Russia-Ukraine war – live: Putin admits Kyiv’s attacks have intensified ‘significantly’
Vladimir Putin has admitted that Ukrainian attacks have intensified in recent days, as Kyiv ramps up the counteroffensive against Russian troops.
Speaking in St Petersburg at a summit of African leaders, the Russian president admitted that attacks by Ukrainian forces have “intensified significantly”, primarily in the Zaporizhzhia region.
He claimed Ukraine had not enjoyed success on the front lines, despite experts at the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reporting that Volodymyr Zelensky’s troops “appear to have broken through certain pre-prepared Russian defensive positions” in Zaporizhzhia.
Battles in recent weeks have taken place on multiple points along the 1,500-kilometer front line as Ukraine wages its counteroffensive.
The ISW on Thursday said that Ukraine had launched a “significant mechanised counteroffensive operation in western Zaporizhzhia”, while a Western official said that Mr Zelensky has committed thousands of troops to the region in recent days.
Ukrainian officials have been mostly silent about battlefield developments since they began early counteroffensive operations, though deputy defence minister Hanna Maliar said troops are advancing toward the city of Melitopol in the region.
Key Points
Kyiv is said to have launched a major push against Russian forces in southeastern Ukraine
Putin’s forces pushed back around Bakhmut in Ukrainian counteroffensive
Russia hits port infrastructure in Ukraine’s Odesa region
Putin ‘looked paralysed and unable to act’ as Wagner coup unfolded
Wagner gold smuggling critical to keeping Russia’s economy afloat, MPs say
Russia claims Ukrainian drone downed near Moscow - RIA
05:07 , Arpan Rai
Russian air defences downed a Ukrainian military drone before it could attack its targets near Moscow today, Russia’s defence ministry said, reported RIA news agency.
The ministry said the incident has caused no casualties or damage to buildings.
It is not immediately clear what kind of drone was used in the purported attack and where was it intercepted.
Even Putin admits Ukraine has stepped up attacks on Russia’s forces – but progress will be slow
04:45 , Arpan Rai
Ukraine is believed to be pushing hard to punch through heavily fortified Russian defences in the country’s southeast – with even president Vladimir Putin admitting that “hostilities have intensified significantly”.
Kyiv is seeking to move towards the coast of the Sea of Azov – to break through the land corridor between Russia and the Crimean Peninsula, illegally annexed by Moscow in 2014.
The aim would be to split Russian forces into two and cut supply lines to units farther west. Ukraine’s military has said that Russia was launching intense artillery and aerial bombardments to try and slow down Kyiv’s troops.
Askold Krushelnycky writes from Kyiv:
Putin admits Ukraine has stepped up attacks on his forces – but progress will be slow
Ukraine targeting stronghold of Putin’s troops in war
04:13 , Arpan Rai
The new focus of Ukraine’s military action is now on the southward drive of Staromlynivka, a village less than 5 km (three miles) away from the recently recaptured Ukrainian village Staromaiorske.
“It really serves as a stronghold for the Russian occupiers, the peak of the second defensive line in this location,” Ukrainian military analyst Oleksandr Kovalenko said in an interview with Ukraine’s media outlet RBC UA.
The push to repel Russia from the southward region is aimed at severing the land bridge Russian forces have created linking areas occupied in the east in the 17-month-old invasion and the illegally annexed Crimea.
Ukraine’s military seeing success on one frontline as village recaptured
04:02 , Arpan Rai
Ukraine’s military has confirmed securing battlefield success after recapturing another village in the besieged country.
The military and war-time president Volodymyr Zelensky have confirmed success on one of the front lines in southeast Ukraine.
In a video published by president Zelensky last night, he confirmed Ukrainian troops had taken the village of Staromaiorske.
“I thank everyone who is fighting for Ukraine! Thank you for the liberation of Staromaiorske. Congratulations again, guys!” he said in his nightly address.
This comes as Western nations have indicated of a major warfare taking place.
Ukraine’s military had earlier said it was “solidifying positions” it had reached in the same area, east of the city of Zaporizhzhia.
Watch: Life after the Kakhovka dam explosion | On The Ground
04:00 , Martha Mchardy
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03:00 , Martha Mchardy
Ukraine MP being investigated for taking family holiday in Maldives amid Russian invasion
02:00 , Martha Mchardy
Ukrainian authorities are reportedly conducting an investigation to determine whether a member of parliament violated the law by taking a family holiday to the Maldives.
Earlier in January this year, the Ukrainian president banned officials from travelling abroad for non-governmental purposes.
The security service has initiated a criminal case to ascertain whether member of parliament, Yuriy Aristov provided false information to the authorities. He faces up to three years in prison if convicted.
Maroosha Muzaffar reports:
Ukraine MP being investigated for taking holiday in Maldives amid Russian invasion
Ukrainian MP backs Scottish munitions workers strike which could impact missiles sent to Ukraine
01:00 , Martha Mchardy
A Ukrainian MP has backed workers at a Scottish munitions depot who are set to strike next month.
Staff at the Defence Equipment & Support (DES) site in Beith, North Ayrshire, will walk out between August 4 and 7 after 93% of them backed strike action.
According to the GMB union, staff are split into two categories, craft and non-craft workers, with the former tasked with assembling weapons and the latter transporting them within the site and loading shipments.
Retention bonuses, the union claims, are paid to managers and craft staff, but non-craft workers - who earn less than £21,000 per year - do not receive the payments, meaning the pay gap between the two classifications has tripled to £18,000.
Strikes - like the two-day walkout earlier this month - will impact on the supply of Storm Shadow and Brimstone missiles to Ukraine in its fight against the Russian invasion, but a high-profile MP from the country has backed the workers at the depot.
Lesia Vasylenko, who decided to train in the use of guns to defend Ukraine and made a number of appearances in the UK to drum up support, said: “The work being done by GMB Scotland members at Beith could not be more important to Ukraine as we fight for our freedom.
“I thank every one of them for their efforts, support their fight for fairness and urge managers to quickly negotiate an end to this dispute and ensure their crucial work continues.”
Her intervention comes after Ukrainian trade unions sent their support to the workers at the depot earlier this week.
Ireland won’t offer condolences to Russia if Putin dies, Varadkar says
Friday 28 July 2023 00:00 , Martha Mchardy
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said he does not think the Irish government would offer condolences to Russia in the event of Vladimir Putin’s death.
Mr Varadkar was responding to a question relating to Ireland’s historical foreign policy.
He said he did not believe an Irish delegation would be present at the Russian president’s funeral.
The hypothetical situation relates to events almost 80 years ago.
The Irish government adhered to a strict policy of neutrality throughout the Second World War.
Read the full story:
Ireland won’t offer condolences to Russia if Putin dies, Varadkar says
Watch: Zelensky presents medals to war medics at Dnipro hospital
Thursday 27 July 2023 23:00 , Martha Mchardy
Even Putin admits Ukraine has stepped up attacks on Russia’s forces – but progress will be slow
Thursday 27 July 2023 22:00 , Martha Mchardy
Ukraine officials are cautious over the fresh push in their counteroffensive but say steady progress is being made in the south and east, writes Askold Krushelnycky from Kyiv.
Putin admits Ukraine has stepped up attacks on his forces – but progress will be slow
Head of US 'KleptoCapture' unit targeting Russian oligarchs leaves DOJ
Thursday 27 July 2023 21:38 , Martha Mchardy
The top prosecutor on a U.S. government task force targeting Russian oligarchs’ assets as a means to pressure Moscow into ending its war in Ukraine said on Thursday he is leaving the Department of Justice.
Andrew Adams, who has led the “KleptoCapture” task force since its inception in March 2022, will be replaced by his deputies Michael Khoo and David Lim, a DOJ spokesperson said.
“It was a privilege to cap this time in service of the Department’s response to the war in Ukraine,” Adams, a 10-year Justice Department veteran, wrote in a LinkedIn post.
In launching the task force, U.S. attorney general Merrick Garland said it would enforce sanctions and export controls designed to freeze Russia out of global markets, and confiscate assets obtained through unlawful conduct.
During Adams’ tenure, the unit unveiled indictments against aluminum magnate Oleg Deripaska and TV tycoon Konstantin Malofeyev for alleged sanctions busting, and seized yachts belonging to sanctioned oligarchs Suleiman Kerimov and Viktor Vekselberg.
It also won a court order letting prosecutors confiscate $5.4 million from Malofeyev’s U.S. bank account, the first of what authorities hope will be a slew of transfers of oligarchs’ funds to Ukraine for reconstruction efforts.
More recently, the task force has focused on people accused of helping oligarchs evade sanctions, securing a guilty plea from a U.S. lawyer who admitted to paying taxes, insurance and other fees for Vekselberg’s New York properties.
Exiled Wagner chief Prigozhin ‘spotted at Putin’s Africa summit’
Thursday 27 July 2023 21:34 , Martha Mchardy
Exiled Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin has been spotted at an international summit in Russia.
A Newly-surfaced photo appears to show Mr Prigozhin at Russia-Africa summit hosted by Russian president Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg, shaking hands with a senior aide to president Touadéra of the Central African Republic (CAR), whose regime is propped up by Wagner fighters, The Times reported.
It is unclear when the picture was taken, but it was posted on Facebook on Thursday by Dmitry Sytyi, a senior Wagner figure in CAR.
Mr Prigozhin reportedly met with president Touadéra’s chief of protocol at Trezzini Palace hotel, which is owned by the Wagner chief.
It is the first sighting of the Wagner chief since his failed mutiny, which saw him and his troops exiled to Belarus in a deal drunk with Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko.
The revolt posed the most serious threat to president Putin during his 23-year rule, eroding his authority and exposing the cracks in the military in regard to the Kremlin’s handling of its 16-month invasion of Ukraine.
Putin promises grain aid to Africa despite withdrawing from Ukraine deal
Thursday 27 July 2023 21:30 , Martha Mchardy
Vladimir Putin has told African leaders that Russia will ship 50,000 tonnes of grain aid to six countries in the continent despite withdrawing from a deal with Ukraine.
Speaking at a summit in St Petersburg on Thursday, attended by many of Africa’s heads of state, the Russian president said he was committed to “averting a global food crisis”.
Earlier this month, Russia declined to renew the agreement with Ukraine to reopen Black Sea Ports, which had been blocked by fighting in its illegal invasion of the country, to ensure safe passage of ships. The Kremlin said in withdrawing that its own exports were being held up.
Both Russia and Ukraine are major grain suppliers to Africa and Mr Putin has pledged to deliver the aid to Burkina Faso, Zimbabwe, Mali, Somalia, Eritrea and the Central African Republic in the next three to four months.
William Mata reports:
Putin promises grain aid to Africa despite withdrawing from Ukraine deal
Moldova expels 45 Russian diplomats and embassy staff over ‘attempts to destabilise’ country
Thursday 27 July 2023 21:00 , Martha Mchardy
Moldova has expelled 45 Russian diplomats and embassy staff members in Chisinau, citing Moscow’s “unfriendly actions” amid further deteriorating relations over the war in neighbouring Ukraine.
“We agreed on the need to limit the number of accredited diplomats from Russia, so that there are fewer people trying to destabilise the Republic of Moldova,” foreign minister Nicu Popescu said at a cabinet meeting.
The foreign ministry said the decision was based on “numerous unfriendly actions” towards Moldova, “which are not related to the diplomatic mandate, as well as attempts to destabilise” the country.
Shweta Sharma reports:
Moldova expels 45 Russian diplomats and embassy staff over ‘unfriendly actions’
White House: Russia grain deal withdrawal has sparked price volatility
Thursday 27 July 2023 20:30 , Martha Mchardy
Russia’s withdrawal from a deal that had allowed Ukraine to export its badly needed grain has sparked volatility in grain prices, the White House said on Thursday.
Press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters that the Black Sea grain initiatives have resulted in more than 32 million tons of grain being exported to rural markets.
“Russia’s actions to take such a significant amount of food products off the world markets will exacerbate hunger in some of the hardest-hit areas of the world, including Africa,” she said.
Zelensky posts video of soldiers saying they recaptured Staromaiorske in the east
Thursday 27 July 2023 20:07 , Martha Mchardy
President Volodymyr Zelensky posted a video online with Ukrainian soldiers saying they have recaptured Ukrainian village of Staromaiorske in Donetsk region.
Zelensky posted the video on his Telegram channel.
Watch: Russian defence minister meets Kim Jong-un during visit to arms exhibition in North Korea
Thursday 27 July 2023 20:00 , Martha Mchardy
Poland's ruling party leader vows to protect the EU border with Russia's ally Belarus
Thursday 27 July 2023 19:30 , Martha Mchardy
The European Union’s border with Russian ally Belarus has become more dangerous because of Russia’s military presence there, and securing the frontier is the Polish government’s top priority, Poland’s ruling party leader said Thursday.
Jaroslaw Kaczynski, a deputy prime minister and head of the conservative Law and Justice party, made the comments while visiting the village of Koden on the EU’s border with Belarus. The Polish defense minister was due to meet with troops on the border later in the day.
Amid Russia’s aggression in Ukraine, thousands of Russia’s Wagner mercenaries have deployed to Belarus over the past month, and the Kremlin says it also has moved some of its short-range nuclear weapons into Belarus.
Poland's ruling party leader vows to protect the EU border with Russia's ally Belarus
Ukrainian fencer disqualified from world championships for refusing handshake with Russian opponent
Thursday 27 July 2023 19:00 , Martha Mchardy
Ukrainian fencer Olga Kharlan has been disqualified after refusing to shake hands with Russian Anna Smirnova at the FIE Fencing World Championships in Milan.
Kharlan, a four-time Olympic medallist and world champion, won the individual sabre bout 15-7 and then refused to shake hands with her opponent.
Smirnova remained on the piste for over half an hour after the incident, staging a sit-down protest and speaking with a number of officials before leaving.
Ukrainian athletes in other sports – including tennis players Elina Svitolina and Marta Kostyuk – have also refused to shake hands with Russian and Belarusian opponents following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, with Moscow using Belarus as a staging ground for what it calls a “special military operation”.
In fencing’s rules, shaking an opponent’s hand is mandatory and failure to do so results in a “black card”.
Ukrainian fencer disqualified for refusing handshake with Russian opponent
Watch: Life after the Kakhovka dam explosion | On The Ground
Thursday 27 July 2023 18:30 , Martha Mchardy
In June, a catastrophic explosion destroyed the Kakhovkadam in southern Ukraine, flooding huge areas of land. As the flood waters recede, Bel Trew has travelled to the affected areas to find shellshocked Ukrainians trying to put their lives back together.
Homes and businesses have been destroyed by the floods, with many citizens displaced. It’s also destroyed huge swathes of agricultural land that Ukraine needed to grow grain and crops for worldwide distribution. And on the horizon, fears about the occupied nuclear power plant linger.
Watch On The Ground on Independent TV - across desktop, mobile and connected TV.
Life after the Kakhovka dam explosion | On The Ground
Belarus-EU borders may be closed if Wagner group incidents happen, Poland says
Thursday 27 July 2023 18:00 , Martha Mchardy
Poland, Lithuania and Latvia could jointly decide to shut their borders with close Russian ally Belarus if there are serious incidents involving the Wagner group along their frontiers with the country, Poland’s interior minister said on Thursday.
Nato member Poland on July 19 decided to move military units to its east after Wagner mercenaries began training Belarusian special forces a few miles from its border.
Two days later president Vladimir Putin accused Poland of having territorial ambitions in the former Soviet Union, and said any aggression against Belarus would be considered an attack on Russia.
“Undoubtedly, should there be serious incidents involving the Wagner group on the borders of Nato and EU countries, such as Poland, Lithuania or Latvia, we will undoubtedly take an action together,” the minister, Mariusz Kaminski, said.
“I do not exclude that if we decide that this is the right answer at the moment, we will lead to the complete isolation of Belarus.”
Poland, which denies any territorial ambitions in Belarus, has been an important refuge for opponents of Belarus president Alexander Lukashenko, and Warsaw has become one of Kyiv’s staunchest supporters since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.
Road traffic between Poland and Belarus has been curbed since February amid deteriorating relations between the two countries.
Poland has also accused Belarus of artificially creating a migrant crisis on the border by flying in people from the Middle East and Africa and attempting to push them across the frontier. Belarus has repeatedly denied this.
Zimbabwean leader thanks Putin for free grain offer - but says country 'food-secure'
Thursday 27 July 2023 17:30 , Martha Mchardy
Zimbabwean president Emmerson Mnangagwa said on Thursday that his country was food-secure but was grateful for an offer of free grain from Russian president Vladimir Putin at a Russia-Africa summit in St Petersburg.
“We are grateful,” Mnangagwa told reporters at the summit. “We are not in any grain deficit at all. We are food-secure, he is just adding to what we are already have.”
Putin earlier told the summit that Russia was ready, in the next three to four months, to supply up to 50,000 tonnes of free grain to each of Zimbabwe, Burkina Faso, Mali, Somalia, Central African Republic and Eritrea.
Putin told African leaders that Russia would continue to meet their food needs despite last week pulling out of a deal that had allowed Ukraine - another top grain exporter - to ship cereals from its Black Sea ports despite the war.
Since then, Russia has repeatedly bombed Ukrainian ports and food storage sites. Western governments accuse Putin of “weaponising” food as an instrument of war.
In his speech, Putin set out his reasons for quitting the deal, which he said was not getting grain to the poorest countries. He did not acknowledge the fact that it had substantially lowered world prices, which have risen again sharply since Russia walked out of the agreement.
Russia’s state RIA news agency quoted the Ugandan foreign minister as saying Russia’s decision to end the deal was understandable.
Sawadogo Mahamadi, head of Burkina Faso’s chamber of commerce and industry, called the Russian food offer “a very good thing”.
“Africa needs these vital products today,” he said, “especially the Sahel countries like Burkina Faso that are facing security and humanitarian threats.”
US intelligence report says China giving Russia military tech, aiding in sanctions evasion
Thursday 27 July 2023 17:06 , Martha Mchardy
China is helping Russia evade Western sanctions and likely providing Moscow with military and dual-use technology for use in Ukraine, according to an unclassified U.S. intelligence report released on Thursday.
The assessment by the Office of the director of national intelligence was released on Thursday by the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.
Ukraine extends martial law, ruling out October parliament vote
Thursday 27 July 2023 16:55 , Martha Mchardy
Ukraine’s parliament voted on Thursday to extend martial law by another 90 days until Nov. 15, ruling out the possibility of parliamentary elections being held in October.
Ukraine brought in martial law on Feb. 24, 2022, the day Russia launched a full-scale invasion of its neighbour. The law, which bars 18- to 60-year-old men from leaving the country, has since been extended several times.
Yaroslav Zheleznyak, a member of parliament, said on the Telegram messaging app that an overwhelming majority of lawmakers voted to extend martial law in a session of the Verkhovna Rada parliament.
Elections cannot be held during martial law and, with the nation scheduled to go to the polls in October to elect a new parliament, this will be the first time a big national vote has been pushed back due to the war, although the move was not unexpected.
As it stands, Ukraine is also due to hold presidential elections in March next year.
African Union head: We should listen to Russia's complaints over grain deal to seek solution - RIA
Thursday 27 July 2023 16:45 , Martha Mchardy
Comoros president Azali Assoumani, the chair of the African Union, said on Thursday at a Russia-Africa summit that the complaints that prompted Russia to end the Black Sea grain deal should be listened to in order to seek a solution, the Russian state news agency RIA reported.
“I shouldn’t say that Russia is right or wrong. It acted for its own reasons. Now we need to hear them in order to try to move forward,” Assoumani was quoted as saying.
Watch: Zelensky visits Dnipro hospital to hail medics treating Ukrainian troops
Thursday 27 July 2023 16:30 , Martha Mchardy
Volodymyr Zelensky visited a hospital in Dnipro on Thursday 27 July, to present state awards to medical workers.
The president of Ukraine thanked the staff on a trip that coincided with Medical Worker’s Day.
“On your frontline, you are the same heroes as the military. Thank you for saving our boys and girls. Thank you for giving all your time and energy to restore the health of our warriors,” the video, shared on Mr Zelensky’s Facebook page, was captioned.
“We highly respect you and are proud that we have such doctors. I wish you and all Ukrainians victory, good health to you and your families.”
Oliver Browning reports:
Zelensky visits Dnipro hospital to hail medics treating Ukrainian troops
Watch: Russian defence minister meets Kim Jong-un during visit to arms exhibition in North Korea
Thursday 27 July 2023 16:00 , Martha Mchardy
Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu toured an arms exhibition with Kim Jong-un on Wednesday 26 July, during his visit to Pyongyang.
The pair met to discuss military issues and the regional security environment, state media said, illustrating North Korea’s support for Russia’s conflict in Ukraine as the isolated country celebrated the 70th anniversary of an armistice that halted fighting in the 1950-53 Korean War.
Mr Kim showcased some of North Korea’s newest weapons in the arms exhibition and briefed Mr Shoigu on national plans to expand the country’s military capabilities.
Footage shows the pair walking near a row of large missiles mounted on launcher trucks.
Oliver Browning reports:
Russian defence minister tours Pyongyang arms exhibition alongside Kim Jong-un
EU’s border with Belarus ‘more dangerous’ because of Russia’s military presence, says Polish MP
Thursday 27 July 2023 15:25 , Martha Mchardy
The European Union’s border with Russian ally Belarus has become more dangerous because of Russia’s military presence there, and securing the frontier is the Polish government’s top priority, Poland’s ruling party leader said Thursday.
Jaroslaw Kaczynski, a deputy prime minister and head of the conservative Law and Justice party, made the comments while visiting the village of Koden on the EU’s border with Belarus. The Polish defence minister was due to meet with troops on the border later in the day.
Amid Russia’s aggression in Ukraine, thousands of Russia’s Wagner mercenaries have deployed to Belarus over the past month, and the Kremlin says it also has moved some of its short-range nuclear weapons into Belarus
.“We want to say it clearly: We are doing everything that is needed and that is sufficient for us to easily repel any potential provocations or aggressive undertakings,” from the Belarus side, Kaczynski said.
Last year, Poland’s right-wing government built a tall wall along the border with Belarus aiming to stop a swelling wave of unauthorized migration from the Middle East and Africa which it said was organized by Minsk and Moscow in order to destabilize the EU.
Russian helicopter crashes in Siberia, killing 4 people on board and injuring 10
Thursday 27 July 2023 15:21 , Martha Mchardy
A helicopter crashed in the Siberia region of Russia on Thursday, killing four of the people on board and injuring 10, Russian emergency officials reported.
The Mi-8 helicopter caught fire as it was landing in southern Siberia’s Altai Republic and brushed against a power line, the Altai branch of the Russian Emergency Ministry said. It released a photo showing the chopper’s wreckage.
The branch’s initial statement said the helicopter carried 13 people and six were killed and seven were injured. Officials revised the numbers later in the day, saying a total of 16 people were on board and four died.
It turned out two people who were believed dead had left the crash site on their own and went to the nearest hospital, an updated statement said.
Russian state news agency RIA Novosti reported, citing the country’s civilian aviation regulator Rosaviatsia, that the helicopter belonged to a private company and was carrying a group of tourists.
The Mi-8 is a two-engine helicopter designed in the 1960s. It is used in Russia, where crashes have been frequent, as well as in neighbouring countries and many other nations.
UN chief warns ‘handful of donations’ can’t replace Black Sea deal
Thursday 27 July 2023 14:58 , Martha Mchardy
United Nations secretary-general Antonio Guterres warned on Thursday that a “handful of donations to some countries” won’t correct the dramatic impact of the end of a deal that had allowed the safe Black Sea export of Ukraine grain for the past year.
Russian president Vladimir Putin has promised free Russian grain “to replace Ukrainian grain.”
Putin admits Kyiv’s attacks have intensified ‘significantly’
Thursday 27 July 2023 14:52 , Martha Mchardy
Vladimir Putin has admitted that Ukrainian attacks have intensified in recent days, as Kyiv ramps up the counteroffensive against Russian troops.
Speaking in St Petersburg at a summit of African leaders, the Russian president admitted that attacks by Ukrainian forces have “intensified significantly”, primarily in the Zaporizhzhia region.
He claimed Ukraine had not enjoyed success on the front lines, despite experts at the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reporting that Volodymyr Zelensky’s troops “appear to have broken through certain pre-prepared Russian defensive positions” in Zaporizhzhia.
Battles in recent weeks have taken place on multiple points along the 1,500-kilometer front line as Ukraine wages its counteroffensive.
The ISW on Thursday said that Ukraine had launched a “significant mechanised counteroffensive operation in western Zaporizhzhia”, while a Western official said that Mr Zelensky has committed thousands of troops to the region in recent days.
Ukrainian officials have been mostly silent about battlefield developments since they began early counteroffensive operations, though deputy defence minister Hanna Maliar said troops are advancing toward the city of Melitopol in the region.
Ukraine eases its sports boycott policy to compete against some Russians ahead of Olympics
Thursday 27 July 2023 14:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Ukraine has signaled it will no longer bar its athletes from competing against Russians who are taking part in sporting events as “neutral athletes,” a significant easing of its boycott policy a year before the Paris Olympics.
A decree dated Wednesday says Ukrainian athletes and teams will only be required to boycott if competitors from Russia or Belarus are competing under their national flags or other symbols, or have signaled allegiance to either of those countries in another way.
The change in policy could smooth the way for Ukrainians to compete at next year’s Paris Olympics. Ukrainian athletes previously boycotted events which allowed Russians and Belarusians as “Individual Neutral Athletes,” the preferred term of the International Olympic Committee.
Ukraine eases its sports boycott policy to compete against some Russians ahead of Olympics
Ukrainian parliament accepts culture minister's resignation - lawmaker
Thursday 27 July 2023 13:45 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Ukraine‘s parliament voted on Thursday to accept the resignation of Culture Minister Oleksandr Tkachenko, a lawmaker said, a week after President Volodymyr Zelenskiy asked for his dismissal.
Yaroslav Zheleznyak, a member of parliament, said on the Telegram messaging app that the chamber had voted overwhelmingly to accept Tkachenko’s resignation and published a photograph showing the outcome of the vote.
Tkachenko quit last week after Zelenskiy called for his government to keep a tight lid on spending during Russia‘s war on his country, and asked his prime minister to consider replacing the culture minister.
Tkachenko had been a proponent of several high-profile and costly projects.
Zheleznyak said parliament would not consider the appointment of a replacement for Tkachenko on Thursday and was unlikely to do so this week.
Putin says Ukrainian attacks in Zaporizhzhia intensified but without success
Thursday 27 July 2023 13:19 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that Ukrainian attacks had intensified in recent days, primarily on the frontline running through Ukraine‘s Zaporizhzhia region.
Speaking to Russian TV on the margins of a Russia-Africa summit in St Petersburg, Putin said that Ukraine had not enjoyed success on any part of the front.
Russia arrests one of its own sailors over alleged plot to attack warship
Thursday 27 July 2023 12:55 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Russia has arrested one of its own sailors over an alleged plot to carry out a “terrorist attack” against a warship in Russia‘s Black Sea Fleet, the FSB security service said on Thursday.
It said the alleged plot was directed against “a ship...armed with high-precision weapons”. The Black Sea Fleet is headquartered in Crimea, which Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014.
The suspect had been “recruited by a Ukrainian intelligence service” and was caught with two homemade bombs, the FSB said in a statement. He was also suspected of passing state secrets to Ukraine.
Russia has previously brought lesser charges, such as desertion, against some of its own servicemen. But the accusations against the sailor - which include possible charges of terrorism, treason, divulging state secrets and illegally possessing explosives, were of exceptional gravity.
The statement gave no further details and it was not possible to independently verify the incident.
Separately, state media quoted the FSB earlier on Thursday as saying two alleged agents for Ukrainian intelligence had been sentenced by a Russian court to 15 years each in a harsh-regime penal colony for espionage.
Russia says it repelled Ukrainian attacks near Bakhmut and in Zaporizhzhia region
Thursday 27 July 2023 12:17 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Russia‘s Defence Ministry said on Thursday that Ukrainian forces were continuing what it called “unsuccessful” attacks across several fronts, state media said.
It said Russian forces had repelled Ukrainian attacks around the village of Klishchiivka near Bakhmut, and north of Robotyne on the frontline in Zaporizhzhia region, Russian state news agency TASS reported.
Reuters could not independently verify the battlefield reports.
Thursday 27 July 2023 11:50 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday told African leaders he would gift them tens of thousands of tons of grain within months despite Western sanctions which he said made it harder for Moscow to export its grain and fertilisers.
Speaking at a summit in St Petersburg devoted to Russian-African ties, Putin said Russia was expecting a record grain harvest this year and was ready to replace Ukrainian grain exports to Africa on both a commercial and aid basis and honour what he said was Moscow’s critical role in global food security.
“We will be ready to provide Burkina Faso, Zimbabwe, Mali, Somalia, Central African Republic and Eritrea with 25-50,000 tons of free grain each in the next 3-4 months,” Putin told the summit, whose participants reacted with applause.
“We will also provide free delivery of these products to consumers”
The event, which is expected to see various agreements signed, follows Moscow’s first Russia-Africa summit in 2019 and is part of a concerted push for influence and business on a continent where mercenaries from Russia‘s Wagner Group remain active despite an abortive mutiny at home last month.
Ukraine MP being investigated for taking family holiday in Maldives amid Russian invasion
Thursday 27 July 2023 11:24 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Ukrainian authorities are reportedly conducting an investigation to determine whether a member of parliament violated the law by taking a family holiday to the Maldives.
Earlier in January this year, the Ukrainian president banned officials from travelling abroad for non-governmental purposes.
The security service has initiated a criminal case to ascertain whether member of parliament, Yuriy Aristov provided false information to the authorities. He faces up to three years in prison if convicted.
During a video address in January, Volodymyr Zelensky said: “Ignoring the war is a luxury that no one can afford.”
Ukraine MP being investigated for taking holiday in Maldives amid Russian invasion
Russia jails two alleged Ukrainian intelligence agents for 15 years
Thursday 27 July 2023 10:39 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Two alleged agents for Ukrainian intelligence have been sentenced by a Russian court to 15 years each in a harsh-regime penal colony for espionage, Russian state media on Thursday quoted the FSB security service as saying.
The FSB did not name the accused people or say which court had passed the verdict.
Russia has frequently announced the arrests of alleged spies since launching its war in Ukraine 17 months ago.
The FSB said the defendants had been detained last year on suspicion of espionage and involvement in the deaths of Russian troops and destruction of equipment in the area of what Russia calls its “special military operation” in Ukraine.
Kyiv is said to have launched a major push against Russian forces in southeastern Ukraine
Thursday 27 July 2023 10:06 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Kyiv has launched a major push to dislodge Russian forces from southeastern Ukraine as part of its weeks-long counteroffensive, committing thousands of troops to the battle in the country’s southeast, according to Western and Ukrainian officials and analysts.
The surge in troops and firepower has been centered on the southeastern Zaporizhzhia region, a Western official said late Wednesday.
The official was not authorised to comment publicly on the matter and spoke on condition of anonymity.
The intense fighting is taking place in areas in the south and east of Ukraine, far from the capital Kyiv, and it was not possible to verify either side’s claims.
The Institute of Study of War, a Washington-based think tank, reported that Ukrainian forces launched “a significant mechanised counteroffensive operation in western Zaporizhzhia region” on Wednesday, adding that they “appear to have broken through certain pre-prepared Russian defensive positions.”
