Ukraine updates: Russia holds Black Sea live-fire exercise

The Russian Navy conducted a live fire "exercise" in the northwest Black Sea on Friday, Russian state news agency RIA reported, citing the Russian Defense Ministry.

Moscow's exercises in the region come days after the Kremlin said it would consider blowing up ships traveling to Ukraine through the Black Sea.

In response, Kyiv said ships bound for Russia or Russian-occupied ports in Ukraine could be considered military targets.

Here are more major developments in Russia's war in Ukraine from Thursday, July 21:

Russia conducts naval exercises in Black Sea

The Russian Navy carried out a live fire "exercise" in the northwest Black Sea on Friday, Moscow-owned state news agency RIA reported, citing the Russian Defense Ministry.

"The target ship was destroyed as a result of a missile strike," the Russian Defense Ministry said in a Telegram post.

The Black Sea Fleet fired anti-ship cruise missiles during the said exercises, RIA reported, adding that the fleet's ships and aviation crew practiced isolating and detaining vessels.

Moscow's exercises in the region come days after the Kremlin said it would consider blowing up ships traveling to Ukraine through the Black Sea.

Russia has also declared unspecified areas of northwestern and southeastern parts of the international waters of the Black Sea as "temporarily dangerous for passage."

In response, Kyiv said ships bound for Russia or Russian-occupied ports in Ukraine could be considered military targets.

Poland to move soldiers to east of country

Poland's security committee decided to move some p military units to the country's east to mitigate risks of the Wagner Group's presence in Belarus, the state-run PAP news agency reported Friday, adding that the committee reached the decision on Wednesday.

"Training or joint exercises of the Belarusian army and the Wagner Group is undoubtedly a provocation," Zbigniew Hoffmann, secretary of the committee told PAP.

"The committee analysed possible threats, such as the dislocation of Wagner Group units. Therefore, the Minister of National Defense, chairman of the Committee, Mariusz Blaszczak, decided to move our military formations from the west to the east of Poland."

The Belarusian Defence Ministry had earlier said that Wagner mercenaries had started to train Belarusian special forces at a military range just a few miles from the border with NATO member Poland.