INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Russia's blockade of Ukrainian grain exports sparked fresh tensions with Europe as fears grow of a global food crisis, while Kyiv accused
Moscow of stepping up attacks in the east of the country.In New York, Dmitry Muratov, the Russian editor-in-chief of the independent
newspaper Novaya Gazeta, auctioned off his Nobel Peace Prize gold medal for $103.5 million to benefit children displaced by the war.Since
being repelled from Kyiv and other parts of Ukraine following the February invasion, Moscow is focusing its offensive on the eastern Donbas
region.Its navy is blockading ports, which Ukraine says is preventing millions of tonnes of grain from being shipped to world markets,
Josep Borrell called the Russian blockade "a real war crime," which was happening "while in the rest of the world people are suffering
hunger."Moscow denies responsibility for the disruption to deliveries and, following Borrell's comments, took aim at the "destructive"
and destroyers," said Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Kyiv was engaged in "complex
warned that the continent was a "hostage" of the conflict, and rising food prices "have already brought (the war) to the homes of millions
of African families."'Extremely tough'With the European Union set to decide at a summit this week on whether to grant Ukraine candidate
The settlement is adjacent to Severodonetsk, which has been the focus of fighting for weeks and is now largely under Russian control.A
chemical plant in Severodonetsk where hundreds of civilians are said to be sheltering was being shelled "constantly," Ukraine said.Sergiy
town and village under Ukrainian control in the Lugansk region is under almost non-stop fire," he said on Ukrainian TV.He added in a
"catastrophic destruction."Three people were injured and seven more missing after Ukrainian forces attacked oil drilling platforms in the
Black Sea off the coast of Crimea, which was annexed by Russia in 2014, Moscow-backed Crimea leader Sergey Aksyonov said.It was the first
official said Tuesday it could join Russia "before the end of the year."The city of Kramatorsk, about 50 kilometers (30 miles) from
Severodonetsk, is yet to experience the intense battles seen closer to the frontline but residents are worried the conflict will reach
ZelenskyIn the United States, Novaya Gazeta editor Muratov's Nobel medal was sold to an as yet unidentified phone bidder.Muratov, who won
the prize in 2021 alongside journalist Maria Ressa of the Philippines, and others at the auction expressed shock when the final bid came in
News that two Americans captured in Ukraine while fighting with Kyiv's military were "endangering" Russian soldiers and should be "held
military veterans, according to NBC.Denmark meanwhile became the latest European country to warn of potential gas supply problems when its
energy agency issued an early warning, as Moscow reduces supplies in response to sanctions.In a lighter moment, Hollywood star Ben Stiller
met Zelensky in Kyiv, hailing the comedian-turned-president as "my hero.""What you've done, the way that you've rallied the country, the
world, it's really inspiring," said the 56-year-old, best known for roles in "Meet the Parents" and "Night at the Museum."
