Ukraine Latest: Blinken Says Iran May Be Sending More Drones

(Bloomberg) — Iran may be sending more attack drones to help Russia’s equipment-starved forces strike targets in Ukraine, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said.

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Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu discussed the war in Ukraine with US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin on Friday. It was the first announced call between the two since May.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said he had detailed discussions with Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid about Kyiv’s request for defense systems to help thwart Russian missiles and Iranian-made drones. Israel has offered to assist Ukraine in developing a missile warning system, but has made it clear it won’t provide weapons.

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Key Developments

Blinken Says Iran May Be Sending More Drones to Russia
IMF to Advance Monitoring Program Work as Ukraine Seeks Aid
Russia Threatens Flooding With Mined Dam, Zelenskiy Tells EU
Ukraine Grain and Dollar’s Threat to Food Security: Supply Lines
Turkey Backs Saudi Arabia in Clash With US Over Oil Output Cuts

On the Ground

Russian missiles struck Ukraine’s second-biggest city of Kharkiv on Friday morning, Oleh Synyehubov, the regional governor, said on Telegram, adding that five people were injured and industrial infrastructure damaged. Ukrainian troops repelled assaults near five settlements in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions over the past day, Ukraine’s General Staff said. Russia is likely preparing to remove military and occupation elements from the western bank of the Dnipro River in anticipation of imminent Ukrainian advances, the US-based Institute for the Study of War said. Ukraine’s “South” command spokesperson Nataliya Humeniuk said on TV that Russian troops are trying to relocate to the left bank of Dnipro.

(All times CET)

Blinken Warns of More Iranian Drones on Battlefield (3:30 a.m.)

Blinken said more Iranian military drones may be on their way to Russian forces, as the US reiterated its condemnation of Tehran for aiding President Vladimir Putin’s invasion.

“We believe that Russia’s received dozens of these UAVs so far from Iran, with more potentially in the works,” Blinken told reporters at a briefing alongside French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna on Friday, referring to unmanned aerial vehicles.

Blinken spoke a day after the White House accused Iran of sending trainers and technicians to Crimea to help advise and support Russian attacks on Ukrainian targets. He added that the US was working to counter Iran’s efforts and bolster Ukraine’s ability to ward off attacks.

IMF, Ukraine Advance Work on Monitoring Program (4:48 p.m.)

The International Monetary Fund said it will “advance work” on a monitoring program with Ukraine as the government seeks to secure billions of dollars in aid after almost eight months of war.

Andriy Pyshnyi, Ukraine’s new central bank governor, and Finance Minister Serhiy Marchenko held talks in Vienna this week with officials of the Washington-based lender.

Ukraine is seeking to borrow as much as $20 billion from the IMF to shore up its foreign reserves and budget as Russia’s invasion inflicts an economic contraction of more than 30% this year.

Infrastructure Aid Pouring in, Ukraine PM Tells Cabinet (4:30 p.m.)

The US has disbursed $55 million for the repair and maintenance of Ukraine’s gas pipelines, part of multinational aid after recent Russian attacks, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said.

Electrical power distribution equipment and parts are on the way from Belgium, Poland, Germany, Italy and other countries to Ukraine’s Ukrenergo, he said.

Separately, Shmyhal called for the UN, European Union and others to mount a monitoring mission to the occupied Kakhovska heating power plant, which Ukraine says has been mined by Russian forces ahead of a possible dam explosion on the Dnipro River above Kherson.

Russian, US Defense Chiefs Speak for First Time Since May (3:22 p.m.)

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu discussed the Ukraine war and other global security issues with US counterpart Lloyd Austin, Tass said, citing the Russian Defense Ministry.

The brief report provided no other details of the phone call. In a separate readout, the Pentagon said Austin “emphasized the importance of maintaining lines of communication amid the ongoing war.” The US last announced a call between the two on May 13.

Austin also spoke on Friday with Ukraine’s Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov, the Pentagon said.

EU Considers Naming Sanctions Envoy (3 p.m.)

The European Union may name a senior official to serve as sanctions envoy to help the bloc counter efforts to circumvent its sanctions on Russia, said Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

“Our experience is that it is very helpful to send this sanctions envoy, for example, to third countries to be very clear about what we observe,” she said.

In its most recent sanctions package, the bloc added a provision that authorizes sanctions on people and entities who send EU goods to Russia via third countries, an expansion of the EU’s reach that von der Leyen called “a very strong deterrent.”

Ukraine Restores Infrastructure, Logs Crimes in Kharkiv, Kherson (3:08 p.m.)

Ukrainian law enforcement have recorded almost 1,700 cases of military crimes by Russian occupants in 551 liberated settlements in the Kharkiv region, Kyrylo Tymoshenko, deputy head of the presidential staff, said in a video statement. In 88 settlements already de-occupied in the Kherson region, 165 cases have been registered so far.

Energy infrastructure and other critical services are being restored in both regions as thousands of civilian buildings and facilities were damaged by Russian attacks, especially. Liberated towns and villages in the Kharkiv region are being supplied with equipment for power generation and for heating, Tymoshenko said.

Zelenskiy Meets US Congress Delegation, EBRD Chief (2:30 p.m.)

Ukraine’s president met in Kyiv with three members of the US House Intelligence committee: Michael Turner of Ohio, the top-ranked Republican, and Jim Himes of Connecticut and Eric Swalwell of California, both Democrats. He repeated calls for more air defense to protect Ukrainian civilians and critical infrastructure from Russian attacks.

Zelenskiy said the delegation showed bipartisan support for Ukraine, days after House GOP leader Kevin McCarthy appeared to cast doubt on future aid should Republicans gain the majority in November’s election.

Zelenskiy also met with Odile Renaud-Basso, president of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. The pair discussed additional lending to Ukraine’s energy sector.

Musk Wades In on Ukraine Again (1 p.m.)

Elon Musk says hasn’t spoken with Vladimir Putin since the Russian president sent his troops into Ukraine. But the billionaire’s warm words for a satirical tweet from a top Kremlin official about departing UK Prime Minister Liz Truss drew him into an unusual back-and-forth over the war: Tweeting Praise for Putin Ally, Musk Wades In on Ukraine Again

Ukraine Power Grid Recovering, Data Suggest (11:20 a.m.)

Ukraine’s electricity grid showed signs of recovery after crews repaired infrastructure damaged by Russian attacks and households reduced the amount of power consumed.

Generation was exceeding demand by just 20 megawatts, equivalent to the amount of power two US homes consume in a year, according to the latest data published by the International Energy Agency. The shift into a positive balance on Friday from a deficit the day before could reduce the length and frequency of rolling blackouts.

Grid operator Ukrenergo warned consumers on Thursday to expect power outages between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. after Russia’s missile barrage against infrastructure lamed power assets.