In response to the sustained Russian attacks on the port city of Odessa, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy announced retaliation on Sunday. “Missiles against peaceful cities, apartment buildings and a cathedral… There is no excuse for Russian evil”, he wrote on his Telegram channel. Russia bombed the Black Sea city of Odessa again over the weekend. According to Ukrainian sources, two people were killed and more than ten others injured and taken to hospital.
The Spaso-Preobrazhensky Cathedral of the Transfiguration was also attacked hit hard been, the largest orthodox church in Odessa. Tsarina Catherine commissioned the building in the 18th century, and Stalin had it destroyed in 1936. After the end of the Soviet Union, it was rebuilt almost true to the original. Russia on Sunday denied any responsibility for the shelling of the cathedral, which stands in the historical center of Odessa. Moscow claimed it was hit by Ukrainian air defenses.
For days, Russia has been attacking the strategically important Ukrainian city with airstrikes. Odessa is one of the Black Sea ports through which Ukrainian grain has hitherto been brought onto the world market. After Russia withdrew from the grain agreement under international criticism, pressure is now mounting on Moscow to give in after all.
Even China is pushing Moscow over the grain deal
Over the weekend, even Russia’s ally China called for an agreement to allow grain to be exported from Ukrainian ports again. However, the deputy Chinese ambassador to the United Nations, Geng Shuang, also included the export of fertilizers from Russia. Russia now sees the responsibility for an agreement with the United Nations. The only problem, however, is the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine.
The future of the grain agreement will also play a central role when NATO and Ukraine meet this Wednesday for the NATO-Ukraine Council. The main issue should be how the grain can be exported in large quantities and at the same time safely. Russia had announced that it would consider ships calling at Ukrainian ports as possible military targets.
Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Belarusian ruler Alexander Lukashenko on Sunday. In the dispute with Poland, Lukashenko indirectly threatened his neighbor with Russian Wagner mercenaries who are currently in Belarus. During the conversation with Putin said Lukashenko: “The Wagner fighters are beginning to make claims. They want to go on a trip to Warsaw and Rzeszów.” And they were “in a bad mood”. The Belarusian dictator is likely to increase concerns in Warsaw that Russian mercenaries on the Belarusian side could pose a threat to Polish security. Poland is therefore currently sending soldiers to strengthen its border areas in the direction of Belarus.
The two leaders in Russia and Belarus tried to downplay Ukraine’s counteroffensive. Lukashenko said there was no counter-offensive, Putin replied: “There is, but it failed.” According to Russian sources, a journalist from the Ria news agency died in heavy fighting over the weekend in the Zaporizhia region.