Russian journalist killed in occupied area of Zaporizhzhia region, Russia's defense ministry says
From CNN's Kostan Nechyporenko and Andrew Carey in Kyiv
A Russian journalist has been killed and three others wounded in the part of Ukraine’s southern Zaporizhzhia region occupied by Moscow's forces, according to Russia’s defense ministry.
The journalists, who worked for RIA Novosti and Izvestia news agencies, were traveling in a civilian car east of the town of Vasylivka when they came under artillery fire, RIA reported.
One of the four, RIA journalist Rostislav Zhuravlev, died during evacuation by Russian soldiers, the state-owned agency said. It described the condition of the other three as moderately serious but stable.
Russia’s defense ministry claimed the four had been struck by cluster munitions – a claim CNN is unable to verify. Ukraine has begun using US-supplied cluster bombs in combat, after Washington announced earlier this month that it would send them for the first time. US National Security Council coordinator for strategic communications John Kirby said Thursday that Ukraine is using them "appropriately" and "effectively" on Russia's defensive formations.
40 min ago
Zelensky discussed NATO summit agreements and Black Sea grain corridor on call with alliance chief
From CNN's Yulia Kesaieva
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky held a phone call with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on Saturday to talk about the agreements reached at the NATO summit in Lithuania last week, as well as the collapse of the Black Sea grain deal.
"We discussed the implementation of the agreements reached during the Vilnius summit and further actions regarding the integration of Ukraine into NATO," Zelensky said in a tweet.
"We shared assessments of the current situation in the Black Sea and the risks it poses for global food security," Zelensky added. "We also identified with Mr. Stoltenberg the priority and future steps necessary for unblocking and sustainable operation of the Black Sea grain corridor."
Stoltenberg also tweeted about the call, reiterating that "Ukraine is closer to NATO than ever before."
What Ukraine was promised at NATO summit: Heading into the summit, Zelensky set his sights on a clear timeline of when Ukraine would be offered membership.
In its final communique, the military alliance claimed that “Ukraine’s future is in NATO” – but did not say when that future could start. The alliance, however, did make a major concession to Ukraine by removing a key hurdle in the application process: the requirement for a Membership Action Plan. The removal of this lengthy process will significantly streamline Ukraine’s membership bid once it is formally invited to apply.
The leaders of the G7 nations also unveiled a new declaration of support for Ukraine at the summit aimed at bolstering the war-torn country’s military capabilities.
The latest on the grain deal: On Monday, Russia said it was suspending its participation in the Black Sea Grain Initiative, declaring it "terminated." The deal, which was first brokered by the United Nations and Turkey in July 2022 and renewed three times, is seen as key to global food security. Russia had repeatedly threatened to withdraw from the agreement, doing so for the first time in October 2022 and then rejoining a few days later.
On Friday, Zelensky said he “coordinated efforts” on restoring the deal in a phone conversation with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
CNN's Christian Edwards and Betsy Klein contributed reporting to this post.
54 min ago
Russian forces pushing along "almost entire front line" in Ukraine’s eastern Luhansk region
From CNN's Kostan Nechyporenko and Andrew Carey
While Russian forces mount an essentially defensive operation in the south of Ukraine, they've adopted a more offensive posture elsewhere along the front line, according to updates from Kyiv's military, regional leaders and Russian bloggers.
In Ukraine's eastern Luhansk region, in particular, Moscow’s troops appear to have Ukraine firmly on the back foot.
“Yesterday the enemy tried to advance almost along the entire front line (running through the Luhansk region). These attempts were stopped by our military. The enemy is suffering significant losses in personnel and means but is pressing on every day,” Artem Lysohor, head of the region's military administration, said on Telegram Saturday.
Lysohor listed five locations in Luhansk where Russian forces had recently attacked.
A Ukrainian army spokesperson reminded TV viewers that Russia has assembled 100,000 soldiers to the east of an area between the towns of Lyman and Kupyansk. The towns are about 100 kilometers (62 miles) apart, north of Bakhmut on the eastern front.
“Although the situation is complicated, it is under our control,” said Serhii Cherevatyi, the military spokesperson.
“The enemy is acting according to the classic scheme — they are conducting artillery and air strikes on our positions to the maximum extent possible. And then they try to attack with platoon-company-level units … trying to attack our positions,” Cherevatyi added.
Reports from Russia: Rybar, a Russian military blogging site, says Moscow's forces have made territorial gains in the northeastern Kharkiv region, capturing a railway station in the village of Movchanove and expanding control around the nearby town of Lyman Pershyi.
It is not possible for CNN to immediately verify claims of battlefield gains or losses by either side, but it is notable that the DeepState mapping site also suggests modest Russian gains in the same area.
Also in the east, Ukrainian forces continue their efforts to capture higher ground around Bakhmut, but gains are small and hard to defend, according to reports.
Rybar reported the Ukrainian army has "once again managed to gain a foothold on the heights" near the town of Klishchivka, just south of Bakhmut. But, the Russian site reported, it had come “at the cost of significant losses.”
“The Ukrainian defense forces are holding the initiative (around Bakhmut), putting pressure on the enemy, and liberating Ukrainian land meter by meter,” Cherevatyi said.
52 min ago
Ukraine targets ammunition dump in Crimea, forcing evacuations
From CNN's Kostan Nechyporenko and Andrew Carey
Ukrainian forces hit an ammunition dump in Crimea on Saturday, forcing an evacuation of the area and canceling train services, according to information from Russian-backed authorities.
Videos posted on social media and geolocated by CNN shows thick black smoke rising not far from a railway station in the town of Oktyabrskoye in the center of Crimea. In one of the videos, at least three loud explosions can be heard.
Sergey Aksyonov, the Russian-installed head of the peninsula, said a drone had struck an ammunition storage facility, prompting him to order the evacuation of everyone within a 5-kilometer (about 3-mile) radius, as well as the cancellation of several train services.
There were no initial reports of casualties, he said.
This week's attacks in Crimea: It comes after a drone attack struck the bridge linking Crimea to Russia in the early hours of Monday morning, causing significant damage to part of the structure carrying road traffic.
On Wednesday, an ammunition dump was hit in the east of the territory, also causing authorities to evacuate thousands of people living nearby. Unconfirmed reports suggested that attack might have been carried out using a Storm Shadow missile.
And on Thursday, one person was killed when a Ukrainian drone struck four administrative buildings in the northwest of Crimea, Russian-backed authorities said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly vowed to retake Crimea, which was declared annexed by Russia in 2014 in violation of international law.
1 hr 36 min ago
Even with new armored vehicles from the US, progress is hard-won on Ukraine’s southern front
From CNN's Alex Marquardt, Sebastian Shukla and Daria Martina Tarasova
Tucked into a narrow tree line on Ukraine’s southern front, a young Ukrainian soldier wearing an American flag patch talks about how frightening it was the first time his team assaulted the densely mined Russian positions in the offensive launched a month ago.
“The first day was the most difficult,” says the 19-year-old who goes by his call sign “Kach.” “We didn’t know what to expect, what could happen, how events would unfold.”
Nor did anyone really. After months of anticipation, Ukraine finally launched its “spring offensive” in early June.
Everyone knew it would be tough going for the Ukrainians, having watched Russia dig in and build up formidable defenses over months.
But even with no real expectation that the offensive would look like Ukraine’s lightning-fast advance around Kharkiv last September, the hope among Western officials was that Ukraine would be farther along and more successful than they are right now.
But the offensive has proven more challenging than many expected, even with an arsenal of new Western weaponry and equipment fueling the assault.
Russia's foreign intelligence service says MI6 "can be forgiven" for its plea to Russian spies
From CNN's Radina Gigova
The leadership of the British foreign intelligence service��"can be forgiven" for making a plea to Russian spies to share secrets and work with MI6, Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) said Friday — also referencing James Bond and the Cambridge Five spy ring in its comments.
The SVR was responding to remarks by MI6 chief Richard Moore earlier this week, in which he appealed to Russians “wrestling with their conscience” to take a stand against Russian President Vladimir Putin’s regime and “share secrets with MI6.”
"The current head of the British foreign intelligence service, the MI6, Richard Moore, has publicly urged Russians to start working for the United Kingdom’s intelligence services and promised protection for traitors. He thinks this will put an end to the conflict in Ukraine," the SVR said in a press release made available to state news agency TASS.
The Russian Foreign Intelligence Service further claimed that "anyone who knows a little bit about this subject can remember that the Anglo-Saxons’ long-standing tradition is to eliminate well-worn traitors and defectors," adding "this has not been done professionally for a long time, as there would be a clear trail."
The Russian Foreign Intelligence Service then made a reference to Ian Fleming’s "James Bond" novels, saying M, who is James Bond's boss in the series, "commands beautifully" and "intelligently."
The SVR also referenced the Cambridge Five spy ring and George Blake, a double agent who used his position as an MI6 officer to spy for the Soviet Union
"Take heed, colleagues," the SVR urged its British counterparts. However, "given some staff circumstances, it could be said that the current MI6 leadership can be forgiven for such mistakes," the SVR added.
1 hr 54 min ago
Zelensky insists counteroffensive about to "gain pace" after slow start
From CNN's Vasco Cotovio
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy speaks as he attends a meeting with Ireland's Prime Minister Leo Varadkar at Horodetskyi House, on July 19, 2023 in Kyiv, Ukraine. Clodagh Kilcoyne/Pool/Getty Images
Speaking to the Aspen Security Forum on Friday, Zelensky blamed the slow progress on the operation having started later than expected, as well as a lack of munitions.
“We did have plans to start it in spring, but we didn't, because frankly, we had not enough munitions and armaments and not enough properly trained brigades — I mean, properly trained in these weapons,” Zelensky said.
“Because we started a bit late, it can be said — and it’s the truth, shared by all experts — that it provided Russia ... the time to mine all our land and build several lines of defense,” he added.
“Definitely they had a bit more time than they needed because of that they built all of those lines. And really, they had a lot of mines on our fields because of that a slower pace of our counter offensive actions,” Zelensky explained.
The Ukrainian president said despite the difficulties, his countrymen were making progress.
“We didn't want to lose our people, our personnel and our servicemen, we didn't want to lose equipment and because of that, they were quite careful about the offensive actions,” he said. “I would say that we are approaching a moment when relevant actions can gain pace because we are already going through some mine locations and we are demining these areas.”
Zelensky's words came as Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the West is disappointed with the results of the Ukrainian counteroffensive.
“It is obvious that the Western curators of the Kiev regime are clearly disappointed with the results of the so-called counter-offensive,” Putin said Friday, using the Russian name for Ukraine’s capital.
Ukraine had hoped to use the push to expel a significant amount of Russian forces from Ukrainian soil and turn the tide of the war.
1 hr 48 min ago
6 people killed and 8 wounded by Russian strikes in eastern Ukraine, regional military officials say
From CNN’s Pierre Meilhan and Kostan Nechyporenko
Six people were killed and eight others were wounded following Russian strikes in eastern Ukraine, regional military administration officials said Saturday.
Donetsk region: On Friday, four people were killed and three were injured in Niu York in a Russian bombardment on the town, and two others deaths from a separate strike were reported in Druzhba, the head of Donetsk region military administration, Pavlo Kyrylenko, said in a statement via Telegram.
Authorities have launched an investigation into the deadly attack in Niu York, according to the Donetsk regional prosecutor’s office.
“The explosive waves damaged residential buildings and outbuildings. The final number of victims of the shelling is being established. Law enforcement officers and rescuers are working at the scene,” the prosecutor’s office said in a statement.
Zaporizhzhia region: In addition, three people were injured from Russian artillery in Nikopol, across the river from the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, Serhii Lysak, head of Dnipropetrovsk region military administration, said via Telegram, adding that eight homes and nine other building were damaged in the shelling.
Kharkiv region: A 30-year-old man was wounded following Russian shelling in Velykyi Burluk in the Kupyansk district, according to Oleh Syniehubov, the head of Kharkiv region military administration.
Kherson region: One person was also injured in the city of Kherson, Oleksandr Prokudin, head of Kherson region military administration, said via Telegram.
5 hr 45 min ago
Ukraine must neutralize the Crimean bridge that was target of recent attack, Zelensky says
From CNN’s Vasco Cotovio in London
A view shows the section of a road split and sloping to one side following an alleged attack on the Crimea Bridge, that connects the Russian mainland with the Crimean peninsula across the Kerch Strait, in this still image taken from video released on July 17, 2023. Сrimea24tv/Handout
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Friday that the Kerch Bridge connecting Russia to Crimea serves as a lifeline for Moscow's invasion and must be neutralized.
“The Crimean bridge, this is not just a logistical road, this is the road used to feed the war with ammunition, and this is being done on a daily basis,” Zelensky told the Aspen Security Forum, where he appeared by video.
Russia annexed Crimea in 2014 in a move that Ukraine, its allies and various international bodies condemned as illegal. Zelensky characterized the bridge as an extension of that Russian offense, calling it "an enemy facility built outside the law, outside international laws and all applicable norms."
“So understandably this is our objective," he continued. "Any target that is bringing war, not peace, must be neutralized."
The Ukrainian president also reiterated his government’s objective is to “reclaim the whole of the Crimea.”
“It's our sovereign territory, an unalienable part of our nation,” he said.
More background: Ukraine has claimed responsibility for an attack that killed two people and wounded a third on the Crimean bridge earlier this week.
Monday’s attack was the second on the bridge since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine, after a fuel tanker exploded while crossing it in October.
A source in Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) told CNN the most recent attack was a joint operation of the SBU and Ukraine’s naval forces. And earlier this month, Ukraine’s deputy defense minister made what appeared to be the clearest admission yet that Ukrainian forces were also responsible for the October attack.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says his country's counteroffensive is set to "gain pace." Progress has been slow, and Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed Friday that the West has been disappointed with the results.
Ukrainian drones hit an ammunition dump in Crimea and forced residents to evacuate Saturday, according to the Russian-installed head of the annexed peninsula.
The depot strike is the latest in a series of Ukrainian attacks on Crimea. Zelensky said Friday that Kyiv must "neutralize" the bridge connecting mainland Russia to the peninsula — and reclaim all of its territory there.
A Russian journalist has been killed and three others wounded in the part of Ukraine’s southern Zaporizhzhia region occupied by Moscow's forces, according to Russia’s defense ministry.
The journalists, who worked for RIA Novosti and Izvestia news agencies, were traveling in a civilian car east of the town of Vasylivka when they came under artillery fire, RIA reported.
One of the four, RIA journalist Rostislav Zhuravlev, died during evacuation by Russian soldiers, the state-owned agency said. It described the condition of the other three as moderately serious but stable.
Russia’s defense ministry claimed the four had been struck by cluster munitions – a claim CNN is unable to verify. Ukraine has begun using US-supplied cluster bombs in combat, after Washington announced earlier this month that it would send them for the first time. US National Security Council coordinator for strategic communications John Kirby said Thursday that Ukraine is using them "appropriately" and "effectively" on Russia's defensive formations.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky held a phone call with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on Saturday to talk about the agreements reached at the NATO summit in Lithuania last week, as well as the collapse of the Black Sea grain deal.
"We discussed the implementation of the agreements reached during the Vilnius summit and further actions regarding the integration of Ukraine into NATO," Zelensky said in a tweet.
"We shared assessments of the current situation in the Black Sea and the risks it poses for global food security," Zelensky added. "We also identified with Mr. Stoltenberg the priority and future steps necessary for unblocking and sustainable operation of the Black Sea grain corridor."
Stoltenberg also tweeted about the call, reiterating that "Ukraine is closer to NATO than ever before."
What Ukraine was promised at NATO summit: Heading into the summit, Zelensky set his sights on a clear timeline of when Ukraine would be offered membership.
In its final communique, the military alliance claimed that “Ukraine’s future is in NATO” – but did not say when that future could start. The alliance, however, did make a major concession to Ukraine by removing a key hurdle in the application process: the requirement for a Membership Action Plan. The removal of this lengthy process will significantly streamline Ukraine’s membership bid once it is formally invited to apply.
The leaders of the G7 nations also unveiled a new declaration of support for Ukraine at the summit aimed at bolstering the war-torn country’s military capabilities.
The latest on the grain deal: On Monday, Russia said it was suspending its participation in the Black Sea Grain Initiative, declaring it "terminated." The deal, which was first brokered by the United Nations and Turkey in July 2022 and renewed three times, is seen as key to global food security. Russia had repeatedly threatened to withdraw from the agreement, doing so for the first time in October 2022 and then rejoining a few days later.
On Friday, Zelensky said he “coordinated efforts” on restoring the deal in a phone conversation with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
CNN's Christian Edwards and Betsy Klein contributed reporting to this post.
While Russian forces mount an essentially defensive operation in the south of Ukraine, they've adopted a more offensive posture elsewhere along the front line, according to updates from Kyiv's military, regional leaders and Russian bloggers.
In Ukraine's eastern Luhansk region, in particular, Moscow’s troops appear to have Ukraine firmly on the back foot.
“Yesterday the enemy tried to advance almost along the entire front line (running through the Luhansk region). These attempts were stopped by our military. The enemy is suffering significant losses in personnel and means but is pressing on every day,” Artem Lysohor, head of the region's military administration, said on Telegram Saturday.
Lysohor listed five locations in Luhansk where Russian forces had recently attacked.
A Ukrainian army spokesperson reminded TV viewers that Russia has assembled 100,000 soldiers to the east of an area between the towns of Lyman and Kupyansk. The towns are about 100 kilometers (62 miles) apart, north of Bakhmut on the eastern front.
“Although the situation is complicated, it is under our control,” said Serhii Cherevatyi, the military spokesperson.
“The enemy is acting according to the classic scheme — they are conducting artillery and air strikes on our positions to the maximum extent possible. And then they try to attack with platoon-company-level units … trying to attack our positions,” Cherevatyi added.
Reports from Russia: Rybar, a Russian military blogging site, says Moscow's forces have made territorial gains in the northeastern Kharkiv region, capturing a railway station in the village of Movchanove and expanding control around the nearby town of Lyman Pershyi.
It is not possible for CNN to immediately verify claims of battlefield gains or losses by either side, but it is notable that the DeepState mapping site also suggests modest Russian gains in the same area.
Also in the east, Ukrainian forces continue their efforts to capture higher ground around Bakhmut, but gains are small and hard to defend, according to reports.
Rybar reported the Ukrainian army has "once again managed to gain a foothold on the heights" near the town of Klishchivka, just south of Bakhmut. But, the Russian site reported, it had come “at the cost of significant losses.”
“The Ukrainian defense forces are holding the initiative (around Bakhmut), putting pressure on the enemy, and liberating Ukrainian land meter by meter,” Cherevatyi said.
Ukrainian forces hit an ammunition dump in Crimea on Saturday, forcing an evacuation of the area and canceling train services, according to information from Russian-backed authorities.
Videos posted on social media and geolocated by CNN shows thick black smoke rising not far from a railway station in the town of Oktyabrskoye in the center of Crimea. In one of the videos, at least three loud explosions can be heard.
Sergey Aksyonov, the Russian-installed head of the peninsula, said a drone had struck an ammunition storage facility, prompting him to order the evacuation of everyone within a 5-kilometer (about 3-mile) radius, as well as the cancellation of several train services.
There were no initial reports of casualties, he said.
This week's attacks in Crimea: It comes after a drone attack struck the bridge linking Crimea to Russia in the early hours of Monday morning, causing significant damage to part of the structure carrying road traffic.
On Wednesday, an ammunition dump was hit in the east of the territory, also causing authorities to evacuate thousands of people living nearby. Unconfirmed reports suggested that attack might have been carried out using a Storm Shadow missile.
And on Thursday, one person was killed when a Ukrainian drone struck four administrative buildings in the northwest of Crimea, Russian-backed authorities said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly vowed to retake Crimea, which was declared annexed by Russia in 2014 in violation of international law.
Tucked into a narrow tree line on Ukraine’s southern front, a young Ukrainian soldier wearing an American flag patch talks about how frightening it was the first time his team assaulted the densely mined Russian positions in the offensive launched a month ago.
“The first day was the most difficult,” says the 19-year-old who goes by his call sign “Kach.” “We didn’t know what to expect, what could happen, how events would unfold.”
Nor did anyone really. After months of anticipation, Ukraine finally launched its “spring offensive” in early June.
Everyone knew it would be tough going for the Ukrainians, having watched Russia dig in and build up formidable defenses over months.
But even with no real expectation that the offensive would look like Ukraine’s lightning-fast advance around Kharkiv last September, the hope among Western officials was that Ukraine would be farther along and more successful than they are right now.
But the offensive has proven more challenging than many expected, even with an arsenal of new Western weaponry and equipment fueling the assault.
The leadership of the British foreign intelligence service��"can be forgiven" for making a plea to Russian spies to share secrets and work with MI6, Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) said Friday — also referencing James Bond and the Cambridge Five spy ring in its comments.
The SVR was responding to remarks by MI6 chief Richard Moore earlier this week, in which he appealed to Russians “wrestling with their conscience” to take a stand against Russian President Vladimir Putin’s regime and “share secrets with MI6.”
"The current head of the British foreign intelligence service, the MI6, Richard Moore, has publicly urged Russians to start working for the United Kingdom’s intelligence services and promised protection for traitors. He thinks this will put an end to the conflict in Ukraine," the SVR said in a press release made available to state news agency TASS.
The Russian Foreign Intelligence Service further claimed that "anyone who knows a little bit about this subject can remember that the Anglo-Saxons’ long-standing tradition is to eliminate well-worn traitors and defectors," adding "this has not been done professionally for a long time, as there would be a clear trail."
The Russian Foreign Intelligence Service then made a reference to Ian Fleming’s "James Bond" novels, saying M, who is James Bond's boss in the series, "commands beautifully" and "intelligently."
The SVR also referenced the Cambridge Five spy ring and George Blake, a double agent who used his position as an MI6 officer to spy for the Soviet Union
"Take heed, colleagues," the SVR urged its British counterparts. However, "given some staff circumstances, it could be said that the current MI6 leadership can be forgiven for such mistakes," the SVR added.
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy speaks as he attends a meeting with Ireland's Prime Minister Leo Varadkar at Horodetskyi House, on July 19, 2023 in Kyiv, Ukraine. Clodagh Kilcoyne/Pool/Getty Images
Speaking to the Aspen Security Forum on Friday, Zelensky blamed the slow progress on the operation having started later than expected, as well as a lack of munitions.
“We did have plans to start it in spring, but we didn't, because frankly, we had not enough munitions and armaments and not enough properly trained brigades — I mean, properly trained in these weapons,” Zelensky said.
“Because we started a bit late, it can be said — and it’s the truth, shared by all experts — that it provided Russia ... the time to mine all our land and build several lines of defense,” he added.
“Definitely they had a bit more time than they needed because of that they built all of those lines. And really, they had a lot of mines on our fields because of that a slower pace of our counter offensive actions,” Zelensky explained.
The Ukrainian president said despite the difficulties, his countrymen were making progress.
“We didn't want to lose our people, our personnel and our servicemen, we didn't want to lose equipment and because of that, they were quite careful about the offensive actions,” he said. “I would say that we are approaching a moment when relevant actions can gain pace because we are already going through some mine locations and we are demining these areas.”
Zelensky's words came as Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the West is disappointed with the results of the Ukrainian counteroffensive.
“It is obvious that the Western curators of the Kiev regime are clearly disappointed with the results of the so-called counter-offensive,” Putin said Friday, using the Russian name for Ukraine’s capital.
Ukraine had hoped to use the push to expel a significant amount of Russian forces from Ukrainian soil and turn the tide of the war.
Six people were killed and eight others were wounded following Russian strikes in eastern Ukraine, regional military administration officials said Saturday.
Donetsk region: On Friday, four people were killed and three were injured in Niu York in a Russian bombardment on the town, and two others deaths from a separate strike were reported in Druzhba, the head of Donetsk region military administration, Pavlo Kyrylenko, said in a statement via Telegram.
Authorities have launched an investigation into the deadly attack in Niu York, according to the Donetsk regional prosecutor’s office.
“The explosive waves damaged residential buildings and outbuildings. The final number of victims of the shelling is being established. Law enforcement officers and rescuers are working at the scene,” the prosecutor’s office said in a statement.
Zaporizhzhia region: In addition, three people were injured from Russian artillery in Nikopol, across the river from the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, Serhii Lysak, head of Dnipropetrovsk region military administration, said via Telegram, adding that eight homes and nine other building were damaged in the shelling.
Kharkiv region: A 30-year-old man was wounded following Russian shelling in Velykyi Burluk in the Kupyansk district, according to Oleh Syniehubov, the head of Kharkiv region military administration.
Kherson region: One person was also injured in the city of Kherson, Oleksandr Prokudin, head of Kherson region military administration, said via Telegram.
A view shows the section of a road split and sloping to one side following an alleged attack on the Crimea Bridge, that connects the Russian mainland with the Crimean peninsula across the Kerch Strait, in this still image taken from video released on July 17, 2023. Сrimea24tv/Handout
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Friday that the Kerch Bridge connecting Russia to Crimea serves as a lifeline for Moscow's invasion and must be neutralized.
“The Crimean bridge, this is not just a logistical road, this is the road used to feed the war with ammunition, and this is being done on a daily basis,” Zelensky told the Aspen Security Forum, where he appeared by video.
Russia annexed Crimea in 2014 in a move that Ukraine, its allies and various international bodies condemned as illegal. Zelensky characterized the bridge as an extension of that Russian offense, calling it "an enemy facility built outside the law, outside international laws and all applicable norms."
“So understandably this is our objective," he continued. "Any target that is bringing war, not peace, must be neutralized."
The Ukrainian president also reiterated his government’s objective is to “reclaim the whole of the Crimea.”
“It's our sovereign territory, an unalienable part of our nation,” he said.
More background: Ukraine has claimed responsibility for an attack that killed two people and wounded a third on the Crimean bridge earlier this week.
Monday’s attack was the second on the bridge since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine, after a fuel tanker exploded while crossing it in October.
A source in Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) told CNN the most recent attack was a joint operation of the SBU and Ukraine’s naval forces. And earlier this month, Ukraine’s deputy defense minister made what appeared to be the clearest admission yet that Ukrainian forces were also responsible for the October attack.
