​Russia has blamed sabotage for the explosions at one of its military bases in Crimea, with Kyiv suggesting it is responsible for the attacks, while Ukrainian officials have said their strategy is to destroy supply lines for Ukrainian forces.

Ukrainian soldiers on the front lines of the struggle against the Russian occupationPhoto: Twitter / Defense of Ukraine

The main thing for Wednesday, the 175th day of the war in Ukraine:

07:32 Less than half of educational institutions in Ukraine are ready to resume classes.

The Ministry of Education and Science conducted inspections of about 80% of Ukrainian educational institutions, finding out that only 41% of them have canopies and are prepared for classes with physical presence. (Kyiv Independent)

07:04The first humanitarian ship chartered by the UN to transport Ukrainian grain left the southern Ukrainian port of Pivdenny on Tuesday with about 23,000 tons of cargo bound for Africa.

06:37 French President Emmanuel Macron and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi agreed on Tuesday to “work together to end the conflict” in Ukraine.

01:17 Chancellor Olaf Scholz will visit Norway and Canada this week to explore alternatives to Russian gas. His hopes are also focused on the revival of the gas pipeline project between Spain and France and on gas from the eastern Mediterranean.

A quick recap of the latest developments on Wednesday morning:

  • Russia has blamed saboteurs for a series of bombings at an ammunition depot in Crimea, a rare acknowledgment that armed groups loyal to Ukraine are damaging military logistics and supply lines in territory controlled by Vladimir Putin’s forces.
  • Columns of black smoke were seen on Tuesday at a Russian military airbase near the village of Gvardiyske in central Crimea.
    Mykhailo Podolyak, a key adviser to Volodymyr Zelenskyi, said that within the “next two to three months” new attacks similar to Tuesday’s mysterious strikes on a rail hub and an airbase in Crimea could occur.
  • UN Secretary General Guterres will meet with Ukrainian President Zelenskyi in Lviv on Thursday to discuss the situation at the Zaporizhia NPP and to find a political solution to the conflict.
  • From September 1, Finland will reduce the number of visas issued to Russians to 10% of the current number and, together with the Baltic countries, will propose to the European Union to terminate the agreement with Russia, which makes it easier for Russians to travel to the EU.
  • Russia’s economy will shrink less than expected and inflation will not be as high as expected three months ago, Economy Ministry forecasts seen by Reuters show, suggesting the country is coping with sanctions better than initially expected.
  • Ukraine’s state-owned nuclear power company Energoatom said hackers from Russia carried out a three-hour attack on its website, but caused no significant problems.
  • Guterres plans to meet with Turkish President Erdogan, the spokesman said, and on Friday he will visit Odesa on the Black Sea, where grain exports have resumed.
  • Ukraine can export 3 million tons of grain from its ports in September, and in the future – 4 million tons every month, a government official said.
  • Gazprom announced on Tuesday that the price of natural gas in Europe could rise by 60% this winter to more than $4,000 per 1,000 cubic meters.

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  • Tuesday’s events were broadcast live on HotNews.ro