(Bloomberg) -- Ukrainian forces said they shot down Russian Ka-52 attack helicopters Thursday in the Zaporizhzhia and Bakhmut regions, respectively. There was no confirmation from Moscow. Kyiv’s troops continued to push ahead after capturing the small but strategically important village of Urozhaine in the south following an intense week-long battle, the Ukrainian General Staff said on Facebook. They’re seeking to cut off Russia’s land bridge to the Crimea region as a critical element of Ukraine’s counteroffensive. 

Germany’s government announced the delivery of two more IRIS-T air defense systems to Ukraine, along with about 4,500 rounds of 155 mm smoke ammunition and ten more ground surveillance radars along with a number of logistical items including semi-trailers.  

The first trade ship to leave Ukraine’s seaports since the collapse of a safe-corridor grain deal with Russia should reach in Istanbul tonight. The Hong Kong-flagged container ship Joseph Schulte sailed from Odesa via a new temporary Black Sea route established by Kyiv as it seeks to reclaim control over its maritime trade. Russian authorities won’t tighten capital controls for now after officials reached an informal agreement with exporters to surrender more of their foreign revenues, the business daily Vedomosti reported.   

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Wheat prices declined Thursday, retracing a rally that followed reports of Russian drones hitting a key Danube River grain port on Wednesday in a fresh attack on Ukraine’s crop-export infrastructure. 

Coming Up

  • Putin meets with the State Council to discuss development of public transport in Russia.
  • China’s defense minister is on a three-day visit to Belarus; visited military installations
  • Russian foreign minister to take part in BRICS summit next week

 

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