Slovakia 'could donate 11 MiG fighter jets to Ukraine'

• Grain agreement paints Putin as the kind-hearted ally of Africa

• Ukraine 'will recapture Kherson by September'

• Grain exports may not reach pre-war levels

• Arms makers scramble to defeat Putin’s hypersonic missile threat

• Listen to the latest episode of our daily Ukraine podcast

Slovakia signalled it could donate its fleet of 11 Soviet-era MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine to help bolster its forces in the fight against Russia.

Jaroslav Nad, Slovakia's defence minister, said the aircrafts would be grounded by the end of August, when the Czech Republic and Poland take over protecting his country's airspace.

Before any possible donations, Bratislava would need financial compensation from Western allies for the jets, which cost €35 million each, he added.

"We are open to discussion to donate those MiG-29s to Ukraine but certainly this will require, I would say, broader discussions about taking into account financial aspects and other aspects of delivery," Mr Nad said after meeting Defence Secretary Ben Wallace.

The Slovak added: "No decision has been made yet."

Follow the latest updates below.

06:55 PM

That's all for today...

Today's biggest stories were:

• Russia tightened its gas squeeze on Europe as state-owned Gazprom said supplies through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline to Germany would drop to just 20 percent of capacity

• Russia’s foreign minister Sergei Lavrov is on a whistle-stop tour of Africa to schmooze governments and deflect blame for the global food crisis

• Slovakia signalled it could donate its fleet of 11 Soviet-era MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine to help bolster its forces in the fight against Russia

• Ukrainian forces have destroyed 50 Russian ammunition depots using US-supplied HIMARS rocket systems

• Britain has 'reluctantly agreed' to take Ukraine's Eurovision hosting spot for next year

06:38 PM

Turkey weighs on Kyiv to complete first grains shipment as soon as possible

The Turkish Defence Minister has said told Ukrainian Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov that it was important for the first shipment of grain under the export deal to take place as soon as possible, his ministry said.

In a statement, the ministry said Hulusi Akar  welcomed a statement that Kyiv hopes to begin implementing the deal this week, adding Turkey would continue to do what it has to under the agreement.

Akar, who discussed the grain export deal with U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin earlier, also said work at the Istanbul-based joint coordination centre (JCC) was continuing intensely, his ministry said.

06:30 PM

Guatemalan president visits Ukraine

Guatemala President Alejandro Giammattei has visited Ukraine at the invitation of his counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky, who said it was the first visit of a Latin American president to his country in 12 years.

The invitation to visit Ukraine came in June during a telephone conversation between the two presidents and saw the leaders sign a visa-free travel agreement, the Kyiv Independent reported.

Following Russia's initial invasion of Ukraine, Giammattei closed Guatemala's embassy in Moscow.

The Central American country exports nickel to Ukraine while importing iron and steel, but also continues to export coffee and bananas to Russia, while importing fertilizer, medical supplies and paper.

06:12 PM

Russia schmoozes Africa amid fears 50m people pushed to ‘brink of famine’ by Ukraine war

Russia’s foreign minister Sergei Lavrov is on a whistle-stop tour of Africa to schmooze governments and deflect blame for the global food crisis, amid warnings from east African nations that 50 million people are on the brink of famine.

Many African leaders are justifiably nervous about the far-reaching impacts of the war in Ukraine – much of the continent’s wheat and cooking oil comes from Ukrainian and Russian fields, while food supply chains are in disarray.

Across Africa, from Nairobi to Lagos, the price of staple food goods have doubled and sometimes tripled since the war began. The prospect of political upheaval in Africa is real; rapid inflation and food shortages contributed to both the Tunisian and Sudanese revolutions in 2011 and 2018, writes the Telegraph's Africa Correspondent Will Brown.

For the full story click here.

05:25 PM

Eurovision winning band's frontman thanks UK for hosting next year's contest for Ukraine

The lead singer of Kalush Orchestra, who won this year's Eurovision Song Contest, has expressed his gratitude to the UK for hosting the event next year.

Oleh Psiuk said in a statement to the PA news agency: "Of course, we are very sad that the Eurovision Song Contest will not be held in Ukraine next year.

"But we are grateful to the UK for their solidarity and for agreeing to hold the event in support of our country.

"We hope Eurovision 2023 will have a Ukrainian flavour and celebrate our beautiful, unique culture.

"We, in turn, will make all efforts to help Ukraine win next year as well, so that Eurovision 2024 can take place in a peaceful country."

05:23 PM

All parties reaffirm commitment to grain exports deal as first shipment nears, says UN

Ukraine and Russia have reconfirmed their commitment to the UN and Turkey-brokered grain exports as the first shipments of Ukrainian grain "may move within a few days", a UN spokesperson has said.

Russia has admitted a strike on Odesa port, saying it was targeting military infrastructure, a day after the landmark deal was signed on Friday.

04:46 PM

Defence Sec Ben Wallace meets Slovakian counterpart to discuss Ukraine

04:41 PM

Glasgow bookies' favourite to host Eurovision 2023

Ladbrokes has named Glasgow as its favourite to put on Eurovision 2023 after organisers said the UK would host it on this year's winners Ukraine's behalf.

The bookmaker offered odds of 8/11 for the competition to be held in Scotland's biggest city, ahead of both London and Manchester, both with odds of 5/1.

It will be the ninth time Eurovision has taken place in the UK - more than any other country.

Ukraine will automatically qualify for the grand final alongside the so-called big five nations - the UK, France, Germany, Italy and Spain, who each get a free pass because of their financial contributions to the event.

04:26 PM

Gazprom has 'no technical reason' to reduce gas supply to 20 pc, says Germany

The German government said there was no technical justification for Russian gas giant Gazprom's announcement on Monday that it was slashing gas flows via the Nord Stream pipeline.

"According to the information we have there is no technical reason for a reduction of deliveries," a German economy ministry spokeswoman told AFP after Gazprom said it was cutting the supply to 33 million cubic metres a day.

04:10 PM

French prosecutors open investigation into assets owned by Russian oligarchs

French prosecutors have opened an investigation into the assets owned by Russian oligarchs, a legal source told AFP on Monday.

The probe is expected to look into possible money laundering and corruption.

The investigation, first reported by the Parisien newspaper, comes after anti-graft group Transparency International filed a legal complaint against oligarchs in France in May.

France has frozen Russian-owned assets worth billions of euros since the Kremlin's invasion of Ukraine in February, including luxury yachts, ski chalets and property.

03:58 PM

Gazprom to cut gas supply to Germany to 20 percent capacity

Russia's Gazprom is halving its gas supply to Germany to 33 million cubic metres per day via the Nord Stream pipeline.

It is halting another turbine which means the flow of gas, already at just 40 percent of capacity, would fall by another half from Wednesday.

The EU has accused Russia of resorting to energy blackmail, while the Kremlin says the gas disruption has been caused by maintenance issues and the effect of Western sanctions.

President Vladimir Putin warned the West this month that continued sanctions risked triggering catastrophic energy price rises for consumers around the world.

Russia is the world's second largest oil exporter after Saudi Arabia and the world's largest exporter of natural gas. Europe imports about 40 percent of its gas and 30 percent of its oil from Russia.

03:49 PM

Gazprom cutting gas deliveries via Nord Stream pipeline

Russian gas giant Gazprom is cutting daily gas deliveries via the Nord Stream pipeline to 33 million cubic metres a day from Wednedsday.

The state-owned company said it was halting the operation of another turbine due to the "technical condition of the engine".

03:44 PM

Slovakia may look at donating warplanes to Ukraine

Slovakia may consider donating its fleet of Soviet-era MiG warplanes to Ukraine, the Slovak defense minister said.

Standing alongside his British counterpart Ben Wallace, Slovak Defense Minister Jaroslav Nad said "we can discuss the future" of his country's 11 MiG-29 fighter jets after they're grounded "most probably" by the end of August.

Slovakia has already negotiated with NATO allies the Czech Republic and Poland to monitor Slovak air space from the beginning of September.

"No decision has been made yet, no discussions are taking place as of now and we're ready to discuss that later on," said Nad.

Wallace said Britain isn't now considering giving Ukraine warplanes, but would offer Slovakia fighter jets to help guard its airspace.

03:37 PM

UK Eurovision will have 'an extremely high integration of Ukrainian contexts'

Ukraine has welcomed the decision for Britain to host next year's Eurovision song contest.

It initially condemned the move to strip the war-torn country of its right to host on security grounds.

But today Ukraine's Culture Minister Oleksandr Tkachenko said on Facebook: "We received assurances... that they will hold Eurovision... with an extremely high integration of Ukrainian contexts and presenters".

He added that the decision was made following "several rounds of consultations".

02:55 PM

World Food Programme optimistic grains export deal will cut food prices

The World Food Programme has said it is optimistic the landmark deal to reopen Ukrainian ports will lower food prices.

The Nobel Peace Prize winning agency used to buy more than half its wheat from Ukraine before the war and says some 47 million people face "acute hunger" this year due to the current global food crisis.

"We're optimistic the deal could lead to improvements in global food prices. Countries dependent on grain supplies from the Black Sea would likely be the first to feel a positive impact," a WFP spokesperson told Reuters.

Russia, Ukraine, the United Nations and Turkey signed a deal on Friday aimed at allowing safe passage for ships going in and out of three Ukrainian Black Sea ports.

Ukraine and Russia are major grains exporters and the port blockade has trapped tens of millions of tonnes of grain in the country since Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.

01:56 PM

No barriers to grains exports as deal allows Russia to attack military, Lavrov says

There are no barriers to the export of grains from Ukrainian ports as the landmark deal unlocking its Black Sea delivery routes does not prevent Moscow from attacking military infrastructure, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said.

Speaking after Russian missiles struck Ukraine's main port of Odesa on Saturday, Lavrov said the strike had been aimed at military infrastructure in the port.

He told a news conference there was nothing in the grain agreement signed by Russia to prevent it from continuing to attack military infrastructure in Ukraine.

01:42 PM

Piers Morgan interviews Ukraine’s President Volodymyr ⁦⁦Zelenskyy ⁦

01:30 PM

Met Police helping with Russian war crimes investigation

01:26 PM

City mayors pitch to host Eurovision 2023

Sadiq Khan has joined city mayors expressing an interest to host Eurovision 2023 on Ukraine's behalf, with the BBC yet to decide where the competition will be held.

Cities including Glasgow and Manchester are also setting out their pitch to host the contest, which will require a large events space, suitable accommodation and international transport links for the competing countries and their delegations.

Bev Craig, leader of Manchester City Council, tweeted: "Manchester will be bidding to host Eurovision.

"A world class music city, brilliant venues, experience in hosting major events, and of course one of the UK's largest Ukrainian populations - we are confident we will make it a Eurovision to remember. More to follow."

Sheffield City Council said it has told Eurovision organisers the city would "love" to hold the contest after the EBU and BBC confirmed the UK will host in place of Ukraine.

"We've told Eurovision we'd love to host... watch this space," it tweeted.

BBC director-general Tim Davie said: "It is a matter of great regret that our colleagues and friends in Ukraine are not able to host the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest.

"Being asked to host the largest and most complex music competition in the world is a great privilege.

"The BBC is committed to making the event a true reflection of Ukrainian culture alongside showcasing the diversity of British music and creativity."

01:10 PM

Gazprom says turbine for Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline 'not cleared'

Russian gas giant Gazprom has said the turbine for Nord Stream 1 has still not cleared all the remaining issues and risks according to documentation it has received from Siemens Energy.

It said the issues related to sanctions imposed by Britain and the European Union still remained for Gazprom in terms of the turbine delivery to Russia and comprehensive maintenance of other engines for Nord Stream 1's Portovaya compressor station.

Gazprom also said that it has once again asked Siemens for immediate support in providing all the necessary papers and clarification of the remaining issues.

01:02 PM

Sergei Lavrov visits Congo as Russia and West court on the fence African countries

The Russian Foreign Minister visited Congo Republic on Monday as the Kremlin and the West continued to court African countries which have largely avoided taking sides over the war in Ukraine.

The second leg of Sergei Lavrov's African tour is aimed at strengthening Moscow's ties with countries which have a tangled legacy of ties with both the West and the former Soviet Union.

Many import Russian grain and, increasingly, energy too but they also buy Ukrainian grain and benefit from Western aid flows and trade ties.

Lavrov has already visited Egypt and is set to head from Congo to Uganda, then Ethiopia.

French President Emmanuel Macron is meanwhile due to visit Cameroon, Benin and Guinea-Bissau and the US Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa Mike Hammer on his way to Egypt and Ethiopia.

12:42 PM

Ukraine hopes first grains shipment will be on Wednesday

Ukraine hopes the first grain shipment after the country and Russia signed a landmark exports deal unlocking crucial Black Sea delivery routes from Ukraine will take place from the port of Chornomorsk on Wednesday, senior government officials said today.

12:39 PM

Russia now wants to overthrow Zelensky's government

Russia's top diplomat has said it now wants to overthrow Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy's "unacceptable regime".

Moscow is determined to help Ukrainians "liberate themselves from the burden of this absolutely unacceptable regime", foreign minister Sergey Lavrov said.

Russian officials repeatedly insisted that the Kremlin was not seeking to overthrow the government early in the war.

But speaking to  envoys at an Arab League summit in Cairo on Sunday, Lavrov said: "Russian and Ukrainian people would continue to live together, we will certainly help Ukrainian people to get rid of the regime, which is absolutely anti-people and anti-historical."

12:26 PM

Britain 'reluctantly agreed' to take Ukraine's Eurovision hosting spot

Britain reluctantly agreed to take Ukraine's place as hosts of next year's Eurovision song contest, Boris Johnson's spokesman said.

It was the PM's "strong wish" for this year's winner Ukraine to host the 2023 edition but organisers said there was no prospect of the event going ahead in the war-torn country.

The UK found it "deeply regrettable" that was no longer possible, the spokesman added. The BBC has stepped in to host.

12:23 PM

Boris Johnson says UK will put on a 'fantastic' Eurovision for Ukraine

12:17 PM

UK to host Eurovision on Ukraine's behalf

The UK will host the Eurovision Song Contest in 2023 on behalf of this year's winner Ukraine, the European Broadcasting Union has said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy defiantly vowed that next year's contest will be held in the now captured Ukrainian city of Mariupol.

It has now been confirmed the UK will host the contest after its entry Sam Ryder took second place this year.

Kalush Orchestra were fighting Russian aggressors on the streets just weeks before taking to the stage in Turin and winning the competition.

12:11 PM

Kremlin says Nord Stream 1 pipeline supply will return in 'corresponding volumes'

The Kremlin quelled fears it will shut the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline to Germany as a spokesman said its supplies will return in "corresponding volumes" after a repaired turbine is installed.

Dmitry Peskov's relatively upbeat tone comes after weeks of uncertainty over the repair in Canada sowed doubt that the pipeline's 10-day shutdown for annual maintenance would be used to "blackmail" the EU over its energy supply.

11:59 AM

France against uniform gas reduction targets in Europe

France has come out against setting uniform targets for the reduction of gas consumption in Europe.

Export capacities of each country must be taken into account, added French energy ministry officials ahead of a meeting of European energy ministers on Tuesday in Brussels.

The European Commission on Wednesday proposed that all EU countries should cut their gas use from August to March by 15 percent. The target would initially be voluntary, but would become mandatory if the Commission declared an emergency.

Spain, Portugal and Greece were among the most openly hostile to the proposal but France was among several more countries to express reservations about giving the Commission the power to order cuts.

11:46 AM

Techno party in bombed Ukrainian village

More than 200 young people have held a techno party in a bombed out village hall after it was recaptured from the Russians.

A DJ mounted his turntables on a stack of ammunition boxes as volunteers used shovels to clear debris onto a tractor's loader in the northern Ukrainian village of Yahidne.

"Volunteering is my lifestyle now," said Tania Burianova, 26, an organizer with the Repair Together initiative's "clean-up raves".

"I like electronic music and I used to party. But now it's wartime and we want to help, and we're doing it with music.

"We miss (parties) and we want to come back to normal life, but our normal life now is volunteering."

Nearly all of the just over 300 people in the village were confined to a basement for weeks when Russia occupied the northern Chernihiv province.

11:34 AM

Treasury blocks 'non-essential' payments amid fears Ukraine work will breach new spending cap

The Treasury has blocked "non-essential" new payments over concerns the cost of relief work in Ukraine will breach a new spending cap, the FT reported today.

Treasury chief secretary Simon Clarke told the Foreign Office and other departments to suspend “non-essential aid spending” until Boris Johnson's replacement as prime minister was in post.

The controversial decision was made over fears the limit for Britain's overseas aid budget of 0.5 percent could be breached with former Tory international development secretary Andrew Mitchell saying it would “undoubtedly cost lives” in some of the world’s poorest countries.

Last year the government broke a manifesto commitment to spend 0.7 per cent of GDP when it "temporarily" cut the overseas aid budget after the Covid pandemic.

11:19 AM

Another Ukrainian school destroyed by Russian shelling, says city mayor

A teenager is among at least five wounded as another school in the Ukrainian city of Mykolaiv was almost completed destroyed by Russian shelling in the early hours of this morning, said the city's mayor.

Oleksandr Syenkevych added on Telegram that “a private warehouse and the territory of several private enterprises were hit" in the southern city.

He said: "Another school in Mykolaiv was almost completely destroyed – the ceilings between the first and second floors were destroyed, classrooms were damaged.

"Windows in a nine story high-rise buildings were blown out by the shock wave and debris. Two more private houses caught fire from the impact of ammunition and debris. Commercial buildings, cars and a garage were also damaged.

"So far, it is known about five wounded, among them a teenager."

Russian forces targeted Mykolaiv with cluster shells, injuring at least two people and damaging windows and roofs of private houses last Thursday.

11:14 AM

German housing provider wants to restrict tenants' winter heat supply

One of Germany's largest residential landlords wants to restrict heat supply to its tenants this winter.

The head of LEG Immobilien called on politicians to legalise such a move in the Handelsblatt newspaper.

Chief Executive Lars von Lackum said making sacrifices had become necessary in light of the war in Ukraine.

"For this winter we need a legal option permitting us to lower the temperatures more than before," von Lackum said, warning that Germany faced major problems if it did not make "tough decisions".

The call comes amid worries that tenants could struggle to make rent as the soaring cost of energy, driven by reduced gas supply from Russia.

11:12 AM

HIMARS rockets destroy 50 Russian ammo depots, says Ukraine

Ukrainian forces have destroyed 50 Russian ammunition depots using U.S-supplied HIMARS rocket systems, Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksiy Reznikov said.

"This cuts their (Russian) logistical chains and takes away their ability to conduct active fighting and cover our armed forces with heavy shelling," he said in televised comments.

Reuters could not independently verify his remarks about the use of High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS).

11:10 AM

Wheat prices soar after Russia attacks port

Wheat prices spiked after a Russian missile strike on Ukraine's Black Sea port of Odesa a day after the warring countries signed an agreement to resume crucial agricultural exports.

Russia, Ukraine, the United Nations and Turkey signed the deal on Friday to reopen three Ukrainian Black Sea ports for grain exports five months after the war began.

Wheat futures on the Chicago Board of Trade rose nearly four percent to $7.86 a bushel on Monday, regaining much of the ground lost on Friday as prices fell nearly six percent after the pact was announced.

"A restart of Ukrainian exports will not only need a safe shipping channel, but also safe ports. The Russians have created doubt about the safety of ports hardly before the ink was dry on the shipping agreement. Doubt is there again," one European trader said.

11:01 AM

US working on 'Plan B' for grain exports

The United States is working with Ukraine on a "Plan B" to get grain exports out of the country following Russia's attack on the port of Odesa, according to United States Agency for International Development Administrator Samantha Power.

"Plan B involves road and rail and river and sending in barges and adjusting the rail systems so that they're better aligned with those in Europe so that the exports can move out more quickly," Ms Power told CNN.

"We have been living the contingency plan because there's no way you can trust anything that Vladimir Putin says," she continued.

On Friday, Russia and Ukraine signed a deal allowing for the export of Ukrainian grain through the Black Sea after months of tough negotiations. However just one day later, Russia carried out a missile strike on the southern Ukrainian port of Odesa, where vital grain stocks have been lying in storage.

Ms Power said she hopes that that the grain deal "somehow sticks" despite Russia's move to "immediately turn its back" on it by bombing the port.

10:47 AM

Russia claims it destroyed Himars ammo depot

Russia's Defence Ministry claims that its forces had destroyed an ammunition depot for US-made Himars rocket systems in Bogdanovtsy, in Ukraine's Khmelnytskyi region.

It has not been possible to independently verify the claims.

Russia has previously said it has destroyed several of the Himars systems supplied to Ukraine by the West, in claims denied by Kyiv.

You can read our report on the disputed destruction of the Himars systems here.

10:29 AM

Repaired gas turbine for Nord Stream 1 to be installed - Kremlin

A repaired turbine will be installed at a compressor station of the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline once it is returned from maintenance in Canada and natural gas will then be supplied in "corresponding volumes", a Kremlin spokesman has said.

"The turbine will be installed after all the formalities are complete... And the gas will be pumped in the corresponding volumes, the volumes which are technologically possible," Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

He said that there was more Nord Stream 1 equipment that needed repairing and Siemens Energy, the company which is servicing the facilities, was aware of that.

Mr Peskov also said that Moscow was not interested in a complete stoppage of Russian gas supplies to Europe.

10:18 AM

Russian strikes on Odesa port don't impact grain exports - Kremlin

The Kremlin has said that a Russian cruise missile strike against the port of Odesa in southern Ukraine would not affect the export of grain.

In a conference call with reporters, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia had targeted military infrastructure in a missile strike on Saturday, just hours after Kyiv and Moscow had signed a landmark deal to restart crucial grain exports from Ukraine.

"These strikes are connected exclusively with military infrastructure," Mr Peskov said.

"They are in no way related to infrastructure that is used for the export of grain. This should not affect - and will not affect - the beginning of shipments."

09:54 AM

Where will grain be shipped on its way out of Odesa?

09:27 AM

Mykolaiv under assault, in pictures

09:01 AM

Boris Johnson can’t ‘just walk away’ from Ukraine as he plans goodbye trip

Boris Johnson is planning a final trip to see Volodymyr Zelensky in Ukraine before leaving Downing Street, The Telegraph can disclose, as an ally said he “can’t just walk away”.

The Prime Minister wants to undertake a third trip to see the Ukrainian president, having embarked on a second visit last month.

The disclosure comes after the pair spoke on the telephone on Friday. The Telegraph has been told that Mr Zelensky told Mr Johnson that he had watched his closing address at Prime Minister’s Questions last week and approvingly quoted his final remark: “Hasta la vista, baby.”

You can read our exclusive report here.

08:37 AM

The war today, in pictures

08:08 AM

Ukraine forges on with grain exports

Ukraine forged ahead with efforts to restart grain exports from its Black Sea ports under a deal aimed at easing global food shortages but warned deliveries would suffer if a Russian missile strike on Odesa was a sign of more to come.

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy denounced Saturday's attack as "barbarism" showing Moscow could not be trusted to implement a deal struck a day earlier with Turkish and United Nations mediation.

The Ukrainian military, quoted by public broadcaster Suspilne, said the Russian missiles did not hit the port's grain storage area or cause significant damage. Kyiv said preparations to resume grain shipments were ongoing.

"We continue technical preparations for the launch of exports of agricultural products from our ports," Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov said in a Facebook post.

The Ukrainian military said two Kalibr missiles fired from Russian warships hit the area of a pumping station at the port and two others were shot down by air defence forces.

Russia said on Sunday its forces had hit a Ukrainian warship and a weapons store in Odesa with precision missiles.

07:44 AM

Russia says Odesa strikes hit Western arms

Russia said its missile barrage on a Ukrainian port central to a landmark grain export deal had destroyed Western-supplied weapons, after the attack sparked an outcry from Ukraine's allies.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky denounced Saturday's strike on the Odessa port as "Russian barbarism" and said it amounted to desperation after the warring sides struck a deal to release exports from the facility.

Turkey helped broker the accord and said immediately after the double cruise missile hits that it had received assurances from Moscow that Russian forces were not responsible.

But Russia's defence ministry rolled back on the denial Sunday, saying the strikes had destroyed a Ukrainian military vessel and arms delivered by Washington.

"High-precision, long-range missiles launched from the sea destroyed a docked Ukrainian warship and a stockpile of anti-ship missiles delivered by the United States to the Kyiv regime," it said.

"A Ukrainian army repair and upgrade plant has also been put out of order."

07:13 AM

Inconclusive fighting in the Donbas - MoD

06:26 AM

Ports agreement paints Putin as Africa's kind-hearted ally

Vladimir Putin was accused of having “spat in the face” of the UN on the weekend by firing missiles at Odesa just a day after the Kremlin signed a deal to allow grain exports from the port.

James Kilner reports that it was supposed to be the deal that breathed life into Ukraine’s war-ravished economy and saved the world from a global famine. The UN described it as a “beacon of hope” on the Black Sea.

Read James' full story here.

05:33 AM

Lavrov reassures Egypt over Russian grain supplies

Russia's foreign minister Sergei Lavrov offered reassurances over Russian grain supplies to Egypt during a visit to Cairo on Sunday, amid uncertainty over a deal to resume Ukrainian exports from the Black Sea.

Egypt is one of the world's top wheat importers and last year bought about 80pc of those imports from Russia and Ukraine. Russia's invasion of Ukraine disrupted shipments and sped up a rise in global commodity prices, delivering a financial shock to Egypt.

In its response to the war, Egypt has been torn between long-standing ties to Russia and its close relationship to Western powers that have sanctioned and sought to isolate Moscow.

Western embassies had lobbied Egypt and the Arab League ahead of Lavrov's visit, which included talks with President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and representatives of the Arab League.

"We reaffirmed the commitment of Russian grain exporters to meet all their commitments," Lavrov said in a press conference with Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry.

"We discussed specific parameters of cooperation in this area, agreed on further contacts between the relevant ministries, and we have a common understanding of the causes of the grain crisis."

04:22 AM

Russian investigator wants new international tribunal

The head of Russia's investigative committee, Alexander Bastrykin, has said 1,300 criminal investigations had been initiated into members of Ukraine's military, political leadership, radical nationalist associations, and armed formations, with more than 400 people so far held accountable.

Targets of investigation included Ukrainian health ministry employees who he accused – without providing evidence – of developing weapons of mass destruction, as well as citizens of Britain, the United States, Canada, the Netherlands and Georgia.

Eight criminal cases had also been launched into attacks on Russian embassies or other representations in the Netherlands, Ireland, Lithuania, the Czech Republic, Poland, Romania and France, he said.

Bastrykin had been asked about investigations into Ukrainian security forces' actions in the self-declared people's republics of Donetsk and Luhansk, and whether investigations could take place under UN auspices.

Given that the "collective West" openly backed Ukraine, he said it would be more appropriate to work with Russian partners in the Commonwealth of Independent States, the Collective Security Treaty Organisation, the BRICS group and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.

It was "expedient" to involve countries with an independent position on Ukraine, "in particular, Syria, Iran and Bolivia", he said.

04:01 AM

Russian shelling in the north, south and east

As the war entered its sixth month on Sunday there was no sign of a let-up in the fighting.

The Ukrainian military reported Russian shelling in the north, south and east, and again referred to Russian operations paving the way for an assault on Bakhmut in the eastern Donbas region.

The military said in a Sunday evening briefing note that the Russians continued efforts to assert control of the area around the Vuhlehirsk power plant, which is 50km (31 miles) north-east of Donetsk. The note also listed several dozen settlements along the entire front line that it said had been shelled by Russia in the past 24 hours.

Four Russian Kalibr cruise missiles fired from the Black Sea and aimed at the western Khmelnytskiy region were shot down on Sunday, the Ukrainian air command reported.

While the main theatre of combat has been the Donbas, Ukraine's military said its forces had moved within firing range of Russian targets in the occupied eastern Black Sea region of Kherson where Kyiv is mounting a counter-offensive.

03:34 AM

Ukraine attempts to restart exports – again

Ukraine pressed ahead on Sunday with efforts to restart grain exports from its Black Sea ports under a deal aimed at easing global food shortages but warned deliveries would suffer if a Russian missile strike on Odesa was a sign of more to come.

President Volodymyr Zelensky denounced Saturday's attack as "barbarism" that showed Moscow could not be trusted to implement a deal struck just one day earlier with Turkish and United Nations mediation.

The Ukrainian military, quoted by public broadcaster Suspilne, said the Russian missiles did not hit the port's grain storage area or cause significant damage. Kyiv said preparations to resume grain shipments were ongoing.

"We continue technical preparations for the launch of exports of agricultural products from our ports," Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov said.

According to the Ukrainian military, two Kalibr missiles fired from Russian warships hit the area of a pumping station at the port and two others were shot down by air defence forces.

Russia said on Sunday its forces had hit a Ukrainian warship and a weapons store in Odesa with its high-precision missiles.

02:48 AM

Moscow unleashes crimes against humanity charges

The head of Russia's investigative committee said Moscow had charged 92 members of Ukrainian armed forces with crimes against humanity and proposed an international tribunal backed by countries including Bolivia, Iran and Syria.

The Russian government's Rossiiskaya Gazeta on Monday quoted committee head Alexander Bastrykin as accusing "more than 220 persons, including representatives of the high command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, as well as commanders of military units that shelled the civilian population".

The Ukrainians were involved in "crimes against the peace and security of humanity, which have no statute of limitations", he said.

Bastrykin, whose committee probes major crimes, said 92 commanders and their subordinates had been charged, and 96 people, including 51 armed forces commanders, declared wanted.

02:23 AM

Zelensky: Ukrainians won't be cowed

After five months of Russian attacks, Ukraine will continue to do all it can to inflict as much damage on its enemy as possible, President Volodymyr Zelensky warned in his nightly video address on Sunday.

"Even the occupiers admit we will win," he said as he hailed the upcoming day of Ukrainian statehood, July 28, a new annual holiday that Mr Zelensky announced in August last year.

"We hear it in their conversations all the time. In what they are telling their relatives when they call them."

Like every day in the last months, Mr Zelensky said that Ukraine was not letting up.

"We do everything to inflict the highest possible damage on the enemy and to gather for Ukraine as much support as possible."

He said Ukraine had an important week ahead, with the holiday approaching in the midst of what he called a "cruel war".

"But we will celebrate against all odds. Because Ukrainians won't be cowed."

02:16 AM

Today's top stories

• Analysts have said that the deal signed on Friday in Istanbul to lift the Russian blockade of Ukrainian ports gives the Kremlin two important boosts: it will fill the Kremlin’s treasury with cash that it can use to fund its war and it also allows Russian officials to grandstand in Africa as the continent’s saviour

• Arms companies are scrambling to come up with a defence against Russian and Chinese hypersonic missiles amid fears they could offer a decisive advantage to hostile powers

• The Russian-occupied southern region of Kherson will be recaptured by September, a Ukrainian official said on Sunday

• Ukraine has warned that grain exports may not reach pre-war levels after Russia fired missiles at its main Black Sea port