Russia-Ukraine war – live: Ukrainian soldiers observed ‘using North Korean rockets captured from Russians’

Ukrainian soldiers have been observed using North Korean rockets which they claim were seized by a “friendly” country before reaching Ukraine, according to a new report.

Ukraine’s defence ministry suggested the arms were captured from the Russians, the Financial Times reported on Saturday.

The US has accused North Korea of providing arms to Russia, including alleged shipments by sea, but North Korea and Russia deny conducting arms transactions.

The North Korean weapons were shown by Ukrainian troops operating Soviet-era Grad multiple-launch rocket systems near the destroyed eastern city of Bakhmut, the site of lengthy, brutal fighting, the report said.

Meanwhile, a missile strike on Dnipro on Friday left at least nine people injured, including two teenagers between 14 and 17 years of age, according to Serhii Lysak, the head of the region’s military administration.

Ukraine has also made some progress in driving back Russian troops, the commander on the southern front said on Friday, as Kyiv’s counteroffensive appears to be escalating and ramping up after months of slow progress amid tight Russian defences.

Key Points

• Zelensky moves Christmas to 25 December

• Ukraine’s military seeing success on one frontline as village recaptured

• 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 'threatening civilian ships in Black Sea' as Kyiv makes battlefield advances

Friday 28 July 2023 14:13 , Reuters

A senior Ukrainian official accused Russia on Friday of threatening civilian vessels in the Black Sea, and urged the international community to condemn what he said were “the methods of terrorists”.

Russia last week quit a U.N.-brokered deal allowing Ukraine, a major global grain producer, to safely export its grain via the Black Sea and warned that ships heading to Ukrainian seaports could be considered military targets.

“Russian warships are threatening civilians in the Black Sea, violating all norms of international maritime law,” Andriy Yermak, head of President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s office, wrote on the Telegram messaging app.

In a separate statement, Ukraine‘s border guard service said it had intercepted a warning communicated by Russia to a civilian vessel passing near a Ukrainian port on Thursday.

It did not identify the name of the ship or the port, but said: “The aggressor’s warships continue to behave brazenly and audaciously in the waters of the Black Sea, violating all the norms of international maritime law”.

The statement quoted the Russian party as saying: “I am warning you about the ban on movement to the ports of Ukraine.”

“Also, the transport of any cargo to Ukraine is considered by the Russian side to be the potential transportation of military cargo,” it was quoted as saying.

The country of the vessel’s flag would be considered a party to the conflict in Ukraine, it said.

Russia did not immediately respond to Yermak’s comments or to the border guard service’s statement.

Poland’s lawmakers approve divisive law on Russian influence

05:30 , Anuj Pant

Poland’s lawmakers voted Friday to approve an amended but divisive law on Russian influences believed to be targeting the opposition and criticised by the US and the European Union.

The law was proposed in May by Poland’s ruling right-wing Law and Justice party and critics see it as primarily targeting opposition leader and former prime minister Donald Tusk, before a parliamentary election scheduled for this fall. Following criticism, president Andrzej Duda proposed urgent amendments to tone it down.

Read more here.

Ukraine’s troops advance around Bakhmut despite intense artillery fire from Russia’s forces, military say

05:15 , Anuj Pant

Kyiv’s troops are pushing through heavy intense artillery fire from Russian forces to advance in the east of Ukraine, the commander of the country’s armed forces has said.

Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi said that despite meeting stiff resistance, Ukraine’s ground forces are making “gradual advances in the direction of Bakhmut in the eastern Donetsk region. The city, which is now occupied by Russian forces, has gained symbolic significance for both Kyiv and Moscow having been the scene for some of the most intense fighting of the war.

“The enemy fiercely clings to every centimetre, conducting intense artillery and mortar fire,” Col Gen Syrskyi said in a statement.

Chris Stevenson has more.

ICYMI: Russian and Belarusian players banned from a women's tennis tournament in Prague

05:00 , Anuj Pant

Russian and Belarusian players will not be allowed to participate in next week’s Prague Open, the organizers of the women’s tennis event said Friday.

The announcement came a day after police prevented a Russian player from entering the country, organizers said.

Miroslav Malý, the director of the hard-court tournament, didn’t identify the player. Malý said she was the first participant with a Russian passport to arrive in the country.

He said organizers approached other Russian and Belarusian players through the Women’s Tennis Association to tell them not to travel to Prague.

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

04:45 , Anuj Pant

A month on from the Wagner Group’s extraordinary attempted mutiny against Russia’s military establishment – which saw its fighters leave their posts in eastern Ukraine, occupy the city of Rostov-on-Don and march on Moscow before a last minute peace deal was agreed – 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.

Joe Sommerlad has more.

Ukrainian fencer disqualified for refusing handshake with Russian opponent

04:00 , Jane Dalton

In case you missed it:

Ukrainian fencer disqualified for refusing handshake with Russian opponent

Russia tortures nuclear engineer, Ukraine energy firm says

02:55 , Jane Dalton

Russia has been illegally holding Zaporizhia nuclear power plant engineer Serhii Potynh since June and subjects him to torture, Ukraine’s state nuclear energy company Energoatom has reported.

According to the company’s statement on Telegram, Mr Potynh was seen at a police station where the occupation authorities held other employees of the plant and local residents.

“Serhii, held in actual captivity by the Russians, is regularly subjected to torture and physical violence,” it said.

The Russians reportedly take him for hospital treatment after every round of torture so that he does not die, the statement said.

Significance of Ukraine’s territorial advances so far

01:50 , Jane Dalton

Ukraine has reported regaining further ground from invading Russian forces along the eastern and southern fronts in July as its counteroffensive continues. Joe Sommerlad reports:

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

Moscow blames Ukraine for missiles that hurt 20 people

Saturday 29 July 2023 00:45 , Jane Dalton

Moscow has accused Kyiv of firing two missiles at southern Russia and wounding 20 people.

The Russian Defence Ministry said it shot down a Ukrainian missile in the city of Taganrog, about 24 miles east of the border with Ukraine, and local officials reported 20 people were injured, identifying the epicentre as an art museum.

Debris fell on the city, the ministry added, alleging the missile was part of a “terror attack” by Ukraine.

Oleksiy Danilov, Ukraine’s secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, blamed Russian air defense systems for the explosion.

Russian defence chiefs said they also downed a second Ukrainian missile near the city of Azov, which like Taganrog is in the Rostov region, and debris fell in an unpopulated location.

Ukraine troops ‘advance around Bakhmut despite intense artillery fire'

Friday 28 July 2023 23:40 , Jane Dalton

Kyiv’s troops are pushing through heavy intense artillery fire from Russian forces to advance in the east of Ukraine, the commander of the country’s armed forces says.

The city, which is occupied by Russian forces, has gained symbolic significance for both Kyiv and Moscow:

Ukraine’s troops advance around Bakhmut despite intense artillery fire, military say

Russian missile 'hits Ukrainian security building and block of flats’

Friday 28 July 2023 22:36 , Jane Dalton

A Russian missile strike hit a residential complex and a building of Ukraine’s security service in the central city of Dnipro, president Volodymyr Zelensky said.

Interior minister Ihor Klymenko said five people were injured and emergency services had completed an apartment-by-apartment search of the area.

“Dnipro. Friday evening. Multi-storey apartment building and a building of the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) hit,” Mr Zelensky wrote on the Telegram messaging app. “Again, Russian missile terror.”

Mr Zelensky offered no further details in his post. It was not clear how many missiles were involved or whether the security building was close to the apartments.

People on social media said the buildings were not far apart.

Unverified video on social media showed rubble strewn throughout a courtyard in a large complex of apartment buildings.

Mr Zelensky said he had held emergency meetings with the SBU, the interior ministry, emergency services and local officials.

Putin will be out of power within a year, predicts ex-spy

Friday 28 July 2023 21:30 , Jane Dalton

A British former spy who wrote a dossier on Russian interference in the US election says he believes Vladimir Putin will be out of power within a year.

Christopher Steele, who ran the Russia desk at MI6 in London between 2006 and 2009, told Sky News the West needed to prepare for the end of the Putin era.

He said scenarios include: Putin dies from illness or is assassinated; he is toppled due to the failure of the Ukraine war; he stands down and endorses a successor; there is a military coup or there is a popular uprising.

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

Friday 28 July 2023 19:00 , Joe Sommerlad

A month on from the Wagner Group’s extraordinary attempted mutiny against Russia’s military establishment – which saw its fighters leave their posts in eastern Ukraine, occupy the city of Rostov-on-Don and march on Moscow before a last minute peace deal was agreed – the mercenary group’s founder, Yevgeny Prigozhin, appears to be back in his homeland.

Find out why, in our full article here.

Ukraine move date of Christmas celebration to break from Russia

Friday 28 July 2023 18:30 , William Mata

Ukraine has moved its official Christmas holiday to December 25 to break with the Russian church’s date of January 7.

President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a bill on Friday fall into line with much of the rest of the world.

A note on the Ukrainian parliament’s website reads: “The relentless and successful struggle for their identity contributes to … the desire of every Ukrainian to live their own life with their own traditions and holidays.”

Zelensky calls meeting with Qatari PM 'meaningful’

Friday 28 July 2023 18:00 , William Mata / Reuters

Volodymyr Zelensky said his meeting with the Qatari prime minister had been “meaningful” and that investment by the Gulf state in Ukraine‘s reconstruction had been on the agenda.

Qatar announced on Friday that it will provide Ukraine with $100 million in humanitarian aid to support health and education.

He said on the Telegram messaging app that their talks included discussion of how to continue the safe functioning of the Black Sea grain corridor allowing shipments of Ukrainian grain via the Black Sea, but gave no details.

The corridor, established under a deal brokered by Turkey and the United Nations in July 2022, has not been operating since Russia withdrew from the agreement on July 17.

Picture round up: July 28 in Russia and Ukraine

Friday 28 July 2023 17:30 , William Mata

Where fighting is taking place

Friday 28 July 2023 17:00 , William Mata / PA

Recent fighting has taken place at multiple places along the more than 600-mile front, where Ukraine deployed its recently acquired Western weapons to push out the Kremlin’s forces. However, it is attacking without vital air support and faces a deeply entrenched foe.

A Western official said on Thursday that Ukraine had launched a major push in the south east. Mr Putin acknowledged that fighting has intensified there, but insisted Kyiv’s push has failed.

Mr Zelensky posted a video on Thursday night in which Ukrainian soldiers said they had taken Staromaiorske in the Donetsk region. Russian military bloggers said artillery fire at the Ukrainian troops had effectively razed the village and reported more barrages on Friday.

Capturing the village, which in 2014 had a population of 682, would give Ukraine a platform to push deeper into Russian-held territory, the bloggers noted.

The area has been a focus of Ukraine’s counter-offensive since June, and its troops have previously captured several other villages there as they slowly work their way across extensive Russian minefields.

It was not possible to verify either side’s claims about what is happening in the war zone.

Mr Syrskyi said fighting that targets the enemy’s artillery as well as its command and control structure is a priority as his troops probe Russian lines for weaknesses.

“In these conditions, it is crucial to make timely management decisions in response to the situation at hand and take measures for manoeuvring forces and resources, shifting units and troops to areas where success is evident, or withdrawing them from the enemy’s fire,” he said.

Russia is trying to hold on to the territory it controls in the four provinces it illegally annexed in September - Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, Kherson and Luhansk.

Meanwhile, a Ukrainian drone was shot down early on Friday outside Moscow, Russia‘s Defence Ministry said. It was the third drone strike or attempt on the capital region this month.

The ministry said there were no injuries or damage in the early morning incident.

Russia attacks recaptured village

Friday 28 July 2023 16:30 , AP

Russian forces have pounded a key village that Ukraine claimed to have recaptured during its counter-offensive as Moscow accused Kyiv of firing a missile at a city in southern Russia leaving 15 people wounded.

President Volodymyr Zelensky, meanwhile, has marked Ukraine’s Statehood Day by reaffirming the country’s sovereignty - a rebuke to Russian president Vladimir Putin, who used his claim that Ukraine did not exist as a nation to justify his invasion.

“Now, like more than a thousand years ago, our civilisational choice is unity with the world,” Mr Zelensky said in a speech outside St Michael’s Monastery in Kyiv.

“To be a power in world history. To have the right to its national history - of its people, its land, its state. And of our children - all future generations of the Ukrainian people. We will definitely win!”

He also honoured servicemen and handed out first passports to young citizens as part of ceremonies in the square.

The holiday coincides with the observance that marks the beginning of the widespread adoption of Christianity in land that later became Ukraine, Russia and Belarus.

EU Council: Sanctions on seven Russians over ‘digital information manipulation’

Friday 28 July 2023 15:43 , Reuters

The European Union Council said on Friday it had decided to impose sanctions on seven Russian individuals and five entities over a “digital information manipulation” campaign.

“Today the Council decided to impose restrictive measures against seven Russian individuals and five entities responsible for conducting a digital information manipulation campaign called ‘RRN’ (Recent Reliable News), aimed at distorting information and disseminating propaganda in support of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine,” it said in a statement.

Ukraine fights for key eastern village as Zelensky marks the nation’s statehood in rebuke to Putin

Friday 28 July 2023 15:20 , AP

Russian forces on Friday pounded a key village in southeastern Ukraine that Kyiv claimed to have recaptured in its grinding counteroffensive.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, meanwhile, marked Ukraine's Statehood Day by reaffirming the country's sovereignty — a rebuke to Russian President Vladimir Putin, who used his claim that Ukraine didn't exist as a nation to justify his invasion.

"Now, like more than a thousand years ago, our civilizational choice is unity with the world," Zelenskyy said in a speech outside St. Michael's Monastery in Kyiv. "To be a power in world history. To have the right to its national history - of its people, its land, its state. And of our children - all future generations of the Ukrainian people. We will definitely win!"

He also honored servicemen and handed out first passports to young citizens as part of ceremonies in the square. The holiday coincides with the observance that marks the beginning of the widespread adoption of Christianity in land that later became Ukraine, Russia and Belarus.

On the battlefield, the commander of Ukraine's armed forces, colonel general Oleksandr Syrskyi, said his troops were pushing forward in parts of eastern Ukraine occupied by Russia and meeting stiff resistance as the war drags into its 18th month.

"The enemy fiercely clings to every centimeter, conducting intense artillery and mortar fire," he said in a statement.

Blast reported in Russia's Taganrog, close to border with Ukraine - RIA

Friday 28 July 2023 15:10 , Reuters

A blast shook the central square of the city of Taganrog in southwest Russia, close to the border with Ukraine, on Friday, the RIA news agency reported.

At least six people were injured by the explosion which damaged a residential building, according to another agency, TASS. Videos from the scene circulated online showed a low-rise building partly reduced to rubble.

The cause of the blast was not immediately known.

Round-up: African leaders press for end to Russia-Ukraine conflict

Friday 28 July 2023 15:00 , Reuters

African leaders pressed Russian president Vladimir Putin on Friday to move ahead with their peace plan to end the Ukraine war and to renew a deal on the export of Ukrainian grain that Moscow tore up last week.

While not directly critical of Russia, their interventions on the second day of a summit with Putin were more concerted and forceful than those that African countries have voiced until now.

They served as reminders to the Kremlin leader of the depth of African concern at the consequences of the war, especially rising food prices.

“This war must end. And it can only end on the basis of justice and reason,” African Union Commission Chairman Moussa Faki Mahamat told Putin and African leaders in St Petersburg.

“The disruptions of energy and grain supplies must end immediately. The grain deal must be extended for the benefit of all the peoples of the world, Africans in particular.”

Reuters reported in June that the African plan floats a series of possible steps to defuse the conflict including a Russian troop pull-back, removal of Russian tactical nuclear weapons from Belarus, suspension of an International Criminal Court arrest warrant against Putin, and sanctions relief.

Putin gave it a polite but cool reception when African leaders presented it to him last month. On Friday he said Moscow respected the proposal and was carefully studying it.

Congo Republic President Denis Sassou Nguesso said the African initiative “deserves the closest attention, it mustn’t be underestimated...We once again urgently call for the restoration of peace in Europe.”

Senegal’s President Macky Sall called for “a de-escalation to help create calm”, while South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said he hoped that “constructive engagement and negotiation” could bring an end to the conflict.

The stream of calls prompted Putin repeatedly to defend Russia‘s position and place the blame on Ukraine and the West.

Investigation after MOD sends emails meant for US to Mali

Friday 28 July 2023 14:50 , PA

The privacy watchdog has said it will make inquiries amid reports that typing errors at the Ministry of Defence led to emails containing information relating to personnel being sent to a Russian ally.

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) said it is aware of the incident and will be “making inquiries”.

The PA news agency understands the ICO has not launched an investigation at this stage.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) said it is investigating, but insisted it would be misleading to suggest state secrets were sent to Mali’s email domain.

In a statement on Twitter, the MoD said: “We assess fewer than 20 routine emails were sent to an incorrect domain and are confident there was no breach of operational security or disclosure of technical data.

“An investigation is ongoing. Emails of this kind are not classified at secret or above.”

An ICO spokesperson said: “We are aware of this incident and will be making inquiries.”

Qatar to provide Ukraine with $100 mln in humanitarian aid - Kyiv

Friday 28 July 2023 14:37 , Reuters

Qatar will provide Ukraine with $100 million in humanitarian aid to support health, education and demining, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said on Friday after talks with the Gulf state’s prime minister.

Qatar had earlier on Friday announced that Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, who also serves as foreign minister, was visiting Ukraine.

“This money will be channelled for reconstruction in the health and education sectors, humanitarian de-mining, and other important social and humanitarian projects,” Shmyhal told a joint briefing.

Shmyhal said they had discussed Ukraine’s peace formula - a 10-point peace plan that calls for nuclear, energy, and food security, restoration of borders, and other points.

He thanked Qatar for its readiness to mediate in efforts to repatriate thousands of Ukrainian children taken to Russia since Moscow’s invasion.

Moscow says it wants to protect orphans and children abandoned in the conflict zone. Ukraine says many children have been illegally deported and the United States says thousands of children have been forcibly removed from their homes.

The Qatari prime minister said he was due to meet President Volodymyr Zelensky later on Friday.

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

Friday 28 July 2023 14:00 , Joe Sommerlad

Ukraine has reported regaining further ground from invading Russian forces along the eastern and southern fronts in early July as its counteroffensive continues, following on from the liberation of a number of frontline villages in June.

Offering an update from the frontlines on Monday 10 July, the Ukrainian military said its troops have so far retaken more than 65 square miles on the southern front and 9.26 square miles around the eastern city of Bakhmut since the counteroffensive effort commenced.

Ukraine’s deputy defence minister, Hanna Maliar, writing on the Telegram messaging app, said that heavy fighting raged in two areas of the southeast.

“We are consolidating our gains in those areas,” she wrote.

Read Joe Sommerlad’s full story here.

Pictures: Russia and Ukraine conflict, July 28

Friday 28 July 2023 13:30 , William Mata

'Exiled' Russian mercenary boss Prigozhin hails Niger coup, touts services

Friday 28 July 2023 13:00 , Reuters

Wagner mercenary boss Yevgeny Prigozhin, who remains active despite leading a failed mutiny against the Russian army’s top brass last month, has hailed Niger’s military coup as good news and offered his fighters’ services to bring order.

A voice message on Telegram app channels associated with Wagner which they said was Prigozhin did not claim involvement in the coup, but described it as a moment of long overdue liberation from Western colonisers and made what looked like a pitch for his fighters to help keep order.

“What happened in Niger is nothing other than the struggle of the people of Niger with their colonisers. With colonisers who are trying to foist their rules of life on them and their conditions and keep them in the state that Africa was in hundreds of years ago,” said the message, posted on Thursday evening.

The speaker had the same distinctive intonation and turn of phrase in Russian as the Wagner boss although Reuters was not able to confirm with certainty that it was him.

“Today this is effectively gaining their independence. The rest will without doubt depend on the citizens of Niger and how effective governance will be, but the main thing is this: they have got rid of the colonisers,” the message said.

China defends trade with Russia after the US says equipment used in Ukraine might have been exported

Friday 28 July 2023 12:56 , AP

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

The Biden administration has warned Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s government of unspecified consequences if it supports the Kremlin’s war effort.

The latest report cited Russian customs data that showed Chinese state-owned military contractors supplied navigation equipment, fighter jet parts, drones and other goods, but didn’t say whether that might trigger U.S. retaliation.

“China has been carrying out normal economic and trade cooperation with countries around the world, including Russia,” said Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning. She said Chinese-Russian cooperation “neither targets a third party nor is it subject to interference and coercion by a third party.”

Mr Xi and Russian President Vladimir Putin declared before the February 2022 invasion that their governments had a “no-limits” friendship. Beijing says it is neutral in the war, but it has blocked efforts to censure Moscow in the United Nations and has repeated Russian justifications for the attack.

Ukrainians mark day of statehood

Friday 28 July 2023 12:45 , William Mata

President Volodymyr Zelensky has spoken at an event in Kyiv to mark Ukraine's day of statehood.

He completed the ceremonial events on Friday to mark 30 years of the country’s independence.

France says ready to back Niger sanctions over 'dangerous' coup

Friday 28 July 2023 12:16 , Reuters / William Mata

French President Emmanuel Macron said on Friday he was prepared to back sanctions against the perpetrators of a “dangerous” coup in Niger, after his foreign minister said the power grab did not appear to be definitive.

Former colonial power France has made Niger the cornerstone of its more than decade-long counter-insurgency operations against Islamist militants in the Sahel region.

It has around 1,500 soldiers in the country who support the local military, having redefined its strategy after thousands withdrew from neighbouring Mali and Burkina Faso following coups there.

If Wednesday’s coup in Niamey succeeds, French troops could well be forced to withdraw from there too, diplomats and analysts said.

“This coup d’etat is completely illegitimate, extremely dangerous for Nigeriens, for Niger and the entire region,” Mr Macron told a news conference in Papua New Guinea.

Niger has already said it is looking to Russia.

Putin: Russia ready to discuss conflict with Ukraine, but Kyiv refuses

Friday 28 July 2023 12:09 , Reuters

President Vladimir Putin on Friday repeated Russia‘s position that it was ready for negotiations with Ukraine, but that Kyiv was refusing to join them.

Putin was responding to comments from African Union Commission Chairman Moussa Faki Mahamat, who told a Russia-Africa summit in St Petersburg that the AU attached great value to the integrity and sovereignty of states, and the peaceful settlement of crises through compromise.

Kyiv has said it is not prepared to enter negotiations with Moscow while Russia, which launched a full-scale invasion 17 months ago, holds a fifth of Ukrainian territory.

Russia has repeatedly said any talks must take account of these “new realities”.

African Union: grain deal must benefit all countries

Friday 28 July 2023 11:57 , Reuters

African Union Commission Chairman Moussa Faki Mahamat said on Friday that a new Black Sea grain initiative should work for the benefit of all countries in the world, and especially African nations.

Speaking at the Russia-Africa forum in St Petersburg, Mahamat also stressed “the importance that the African Union attributes to ... the integrity and sovereignty of states, the settling of crises through compromise”.

Cyril Ramaphosa hopes for “constructive engagement and negotiation”

Friday 28 July 2023 11:44 , William Mata

Cyril Ramaphosa has said that he hopes a “constructive engagement and negotiation” between Russia and Ukraine can end the conflict.

The South African president added added that the conflict will be a key issue as African leaders meet with Vladimir Putin at a summit in St Petersburg on Friday.

Japan to extend car export ban to Russia from August 9 - trade minister

Friday 28 July 2023 11:33 , Reuters

Japan will extend an export ban on luxury cars to Russia from next month so that it will cover all new and used vehicles over 1900 cc, the government said on Friday, as it further steps up sanctions against Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine.

The wider ban will become effective August 9, and will likely curb Japan’s second-hand car exports to Russia, which have surged since the start of the conflict due to high demand for reliable and durable vehicles.

The Japanese cabinet decided to revise an export control order that bans the exports of goods to Russia that strengthen the country’s industrial base, Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Yasutoshi Nishimura told reporters.

“With that, the export to Russia of automobiles over 1900 cc, hybrid engine passenger cars and large vehicle tires and so on will be banned from August 9,” Nishimura said.

The expanded ban also includes hybrids, plug-in hybrids and electric vehicles, the government said.

Russian, Chinese officials join Kim at North Korea military parade

Friday 28 July 2023 11:23 , William Mata / Reuters

Chinese and Russian officials stood shoulder to shoulder with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as they reviewed his newest nuclear-capable missiles and attack drones at a military parade in the capital, North Korean state media showed on Friday.

The widely anticipated parade in Pyongyang the previous day commemorated the 70th anniversary of the end of the Korean War, celebrated in North Korea as “Victory Day”.

Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu’s visit was the first by Moscow’s top defence official since the 1991 break-up of the Soviet Union. The Chinese delegation was the first since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Their appearance at events with the North’s nuclear-capable missiles - banned by the U.N. Security Council with Chinese and Russian support - was in contrast from previous years, when Beijing and Moscow sought to distance themselves from their neighbour’s nuclear weapons and ballistic missile development.

Mali leader thanks Russia for support in fighting 'terrorism'

Friday 28 July 2023 11:06 , Reuters

Mali president Assimi Goita thanked Russian president Vladimir Putin on Friday for support in fighting “terrorism”.

Speaking at a Russia-Africa summit, Mr Goita also said he was grateful to Russia for its proposals on grain supplies to Africa. Mali was one of six African countries to which Putin promised on Thursday to supply free Russian grain.

Japan raises alarm over China's military, Russia ties and Taiwan tensions in new defense paper

Friday 28 July 2023 10:55 , AP

The Japanese government stepped up its alarm over Chinese assertiveness, warning in a report issued Friday that the country faces its worst security threats since World War II as it plans to implement a new strategy that calls for a major military buildup.

The 2023 defense white paper, approved by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s Cabinet, is the first since the government adopted a controversial new National Security Strategy in December, seen as a break from Japan’s postwar policy limiting the use of force to self-defense.

China, Russia and North Korea contribute to “the most severe and complex security environment since the end of World War II,” according to the 510-page report.

It says China’s external stance and military activities have become a “serious concern for Japan and the international community and present an unprecedented and the greatest strategic challenge.”

On Thursday, Russian and Chinese delegates joined North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in North Korea’s capital for a military parade that showed off the country’s latest drones and long-range nuclear-capable missiles.

Putin: Western policy mistakes are main reason for high food prices

Friday 28 July 2023 10:45 , Reuters

President Vladimir Putin on Friday rejected suggestions that Russia’s “special military operation” in Ukraine was responsible for high global food prices, saying Western “mistakes” in the form of monetary stimulus were at the root of the problem.

Putin asserted to a Russia-Africa summit in St Petersburg that the United States and the European Union had printed money to buy food as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and that “prices skyrocketed”.

Putin appeared to be referring to the policy of “quantitative easing” to help major Western economies function under the social and economic disruption of the pandemic.

Putin also said the West had neglected investment in hydrocarbons: “One mistake led to another, it upended markets.”

Qatari prime minister in Ukraine, meeting PM -statement

Friday 28 July 2023 10:41 , Reuters

Qatari prime minister Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, who also serves as foreign minister, is on a visit to Ukraine, the ministry said on Friday.

He will meet Ukraine‘s prime minister and foreign minister, it said.

Egyptian leader urges Russia to revive Black Sea grain deal

Friday 28 July 2023 10:30 , William Mata

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi urged Russia on Friday to revive the Black Sea grain deal, in which it had allowed Ukraine to export grain from its seaports despite the war, which collapsed last week.

Sisi told an Russia-Africa summit in St Petersburg that it was “essential to reach agreement” on reviving the deal, which Russia quit because it said Ukraine and the West were failing to hold up their end of the bargain.

Food importer Egypt is one of the key buyers of Black Sea grains.

West and Russia vie for status in Niger

Friday 28 July 2023 10:21 , William Mata

Two days after mutinous soldiers detained Niger’s democratically elected president, it was still unclear Friday morning who was running the country and what mediation efforts were underway, as analysts warned that political chaos could set back the country’s fight against jihadists and increase Russia‘s influence in West Africa.

Niger is seen as the last partner in the West’s efforts to battle jihadists linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group in Africa’s Sahel region, where Russia and the west have been vying for influence in the fight against extremism.

On Thursday, several hundred people gathered in the capital, Niamey, and chanted support for the Russian private military group Wagner while waving Russian flags.

Later, they burned cars and ransacked the headquarters of the president’s political party. “We’re fed up,” said Omar Issaka, one of the protestors.“We are tired of being targeted by the men in the bush ... Down with the French people. We’re going to collaborate with Russia now,” he said.

The mutinous soldiers have not announced a leader and President Mohamed Bazoum, who was elected two years ago in Niger’s first peaceful, democratic transfer of power since its independence from France in 1960, has not resigned.

Congo Republic leader urges end to Russia-Ukraine conflict

Friday 28 July 2023 10:19 , Reuters

Congo Republic president Denis Sassou Nguesso called on Friday for an end to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, saying a peace plan put forward by African leaders deserved attention.

Mr Nguesso spoke at a Russia-Africa forum in St Petersburg hosted by Russian president Vladimir Putin, who said the peace proposal would be discussed later in the day.

Central African leader says Russia helped avoid civil war

Friday 28 July 2023 10:02 , Reuters

Central African Republic President Faustin Archange Touadera said on Friday his country’s relations with Russia had helped it to save its democracy and avoid a civil war.

Russian mercenaries, including many from the Wagner militia, intervened in 2018 on the side of the government to quell a civil war that has raged since 2012.

The Russian ambassador to the CAR said in February that 1,890 “Russian instructors” were present.

A Wagner contingent arrived in CAR this month to help secure a constitutional referendum on July 30.

Latest battlefield situation

Friday 28 July 2023 09:56 , William Mata

The UK’s Ministry of Defence has issued a map based on the latest battlefield situation in Ukraine.

It shows there is the greatest Russian threat in the Donbas area.

Zelensky visits cathedral in Odesa

Friday 28 July 2023 09:26 , William Mata

Volodymyr Zelensky has tweeted a picture of himself visiting the Transfiguration Cathedral in Odesa.

His tweet read: “We are looking for air defense systems to protect Odesa and our entire south. And I am grateful to everyone in the world who has joined us in this endeavor.”

A statement from Mr Zelensky added: “Architecture experts are currently working to assess the possibility of restoring the church. I am grateful to our partners in Europe for their willingness to join the reconstruction. Most importantly, the Kasperov Icon of the Mother of God has been saved, and the heart of the church is alive.”

Putin tells African leaders Moscow is studying their Ukraine proposal

Friday 28 July 2023 09:13 , William Mata / Reuters

Russian President Vladimir Putin told African leaders on Friday that Moscow respected their peace proposal on Ukraine and was carefully studying it.

Mr Putin said at a Russia-Africa summit that Russia was increasing food supplies to Africa, including some free grain shipments which he announced a day earlier, and was interested in developing military cooperation with the continent.

Read the background to this one here.

China set to upgrade ties with Georgia to strategic partnership

Friday 28 July 2023 08:48 , Reuters

China is set to elevate its relations with Georgia to one of strategic partnership, President Xi Jinping said on Friday, declaring "unwavering" resolve to deepen ties with the former Soviet republic.

China has regarded Georgia as a good friend since they established diplomatic ties 31 years ago, Xi told Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on the sidelines of the Chengdu University Games in southwest China.

"No matter how the international situation changes, China is unwavering in its determination to develop relations with Georgia," Chinese state media quoted Mr Xi as saying.

"During your visit to China this time, the two sides will issue a joint statement announcing the establishment of a China-Georgia strategic partnership, raising the positioning of bilateral relations to a new level."

Georgia, like other former Soviet states Armenia and Azerbaijan, is on a strategic - and sometimes volatile - overland route between Europe and Asia, along which China aims to develop a "Belt and Road" network of trade and energy links.

Georgia has had fraught relations with China's ally Russia since the 1990s when Russia backed separatists in two Georgian regions. Russia recognised the breakaway regions as independent after fighting a war with Georgia in 2008.

Days after Russian sent troops into Ukraine last year, Georgia applied for EU membership. Georgia has also sought to become a member of NATO.

Drone shot down near Moscow, Russia says

Friday 28 July 2023 08:43 , William Mata

A Ukrainian drone has been shot down near Moscow, Russia’s defence ministry has said.

It is the third drone strike or attempt on the capital region this month.

There were no injuries or damage, the ministry added.

It did not give details about where the drone was shot down on Friday morning, but said it took place in the Moscow Oblast, a region surrounding but not including the city itself.

The incident adds to concern about Moscow’s vulnerability to attack as the war with Ukraine enters its 18th month.

Putin promises grain aid to Africa despite withdrawing from Ukraine deal

Friday 28 July 2023 08:16 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

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.

Putin promises grain aid to Africa despite withdrawing from Ukraine deal

Russia says downs Ukrainian drone near Moscow - RIA

Friday 28 July 2023 07:51 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russian air defences downed a Ukrainian military drone before it could attack its targets near Moscow on Friday, the RIA news agency cited Russia‘s defence ministry as saying.

The ministry said the incident has caused no casualties or damage to buildings.

Russia’s war on grain in Ukraine will compound food insecurity across Africa till 2025, says UK MoD

Friday 28 July 2023 07:05 , Arpan Rai

The impact of the war in Ukraine will almost certainly compound food insecurity across Africa for at least the next two years, the British Ministry of Defence has warned today.

This comes as the Russia-Africa conference convened in St Petersburg yesterday, with 17 African heads of state attending, down from 43 at the last iteration, the ministry said.

The event takes place ten days after Russia withdrew from the Black Sea Grain Initiative (BSGI).

“The BSGI had allowed the export of 30 million tonnes of Ukrainian grain to Africa, providing essential nutrition to states including Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, and Sudan,” it pointed out.

“As well as the direct disruption of supplies, Russia’s blockade of Ukraine is also causing grain prices to rise,” the ministry said.

What are Abrams tanks and why is the US sending them to Ukraine?

Friday 28 July 2023 06:55 , Arpan Rai

In January this year, the US made a firm promise to the Ukraine and offered to send 31 of its M1 Abram battle tanks, worth an estimated $400m, to help the war-hit nation push back Russian forces out of its territory.

As a result, Anatoly Antonov, Russia’s ambassador to the US, said the decision by Joe Biden’s administration amounted to “another blatant provocation” against Moscow, pledged that the tanks would be destroyed and warned the West it would come to regret the “delusion” that Ukraine could ever win the day.

When it comes to the M1s, experts have warned of the complex logistics involved in getting these high-tech vehicles to the battlefield. The extensive and tricky maintenance required for their use mean that it could be some time before they appear on the frontlines in Eastern Europe.

The first M1 tank was manufactured by American armoured vehicle manufacturer General Dynamics Land Systems in 1978 and was first delivered to the US Army in 1980.

Each model costs around $10m to make, according to Reuters.

It has to be crewed by a team of four (driver, commander, loader and gunner), has a maximum speed of 42 miles per hour, has a maximum range of 624 miles and runs on a 1,500 horsepower gas turbine engine.

The M1 is armed with an M256 120mm smoothbore cannon, as well as two machine guns: a 12.7mm and a 7.62mm M240.

Defence industry expert Sydney Freedberg described them as “big vehicles, heavily armoured” to Al Jazeera, adding that they are “much better protected than anything the Soviets built, or anything the Russians currently have.”

Read more about the top-tier battlefield tank here:

What are Abrams tanks and why is the US sending them to Ukraine?

Ukraine could receive Abrams tanks from US in September – report

Friday 28 July 2023 06:50 , Arpan Rai

Officials in the US are looking to start delivering Abrams tanks to Ukraine as soon as September, six people aware of the planning said.

The tanks could be deployed to the Ukrainian battlefield in September, reported Politico, citing people aware of the talks.

Handful of Abrams tanks will be sent to Germany in August, according to the plan, where they will undergo final refurbishments.

Once that process is complete, the first batch of Abrams will be shipped to Ukraine the following month, the report added.

The US has pledged to send 31 of its M1 Abram battle tanks, worth an estimated $400m, to Ukraine to help the resistance fight back against the Russian onslaught as the one-year anniversary of Vladimir Putin’s invasion approaches.

Russia claims Ukrainian drone downed near Moscow - RIA

Friday 28 July 2023 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

Friday 28 July 2023 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

Friday 28 July 2023 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

Friday 28 July 2023 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

Friday 28 July 2023 04:00 , Martha Mchardy

Today in pictures

Friday 28 July 2023 03:00 , Martha Mchardy

Ukraine MP being investigated for taking family holiday in Maldives amid Russian invasion

Friday 28 July 2023 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

Friday 28 July 2023 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.”