July 8, 2023 Russia-Ukraine news

We've wrapped up our live coverage for the day. You can read more about Russia's war in Ukraine here, or scroll through the updates below.

Saturday marks 500 days since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Following the US pledge to provide cluster munitions to Ukraine amid its slower-than-expected counteroffensive, all eyes now turn to a high-stakes NATO summit starting Tuesday in Vilnius, Lithuania.

These are the latest developments.

Shelling in Russian border region: Belgorod, which sits along the border with Ukraine, has come under heavy shelling Saturday, wounding two people, according to regional Gov. Vyacheslav Gladkov, who said that Ukraine fired over 100 artillery shells over the past 24 hours. Ukraine has yet to comment on the reported shelling. 

Moscow brushes off cluster munitions: Russia's foreign ministry called Friday's announcement by the US to transfer controversial cluster munitions to Ukraine an "act of desperation" that reflects Ukraine's counteroffensive "failure."

US President Joe Biden said it was a "difficult decision" to provide the weapons to Ukraine, but he did so due to the country's decreasing ammunition. The US Defense Department said one of the primary reasons it is providing the cluster munitions is to help Ukrainian troops punch through Russian defensive lines as the counteroffensive is "going a little slower than some had hoped."

Both Russia and Ukraine have already used cluster munitions during the war.

Azovstal soldiers back home: Five soldiers who defended the Azovstal steel plant, which became a symbol of Ukrainian resistance in the southern port city of Mariupol during a months-long siege, have returned to Ukraine from Turkey with President Volodymyr Zelensky. Russia called it a "violation," alleging that Turkey was pressured by NATO into returning the men.

Numerous social media videos showed large crowds greeting the leaders in Lviv.

Gearing up for the NATO summit: Next week's gathering of the military alliance will not yet result in Ukraine's membership, a US official said Friday, but the agenda is dominated by issues relevant to the war in Ukraine. Turkey has played a key role, voicing support for Kyiv's eventual accession while also stalling Sweden's bid to join the alliance. The Turkish foreign minister discussed NATO's expansion on the phone with his US counterpart Saturday, while aids in Ankara are preparing for a closely-watched visit from Russian President Vladimir Putin some time next month.

Deadly attack on eastern town: At least eight people were killed and 13 injured as a result of Russian troops shelling the Ukrainian town of Lyman on Saturday, according to Ukrainian officials.

Gradual gains around Bakhmut: Troops have advanced about 1 kilometer in the direction of the battered eastern city, Ukrainian officials said Friday. Artillery units firing at Bakhmut have seen tangible progress in pushing the Russians away, Ukrainian fighters told a CNN team reporting from the eastern front. "The Russians are falling back. We know because they hit us much less," according to one gunner.

The Russian border region of Belgorod has come under heavy shelling from Ukraine, wounding two people, the regional governor said in a Telegram post Saturday. 

Belgorod Gov. Vyacheslav Gladkov said that Ukraine fired over 100 artillery shells at his region over the past day, naming Belgorodsky, Borisovsky, Valuysky, Krasnoyaruzhsky and Shebekinsky districts among the areas that were hit. 

“Power line got damaged in Krasnoyaruzhsky urban district,” he added. “Trade areas in the local market, a storage at a vegetable warehouse, three garages were damaged in Shebekinsky district.” Gladkov said that a private house, a local store and a car were also damaged in the district, adding that a car caught fire and burned to the ground. 

The Ukrainian side has not yet commented on the reported shelling in Belgorod. 

Some background on previous border activity: In late May, a group of Russian nationals who oppose President Vladimir Putin and are aligned with the Ukrainian army claimed responsibility for a cross-border attack in Belgorod. Ukrainian forces also carried out heavy shelling of the region overnight on June 6, according to Gladkov.

There have also been reports of drone attacks as the effects of Russia's war on Ukraine increasingly reverberate back onto its own territory.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken released a statement on Saturday honoring "500 days of resilience in Ukraine," marking the 500th day since Russia launched its full-scale invasion on February 24, 2022.

"The spirit of Ukraine’s people remains unbroken, and the United States remains committed to helping Ukraine defend itself and to rebuild its future," Blinken wrote.

It comes after the White House announced Friday that US President Joe Biden had approved the transfer of cluster munitions to Ukraine, the latest instance of the US providing Kyiv with weapons it initially resisted sending into the war. Biden told CNN’s Fareed Zakaria on Friday that it was a "very difficult decision," adding that "the Ukrainians are running out of ammunition."

"We will stand with Ukraine — along with our allies and partners — for as long as it takes by providing security, economic, and other assistance to Ukraine, so Ukraine can continue to defend itself and be in the strongest possible position at the negotiating table when the time comes," he said.

The US decision to provide Ukraine with cluster munitions is an inconsequential act that will still fail to defeat Moscow's forces on the battlefield, Russia's foreign ministry said in a statement Saturday. 

“It will not affect the course of a special military operation," Zakharova added, using the preferred terminology among Kremlin officials to describe the war in Ukraine.

Zakharova claimed the US decision was "aimed at maximally prolonging the conflict in Ukraine," but that Russia's goals for the invasion will still be fully achieved.

Some context: Officials with the US Department of Defense have acknowledged that one of the primary reasons they're providing cluster munitions to Kyiv is that its counteroffensive is "going a little slower than some had hoped."

The Ukrainian military has so far failed to yield major gains, documenting incremental advances on the front lines during the offensive's opening stages.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said he wants to be strategic about where he sends troops in order to minimize casualties, especially considering they are making a slog through heavily mined territories and fortified Russian defenses.

Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley has said the pace of the counteroffensive is not surprising, given those factors.

US President Joe Biden told CNN that he deeply considered the issue of providing the cluster munitions — controversial weapons that are banned by over 100 nations because of the potential risk they pose to civilians. Ultimately, he concluded that the risk of Russia succeeding in its invasion was greater than that of letting Ukraine use the weapons on their own soil, he said.

CNN's Ivana Kottasová and Michael Conte contributed reporting to this post.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Saturday that five soldiers who defended the Azovstal plant in the southern city of Mariupol would return to Ukraine.

“We are returning home from Türkiye and bringing our heroes home. Ukrainian soldiers Denys Prokopenko, Svyatoslav Palamar, Serhiy Volynsky, Oleh Khomenko, Denys Shleha. They will finally be with their relatives,” Zelensky said in a Telegram post.

In the video, Zelensky is seen meeting and hugging the men at an airport field before boarding a plane.

The five Ukrainian soldiers surrendered following the fall of Mariupol. After their release from Russian captivity, they were taken to Turkey as part of a prisoner swap back in September, where they were obliged to stay until the end of the war, according to the terms of the swap.

Zelensky was in Turkey to hold talks with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Background on Azovstal and Mariupol: The siege of the southern port city of Mariupol lasted almost three months, with the steel plant serving as a symbol of resistance and a final holdout as Russian troops advanced further into the city.

The plant sprawled over 4 square miles and once employed more than 10,000 people, a mass of tunnels, pipes and chimney stacks perched on the Azov Sea.

Russian forces shelled the facility day and night for weeks. The Ukrainians’ last stand became increasingly desperate as food and water supplies dwindled, and hundreds of casualties were left without adequate medical care. Huddled together underground in grim conditions, many soldiers and civilians began to doubt that they’d ever escape the plant alive, before negotiations led to a mutual ceasefire.

What Russia says: Turkey was "pressured" by NATO into returning the five Azovstal leaders to Ukraine, Russian state media RIA reported on Saturday, citing Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov.

Peskov called it "a violation of the terms of the existing agreements," adding that "the conditions for the return were violated by both the Turkish side and Kyiv."

CNN's Mariya Knight and Chris Liakos contributed reporting to this post.

United Kingdom Prime Minister Rishi Sunak addressed cluster munitions a day after the United States said it will send the controversial weapons to Ukraine, but stopped short of directly criticizing the US for its decision.

The UK is "signatory to a convention which prohibits the production or use of cluster munitions and discourages their use," Sunak told reporters Saturday.

The prime minister also said the upcoming NATO summit will include discussions on how to strengthen support for Ukraine.

About the weapons: Cluster munitions, also called cluster bombs, are canisters that carry tens to hundreds of smaller "bomblets." As the bomblets fall over a wide area, they can endanger non-combatants.

Much of the world has banned the use of these weapons through the Convention on Cluster Munitions, which also prohibits the stockpiling, production and transfer of them. Though 123 nations have joined that convention, the United States, Ukraine, Russia and 71 other countries have not.

Both Ukrainian and Russian forces have used cluster bombs since Moscow invaded in February 2022.

US President Joe Biden told CNN Friday that it was a "difficult decision" to provide Ukraine with the bombs for the first time, but that he was ultimately convinced to send the weapons because Kyiv needs ammunition in its counteroffensive against Russia.

US President Joe Biden will depart Sunday on a consequential days-long Europe trip that includes a host of bilateral meetings with allies amid the backdrop of Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine and last month’s attempted mutiny in Russia. 

The White House detailed Biden’s trip in a pool note to traveling reporters. Here's his schedule:

Saturday marks 500 days since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine — and how or when the conflict might end is not yet certain. While Kyiv has launched its counteroffensive to try to drive Russian troops from the territories they have occupied, much of the war’s outcome may be influenced by decisions made far away from the battlefield – mostly notably in Vilnius, Lithuania’s capital, where NATO is set to hold a key summit beginning Tuesday. The high-stakes meeting has a packed agenda, including the alliance's expansion and assistance to Ukraine.

Here are the latest developments: