Russian President Vladimir Putin's "special military operation" into neighboring Ukraine began on Feb. 24, with Russian forces invading from Belarus, to the north, and Russia, to the east. Ukrainian troops have offered "stiff resistance," according to U.S. officials.
The Russian military has since launched a full-scale ground offensive in eastern Ukraine's disputed Donbas region, capturing the strategic port city of Mariupol and securing a coastal corridor to the Moscow-annexed Crimean Peninsula.
Here's how the news is developing. All times Eastern.
Jul 23, 2022, 10:51 AM EDT
2 Americans killed in eastern Ukraine
Two Americans thought to have been fighting for Ukraine have died in the eastern reach of the country, according to officials.
“We can confirm the recent deaths of two U.S. citizens in the Donbas region of Ukraine,” a State Department spokesperson said. “We are in touch with the families and providing all possible consular assistance.”
One of the Americans killed has been identified as Luke Lucyszyn, his mother confirmed to ABC News.
-ABC News Shannon Crawford, Patrick Reevell and Rashid Haddou
Jul 23, 2022, 10:11 AM EDT
Russian missile strikes Odesa port, after grain deal to let ships leave
A Russian missile struck the Ukrainian port of Odesa on Saturday, just one day after Russia signed an agreement to allow grain ships to begin leaving the port.
The deal between Russia and Ukraine was mediated by Turkey and the United Nations. Fears of a global famine loomed as Russian ships had imposed a blockade on Ukraine exporting grain.
"It took less than 24 hours for the Russian Federation to launch a missile strike on the territory of the city of Odesa to question the agreement and promises made by it to the UN and Turkey in the document signed yesterday in Istanbul," the Ukrainian Embassy of Turkey said in a statement. "The Russian rocket is a spit of Vladimir Putin in the face of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Turkish President Recep Erdogan, who made a huge effort to reach the deal, and to which Ukraine is grateful."
The embassy added: "Ukraine stresses the need for persistent implementation of agreements to restore safe export of Ukrainian agricultural goods by the Black Sea from three ports: Odessa, Black Sea and South."
-ABC News' Patrick Reevell and Rashid Haddou
Jul 22, 2022, 3:12 PM EDT
Biden administration making 'preliminary explorations' into sending fighter jets
The Biden administration announced a new $270 million weapons package for Ukraine, which includes more HIMARS and drones. The administration is also in the very early stages of considering whether to send Ukraine fighter jets to counter Russia’s military, John Kirby, the National Security Council coordinator for strategic communications at the White House, said Friday
Kirby stressed that this is "not going to be something that they're going to be able to execute immediately or even in the short term," because these are advanced U.S. aircrafts and not ex-Soviet aircrafts.
In this Nov. 23, 2016, file photo, a Ukrainian MIG-29 fighter jet is parked at the Vasilkov air base outside outside Kiev, Ukraine.
Efrem Lukatsky/AP, FILE
"You’ve got to think about things like training, sustainment, maintenance that these aircraft would be required, you know, spare parts. There's a whole supply chain that goes with keeping any airframe in the air and all that has to be factored in," he said.
For now, Kirby said, the U.S. will continue to provide weapons and equipment through security packages like the new one announced Friday.
Ukrainian servicemen fire at Russian positions from a U.S.-supplied M777 howitzer in Kharkiv region, Ukraine, July 14, 2022.
Evgeniy Maloletka/AP
In this Feb. 11, 2022, file photo, Ukrainian servicemen unpack Javelin anti-tank missiles, delivered as part of the United States of America's security assistance to Ukraine, at the Boryspil airport, outside Kyiv, Ukraine.
Efrem Lukatsky/AP, FILE
This package includes four more HIMARS advanced rocket systems, additional ammunition for those systems, anti-armor systems, vehicles and 36,000 rounds of artillery ammunition to go with the howitzers Ukrainians are using.
-ABC News’ Justin Gomez
Jul 22, 2022, 11:12 AM EDT
Both nations sign agreement to end blockade on Ukraine grain
Russia and Ukraine have signed agreements to restart grain exports from Ukraine, said United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres.
The agreement between the two countries was mediated with Turkey and the United Nations.
The blockade on exporting grain from Ukraine had triggered fears of global famine.
A truck is parked at a grain terminal during barley harvesting in the Odessa region, Ukraine, June 23, 2022.
Igor Tkachenko/Reuters, FILE
The agreement "opens a path for commercial food exports from Ukraine in the Black Sea. It will help avoid a food shortage catastrophe for millions worldwide," Guterres tweeted. "It is a beacon of hope, possibility & relief."
The deal will allow for the transport of grain from three Ukrainian ports. Under the deal Ukraine will not de-mine its ports; instead there will be safe channels for cargo ships to sail through.
The agreement lasts for 120 days with the possibility of an extension.
According to Russian media, in exchange for agreeing to sign the deal, Russia received a guarantee from the U.N. to work on lifting sanctions on Russian agricultural and fertilizer exports.
