Russia claimed on Saturday that it launched precision strikes on Ukrainian military energy and transport infrastructure, while Ukraine said it had repelled Russian assaults across multiple front-line regions.
In its daily briefing, the Russian Defense Ministry reported that its forces had launched large-scale strikes on Ukraine's military energy and transportation infrastructure over the past 24 hours. According to the ministry, high-precision weapons, including Kinzhal hypersonic missiles, were used, and all intended targets were successfully hit.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine announced on the same day that, as of 16:00 local time, Russian forces had attempted about 80 assaults in a drive to advance deeper into Ukrainian territory. Ukrainian troops were reported to be actively countering Russian forces both along the front line and in the rear, repelling multiple attacks, particularly in the Lyman and Pokrovsk directions.
Russia, Ukraine renew battle reports
Global food commodity prices climbed for a second consecutive month in March, driven mainly by higher energy costs linked to escalating conflict in the Middle East, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) said in report released on Friday.
The FAO Food Price Index, which tracks monthly changes in the international prices of a basket of globally traded food commodities, averaged 128.5 points in March, up 2.4 percent from February and 1.0 percent above its level a year ago.
According to the report, the FAO Vegetable Oil Index and Sugar Price Index showed the largest increases, up 5.1 percent and 7.2 percent, respectively.
The FAO Cereal Price Index increased by 1.5 percent from the previous month, driven primarily by higher world wheat prices, which rose 4.3 percent.
The FAO Meat Price Index rose by 1.0 percent from the previous month, and the FAO All-Rice Price Index declined by 3.0 percent in March, according to the report.
FAO stated that rising energy and fertilizer prices have been driving up agricultural input costs.
If the conflict stretches beyond 40 days, farmers will have to choose to farm the same with fewer inputs, plant less, or switch to less intensive fertilizer crops, according to FAO Chief Economist Maximo Torero.
These choices will hit future yields and shape food supply and commodity prices for the rest of this year and beyond, Torero said.
Global food prices rise for 2nd consecutive month in March amid Middle East conflict: FAO
