Russian drone hits Danube port infrastructure

KYIV, Sept 03 (Reuters/BBC/AFP): Russian drones hit Danube River port infrastructure that is critical to Ukraine's grain exports, injuring at least two people in the attack on southern parts of the Odesa region on Sunday, Ukrainian officials said.

The Danube has become Ukraine's main route for exporting grain since July, when Russia quit a U.N. and Turkey-brokered deal that had given safe passage to Kyiv's exports of grains, oilseeds and vegetables oils via the Black Sea.

Sunday's attack took place the day before Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Tayyip Erdogan are due to hold talks in the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi. Turkey has been pressing to revive the grain deal.

Ukraine's South Military Command said on social media that at least two civilians were injured in the early morning attack on what it called "civil infrastructure of the Danube".

The Ukrainian Air Force said air defence systems shot down 22 of the 25 Iranian-made Shahed drones launched by Russia.

Officials did not give details of which port facility was hit but some Ukrainian media reported blasts in the Reni port, which along with Izmail is one of Ukraine's two major ports on the Danube. The military said a fire that resulted from the attack at the facility was quickly extinguished.

Russian army recruit

280,000 soldiers

Russia's former president and Security Council chairman Dmitry Medvedev said Sunday that Moscow had recruited some 280,000 people into the army since the start of the year.

Russia has not announced another mobilisation, seen as an unpopular measure, but has led an active campaign to attract more men into the military as its Ukraine offensive drags into a 19th month.

"According to data from the ministry of defence, 280,000 people have joined the Russian army on contracts from January 1," Medvedev said, according to the TASS news agency.

"Part of them were in the reserves, part of them volunteers and other categories," he added, during a visit to the Far Eastern Russian island of Sakhalin.

Ukrainian billionaire held

in anti-corruption drive

One of Ukraine's most powerful oligarchs is to be held in custody for two months on suspicion of fraud and money laundering.

Ihor Kolomoisky is alleged to have transferred $14m (£11.1m) abroad over seven years, using banks he controlled.

His lawyers say he will not post bail and will appeal against the court order.

It marks the latest move in Ukraine's anti-corruption drive, which has targeted several high-profile figures.

Local TV footage showed Mr Kolomoisky being led away from a district court in Kyiv dressed in a blue FC Dnipro tracksuit jacket on Saturday. His defence team say he is now being held at Ukraine's security service (SBU) headquarters in the city.