Ukraine war live updates: Russian shelling kills at least seven civilians in Kharkiv

Russia on Thursday accused the west for the growing food crisis that has been worsened by Kyiv’s inability to ship millions of tons of grain and other agricultural products while under attack.

Russian president Vladimir Putin told Italian prime minister Mario Draghi that Moscow “is ready to make a significant contribution to overcoming the food crisis through the export of grain and fertiliser on the condition that politically motivated restrictions imposed by the West are lifted”.

The UK shot back at Russia by accusing it of “trying to hold the world to ransom,” insisting there would be no sanctions relief.

Albania has offered Nato the use of a Soviet naval base “in these dangerous times,” country has announced.

Prime Minister Edi Rama said the Pashaliman naval base, 180 kilometres (110 miles) south of the capital Tirana, could have “added value” to the alliance and they had prepared a project on its renovation.

“In these dangerous times I believe the general may consider having a Nato’s naval base in Albania,” Rama said in a speech Wednesday.

Albania, which became a Nato member in 2009, has joined the United States and the European Union in denouncing Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Kim Sengupta speaks to some of those injured on the front line, who make clear that more weaponry from the west will help them counter Russia’s firepower.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday complained about divisions inside the EU over more sanctions against Russia and asked why some nations were being allowed to block the plan.

The EU is discussing a sixth round of punitive measures, including an embargo on Russian oil imports. Such a move requires unanimity but Hungary opposes the idea for now on the grounds its economy would suffer too much.

“How many more weeks will the European Union try to agree on a sixth package?” Zelensky said in a late night address, noting that Russia was receiving a billion euros a day from the 27-nation bloc for energy supplies.

“Of course I am grateful to those friends who are advocating new sanctions. But where do the people blocking this sixth package get their power from? Why are they allowed to hold such power?” he asked.

Berlin hopes talks on the new round of sanctions will be completed soon but it will not be a topic at a leaders’ summit next week, a German official said on Wednesday.

Zelensky’s comments mark the second day in a row that he has sharpened his criticism of the world’s approach to the war.

“Pressure on Russia is literally a matter of saving lives. And every day of procrastination, weakness, various disputes or proposals to ‘pacify’ the aggressor at the expense of the victim merely means more Ukrainians being killed,” he said.

On Wednesday he savaged suggestions that Kyiv make concessions to bring peace, saying the idea smacked of attempts to appease Nazi Germany in 1938.

Vladimir Putin and Italy’s prime minister Mario Draghi on Thursday discussed ways to help ease the international food crisis, with the Kremlin saying this could be done only if the West lifts sanctions.

“Vladimir Putin emphasized that the Russian Federation is ready to make a significant contribution to overcoming the food crisis through the export of grain and fertilizers, provided that politically motivated restrictions from the West are lifted,” Moscow said in a statement.

Ukraine has described the Russian position as “blackmail”, and British foreign secretary Liz Truss said on Thursday that Putin was “trying to hold the world to ransom” by weaponising the food crisis created by his war on Ukraine.

The White House said there were no talks being held about relaxing sanctions on Russia in order to secure grain exports.

In a news conference held on Thursday evening, Draghi said he took the initiative of calling the Russian leader.

“I felt it was my duty to take (this initiative) because of the gravity of the humanitarian crisis that may affect the world’s poorest,” he told reporters.

Draghi said the Russian president told him the food crisis was the fault of sanctions.

“I am interested in a more defined, smaller issue, which is to try to see if we can unblock these huge quantities of grain in Ukrainian ports in the Black Sea,” Draghi said.

He added he will hold a call with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky on this issue.

Russia’s blockade of Ukrainian ports has prevented shipments of grain, of which both countries are major exporters. Russia accuses Ukraine of mining the ports.

The conflict is fuelling a global food crisis by sending prices for grains, cooking oils, fuel and fertilizer soaring.

Ukrainian armed forces have shared a video of a so-called “kamikaze” or suicide drone neutralising a Russian tank, catching the soldiers drinking alcohol on it off guard.

“A modern kamikaze drone, equipped with a powerful explosive, flew straight into the tank, causing irreparable damage to the enemy,” Ukrainian Special Operations Forces said in the Facebook post, sharing the video.

“According to our soldiers, the Russian occupiers were quietly drinking alcohol at one of the positions, sitting on the armor of their tank. However, the usual Russian occupation was abruptly interrupted by an unexpected attack from the air,” it added.

It was the first time Ukrainian officials have released video of the US-supplied Switchblade drones in action.

Any resolution will proceed from facts on the ground as they are, not as we would wish they were, writes Mary Dejevsky.

Vladimir Putin is holding “the world to ransom” over food, Britain’s foreign minister Liz Truss has claimed.

Speaking on a trip to Bosnia, she also accused the Russian leader of “weaponising hunger” across the world.

Kim Sengupta speaks to some of those injured on the front line, who make clear that more weaponry from the west will help them counter Russia’s firepower.