Russia's war on Ukraine latest: Moscow, Washington trade blame after Black Sea drone crash

Sweden and Finland applied last year to join the defence pact after Russia invaded Ukraine but faced objections from Turkey. * Turkey will continue discussions to extend a deal that allows grain shipments from Ukraine's Black Sea ports for 120 rather than 60 days, Turkey said.

Moscow told Washington to keep well away from its air space after a U.S. drone intercepted by Russian jets crashed into the Black Sea, the first known direct confrontation between the superpowers since Russia invaded Ukraine.

U.S. DRONE INCIDENT

* The Russian and U.S. defence ministers held a phone call on Wednesday, the Russian defence ministry said, a day after a U.S. military drone crashed over the Black Sea.

* Russia's ambassador to the United States said he had told Washington that Russia would "no longer allow anybody to violate our waters".

* Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the United States was "ignoring" the fact that Russia had established air space restrictions in the area. * The U.S. military surveillance drone's crash into the Black Sea is being investigated, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said, declining to speak on the intent or the motivation behind the incident.

ECONOMY, DIPLOMACY

* Turkey's parliament is "highly likely" to ratify Finland's NATO accession bid before mid-April, two Turkish officials told Reuters. Sweden and Finland applied last year to join the defence pact after Russia invaded Ukraine but faced objections from Turkey.

* Turkey will continue discussions to extend a deal that allows grain shipments from Ukraine's Black Sea ports for 120 rather than 60 days, Turkey said. Berlin said it should continue indefinitely.

* Ukraine's grain exports for the 2022/23 season stood at 34.7 million tonnes as of March 15, hit by a smaller harvest and logistical difficulties caused by Russia's invasion.

FIGHTING, POLITICS

* Ukraine's top military command favours defending eastern Ukraine including the besieged city of Bakhmut and inflicting maximum losses on the enemy, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said.

QUOTES

* "Since the beginning of February, they (the Russians) have conducted something like 40 to 50 attempted assaults," 45-year-old Ukrainian commander Andrii "Tuman" told Reuters in a village near Kreminna, Luhansk.