BEIJING, Aug. 10 (Xinhua) -- The following are the latest developments in the Ukraine crisis:
Aviation munitions went off at an airfield in western Crimea on Tuesday, causing no casualties so far, the Russian Defense Ministry said.
Several aviation munitions were detonated at a storage area on the territory of the Saki airfield near the settlement of Novofedorovka, the ministry said, adding that the blast caused no damage to aviation equipment.
The ministry said measures are being taken to extinguish the fire and uncover the cause of the explosion.
- - - -
Twelve ships carrying more than 370,000 tonnes of agricultural products to seven countries left Ukrainian ports during the nine days since the "grain corridor" started operating, the Ukrainian government-run Ukrinform news agency on Tuesday cited a Facebook post of the Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority as saying.
"One ship entered the Chornomorsk port for loading," it added.
- - - -
Ukraine has received 50 Turkish-made Kirpi armored vehicles, Yuriy Mysyagin, deputy head of the Committee on National Security, Defense and Intelligence of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, said Tuesday on Telegram.
The vehicles produced by Türkiye-based military vehicle manufacturer BMC were handed over to two marine brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Mysyagin said.
Another batch of 150 Kirpi vehicles equipped with machine guns and fire extinguishing systems is set to be delivered to Ukraine soon, Mysyagin added.
- - - -
From July 8 to Aug. 5, the number of foreign mercenaries in Ukraine decreased from 2,741 to 2,192, the Russian Defense Ministry said Tuesday.
During this period, 335 foreign fighters were confirmed killed, and another 389 left Ukrainian territory on their own, the ministry said in a daily briefing, adding 175 more foreign fighters arrived in Ukraine in the meantime.
- - - -
The Ukrainian government on Tuesday signed an agreement with the World Bank to receive 4.5 billion U.S. dollars in grant funds from the United States, said the Ukrainian Finance Ministry.
The deal was signed by Ukrainian Finance Minister Serhiy Marchenko and World Bank Regional Country Director for Eastern Europe Arup Banerji.
- - - -
Botswanan President Mokgweetsi Masisi on Tuesday called for a peaceful solution to the Ukraine-Russia conflict.
In a post on his official Twitter account, Masisi said he had a telemeeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The two leaders also discussed the need for Ukraine to continue grain exportation to ensure food security particularly for African countries. ■