Russian Forces Attack Two North-American Owned Grain Terminals in Ukraine

A pivotal showdown is approaching in eastern Ukraine as more villages fall to Russia. Although Russian forces have pummeled the Ukrainian port city of Mykolaiv since the beginning of the war, the city has become a linchpin of Ukrainian defiance on the southern front. Meanwhile, the arrival of Western weapons has begun to reshape the battle off Ukraine’s coast. Gaining full control of Severodonetsk would lay an important marker in Moscow’s goal of seizing all of Donbas. Russian forces have made slow gains, at heavy costs to both sides.

Russian Forces Wednesday Targeted at Least Two Large Grain Terminals

Meanwhile, Russian forces Wednesday targeted at least two large grain terminals — one owned by a U.S. company and one by a Canadian company —in the port of Mykolaiv, part of what Kyiv and Western governments say is a campaign to degrade Ukraine’s ability to export food. Russia, meanwhile, says it is considering a U.N.-backed deal to extract grain blockaded in Ukrainian ports. See related item below.

U.S. urges countries to seek its help with food, fertilizer imports from Russia. Countries should ask for help if they have any problems importing Russian food and fertilizer, a senior U.S. official said on Wednesday, stressing that such goods were not subject to U.S. sanctions over Moscow’s war in Ukraine.

“Nothing is stopping Russia from exporting its grain or fertilizer except to own policies and actions,” U.S. State Department Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs Assistant Secretary, Ramin Toloui, said. But he added that concerns had been raised about “so-called over compliance with sanctions.”

Facilitating Russian grain and fertilizer exports is a key part of attempts by United Nations (U.N.) and Turkish officials to broker a package deal with Moscow that would also allow for shipments of Ukrainian grain from the Black Sea port of Odesa. “We are fully supportive of this and want to see that play out,” Toloui said of the U.N. efforts. “We’ll continue close coordination with the U.N. delegation and the government of Ukraine on ways to mitigate the impacts to global food security of (Russian President Vladimir) Putin’s war in Ukraine.”

Turkey Investigating Claims Russia Stole Ukrainian Grain

Turkey is investigating claims that Ukrainian grain has been stolen by Russia and says it would not allow any such grain to be brought into the country. Kyiv’s ambassador to Ankara said in early June Turkish buyers were among those receiving grain that Russia had stolen from Ukraine. The Kremlin reiterated its assertion that Russia has not stolen any grain from Ukraine.

Russia is ramping up hacking attacks on Ukraine’s allies, Microsoft researchers say. About 128 targets in 42 countries have been hit by Kremlin-directed cyberattacks since the war began, with the U.S. topping the list, they say. The increase in attacks was expected, but they have been less successful than security experts initially predicted.