Ukraine-Russia war – live: Lukashenko and Putin taunt Poland with Wagner troops at border

Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko and Russian president Vladimir Putin have taunted Poland over the presence of Wagner troops near Poland’s border.

On Tuesday, state news agency Belta quoted Lukashenko as saying that the Poles “should pray that we’re holding onto (the Wagner fighters) and providing for them. Otherwise, without us, they would have seeped through and smashed up Rzeszow and Warsaw in no small way. So they shouldn’t reproach me, they should say thank you.”

Since staging a brief mutiny in Russia in June, an unspecified number of Wagner fighters have moved to Belarus to begin training Lukashenko’s army. As such, Poland has moved over 1,000 of its own troops closer to the border.

On Saturday, Polish prime minister Mateusz Morawiecki said a group of 100 Wagner fighters had moved closer to the Belarusian city of Grodno near the Polish border, describing the situation as “increasingly dangerous.”

“Suddenly, I hear recently, Poland went berserk that allegedly some detachment is coming here, as many as 100 people,” Lukashenko said.

“No Wagner detachments of 100 people moved here. And if they did, then only to transfer their military experience to (Belarusian) brigades concentrated in Brest and Grodno.”

Key Points

• Drones target Moscow, high-rise building hit

• Russian forces battling fatigue and attrition in southern Ukraine, says UK MoD

• Russian missiles kill 10-year-old girl and her mother in Zelensky’s hometown

• Ukraine says Russian missiles hit another apartment building and likely trapped people under rubble

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

Lukashenko taunts Poland again over Wagner troops near border

19:52 , Eleanor Noyce

Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko on Tuesday taunted Poland over the presence of Russian Wagner mercenaries near the NATO country’s border, saying Warsaw should thank him for keeping them in check.

An unspecified number of the Wagner fighters who staged a brief mutiny in Russia in June have since moved to Belarus and have begun training Lukashenko’s army, prompting Poland to start moving more than 1,000 of its own troops closer to the border.

Lukashenko, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, joked at a meeting with him last month that some of the fighters were keen to press into Poland and “go on a trip to Warsaw and Rzeszow”.

State news agency Belta quoted him on Tuesday as saying that the Poles “should pray that we’re holding onto (the Wagner fighters) and providing for them. Otherwise, without us, they would have seeped through and smashed up Rzeszow and Warsaw in no small way. So they shouldn’t reproach me, they should say thank you.”

Rzeszow is a city in southeast Poland near the Ukrainian border.

On Saturday, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said a group of 100 Wagner fighters had moved closer to the Belarusian city of Grodno near the Polish border, describing the situation as “increasingly dangerous”.

Lukashenko, in his latest comments, appeared at first to deny that, then immediately to row back on the denial.

“Suddenly, I hear recently, Poland went berserk that allegedly some detachment is coming here, as many as 100 people,” he said.

“No Wagner detachments of 100 people moved here. And if they did, then only to transfer their military experience to (Belarusian) brigades concentrated in Brest and Grodno.”

Lukashenko has helped Putin in the Ukraine war by letting him launch it in part from Belarusian territory and allowing the use of his bases to train Russian troops.

He has not committed his own troops to the war but has said they will benefit from training by Wagner, which took part in some of the fiercest battles of the conflict.

“I have to teach my military, because an army that does not fight is half an army,” he said.

Poland sending more troops to border after Belarus helicopters violate airspace

19:37 , Eleanor Noyce

Poland will increase the number of troops at its border with Belarus after two helicopters from Belarus violated Poland’s airspace on Tuesday, the Ministry of Defence said in a statement.

According to the statement, NATO has been informed of the incident.

Belarus’ charge d’affairs was called in to explain the situation.

Drones, military confusion and cracks in Putin’s authority: Ukraine’s push to sow discord in Russia’s ranks

19:30 , Eleanor Noyce

With Moscow facing a flurry of drone attacks in recent weeks – the latest over the weekend – Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, has said the war in his country is “returning to Russia”.

While Kyiv is always very cagey about claiming direct responsibility for attacks on Russian soil, the number of incidents has coincided with the Ukrainian counteroffensive to retake territory occupied by Moscow’s forces. All while the Kremlin is still dealing with the fallout from a mutiny last month by the battle-hardened mercenaries of the Wagner Group, led by Yevgeny Prigozhin.

Askold Krushelnycky speaks to Ukrainian officials about the ongoing counteroffensive and how Kyiv is seeking to exploit the extended fallout from Wagner’s short-lived mutiny:

Drones and discord: Ukraine’s push to spread anxiety in Russia’s ranks

Russia should expect more drone attacks on its soil after latest Moscow strike, Ukraine warns

19:00 , Eleanor Noyce

Russia has been warned that it will face more drone attacks – after a Moscow high-rise housing a number of government ministries was hit for the second time in three days.

An adviser to President Volodymyr Zelensky, Mykhailo Podolyak, tweeted that the Kremlin will soon “collect all of their debts” over the invasion of Ukraine with further strikes on Russian soil. While Ukraine stops short of directly claiming such attacks, of which there have been a flurry in recent weeks, officials often show their satisfaction and seek to undermine Russia in any way they can as Kyiv’s forces press on with their counteroffensive.

My colleague Chris Stevenson reports:

Russia should expect more drone attacks after latest Moscow strike, Ukraine warns

Russia says it thwarts Ukrainian attacks on navy and civilian ships in Black Sea

18:30 , Eleanor Noyce

Russia’s defence ministry said on Tuesday it had thwarted attacks by Ukrainian sea drones on its navy and civilian ships in the Black Sea, and a local governor said authorities had also downed a drone over the Crimean city of Sevastopol.

Kyiv denied that it had attacked civilian ships, without directly addressing the claim that it had attacked Russia’s navy.

“During the night the armed forces of Ukraine made an unsuccessful attempt to attack the Sergei Kotov and Vasiliy Bykov patrol ships of the Black Sea fleet with three unmanned sea boats,” Russia’s defence ministry said in a statement.

It said the two ships were controlling shipping 340 km (211 miles) southwest of Sevastopol and would continue to perform their duties.

Later, in its daily briefing, the ministry said navy ships had destroyed three more sea drones targeting civilian vessels.

“During the night, the Kyiv regime attempted a terrorist attack with three semi-submersible unmanned boats on Russian civilian transport vessels heading towards the Bosphorus Strait in the southwestern part of the Black Sea,” the ministry said.

On Tuesday evening, Russia downed a drone over a district of Sevastopol, local governor Mikhail Razvozhaev said on the Telegram messaging app. He said the downing caused an explosion on the ground and some bushes caught fire.

Ukrainian presidential official Mykhailo Podolyak told Reuters: “Undoubtedly, such statements by Russian officials are fictitious and do not contain even a shred of truth. Ukraine has not attacked, is not attacking and will not attack civilian vessels, nor any other civilian objects.”

Russia has said it would treat any ships leaving or entering Ukrainian ports as valid targets after the expiration of a UN-backed deal last month which had allowed for exports of Ukrainian grain via the Black Sea.

Kyiv has previously used drones to target Russia’s navy base in Crimea and the bridge that Russia has built to the peninsula.

White House says it is not aware of any specific threat Wagner poses to NATO

18:15 , Eleanor Noyce

The United States is not aware of any specific threat posed to Poland or other NATO allies by the presence of Wagner Group forces in Belarus, White House national security spokesman John Kirby said on Tuesday.

Kirby told a briefing that the United States was watching the situation closely. An unspecified number of Wagner fighters have begun training the Belarus national army, prompting Poland to start moving more than 1,000 troops closer to the border.

Mapped: The latest strikes on Ukraine and Russia as war rages on

18:00 , Eleanor Noyce

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has cheered the recent flurry of drone strikes on Moscow as evidence that Vladimir Putin’s illegal invasion of his country is backfiring and that its consequences are becoming ever clearer to the Russian people.

“Gradually, the war is returning to the territory of Russia – to its symbolic centres and military bases, and this is an inevitable, natural and absolutely fair process,” he said in a video address from the western city of Ivano-Frankivsk.

Russia’s defence ministry conceded on Sunday (30 July) that a 50-storey building containing the offices of a number of government agencies and a shopping precinct in the capital’s western Moskva-Citi business district were both hit by drone strikes it blamed on Ukraine, claiming to have brought down three more devices.

Joe Sommerlad reports:

Mapped: The latest strikes on Ukraine and Russia as war rages on

Russia downs drone in Crimean city of Sevastopol - local governor

17:45 , Eleanor Noyce

Russia on Tuesday downed a drone over a district of Sevastopol, the city on the Crimean peninsula that is home to the country’s Black Sea naval fleet, the local governor said on the Telegram messaging app.

“An explosion occurred on the ground (after it was downed), and grass and bushes caught fire,” said governor Mikhail Razvozhaev.

Earlier, Russia’s defence ministry said three Ukrainian sea drones had attacked two Russian Black Sea navy ships 340 km (211 miles) southwest of Sevastopol and were destroyed.

Dutchman running from Amsterdam to Kyiv to buy ambulances for Ukraine

17:31 , Eleanor Noyce

A Dutch ultrarunner is running from Amsterdam to Kyiv to raise funds for charity and demonstrate how close the Ukraine war zone is to Western Europe.

Boas Kragtwijk started on 22 July and plans to cover the 2,500 km by running around 50 km each day for 50 days. The aim is to raise money to buy ambulances that Dutch charity Zeilen van Vrijheid (Sails of Freedom) will take to Ukraine.

“By running from Amsterdam to Ukraine, we can show how close this war really is, and hopefully get people’s attention and raise a lot of money,” Kragtwijk, 28, told Reuters before he embarked on his trip.

Followed by his manager and a photographer in a caravan - in which they will eat and sleep - Kragtwijk is running 40 km to 60 km per day, depending on the distance between towns.

Kragtwijk, who is currently running through Germany, has not suffered any blisters yet, his manager said by phone on Tuesday.

So far - after 10 days and about 500 km of running - Kragtwijk has raised 22,000 euros via his Ultra4Ukraine GoFundMe page, nearly enough for one ambulance, which costs 30,000 euros.

Running towards the east, Kragtwijk will pass through Berlin and Warsaw and hopes to reach Kyiv in September.

Kazakhstan denies plans to hand over Russian cyber expert to Moscow

17:01 , Eleanor Noyce

Kazakhstan has yet to decide whether to hand over a detained Russian cybersecurity expert to Moscow or Washington, the Central Asian nation said on Tuesday, denying Russian claims that the extradition had been agreed.

Kazakhstan detained Nikita Kislitsin, an employee of Russian cybersecurity firm F.A.C.C.T., when he was visiting the country on 22 June and Russia responded by quickly filing its own extradition request for him to compete with one from Washington.

The case could further strain relations between traditional allies Astana and Moscow which have become tense due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and Kazakhstan’s refusal to support what Moscow calls its “special military operation” there.

On Tuesday, Russia’s Kommersant daily cited the Russian consulate in Kazakhstan as saying Astana has decided to hand over Kislitsin to Russia.

However, Duisembai Darkhan, a spokesman for the Kazakh Prosecutor General’s office, told Reuters no such decision has been made, and a local court has only ruled to place Kislitsin under arrest pending extradition.

He said prosecutors would decide on where to extradite Kislitsin after studying the case more closely.

Ukraine says doctor killed in Russian shelling of Kherson hospital

16:31 , Eleanor Noyce

A doctor was killed and five medical workers were wounded in Russian shelling of a hospital in Ukraine‘s southern city of Kherson on Tuesday, regional officials said.

“Today at 11:10 (0810 GMT), the enemy launched another attack on the peaceful residents of our community,” military administration head Roman Mrochko wrote on the Telegram messaging app.

Photos posted by officials showed the bloodied floor of a balcony and a gaping hole in a roof with debris strewn over the floor.

Regional governor Oleksandr Prokudin said four medical workers had been wounded in addition to a badly wounded nurse whose injuries were reported earlier.

Mrochko said the young doctor had only worked in his job for a few days and that doctors were fighting for the life of the nurse. The surgery department of the facility was also damaged in the shelling, Prokudin said.

Reuters could not immediately verify the details of the reports.

Medical charity Médecins sans frontières said it had been working at the hospital supplying medical equipment and providing mental health consultations to people displaced by the destruction of the Kakhovka Dam.

“We unequivocally condemn this disgraceful attack on a medical facility and extend our condolences to the family of the doctor who died,” MSF said in a post on messaging platform X, formerly known as Twitter.

In a separate incident in the northeastern village of Pershotravneve, an elderly woman was killed and a man was wounded in Russian shelling around 12 p.m. (0900 GMT), Kharkiv regional governor Oleh Synehubov wrote on Telegram.

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

15:30 , Maanya Sachdeva

Mercenary chief was said to have agreed to resettle in Belarus after June’s dramatic attempted uprising, but appeared to be in St Petersburg attending the Russia-Africa Summit a few days ago.

Joe Sommerlad unpacks the reason for Prigozhin’s return to Russia:

Why is Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin back in Russia?

Ukraine calls in Polish envoy over 'unacceptable' comments by president's aide

15:00 , Maanya Sachdeva

Ukraine‘s foreign ministry called in Poland’s ambassador to Kyiv on Tuesday over what it said were “unacceptable” comments made by the Polish president’s foreign policy adviser Marcin Przydacz.

“During the meeting, it was emphasised that statements about the alleged ungratefulness of Ukrainians for Poland’s help are untrue and unacceptable,” foreign ministry spokesperson Oleh Nikolenko said.

The Polish foreign ministry did not immediately respond to request for comment.

Kyiv and Warsaw have been staunch allies throughout the full-scale invasion launched by Russia in February 2022.

Polish media quoted Przydacz speaking on Monday about the possible extension of Poland’s import ban on Ukrainian agricultural produce, and calling on Kyiv to show appreciation for the support shown to it during the war with Russia.

“What is most important today is to defend the interest of the Polish farmer..,” Przydacz was quoted as saying.

“I think it would be worthwhile for (Kyiv) to start appreciating what role Poland has played for Ukraine over past months and years.”

Five central European countries, including Poland, want a European Union ban on grain imports from Ukraine to be extended at least until the end of the year. The ban is set to expire on Sept. 15.

Poland would not lift the ban on 15 September, even if the EU did not agree on its extension, its prime minister said earlier this month.

A parliamentary election is due in Poland, a NATO and EU member, later this year.

People in Ukraine ‘aren’t intimidated’, British ambassador says

14:30 , Maanya Sachdeva

British ambassador to Ukraine, Dame Melinda Simmons wrote on social media platform X that there have been already been three air raid sirens in Kyiv today but “people aren’t intimidated:.

“Spent more time in hard cover than I have anywhere else. But if that’s how it has to be then that’s how it has to be. people aren’t intimidated. Phones out, carry on working underground,” she continued.

Elon Musk ‘stopped Ukraine military using Starlink for military operation’

14:00 , Maanya Sachdeva

Billionaire Elon Musk reportedly restricted his Starlink internet access multiple times in Ukraine, which has affected Kyiv’s battlefield strategy.

Read the full report here:

Elon Musk ‘stopped Ukraine military using Starlink for military operation’

ICYMI: China imposes curbs on drone exports, citing Ukraine and concern about military use

13:30 , Maanya Sachdeva

China imposed restrictions Monday on exports of long-range civilian drones, citing Russia’s war in Ukraine and concern that drones might be converted to military use.

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

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

Full story here:

China imposes curbs on drone exports, citing Ukraine and concern about military use

Inside the Crimean Peninsula, coveted by both Ukraine and Russia

13:00 , Maanya Sachdeva

Its balmy beaches have been vacation spots for Russian czars and Soviet general secretaries. It has hosted history-shaking meetings of world leaders and boasts a strategic naval base. And it has been the site of ethnic persecutions, forced deportations and political repression.

Now, as Russia’s war in Ukraine enters its 18th month, the Crimean Peninsula is again both a playground and a battleground, with drone attacks and bombs seeking to dislodge Moscow’s hold on the territory and bring it back under Kyiv’s authority, no matter how loudly the Kremlin proclaims its ownership.

Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy has vowed to retake the diamond-shaped peninsula that Russia’s Vladimir Putin illegally annexed in 2014.

For both presidents, backing off Crimea is hardly an option.

Full story here:

The Crimean Peninsula: playground and battleground, coveted by Ukraine and Russia

Fire rages at Kharkiv college dormitory destroyed by Russian drone strike

12:30 , Maanya Sachdeva

Educational facilities, including a dormitory, were destroyed in Russian drone attacks in the northeastern city of Kharkiv, the State Emergency Service of Ukraine said on Tuesday, 1 August.

Footage released by Ukrainian officials shows a bombed building on fire and firefighters tackling the blaze.

One person was injured after a drone hit an empty dormitory building and another three struck a sports facility in a night-time attack, the service said.

Ukraine ‘did not attack and will not attack’ civilian vessels in Black Sea

12:16 , Maanya Sachdeva

A senior Ukrainian presidential adviser said on Tuesday that Kyiv did not attack and will not attack civilian vessels or any other civilian objects in the Black Sea, calling Russian statements ‘fictitious’.

Russia‘s defence ministry said it had thwarted an attack from Ukrainian drones overnight on civilian transport vessels in the Black Sea, the Interfax news agency reported.

“Undoubtedly, such statements by Russian officials are fictitious and do not contain even a shred of truth. Ukraine has not attacked, is not attacking and will not attack civilian vessels, nor any other civilian objects,” Mykhailo Podolyak, adviser to President Volodymyr Zelensky, told Reuters.

Russia should expect more collapse, more civil conflicts, more war”

12:00 , Maanya Sachdeva

Ukrainian presidential adviser has said Moscow should expect more drone attacks and “more war”.

On Tuesday, a skyscraper in Moscow City’s business district became the target of a second drone strike in three days. The building that was hit is known as the “IQ quarter”, which houses the ministry of economic development, the digital ministry and the ministry of industry and trade.

“At the moment, experts are assessing the damage and the state of the infrastructure for the safety of people in the building. This will take some time,” Darya Levchenko, an adviser to the economy minister, said on Telegram. She said staff were working remotely,

While the incidents have not caused casualties or major damage, they have provoked widespread unease and sit awkwardly with the Kremlin’s narrative that Russia‘s “special military operation” in Ukraine is proceeding according to plan.

“Indeed, a threat exists, it is obvious, but measures are being taken,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, declining to comment further.

Ukraine has drawn satisfaction from the attacks, though without directly claiming responsibility for them.

“Moscow is rapidly getting used to a full-fledged war,” Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak wrote on X, the social media platform previously known as Twitter.

He said Russia should expect “more unidentified drones, more collapse, more civil conflicts, more war”.

UK sanctions Moscow judges after British-Russian dissident Vladimir Kara-Murza’s appeal rejected

11:30 , Maanya Sachdeva

The UK has sanctioned six people following the “unjustifiable” decision to reject an appeal from a British-Russian dissident facing 25 years in jail for opposing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Vladimir Kara-Murza was sentenced in April after being convicted of treason and spreading false information about the Russian army in a process he described as a “show trial”.

After Mr Kara-Murza’s appeal was rejected by judges in Moscow on Monday, prime minister Rishi Sunak called the decision “desperate and unfounded”.

Full story here:

UK sanctions Moscow judges after British-Russian dissident’s appeal rejected

Russian shelling of hospital kills young doctor in Kherson: Ukraine

11:15 , Maanya Sachdeva

A doctor was killed and a nurse was wounded in Russian shelling of a hospital in Ukraine‘s southern city of Kherson on Tuesday, regional officials said.

“Today at 11:10 (0810 GMT), the enemy launched another attack on the peaceful residents of our community,” military administration head Roman Mrochko wrote on the Telegram messaging app.

Photos posted by officials showed the bloodied floor of a balcony and a gaping hole in a roof with debris strewn over the floor.

The details of the report could not immediately be verified.

Mrochko said the young doctor had only worked in his job for a few days and that doctors were fighting for the life of the nurse.

The surgery department of the facility was also damaged in the shelling, regional governor Oleksandr Prokudin said.

Kremlin says it’s ‘clear threat exists’ after second drone attack

11:00 , Maanya Sachdeva

The Kremlin on Tuesday said it was clear that a threat existed after the latest drone attack on Moscow, in which a high-rise building in the city’s business district was struck for the second time in three days. K

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov declined further comment, as Russia‘s defence ministry called the latest incident an attempted “terrorist attack”

Habitat at risk as Ukrainians crowd river seeking respite from war

10:30 , Maanya Sachdeva

With most of Ukraine‘s Black Sea Coast either occupied by Russian troops or in their line of fire, families seeking respite from life in a war zone are flocking to the inland shores of the Tylihul, a river that widens into a broad estuary bordered by grassland.

In the summer sunshine, you could almost forget that the front line is a few hours drive away. Visitors say the respite is a desperately needed relief. But authorities and some residents worry that the crowds could damage an important and delicate natural habitat.

“There are two sides of a coin. On one hand, we understand that there is no access to the sea and people still want to relax somewhere. On the other hand, we know that estuary will not survive such amount of people,” said Petro Kalinchuk, on a sandy spit dotted with beach umbrellas and tents.

Inna Tymchenko, deputy head of the Mykolaiv regional department of the National Institute of Ecology, said the problem was not so much the people as their tents and cars.

“They are placed in chaotic order, tourists don’t know where it is alright to leave a car and where it is not, so they park wherever they want. That’s how vegetation cover is being destroyed,” she said. “Noise affects the birds. They partially got used to the noise, but loud noises are unusual for them this year. It will lead to grave consequences in this area.”

There was hope that birds could find refuge here from the Kinburn Spit, a vast Black Sea nature preserve destroyed by flooding after the Kakhovska Dam on the Dnipro River was blown up nearly two months ago. More birds could die if there is no hospitable sanctuary for them here.

Kalinchuk said his family had been coming to the river for nearly 50 years. They used to see birds nesting and brooding eggs on the beach. Now, with the larger crowds, all the birds were gone and there were fewer fish, too.

But as long as the war goes on and there are few other places to rest, families say they will keep coming.

“Access to the rivers and the sea is closed. So this is the only place where we can relax after two years of war against Russia,” said resident Viacheslav Natalenko.

Moscow drone attack shows Kremlin ‘cannot protect privileged class’

10:00 , Maanya Sachdeva

Ukrainian political adviser Anton Gerashchenko on Tuesday said the drone attacks in Moscow City showed that the Kremlin is “incapable of” protecting Russia’s most privileged class.

“The Moskva-City high-rises were a symbol of Russian economic flourishing and success, as well as Russia’s integration into global economy,” he wrote on Twitter. “After the second drone attack they will symbolise failure of the ‘special military operation’ and lies of the Kremlin regime that promised and keeps promising Moscow residents complete protection.

“Those who work in Moskva-City towers are the privileged class of government officials and business people. They saw with their own eyes that Russian authorities are incapable of and cannot protect even their social group. There is no air defense, air raid alerts, bomb shelters for them.”

Russian economy ministry staff 'working remotely after drone strikes’

09:30 , Maanya Sachdeva

An adviser to Russia’s economy minister said on Tuesday the ministry’s employees were continuing to work remotely after drone strikes at the heart of Moscow’s financial district, with experts assessing the damage to infrastructure there.

The Russian military said its anti-aircraft units downed drones targeting Moscow on Tuesday, but one drone, sent out of control by its units, struck the same high-rise tower hit earlier in the week.

Drones hit Ukraine’s Kharkiv, injuring one and damaging dormitory, officials say

09:00 , Maanya Sachdeva

Officials in Kharkiv, Ukraine‘s second-largest city, said on Tuesday that drones hit populated areas of the city and one drone destroyed two floors of a college dormitory.

The chief of police in Kharkiv region in northeastern Ukraine, Volodymyr Tymoshko, said there were two night-time strikes – one on the college and one on the city centre.

“One of the drones destroyed two floors of a dormitory,” mayor Ihor Terekhov wrote on the Telegram messaging app. “A fire broke out and emergency services are attending,” he added.

“Very difficult night in Kharkiv. Indeed, there were three hits,” he told Ukrainian television, adding that the dormitory was not being used.

Regional governor Oleh Synehubov said a sports complex in the city’s Shevchenkivskyi district was hit, damaging a two-storey building. A 63-year-old security guard had been injured and was in hospital.

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Telegram that Russia attacked the city with five Shahed drones.

A video posted on social media showed the top of a building ablaze and smoke billowing upwards. The Independent could not immediately confirm the attack or determine the location of the site in the video.

Ukraine says it stopped Russian saboteur group from crossing its border

08:29 , Maanya Sachdeva

Ukraine has thwarted an overnight attempt by a Russian saboteur group to cross its northern border, interior minister Ihor Klymenko wrote on the Telegram messaging app.

“Last night, in the Chernihiv region, border guards stopped an attempt by an enemy saboteur-reconnaissance group to cross the state border of Ukraine within the Semenivka community,” he said.

Serhiy Naev, commander of the joint forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, said that four armed people attempted to cross the border but were repelled by Ukrainian fire.

Klymenko said the four people were detected moving from Russian territory. He added that reserves of the State Border Guard Service and Ukraine’s armed forces were deployed to strengthen the area.

Ukraine has strengthened its northern military sector following the arrival of Russian mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin in Belarus.

In photos: Drone attack on Moscow’s business district

08:05 , Maanya Sachdeva

We have photographs of the reported drone attack in Moscow’s business district this morning, as the same skyscraper was targeted twice in two days.

Members of security services investigate a damaged office building in the Moscow City following a reported Ukrainian drone attack.

Investigators examine an area next to damaged building early Tuesday.

A view of the damaged building is seen here.

Russian chief of staff shown visiting troops near front line in Ukraine

07:51 , Maanya Sachdeva

Valery Gerasimov, chief of the general staff of Russia‘s armed forces, has visited Russian troops in Ukraine‘s Zaporizhzhia region, the Russian defence ministry said on Tuesday.

It said Gerasimov inspected a command centre and underscored the importance of preemptive strikes against Ukrainian forces. An accompanying video showed him poring over a map, receiving briefings and climbing into a helicopter.

Gerasimov was for many months the target of savage criticism from Wagner mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin and some Russian military bloggers over Russia‘s failings in the war.

After Wagner staged a brief mutiny against the defence establishment on June 24, there were questions as to whether Gerasimov would keep his job. More than two weeks elapsed before he was first seen again in public, on July 10.

Tuesday’s statement and video seemed designed to show that he not only remains in his post but is actively engaged with troops on the front line. The Zaporizhzhia region has seen some of the fiercest fighting of recent weeks, since Ukraine launched a counteroffensive in early June.

Russian forces battling fatigue and attrition in southern Ukraine, says UK MoD

06:52 , Arpan Rai

Russia’s 58th Combined Arms Army (58 CAA), deployed in southern Ukraine where intense fighting is taking place, is up against Ukrainian troops but also facing fatigue and attrition, the British Ministry of Defence said today.

The ministry said intense fighting continues to be focused in two sectors in southern Ukraine, of which South of Orikhiv, the focus of Ukrainian assaults have been against Russia’s 58th CAA.

“58 CAA is highly likely struggling with battle fatigue and attrition in forward deployed regiments which have been in intense combat for over eight weeks. Further east, south of Velyka Novosilka, the defending Russian force is drawn from both the Eastern and Southern military districts, likely creating problems of co-ordination,” the ministry said in its latest intelligence update.

It added: “Elements of the 5th Combined Army are likely to be under particular pressure, and probably also feel that they are long overdue for a rotation out of the front-line.”

“Across the south, common problems for Russian commanders are highly likely to include shortage of artillery ammunition, a lack of reserves and problems securing the flanks of units in the defence,” the ministry said.

Russia says thwarts Ukrainian attack on its Black Sea navy ships

06:08 , Arpan Rai

Three Ukrainian sea drones attacked two Russian Black Sea navy ships 340km (211 miles) southwest of Sevastopol and were destroyed, TASS cited Russia’s defence ministry as saying today.

The ministry said the ships were in the area to control the passage of other vessels.

Zelensky calls for long-range weapons for Kyiv

05:24 , Arpan Rai

Volodymyr Zelensky has said Ukraine’s military needs enough long-range weapons after he accused Russian forces of firing two ballistic missiles from occupied Crimean territory.

“According to preliminary data from our military, these two missiles were fired at Kryvyi Rih from the territory of the temporarily occupied Crimea, from the area of Dzhankoy. And this proves again and again that for the safety of our cities, for the protection of the normal life of Ukrainians and our children, our military must have enough long-range weapons, enough means to defeat terrorists,” he said in his nightly address.

He also called for a “significant increase” in world’s sanctions pressure against Russia.

“...And we must respond with determination - determination to supply Ukraine with the necessary modern weapons, including long-range missiles, so that we can remove this terrorist threat that Russia is creating against our people, against our children,” Mr Zelensky said after an attack in central Ukraine’s Kryvyi Rih, which is his hometown, killed six.

Drones, military confusion and cracks in Putin’s authority: Ukraine’s push to sow discord in Russia’s ranks

05:00 , Eleanor Noyce

With Moscow facing a flurry of drone attacks in recent weeks – the latest over the weekend – Ukraine‘s President Volodymyr Zelensky has said the war in Ukraine is “returning to Russia“.

While Kyiv is always very cagey about claiming direct responsibility for attacks on Russian soil, the number of incidents has coincided with the Ukrainian counteroffensive to retake territory occupied by Moscow’s forces. All while the Kremlin is still dealing with the fallout from a mutiny last month by the battle-hardened mercenaries of the Wagner Group, led by Yevgeny Prigozhin.

Askold Krushelnycky speaks to Ukranian officials about the ongoing counteroffensive and how Kyiv is seeking to exploit the extended fallout of Wagner’s short-lived mutiny:

Drones and discord: Ukraine’s push to spread anxiety in Russia’s ranks

Wagner chief denies recruiting fighters

04:40 , Arpan Rai

Russian mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin said his Wagner Group is not currently recruiting fighters.

In an audio message published on a Telegram channel associated with the Wagner chief, Mr Prigozhin said the company had suspended recruitment as there is currently “no shortage of personnel.”

He had previously agreed with Western estimates that he lost more than 20,000 men in the long battle for the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut.

Last month, Mr Prigozhin led a short-lived mutiny against Moscow, demanding a leadership change in the Russian military.

In an attempt to control him, Russian authorities insisted that Wagner fighters can only return to Ukraine if they join Russia’s regular army.

The $3.9bn UN humanitarian appeal for Ukraine is only 30% funded, UN aid official says

04:18 , Arpan Rai

The $3.9bn worth humanitarian appeal for war-torn Ukraine is less than 30 per cent funded as the country starts preparing for a second winter with more residential buildings damaged and destroyed and thousands of people homeless following the collapse of the Kakhovka dam, the country’s UN humanitarian coordinator said.

Denise Brown told a virtual news conference from Kyiv that 17 million Ukrainians need aid and the UN is targeting between 11 million and 12 million — but funding is becoming a serious issue.

Read the full story here:

The $3.9 billion UN humanitarian appeal for Ukraine is only 30% funded, UN aid official says

Drones target Moscow, high-rise building hit

04:02 , Arpan Rai

Russia has accused Kyiv of terrorist attack in early hours today after its anti-aircraft units downed drones headed for Moscow, out of which one was sent out of control by anti-aircraft activity, hitting the same high-rise tower hit earlier in the week, officials said.

Russia’s Ministry of Defence said its forces had “thwarted an a terrorist attack by the Kyiv regime” and downed two drones in the suburbs west of the city centre.

“Yet another (drone) was hit by radio-electronic equipment and, having run out of control, crashed on the territory of the complex of non-residential buildings at Moskva Citi,” the ministry said, referring to a business centre in the capital.

Mayor of Moscow, Sergei Sobyanin, earlier had claimed that one of the drones targeting the capital had flown into the same tower at Moskva Citi that had been struck earlier in the week.

“One flew into the same tower at the Moskva City complex hit previously. The facade has been damaged on the 21st floor. Glazing was destroyed over 150 square metres,” he said but added that no injuries have been reported so far.

Even Putin admits Ukraine has stepped up attacks on Russia’s forces – but progress will be slow

04:00 , Eleanor Noyce

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.

Ukrainian 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:

The three rings of defence Ukrainian soldiers have to break down to regain territory

Russian missiles kill 10-year-old girl and her mother in Zelensky’s hometown

03:42 , Arpan Rai

At least two Russian ballistic missiles struck an apartment complex and a university building in president Volodymyr Zelensky’s hometown yesterday, killing six people and wounding 75 others as the blasts trapped residents beneath rubble, Ukrainian officials said.

The dead included a 10-year-old girl and her mother, Mr Zelensky said, adding that more than 350 people were involved in the rescue operation.

One of the two missiles that hit the central city of Kryvyi Rih destroyed part of an apartment building between the fourth and ninth floors, interior minister Ihor Klymenko said.

Video showed black smoke billowing from corner units and burned out or damaged cars on a tree-lined street. The morning attack also destroyed part of a four-story university building.

The attack in central Ukraine’s industrial town where Mr Zelensky grew up came just a day after the Ukrainian president warned of more attacks inside Russia, stating that “gradually the war is returning to the territory of Russia”.

It was not clear whether the missile strikes were in retaliation for his comments.

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

03:00 , Eleanor Noyce

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, declaring: “I thank everyone who is fighting for Ukraine! Thank you for the liberation of Staromaiorske. Congratulations again, guys!”

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

Joe Sommerlad reports:

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

Elon Musk stopped Ukraine using Starlink for military operation, report claims

02:00 , Eleanor Noyce

Billionaire Elon Musk reportedly restricted his Starlink internet access multiple times in Ukraine, which has affected Kyiv’s battlefield strategy.

The world’s richest man denied the Ukrainian military’s request to turn on Starlink near Crimea, the Russian-controlled territory, during the ongoing war with Russia, the New York Times reported, citing people familiar with the situation.

The Tesla CEO has been providing Starlink service to Ukraine since late February 2022, just days after Russian president Vladimir Putin launched his unprovoked invasion and a cyberattack took down the country’s internet.

Alisha Rahaman Sarkar has the full story:

Elon Musk stopped Ukraine using Starlink for military operation, report claims

Why did Russia invade Ukraine?

01:00 , Eleanor Noyce

Russia’s “special military operation” in Ukraine has been raging for one year now as the conflict continues to record devastating casualties and force the mass displacement of millions of blameless Ukrainians.

Vladimir Putin began the war by claiming Russia’s neighbour needed to be “demilitarised and de-Nazified”, a baseless pretext on which to launch a landgrab against an independent state that happens to have a Jewish president in Volodymyr Zelensky.

Ukraine has fought back courageously against Mr Putin’s warped bid to restore territory lost to Moscow with the collapse of the Soviet Union and has continued to defy the odds by defending itself against Russian onslaughts with the help of Western military aid.

Thomas Kingsley and Joe Sommerlad report:

Here’s why Putin really invaded Ukraine

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

Tuesday 1 August 2023 00:01 , Eleanor Noyce

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

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

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

Read more:

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

ICYMI: Video shows ‘crashed drone’ on fire in Russia

Monday 31 July 2023 23:00 , Eleanor Noyce

Footage purportedly shows a drone that Russian media say fell near the southern city of Taganrog late on Sunday, 30 July.

Witness footage from the scene shows the charred remains of the object on fire.

Russian online news outlet Ostorozhno Novosti reported that the drone fell in the settlement of Daraganovka, damaging a car and part of a residential building.

The footage comes two days after Russia claimed to have downed a drone over the same city, not far from the Ukrainian border.

Watch here:

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

Monday 31 July 2023 22:00 , Eleanor Noyce

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.

Kim Sengupta meets a fighter – a father of two – who has recently left the mercenary group and hears about the daily routine of ‘fight, eat, pray’ on some of the fiercest frontlines in the war:

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

Ukraine says Russian missiles hit another apartment building and likely trapped people under rubble

Monday 31 July 2023 21:00 , Eleanor Noyce

Russian missiles slammed into the central Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih, killing at least one person and likely trapping others beneath rubble, an official said Monday.

The two missiles struck an apartment building, destroying a section of it between the fourth and ninth floors, Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said, and a university building. Ten people were wounded, he said.

Kryvyi Rih, the hometown of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, is in Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk region and has seldom been targeted by the Kremlin’s forces since the war began in February 2022.

Felipe Dana reports:

Ukraine says Russian missiles hit another apartment building and likely trapped people under rubble

China imposes curbs on drone exports, citing Ukraine and concern about military use

Monday 31 July 2023 20:00 , Eleanor Noyce

China imposed restrictions Monday on exports of long-range civilian drones, citing Russia’s war in Ukraine and concern that drones might be converted to military use.

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

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

Joe McDonald has the full story:

China imposes curbs on drone exports, citing Ukraine and concern about military use

Mexican president urges end to ‘irrational’ Ukraine war, wants Russia at peace talks

Monday 31 July 2023 19:30 , Eleanor Noyce

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador on Monday called for an end to the “irrational” war in Ukraine, urging upcoming peace talks in the Middle East to include representation from both Ukraine and Russia.

Lopez Obrador said Mexico would only take part in the talks in Saudi Arabia, reportedly scheduled to be held over the coming weekend, if both sides were present.

“If there’s acceptance from both Ukraine and Russia to look for solutions to achieve peace, we’ll participate,” the president told reporters at a regular press conference.

“We don’t want the Russia-Ukraine war to continue, it’s very irrational,” Lopez Obrador added, noting that the conflict has caused massive human suffering. “The only thing that benefits from it is the war industry.”

Senior officials from up to 30 countries are expected to participate in the talks between 5 and 6 August in Jeddah, the Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday. Russia has not been invited, the outlet reported, citing diplomats involved in the planning.

On Monday, the Kremlin said it would “follow” the meeting but did not currently see conditions for peace talks with Kyiv.

Lopez Obrador has sought to keep Mexico neutral in the war, though his government has backed some major U.N. resolutions criticising Russia’s role in the conflict. Mexico has refused to send arms to Ukraine and has not imposed sanctions on Russia.

In April, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy urged Mexican lawmakers to back his plan to end the war, which would include Russia withdrawing its troops from Ukrainian territory.

Lopez Obrador had outlined a separate peace plan last year, which Ukraine opposed, arguing it would have benefited Russia.

In pictures: Survivors walk amongst debris and Zelensky shakes hands with a wounded Ukrainian serviceman

Monday 31 July 2023 18:30 , Eleanor Noyce

A Russian missile strike on the southern Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih on Monday killed at least six people, including a 10-year-old girl and her mother, and wounded dozens of others, Ukrainian officials said.

A video posted by President Volodymyr Zelensky showed smoke billowing from a gaping hole smashed in the side of a nine-storey residential building, and another four-storey building almost levelled.

“It’s already six dead in Kryvyi Rih,” regional governor Serhiy Lysak wrote on Telegram, announcing a day of mourning in the city. Mayor Oleksandr Vilkul said a 10-year-old girl and her 45-year-old mother were among the dead.

Here are some of the most poignant photos from Ukraine today:

Ukraine signs agreement with Turkish company on drones repair

Monday 31 July 2023 18:07 , Eleanor Noyce

Ukraine‘s defence ministry signed an agreement with Turkish company Baykar Makina to build a service centre for the repair and maintenance of drones in Ukraine, a ministry official said on Monday.

Ukraine is seeking to boost domestic production of drones to build an “Army of Drones” in its fight against Russian forces who invaded the country in February 2022.

“The creation of a service centre will be a significant contribution to strengthening Ukraine‘s defence capabilities and will help bring our victory closer,” the ministry’s state secretary Kostiantyn Vashchenko said in a statement.

Ukrainian producers have sharply increased domestic drone production. More than 10,000 drone operators have been trained with 10,000 more in training, Mykhailo Fedorov, a deputy prime minister in charge of the “Army of Drones” said last week.

Both Ukrainian and Russian forces have used a wide array of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), commonly known as drones, for reconnaissance and assault purposes during the war.

Ukrainian media reported earlier this month, citing Ukraine‘s minister of strategic industries Oleksandr Kamyshin, that Baykar Makina has started the construction of a plant to manufacture Bayraktar drones in Ukraine.

Russian opposition politician Kara-Murza loses appeal against treason sentence

Monday 31 July 2023 17:25 , Eleanor Noyce

Russian opposition politician Vladimir Kara-Murza on Monday lost an appeal against his 25-year jail sentence, the RIA state news agency reported.

Kara-Murza, who holds Russian and British citizenship, was jailed for 25 years in April for treason and spreading “false information” about Russia’s war in Ukraine.

The 41-year-old is one of a small number of prominent opposition figures who stayed in Russia and continued to speak out against President Vladimir Putin after the Kremlin sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine in February 2022.

Kara-Murza was arrested two months after the war began, accused of spreading false information about the armed forces and declared a “foreign agent”. His detention came hours after CNN broadcast an interview with him in which he said Russia was run by “a regime of murderers”.

He was later charged with treason over speeches he had made about the war, including one to the Arizona House of Representatives in which he said Putin was bombing Ukrainian homes, hospitals and schools.

Moscow says it does not deliberately target civilians, but thousands have been killed in Ukraine.

During his trial, he compared the wording of the charges against him with that used by Soviet dictator Josef Stalin’s secret police in the 1930s, when Kara-Murza’s own grandfather was sent to a Gulag prison camp in Russia’s far east.

Kara-Murza was a close aide to Russian opposition leader Boris Nemtsov, who was shot dead in central Moscow in 2015.

UK sanctions Russian judges and officials involved in Kara-Murza trial

Monday 31 July 2023 17:07 , Eleanor Noyce

Britain has added six new designations to its Russia sanctions list, an update to the government website showed on Monday, targeting judges and officials involved in the trial of Russian opposition politician Vladimir Kara-Murza.

Moscow City Court Judges Vitaly Belitsky, Ekaterina Mikhailovna Dorokhina and Natalia Nikolaevna Dudar were among those added to the British sanctions list.

Ukraine and Croatia agree on use of Croatian ports for grain exports - Kyiv

Monday 31 July 2023 16:24 , Eleanor Noyce

Ukraine and Croatia have agreed on the possibility of using Croatian ports on the Danube and the Adriatic Sea for the export of Ukrainian grain, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said after talks with his Croatian counterpart on Monday.

Russia quit the U.N.-brokered Black Sea grain deal this month, depriving Ukraine, a global producer, of a vital conduit to safely export its agricultural products during the war.

“Now we will work to establish the most efficient routes to these ports and make the most of this opportunity,” Kuleba said after meeting Grlic Radman in Kyiv.

“Every contribution to unblocking export, every door opened is a real, effective contribution to the world’s food security,” he said.

Ukraine currently relies on land export routes via the European Union as well as an alternative route via the Danube River. Russia attacked infrastructure along the latter route earlier this month.

Kuleba said the main subject of his talks with his Croatian counterpart were weapons.

“I will only say that there are specific agreements that will be implemented soon,” he said without providing details.

Ukraine says 180,000 tons of grain destroyed in nine days of Russian strikes

Monday 31 July 2023 15:34 , Maanya Sachdeva

Russian air strikes destroyed an estimated 180,000 metric tons of grain crops in the space of nine days this month, the Ukrainian foreign ministry said on Monday.

Russia has conducted air strikes on Ukrainian port infrastructure several times after withdrawing from the Black Sea grain deal that had allowed Ukraine to safely export grain.

Dramatic moment shows explosion hit Russian administration building in Donetsk

Monday 31 July 2023 15:14 , Maanya Sachdeva

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

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

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

Watch it here:

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

Monday 31 July 2023 14:14 , Maanya Sachdeva

World Affairs Editor Kim Sengupta meets a fighter – a father of two – who has recently left the mercenary group and hears about the daily routine of ‘fight, eat, pray’ on some of the fiercest frontlines in the war.

Read the full interview here:

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

Elon Musk stopped Ukraine using Starlink for military operation, report claims

Monday 31 July 2023 13:44 , Maanya Sachdeva

Billionaire Elon Musk reportedly restricted his Starlink internet access multiple times in Ukraine, which has affected Kyiv’s battlefield strategy.

My colleague Alisha Rahaman Sarkar reports:

Elon Musk stopped Ukraine using Starlink for military operation, report claims

China imposes curbs on drone exports in wake of the war

Monday 31 July 2023 13:24 , Maanya Sachdeva

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Monday 31 July 2023 12:54 , Maanya Sachdeva

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

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

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

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

Monday 31 July 2023 12:17 , Maanya Sachdeva

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

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

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

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

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

Monday 31 July 2023 11:47 , Maanya Sachdeva

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Reuters could not verify the battlefield developments.

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

Monday 31 July 2023 11:30 , Maanya Sachdeva

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

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

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

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

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

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

Monday 31 July 2023 11:00 , Maanya Sachdeva

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

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

The news was confirmed the governor of Dnipropetrovsk.

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

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

Monday 31 July 2023 10:53 , Maanya Sachdeva

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

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

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

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

Monday 31 July 2023 10:39 , Maanya Sachdeva

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

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

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

Monday 31 July 2023 10:11 , Maanya Sachdeva

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

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

Russia and Ukraine report casualties amid heavy fighting on Monday

Monday 31 July 2023 09:36 , Maanya Sachdeva

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Monday 31 July 2023 09:23 , Maanya Sachdeva

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

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

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

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

Monday 31 July 2023 09:06 , Maanya Sachdeva

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

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

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

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

Monday 31 July 2023 08:38 , Maanya Sachdeva

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

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

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

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

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

Monday 31 July 2023 08:23 , Maanya Sachdeva

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

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

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

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

Monday 31 July 2023 08:05 , Maanya Sachdeva

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

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

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

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

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

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

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