It was reported that an airstrike was carried out on a building with civilians in the city of Lisichansk in eastern Ukraine, at least four people were killed and seven others injured. Regional Governor Serhiy Hayday made the statement. After encountering resistance in Kiev during the Ukraine war, Russia turned its direction to the Donetsk region in the east of the country, where pro-Russian separatists are located.
Hayday, in a statement from the Telegram application, stated that the rescue operation continues.
The governor noted that another airstrike carried out today targeted a sanatorium building in Lisichansk and caused the building to collapse, which may increase the death toll in the region. The governor added that it is thought that there are people trapped under the rubble and that the search and rescue efforts are continuing.
Reuters news agency could not confirm the airstrikes.
Lisichansk is located just across the Donets river to the city of Severodonetsk, the scene of some of the most brutal street fighting during the Russian invasion of Ukraine in the past few weeks.
Russian ships allegedly transporting Ukrainian grain to Syria
On the other hand, the war brought with it a global food crisis. The fact that the exports of Ukraine, one of the largest grain producers in the world, came to a standstill, caused an increase in food prices.
Finally, satellite imaging company Maxar claimed that Russian-flagged vessels were transporting Ukrainian grain to Syria during the past season.
Images obtained by Maxar show that two Russian-flagged cargo ships docked at the Sevastopol Port of the Russian-controlled Crimean Peninsula in May, and the ships were loaded with grain.
Maxar satellites also imaged the same ships in Syrian ports days later. The images show trucks lined up ready to pick up grain from ships with open tank covers.
The company reported that another image from June showed another ship loading grain in the port of Sevastopol.
Two countries provide 29 percent of world grain production
Kyiv accuses Russia of stealing grain from areas occupied by Russian forces since February, when the invasion of Ukraine began. Russia and Ukraine provide 29 percent of world grain production. Russia’s war on Ukraine brings with it the threat of global food shortages.
Ukraine is one of the world’s largest grain exporters. Western countries accuse Russia of causing a global hunger crisis by closing Ukraine’s Black Sea ports.
On June 8, the deputy chairman of the Ukrainian agricultural producers’ association UAC reported that Russia had stolen 600 thousand tons of grain from the occupied regions and exported some of them.
Russia uses the term “special military operation” for its invasion of Ukraine and claims that its aim is to disarm its neighbor and rid it of the Nazis. Western countries and Ukraine, on the other hand, view this as a cover for Russia’s gratuitous aggression.
New measures from the USA to Belavia
On the other hand, the USA is increasing its sanctions against countries that support Russia in the war. The US Department of Commerce has decided to increase export controls on Belarusian national airline Belavia, which flies to Russia on Boeing planes, in violation of the sanctions imposed after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
According to the department’s mandate, companies around the world are prohibited from maintaining, repairing or otherwise using US parts or equipment to service Belavia’s fleet.
The ministry said in a statement that Belavia violated US regulations by removing Boeing planes to and from Belarus after 8 April. In the statement, these planes were delivered to Russia, Turkey, St. Petersburg, Georgia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt, and from these countries to Belarus.
On April 8, Washington banned foreign planes, of which more than 25 percent of Belarus-owned aircraft and parts belonged to the United States, from flying to Belarus or Russia.
“Belarus supports Russia’s unjust war on Ukraine, and airlines Belavia violates our export laws,” Trade Minister Matthew Axelrod said in a statement.
The statement said the order would prevent Belavia from using any US technology to operate its fleet of aircraft, thus making it harder for the airline to continue flying. The order affects American Boeing and Brazilian Embraer aircraft in Belavia’s aircraft inventory.
Belavia, headquartered in Minsk, has not yet made a statement on the subject.
The US applies similar regulations to Russian airlines it finds to be violating sanctions, including Aeroflot, Aviastar, Azur Air, Rossiya and Utair.