Ukraine war – live: Putin’s aide says Russia ‘would be forced’ to go nuclear if Kyiv’s pushback is successful

Vladimir Putin’s aide and former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev said Moscow “would be forced” to deploy a nuclear weapon if Ukraine’s counteroffensive is a success.

“Imagine if the offensive, which is backed by Nato, was a success and they tore off a part of our land, then we would be forced to use a nuclear weapon, according to the rules of a decree from the president of Russia,” Mr Medvedev said, adding that “there would simply be no other option”.

“So our enemies should pray for our warriors’ (success). They are making sure that a global nuclear fire is not ignited,” he said.

Russian and Ukrainian soldiers are embroiled in heavy fighting in the war-hit nation’s northeast with military salvo reported in both Russia-held and Ukraine-held areas as Kyiv’s forces held their positions and reported some gains.

Ukrainian deputy defence minister said Russian forces were attempting to “drive us out” of elevated positions in the northeast occupied by Moscow shortly after it launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Key Points

• War ‘returning to Russia’, Zelensky warns

• Putin blames Kyiv for early morning drone attacks on Moscow

• Russia carried out preventive strikes after attack on Crimean bridge, Putin claims

• Ukrainian forces set to enter Russian-occupied Crimea ‘soon’, says top defence official

• Zelensky moves Christmas to 25 December

China imposes curbs on drone exports in wake of the war

13:24 , Maanya Sachdeva

China has imposed restrictions on exports of long-range civilian drones, citing Russia‘s invasion of Ukraine and concern that drones might be converted to military use.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s government is friendly with Moscow but says it is neutral in the 18-month-old war. It has been stung by reports that both sides might be using Chinese-made drones for reconnaissance and possibly attacks.

Export controls will take effect on Tuesday to prevent use of drones for “non-peaceful purposes”, the Ministry of Commerce said in a statement. It said exports still will be allowed but did not say what restrictions would apply.

“The risk of some high specification and high-performance civilian unmanned aerial vehicles being converted to military use is constantly increasing,” the Ministry of Commerce said.

Restrictions will apply to drones that can fly beyond the natural sight distance of operators or stay aloft for more than 30 minutes, have attachments that can throw objects and weigh more than seven kilogrammes, according to the ministry.

“Since the crisis in Ukraine, some Chinese civilian drone companies have voluntarily suspended their operations in conflict areas,” the Ministry of Commerce said, accusing western media of spreading “false information” about Chinese drone exports.

China is a leading developer and exporter of drones. DJI Technology Co, one of the global industry’s top competitors, announced in April 2022 it was pulling out of Russia and Ukraine to prevent its drones from being used in combat.

The government on Friday defended its dealings with Russia as “normal economic and trade cooperation” after a US intelligence report said Beijing possibly provided equipment used in Ukraine that might have military applications.

The report cited Russian customs data that showed Chinese state-owned military contractors supplied drones, navigation equipment, fighter jet parts and other goods.

The Biden administration has warned Beijing of unspecified consequences if it supports the Kremlin’s war effort. Last week’s report did not say whether any of the trade cited might trigger US retaliation.

Video shows damage to apartment complex in the Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih

12:54 , Maanya Sachdeva

Video shows the damage to the apartment complex in the Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih, that was hit by a Russian missile on Monday.

Anton Gerashchenko, adviser to Ukraine’s minister of internal affairs, shared a video on the social media platform X - formerly Twitter - that shows the moment when a part of the building falls down.

He wrote: “As of now, four people have been confirmed dead, including a 10 year old child. 53 people injured - regional military administration.”

Kremlin calls Ukraine’s drone attack on Moscow an ‘act of desperation’

12:17 , Maanya Sachdeva

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that “the multi-billion-dollar resources that were transferred by NATO countries to the Kyiv regime are actually being spent inefficiently and aimlessly”.

He said this was why Kyiv was resorting to “acts of desperation” such as a drone attack against Moscow’s business district on Sunday.

Despite Peskov’s comments, the fact that hostile drones have reached the heart of the Russian capital in the past three months, albeit without causing major damage, is uncomfortable for authorities who have told the public that Russia is in full control of what it calls its “special military operation” against Ukraine.

Peskov told reporters that “all possible measures” were being taken in Moscow and elsewhere to protect against similar attacks.

Ukraine retakes 15 sq km in south, east in past week

11:47 , Maanya Sachdeva

Urainian forces have recaptured nearly 15 square km (5.8 square miles) of land from Russian troops in the east and south over the past week during their counteroffensive, a senior defence official said on Monday.

Kyiv’s forces have now retaken 204.7 sq km in the south since they launched a major push against Russian forces early last month, deputy defence minister Hanna Maliar said on the Telegram messaging app.

Ukrainian officials have reported slow, steady progress in the counteroffensive, retaking a string of villages and advancing on the flanks of the eastern city of Bakhmut, which Russian forces captured in May after months of battles.

Last week Kyiv said its forces had liberated the village of Staromaiorske in the southeast in a campaign that aims to cut Russia‘s land bridge from the east to the south and the occupied peninsula of Crimea on the Black Sea.

Russia, which launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022, holds vast swathes of territory and has built up a network of fortifications and minefields to make it hard for Ukrainian troops to advance.

Maliar said Kyiv’s troops had retaken two sq km in the past week on the Bakhmut front, bringing the total territory recaptured there to 37 sq km since the counteroffensive began.

In the south, where Ukrainian forces are trying to advance towards the cities of Berdyansk and Melitopol, she said that Kyiv’s troops had recaptured 12.6 sq km in the last week.

Russian troops tried to attack on two northern fronts near Kupiansk and Lyman, but failed to break through, she said.

“Our defence forces are powerfully holding back enemy troops,” she said.

The Kremlin said on Monday that Ukraine‘s counteroffensive is “not working out as planned” and that NATO resources supplied to Kyiv had been “wasted”.

Reuters could not verify the battlefield developments.

Ukraine’s Oleksiy Kuleba calls for revenge after Kryvyi Rih attack

11:30 , Maanya Sachdeva

The deputy head of Volodymyr Zelensky’s office, Oleksiy Kuleba has called for revenge after at least four people were killed in the Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih on Monday.

Kuleba wrote on the Telegram messaging app: “Every day, Ukrainian cities are under fire from Russian terrorists. Sumy, Zaporizhzhia, Dnipro, Kharkiv. This is only for the last few days.

“Today also in Kherson – one dead, four injured. Employees of the utility company, who were cleaning the city at that time, were attacked by the enemy. Everyone gets help.

“The enemy is hitting settlements and cities. This is terror due to the despair and defeat of the Russian Federation at the front. This is terror to intimidate and break Ukrainians.

“Let’s take revenge for each and every one. We work and save our people.”

Woman and child, 10, among 4 victims of Kryvyi Rih attack

11:00 , Maanya Sachdeva

One woman and a 10-year-old child are among those killed after a Russian missile hit an apartment building in the Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih on Monday.

The death toll has risen to four, with reports that 43 people were injured after the nine-storey residential complex was hit in president Volodymyr Zelensky’s hometown.

The news was confirmed the governor of Dnipropetrovsk.

In a message on Telegram, Serhiy Lysak reportedly wrote: “Unfortunately, tragic news. Four people have already died in Kryvyi Rih. Among them is a 10-year-old child. There may be people under the rubble. Also, emergency workers have already rescued four people. One of them is a child. The search operation is ongoing.”

Russia needs to 'understand aims of Ukraine’s planned talks with Saudi Arabia’

10:53 , Maanya Sachdeva

The Kremlin said on Monday it needed to find out the purpose of upcoming talks reportedly planned in Saudi Arabia about the war in Ukraine.

The Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday that Saudi Arabia would invite Western states, Ukraine and major developing countries to the planned talks. The paper said Kyiv and Western countries hoped that the talks, which would exclude Russia, can lead to international backing for peace terms favoring Ukraine.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, asked about the WSJ report, said Russia needed to understand what the aims of the planned talks were and what would be discussed

Ukraine counteroffensive ‘not working out as planned’, says Kremlin

10:39 , Maanya Sachdeva

The Kremlin said on Monday that Ukraine‘s counteroffensive is “not working out as planned” and that NATO resources supplied to Kyiv had been “wasted”, during the course of a two month-long operation that has seen limited gains for Ukraine.

On a call with reporters, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said separately that Russia would take additional measures to defend against Ukrainian drone strikes, after drones hit Moscow’s financial district on Sunday.

‘Russia wants to take peace and life away,’ says Ukraine first lady

10:11 , Maanya Sachdeva

Ukraine’s first lady Olena Zelenska has expressed her condolences after at least two people were killed in the Ukrainian city of Kyryvi Rih on Monday.

“Kryvyi Rih, multi-storey buildings damaged by Russian shelling. There are wounded and dead. This is how the week begins in a Ukrainian city that just wants a quiet, normal life. Russia wants to take peace and life away. Condolences to the victims and their families. Let’s stay strong,” she wrote on Twitter.

Russia and Ukraine report casualties amid heavy fighting on Monday

09:36 , Maanya Sachdeva

The Russian-installed head of Ukraine’s Donetsk region said on Monday that two people had been killed and four injured in Ukrainian shelling of Donetsk city, the regional capital.

In a statement posted on Telegram, Denis Pushilin said that the casualties had occurred when Ukrainian shells hit a civilian bus. Donetsk’s Russian-installed mayor separately published on Telegram pictures of a burnt-out bus.

The city of Donetsk has been under Russian control since 2014, but Ukrainian troops continue to hold positions on its outskirts and the city regularly comes under artillery fire.

Both sides reported casualties on Monday, as Ukraine’s head of the ministry of internal affairs confirmed two people had died after Russian missile strikes in the city of Kryvyi Rih.

“Two are dead and around five-seven people are under the rubble,” interior minister Ihor Klymenko said on television. The general prosecutor’s office said 25 people had been wounded, including four children.

President Volodymyr Zelensky, who grew up in the steel-producing city that had a pre-war population of more than 600,000, said the strikes had hit a university building and a residential building.

“This terror will not frighten us or break us. We are working and saving our people,” he said on the Telegram app.

The interior ministry said one missile had struck a nine-storey residential building and another had struck a four-storey building that was part of an educational institution.

“The emergency services are putting out the fire and going through the rubble,” its statement said.

One person killed after attack on apartment in Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih

09:23 , Maanya Sachdeva

New photographs are now coming in from the city of Kryvyi Rih in Ukraine, where one person was killed after a nine-storey apartment building was reportedly attacked by Russia on Monday.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said “there are dead and wounded” at the scene, sharing pictures of damaged buildings and roads, on his Twitter account.

According to news reports, shelling in Kherson this morning also left one person, a 60-year-old employee at a utility company, dead.

Zelensky warns ‘there are dead and wounded’ after Russia attacks Kryyvi Rih

09:06 , Maanya Sachdeva

Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky expressed his condolences after one person was reportedly killed in his hometown of Kryvyi Ri, following Russian missile strikes on Monday.

President Zelensky tweeted a video capturing the aftermath of the attack in Kryvyi Rih, including pictures of damaged buildings and roads.

He wrote: “Monday morning. Regions of Ukraine are being shelled by the occupiers, who continue to terrorise peaceful cities and people. Kryvyi Rih, Kherson. Residential buildings, a university building, a crossroads were hit. Unfortunately, there are dead and wounded. There may be people under the rubble. My condolences to all those who have lost their loved ones because of Russian terror.”

Russian missile strikes on Zelensky’s hometown Kryvyi Rih ‘kill at least one’

08:38 , Maanya Sachdeva

Twin Russian missile strikes on the Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih on Monday killed at least one person with more likely trapped under rubble, the Ukrainian interior ministry said.

The strikes hit a four-storey building of an educational institution and a nine-storey residential building, it said in an earlier statement, after state broadcaster Suspilne reported explosions were heard in the city.

“The enemy conducted a missile strike on Kryvyi Rih. All the necessary agencies are working at the scene now,” the interior ministry said, urging people to remain in air raid shelters.

Kryvyi Rih is a steel-producing city and the hometown of president Volodymyr Zelenskiy.

Russian missile strike ‘hits Kryvyi Rih’ in Ukraine, govt says

08:23 , Maanya Sachdeva

A Russian missile strike hit the southern Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih on Monday morning, the Ukrainian interior ministry said in a statement.

An unconfirmed video from the city that was circulated on social networks showed a gaping hole in the side of a nine-storey building and a fire inside. There were no immediate reports of casualties.

Earlier this morning, the state’s broadcaster Suspilne reported explosions were heard in the city in Dnipropetrovsk region. It attributed the reports to Oleksandra Vilkul, he head of the city’s defence council.

Russia’s Prigozhin says Wagner not recruiting now, may do so in future

08:05 , Maanya Sachdeva

Russian mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin said in a voice message published on Monday that his Wagner group was not currently recruiting fighters but was likely to do so in future.

The future of Wagner and Prigozhin has been unclear since he led a short mutiny against the Russian defence establishment in late June, and the Kremlin said he and some of his fighters – who have fought in some of the fiercest battles of the Ukraine war – would leave for Belarus.

Despite that, Prigozhin attended a meeting with preseident Vladimir Putin five days after the mutiny and was photographed last week in St Petersburg, where Putin was hosting African leaders.

“Today we are defining our next tasks, whose outline is becoming clearer and clearer. Undoubtedly, these are tasks that will be carried out in the name of the greatness of Russia,” a voice sounding like Prigozhin’s said in the message. It was published on Grey Zone, a Telegram channel affiliated with Wagner.

After the June mutiny, the Kremlin said Wagner fighters who had not taken part would transfer to the regular army, signing contracts with the Defence Ministry.

Apparently alluding to this, Prigozhin said in the voice message that “unfortunately” some of his fighters had moved to other “power structures”, but he said they were looking to return.

“As long as we don’t experience a shortage in personnel, we don’t plan to carry out a new recruitment,” Prigozhin said. “However, we will be extremely grateful to you if you keep in touch with us, and as soon as the Motherland needs to create a new group that will be able to protect the interests of our country, we will certainly start recruiting.”

Russia to ‘continue dialogue on peaceful resolution of war' with China, Brazil, Africa

07:38 , Maanya Sachdeva

The Russian Foreign Ministry said that Russia would continue dialogue on prospects for a peaceful resolution of the war with China, Brazil and Africa, Russian state-owned news agency RIA reported on Monday.

This statement followed a Russia-Africa summit last week at which some African leaders pressed President Vladimir Putin to end the war in Ukraine.

Russia compelling men to fight shows ‘failure to insulate people from war’, says UK MoD

07:08 , Arpan Rai

The Russian authorities are unable to insulate their population from the war in Ukraine as they continue to raise the chances for drafting men into the military, paired with attacks on Moscow and domestic repression, the British Ministry of Defence said today.

It pointed to the Russian authorities prioritising amending legislation to allow more men to be rapidly drafted into the military.

In mid-July 2023, the State Duma increased the maximum age of liability for conscription from 27 to 30, while retaining the current lower limit at 18, the ministry said.

“While conscripts are not currently deployed in Ukraine, extra draftees free-up professional and mobilised soldiers from other duties inside Russia,” the MoD said in its latest intelligence update.

“The increased chance of being compelled to fight, drone attacks on Moscow, exceptional level of domestic repression, and the recent Wagner mutiny combine to highlight the Russian state’s failure to insulate the population from the war,” it said.

“On 24 July, president Putin signed a bill which will gradually increase the upper age limit for those liable for call up as reservists: senior officers can now be mobilised up to 70. Reservists made up the Autumn 2022 ‘partial mobilisation’ and could provide a more immediate boost to the number available to fight in Ukraine,” the ministry noted.

Ukraine to start talks with US on security guarantees, says senior official

06:43 , Arpan Rai

Ukraine will join the United States this week on discussing security guarantees for Kyiv pending the completion of the process of joining Nato, an aide from president Volodymyr Zelensky’s cabinet said.

Officials from a number of countries were preparing to meet in Saudi Arabia to discuss Mr Zelensky’s peace plan for Ukraine, based on the departure of all Russian troops, said Andriy Yermak, the president’s chief of staff said.

He did not say when the next meeting would take place but said the plan would be discussed in three phases, leading up to a meeting of heads of state and government.

The Wall Street Journal first reported on the meeting in Saudi Arabia on Saturday, saying it would be held in Jeddah on 5-6 August.

Zelensky lauds a ‘good, powerful’ Sunday

06:00 , Arpan Rai

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky called Sunday “a good day, a powerful day” on the battlefield, particularly near Bakhmut where Ukrainian forces said they were retaking ground lost when Russian forces took the city in May.

“And, of course, the frontline. Thank you all for this day at the front - a good day, a powerful day. Bakhmut direction, other very hot and painful areas in Donbas: Avdiivka, Maryinka, and, of course, the southern directions,” Mr Zelensky said.

Ukraine did not directly claim responsibility for the drone attacks but the war-time president said the war was “gradually returning to Russia’s territory - to its symbolic centres”.

Medvedev warns of nuclear weapon use if Kyiv’s counteroffensive is successful

05:51 , Arpan Rai

Vladimir Putin’s aide and former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev threatened that Moscow “would be forced” to deploy a nuclear weapon if Ukraine’s counteroffensive was a success.

“Imagine if the offensive, which is backed by Nato, was a success and they tore off a part of our land, then we would be forced to use a nuclear weapon, according to the rules of a decree from the president of Russia,” he said.

Mr Medvedev said that “there would simply be no other option”.

“So our enemies should pray for our warriors’ (success). They are making sure that a global nuclear fire is not ignited,” he said.

How significant are the reported territorial advances made by Ukrainian forces so far?

04:30 , Jonathan Kanengoni

Ukraine has reported regaining further ground from invading Russian forces along the eastern and southern fronts this month as its counteroffensive continues.

Speaking during his latest nightly address on Thursday 27 July, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky claimed the recapture of another village, declaring: “I thank everyone who is fighting for Ukraine! Thank you for the liberation of Staromaiorske. Congratulations again, guys!”

That came after even his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin was forced to admit the Ukrainians were making advances and that the fighting had escalated in recent days.

So how significant are the gains?

Read more here:

How significant are the reported territorial advances made by Ukraine so far?

Fierce fighting engulfs Ukraine’s northeast where Russia gathered tanks and troops

04:07 , Arpan Rai

Russian and Ukrainian soldiers are embroiled in heavy fighting in the war-hit nation’s northeast with military salvo reported in both – Russia-held and Ukraine-held areas – as Kyiv’s forces hold their positions and have also reported some gains.

Ukrainian deputy defence minister said Russian forces were attempting to “drive us out” of elevated positions in the northeast occupied by Moscow shortly after it launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The positions were recaptured by Ukraine last year.

“They have attacked endlessly this week. But our troops resist the attacks and sometimes push them back with heavy losses,” the deputy minister said.

She added that the Russians had suffered “no fewer losses than during the heated battles in Bakhmut”, which fell to Russian forces after more than 10 months of fighting.

The key task of Russian forces invading Ukraine, she said, was to “divert out forces from the Bakhmut area, where we have a successful offensive.”

On the southern front, Ms Maliar said Russian forces were also “tenaciously trying to seize back” areas.

While Ukraine has recaptured 200 sq km (77 sq miles) in the south, the minister said advances were limited by entrenched Russian positions and mines.

Russia’s military has also confirmed battlefield action in the northeast and said its forces have halted Ukraine’s troops in the northeast. It claimed to have intercepted and downed three Ukrainian drones which it said were aiming to strike Moscow and damaged a high-rise building reported to house government offices.

Why is Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin back in Russia after leading a 24-hour mutiny against Vladimir Putin?

03:30 , Jonathan Kanengoni

A month on from the Wagner Group’s extraordinary attempted mutiny against Russia’s military establishment – the mercenary group’s founder, Yevgeny Prigozhin, appears to be back in his homeland.

Under the terms of the truce brokered between Mr Prigozhin and Vladimir Putin by Belarussian president Alexander Lukashenko on 24 June, the former was said to have agreed to resettle in Belarus while his troops were ordered to report to camps in that country before either rejoining the Russian military or stepping away altogether without fear of prosecution.

It subsequently emerged that Mr Prigozhin – a former felon who emerged from prison to build up a lucrative catering business and was nicknamed “Putin’s chef” before he formed Wagner – had attended a face-to-face meeting with Mr Putin at the Kremlin five days after the aborted coup, deepening the mystery surrounding the affair.

Read more from Joe Sommerlad here:

Why is Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin back in Russia?

Russian anti-war activists hold protest over residence problems in Serbia

02:30 , Natalie Crockett

Pro-democracy Russians in Serbia protested on Sunday after two prominent anti-war activists and critics of Russian President Vladimir Putin said they faced problems with entry and residence permits in the Balkan country.

Several dozen activists held banners reading “We came to live in peace” and ”I love Serbia and I want safe and happy life here,” as they gathered at a central square in Belgrade, the Serbian capital.

The rally came days after Serbian police refused to extend a residency permit for Vladimir Volokhonski and weeks after another prominent activist, Peter Nikitin, spent more than one day at the Belgrade airport because of an entry ban, according to the two activists.

Read more here:

Russian anti-war activists hold protest after activists face entry, residence problems in Serbia

ICYMI: Face to face with a mercenary: Inside Wagner and its blood-soaked role in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine

01:30 , Jonathan Kanengoni

Amid the ravages of war, Sergey, a seasoned Wagner mercenary, found himself grappling with the relentless violence that has become a way of life and death on the front line. The savage conflict, the sense of betrayal from the Kremlin, and rumours of plots, all combined to create an atmosphere of uncertainty and dread.

At the end he decided to abandon the Wagner group and the savage, meat-grinding combat of Donbas where corpses piled up, and towns and cities were razed.

With the future of the mercenary group in the balance after Yevgeny Prigozhin’s failed march on Moscow and fear of future retribution, Sergey cannot forget the terrible things he witnessed in the months of bloody conflict.

Read more from Kim Sengupta here:

Face to face with a mercenary: Inside Wagner and its bloody role in the Ukraine war

I have a frozen embryo in Russia called Tallulah – the war in Ukraine means it’s trapped there

Monday 31 July 2023 00:30 , Jonathan Kanengoni

It’s front-page news today: the heart of Moscow has been hit by early-morning drone attacks. It makes me think of Tallulah. She’s a frozen embryo I have stored in an IVF clinic in St Petersburg. What if I ever wanted to get her home? Is she safe?

I know it sounds over the top to actually call a frozen embryo by a name.

I don’t want another child, but it doesn’t stop me from worrying about my frozen embryo or fantasising about Tallulah.

With a ban on flying to Russia from the UK and the EU, and absolutely no word from the private fertility clinic regarding storage fees for a while, now, I started to wonder: what the hell is going on?

Read more from Charlotte Cripps here:

My frozen embryo is trapped in Russia – how do I get it out? | Charlotte Cripps

Trump returns to first impeachment roots by saying Ukraine aid should be linked to Biden probes

Sunday 30 July 2023 23:30 , Natalie Crockett

Donald Trump returned to the roots of his first impeachment when he suggested that aid to Ukraine should be conditioned on congressional investigations of President Joe Biden.

The former president called for Republicans in Congress to hold back on more support for Ukraine until the White House cooperates with their probes into the business dealings of Mr Biden and his son Hunter Biden.

The Saturday night tirade at a rally in Erie, Pennsylvania echoed the conduct that led to Mr Trump’s first of his two impeachments when he used military aid to pressure Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to open an investigation into then-candidate Biden in 2019.

Read more from Gustaf Kilander here:

Trump returns to impeachment by saying Ukraine aid should be linked to Biden probes

Russian people ‘seeing consequences’ off war in Ukraine

Sunday 30 July 2023 22:40 , Jonathan Kanengoni

A Ukrainian air force spokesman said Russian people were seeing the consequences of Russia’s war in Ukraine after drone attacks targeted the capital.“All of the people who think the war ‘doesn’t concern them’ — it’s already touching them,” spokesperson Yurii Ihnat told journalists on Sunday.“There’s already a certain mood in Russia: that something is flying in, and loudly,” he said. “There’s no discussion of peace or calm in the Russian interior any more. They got what they wanted.”

Russia ‘thwarts drone attack’ on Black Sea peninsula

Sunday 30 July 2023 21:50 , Jonathan Kanengoni

Russia’s defence ministry claims it successfully thwarted an overnight attack on the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea.

It said 25 Ukrainian drones were either shot down or forced to crash. Nobody was hurt and no damage was caused.

Russia annexed the region from Ukraine in 2014 but Ukraine has recently been pushing ahead with a counter-offensive, Ukraine’s intelligence directorate telling Ukrainian news site TSN on Saturday that Kyiv’s forces were set to enter Crimea “soon”.

Watch: Moscow buildings damaged by overnight drone attack

Sunday 30 July 2023 21:00 , Jonathan Kanengoni

Video footage captures the moment drones hit buildings in central Moscow.

Russia has accused Ukraine of being behind the attacks on Sunday but Kyiv has not claimed responsibility, as is its typical policy.

It is the third attempt on the Russian capital this week.

Drone explosion ‘like a wave, everyone jumped'

Sunday 30 July 2023 20:25 , Natalie Crockett

A young woman who gave her name as Liya told Reuters news agency she was in an apartment she had rented with friends when Sunday’s drone strike hit.

“At some point, we heard an explosion and it was like a wave, everyone jumped,” she said. “And then there was a lot of smoke and you couldn’t see anything. From above, you could see fire.”

Pictures showed glass panels blown out in one high-rise building and glass, debris and office documents littering part of the pavement below.

Flights to and from Moscow’s Vnukovo airport were briefly suspended due to the incident, the TASS news agency reported.

Sunday 30 July 2023 19:59 , Natalie Crockett

Ukraine will begin talks with the United States this week on providing security guarantees while it waits to join Nato, a senior Ukrainian official said on Sunday.

The talks, announced by President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s chief of staff, come after pledges made by the G7 group at this month’s Nato summit in Lithuania.

Andriy Yermak wrote on the Telegram messaging app: “Security guarantees for Ukraine will be concrete, long-term obligations ensuring Ukraine’s capacity to defeat and restrain Russian aggression in the future. These will be clearly drafted formats and mechanisms of support.”

Yermak said the guarantees “will be in effect until Ukraine secures Nato membership.”

The Western Alliance’s summit offered support to Ukraine in countering Russia’s invasion, with individual countries pledging weapons support. But no date for Ukrainian membership was set as long as the war continues.

War ‘returning to Russia’, Zelensky says

Sunday 30 July 2023 19:19 , Jonathan Kanengoni

War is returning to Russia, Ukraine‘s president Volodymyr Zelensky has warned, after early morning drone attacks rocked Moscow.

Although Ukraine has not claimed responsibility for the strikes on Sunday, Mr Zelensky said such attacks were an “inevitable, natural, and absolutely fair process” of the war between the nations.

Earlier on Sunday, Russia blamed Ukraine for what it called an “attempted terrorist attack by the Kyiv regime” and said three drones targeted the capital, damaging two buildings in the Moskva-Citi business district.

Putin is downplaying skipping South Africa summit amid ICC warrant controversy

Sunday 30 July 2023 18:14 , Jonathan Kanengoni

Russian President Vladimir Putin appeared to downplay not attending an economic summit in Johannesburg next month, following an arrest warrant issued against him by the International Criminal Cour, with Putin saying he doesn’t think his presence there is “more important than my presence here, in Russia.”

Putin’s remarks come more than a week after South African authorities said Putin would not attend the gathering on August 22-24 bringing together developing economies, known as BRICS, because of the warrant, even though he was initially invited.

The Kremlin said the Russian president will take part in the summit via video link, but didn’t provide a reason for the decision and didn’t say whether Putin had ever intended to attend in person.

Asked about his reasons for not going, Putin told Russian journalists Saturday that he’s “in contact with all colleagues,” referring to the leaders of Brazil, India, China and South Africa, which together with Russia constitute the BRICS bloc, and that he doesn’t “think my presence at the BRICS summit is more important that my presence here, in Russia, right now.”

Read more here:

Putin is downplaying skipping South Africa summit amid ICC warrant controversy

President Zelensky expects Russia to resume attack on Ukraine’s national grid

Sunday 30 July 2023 17:00 , Jonathan Kanengoni

President Zelensky says he expects Russia to resume its attacks on Ukraine’s energy system once cold weather returns later this year, and has vowed to do everything possible to protect the power grid.

Nearly 40 per cent of the Ukrainian energy system was damaged in Russian missile and drone strikes over the past winter, which plunged Ukrainian cities into darkness and cold. Moscow says it launched the attacks to reduce Ukraine’s ability to fight.

Strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure have subsided since warm weather returned, in place of attacks on other targets, but Zelensky said he expected attacks on energy to resume during a visit to the western city of Ivano-Frankivsk on Sunday.

“It is obvious that this fall and...in the winter the enemy will try to repeat the terror against the Ukrainian energy industry. We should be ready for this in any case,” Zelenskiy told senior government, security and regional officials.

“At the government and security level, we will do everything possible.”

Zelensky said the government, security officials and energy workers were working to protect the energy system from physical damage, sabotage or cyberattacks. Every city and town in Ukraine should be ready to handle energy sector emergencies, he added.

Fast repairs, often relying on backup energy equipment sent by Kyiv’s Western partners, helped the country get through the past winter. Energy Minister German Galushchenko expressed confidence this week that Ukraine could meet its generation needs during the cold months.

Storm weather in Russia kills 10 people - including three children

Sunday 30 July 2023 16:26 , Jonathan Kanengoni

Ten people - including three children - have been killed as high winds ripped through central Russia, emergency services and a local official reported on Sunday.

Eight of the dead were part of a group of tourists camping close to Lake Yalchik in the Mari-El region when the storm weather hit the area on Saturday, Russia’s emergencies ministry said.

High winds caused a number of trees to fall in the area, including where the group’s tents had been pitched on a stretch of wild beach inside the Mariy Chodra National Park, regional leader Yuri Zaitsev wrote on social media. He said that three children were among the dead.

Russia’s investigative committee has opened a criminal case to determine whether unsafe or sub-standard services provided by the park’s management company contributed to the deaths.Across the wider Volga Federal District, 76 people were injured in the storm, with thousands of households losing power, emergency services said.

Pope urges Russian 'brothers' to restore Black Sea grain deal

Sunday 30 July 2023 15:21 , Tara Cobham

Pope Francis on Sunday called on Russia to reverse its decision to abandon the Black Sea grain deal, under which it had allowed Ukraine to export grain from its seaports despite the ongoing war.

"I appeal to my brothers, the authorities of the Russian Federation, so that the Black Sea initiative may be resumed and grain may be transported safely," Francis said during his weekly Angelus message.

Global wheat prices have spiked since Russia on July 17 quit the pact, which was brokered by the United Nations and Turkey in July 2022, and began targeting Ukrainian ports and grain infrastructure on the Black Sea and Danube River.

Addressing crowds in St Peter's Square, the pope urged the faithful to continue praying "for martyred Ukraine, where war is destroying everything, even grain," calling this "a grave insult to God."

The leader of the world's nearly 1.4 billion Catholics said "the cry of millions of brothers and sisters who are suffering from hunger is rising up to the sky".

Russia walked out of the Black Sea deal after saying its demands to ease sanctions on its own grain and fertilizer exports had not been met. Moscow also complained that not enough grain had reached poor countries.

Last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin offered to supply Africa with grain, some of it for free, but the chair of the African Union, Azali Assoumani, responded that this "may be not quite enough".

Watch: Dramatic moment shows explosion hit Russian administration building in Donetsk

Sunday 30 July 2023 14:18 , Tara Cobham

This dramatic video shows the moment an explosion went off directly outside a Russian administration building in Donetsk, Ukraine.

In the video, we see a point-of-view from inside a vehicle driving along the road. Moments later, a huge explosion is triggered near the right side of the vehicle, outside a building.

This footage was allegedly shared on the social media website Telegram by a local journalist, showing the moment of the explosion.

As the explosion happens, the driver of the vehicle swerves around it and continues driving along the road.

The footage seems to indicate that something strikes at the location from above, dropping down and exploding on impact.

Jack Webb reports:

Dramatic moment explosion hits Russian administration building in Donetsk

‘We’d have to use nuclear weapon if Ukrainian offensive was success,’ says Russia’s Medvedev

Sunday 30 July 2023 13:21 , Tara Cobham

Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, who has sometimes raised the spectre of a nuclear conflict over Ukraine, said on Sunday that Moscow would have to use a nuclear weapon if Kyiv's ongoing counter-offensive was a success.

Medvedev, who is deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council, a body chaired by President Vladimir Putin, said in a message on his official social media accounts that Russia would be forced to fall back on its own nuclear doctrine in such a scenario.

"Imagine if the.. offensive, which is backed by NATO, was a success and they tore off a part of our land then we would be forced to use a nuclear weapon according to the rules of a decree from the president of Russia. There would simply be no other option. So our enemies should pray for our warriors' (success). They are making sure that a global nuclear fire is not ignited," he said.

Medvedev, who has cast himself as one of Moscow's most hawkish voices, appeared to be referring to part of Russia's nuclear doctrine which sets out that nuclear weapons can be used in response to aggression against Russia carried out using conventional weapons which threatens the existence of the Russian state.

Putin said on Saturday that there were no serious battlefield changes to report in recent days and that Ukraine had lost large amounts of military equipment since 4 June. Kyiv says its forces are making some progress in their drive to retake territory, albeit at a slower pace than desired.

Kremlin critics have in the past accused Medvedev of making extreme statements in an effort to dissuade Western countries from continuing to supply Ukraine with arms.

In pictures: Reported Ukrainian drone attack on Moscow in early hours

Sunday 30 July 2023 12:30 , Tara Cobham

Watch: Moment explosion hits Russian administration building in Donetsk

Sunday 30 July 2023 12:00 , Tara Cobham

Face to face with a mercenary: Inside Wagner and its role in Ukraine

Sunday 30 July 2023 11:30 , Tara Cobham

Amid the ravages of war, Sergey, a seasoned Wagner mercenary, found himself grappling with the relentless violence that has become a way of life and death on the front line. The savage conflict, the sense of betrayal from the Kremlin, and rumours of plots, all combined to create an atmosphere of uncertainty and dread.

At the end he decided to abandon the Wagner group and the savage, meat-grinding combat of Donbas where corpses piled up, and towns and cities were razed.

With the future of the mercenary group in the balance after Yevgeny Prigozhin’s failed march on Moscow and fear of future retribution, Sergey cannot forget the terrible things he witnessed in the months of bloody conflict.

Kim Sengupta reports:

Face to face with a mercenary: Inside Wagner and its bloody role in the Ukraine war

Watch: Life after the Kakhovka dam explosion

Sunday 30 July 2023 10:58 , Bel Trew in Ukraine

In June, a catastrophic explosion destroyed the Kakhovka dam 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.

Life after the Kakhovka dam explosion | On The Ground

Putin says Russian Navy to receive 30 new ships this year

Sunday 30 July 2023 10:30 , Tara Cobham

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Sunday that the Russian Navy would receive 30 new ships this year.

Putin was speaking at a ceremony in St Petersburg to mark Russia's annual Navy Day after reviewing a parade of warships on the River Neva.

Putin blames Kyiv for early morning drone attacks on Moscow

Sunday 30 July 2023 10:10 , Tara Cobham

Russia is blaming Ukraine for three drone attacks on Moscow in the early hours of Sunday morning.

A security guard was injured and Vnukovo airport on the southern outskirts of the capital was forced to close, according to Russia’s state news agency, while one of the office buildings damaged was home to three government ministries as well as residential apartments, local media reported.

One drone was shot down in the surrounding Moscow region by air defence systems and two others crashed into the outsides of two buildings in the Moskva-Citi business district in the capital, which is several miles from the Kremlin, causing “insignificant damage”, according to Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin.

The Russian Defence Ministry referred to the incident as an “attempted terrorist attack by the Kyiv regime” and said three drones targeted the city. There was no immediate comment from Ukrainian officials, who rarely if ever take responsibility for attacks on Russian soil.

It was the fourth such attempt at a strike on the capital region this month and the third this week, fuelling concerns about Moscow’s vulnerability to attacks as Russia’s war in Ukraine drags on into its eighteenth month.

Putin downplays skipping South Africa summit amid ICC warrant controversy

Sunday 30 July 2023 09:00 , Stuti Mishra

Russian president Vladimir Putin appeared to downplay not attending an economic summit in Johannesburg next month amid a controversy over an arrest warrant issued against him by the International Criminal Court, saying he doesn't think his presence there is "more important than my presence here, in Russia.”

Mr Putin's remarks come more than a week after South African authorities said he will not attend the 22-24 August gathering, which brings together a bloc of developing economies known as BRICS, because of the warrant, even though he was initially invited.

Read more:

Putin is downplaying skipping South Africa summit amid ICC warrant controversy

Ukrainian troops fire UK-donated artillery to mark end of training

Sunday 30 July 2023 08:00 , Stuti Mishra

Ukrainian soldiers fired UK-donated AS90 self-propelled artillery guns to mark the end of their training in south-west England.

Uniformed troops wearing ear defenders blasted rounds into the air as Ukraine’s blue and yellow flag was pictured flying above one of the artillery units on Thursday.

British Army instructors taught the 72 Ukrainian army personnel how to operate and maintain the guns when in combat, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said.

Read more:

Ukrainian troops fire UK-donated artillery to mark end of training

Russia says it brought down three Ukrainian drones attempting to attack Moscow

Sunday 30 July 2023 07:36 , Stuti Mishra

Russia's defence ministry said it had brought down three Ukrainian drones in the early hours today that had been trying to carry out what it called "a terrorist attack" on Moscow.

Nobody was hurt and there was only minor damage to the façade of two office buildings in the Moskva-Citi business district, Sergei Sobyanin, Moscow's mayor, said.

The area, several miles from the Kremlin, is known for its modern high-rise towers.

The fact that hostile drones have in recent months begun reaching the heart of the Russian capital, even if they do not inflict serious damage, is uncomfortable for the authorities who have told the public that Russia is in full control of what they call its "special military operation" against Ukraine.

"There were no casualties or injuries," Mr Sobyanin said in a short statement on the incident.

The defence ministry said two drones had crashed in the Moskva-Citi district after being brought down using radio-electronic equipment. Air defences had shot down one more in the air over the Odintsovo area in the Moscow region, it said.

"On the morning of 30th July, an attempted terrorist attack by the Kyiv regime using unmanned aerial vehicles against targets in the city of Moscow was foiled," the ministry said in its statement.

Saudi Arabia to host a Ukrainian-organised peace summit in August, official says

Sunday 30 July 2023 07:00 , Stuti Mishra

Saudi Arabia will host a Ukrainian-organised peace summit in early August seeking to find a way to start negotiations over Russia’s war on the country, an official said Saturday night, according to Associated Press.

The kingdom and Kyiv did not immediately acknowledge the planned talks.

The summit will be held in the Red Sea port city of Jeddah, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity as no authorisation had been given to publicly discuss the summit.

Those taking part in the summit will include Ukraine, as well as Brazil, India, South Africa and several other countries, the official said. A high-level official from US president Joe Biden’s administration also is expected to attend, the official said. Planning for the event is being overseen by Kyiv and Russia is not invited, the official said.

Moscow airport shut after drone attack

Sunday 30 July 2023 06:00 , Stuti Mishra

A drone attack in Moscow damaged two office blocks, its mayor said early morning today. Russia’s government officials alleged the attack was carried out by Ukraine.

The drone attack led to an airport in the Russian capital reportedly closed to traffic.

“Facades of two city office towers were slightly damaged. There are no victims or injured,” Moscow mayor Sergei Sobyanin posted on Telegram, AFP reported.

Russia does not reject African proposal of peace talks, Putin claims

Sunday 30 July 2023 05:00 , Stuti Mishra

Russian president Vladimir Putin said an initiative by African countries could be a basis for peace amid the war on Ukraine but claimed attacks from Kyiv made a cessation of hostilities “virtually impossible”.

Mr Putin was addressing a press conference yesterday after holding a meeting with African leaders in St Petersburg and listening to their calls for Moscow to take steps ahead with their plan.

“There are provisions of this peace initiative that are being implemented. But there are things that are difficult or impossible to implement,” he said.

He said the ceasefire was one of the points in the African initiative.

“But the Ukrainian army is on the offensive, they are attacking, they are implementing a large-scale strategic offensive operation... We cannot cease fire when we are under attack,” he said.

Ukrainian commandos train in UK for special exercises

Sunday 30 July 2023 04:00 , Matt Drake

Ukrainian special forces have received training on Dartmoor in Britain.

According to the Sunday Express, 2,000 soldiers arrived in a remote location for specialist exercises.

Ukrainian intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov confirmed forces would enter Crimea “soon”.

The operation will involve airstrikes we well as strikes on land and sea with Ukrainian commandos using technology to undermine and paralyse Russian troops.

Russian diplomat claims US position is blocking possibility of peace talks

Sunday 30 July 2023 03:00 , Matt Drake

Maria Zakharova said the US' position against Russia is blocking the possibility of peace talks on Ukraine.

Moscow's foreign ministry spokeswoman told TASS that the Ukraine conflict is extremely profitable for the US.

Speaking at the Russia-Africa Summit, she said: "This is a principled stance by the US administration which not simply thinks about but made it its mission - the necessity of not simply achieving results but a strategic defeat of our country on the battlefield."

Putin says Russia not seeking to seize property, friendly to partners who stay

Sunday 30 July 2023 02:00 , Matt Drake

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Saturday that Russia did not seek to seize property and that the country was friendly to partners who did not want to leave.

He was speaking at a press conference after meeting African leaders in St Petersburg on Friday.

Ukraine moves official Christmas Day holiday to Dec. 25, denouncing Russian-imposed traditions

Sunday 30 July 2023 01:00 , Matt Drake

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday signed a law moving the official Christmas Day holiday to Dec. 25 from Jan. 7, the day when the Russian Orthodox Church observes it.

The explanatory note attached to the law said its goal is to “abandon the Russian heritage,” including that of “imposing the celebration of Christmas” on Jan. 7, and cited Ukrainians’ “relentless, successful struggle for their identity” and “the desire of all Ukrainians to live their lives with their own traditions, holidays,” fueled by Russia’s 17-month-old aggression against the country.

Last year, some Ukrainians already observed Christmas on Dec. 25, in a gesture that represented separation from Russia, its culture and religious traditions.

The law also moves the Day of Ukrainian Statehood to July 15 from July 28, and the Day of Defenders of Ukraine to Oct. 1 from Oct. 14.

Ukraine moves official Christmas Day holiday to Dec. 25, denouncing Russian-imposed traditions

I have a frozen embryo in Russia called Tallulah – the war in Ukraine means it’s trapped there

Sunday 30 July 2023 19:42 , Jonathan Kanengoni

It’s front-page news today: the heart of Moscow has been hit by early-morning drone attacks. It makes me think of Tallulah. She’s a frozen embryo I have stored in an IVF clinic in St Petersburg. What if I ever wanted to get her home? Is she safe?

I don’t want another child, but it doesn’t stop me from worrying about my frozen embryo or fantasising about Tallulah.

With a ban on flying to Russia from the UK and the EU, and absolutely no word from the private fertility clinic regarding storage fees for a while, now, I started to wonder: what the hell is going on?

Read more from Charlotte Cripps here:

My frozen embryo is trapped in Russia – how do I get it out? | Charlotte Cripps

Ukrainian soldiers fired UK-donated AS90 self-propelled artillery guns to mark the end of their training in south-west England

Sunday 30 July 2023 00:00 , Matt Drake

Uniformed troops wearing ear defenders blasted rounds into the air as Ukraine’s blue and yellow flag was pictured flying above one of the artillery units on Thursday.

British Army instructors taught the 72 Ukrainian army personnel how to operate and maintain the guns when in combat, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said.

The photos were taken at the end of their seven-week training course and the troops will soon return home.

More than 1,000 UK service personnel have been involved in running the programme, taking place at MoD sites across the North West, South West and South East, as part of the UK Government’s support for Ukraine following its invasion by Russia in February 2022.

Russian rocket hits Sumy in north Ukraine, one killed, Kyiv says

Saturday 29 July 2023 23:50 , Matt Drake

A Russian rocket attack killed one civilian and injured five more in the northeastern city of Sumy late on Saturday, Ukraine‘s interior ministry said.

“During the evening of July 29, an enemy missile hit an educational institution,” the ministry said on Telegram. “At least one civilian was killed and 5 civilians were wounded.”

Russian forces crossed into the Sumy region shortly after Moscow invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24 last year, but Ukrainian forces took back control of the region a few weeks later.

Ukraine‘s national police posted video on Telegram showing one person being carried away in a stretcher, a building in rubble and trees splintered.

Russia carried out preventive strikes after attack on Crimean bridge - Putin claims

Saturday 29 July 2023 23:08 , Matt Drake

Russia has carried out some preventive strikes after what Moscow called a Ukrainian “terrorist attack” that damaged the Crimean Bridge, President Vladimir Putin said on Saturday.

A Russian couple was killed and their 14-year-old daughter wounded last week in what Moscow said was a Ukrainian attack that knocked out the road part of the bridge linking Russia to the Crimean Peninsula, which Moscow annexed from Ukraine in 2014.

Russian companies will get more profit thanks to withdrawal from Black Sea grain deal, Putin claims

Saturday 29 July 2023 23:00 , Matt Drake

Russian companies will get more profit thanks to Moscow's withdrawal from the Black Sea grain deal as grain prices have risen, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Saturday.

The president added that Russia will share the profit with the poorest countries thanks to free delivery of its grain.