Overnight attack on southern port city wounded three, according to local governor; Russian strike that killed seven in Kherson will not go ‘unanswered’
What we know on day 537 of the invasion
Welcome back to the Guardian’s live coverage of the war in Ukraine. This is Jonathan Yerushalmy with the latest.
Our top story this morning:
A Russian warship fired warning shots at a cargo ship in the south-western Black Sea, the first time Russia has fired on a merchant ship since exiting a UN-brokered grain deal last month. Russia said in a statement that its Vasily Bykov patrol ship fired automatic weapons on the Palau-flagged Sukru Okan vessel after the ship’s captain failed to respond to a request to halt for inspection.
Three civilians were injured in the Kursk region from shells coming over the Ukrainian border, the regional governor said. Roman Starovoit said Ukraine was behind the shelling, Ukraine did not claim responsibility and it was unclear where the shelling originated.
Ukrainian forces were trying to pierce Russian lines in the western parts of Donetsk region, a Russian-installed official said. Vladimir Rogov said there had been intense fighting south of Velyka Novosilka as Ukrainian troops tried to push down to the coast on the Sea of Azov. “The enemy managed to enter and gain a foothold in the northern part of Urozhaine after two weeks of the heaviest and bloodiest battles for this settlement,” Rogov said.
The governor of the Russian region of Belgorod blamed a Ukrainian drone for damage to an apartment building on Sunday, after Russia’s defence ministry said air defences shot down at least four Ukrainian drones close to the border. Russia’s defence ministry said air defences shot down another drone later on Sunday and there were no casualties.
Germany will deliver a Luna New Generation drone system to Ukraine, Bild am Sonntag has reported. The equipment will include a ground control station with several drones, a launch catapult and military trucks.
Authorities briefly halted traffic on the Russian-built Kerch Bridge connecting occupied Crimea with Russia – but did not provide a reason why. It came one day after Russian air defence reportedly thwarted three Ukrainian missile attacks.
Ukraine has become the most heavily mined country on Earth after a year and a half of Russian troops laying them down. Soldiers have been unearthing five mines for every square metre in some places, Oleksii Reznikov, Ukraine’s defence minister, told the Guardian.