Video shows Ukrainian drone take out Russian battle tank
03:29
What we covered here
Videos released by Russia’s military and state media appear to show its Black Sea Fleet commander alive and well — just days after Ukraine claimed he had been killed in a strike on the fleet’s headquarters in Crimea. Ukraine’s military has said it is “clarifying” information regarding Admiral Viktor Sokolov.
“Several hundred” former Wagner fighters have returned to the battlefield in the east, according to the Ukrainian military. CNN obtained exclusive access to a frontline drone unit near Bakhmut as Ukraine’s troops make an offensive push.
After a series of heated exchanges in recent weeks over a ban on Ukrainian grain, discussions about Kyiv’s grain shipments to Poland are going in a “good direction,” according to the Polish agriculture minister.
Russia is constructing a new railway that will link the occupied cities of Mariupol and Donetsk to Russia, according to a Ukrainian official.
Catch up: Russia builds railway connecting occupied cities to mainland as Ukraine fights to regain territory
From CNN staff
Fighters who previously fought in Ukraine for the Russian mercenary group Wagner have returned to the battlefield in the east, according to the Ukrainian military. Across this part of the country, Ukrainian forces are continuing offensive actions in an effort to retake territory.
A new video appears to show a reporter asking Russian Black Sea Fleet commander about last week’s attack in Sevastopol last week, in which he was alleged to have been killed by Ukraine forces.
Here’s what else to know:
Wagner fighters back in Ukraine: “Several hundred” Wagner fighters have returned to the eastern front of Ukraine, the military said. They are working for the Russian Ministry of Defense or its affiliated structures and joined as individuals, according to Serhii Cherevatyi, the deputy commander of communications for Ukrainian troops in the east.
Sanctions on Iranian drones: The US announced sanctions against an Iranian company as well as companies in China, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates for allegedly supporting Iran’s “one-way attack” drone program by supplying critical components. Russia is primarily using the drones to attack critical Ukrainian infrastructure and stretch Ukraine’s air defenses, according to a senior Defense Intelligence Agency official.
Rail link to occupied cities: Russia is constructing a new railway that will link the occupied cities of Mariupol, Volnovakha and Donetsk to Russia, according to a Ukrainian official. It comes as the bridge connecting Crimea with the Russian mainland has come under increasing attacks by Ukrainian forces in recent months, as they try to cut supply lines to the peninsula.
Black Sea Fleet commander: The Kremlin has maintained that a Black Sea Fleet commander who Ukraine claimed to have killed appeared to take part in a meeting of Russia’s military leaders on Tuesday, as seen in a video of the meeting posted by the Russian defense ministry. On Wednesday, a Russian military channel on Telegram posted an interview with the commander. CNN has not been able to confirm when either video was filmed.
Grain to Poland: Discussions about Ukrainian grain shipments to Poland are going in a “good direction,” Polish Agriculture Minister Robert Telus said following a virtual meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart Wednesday. Telus said they are “in the final stage” of talks with Lithuania about organizing transit of Ukrainian grain to the country’s ports. Tensions between the two countries appear to be easing after Poland, Hungary and Slovakia decided to extend a ban on Ukrainian exports.
Russia’s bid to rejoin UN council: Ukraine is reaffirming its position that Russia should not be allowed to rejoin the United Nations Human Rights Council “until it is held accountable for all its crimes,” a Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson said. Russia was expelled last April following its invasion of Ukraine. The United States also called on UN members to reject the bid and claimed that Moscow has violated international humanitarian law, according to a spokesperson.
Attacks on cultural heritage sites: Russia has committed at least 534 offenses against Ukrainian cultural heritage sites to date, according to figures by a nongovernmental organization registered in Kyiv. Violations include the “use of cultural property for military purposes, transfer of cultural property from the occupied territories,” among other things, the organization’s project manager said.
Correction: An earlier version of this post stated a nongovernmental organization is based in Crimea. It is registered in Kyiv.
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Ukraine documents 534 offenses against cultural heritage sites since the Russian invasion
From Yulia Kesaieva in Kyiv and Amy Cassidy in London
The dome of the Orthodox Church of the Holy Mother of God Joy of All Who Sorrow lies next to its building, destroyed as a result of shelling in the village of Bohorodychne, in the eastern region of Donetsk, Ukraine, on March 18, 2023.
Violeta Santos/Reuters
Russia has committed at least 534 offenses against Ukrainian cultural heritage sites since the 2014 annexation of Crimea, according to figures by a nongovernmental organization registered in Kyiv.
Elmira Ablialimova-Chyigoz, project manager at The Crimean Institute for Strategic Studies (CISS), presented the findings on Wednesday at a news conference in Kyiv.
The organization has been researching cultural heritage violations dating back to 2014, when Russia illegally invaded annexed Crimea, where Ablialimova-Chyigoz noted 200 offenses have been recorded.
In other Ukrainian regions occupied by Russia since 2022 (Kherson, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Donetsk), 334 cultural heritage violations have been recorded, she said.
CNN cannot independently verify the figures from the CISS. On the homepage of the organization’s website, the CISS describes its work as “focusing on researching the state of protection of cultural heritage sites in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine and identifying the major trends in the course of events in this area through the lens of international humanitarian law.”
Correction: An earlier version of this post stated the Crimean Institute for Strategic Studies is based in Crimea. It is registered in Kyiv.
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Ukraine names 3 new deputy defense ministers after mass dismissal
From Yulia Kesaieva in Kyiv and Amy Cassidy in London
Ukraine’s Defense Minister Rustem Umerov named three new deputies on Wednesday, more than a week after he announced the department was “rebooting” following a mass dismissal of personnel.
On his official Facebook account, Umerov said “the changes will be notable by our soldiers.”
He named the following people as “Deputy Minister of Defense of Ukraine” with varying portfolios:
Yurii Dzhygyr (finance)
Nataliia Kalmykova (social development)
Kateryna Chernogorenko (digital development)
The recent shake-up of defense officials comes after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky fired his defense minister, Oleksii Reznikov, at the beginning of the month, citing the need for “new approaches.”
The change of leadership followed several military corruption scandals.
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Newly published video shows Russian admiral being asked about Sevastopol attack
From CNN’s Katharina Krebs
New video of Russian Admiral Viktor Sokolov shows him being asked by a reporter about last week’s Sevastopol attack, in which he was alleged to have been killed, offering the strongest proof yet he is alive.
In the video, published on Telegram Wednesday by Russian state news agency TASS, a reporter can be heard asking: “Could you please tells us in a few words what happened to reassure Sevastopol residents?”
Sokolov then replies, “Nothing happened to us, life goes on. The Black Sea Fleet is carrying out the tasks assigned to it by the command.”
Ukraine claimed on Monday that Sokolov had been killed in a strike on the Black Sea Fleet headquarters in Sevastopol, Crimea, last week, along with 33 other officers.
Two other videos of Sokolov had been shared by the Russian military in the past two days, but neither gave firm indication of when they had been filmed.
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US sanctions Iranian, Chinese, Turkish and UAE firms supporting Iranian drone program used in Ukraine
From CNN's Michael Conte
The US announced sanctions against an Iranian company as well as companies in China, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates for allegedly supporting Iran’s “one-way attack” drone program by supplying critical components.
As of July, it is believed that Iran has provided Russia with more than 400 Shahed 131, 136 and Mohajer drones for use in its war in Ukraine.
The sanctions are against the Iranian firm Pishgam Electronic Safeh Company and its CEO Hamid Reza Janghorbani for procuring “hundreds of thousands of dollars” worth of servomotors that can be used in Iran’s attack drones.
“One of the servomotors procured by the network designated today was recovered in the remnants of a Russia-operated Shahed-136 that was recently shot down in Ukraine,” said State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller in a statement.
The sanctions also target the Hong Kong-based company Hongkong Himark Electron Model Limited and “PRC-based Hongkong Himark official” Fan Yang for selling more than $1 million worth of servomotors to Iran, as well as two Turkish companies that “facilitated financial transactions totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars” to procure the servomotors from Hongkong Himark and a UAE-based firm that facilitated servomotor shipment.
More background: Russia is primarily using the drones to attack critical Ukrainian infrastructure and stretch Ukraine’s air defenses, according to a senior Defense Intelligence Agency official. The US obtained and analyzed several of drones downed in Ukraine, and officials say there is “undeniable evidence” that they are Iranian, despite repeated denials from Tehran that it is providing the equipment to Russia for use in Ukraine.
CNN’s Natasha Bertrand contributed reporting to this post.
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Cuba and Russia in touch over Cuban nationals fighting in Ukraine, Russia's ambassador to Cuba says
From CNN’s Patrick Oppmann in Havana
A cuban flag hangs above a street in Havana, Cuba, on August 19, 2021.
This is first time Russian officials have commented on allegations that hundreds of Cuban mercenaries are fighting in their invasion of Ukraine.
Koronelli spoke at an “appreciation ceremony” on Wednesday where Russia donated 672 tons of cooking oil to Cuba, which is weathering the worst economic crisis the communist-run island has seen in decades.
Cuban officials have defended their longtime ally Russia during its war in Ukraine, but in September said they had arrested 17 Cubans who had violated local laws by attempting to fight for Russia as paid mercenaries and for alleged human trafficking. Some family members of Cubans fighting for Russia allege their relatives had been tricked into joining the Russian war effort with promises of money, Russian citizenship and assurances they would not be sent to the front lines.
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Ukraine says former Wagner fighters are back in Bakhmut, but officials downplay their significance
From CNN’s Olga Voitovych, Vasco Cotovio, Fred Pleitgen, Yulia Kesaieva, Florence Davey-Attlee and Andrew Carey
Fighters who had previously fought in Ukraine for the Russian mercenary group Wagner have returned to the battlefield in the east, according to the Ukrainian military.
Serhii Cherevatyi, the deputy commander of communications for Ukrainian troops in the east, said the Wagner fighters who had returned to Ukraine were now working for the Russian Ministry of Defense or its affiliated structures and had joined as individuals, not as a unit.
But he sought to downplay the significance of their return, saying Russian forces in Ukraine “are short of everyone there now, so any man is good for them.”
Ukrainian soldiers taking part in the offensive near the beleaguered city of Bakhmut also told CNN that Wagner had returned to the area.
“Wagner is here too,” a drone operator with call sign Groove told CNN on the ground in eastern Ukraine on Tuesday.
Groove said that the group’s presence is in part intended to compensate for personnel shortages on the Russian side.
Mykhailo Podolyak, adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, said Wagner fighters had signed contracts with the Russian defense ministry “as an agreement to play the last chord, plugging the Russian hole in the Bakhmut direction for a short time.”
Podolyak, too, was keen not to inflate the return of the former mercenaries.
“Remember: the Wagner PMC no longer exists,” Podolyak wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Wednesday.
The Ukrainian general leading the southern counteroffensive, Oleksandr Tarnavsky, told CNN last week that Wagner fighters continue to pop up “here and there” on the front lines in the country.
“The fact is that their badges appear here and there; that’s been constant,” Tarnavsky said.
Remember: Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin was killed in a plane crash in August two months after he led a short-lived rebellion against the Kremlin. After the insurrection, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Wagner forces would have the opportunity to sign a contract with Russia’s Ministry of Defense, “other law enforcement agencies, or to return to your family and friends,” or go to Belarus.
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Grain talks with Ukraine going in "good direction," Polish agriculture minister says
From CNN's Radina Gigova in London
Ukraine's Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food Mykola Solskyi, left, speaks with Poland's Minister for Agriculture, Robert Telus, at the Agriculture and Fisheries Council at the EU headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, on May 30.
Kenzo Tribouillard/AFP/Getty Images
Discussions about Ukrainian grain shipments to Poland are going in a “good direction” after “certain emotions” were calmed down, Polish Agriculture Minister Robert Telus said Wednesday, following a virtual meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart Mykola Solskyi.
“I am glad we had this meeting. I am glad that we are talking about the future, that we are building mechanisms for the future and we are calming certain emotions that have not, as you all might know, served us well, and this is probably a good direction,” Telus said during a press conference after the meeting.
During the meeting, Solskyi said he would talk to Ukraine’s economy minister to consider withdrawing a complaint made against Poland at the World Trade Organization, Telus said.
Telus also said they are “in the final stage” of talks with Lithuania about organizing transit of Ukrainian grain to the country’s ports. Solskyi proposed a similar measure for Germany as a transit point as well.
“The minister of Ukraine also proposed to move the same kind of controls to the German side, we are talking about German ports, so that they are not on the Polish-Ukrainian border, but in the German ports. I promised we would consider this option as well,” Telus said.
The Ukrainian agriculture ministry also said in a statement Wednesday that “the parties discussed Ukraine’s action plan for the export of agricultural products to Poland.”
Solskyi said that in the coming days, there will be a trilateral meeting between the agriculture ministers of Ukraine, Poland and Lithuania on the transfer of veterinary products too, according to the Ukrainian agriculture ministry.
Some context:Tensions between Poland and Ukraine appear to be easing somewhat, after a series of heated exchanges in recent weeks over a ban on Ukrainian grain, which Poland, Hungary and Slovakia decided to extend to protect local farmers worried about the low price of Ukrainian grain.
One of Kyiv’s strongest allies, Warsaw is also under pressure from the far right to take a tougher stance on Ukraine ahead of the country’s October 15 elections.
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US calls Russian bid to rejoin UN Human Rights Council "preposterous"
From CNN’s Richard Roth
The Human Rights and Alliance of Civilizations Room at the opening of the 53rd UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland, on June 19.
“We hope UN members will firmly reject its preposterous candidacy as they overwhelmingly did last year,” the US spokesperson told CNN.
“In fact, the council created a special rapporteur last October on the human rights situation in Russia, further demonstrating Russia’s unfitness for membership on the council,” the spokesperson added.
Some context: Russia has been accused of a huge number of human rights abuses over the course of its war in Ukraine, and the International Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant for its President Vladimir Putin over an alleged scheme to deport Ukrainian children to Russia.
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It's mid-afternoon in Kyiv. Here's everything you need to know
From CNN staff
The Kremlin has maintained that a Black Sea Fleet commander who Ukraine claimed to have killed took part in a meeting of Russia’s military leaders on Tuesday. Russia has so far refused to confirm directly whether or not Sokolov is dead or alive.
Elsewhere, Ukraine’s security service (SBU) says it has detained two men accused of collaborating with Russia to strike targets in Kyiv last week.
Below are the latest updates…
UEFA boycott: The Ukrainian Football Association (UAF) has pledged not to take part in soccer competitions featuring Russian teams, following UEFA’s decision to readmit the country’s youth teams to European tournaments. The UAF has also asked for the cooperation of other footballing bodies in taking the same stance against Russia’s readmission to youth soccer.
Arrests over Kyiv strikes: Ukraine’s security service (SBU) said it has detained two men accused of collaborating with Russia to strike targets in Kyiv last week. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky responded on Telegram Wednesday saying: “This is a good signal to all traitors: There will be retribution.”
Rail link to occupied cities: Russia is constructing a new railway that will link the occupied cities of Mariupol, Volnovakha and Donetsk to Russia, according to a Ukrainian official. It comes as the bridge connecting Crimea with the Russian mainland has come under increasing attacks by Ukrainian forces in recent months, as they try to cut supply lines to the peninsula.
Black Sea Fleet commander: Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Admiral Viktor Sokolov — the Black Sea Fleet commander who Ukraine claimed to have killed — took part in a meeting of Russia’s military leaders on Tuesday. “Yesterday we spoke about the fleet commander (Sokolov); he took part in the meeting,” Peskov told reporters Wednesday. The Russian defense ministry posted video of the meeting, while on Wednesday a Russian military channel on Telegram posted an interview with the commander. CNN has not been able to confirm when either video was filmed.
Here’s the latest map of control:
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Russia is building a new rail link to the occupied city of Mariupol, Ukrainian official says
From CNN's Olga Voitovych
Russia is constructing a new railway that will link the occupied cities of Mariupol, Volnovakha and Donetsk to Russia, according to a Ukrainian official.
Petro Andriushchenko, an adviser to the exiled mayor of Mariupol, said the Russians “have begun construction of a railroad bridge near the village of Hranitne over the Kalmius River. If successful, this will allow the existing Mariupol-Aslanove-Kalchyk-Volnovakha line to be connected directly to Taganrog and Rostov-on-Don.”
Andriushchenko said if this railway is completed, it would allow Russia to transport military and civilian supplies to occupied territory in southern Ukraine without relying on the Crimea bridge.
The bridge connecting Crimea with the Russian mainland has come under increasing attacks by Ukrainian forces in recent months, as they try to cut supply lines to the peninsula.
About Mariupol: The port city on the Sea of Azov is located in Ukraine’s Donetsk region and has been under direct Russian control since May 2022. It was in Mariupol that Russian forces carried out some of their most notorious strikes, including an attack on a maternity hospital and the bombing of a theater in which hundreds of civilians had sought refuge.
The city became a symbol of Ukrainian resistance during weeks of relentless Russian attacks last year. Famously, even when most of it had fallen, its defenders held out at the Azovstal steel plant for weeks before the stronghold finally fell.
CNN’s Sandi Sidhu contributed reporting to this post.
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Kremlin maintains Black Sea Fleet commander took part in meeting on Tuesday
From CNN's Anna Chernova
Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu chairs a meeting with the leadership of the Armed Forces, Admiral Viktor Sokolov is bottom left on screen, in Moscow, Russia, in this picture released September 26.
Russian Defence Ministry/Reuters
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Admiral Viktor Sokolov — the Black Sea Fleet commander who Ukraine claimed to have killed — took part in a meeting of Russia’s military leaders on Tuesday.
“Yesterday we spoke about the fleet commander (Sokolov); he took part in the meeting,” Peskov told reporters Wednesday.
The Kremlin has so far refused to confirm directly whether or not Sokolov is dead or alive. Peskov refused to comment further, directing all questions to the Russian defense ministry.
Earlier Wednesday, a video of Sokolov giving an interview to Russian military media was posted on Telegram. CNN cannot confirm when it was filmed.
On Tuesday, Ukraine said it was “clarifying” information about Sokolov’s alleged death.
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Ukraine to boycott UEFA competitions with Russian participants
From CNN's Thomas Schlachter in London
The Ukrainian Football Association (UAF) says it will not take part in soccer competitions featuring Russian teams, following UEFA’s decision to readmit the country’s youth teams to European tournaments.
The UAF has also asked for the cooperation of other footballing bodies in taking the same stance against Russia’s readmission to youth soccer.
“UAF confirms that we will not take part in any competitions with the participation of Russian teams, and appeal to other UEFA member associations to boycott possible matches with the participation of teams from the Russian Federation, subject to their admission. We are convinced that the adoption of similar decisions regarding the gradual return of teams from the Russian Federation to participation in competitions in the midst of hostilities conducted by the Russian Federation against Ukraine is groundless and such that it tolerates Russia’s aggressive policy.”
On Wednesday, the English Football Association (FA) told CNN in a statement that it will not play in any games against Russia.
The UAF’s statement concluded by asking UEFA to rethink its decision.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, UEFA said it was aware that “children should not be punished for actions whose responsibility lies exclusively with adults and is firmly convinced that football should never give up sending messages of peace and hope.
“It is particularly aggrieving that, due to the enduring conflict, a generation of minors is deprived of its right to compete in international football.”
UEFA said it will begin to roll out these changes throughout the course of the season and the Russian U17 boys and girls teams will be added to the respective European tournaments taking place next year. UEFA introduced a blanket ban for Russian soccer teams in European competitions in February 2022.
While Russia will be reinstated into UEFA youth soccer, the reintroduction of the teams comes with stipulations.
Despite the decision to reinstate Russian youth teams, UEFA “reiterated its condemnation of Russia’s illegal war and confirmed that the suspension of all other teams of Russia (clubs and national teams) will remain in force until the end of the conflict in Ukraine.”
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Ukraine detains two men accused of assisting Russia with strikes on Kyiv
From CNN's Olga Voitovych
Ukraine’s security service (SBU) says it has detained two men accused of collaborating with Russia to strike targets in Kyiv last week.
“SBU cyber specialists detained two Russian agents who adjusted the Russian air attack on Kyiv on the night of September 21 this year,” the SBU said in a statement Wednesday.
“It has been established that on the eve of this date, the detainees sent the Russians coordinates for a strike on the city. The main targets of the enemy attack were the capital’s critical infrastructure, including energy generating enterprises,” the SBU said.
The SBU describes the men as “local residents” and accuses them of receiving money from the GRU, Russia’s military intelligence agency.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky responded on Telegram Wednesday saying: “This is a good signal to all traitors: There will be retribution.”
Some context: Russia unleashed a barrage of missiles on September 21, injuring at least seven people including one child, according to the city military administration.
Ukrainian air defenses shot down 36 of 43 missiles launched by Russia across the country, according to Ukraine’s army chief.
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Russian admiral claimed to have been killed by Ukrainians appears in video interview
From CNN's Clare Sebastian and Anna Chernova
Admiral Viktor Sokolov, the commander of Russia's Black Sea Fleet, speaks with journalists during an interview at a military sports facility in Sevastopol, Crimea, in this still image taken from video released September 27.
Russian Black Sea Fleet/Reuters
The Russian admiral who Ukraine claimed to have killed in a strike on Crimea last week has appeared in a video interview posted by a Russian military channel Wednesday.
Viktor Sokolov, the commander of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, appeared in a video posted by Zvezda News, the media outlet of the Russian military on Telegram.
CNN cannot verify the date the interview was carried out and there are few details within the interview that reveal its time or location.
It was released the day after the Russian defense ministry posted a video of a meeting which appeared to include Sokolov attending via videoconference.
In the latest video, Sokolov says: “The Black Sea Fleet is carrying out the tasks set by the command confidently and successfully.”
“As you know, the heroic deed of our Marines practically never leave the screen of central television,” he continued.
He also refers to the ‘Order of Ushakov’ award given to Russia’s 810th Marine Brigade. This award was given on August 29th, according to the Governor of Sevastopol Mikhail Razvozhaev.
Some context: Kyiv claimed on Monday it killed Sokolov, the commander of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet, in an attack on the fleet’s headquarters in occupied Crimea last Friday. Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces later said their units were still “clarifying” whether or not he was among the dead.
The Kremlin on Tuesday refused to confirm whether or not Sokolov was alive.
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Russian attacks target civilians and infrastructure across Ukraine, officials say
From CNN's Olga Voitovych and Radina Gigova
An explosion near Orlivka, Ukraine, on September 26, is seen in this screen grab from a video taken from a ferry on the way to Romania.
Gabor Petru/Volunteers Without Borders Association/Reuters
At least one person has been killed and five others injured across Ukraine over the past day as a result of Russian attacks, Ukrainian officials said Wednesday.
The attacks also damaged residential buildings and infrastructure, the officials said.
Here’s a roundup:
Zaporizhzhia: Russian forces conducted 130 attacks on Zaporizhzhia over the past day, shelling 27 settlements, said Yurii Malashko, head of the southern region’s military administration. A 66-year-old resident was killed by Russian artillery fire in the city of Orikhiv, while a man, 56, was wounded by shelling in the village of Prymorske, he said. Russian forces conducted four airstrikes, UAV attacks and Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) attacks on several villages, damaging residential buildings and infrastructure, he said.
Kharkiv: Russian forces attacked Kharkiv, Bohodukhiv, Chuhuiv, Kupiansk and Izium districts, said Oleh Syniehubov, head of the Kharkiv regional military administration. Shelling injured a 65-year-old man in the town of Vovchansk, where buildings were damaged and a forest fire broke out, he said. In the village of Borova, the shelling also sparked a forest fire, while in the village of Pidlyman, wheat crops were damaged, he said. A fire also broke out in the city of Kupiansk, damaging infrastructure, he added.
Dnipropetrovsk: Two men, ages 44 and 68, were injured in the region, said Serhii Lysak, head of the Dnipropetrovsk region military administration. Buildings were also damaged in the Russian attacks, he said.
Donetsk: At least one resident was injured in the village of Orlivka in the eastern region, according to its military administration.
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Under cover of darkness, Ukrainian drone operators target Russian forces near Bakhmut
Exclusive from CNN's Vasco Cotovio, Frederik Pleitgen, Daniel Hodge and Kostyantyn Gak in eastern Ukraine
Ukrainian soldiers load drones and ammunition into the back of a US-donated Humvee before a night-time assault.
CNN
Two Ukrainian soldiers huddle around a drone controller in darkness, their faces illuminated only by its screen.
“Oh, something is burning,” one says. They’ve just dropped a bomb on a Russian target.
The nighttime assault is part of a coordinated Ukrainian offensive push near the beleaguered eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, to which CNN obtained exclusive access.
Ukrainian ground troops are equipped with Western night-vision equipment and have an advantage in nighttime operations, but Kyiv’s ground attack aircraft are not suited for the dark, so this drone unit nicknamed “Code 9.2” is stepping up.
“The drones see in the night like in daylight,” ‘Groove explains. “We see the infantry, we hit the vehicles, cannons, everything we need to destroy.”
They are using Ukrainian-made ‘Vampire’ unmanned aerial vehicles, a hexacopter procured by the government in Kyiv, part of an initiative led by the Ministry for Digital Transformation to supply Ukrainian forces with technology on the battlefield.
Ukraine claimed a Russian commander was dead — then he appeared in a video. Here's the latest
From CNN staff
Video released by Russia on Tuesday appears to show its Black Sea Fleet commander alive and well — just days after Ukraine claimed he had been killed in a strike on Crimea.
Adm. Viktor Sokolov is seen in a video released by Moscow’s defense ministry, which appears to show him at a meeting with Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and other Russian military leaders.
CNN cannot confirm this is Sokolov, when the meeting took place, or where his video appearance was filmed.
Ukraine’s military said it is “clarifying” information regarding Sokolov, while in an interview with CNN, Kyiv’s defense minister would neither confirm nor deny whether the commander was killed in last week’s strike.
Here’s what else you need you need to know:
Danube port strikes: Russian drone attacks hit Danube River port infrastructure and injured two truck drivers, a Ukrainian military official said Tuesday. The strikes caused a ferry crossing point between Romania and Ukraine to suspend operations.
Moscow on US tanks: Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov claimed Tuesday that US Abrams tanks “will burn” like other weapons and will not alter the situation in the conflict zone. The Pentagon confirmed Monday that 31 of the modern tanks have arrived in Ukraine. Analysts expect them to add a powerful ground component to Kyiv’s forces.
Oslo aid: Norway pledged $92 million for humanitarian funding to Ukraine to help the country make it through another winter of war, Oslo said in a news release Tuesday. The UN estimates more than 17 million people in Ukraine are in need of humanitarian assistance, the release said.
UN bid: Russia is seeking to rejoin the UN Human Rights Council, which this week accused Moscow’s forces of committing war crimes in Ukraine. The council expelled Russia last year following the full-scale invasion of its neighbor.
Here’s where the state of control stands in Ukraine:
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Norway pledges $92 million in humanitarian aid to Ukraine to cope with winter
From CNN’s Mariya Knight
Norway pledged 1 billion Norwegian kroner ($92 million) for humanitarian funding to Ukraine to help the country make it through another winter of war, Oslo said in a news release Tuesday.
Funding “is being channeled via the UN, including the Ukraine Humanitarian Fund, and the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement,” the government said.
The key support will be provided to local civil society organizations in Ukraine and to “the most vulnerable people, children, refugees and the internally displaced, helping to ensure that they have access to shelter, food, water and sanitation, education, health care, and psychosocial support, as well as protection against sexual and gender-based violence,” the news release said.
The provision of aid was announced at the Third Humanitarian Senior Officials Meeting (SOM) of Ukraine in Oslo, co-hosted by Norway and the European Union.
The United Nations estimates more than 17 million people in Ukraine are in need of humanitarian assistance, the news release said.