A Russian missile strike on a residential area killed at least four people and injured dozens more in Lviv in far western Ukraine. It was the deadliest hit of the invasion on the city, about 50 kilometers (31 miles) from the Polish border and a key supply route and transportation hub. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy vowed a “strong” response. More than 1000 km to the east, Ukrainian forces continued offensive operations around Bakhmut, General Staff said, making small but steady advances.
Zelenskiy is on the move ahead of next week’s NATO summit. He visited Bulgaria on Thursday and plans to meet Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Istanbul on Friday to bolster support for an extension of the Black Sea grain deal due to expire July 17. Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin is back in Russia after spending time in Belarus, said Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko. The intentions of Prigozhin and his mercenary army within Belarus remain hotly debated.
Ukraine and Russia continue to trade accusations over a potential attack on the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine’s south. Ukrainian military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov told the Times, though, that the danger of an attack is “quietly going down.” The UN’s nuclear watchdog demanded better access to the plant but said it didn’t discover mines or explosives there during recent inspections.
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Wheat Prices Jump on Signs of Smaller Russia Crop
Wheat futures surged 6% in Chicago on Wednesday as traders bet on smaller-than-expected crops in Russia following recent excessive rains in the world’s largest exporter.