Russia has hit six civilian ships, 150 port and grain facilities and destroyed over 300.000 tons of grain since Moscow abandoned an agreement allowing safe Black Sea exports of Ukrainian grain, the government in Kiev said today, Reuters reports.
The statement said 21 ships were already loaded with grain for export and were using the new "humanitarian" grain corridor in the Black Sea that Kiev announced in August.
A total of 25 ships were said to have entered Ukrainian ports for embarkation.
"Ukrainian troops are holding close to the eastern town of Avdiyivka in heavy fighting against Russian forces," the chief of staff of the president of Ukraine said.
Andrij Jermak wrote on Telegram that Ukrainian forces are holding their positions "in heavy fighting" despite the large Russian reinforcements, reports Reuters.
A Dutch prosecutor fined four Dutch companies and eight people for violating European Union sanctions against Russia between 2014 and 2017 for helping Moscow build a bridge to Crimea, the statement said.
Eight people were sentenced to work in the public interest for 20 to 60 hours, while the companies paid fines in the total amount of 160.000 euros, Reuters reports.
The companies delivered machines, machine parts and other services for the construction of a 19-kilometer-long bridge across the Kerch Strait, the prosecution announced.
"The Crimean bridge was built partly thanks to the use of Dutch knowledge and expertise," it added.
By violating the sanctions, one company benefited from the supply of prohibited goods and services. This illegally obtained benefit of 71.330 euros was confiscated by the Dutch prosecutor.
The prosecution did not name the companies.
One person was killed and 12 were wounded in a Russian attack on the city of Pokrovsk in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine, emergency services announced.
The Emergency Situations Service stated in a statement that two administrative buildings were damaged in the attack and that three people were rescued from the ruins, Reuters reports.
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