WESTERN PERSPECTIVE
Rubio says US will evaluate Russian demands for Black Sea ceasefire
The United States will evaluate demands made by Russia after Moscow had agreed "in principle" to a U.S.-brokered ceasefire with Ukraine in the Black Sea to allow safe navigation, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Wednesday.
The U.S. announced separate Black Sea agreements with Ukraine and Russia on Tuesday - following talks in Saudi Arabia - to ensure safe navigation, stop attacks, and prevent the use of commercial vessels for military purposes.
Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. U.S. President Donald Trump - who took office on January 20 - has been pushing for an end to the war amid a rapid U.S. rapprochement with Moscow that has alarmed Kyiv and European allies.
"After our meeting (in Saudi Arabia) ... the Russians detailed a number of conditions that they want to see met in order to do that, so we're going to evaluate that," Rubio told reporters on Wednesday during a visit to Jamaica.
He said U.S. officials would work to "more fully understand what the Russian position is, or what they're asking in exchange, and then we'll present that to the President (Trump)" and make a decision about the next step.
Russia's demands are well-known. The conditions listed in a statement by the Kremlin on Tuesday - including the lifting of restrictions and sanctions on a major agricultural bank, exporters of food and fertilizer and on Russian vessels - largely mirror demands made by Moscow two years ago during talks to extend a Black Sea deal first agreed in July 2022.
RUSSIAN DEMANDS
The 2022 deal was brokered by the United Nations and Turkey to allow the safe Black Sea export of Ukrainian grain. Under an accompanying three-year pact, the U.N. agreed to help facilitate Russia's food and fertilizer exports.
Russia quit the Black Sea deal in July 2023, complaining that demands related to its food and fertilizer exports had not been met. U.N. officials have continued to work with Russia to try and address its export concerns.
In a letter to the U.N. in March 2023, Russia said it wanted the Russian Agricultural Bank (Rosselkhozbank) reconnected to the SWIFT payments system. The bank was cut off from SWIFT by the European Union in June 2022.
Russia also said it wanted a resumption of supplies to Russia of agricultural machinery and spare parts; lifting restrictions on insurance and access to ports for Russian ships and cargo; and unblocking accounts and financial activities of Russian fertilizer companies.
While Russian exports of food and fertiliser are not subject to Western sanctions, Moscow has said restrictions on payments, logistics and insurance have amounted to a barrier to shipments.
Rubio noted on Wednesday that Russia's demands involved the lifting of some EU sanctions. The European Commission said on Wednesday that the withdrawal of all Russian forces from Ukraine would be one of the main conditions to lift or amend sanctions.
After U.S. and Russian officials met in Saudi Arabia, the White House said in a statement on Tuesday that as part of a ceasefire deal it had agreed to "help restore Russia's access to the world market for agricultural and fertilizer exports, lower maritime insurance costs, and enhance access to ports and payment systems for such transactions."
RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE
Russian forces strike Ukrainian military airfields, UAV assembly workshops over past day
Russian forces struck Ukrainian military airfields, an equipment repair plant and UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) assembly workshops over the past day in the special military operation in Ukraine, Russia’s Defense Ministry reported on Wednesday.
"Operational/tactical aircraft, attack unmanned aerial vehicles, missile troops and artillery of the Russian groups of forces struck military airfield infrastructure facilities, a military hardware repair enterprise, UAV production workshops and control posts, ammunition depots and massed enemy manpower and equipment in 143 areas," the ministry said in a statement.
Russia’s Battlegroup North inflicts 55 casualties on Ukrainian army in Belgorod area
Russia’s Battlegroup North inflicted roughly 55 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed two enemy armored combat vehicles in its area of responsibility in the Belgorod direction over the past day, the ministry reported.
"In the Belgorod direction, Battlegroup North units struck massed manpower and equipment of three mechanized brigades, an assault brigade and an assault regiment of the Ukrainian army and two territorial defense brigades in areas near the settlements of Krasnopolye, Ugroyedy, Prokhody, Miropolskoye and Petrushevka in the Sumy Region," the ministry said.
The Ukrainian army lost an estimated 55 personnel, two armored combat vehicles, a motor vehicle and an artillery gun in that frontline area over the last 24 hours, it specified.
Russia’s Battlegroup West inflicts 250 casualties on Ukrainian army in past day
Russia’s Battlegroup West inflicted roughly 250 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed three enemy artillery guns and three ammunition depots in its area of responsibility over the past day, the ministry reported.
"Battlegroup West units improved their forward positions and inflicted losses on formations of three mechanized brigades, an assault brigade and an airborne brigade of the Ukrainian army in areas near the settlements of Lozovaya and Petropavlovka in the Kharkov Region, Nadiya in the Lugansk People’s Republic, Kirovsk and Yampol in the Donetsk People’s Republic and in the area of the Serebryanka forestry," the ministry said.
The Ukrainian army lost an estimated 250 personnel, a US-made HMMWV armored vehicle and two pickup trucks, it specified.
In addition, Russian forces destroyed three artillery guns and three ammunition depots of the Ukrainian army, it said.
Russia’s Battlegroup South inflicts 310 casualties on Ukrainian army in past day
Russia’s Battlegroup South inflicted roughly 310 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed two US-made counterbattery radar stations in its area of responsibility over the past day, the ministry reported.
"Battlegroup South units gained better lines and positions and inflicted losses on manpower and equipment of eight mechanized brigades of the Ukrainian army, a territorial defense brigade and two National Guard brigades in areas near the settlements of Novoolenovka, Romanovka, Minkovka, Chasov Yar, Druzhba, Kalinovo, Zarya, Katerinovka and Tarasovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic," the ministry said.
The Ukrainian army lost an estimated 310 personnel, two armored combat vehicles, three motor vehicles, a 155mm M777 howitzer and two AN/TPQ-36 counterbattery radar stations of US manufacture in that frontline area over the last 24 hours, it specified.
In addition, Russian forces destroyed two electronic warfare stations, a warehouse of unmanned aerial vehicles and a fuel depot of the Ukrainian army, it said.
Russia’s Battlegroup Center inflicts over 480 casualties on Ukrainian army in past day
Russia’s Battlegroup Center inflicted more than 480 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed two enemy tanks and two armored combat vehicles in its area of responsibility over the past day, the ministry reported.
"Battlegroup Center units improved their tactical position and inflicted losses on formations of a mechanized brigade, a jaeger brigade, two assault brigades, an unmanned systems brigade, an assault regiment, an assault battalion, the Vostok Special Operations Center of the Ukrainian army, a marine infantry brigade and a National Guard brigade in areas near the settlements of Mirolyubovka, Kotlino, Dimitrov, Zverevo, Krasnoarmeisk, Uspenovka, Udachnoye, Grodovka, Alekseyevka, Nadezhdinka and Novoaleksandrovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic," the ministry said.
The Ukrainian army lost more than 480 personnel, two tanks, two Kozak armored combat vehicles, five motor vehicles, two field artillery guns and an electronic surveillance station in that frontline area over the last 24 hours, it specified.
Russia’s Battlegroup East inflicts 150 casualties on Ukrainian army in past day
Russia’s Battlegroup East inflicted roughly 150 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed three enemy artillery guns in its area of responsibility over the past day, the ministry reported.
"Battlegroup East units kept advancing deep into the enemy’s defenses and inflicted losses among manpower and equipment of four mechanized brigades, an airmobile brigade of the Ukrainian army, a marine infantry brigade and two territorial defense brigades in areas near the settlements of Shevchenko, Voskresenka, Fyodorovka, Novopol, Razliv and Zelyonoye Pole in the Donetsk People’s Republic and Gulyaipole in the Zaporozhye Region," the ministry said.
The Ukrainian army lost as many as 150 personnel, three motor vehicles and three field artillery guns, including a Swedish-made 155mm Archer self-propelled artillery system in that frontline area over the last 24 hours, it specified.
In addition, Russian forces destroyed a materiel depot of the Ukrainian army, it said.
Russia’s Battlegroup Dnepr destroys over 65 Ukrainian troops in past day
Russia’s Battlegroup Dnepr destroyed more than 65 Ukrainian troops and a US-made multiple rocket launcher in its area of responsibility over the past day, the ministry reported.
"Battlegroup Dnepr units inflicted losses on formations of two mechanized brigades, a mountain assault brigade, three coastal defense brigades of the Ukrainian army and two territorial defense brigades in areas near the settlements of Sadovoye, Pridneprovskoye, Antonovka and Vesyoloye in the Kherson Region, Malaya Tokmachka, Orekhov and Kamenskoye in the Zaporozhye Region," the ministry said.
"More than 65 [Ukrainian] military personnel, seven motor vehicles, a US-made MLRS rocket launcher and two ammunition depots were destroyed," it specified.
Russian air defenses down 58 Ukrainian UAVs, two JDAM smart bombs over past day
Russian air defense forces shot down 58 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles and two JDAM smart bombs over the past day, the ministry reported.
"Air defense capabilities shot down two JDAM guided aerial bombs and a rocket of the HIMARS multiple launch rocket system of US manufacture and 58 fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles," the ministry said.
Overall, the Russian Armed Forces have destroyed 659 Ukrainian warplanes, 283 helicopters, 48,462 unmanned aerial vehicles, 601 surface-to-air missile systems, 22,499 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 1,532 multiple rocket launchers, 22,987 field artillery guns and mortars and 33,368 special military motor vehicles since the start of the special military operation, the ministry reported.
Reuters/Tass