Erdogan says he's in agreement with Putin on grain deal extension

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on July 14 that he and Russian dictator Vladimir Putin were "of the same mind" on the extension of the Black Sea Grain Initiative, Turkish state-run Anadolu news outlet reported.

"(UN Secretary-General Antonio) Guterres sent a letter to Putin. I hope that with this letter, we assure the extension of the grain corridor deal with the joint efforts of us and Russia," Erdogan told reporters, as cited by Anadolu.

Erdogan added that Turkey was preparing for the Russian dictator's visit in August.

Russia has threatened not to prolong the Black Sea Grain Initiative, which allows Ukraine to continue exporting its agricultural products, unless the West eases its restrictions against Russia's grain and fertilizers exports. The current agreed-upon extension period is set to expire on July 17.

On July 13, Putin claimed that none of Moscow's conditions for extending the grain deal had been met, according to the Russian state-controlled news agency Interfax.

Russia's key demand is reconnecting the Kremlin-owned Russian Agricultural Bank to the SWIFT international payment system. The European Union cut the bank from the payment system on June 14 under its sanctions regime over the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

The EU is not considering removing that restriction but is weighing an option to connect a subsidiary of Russia's Agricultural Bank to SWIFT, allowing grain and fertilizer transactions, unnamed sources told Reuters and the Financial Times.

Guterres reportedly asked Putin to extend the grain deal for several months to give the EU time to arrange the scheme.

Turkey and the UN brokered the grain deal in July 2022. Russia's all-out war against Ukraine, one of the world's top grain exporters, initially prevented Ukraine from shipping agricultural products through its Black Sea ports.

Moscow denies agreeing to extend Black Sea grain deal

The Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Russia didn't make any statements about agreeing to prolong the Black Sea Grain Initiative, Russian state-owned news agency Interfax reported on July 14.

Earlier the same day, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that he reached an agreement with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin on the grain deal extension, as cited by Anadolu news outlet.

Russia has threatened not to prolong the Black Sea Grain Initiative, which allows Ukraine to continue exporting its agricultural products, unless the West eases its restrictions against Russia's grain and fertilizers exports. The current agreed-upon extension period is set to expire on July 17.

On July 13, Putin claimed that none of Moscow's conditions for extending the grain deal had been met, according to the Russian state-controlled news agency Interfax. The Kremlin's demands focus on logistics, insurance, and money movement when paying for Russian products.

"We can suspend our participation in this deal. If everyone once again says that all the promises given to us will be fulfilled, let them fulfill this promise. We will immediately join this deal," Putin said.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres offered Putin that he extends the Black Sea grain deal in exchange for connecting a subsidiary of Russian sanctioned bank to the SWIFT international payment system, Reuters reported on July 13.

The grain deal, brokered by Turkey and the UN in July 2022, has been essential in mitigating a global surge in food prices.

Russia's all-out war against Ukraine, one of the world's top grain exporters, initially prevented Ukraine from shipping agricultural products through its Black Sea ports.

Ukraine needs additional 4.5 million workers for next 10 years

Ukraine will have to attract additional 4.5 million employees to the labor market over the next 10 years for a successful recovery, the Economy Ministry said on July 14.

The country faced a labor shortage even before the start of the full-scale war, and after the invasion, more than 6 million Ukrainians were forced abroad, the ministry commented.

"Recovery of the labor market is not a consequence of victory, it is a path to victory," said Deputy Economy Minister Tetiana Berezhna.

According to the World Bank's assessment from March, Ukraine will need at least $411 billion for recovery and reconstruction. This figure equals 2.6 times Ukraine's projected gross domestic product in 2022.

Kyiv's partners have convened at London's Recovery Conference on June 21 to address Ukraine's reconstruction and recovery needs. As the outcome of the forum, the international community has pledged billions in reconstruction aid, while further packages have been announced since then.

Russian attacks killed at least 4, injure 10 over past day

Russian forces targeted 10 oblasts over the past day as at least four people were killed and 10 were wounded, local officials reported on July 14.

The oblasts of Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, Kherson, Sumy, Zaporizhzhia, Chernihiv, Kharkiv, Luhansk, Mykolaiv, and Odesa came under attack.

In Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, one person was injured in the strike, Governor Serhii Lysak reported. According to Lysak, the air defenses successfully downed six Shahed kamikaze drones over the oblast. The anti-air fire did not manage to eliminate all targets, resulting in a hit against the city of Kryvyi Rih, he added.

A 56-year-old man was injured in the city and several buildings were damaged, the official informed. Russian artillery also targeted the Synelnykove district, causing property damage, Lysak added.

In Donetsk Oblast, one person was killed and four injured in Russian attacks according to Governor Pavlo Kyrylenko. A resident died in Pervomaiske, while two people were wounded in Katerynivka, one in Shcherbynivka, and another in Siversk, the governor specified.

In Kherson Oblast, one person was killed and another injured, Governor Oleksandr Prokudin said. Russian forces have launched 76 strikes and 487 projectiles against the oblast over the past day, the governor reported.

Prokudin said that during the day on July 13, an 85-year-old woman was killed in the village of Mykilske as Russian artillery hit her yard. One person was killed in the attacks against Sumy Oblast, the Sumy Oblast Military administration reported.

Russian forces launched 26 strikes against the border region and 191 explosions were recorded. A man born in 1971 died in the strikes against the village of Popivka in the Velyka Pysarivka community, according to the officials.

Russian attacks also damaged private property across the oblast, the administration added. In Zaporizhzhia Oblast, four people were injured and one killed, Governor Yurii Malashko said.

According to the governor, Russian forces launched 63 strikes against 21 populated areas, mainly employing artillery. A 40-year-old man was killed in the attacks, Malashko clarified.

The official also informed of 52 cases of property damage across the oblast.The oblasts of Chernihiv, Kharkiv, Luhansk, Mykolaiv, and Odesa also came under attack but local officials reported no causalities.

According to the Air Force, Russian forces launched 17 Shahed kamikaze drones against Ukraine overnight. Next to the six downed in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, two were reported as destroyed in Mykolaiv Oblast, and eight more in Odesa Oblast.