkish and UN staff work, said the three delegations also agreed to carry out inspections on Monday of 40 outbound ships. In the wake of the Sevastopol attack, the Kremlin said it was pulling out of a UN-brokered grain deal that allows civilian ships to export grain and fertilizer from Black Sea ports. Russia claimed it could not “guarantee the safety of civilian ships” traveling under the pact after the attack on its fleet in the Black Sea. Zelensky, however, said Moscow was looking for a pretext to end the initiative. He had “deliberately exacerbated” the food crisis since September, he told a video camera. Updated at 06.05 GMT
Air raid alerts are sounding across Ukraine
Air raid alarms sounded across Ukraine this morning. A map shared by Ukraine’s armed forces showed large swathes of Ukrainian territory on alert, including the regions of Kyiv, Kharkiv, Sumy, Zaporizhia and Odesa. Guardian reporter Luke Harding also confirmed that air raid sirens were being sounded in the capital just after 7am on Monday. As Ukraine reports that Russian forces are preparing to withdraw their units from the southern Kherson region, Moscow-based officials say the situation “remains unchanged.” Moscow-appointed governor of the region Kirill Stremousov posted an update on the Telegram messaging app late Sunday. He wrote: The city of Kherson continues to live its own life. All those who want to leave the right bank of the Kherson region can freely move along organized intersections. The situation at the contact line remains unchanged.” Ukrainian forces “continue to gather their forces to carry out a counterattack in Kherson,” Stremousov added. Members of the Ukrainian artillery unit fire towards Kherson. Photo: Bülent Kılıç/AFP/Getty Images
Russia to withdraw units from Kherson region: Ukrainian army
The general staff of Ukraine’s armed forces claims that Russia intends to withdraw its heavy artillery from Kherson with the intention of possibly moving units to other frontline areas. The latest Ukrainian military report, released late Sunday night, reads: According to the available information, the enemy is taking preparatory measures for the withdrawal of artillery units from the right part of the Kherson area, with their subsequent possible transfer in other directions.” ⚡️ General Staff: Russia will withdraw heavy artillery from Kherson. Russian forces plan to remove their artillery from the right bank of the Dnipro River in the Kherson region, which includes the city of Kherson, the General Staff said on October 30. — The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) October 30, 2022 An updated report released early Monday morning added: Preparations for the evacuation of individual units and military equipment of the enemy from the right bank of the Kherson region are underway.”
Summary and welcome
Hello and welcome back to the Guardian’s live coverage of the war in Ukraine. I’m Samantha Lock and I’ll be bringing you all the latest developments as they unfold over the next few hours. The United Nations, Turkey and Ukraine will push to implement a Black Sea grain deal despite Russia suspending its participation in the pact. In a statement, the Joint Coordination Center (JCC) in Istanbul, where Russian, Ukrainian and Turkish and UN staff work, said the three delegations had a transit plan for 16 ships on Monday and agreed to provide inspections to 40 outgoing ships. The general staff of Ukraine’s armed forces claims that Russia intends to withdraw its heavy artillery from Kherson. Russian forces plan to remove their artillery from the right bank of the Dnipro River in the southern Kherson region and possibly move it to other frontline areas, according to the latest Ukrainian military report. If you have an update or any comments to share, please don’t hesitate to get in touch via email or Twitter. If you’ve just joined us, here’s all the latest:
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy claimed his forces had repelled a “fierce attack” by Russian troops in the eastern Donetsk region. “Today they stopped the enemy’s cruel aggressive actions,” Zelensky said in his speech on Sunday evening. “Russian attack repelled”. The heaviest fighting in the Donetsk region took place around the towns of Bakhmut and Avdiivka.
Russia’s flagship Black Sea vessel, the Admiral Makarov, was damaged and possibly disabled during a daring Ukrainian drone attack over the weekend in the Crimean port of Sevastopol, according to a video examination. Open source researchers said the frigate was one of three Russian ships struck on Saturday. A swarm of drones struck the Russian navy at 4.20am. Zelensky’s aides hinted that the country was behind the well-organized raid, although his government has not claimed responsibility.
In the wake of the Sevastopol attack, the Kremlin said it was withdrawing from a UN-brokered grain deal that allows civilian ships to export grain and fertilizer from Black Sea ports. Russia claimed it could not “guarantee the safety of civilian ships” traveling under the pact after the attack on its fleet in the Black Sea. Zelensky, however, said Moscow was looking for a pretext to end the initiative. He had “deliberately exacerbated” the food crisis since September, he told a video camera.
The international community condemned Russia’s decision to suspend the UN-brokered Black Sea grain initiative. US President Joe Biden called the move “purely outrageous”, while US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said Russia was weaponizing food. The European Union called on Russia to reverse its decision. “Russia’s decision to suspend participation in the Black Sea agreement puts at risk its main export route for grain and fertilizer to deal with the global food crisis caused by its war on Ukraine,” the EU’s foreign policy chief said. Josep Borrell.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was “deeply concerned” by Russia’s suspension of the deal and delayed his departure to attend the Arab League summit in Algiers for a day to try to revive it. Russia requested a meeting on Monday of the UN Security Council to discuss the issue. Guterres has been in “intensive contact” to get the deal back and has spoken to the EU’s top diplomat, Josep Borrell.
The United Nations, Turkey and Ukraine said they would push to implement the Black Sea Grains Agreement with a transit plan for 16 ships on Monday, despite Russia suspending its participation in the pact. The UN, NATO, the EU and the US have urged Russia to reverse its decision to withdraw from the deal. In a statement, the Joint Coordination Center (JCC) in Istanbul, where Russian, Ukrainian and Turkish and UN staff work, said the three delegations also agreed to carry out inspections on Monday of 40 outbound ships.
Kyiv’s infrastructure ministry said on Sunday that 218 ships have been “substantially involved” in its ports – 22 loaded and stuck in ports, 95 loaded and departed from ports and 101 are awaiting inspections.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has expressed the “hope” that Joe Biden will recall the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis when dealing with the war in Ukraine. In an interview for a Russian state television documentary on Sunday, Lavrov said there were “similarities” between the ongoing war in Ukraine and the 1962 standoff. “I hope that in today’s situation, President Joe Biden will have more opportunities to understand who he gives orders and how,” Lavrov said. “The difference is that in the distant 1962, Khrushchev and Kennedy found the strength to show responsibility and wisdom, and now we do not see such readiness on the part of Washington and its satellites,” he added.
People flee and return to their shelters as they cross a damaged bridge to collect aid in the eastern Donbas region of Bakhmut, Ukraine, October 30. Photo: Clodagh Kilcoyne/Reuters
