Russian strikes against Ukrainian cities have continued for the third night in a row, causing significant damage to the Black Sea port cities of Mykolaiv and Odesa. Civilian casualties have been reported as a result of the indiscriminate attacks. The primary target of these strikes appears to be the interference with the export of Ukrainian grain. While some warehouses have been hit, residential areas have borne the brunt of the missile attacks. The intention behind this disproportionate targeting remains unclear, with possible explanations ranging from a deliberate decision to incompetent targeting or simple indifference.

In response to the ongoing conflict, Russia has announced a blockade of Ukrainian ports, effective from midnight. The Russian Defense Ministry stated that all ships proceeding to Ukrainian ports in the Black Sea will be considered potential carriers of military cargo. The specific actions that Russia plans to take in relation to this blockade have not been made clear. Under international law, Russia’s navy has the right to stop and inspect ships to ensure they are not carrying weapons. However, asserting this right does not make the ships legitimate targets for attack or seizure, unless weapons are found aboard.

The UK’s Ministry of Defence has offered an appraisal of the Russian blockade, stating that it nullifies the security agreement that had ensured the safe passage of vessels exporting grain from Ukraine. Russia’s decision to leave the Black Sea Grain Initiative and impose the blockade is believed to have been made some time ago, as it no longer served its interests. Russia has justified its withdrawal with claims of civilian ships being at risk from Ukrainian mines and allegations of Ukraine making military use of the grain corridor, without providing evidence to support these claims.

The US has raised concerns about Russia laying mines in the Black Sea near Ukrainian ports. The White House National Security Council stated that these mines are part of a coordinated effort to justify attacks against civilian ships and shift the blame onto Ukraine. Russian state television commentators have openly advocated for laying mines as a provocation that could be blamed on Ukraine.

The Guardian has provided a summary of the Black Sea Grain Initiative, highlighting the importance of Ukrainian grain in the global food supply. A US State Department representative has accused Russia of using food as a weapon of war, not just against Ukraine but against all nations, particularly underdeveloped countries that rely on grain from the region.

In other developments, Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the Wagner Group, has announced that the mercenary force will continue its operations in Africa. The group’s base will be in Belarus, where it will focus on retraining itself, training and transforming the Belarusian army. This move suggests that not all has been forgiven by the Russian Ministry of Defense.

The Wagner Group’s activities in Africa have prompted the UK government to impose sanctions on individuals and organizations connected to the group’s actions, including executions and torture in Mali and the Central African Republic, as well as threats to peace and security in Sudan.

The US Department of Defense has announced further support for Ukraine, including advanced missile systems, artillery rounds, mine clearing equipment, unmanned aerial systems, and tactical vehicles, among other provisions.

Sanctions imposed on Russia by Western countries have had a significant impact on Moscow’s domestic surveillance apparatus, known as SORM. The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace has reported that the sanctions have made Western technology increasingly inaccessible to Russia, putting stress on its surveillance capabilities.

In the realm of cyber attacks, Microsoft has identified a novel .net backdoor known as DeliveryCheck, which is being deployed against Ukrainian and Eastern European targets by a Russian threat actor known as Secret Blizzard. The attack begins with phishing and uses malicious macros to install the backdoor, which establishes persistence through a scheduled task. The backdoor is in contact with a command-and-control server and retrieves various follow-on tasks.

Source link