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July 28, 2023 - Russia-Ukraine news
By Brad Lendon, Kathleen Magramo, Christian Edwards, Adrienne Vogt, Leinz Vales and Matt Meyer, CNN
Updated 10:16 p.m. ET, July 28, 2023
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At least 9 injured in Dnipro attack, Ukrainian military official says
From CNN's Svitlana Vlasova
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 age 14 and 17; two 20-year-old girls, a 77-year-old woman and four men between 18 and 53 years old.
Doctors say the injured victims are in "satisfactory condition" and will be treated at home, Lysak said.
Missile attacks, sanctions and other headlines you should know from the war in Ukraine
From CNN staff
Kyiv's counteroffensive appears to be entering a more aggressive new phase.
A new video spreading on social media appears to show, for the first time, Ukrainian forces reaching one of Russia's sprawling "dragon's teeth" defensive lines. The concrete anti-tank fortifications are one example of the deeply layered defenses Russia has developed to slow any attempt to take back territory in southern Ukraine.
But Ukraine's top commander on the southern front says Kyiv's forces are making some progress in driving back Russian troops. The general on Friday described intense, ongoing combat in the area he commands, which encompasses southern parts of Donetsk and the Zaporizhzhia region.
If you're just now catching up, here's what else you should know:
- Russia-Africa summit: Russian President Vladimir Putin — who is holding a summit with African governments as the Kremlin grows more isolated on the world stage — says leaders from the continent have showed interest in further developing their relations with Moscow. Speaking at a news conference with the chair of the African Union on Friday, Putin laid out the ways he says Russia plans to help African countries. Putin is also willing to engage in “dialogue and find a solution” to end the war in Ukraine, according to Azali Assoumani, the African Union chairman and president of the Union of the Comoros. Now the union needs to convince Ukraine to hold negotiations with Russia, he added. Kyiv has said it won't negotiate while a foreign military occupies its country.
- Dnipro missile attack: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that one of the buildings hit in a missile strike on central Dnipro Friday was that of the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU). Maksym Buzhansky, a member of parliament who is in Dnipro, said the explosions were "very loud" and that he has not been informed of any injuries or deaths yet. Three people have requested medical assistance so far, according to Ihor Klymenko, the Ukrainian interior minister. He said rescuers were going door-to-door in the building.
- Taganrog missile attack: The Russian defense ministry said Kyiv fired a missile at the Russian city of Taganrog, which is located in the southwestern Rostov region near the border with Ukraine. Russian air defense systems intercepted the missile, fragments of which fell on the city and damaged buildings, the defense ministry said. Moscow threatened to take tough measures in response to the missile attack, which wounded more than a dozen people.
- Declined extradition: Brazilian authorities have declined a US request to extradite Russian national Sergey Vladimirovich Cherkasov, who is accused of entering the US under a false identity to spy on Americans in the leadup to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Brazil’s government said Thursday it has already approved Cherkasov's eventual extradition to Russia, where he is accused of drug trafficking, according to Russian state media. The Biden administration has been searching for high-value Russian nationals that could entice Moscow to release two detained Americans, as the war leads relations to further deteriorate between the countries.
- Sanctions: The European Union said on Friday that it imposed sanctions on seven Russian individuals and five entities for what it called a "digital information manipulation campaign."
- Ukraine aid: Qatari Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani promised his country would donate $100 million to help rebuild Ukraine, during a visit to Kyiv.
Here's a look at the latest map of control in Ukraine:
Ukraine's commander on the southern front reports some success in developing counteroffensive
From CNN's Svitlana Vlasova
Ukraine's top commander on the southern front says his forces are making some progress in driving back Russian troops, as Kyiv's counteroffensive appears to be entering a more aggressive new phase.
"The defense forces are systematically driving the enemy back and are having some success," Gen. Oleksandr Tarnavskyi said.
"In particular, Ukrainian troops have liberated Staromaiorske in Donetsk region and are consolidating their positions," he added, referencing a village in southeastern Ukraine which Kyiv's troops claimed Thursday.
The general described intense, ongoing combat in the area he commands, which encompasses southern parts of Donetsk and the Zaporizhzhia region.
Russia launched at least 17 attacks on Ukrainian positions there over the past day, and fired on Kyiv's forces hundreds more times, according to Tarnavskyi. Meanwhile, Ukraine's artillery units are on the offensive, carrying out more than 1,500 firing missions during that same period, he said.
Tarnavskyi claimed "19 units" of Russian military equipment were destroyed in the most recent fighting, including tanks and armored personnel carriers.
Some context: It is impossible to verify Ukrainian or Russian claims about the state of the battlefield, but Kyiv appears to be ramping up its counteroffensive after months of slow progress. US officials told CNN earlier this week that more troops have been committed to the southern front, where Tarnavskyi is leading the effort to recapture territory.
On Thursday, video surfaced of Ukrainian troops clearly standing in Staromaiorske, the village referenced in Tarnavskyi's report.
Then, on Friday, another video spread on social media appearing to show, for the first time, Ukrainian forces reaching one of Russia's sprawling "dragon's teeth" defensive lines. The concrete anti-tank fortifications are one example of the deeply layered defenses Russia has developed to slow any attempt to take back territory in southern Ukraine.
Ukrainian fencer readmitted to tournament after disqualification for not shaking hands with Russian opponent
From CNN's Svitlana Vlasova, Victoria Butenko and Tim Lister
The Ukrainian fencing champion banned from the world championships in Italy for refusing to shake hands with a Russian opponent has been readmitted to the tournament.
The International Fencing Federation (FIE) announced that Olga Kharlan would be allowed to participate in the women’s team sabre competition.
The federation said Kharlan conceded that the penalty against her was correct after refusing to shake hands with her opponent, Anna Smernova, on Thursday. Smirnova was competing as an individual, as representatives of Russia are not eligible to take part in most sporting tournaments. The federation said it "stands fully behind the penalty."
The FIE also said it met with Kharlan and spoke with the International Olympic Committee (IOC). The reinstatement, the FIE added, “is made in keeping with the Olympic Spirit. It also sends a message of sensitivity and understanding to our members and all sports federations.”
Kharlan has not apologized for her action but said she was nevertheless thankful to the FIE.
The federation's decision came after a pointed intervention from the Thomas Bach, president of the IOC and a former fencer himself.
“The war against your country, the suffering of the people of Ukraine, the uncertainty about your participatIon at the World Fencing Championships in Milan, the difficult inner conflicts that you and many of your fellow Ukrainian athletes may have, and then the events that unfolded yesterday, all this is a rollercoaster of emotions and feelings,” Bach wrote in a letter to Kharlan.
Expressing his “full support” for Kharlan, Bach said the IOC would offer her an automatic place at the Paris Olympics next year because of her “unique situation” and because her disqualification in Milan could cost her sufficient qualifying points for the Olympiad.
Responding to the news, Kharlan said: “This is the moment when you see no hope, feel unbearable pain and despair, and think you are all alone. And then a whole multi-million country of Heroes stands up for you and changes everything in your life.”
“I knew what I was risking, but I didn't expect that it would shake up the entire Ukrainian society and that everyone would join the fight with me!” she added
African Union chairman says Putin is willing to "find a solution" to end war, but needs to convince Ukraine
From CNN’s Zahid Mahmood and Mariya Knight
Russian President Vladimir Putin is willing to engage in “dialogue and find a solution” to end the war in Ukraine, according to Azali Assoumani, the African Union chairman and president of the Union of the Comoros.
Now the union needs to convince Ukraine to hold negotiations with Russia, he said Friday. Assoumani said the African Union will “act as an intermediary.”
He also said Putin's offer to help Africa with food supply after pulling out of the key Black Sea grain deal is “not quite enough.”
“We need to achieve a ceasefire, because war is always something unpredictable, and the longer it goes on, the more unpredictable it becomes,” he said.
Speaking later Friday at the summit, Putin blamed Ukraine for not being willing to engage in negotiations, saying "the ball is completely in their court." He also criticized Kyiv's efforts to join NATO, calling Ukraine's potential membership in the military alliance a "fundamental threat" to Russian security.
Some background: In mid-June, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and several other African leaders traveled to Ukraine to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and present a 10-step peace initiative that several African countries have agreed to participate in.
At his Russia-Africa summit, Putin has said the Kremlin is “carefully” considering the African leaders’ proposal.
But Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has ruled out any peace negotiations with Russia until Moscow’s troops withdraw from his country’s territory. Zelensky said allowing any negotiations while another nation's military is occupying Ukraine would only "freeze" the war, pain and suffering caused by Putin's invasion.
Missile hits Ukrainian security service building in downtown Dnipro, Zelensky says
From CNN's Mariya Knight and Svitlana Vlasova
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that one of the buildings hit in a missile strike on central Dnipro Friday was that of the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU).
“Dnipro. Friday evening. A high-rise building and the Security Service of Ukraine's building were hit. Russian missile terror again,” he said on Telegram.
The Ukrainian leader said he has spoken with the SBU, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the State Emergency Service, and the head of the regions' military administration.
“We will do everything to bring Russia to full punishment for aggression and terror against our people. These bastards will answer,” he added.
Maksym Buzhansky, a member of parliament who is in Dnipro, said that the explosions were "very loud" and he has not been informed of any injuries or deaths yet. Emergency services were at the scene, he said.
Three people have requested medical assistance so far, according to Ihor Klymenko, the Ukrainian interior minister. He said rescuers were going door-to-door in the building.
Video from the scene showed several floors of the building were damaged.
EU Council imposes sanctions on Russians over "digital information manipulation campaign"
From CNN’s Zahid Mahmood and Martin Goillandeau
The European Union Council said on Friday that it imposed sanctions on seven Russian individuals and five entities.
Those sanctioned are accused of 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," the council said in a statement.
The statement said the campaign to which “government bodies or bodies affiliated to the Russian state have participated” does rely on “fake web pages usurping the identity of national media outlets and government websites, as well as fake accounts on social media.”
“This coordinated and targeted information manipulation is part of a broader hybrid campaign by Russia against the EU and the member states,” the statement added.
The impacted entities: The sanctioned entities include Infornos — an online outlet “closely linked to the Russian military intelligence (GRU) and is responsible for setting up more than 270 media proxy online outlets that disseminate propaganda in support of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine," according to the council.
They also include the Kremlin-linked non-profit ANO Dialog, the Institute of the Russian Diaspora, as well as Social Design Agency and Structura National Technologies —two Russian IT companies and prominent representatives of the above-mentioned entities.
The statement said the EU sanctions toward Russia’s war on Ukraine now apply to about 1,800 individuals and entities altogether.
Putin touts aid for African countries and seeks to strengthen ties as war leaves Moscow isolated
From CNN’s Zahid Mahmood and Mariya Knight
Russian President Vladimir Putin — who is holding a summit with African governments as the Kremlin grows more isolated on the world stage — says leaders from the continent have showed interest in further developing their relations with Moscow.
Speaking at a news conference with the chair of the African Union, Putin laid out the ways he says Russia plans to help African countries. Moscow will provide aid to “strengthen national health systems, improve their reliability, technical equipment, efficiency and resilience in the fight against epidemics,” he said.
A "large-scale program of assistance" for combatting infections in African countries will total 1.2 billion rubles (or about $13 million USD) running into 2026, according to Putin.
Putin also said Russia will “continue to supply African countries with grain on a commercial basis and free of charge.”
Putin said Friday that he would discuss the situation in Ukraine with African representatives in a meeting taking place later today. The Russian president has said the Kremlin is “carefully” considering a peace proposal from the leaders.
Key context: Putin is seeking to strengthen ties with African countries as he wages a war in Ukraine that has left him sanctioned and shunned by many foreign governments.
In the run-up to the event, the Kremlin fumed over the poor turnout, and accused the United States and its Western allies of putting “unprecedented pressure” on African countries in an attempt to derail the summit. Some have chosen not to attend the summit, and others have outright condemned Moscow's war.
Others, however, have praised Putin or attempted to maintain a projection of neutrality.
Putin's summit comes shortly after Russia pulled out of a deal that allowed Ukrainian grain to flow to countries on the continent. He has used the series of meetings to argue that Moscow remains a "reliable" source of food despite that development.
The United Nations has warned his offer to send free grain to the continent would not make up for Russia pulling out of the deal and targeting Ukrainian ports with recent strikes.
CNN's Radina Gigova, Anna Chernova, Sophie Tanno and Nimi Princewill contributed reporting to this post.
