Russia-Ukraine war – live: Putin’s troops launch fresh strikes after Kyiv’s Crimea Bridge ‘attack’

Russia has carried out 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 was 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.

His comments come after Kyiv’s forces are set to enter Crimea “soon”, the head of Ukraine’s intelligence directorate has said.

Speaking to Ukrainian news site TSN, Kyrylo Budanov said troops could begin their military operation to liberate Crimea shortly, although he did not give a specific timeframe.

Crimea is a key target of Ukraine’s counteroffensive, which appears to be ramping up after months of slow progress.

It comes as Russian missiles hit an apartment block and a Ukrainian security service building in the central city of Dnipro on Friday, leaving two teenagers, aged between 14 and 17, among nine injured.

Key Points

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

• Zelensky moves Christmas to 25 December

• At least 9 injured in missile attack in Dnipro, Ukrainian military official says

• Wagner mercenaries in Belarus move closer to the Polish border, Poland's prime minister says

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

22:00 , Matt Drake

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday signed a law moving the official Christmas Day holiday to December 25 from January 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 January 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 December 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 October 1 from October 14.

Putin said Russia did not reject talks on Ukraine

21:33 , Matt Drake

Russian president Vladimir Putin said on Saturday that Russia did not reject talks on Ukraine and that an African peace initiative as well as a Chinese one could be a basis for peace.

He added that there were no serious changes and no intensification of actions on the Ukrainian front for now. He was speaking at a press conference after meeting African leaders in Moscow on Friday.

Putin claimed Ukraine had lost 415 tanks and 1,300 armoured vehicles since June 4. Reuters could not verify the numbers cited by Putin.

He also said that it was hard to implement a ceasefire when the Ukrainian army was on the offensive.

Guinea embassy staff member wears Vladimir Putin shirt

21:00 , Matt Drake

A staff member was pictured wearing a shirt with the Russian president's face on it at a summit in St Petersburg yesterday.

Lama Jacques Sevoba was seen taking selfies with people while wearing the controversial item of clothing.

Wagner mercenaries in Belarus move closer to the Polish border, Poland's prime minister says

20:00 , Matt Drake

Over 100 mercenaries belonging to the Russian-linked Wagner group in Belarus have moved close to the border with Poland, the Polish prime minister said Saturday.

Mateusz Morawiecki said at a news conference that the mercenaries had moved close to the Suwalki Gap, a strategic stretch of Polish territory situated between Belarus and Kaliningrad, a Russian territory separated from the mainland.

Poland is a member of both the European Union and NATO, and it has worried about its security with Russian ally Belarus and Ukraine on its eastern border.

Wagner mercenaries in Belarus move closer to the Polish border, Poland's prime minister says

Ukrainian president Zelenskyy shares message on anniversary of Russia crime

19:30 , Matt Drake

Mr Zelenskyy tweeted on the year anniversary of the Olenivka prison attack.

Around 50 people were killed after Ukrainian prisoners of war being held in the facility were hit by a blast.

Kyiv accused Russia of intentionally destroying it to cover up its ill-treatment of them.

Speaking on Twitter, he said: "Let every loss of Russia be retribution for its evil and let every occupier, every Russian murderer, all those responsible for this terror against Ukraine and Ukrainians know – while they are still alive – that justice wins. Ukraine will win."

Saudi Arabia to host Ukraine peace talks

19:00 , Matt Drake

Saudi Arabia announced that it will host peace talks among Western countries, Ukraine and key developing countries including India and Brazil next month.

It comes as Europe and Washington Intensify efforts to consolidate international support for Ukraine's peace demands, the Wallstreet Journal reported.

The meeting would bring senior officials from up to 30 countries to Jeddah on Aug 5 and 6.

Wagner mercenaries in Belarus move closer to the Polish border, Poland's prime minister says

18:28 , Matt Drake

Over 100 mercenaries belonging to the Russian-linked Wagner group in Belarus have moved close to the border with Poland, the Polish prime minister said Saturday.

Mateusz Morawiecki said at a news conference that the mercenaries had moved close to the Suwalki Gap, a strategic stretch of Polish territory situated between Belarus and Kaliningrad, a Russian territory separated from the mainland.

Poland is a member of both the European Union and NATO, and it has worried about its security with Russian ally Belarus and Ukraine on its eastern border.

Those fears have grown since Wagner group mercenaries arrived in Belarus since the group's short-lived rebellion earlier this summer.

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

17:32 , Matt Drake

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.

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

Russia-appointed official accuses Ukraine of firing Storm Shadow Missiles at railroad

16:55 , Matt Drake

The railroad was between occupied Crimea and the Kherson region.

Around 12 Storm Shadow long-range missiles were intercepted by air defences, according to Vladimir Saldo, the Russian-appointed acting head of the Kherson region administration.

He said on Telegram: "All the missiles were shot down by our air defence.

"Once again, it is the civilian infrastructure that is being struck by the enemies.”

Why is Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin back in Russia?

16:26 , Tara Cobham

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.

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, rather than making his way to Minsk as agreed, deepening the mystery surrounding the affair.

Joe Sommerlad reports:

Why is Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin back in Russia?

Ukraine’s newest attack on Russia? Moving Christmas

15:32 , Tara Cobham

The official state holiday for Christmas Day in Ukraine has been changed from 7 January to 25 December, in an effort to move away from Russian tradition.

As more Ukrainians began to celebrate Christmas according to the Gregorian calendar on 25 December, President Volodymyr Zelensky signed into law a parliamentary bill that made the cultural shift official.

The bill, signed by Zelensky on Friday (28 July), is said to “abandon the Russian heritage of imposing Christmas celebrations.”

Rachel Flynn reports:

Ukraine’s newest attack on Russia? Moving Christmas

Russia calls children as witnesses against own mother accused of discrediting army

14:59 , Tara Cobham

A 9-year-old girl and her 10-year-old brother have been called as witnesses in a criminal case against their mother after she was accused of repeatedly "discrediting" the Russian army.

Lidia Prudovskaya and her two children were summoned by investigators in the northern Russian region of Arkhangelsk on Friday to give testimony in the case, Russian news outlet Sota reported.

Prudovskaya previously faced administrative charges on similar allegations after sharing anti-war posts on Russian social media platform VKontakte in September 2022.

Discrediting the Russian military is a criminal offense under a law adopted after Russia sent troops into Ukraine in February 2022. The law is regularly used against Kremlin critics.

In April, Russian authorities petitioned to restrict the parental rights of a single father convicted of discrediting the army following an anti-war sketch drawn by his daughter at school.

Alexei Moskalyov, 54, was sentenced to two years in prison for social media comments he had made criticizing Moscow's war in Ukraine, while his daughter Maria was placed in an orphanage.

The 13-year-old was later moved to live with her mother.

Putin thanks North Korea for ‘unwavering support’ for Ukraine war

14:30 , Tara Cobham

Vladimir Putin lauded North Korea’s “unwavering support” for the “special military operation” in Ukraine as Russia joined China in Pyongyang to celebrate the hermit kingdom’s 70th anniversary of the Korean War truce.

Mr Putin sent defence minister Sergei Shoigu who was seen alongside North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and held one-on-one talks with him, reported the Korean nation’s state media.

Mr Putin sent his congratulatory message wherein he lauded “the DPRK’s unwavering support for [Russia’s] special military operation” in Ukraine.

Arpan Rai reports:

Putin thanks North Korea for ‘unwavering support’ for Ukraine war

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

14:21 , Tara Cobham

Kyiv’s forces are set to enter Russian-occupied Crimea “soon”, the head of Ukraine’s intelligence directorate has said.

Speaking to Ukrainian news site TSN, Kyrylo Budanov said that troops could begin their military operation to liberate Crimea shortly, although he did not give a specific timeframe.

Crimea has been under occupation by Moscow since 2014 and is a key target of Ukraine’s counteroffensive, which appears to be ramping up after months of slow progress.

Moscow has received 30 peace proposals on Ukraine, says Russia’s state news agency

13:30 , Tara Cobham

Russia has received around 30 peace initiatives on Ukraine through official and unofficial channels, the TASS news agency reported on Saturday, citing Russia's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova.

Ukraine's Zelenskiy visits positions near Bakhmut

13:00 , Tara Cobham

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy visited Ukrainian troops near the eastern Bakhmut front line on Saturday.

Photos published by Zelenskiy on Twitter showed him meeting troops and looking at maps in a dimly lit, windowless concrete-walled room. He praised Ukraine's Special Operations Forces.

"The performance of tasks for the sake of Ukraine by you, guys, is truly heroic," Zelenskiy wrote.

Watch: Russian missiles hit apartment block and Ukrainian security service building in Dnipro

12:32 , Tara Cobham

In pictures: Russia’s missile strikes on Dnipro that left nine injured

11:04 , Tara Cobham

Four African heads of state to join Putin at Russia’s Navy Day Parade, says Kremlin

10:07 , Tara Cobham

Four African heads of state will attend Russia's annual Navy Day Parade in St Petersburg on Sunday, the Kremlin said on Saturday, with five more African countries also sending other representation.

African leaders pressed Putin on Friday to move ahead with their plan to end the Ukraine conflict and to renew a deal crucial to Africa on the safe export of Ukrainian grain, which Moscow tore up last week.

Zelenskiy holds emergency meetings after Russian missile strikes on Dnipro

09:14 , Tara Cobham

President Volodymr Zelenskiy said he had he had convened emergency meetings with the SBU, the interior ministry, emergency services and local officials following the missile strikes on Dnipro on Friday evening.

Posting on social media, he described the hits on an apartment block and a Ukrainian security services building as “Russian missile terror again”.

He said: “We will do everything to bring Russia to full punishment for aggression and terror against our people. These b*****ds will answer. We will do everything for justice.”

Ukraine advances around Bakhmut despite fire from Russia, military say

08:35 , Tara Cobham

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 reports:

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

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

07:30 , Stuti Mishra

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: Mr 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.

"This war must end": African leaders call for peace in meeting with Putin

07:00 , Stuti Mishra

African leaders pressed Russian president Vladimir Putin yesterday to move ahead with their plan to end the Ukraine conflict and to renew a deal crucial to Africa on the safe wartime export of Ukrainian grain, which Moscow tore up last week.

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

They served as reminders 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 Mr 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."

At least 9 injured in missile attack in Dnipro, Ukrainian military official says

06:30 , Stuti Mishra

A missile strike on Dnipro left at least nine people injured, according to Serhii Lysak, the head of the region's military administration.

Those injured include two teenagers between ages 14 and 17, two women who are around 20 years of age, a 77-year-old woman and four men between 18 and 53 years old.

Doctors said the injured victims are in "satisfactory condition" and will be treated at home, according to Mr Lysak.

Ukraine uses North Korean rockets to blast Russian forces, report says

06:06 , Stuti Mishra

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.

Earlier this week, Russia's defence minister Sergei Shoigu had made a rare visit to Pyongyang to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the end of the Korean War, the first visit by Moscow's top defence official since the 1991 break-up of the Soviet Union.

ICMYI: How significant are territorial advances made by Ukraine so far?

05:45 , Anuj Pant

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

Speaking during his latest nightly address on Thursday 27 July, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky claimed the recapture of another village.

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.

Joe Sommerlad reports.

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.

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.

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.”