Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte, visiting the Black Sea port of Odesa, vowed on Friday to improve Ukraine’s air defences and to increase the security of a “humanitarian corridor” for grain exports.
Zelensky said Kyiv was working to strengthen its position in the Black Sea so that it can continue grain exports, which are vital to ensuring budget revenues following a surge in defence spending following Russia’s invasion last year.
“Today we had a busy day in your beautiful city of Odesa, which was dedicated to global and security issues,” Zelensky told a joint press conference with Rutte.
The Odesa region has came under frequent Russian missile and drone attacks, and Zelensky and Rutte visited a damaged port.
It comes as Russian and Ukrainian forces fought fierce battles for a fourth day around the strategically important eastern Ukrainian town of Avdiivka after Moscow launched one of its biggest military offensives in months.
In other developments, The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reported on Thursday that Vladimir Putin’s troops are subsequently “exhausted” and suffering “significant” losses, according to Russian “Vostok” Battalion Commander Alexander Khodakovsky.