Tensions are still rising a notch in the Black Sea. Russia announced on Friday July 21 that its army had conducted a military exercise in this maritime area. According to the Russian Defense Ministry, Russian ships fired anti-ship cruise missiles “on a target boat in the combat training area of the northwestern part of the Black Sea”. After withdrawing from the Ukrainian grain deal, Russia now considers ships bound for Ukraine as “potential military boats”. Follow our live.
A new strike on a grain terminal in Odessa. The Russian military targeted warehouses in the port city on Friday morning, regional governor Oleg Kiper reported on Telegram. “The enemy destroyed 100 tons of peas and 20 tons of barley”, he said, adding that two people were injured in the explosion. This is the fourth consecutive night of Russian strikes on Odessa.
Poland moves its troops to the east of its territory. Battalions are deploying due to the potential threat posed by the presence of the private military group Wagner in Belarus, as reported by the official PAP agency. Warsaw is particularly worried about the joint training between these mercenaries and the Belarusian army in the Brest region, on the border with Poland.
Deserters from the Russian army eligible for reception in France. “Russians fleeing mobilization for the war in Ukraine and those mobilized who have deserted can obtain refugee status”, estimated Thursday the National Court of the right of asylum. She believes that“A Russian national called up as part of this mobilization is likely to commit, directly or indirectly, war crimes”. This doctrine, the first in France concerning deserters from the Russian army, is based on a European directive and a judgment of the Court of Justice of the European Union.