'Do PR or take concrete steps', Russia warns West on food crisis amid east Ukraine fight

As Russiacontinued their operations in the east, Ukraine authorities saidSeverodonetsk city's frontline has been divided into half amid bitter fighting between Russian and Ukrainian troops.

Lugansk regional governor Sergiy Gaiday had earlier warned that Russian forces were gaining ground in Severodonetsk as both sides were engaged in fighting.

As the food crisis grows due to the Ukraine-Russia war, Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said Western countries had"created a lot of artificial problems by closing their ports to Russian ships, disrupting logistics and financial chains."

"They need to seriously consider what is more important for them: to do PR on the issue of food security or to take concrete steps to solve this problem," Russia's foreign minister added.

Lavrov said after the "demining is resolved" Russia will ensure "unhindered passage" of ships into the "Mediterranean and onwards".

Wheat supply has been hampered ever since President Putin declared the "special military operation" on February 24 with Russia and Ukraine being the main suppliers.

Watch:EU deadlock over Russian oil

The Russian president had told Turkey's President Erdogan on Monday that his country was ready to ensure maritime shipping from Ukraine to allow wheat supply.

Russia said it will return the bodies of 152 Ukrainian soldiers it claimed to have found in the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol. Earlier, hundreds of Ukrainian soldiers had surrendered to Russian forces at Azovstal's plant after weeks of heavy fighting.

Amid the war, reports said a court in Ukraine has sentenced two Russian soldiers after finding them guilty of firing artillery in civilian areas.

The Russian soldiers were found guilty of firing Grad missiles on villages in the Kharkiv region. Ukrainian authorities have opened thousands of war crimes cases amid the Russian invasion.

(With inputs from Agencies)

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