The war in Ukraine has been raging for 511 days. The Russian army launched Shahed drones against Ukrainian cities in the night. The media reported sounds of explosions in Odesa, Kyiv, Kharkiv, and the Dnipro region. An ammunition depot caught fire in Crimea, the residents of nearby settlements are being evacuated. Russia’s Foreign Ministry said that the UN had 90 days to normalise Russian agricultural exports. Russian activist Ivan Kudryashov, convicted over charges of preparing to set a draft office on fire and currently held in a detention facility, ended his hunger strike.
What happened during the early hours of 19 July — the top headlines in Novaya Gazeta Europe’s news round-up.
Russian army attacked Odesa and Kyiv with drones
In the early hours of 19 July, the Russian army attacked Ukrainian cities with Shahed drones, as per the Ukrainian Air Force Command.
In Kyiv, “air defence detected and destroyed all enemy drones,” the head of the city military administration Serhiy Popko said. Mayor of Kyiv Vitali Klitschko clarified that the sounds heard in the capital was air defence at work.
“An uneasy night of aerial attacks for all of Ukraine. The south, the Odesa region — especially. But the enemy hasn’t forgotten about Kyiv either. It once again attacked the capital using Shahed drones. Yielding no results,” Popko added. According to initial reports, there were no casualties or damages.
Explosions were reported in the Odesa region. Telegram channel Odesa News posted a video showing the aftermath of shelling. Ten people were wounded as the result of the strike on the Odesa region carried out by the Russian army, as per the Operational Command South.
Furthermore, TV channel TSN reported that sounds of explosions were heard in the Dnipro region and the city of Kharkiv.
The head of the Zhytomyr region of Ukraine Vitali Bunechko said that his region was attacked by Shahed drones, which damaged an infrastructure facility and several private households.
Ammunition depot catches fire in Crimea
A fire erupted at a military campground in Crimea, as per the “head” of the Russia-annexed region Sergey Aksyonov.
Aksyonov said that over 2,000 residents of nearby settlements would be temporarily evacuated following the fire.
Telegram channels previously posted the video of the fire. Telegram channel Crimean Wind reports that the depot on fire is located on the campground near the town of Staryi Krym in the east of the peninsula. Allegedly, the depot was “hit” three times. According to Telegram channel Mash, the depot in question stores ammunition.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry: UN has 90 days to normalise Russian agriculture exports
Following Russia withdrawing from the grain deal, the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the UN Secretariat had 90 days to continue its work on normalisation of Russian agriculture exports.
“According to paragraph 6 of the Memorandum, the agreement ‘will be valid for three years’, but in case one of the sides (Russia or the UN) has the intention to terminate its use, it has to notify [the other side] three months in advance. Thus, the UN Secretariat has 90 whole days to continue its work on normalisation of Russian agriculture exports.
“These are the 90 days during which the UN Secretary-General planned to restore the access to SWIFT for the subsidiary or affiliated structure of the Russian Agricultural Bank, as was indicated in the message quoted by him,” the ministry noted in a statement.
Yesterday, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said that he proposed a “special payment mechanism for the Russian Agricultural Bank through JPMorgan outside of SWIFT” to Vladimir Putin in order to extend the grain deal. The bank could have used this mechanism through its subsidiary.
“There are no alternatives to reconnecting the Russian Agricultural Bank to SWIFT,” the ministry said in response.
Detained Russian activist stops hunger strike after 40 days
In the Russian city of Tver, 26-year-old anti-war activist Ivan Kudryashov, convicted over charges of preparing to set a draft office on fire and currently held in a detention facility, has ended his hunger strike, as reported by the project Solidarity Zone.
The man’s strike lasted 40 days.
“Vanya is not looking well at all, it’s scary looking at him,” his lawyer said.
He decided to stop the hunger strike after a visit from a prosecutor’s office employee, who verbally promised to comply with all of Kudryashov’s demands — ensure he gets vegan food and the vitamins that his friends send him.