“The outcome of Turkey's mediation efforts on Ukrainian grain exports will have positive impacts for the world,” Turkish President Recep Erdogan said after meeting with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Tehran. On his part, Putin stated that not all the issues had been resolved yet, but that it was good that there had been some progress. He called on the West to lift the restrictions on the export of Russian grain if it wants an improvement of the situation on the international food markets.

The Ukrainian army has struck a key bridge in Russia-controlled territory in the Southern part of the country with US-supplied HIMARS rockets, a Russia-installed regional official has announced, Reuters reports. In a video published by the Russian TASS news agency, Kirill Stremousov, deputy head of the Russia-installed administration of Kherson region states that the Ukrainian army has struck Antonovskyi bridge in Kherson, damaging the road, though there are no casualties. The bridge, which is around 1 km long, is one of two crossing points to the Russian-controlled territory on the Western side of the river, which includes the region’s main city Kherson, with a population of 280,000 prior to the Russian invasion.

The first lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska received, on behalf of her people, the dissident human rights award in recognition of the fight of the Ukrainian people against the Russian invasion. “It is an honor to be here and accept this award in the name of every Ukrainian man and woman fighting Russian aggression today,” Zelenska said during her visit to Washington DC. Olena Zelenska was welcomed to the White House by President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden, and is to address the American Congress today. From Kyiv, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said, in his nightly video address, that her statement will be important, and also that he strongly believes it will be heard by the decision-makers in USA.