The Russian invasion

The Russian invasion|The response of the outside world 

USS Gerald Ford. Wikimedia Commons US aircraft carrier visits Oslo - Russia: 'Irrational'  

On Thursday, the world's largest warship, the 333-meter-long American aircraft carrier USS Gerald R Ford, will dock in the port of Oslo. 

- This is a very concrete sign of the security guarantee Norway has through NATO, says Norwegian Defense Minister Bjørn Arild Gram according to VG.  

The message is not well received by Timur Chekanov, spokesperson for the Russian embassy in Oslo.  

"Given that Oslo recognizes that Russia poses no direct military threat to Norway, this feels like an illogical and harmful demonstration of power," he writes in an email to AFP.  

The ship, powered by two nuclear reactors, was delivered to the fleet in 2017. The maiden voyage took place last fall. It is the first redesigned US aircraft carrier in 60 years.  

F-16. David Zalubowski / AP  

The Russian invasion. The outside world's response 

EU summit: Training of Ukrainian pilots underway  

The training of Ukrainian F-16 pilots has already started in Poland and "a few other countries", says EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell according to AP. Polish authorities have not confirmed the information.  

A number of countries – including the USA, Great Britain, Denmark, the Netherlands and Belgium – have announced that they will participate in the training. Danish and British ministers have indicated that it will be launched during the summer. So far, however, no plans have been promised. 

 - It is only this autumn that we will be able to discuss possible donations of F-16 planes, says Denmark's Acting Minister of Defense Troels Lund Poulsen according to Politico.  

Grain ship in Ukraine. Andrew Kravchenko/AP  

Russian invasion Global food crisis  

Ukraine: Russia violates the grain agreement  

Grain exports from the Ukrainian port of Pivdennyi have ceased as Russia has not allowed any ships to dock since May 2, responsible minister Yuriy Vaskov told Reuters.  

He calls it a "gross violation" of the Russian-Ukrainian grain agreement signed last summer, which last week was extended for another two months. 

 - Formally speaking, the port of Pivdennyi is covered by the agreement, but in reality it has not been part of it for a month. It has no incoming ships.  

According to the agreement, ships to dock at the three Ukrainian ports covered by the agreement – Odesa, Chornomorsk and Pivdennyi – must be inspected by a team of, among others, Russian inspectors.  

Since April 29, the Russian inspectors have refused to inspect ships bound for Pivdennyi, according to Vaskov.  

Defense Minister Pål Jonson (M) Fredrik Sandberg/TT 

Russian invasionSwedish reactions  

"Sweden has no Jas to spare - they are needed here" 

 Defense Minister Pål Jonson (M) says that Sweden cannot spare any Jas Gripens for Ukraine. This is reported by TT.  

- The ones we have, we need them to protect Sweden. We have no surplus of Gripenplan, he says in connection with the defense minister's meeting in Brussels.  

The Minister of Defense points out that although Russia is now severely weakened in terms of ground forces, they are "almost intact" in terms of naval and air forces.

Russia: We have annihilated Ukrainian Belgorod force  

Russia says its forces have struck back and "destroyed" the armed group that attacked border areas on Russian soil in Belgorod, writes AFP. 

The incursion was described as the most serious attack on Russian soil since the start of the war in Ukraine and prompted Russian authorities to declare an "anti-terrorist operation" and evacuate nine border villages. 

 "The nationalist formations were blocked and destroyed by airstrikes and artillery fire," the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement, according to AFP.  

According to Russian information, several combatants must also have been pushed back across the border into Ukraine under fire. In addition, it is claimed that more than 70 "Ukrainian fighters" have been killed. AFP writes that they have not been able to independently confirm that information.  

Late yesterday there were reports of drone attacks in the region and during the day two Russian anti-Putin guerrilla groups said they had captured villages in the border region.  

Ukraine has always denied reports that it is involved in the fighting on Russian soil