Russia-Ukraine war: explosion reported in Crimea as UK says attacks behind Russian lines hitting logistics – live
Ukraine’s defense ministry say that in total they have eliminated 44,900 Russian personnel, an increase of 200 from the day previous. These figures have not been independently verified by the Guardian.
Explosion reported at HQ of Russia's Black Sea fleet in Crimea
There have been multiple reports of an explosion in Crimea on Saturday morning, with an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) striking the Black Sea Fleet’s headquarters in Sevastopol.
IZ.RU reports on Telegram that according to the governor of Sevastopol, Mikhail Razvozhaev, a drone flew into the roof of the headquarters of the Black Sea Fleet.
The Guardian has not independently verified this report.
Turkey has said that two more ships carrying grain have left Ukraine’s Chornomorsk port, bringing the total number of vessels to leave Ukraine’s Black Sea ports under a UN-brokered grain export deal to 27.
The Zumrut Ana and MV Ocean S, which are authorized to depart on Aug. 20, were loaded with 6,300 tonnes of sunflower oil and 25,000 tonnes of wheat respectively, the joint coordination centre set up to enable safe passage said in a statement.Ukraine’s Sea Ports Authority said on Saturday three Ukrainian seaports had begun loading food onto seven ships, which would deliver 66,500 tonnes of wheat, corn and sunflower oil to consumers.Ukraine’s grain exports have slumped since the start of the war because its Black Sea ports – a vital route for shipments – were closed, driving up global food prices and prompting fears of shortages in Africa and the Middle East.At the end of July, three Black Sea ports were unblocked under a deal between Moscow and Kyiv, brokered by the United Nations and Turkey.
Frequent explosions behind Russian lines hitting logistics, says UK
In its daily intelligence briefing, the UK’s Ministry of Defence says:
The last week has seen only minimal changes in territorial control along the front line. In the Donbas, after small advances from early August, Russian forces have approached the outskirts of the town of Bakhmut, but have not yet broken into the built-up area.Russia has not made any major efforts to advance in the Zaporizhzhia or Kharkiv sectors.In the south-west, neither Ukrainian nor Russian forces have made advances on the Kherson front line.
However, it adds the “increasingly frequent explosions behind Russian lines are probably stressing Russian logistics and air basing in the south”.