July 13, 2023 - Russia-Ukraine news

Our live coverage of Russia’s war in Ukraine has moved here.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday described for the first time what was discussed at a Kremlin event attended by 35 Wagner commanders, including the group’s boss Yevgeny Prigozhin. 

The meeting was held on June 29, just days after Wagner fighters launched a short-lived mutiny against Moscow.

Putin, who was being interviewed by Russian newspaper Kommersant, was asked if Wagner would be retained as a fighting unit.

“There is no such legal entity,” Putin explained.

“The group exists, but legally it does not exist!” Putin repeated in the interview. “This is a separate issue related to actual legalization. But this is a question that should be discussed in the State Duma, in the government. It’s not an easy question.”

Putin said he offered the 35 Wagner commanders multiple employment options, including one under the leadership of their direct commander, who goes by the call sign Sedoy [Grey hair] – a man under whom Wagner fighters had fought for the past 16 months.

“They could have all gathered in one place and continued to serve,” Putin said, “and nothing would have changed for them. They would be led by the same person who has been their real commander all along.”

Ukraine’s grinding counteroffensive continues along the southern and eastern front lines this week, with Kyiv claiming some progress Thursday in the country’s south.

It’s past midnight now in Ukraine. If you’re just checking in, here are some of the key developments from the war today:

Ukraine reports battlefield gains: Ukraine’s troops have taken back territory in the country’s south, Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar said Thursday, including three reclaimed villages outside the town of Orikhiv. Troops are also on the offensive around the cities of Melitopol and Berdiansk, Maliar said.

Major strike on southern base: Maliar’s report follows claims by another Ukrainian official Thursday that a recent strike killed as many as 200 Russian soldiers and the commandant of the occupied town of Tokmak.

Tokmak is located roughly in the center of the three cities referenced in Maliar’s report.

A pro-Russian social media outlet and a Russian-appointed official both spoke of explosions rocking the area, but CNN cannot independently verify Ukraine’s claim about the death toll or its recent battlefield gains.

Cluster munitions have arrived: American-supplied cluster munitions have been delivered to Ukraine, a military official said Thursday. US and Ukrainian officials have said that cluster munitions could prove vital to breaking through Russia’s stubborn defenses. But the weapons are also controversial for their potential risk to civilians.

The US official reiterated a vow that Ukraine will use the cluster munitions to defend and reclaim their own soil, and in a way that will pose less danger to civilians.

Another grain deal deadline looms: Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that Russia may quit the Black Sea grain deal if its demands are not met, again imperiling an agreement that it has put in doubt as previous deadlines approached. The deal is due to expire Monday.

It was fashioned by Turkey and the UN to allow Ukrainian wheat and other crops to be shipped to international markets through secure corridors. While global supplies are not as tight as they were last year, traders say prices would rise if the deal is not renewed.

Among other demands, Russia wants access to international payments mechanisms currently out of bounds to its banks due to sanctions.

The Pentagon is seen from the air in Washington, DC, on March 3, 2022.

US President Joe Biden authorized the Pentagon on Thursday to send up to 3,000 reserve forces to Europe as Russia’s war in Ukraine continues.  

The US has more than 100,000 service members in Europe, a number that has grown since Russia’s invasion began in February 2022.

Under the new authorization, the reservists would be part of Operation Atlantic Resolve, the ongoing rotational deployments that bolster NATO and its eastern flank. The newly signed executive order designates Operation Atlantic Resolve as a contingency operation, which gives reservists the same benefits as active-duty service members.

No US troops are directly involved in the war in Ukraine as Kyiv is not a member of the NATO alliance.

The move gives the Defense Department another option to send more capabilities to assist US European Command. But a defense official said it would likely take approximately six months to send these reservists to the theater because of the advance notice required. 

The added troops would likely work in logistics and sustainment, or medical fields like dentistry and health care — roles that the reserves typically have more of than the active-duty force.

Since 2014, US forces have deployed to Europe under Atlantic Resolve to work with allies and partners in the region. Pentagon press secretary Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder added that the new designation will enable the Defense Department to “provide better system support and sustain our forces.” 

“(T)his includes things like increased contracting responsiveness, personnel-related entitlements that give activated reservists the same benefits as active component personnel,” he said. “It also, as a secretary-level operation, enhances our ability to track spending directly associated with this contingency.”

The executive order approving the mobilization of more forces gives officials the ability to call on troops “to come support Atlantic Resolve, and as I just highlighted, be entitled to the same kind of benefits as their active-duty counterparts.” 

Ukraine’s troops have taken back territory in the country’s south, Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar said Thursday.

Kyiv’s forces have captured several settlements south of the town of Orikhiv, including the villages of Novodanylivka, Mala Tokmachka and Novopokrovka, according to the deputy defense minister.

CNN cannot independently verify battlefield reports from either side of the conflict.

Ukraine also remains on the offensive south of Orikhiv in areas surrounding the cities of Melitopol and Berdiansk, Maliar said.

In eastern Ukraine: Maliar said Ukrainian units are advancing south of the city of Bakhmut but are meeting strong Russian resistance.

Troops are also engaged in heavy fighting around the cities of Kupyansk, Lyman, Avdiivka and Marinka, she said.

A worker sweeps outside an apartment building in Lviv on July 7, a day after it was partially destroyed by a missile strike.

The European Investment Bank and the European Union will provide another round of assistance worth about more than 400 million euros (about $450 million) to help the reconstruction of Ukraine, the country’s Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said Thursday.

The commitment will go toward “the most urgent reconstruction projects for Ukrainians, including critical infrastructure,” Shmyhal wrote in a tweet.

The European Union has agreed to a package of loans and other assistance to Ukraine in 2023 worth more than $18 billion.

The aid is targeted at critical infrastructure and “sustainable post-war reconstruction,” with a long-term goal of helping Ukraine “on its path toward European integration,” officials said.

The war’s staggering toll: The estimated cost of reconstruction and recovery in Ukraine reached $411 billion after one year of Russia’s full-scale invasion, according to a joint assessment conducted in March by Ukraine’s government, the World Bank, the European Commission and the United Nations.

American-supplied cluster munitions have been delivered to Ukraine, a military official said Thursday.

The acknowledgment confirmed reporting from CNN regarding the delivery of the weapons to Ukraine.  

“There are cluster munitions in Ukraine at this time,” Lt. Gen. Douglas Sims, the Joint Staff director for operations, said during a news conference.

Key context: While US and Ukrainian officials have said cluster munitions could be a game-changer on the battlefield, helping break through Russia’s stubborn defenses in the Ukrainian counteroffensive, the weapons are also controversial.

More than 100 countries, including key US allies, have banned cluster munitions because of their potential threat to civilians. The bombs work by scattering smaller “bomblets” across a wide area. If any of the bomblets fail to explode, they can pose a long-term risk to anyone who encounters them, similar to landmines.

Sims said Ukraine does not have “any interest in using the cluster munitions anywhere near the civilian population, unlike the Russians.”

“Russians have employed these weapons against civilians in civilian communities, which is a significant difference from what the Ukrainians intend to do,” Sims said. “The Ukrainians intend to use cluster munitions in the tactical environment, against Russians, not against civilians.”

As many as 200 Russian soldiers and the commandant of the occupied town of Tokmak were killed in a recent strike on a Russian base, a Ukrainian official said.

“Our defense forces have successfully worked on the occupiers’ positions in Tokmak,” Ivan Fedorov, the mayor of the occupied southern Ukrainian city of Melitopol, said on Telegram.

Fedorov is in Ukrainian-held territory and his claims cannot be confirmed, but he claimed that intelligence reports that a Russian base at a forging plant in the town had been hit

There is no way to confirm the claims and no visual evidence currently exists of an attack on the plant. However, a pro-Russian social media outlet said on Tuesday that the “AFU massively shell Tokmak. Preliminary, 6 strikes were recorded.” 

A Russian-appointed official in occupied Zaporizhzhia, Vladimir Rogov, also spoke of a series of explosions in the town on the same day, posting a video of fires in an open area that could not be geolocated.

Ukrainian forces target Tokmak regularly as it is an important hub for Russian defenses.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen speaks at a news conference Thursday in Brussels.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Thursday urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to prolong a deal allowing the Black Sea export of Ukrainian grain — stressing that failure to do so would lead to global food insecurity.

Speaking at a news conference, von der Leyen said she looked forward to discussing the grain deal and other issues with the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, including climate change and “upholding the UN charter and respect for the international law.”

What to know about the deal: The Black Sea grain deal, which was fashioned by Turkey and the UN, allows Ukrainian wheat and other crops to be shipped to international markets through secure corridors. While global supplies are not as tight as they were last year, traders say prices would rise if the deal is not renewed. 

The current deal is set to expire next week.

There are alternative routes for Ukrainian grain and oilseed exports by rail through Eastern Europe, but they can’t readily cope with the volume that Ukraine wants to export.

Romania has refurbished rail links and storage facilities but its main port is already clogged with waiting ships. 

CNN’s Tim Lister and Uliana Pavlova contributed to this report.

Workers load grain at a grain port in Izmail, Ukraine, on April 26.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that Russia may quit the Black Sea grain deal if its demands are not met. The deal is due to expire Monday.

“As one of the options, let’s not start with the extension and then the fulfillment of promises, but first the fulfillment of promises and then our participation,” he said during an on-camera interview with journalist Pavel Zarubin.

“What I mean is, we can suspend our participation in this deal and if everyone once again says that all the promises made to us will be fulfilled, well, let them fulfill these promises and we will immediately join this deal again,” Putin added.

A key Russian demand has been to allow access to international payments mechanisms currently out of bounds to Russian banks as part of an international sanctions regime.

Extension proposals: United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres sent a letter to Putin this week outlining a proposal to keep the deal alive.

UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters that the objective of that proposal is to “remove hurdles affecting financial transactions through the Russian agricultural bank, a major concern expressed by the Russia Federation, and simultaneously allow for the continuing flow of Ukrainian grain through the Black Sea.”

The Russian Foreign Ministry has previously rejected one formula that would create a subsidiary of one Russian bank that might then be allowed to connect with the international financial system.

What to know about the deal: The Black Sea grain deal, which was fashioned by Turkey and the UN, allows Ukrainian wheat and other crops to be shipped to international markets through secure corridors. While global supplies are not as tight as they were last year, traders say prices would rise if the deal is not renewed. 

There are alternative routes for Ukrainian grain and oilseed exports by rail through Eastern Europe, but they can’t readily cope with the volume that Ukraine wants to export.

Romania has refurbished rail links and storage facilities but its main port is already clogged with waiting ships. 

Left to right: Lt. Gen. Oleg Tsokov, Gen. Oleg Surovikin and Maj. Gen. Ivan Popov

To lose one general during a war that’s going badly might be seen as unfortunate; to lose two within 24 hours looks careless. But that is what has happened to the Russian command in southern Ukraine – and both cases illustrate further deficiencies and dissent among Russia’s military leadership.

General 1: Early Tuesday, a Ukrainian missile slammed into a hotel in the coastal town of Berdyansk. One of many reported Russian casualties was Lt. Gen. Oleg Tsokov, the deputy commander of the Southern Military District and a key figure in Russia’s defense of occupied areas of southern Ukraine. He is thought to have been the most senior among the roughly 10 Russian generals killed in the campaign in Ukraine to date.

It appears to have been no secret that the 58th Combined Arms Army unit had made the Dune hotel its headquarters – but Tsokov had nevertheless moved in.

The 58th is a critical component in defending front lines in the west of the Zaporizhzhia region, where Ukrainian forces are attempting a breakthrough in their counteroffensive.

Then it got worse for the Russians.

General 2: Late Wednesday, a four-minute audio message emerged from Maj. Gen. Ivan Popov, the 58th unit’s commander, in which he railed against what he called the treachery of Russia’s military leadership and inadequacies causing mass casualties among his men.

His message asserted major shortcomings in Russian defenses, which the Ukrainians are clearly trying to worsen with a recalibrated approach that stresses long-range fires against Russian rear positions.

Russian military bloggers have suggested that both Tsokov and Popov were capable soldiers who inspired loyalty among their men. 

Losing commanders who inspire loyalty is not only careless. It’s potentially hazardous.

And it’s not as though the travails of the 58th are isolated examples. The Wagner mutiny at the end of June called into question the effectiveness and allegiance of several high-ranking figures, several of whom have not been seen since.

General 3: Gen. Oleg Surovikin, the head of Russia’s Aerospace Forces — who used to lead Russian forces in Ukraine — hasn’t been seen in public since the Wagner rebellion unfolded. Amid intense speculation about his status, the Head of the State Duma Committee on Defense Andrei Kartapolov said Wednesday that Surovikin was “resting” and not available – a curious place to be in the middle of a war that’s not going well. 

Read the full analysis here.

The price of Russian crude oil has risen above a price cap set by the Group of Seven nations, in the first “real test” of whether the West can enforce one of its key sanctions against Moscow for its war in Ukraine.

The benchmark price of Russian Urals crude topped $60 a barrel Wednesday, according to data from Argus Media. The breach comes eight months after the G7 and the European Union introduced the cap, preventing Western firms from providing shipping, insurance and other services needed to export Russian seaborne oil unless it is priced below the threshold.

While the G7 and the EU have banned imports of Moscow’s seaborne crude, energy-guzzling nations China and India have ramped up imports of cheap Russian oil. Since most firms offering shipping services are based in Europe, the price cap was aimed at denting Russia’s revenues while still allowing its oil to flow to the global market.

With prices now rising, it is unclear to what extent Western authorities will be able to enforce the cap, Matthew Wright, a senior freight analyst at Kpler, told CNN.

It will be particularly difficult to monitor which Western companies are providing services such as insurance to ships that are owned by non-G7 countries and so aren’t constrained by the cap, Wright added.

That market is “not as transparent,” he said. “It’s going to be very difficult to police.”

Wright says buyers like India are unlikely to turn their backs on Russian oil, despite rising oil prices. Instead, Wright said, “we will see more vessels which are owned outside of the EU lift Russian crude.”

“There are more than enough vessels to keep Russian crude moving,” he added.

A spokesperson for the US Treasury told CNN “the price cap is working, and Russian (oil) revenue is down nearly 50% from a year prior.”

Read more here.

US President Joe Biden speaks during a news conference with Finland's President Sauli Niinisto in Helsinki on Thursday.

US President Joe Biden downplayed concerns that Russian President Vladimir Putin could deploy nuclear weapons as he tries to reassert control after the Wagner private military group’s failed mutiny last month.

Some context: Russia has the world’s largest arsenal of nuclear weapons, with 4,477 deployed and reserve nuclear warheads, including around 1,900 tactical nuclear weapons, according to the Federation of American Scientists.

While US officials have expressed concern over Putin’s rhetoric surrounding the weapons, they have also repeatedly downplayed the risk of Russia using them. A spokesperson said in March that the US State Department has not found “any indications Russia is preparing to use a nuclear weapon.”

Biden comments on Wagner boss: The US president also offered his thoughts on Wagner chief’s Yevgeny Prigozhin’s future following the coup. Prigozhin’s whereabouts are currently unknown, though the Kremlin said this week that he met with Putin shortly after the coup.

What comes next? “God only knows,” Biden said.

“We’re not even sure where he is, and what relationship he has. If I were he, I’d be careful what I eat, keep my eye on my menu,” Biden said. “But all kidding aside, who knows? I don’t know. I don’t think any of us know for certain what the future of Prighozin is in Russia.”

CNN’s Natasha Bertrand and Kylie Atwood contributed reporting to this post.

Ukrainian is steadily sealing off and fortifying its northern border with Belarus and Russia, and encouraging civilians in some regions who still live close to the border to leave for safer places. 

Ukraine continues to “create engineering barriers directly along the state border. We dig anti-tank ditches and mine the area,” said Lt. Gen. Serhii Naiev, Commander of the Joint Forces. “To prevent the invasion of enemy sabotage groups and crossing of the border by armored vehicles, we are installing appropriate minefields.”

The task, Naiev said, is to make that border area “impassable” since Ukraine has “no friends” on the other side of that border.

He said, in the last 10 days alone, the military had:

Ukrainian authorities also continue to urge civilians to leave areas of Sumy that are regularly shelled from across the border: Flying drones and waterway activities are outlawed, and gatherings, entertainment and other mass events are banned in areas within 20 kilometers (or about 12 miles) of the border.

US President Joe Biden addresses a joint press conference with Finland's President after the US-Nordic leaders summit in Helsinki, Finland, on July 13.

US President Joe Biden said he is “serious” about negotiations with Russia surrounding a prisoner exchange to free detained Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich.

Last week, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan confirmed there have been talks around the prospect of a prisoner swap for Gershkovich, “but those discussions have not produced a clear pathway to a resolution.”

Remember: Gershkovich’s arrest in March was the first detention of an American reporter in Russia on allegations of spying since the Cold War.

He is not the only US citizen recently held by Moscow, and the moves raise fears detainees could be used as pawns in the wider geopolitics surrounding the war in Ukraine.

The US State Department has officially designated Gershkovich as wrongfully detained in Russia.

CNN’s Donald Judd contributed reporting to this post.

US President Joe Biden said he doesn’t think the war in Ukraine will drag on for years to come, declaring that Russian President Vladimir Putin has “already lost.”

The US president said he doesn’t think the war will continue for years because Russia cannot maintain its resources for that long, and Putin will likely eventually “decide its not in interest for Russia, economically, politically or otherwise.”

He said he hopes Ukraine makes progress in its current counteroffensive to spur a negotiated settlement.

U.S. President Joe Biden, left, and Finland's President Sauli Niinisto hold a press conference in Helsinki, Finland, on July 13.

The US and its Western allies have reached an “inflection point in history,” US President Joe Biden said Thursday, speaking alongside Finland’s president after meeting with Nordic leaders.

The president touted steps taken by the US, Finland and other allies to create a clear path for Ukraine’s membership in the NATO military alliance.

“We also made it clear to (Ukrainian President Volodymyr) Zelensky that we’re not waiting for NATO membership to be finalized to commit to the long-term security of Ukraine,” the president said.

Biden praised Finland’s addition to NATO, and celebrated the news that Turkey has dropped its objections to Sweden’s accession. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine pushed both the countries to pull the trigger on NATO membership.

Finnish President Sauli Niinisto said the situation in his country, which borders Russia, remains calm in the wake of its successful membership bid, adding that the “Finnish people do feel more secure.”

At this week’s summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, NATO met “with 31 nations for the first time,” Biden said. “We showed the world that our alliance is more united than ever, and soon it’ll be 32 allies,” he continued, referring to Sweden.

CNN’s Niamh Kennedy contributed reporting to this post.

Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov has published a full list of the weapons and other military hardware pledged at this week’s NATO summit, saying it amounts to more than $1.5 billion worth of equipment.

Here’s what the list includes:

President Joe Biden, left, meets with Finland's President Sauli Niinisto, right, at the Presidential Palace in Helsinki, Finland, on July 13.

US President Joe Biden and Finnish President Sauli Niinisto met Thursday ahead of the US-Nordic Leaders’ Summit, speaking about Ukraine, NATO unity, and other issues, according to the White House. 

“The leaders reaffirmed their unwavering commitment to support Ukraine as it continues to defend itself against Russian aggression. President Biden congratulated Finland on becoming our newest NATO Ally and welcomed its role as a regional security provider,” the readout said.  

The leaders welcomed Turkey dropping its block on Sweden’s membership to NATO this week “and underscored their desire to welcome Sweden into NATO as soon as possible.”

Remember: Finland became NATO’s newest member in April, after it and neighboring Sweden sought to join the military alliance following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine last year.

Andrey Kartapolov, chairman of the Russian State Duma Defense Committee, attends a press conference in Moscow, Russia, on June 14.

Major General Ivan Popov, the former commander of the 58th Army who was fired after he criticized the Russian military, is a “promising general” who “should serve in the army,” the head of the Russian Defense Committee said Thursday.  

When questioned about Popov’s potential reassignment, Andrey Kartapolov, a former commander of the 58th Army, told journalists Thursday to wait for further developments.

Earlier, Kartapolov expressed confidence that the Russian Ministry of Defense would address the issues raised by Popov, saying effective leadership involves recognizing problems and listening to subordinates.

Analysts say that the public dismissal of such a senior officer during an open dispute over the conduct of the Russian campaign is unprecedented, adding to the significance of the situation.