Ukraine updates: Drone strikes Crimea munitions depot

A massive explosion rocked an ammunition depot in Russia-annexed Crimea on Saturday, forcing the evacuation of nearby homes, news agencies reported.

The Ukrainian military took credit for the attack, reportedly carried out by a drone, saying it destroyed an oil depot and Russian military warehouses in Oktyabrske, in the Krasnohvardiiske region of Crimea.

Sergey Aksyonov, the Kremlin-appointed head of Crimea, said in a Telegram post that there were no immediate reports of casualties, but that authorities were evacuating civilians within a 5-kilometer (3-mile) radius.

Traffic was briefly halted on the Kerch bridge, which although about 180 kilometers (110 miles) to the east of the attack, was the scene of two explosions on Monday that killed two people and damaged a section of roadway.

Monday's strike was the second major attack on the bridge since the start of the war.

Russia seized and annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, eight years before launching its full-scale invasion of the country.

The Kerch Bridge, which links Russia and Crimea, is a conspicuous symbol of Moscow's claims on the peninsula. 

The 19-kilometer (nearly 12-mile) bridge is the longest in Europe and is crucial for Russia's military operations in southern Ukraine.

Here are some of the other developments from Russia's war in Ukraine on Saturday, July 22. 

Poland opens repair hub for tanks damaged in war

Poland said a repair hub for tanks damaged in Ukraine has begun operating in the southern Polish city of Gliwice.

"The maintenance hub in Gliwice has started operating! The first two Leopards have already arrived from Ukraine to the Bumar plant," Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Błaszczak wrote on Twitter.

Poland has been one of Ukraine's strongest allies since the full-scale Russian invasion began and has been negotiating a joint initiative for Leopard tanks with Germany.

But no common position has been announced on that front.

At least 4 dead in Russian attack near Donetsk

At least four people were killed in the most recent Russian attacks on a village close to Donetsk in eastern Ukraine, the public prosecutor's office said.

Fab-250 bombs were dropped on the village of Nyu-York by Moscow's forces on Friday evening, the office stated.

Three civilians were taken to the hospital with injuries, the office reported.

The death toll was expected to rise. 

A war crimes investigation was opened by the prosecutor's office. 

Dnipropetrovsk regional authorities reported three people had been injured by Russian artillery fire in Nikopol, a town located on the banks of the Dnipro River on the opposite side of the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant that is occupied by Russian troops. 

Russia blames West for death of Russian journalist in Ukraine

A Russian war reporter was killed and three others were wounded in Ukraine on Saturday in what Russia's Defense Ministry said was a Ukrainian attack using cluster munitions.

Rostislav Zhuravlev, a war correspondent for state news agency RIA, and three other colleagues came under fire in Ukraine's southeastern Zaporizhzhia region, the Ministry said.

It described the death as "a heinous, premeditated crime" committed by Western powers and Kyiv and vowed a "response" against those to blame.

Cluster bombs are in the spotlight after Ukraine received supplies from the United States this month.

Many countries ban them because they rain shrapnel over a wide area and can pose a risk to civilians.

Some bomblets typically fail to explode immediately and can blow up years later.

DW cameraman wounded in Russian attack

A DW cameraman was injured by shrapnel on Saturday in a Russian attack on a Ukrainian army training ground in Donbas, some 23 kilometers (14 miles) away from the frontline, the German broadcaster said in a statement.

DW's Ievgen Shylko was part of a team sent to report from the training ground near the town of Druzhkivka when they came under Russian artillery fire.

"We were filming the Ukrainian army during target practice when suddenly we heard several explosions," DW correspondent Mathias Bölinger said.

"We lay down, more explosions followed, we saw people were wounded," he added.

A Ukrainian soldier was killed and several others were injured in the attack.

Zelenskyy, NATO's Stoltenberg discuss Black Sea grain deal

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy discussed the "unblocking" of the Black Sea grain corridor with NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg after Moscow this week exited a crucial deal to ensure the safe passage of ships. 

"We shared assessments of the current situation in the Black Sea and the risks it poses for global food security," Zelenskyy said on Twitter after a phone call with Stoltenberg.

"We also identified with Mr. Stoltenberg the priority and future steps necessary for unblocking and sustainable operation of the Black Sea grain corridor."

Stoltenberg wrote on Twitter: "We strongly condemn Moscow's attempt to weaponize food. Allies stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes & following NATO Summit, Ukraine is closer to NATO than ever before." 

The grain deal, brokered by the United Nations and Turkey, was signed last July to help the export of Ukrainian grain that was blockaded by Russian naval ships since the start of the invasion.

The deal allowed Kyiv to sell some 33 million tons of grain and other food abroad, despite the ongoing war. 

Since Russia pulled out of the deal, Moscow forces have been targeting grain storage facilities in the key Ukrainian port city of Odesa.

China appeals for resumption of Ukrainian grain exports 

China has urged both Russia and Ukraine to promptly resume their grain exports.

Geng Shuang, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, appealed to the two countries during a meeting at the UN Security Council in New York. 

According to a report on Chinese state television, Geng emphasized the importance of an early resumption of grain and fertilizer exports from both countries. 

He expressed hope that all parties involved would work together with UN bodies to find a solution. The main goal behind this, as stated by Geng, was to ensure international food security.

Moscow has linked the extension of the agreement to the removal of specific sanctions imposed by the West, particularly the ban on its banks from using the international payments method SWIFT.

The European Union clarified that Russian grain and fertilizer are exempt from the sanctions and that many banks are still connected to SWIFT.

Putin critic Girkin charged with inciting extremism

Prominent Russian nationalist Igor Girkin, also known as Igor Strelkov, was arrested and charged Saturday with inciting extremism and ordered to custody by a Moscow court until September 18. 

The charges reportedly revolve around two outbursts he posted on the messaging app Telegram. However, he firmly denied all allegations and refused to cooperate with investigators, according to the Interfax news agency.

If found guilty, he could face up to five years in prison. 

Girkin, a former FSB officer and battlefield commander, gained notoriety for his involvement in Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014 and his role in organizing pro-Russian militias in eastern Ukraine.

He has faced accusations of war crimes from Ukrainian officials and Western human rights groups, which he vehemently denies.

In 2022, a Dutch court sentenced Girkin to life in absentia for his alleged involvement in the shooting down of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 over eastern Ukraine in 2014, which resulted in the loss of 298 passengers and crew. Despite the court's decision, he denied any wrongdoing. 

In May, Girkin announced the formation of the "Club of Angry Patriots," a group that wants to safeguard Russia from the dangers of systemic turmoil, particularly related to military failures in Ukraine and potential power struggles within the Russian elite.

Poland rebukes Russian ambassador over 'provocative' remarks by Putin

Poland on Saturday summoned the Russian ambassador to protest what Warsaw termed "provocative declarations" by President Vladimir Putin.

Putin on Friday accused Warsaw of harboring territorial ambitions in western Ukraine, an oft-repeated Russian claim, as well as by Belarus, a close Moscow ally.

Overseeing a national security council meeting, Putin also claimed that Polish western territories were a post-World War II "gift" from former Soviet leader Joseph Stalin. 

"The frontiers between countries are absolutely untouchable and Poland is opposed to any kind of revision thereof," Polish deputy foreign minister Pawel Jablonski said.

He added that the meeting with the ambassador was "very brief."

The post-war settlement after 1945 saw present-day Poland move some 300 kilometers (185 miles) westwards compared to its pre-conflict borders.

That settlement saw the Soviet Union hold on to chunks of what had been parts of Poland that Moscow annexed in 1939 while Poland gained land which had been part of Germany.

More on the Ukraine war 

This week, DW reported on why the Ukraine grain deal, annulled by Russia, is of such importance.

To follow our updates on events in the war on Friday, click here. 

mm, los/jcg (AP, Reuters, AFP, dpa)