Grain warehouses in Odessa are attacked, giving Pheu Thai an opportunity to form a government.

The theft of aid weapons in Ukraine, Turkey urging Sweden to expedite its NATO accession as agreed… are some of the notable international news stories of the past 24 hours.

China is closely monitoring the multilateral Talisman Sabre exercise hosted by Australia. (Source: Australian Department of Defence )

The World & Vietnam newspaper highlights some of the day's most prominent international news.

* Russia destroys Ukrainian command and signal center: At a press conference on July 20, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Major General Igor Konashenko stated: “In the area near Avdiikva and Torskoye in the self-proclaimed Donetsk Republic (DPR), the signal center of the 110th Mechanized Brigade and the command post of the 63rd Mechanized Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces (VSU) were destroyed.”

The official stated that in recent days, the Russian Armed Forces (VS RF) have "neutralized" Ukrainian attacks in the Kupyansk direction. Accordingly, in the past 24 hours, Ukraine has lost 110 people, 1 infantry fighting vehicle, 1 Msta-B howitzer, and 1 D-20 howitzer.

According to Major General Igor Konashenko, over the past day, the VS RF (Vietnamese Nationalist Party) continued to repel numerous attacks in Krasny Liman, as well as 16 other attacks in the Donetsk region, inflicting hundreds of casualties on the VSU (Vietnamese Nationalist Party) and significant losses of Western-supplied equipment. (TASS)

* Russia : Ukraine “commits terrorist attacks” in the Black Sea : On July 21, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov criticized Ukraine for endangering civilian shipping in the Black Sea, and accused Kyiv of carrying out dangerous actions in the region.

He said: "Unpredictable actions and, moreover, Kyiv's involvement in dangerous actions certainly pose a threat to the region."

Regarding whether Russian oil tankers and other cargo ships from the country's Black Sea port system are at risk, and the possibility of Moscow adjusting the routes of ships in the Black Sea, the Kremlin stated that the relevant Russian government agencies will make the decision. Peskov said: “We are analyzing the situation, and it is the responsibility of the relevant agencies to make appropriate recommendations to minimize the risks.” (Reuters)

* Ukraine: Russia attacks grain warehouses in Odessa region : On July 21, writing on Telegram , the governor of the region, Oleh Kiper, stated that Russian missiles had struck a grain storage facility belonging to an agricultural enterprise in the Odessa region of southern Ukraine. The official clarified: “Unfortunately, a grain warehouse belonging to an agricultural enterprise in the Odessa region was hit. The attackers destroyed 100 tons of beans and 20 tons of barley.” (TASS)

* Ukraine achieves “certain” success on the ground: On July 20, in a phone call with the Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Mark Milley, the Commander-in-Chief of the VSU, General Valery Zaluzhny, announced that the Ukrainian army had achieved “certain success” in several directions. However, Zaluzhny emphasized that Ukrainian soldiers had to overcome “extremely complex” minefields set up by Russian engineers, anti-tank barriers, and meticulously calculated destructive fire systems. He affirmed that Ukraine needed F-16 fighter jets to regain the advantage on the ground: “Even a limited number would be enough.”

For his part, General Mark Milley assessed: “Most of Ukraine’s casualties in the counteroffensive did not come from Russian fire. Instead, they came from minefields – minefields supported by anti-tank fire.” (Reuters)

* Ukraine begins using US-supplied cluster munitions : On July 20, the Washington Post (WP), citing informed Ukrainian officials, reported that Kyiv has begun using cluster munitions in southeastern Ukraine. According to the report, these weapons have been fired at Russian positions to destroy fortifications and slow down Ukraine's counterattack. It is expected that these munitions will be used near the city of Bakhmut, currently under Russian control.

* Czech Republic and Germany discuss joint purchase of Leopard tanks: On July 21, German Defense Minister Boris Pistotius began an official visit to Prague.

During official talks, Czech Defense Minister Jana Cernochova confirmed that Prague wants to negotiate a joint purchase with Berlin of approximately 70 new Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks, worth billions of dollars. She emphasized that in May, the government authorized her to negotiate the possibility of the Czech Republic and Germany participating in a tender for this modern tank. (VNA)

* Pentagon : Some weapons sent to Ukraine were stolen : On July 21 , CNN (USA) cited a monthly report from the Pentagon Inspector General stating that last year, some Western weapons sent to Ukraine were stolen and subsequently recovered.

Specifically, the October 2022 report summarizes data from February to the end of September 2022, stating that criminals, "volunteer fighters," and arms traffickers stole some weapons and equipment supplied by the West to the Ukrainian army, but these weapons were subsequently "returned."

Accordingly, some military equipment was stolen by "arms smugglers" from the front line in southern Ukraine, as well as a group of people posing as members of humanitarian organizations stealing bulletproof vests worth $17,000. In August 2022, Ukrainian intelligence agencies discovered that soldiers of a volunteer battalion had stolen 60 rifles and nearly 1,000 rounds of ammunition, "presumably to sell on the black market."

The report also assessed that larger equipment such as missiles and helicopters are easier to manage than smaller items like night vision goggles. In late October 2022, US officials resumed inspections of Ukrainian weapons stockpiles to “better monitor where those weapons are being delivered.”

Earlier, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stated that the US State Department should pay closer attention to the fact that weapons supplied to Ukraine are being smuggled onto the black market and distributed not only in Europe, but also to other continents. (CNN)

Southeast Asia

* Thai Prime Minister Election: MFP Withdraws, Pheu Thai Takes the Lead? On July 21, Chaithawat Tulathon, Secretary-General of the Forward Party (MFP), confirmed that the party had decided to withdraw, allowing the Pheu Thai party to lead a potential coalition to form a new government. According to him, the fact that both the MFP and Pheu Thai won the most and second most seats in the lower house of parliament, respectively, in the general election held on May 14, reflects the people's desire for a new government that includes parties outside the ruling coalition of the previous government.

Furthermore, the MFP Secretary-General affirmed that the party's main goal was not to help leader Pita Limjaroenrat become the next prime minister, but rather to "establish a democratic government" in accordance with the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between the eight parties. However, after two failed attempts to nominate Pita as prime minister, the MFP decided to give this opportunity to Pheu Thai.

Chaithawat Tulathon confirmed that at the next meeting of the Thai Parliament on July 27th to elect the prime minister, the MFP will nominate a candidate from Pheu Thai. Meanwhile, the Pheu Thai party may also nominate a candidate of its own choosing. (Bangkok Post)

South Pacific

* Chinese spy ship monitors exercises off the coast of Australia : On July 21, speaking at a press conference aboard HMAS Canberra, the Chief of Joint Operations of Australia, Lieutenant General Greg Bilton, announced that a Chinese spy ship had been detected off the northeastern coast of Australia on July 20: “On July 20, the ship was in the Coral Sea. I believe it would move south and closely monitor the exercises… Beijing has been doing this for years – we are well prepared to respond.” Lieutenant General Bilton assessed China’s response as “polite and consistent with common rules at sea.”

He acknowledged that Australian defense officials “had not been in contact with the Chinese side” ahead of the exercise. The military official asserted: “This exercise is for us, for our partner nations, to build interoperability, trust and the ability to respond together to any crisis that may arise in the region in the future.”

On the same day, Australia conducted the large-scale joint military exercise “Talisman Sabre” with the United States and nearly 10 other countries. The “Talisman Sabre” exercise takes place every two years and involves more than 30,000 soldiers from 13 countries, including the United Kingdom, Japan, Indonesia, Canada, and France. (VNA)

Northeast Asia

* Japan closely monitors joint Russia-China military exercises : On July 21, Japanese Foreign Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa stated, "We are closely monitoring the current joint military exercises between Russia and China from the perspective of ensuring our country's security."

On July 20, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced that Russia and China had begun joint naval and air exercises, "Northern Interaction-2023," in the Sea of ​​Japan, which will run until July 23. According to Russia, this activity aims to strengthen military and naval cooperation between Russia and China, and to protect stability and peace in the Asia-Pacific region.

Last month, forces from Beijing and Moscow conducted a joint air patrol in the Sea of ​​Japan and the East China Sea. South Korea deployed fighter jets as a precaution. (TASS)

* US-South Korean nuclear officials express concern over North Korea : On July 21, the South Korean Foreign Ministry announced that Kim Gunn, the country's special representative for peace and security issues on the Korean Peninsula, and his US counterpart Sung Kim met in Tokyo. Kim said: “Both sides expressed deep concern over North Korea’s continued rejection of dialogue proposals from South Korea, the United States, Japan, and the international community, blaming other countries for escalating tensions, and urged North Korea to quickly return to denuclearization talks.”

The two special envoys also criticized North Korea's missile and nuclear development, while agreeing to maintain a strong defensive posture. They pledged to strengthen cooperation with the international community and continue communication with China. Both stressed that Beijing has a "constructive and responsible role" in North Korea's nuclear issue as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council. (Yonhap)

* Ukrainian President dismisses Ambassador to the UK : On July 21, Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed Ambassador Vadym Prystaiko, but did not specify the reason. Prystaiko also no longer represents Ukraine at the International Maritime Organization (IMO).

Earlier, the diplomat had criticized President Zelensky's response to British Defence Secretary Ben Wallace's suggestion that Ukraine needed to show more gratitude for military aid from its allies. (AFP/Reuters)

* Military UAV that crashed in Poland belonged to the US: On July 21, the Polish Ministry of Defense confirmed that the reconnaissance drone that crashed in southwestern Poland on the evening of July 18 had been used by US soldiers for training flights: “Information obtained indicates that during a training flight by US soldiers, contact with the UAV was lost and it subsequently crashed into a forest. No one was injured, and there was no damage after the incident... The UAV has been taken over by the US.” (Reuters)

* Poland moves troops eastward due to concerns about Wagner Group : On July 21, the Polish news agency PAP quoted Zbigniew Hoffmann, Secretary of the country's Security Committee, as stating: “The joint training or exercises of the Belarusian army and the Wagner Group are certainly a provocative act… The Committee has analyzed the potential threats, such as the disruption of Wagner units. Therefore, the Minister of Defense, chairman of the Committee, Mariusz Blaszczak, has decided to move our military formation from western to eastern Poland.”

Earlier, Warsaw had deployed 500 police officers to bolster security at the border amid a surge in migrants crossing the border and the presence of Wagner troopers. (PAP)

* Turkey urges Sweden to expedite NATO accession : On July 21, Haberturk (Turkey) quoted President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as saying that Ankara would take action to ratify Sweden's membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), in line with the steps taken by Stockholm. The leader hoped Sweden would keep its promise.

Speaking on his flight back home after visiting the Gulf and northern Cyprus, he asserted: "It would be beneficial for Sweden if it took concrete steps regarding the fight against terrorist organizations and the extradition of terrorists... We expect them to fulfill their commitments."

The leader said that his planned talks with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin could help revive the Black Sea Grains Initiative, and suggested that the West should consider Moscow's proposal. (Reuters)

* Saudi Arabia summons Swedish representative to protest burning of Quran : On the evening of July 20, the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that it would hand over to the Swedish chargé d'affaires “a protest note including Saudi Arabia’s request for the Swedish authorities to take all immediate and necessary measures to stop these shameful acts.”

The move comes amid rising tensions between Sweden and Iraq and other Muslim countries following an incident last month in which an Iraqi refugee living in Sweden burned a Quran outside Stockholm's main mosque. In the latest incident, on July 20, a refugee named Salwan Momika (37) stepped on the Quran but did not burn it. (AFP)

* Yemeni government reopens Ghaydah international airport after 9 years : On July 20, the Sana'a authorities announced the reopening of Al Ghaydah international airport in the eastern province of Al Mahrah, nine years after military conflict broke out. According to the state news agency Saba, this is a significant step forward in Yemen, offering new hope for economic opportunities and improved connectivity, although many challenges remain.

According to Yemen's Minister of Transport, Abdul-Salam Humaid, the reopening of Al Ghaydah Airport marks a significant milestone, as it is the fourth international airport under government control to resume flights. (Xinhua)

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/tin-the-gioi-217-kho-ngu-coc-o-odessa-bi-tan-cong-pheu-thai-co-co-hoi-lap-chinh-phu-235470.html