ODESA, Ukraine/KYIV, July 30(ABC): Dozens of Ukrainian prisoners of war appeared to have been killed when a prison building was destroyed in a missile strike or explosion, with Moscow and Kyiv accusing each other of responsibility on Friday.
The deaths, some of which were confirmed by Reuters journalists at the prison where the men were held in eastern Donetsk province, overshadowed a UN brokered deal to restart shipping grain from Ukraine and ease a worldwide food crisis.
The deal was discussed by the top diplomats of the United States and Russia on Friday in their first phone call since before Russia’s invasion of its neighbour began on Feb. 24.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told US Secretary of State Antony Blinken that Washington was not living up to promises regarding the exemption of food from sanctions, the foreign ministry said. For his part Blinken said he told Lavrov the world expected Russia to fulfil its commitments under the grains agreement between Ukraine and Russia.
