Moldova fears Russian invasion
Natalia Gavrilița, the prime minister of neighboring Moldova, spoke to CNN on Sunday and said that “no one is safe” with the conflict unfolding in Eastern Europe.
“It’s a hypothetical scenario at the moment, but if the military actions move more towards the southwestern part of Ukraine and towards Odesa, of course we are very worried,” Gavrilița said.
“We are very concerned, especially considering that the troops are on the territory of the secessionist region of Transnistria,” he said.
“We are doing everything we can to maintain peace and stability and to ensure that the fighting does not escalate.”
Moldova is home to a significant pro-Russian separatist population based in the breakaway state of Transnistria.
—Matt Clinch
The UK will host the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest
Ukraine’s Kalush Orchestra celebrates after winning the Eurovision Song Contest Grand Final at the Palaolimpico Arena in Turin, Italy, Saturday, May 14, 2022.
Luca Bruno | AP
The European Broadcasting Union has confirmed that the UK will host next year’s Eurovision Song Contest on behalf of war-torn Ukraine.
“Following the decision that, regrettably, next year’s event could not be held in Ukraine due to security reasons, the EBU explored a number of options with the winning broadcaster,” the EBU said in a statement
“As a result of discussions, the BBC, as a finalist in the 2022 Contest, has been invited by the EBU to act as host broadcaster for the 67th Eurovision Song Contest.”
The Kalush Orchestra’s “Stefania” finished first at the 2022 event in May, while Britain’s Sam Ryder came second with “Space Man.”
—Matt Clinch
Food inflation from Russia-Ukraine war could last until 2024, CEO says
Sunny Verghese, the CEO of major food and agribusiness group Olam, tells CNBC that it’s hard to predict how much food prices will rise.
Kremlin says Odesa strikes hit military infrastructure
Rescue teams dig through the rubble of buildings destroyed in overnight attacks in search of survivors, in the city of Chuhuiv, Kharkiv region, on July 25, 2022, amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Sergey Bobok | AFP | Getty Images
A Kremlin spokesman insisted on Monday that strikes in Odesa over the weekend targeted military infrastructure.
Echoing an earlier defense ministry statement, Dmitry Peskov told reporters that the strikes would not affect the region’s export earnings.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called Saturday’s strikes an act of barbarism.
—Matt Clinch
Wheat prices rise after Odesa attack
A fire destroys a wheat field as Russian troops bomb fields to prevent local farmers from harvesting grain, Polohy District, Zaporizhzhia Region, southeastern Ukraine.
Dmytro Smolyenko | Future Publishing | Getty Images
Prices for September wheat futures on the Chicago Board of Trade rose 3.6% on Monday morning as traders expressed caution on a grain export deal signed by Russia and Ukraine last week.
The two countries signed a UN-backed deal on Friday to resume Ukrainian grain exports through the Black Sea. The deal is important for the global food supply, but also because it is the first major agreement between the two sides since Moscow launched an unprovoked attack on February 24.
But Ukraine said on Saturday that Russian missiles had hit the port of Odesa in southern Ukraine, casting doubt on that new pact.
Russia likely struggles to repair combat vehicles, UK says
A view shows a military convoy of the armed forces of the self-proclaimed separatist Luhansk People’s Republic (LPR) on a road in Luhansk region, Ukraine, on February 27, 2022.
Alexander Ermochenko | Reuters
Posting one of its daily updates on Twitter, Britain’s Ministry of Defense said it had located a Russian military vehicle refurbishing and refurbishing facility near Barvinok, which is in Russia’s Belgorod Oblast, near from the border with Ukraine.
He added that at least 300 damaged vehicles were at the facility, which included armored trucks and tanks.
“In addition to its well-documented personnel problems, Russia is likely still struggling to extract and repair the thousands of combat vehicles that have been damaged in action in Ukraine,” he said in the update.
—Matt Clinch