Ukraine war: Six key developments you need to know today

Ukraine has struck Russian troop bases and two key bridges across the Dnipro river in long-range missile strikes overnight, Ukrainian officials said on Monday.

The strikes hit the only two crossings Russia has to the pocket of southern Ukrainian territory it has occupied on the western bank of the vast Dnipro river, said Natalia Humeniuk, spokesperson for Ukraine's southern military command.

"The results are rather respectable, hits on the Antonivskyi and Kakhovskyi bridges," she said on domestic television.

Ukrainian HIMARS strikes also hit multiple military bases in Ukraine's Russian-occupied southern city of Melitopol in the early hours, killing troops and destroying hardware, the city's mayor said.

"According to preliminary estimates, a significant amount of military equipment was destroyed," Ivan Fedorov wrote on Telegram.

Ukraine's defence minister said two weeks ago that 50 Russian ammunition depots had been destroyed by US-supplied HIMARS multiple rocket launchers, which Ukraine started using in June.

The first of the ships to leave Ukraine under a deal to unblock grain supplies, the Turkey-flagged Polarnet, arrived at its destination in Turkey on Monday.

The ship carrying 12,000 tonnes of corn docked at Derince port in the Gulf of Izmit after setting off from Chornomorsk on 5 August.

“This sends a message of hope to every family in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia: Ukraine won’t abandon you,” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba tweeted. “If Russia sticks to its obligations, the ‘grain corridor’ will keep maintaining global food security.”

A total of 10 ships have now been authorised to sail under the grain deal between Ukraine and Russia, which was brokered by Turkey and the United Nations — eight outbound and two