Russia launched a "massive" attack on Kyiv overnight, official says
From CNN's Aruzhan Zeinulla and Olga Voitovych
Russia conducted a "massive" attack on Ukraine's capital Kyiv on Tuesday night using drones and missiles, said Serhii Popko, head of the Kyiv City Military Administration, on Wednesday.
"Kyiv has not experienced such a powerful attack since spring," Popko wrote on Telegram.
Popko said several groups of drones traveled towards Kyiv "from different directions," and later missiles were launched towards the city from Tu-95MS strategic bombers.
Air defense forces destroyed more than 20 "enemy targets," he added.
Two men aged 26 and 36 years old were killed, while three others sustained injuries of varying severity from falling debris, according to the Kyiv City Military Administration. Two of those injured were hospitalized.
Earlier Wednesday, the Kyiv mayor said fire and rescue services continue to work at wreckage sites in the Darnitsky and Shevchenkivskiy districts.
Odesa attacks: Meanwhile, Ukrainian public broadcaster Suspilne reported explosions in the southern city of Odesa early Wednesday after the head of its regional military administration, Oleh Kiper, warned of Russian rocket attacks and asked residents to stay in shelter.
42 min ago
It's early in Kyiv. Here's what you need to know
From CNN staff
Russian forces targeted Ukraine's Kyiv and Odesa regions early Wednesday, according to Ukrainian officials.
Kyiv Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko said at least two people were killed and two others injured in the capital as fire and rescue services work at wreckage sites in the Darnitsky and Shevchenkivskiy districts.
In Odesa, Ukrainian public broadcaster Suspilne reported explosions after officials warned of Russian rocket attacks.
Here's the latest updates from Russia's war in Ukraine:
Russian claims: Russia on Wednesday said it destroyed four Ukrainian military boats with special forces on board in the Black Sea. Ukraine has not commented on the claim. Meanwhile, Russia also said it repelled Ukrainian drone attacks early Wednesday on several Russian regions and the occupied Crimean peninsula. It comes after four Russian aircraft were damaged in a drone attack at an airport, used by civilian and military planes, in the western city of Pskov, officials said.
Southern battles: Ukrainian and Russian accounts speak of heavy fighting along part of the southern front, as Kyiv's forces try to push further toward the strategic hub of Tokmak. Much of the combat is taking place south and east of the Zaporizhzhia region village of Robotyne, which the Ukrainians claimed to have secured last week. Evacuations are underway in areas close to the front lines in the region, according to Ukrainian officials.
US aid: The United States is providing an additional $250 million security assistance package to Ukraine, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Tuesday. The package includes air defense missiles, artillery ammunition, Javelin systems and rockets, and mine-clearing equipment, he said.
Papal controversy: Ukrainian officials have criticized Pope Francis’ recent address to Russian youth, calling his remarks “imperialist propaganda.” The pontiff made a video address to the 10th All-Russian Catholic Youth Assembly in St. Petersburg on Friday, during which he urged them to view themselves as descendants of the Russian empire.
Warlord's funeral: Yevgeny Prigozhin's funeral took place "in a closed format," a company owned by the Wagner founder said. It did not specify when the funeral took place. "Those wishing to say goodbye can visit the Porokhovskoe cemetery" in St. Petersburg, it added.
Prigozhin's legacy: A Russian network of internet trolls has begun to spread messages online blaming “enemies from the West” for the plane crash that killed the Wagner boss last week, according to two experts who monitor the activity of the trolls. Prigozhin had previously turbo-charged the use of trolls to push messages designed to disrupt and polarize Western societies.
Kyiv's take: Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said Prigozhin's fate proves the futility of possible peace negotiations with Russia. “Prigozhin was in conflict with Putin,” he said Tuesday. “They agreed on security guarantees, and then Putin killed him. There’s no reason to believe that in other negotiations Putin would behave differently.” The Kremlin has denied any involvement in the crash that killed Prigozhin.
57 min ago
Russian missile strikes kill at least 2 in Kyiv, officials say
From CNN's Mariya Knight, Josh Pennington and Victoria Butenko
At least two people were killed and two others injured following Russian missile attacks on Kyiv early Wednesday, Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko said.
“Fire and rescue services continue to work at the wreckage sites. In particular, in the Darnitsky district and in four areas in the Shevchenkivskiy district of the capital,” Klitschko said.
Odesa attacks: Meanwhile, Ukrainian public broadcaster Suspilne reported explosions in the southern city of Odesa early Wednesday after the head of its regional military administration, Oleh Kiper, warned of Russian rocket attacks.
“Russian terrorists attack Odesa region with rockets,” he said, asking residents to stay in shelter.
2 hr 5 min ago
Ukrainian military boats with special forces on board destroyed in Black Sea, Russia claims
From CNN’s Mariya Knight and Josh Pennington
Russian aircraft destroyed four Ukrainian military boats with special forces on board in the Black Sea, Russia's defense ministry claimed on Wednesday.
“On August 30, at about 00.00 Moscow time, a naval aviation aircraft of the Black Sea Fleet in the Black Sea destroyed four high-speed military boats with landing groups of Ukrainian special operations forces with a total number of up to 50 people,” the ministry claimed in a Telegram post.
CNN has reached out to Ukrainian officials for comment.
Special forces landed on the western shore of Crimea in a joint operation with the country’s Navy, Ukrainian Defense Intelligence said last week.
Drone wars: Russia's defense ministry also said several Ukrainian drones were intercepted over various Russian regions in the early hours of Wednesday.
Three drones were intercepted over the southwest Bryansk region, one over the western Oryol region and one over Kaluga, southwest of Moscow, the ministry said.
Meanwhile in Crimea, Sevastopol Gov. Mikhail Razvozhaev said Russian air defenses repelled Ukrainian drone attacks in the area of Sevastopol Bay in the early hours of Wednesday.
2 hr ago
Ukraine blasts Pope Francis' address to Russian youth as "imperialist propaganda"
The pontiff made a video address to the 10th All-Russian Catholic Youth Assembly in St. Petersburg on Friday, during which he urged them to view themselves as descendants of the Russian empire.
“Never forget your heritage. You are the descendants of great Russia: the great Russia of saints, rulers, the great Russia of Peter I, Catherine II, that empire – educated, great culture and great humanity. Never give up on this heritage,” the pope said. “You are descendants of the great Mother Russia, step forward with it. And thank you – thank you for your way of being, for your way of being Russian.”
On Monday, Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oleh Nikolenko lambasted the pope’s speech.
“This is the kind of imperialist propaganda, ‘spiritual bonds’ and the ‘need’ to save ‘Great Mother Russia’ which the Kremlin uses to justify the murder of thousands of Ukrainians and the destruction of hundreds of Ukrainian towns and villages,” Nikolenko said in a Facebook post.
The pope’s mission should be “precisely to open the eyes of Russian youth to the devastating course of the current Russian leadership” and instead he is promoting “Russian great-power ideas, that are, in fact, the reason for Russia’s chronic aggression,” Nikolenko said.
Russian military intercepts drone attack on airport in Pskov, regional governor says
From CNN's Mariya Knight and Josh Pennington
The airport in Russia's western city of Pskov — which is used for both civilian and military aircraft — came under drone attacks on Tuesday, according to the region's governor.
In a Telegram post, Pskov Gov. Mikhail Vedernikov said he was at the scene and there were no casualties, according to preliminary information.
Vedernikov posted a video showing what appears to be a large plume of smoke coming from behind buildings in what looks like a residential area.
Russian state news agency TASS reported that "as a result of drone attacks four Il-76 aircraft were damaged," in Pskov. A fire broke out and two aircraft were engulfed in flames, TASS said, citing emergency services
Flights over Pskov and the region have been restricted, TASS added.
4 hr 3 min ago
US announces additional $250 million security assistance package for Ukraine
From CNN's Jennifer Hansler
The United States is providing an additional $250 million security assistance package to Ukraine, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken saidTuesday.
Blinken said the package includes air defense missiles, artillery ammunition, Javelin systems and rockets, and mine-clearing equipment
The US will also supply ambulances, "spare parts, services, training, and transportation," Blinken said.
"This package of weapons and equipment, which are valued at $250 million, is being executed under drawdowns previously directed for Ukraine," he said. "Russia started this war and could end it at any time by withdrawing its forces from Ukraine and stopping its brutal attacks. Until it does, the United States and our allies and partners will stand united with Ukraine, for as long as it takes."
4 hr 4 min ago
Prigozhin's internet trolls blame West and defend Putin over Wagner chief’s death, researchers say
From CNN's Katharina Krebs
A Russian network of internet trolls has begun to spread messages online blaming “enemies from the West” for the plane crash that killed Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin last week, according to two experts who monitor the activity of the trolls.
Prigozhin had previously turbo-charged the use of trolls to push messages designed to disrupt and polarize Western societies. His St. Petersburg-based Internet Research Agency created hundreds of fake accounts on social networks aiming to meddle in other countries’ politics, leading the United States in 2018 to sanction Prigozhin for election meddling.
At that time, CNN obtained undercover video recorded inside the secretive Internet Research Agency, where internet provocateurs worked 12-hour shifts, aiming to distort political debate in the US.
It’s unclear whether the Internet Research Agency still exists, especially in the light of US sanctions and the short-lived mutiny led by Prigozhin at the end of June. But two groups of independent analysts — Bot Blocker and Chef’s Trap — have been analyzing several dozen Russian troll accounts on the social networks Vkontakte and X, formerly known as Twitter.
The creator of Bot Blocker, who does not reveal his identity for security reasons, told CNN he was “extremely convinced” that Prigozhin and his structures had remained in charge of the troll accounts up until his death.
A Ukrainian cross-border rocket attack killed an unspecified number of people, including a child, in Russia's southwestern Bryansk region, the local governor said Tuesday.
Gov. Alexander Bogomaz said on Telegram that the Ukrainian military had fired at the village of Klimovo with multiple launch rocket systems.
"According to preliminary information, unfortunately, there are dead, including one child. As a result of the shelling, five civilians, including children, were injured," he said, adding school buildings and several administrative buildings were damaged, and residential premises destroyed.
Bryansk and other Russian regions bordering Ukraine have come under almost daily attack in recent months, with Russian officials saying Ukrainian drones and shelling have wounded or killed civilians.
Russian missile attacks killed at least two people in Kyiv early Wednesday, Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko said. Ukrainian officials also reported Russian rocket attacks on the southern city of Odesa.
Russia on Wednesday claimed it destroyed four Ukrainian military boats with special forces on board in the Black Sea. Kyiv has not commented on the claim.
Meanwhile, Russia also said it repelled Ukrainian drone attacks early Wednesday on several Russian regions and the occupied Crimean peninsula.
It comes after four Russian aircraft were damaged in a drone attack at an airport, used by civilian and military planes, in the western city of Pskov, officials said.
Russia conducted a "massive" attack on Ukraine's capital Kyiv on Tuesday night using drones and missiles, said Serhii Popko, head of the Kyiv City Military Administration, on Wednesday.
"Kyiv has not experienced such a powerful attack since spring," Popko wrote on Telegram.
Popko said several groups of drones traveled towards Kyiv "from different directions," and later missiles were launched towards the city from Tu-95MS strategic bombers.
Air defense forces destroyed more than 20 "enemy targets," he added.
Two men aged 26 and 36 years old were killed, while three others sustained injuries of varying severity from falling debris, according to the Kyiv City Military Administration. Two of those injured were hospitalized.
Earlier Wednesday, the Kyiv mayor said fire and rescue services continue to work at wreckage sites in the Darnitsky and Shevchenkivskiy districts.
Odesa attacks: Meanwhile, Ukrainian public broadcaster Suspilne reported explosions in the southern city of Odesa early Wednesday after the head of its regional military administration, Oleh Kiper, warned of Russian rocket attacks and asked residents to stay in shelter.
Russian forces targeted Ukraine's Kyiv and Odesa regions early Wednesday, according to Ukrainian officials.
Kyiv Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko said at least two people were killed and two others injured in the capital as fire and rescue services work at wreckage sites in the Darnitsky and Shevchenkivskiy districts.
In Odesa, Ukrainian public broadcaster Suspilne reported explosions after officials warned of Russian rocket attacks.
Here's the latest updates from Russia's war in Ukraine:
Russian claims: Russia on Wednesday said it destroyed four Ukrainian military boats with special forces on board in the Black Sea. Ukraine has not commented on the claim. Meanwhile, Russia also said it repelled Ukrainian drone attacks early Wednesday on several Russian regions and the occupied Crimean peninsula. It comes after four Russian aircraft were damaged in a drone attack at an airport, used by civilian and military planes, in the western city of Pskov, officials said.
Southern battles: Ukrainian and Russian accounts speak of heavy fighting along part of the southern front, as Kyiv's forces try to push further toward the strategic hub of Tokmak. Much of the combat is taking place south and east of the Zaporizhzhia region village of Robotyne, which the Ukrainians claimed to have secured last week. Evacuations are underway in areas close to the front lines in the region, according to Ukrainian officials.
US aid: The United States is providing an additional $250 million security assistance package to Ukraine, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Tuesday. The package includes air defense missiles, artillery ammunition, Javelin systems and rockets, and mine-clearing equipment, he said.
Papal controversy: Ukrainian officials have criticized Pope Francis’ recent address to Russian youth, calling his remarks “imperialist propaganda.” The pontiff made a video address to the 10th All-Russian Catholic Youth Assembly in St. Petersburg on Friday, during which he urged them to view themselves as descendants of the Russian empire.
Warlord's funeral: Yevgeny Prigozhin's funeral took place "in a closed format," a company owned by the Wagner founder said. It did not specify when the funeral took place. "Those wishing to say goodbye can visit the Porokhovskoe cemetery" in St. Petersburg, it added.
Prigozhin's legacy: A Russian network of internet trolls has begun to spread messages online blaming “enemies from the West” for the plane crash that killed the Wagner boss last week, according to two experts who monitor the activity of the trolls. Prigozhin had previously turbo-charged the use of trolls to push messages designed to disrupt and polarize Western societies.
Kyiv's take: Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said Prigozhin's fate proves the futility of possible peace negotiations with Russia. “Prigozhin was in conflict with Putin,” he said Tuesday. “They agreed on security guarantees, and then Putin killed him. There’s no reason to believe that in other negotiations Putin would behave differently.” The Kremlin has denied any involvement in the crash that killed Prigozhin.
At least two people were killed and two others injured following Russian missile attacks on Kyiv early Wednesday, Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko said.
“Fire and rescue services continue to work at the wreckage sites. In particular, in the Darnitsky district and in four areas in the Shevchenkivskiy district of the capital,” Klitschko said.
Odesa attacks: Meanwhile, Ukrainian public broadcaster Suspilne reported explosions in the southern city of Odesa early Wednesday after the head of its regional military administration, Oleh Kiper, warned of Russian rocket attacks.
“Russian terrorists attack Odesa region with rockets,” he said, asking residents to stay in shelter.
Russian aircraft destroyed four Ukrainian military boats with special forces on board in the Black Sea, Russia's defense ministry claimed on Wednesday.
“On August 30, at about 00.00 Moscow time, a naval aviation aircraft of the Black Sea Fleet in the Black Sea destroyed four high-speed military boats with landing groups of Ukrainian special operations forces with a total number of up to 50 people,” the ministry claimed in a Telegram post.
CNN has reached out to Ukrainian officials for comment.
Special forces landed on the western shore of Crimea in a joint operation with the country’s Navy, Ukrainian Defense Intelligence said last week.
Drone wars: Russia's defense ministry also said several Ukrainian drones were intercepted over various Russian regions in the early hours of Wednesday.
Three drones were intercepted over the southwest Bryansk region, one over the western Oryol region and one over Kaluga, southwest of Moscow, the ministry said.
Meanwhile in Crimea, Sevastopol Gov. Mikhail Razvozhaev said Russian air defenses repelled Ukrainian drone attacks in the area of Sevastopol Bay in the early hours of Wednesday.
The pontiff made a video address to the 10th All-Russian Catholic Youth Assembly in St. Petersburg on Friday, during which he urged them to view themselves as descendants of the Russian empire.
“Never forget your heritage. You are the descendants of great Russia: the great Russia of saints, rulers, the great Russia of Peter I, Catherine II, that empire – educated, great culture and great humanity. Never give up on this heritage,” the pope said. “You are descendants of the great Mother Russia, step forward with it. And thank you – thank you for your way of being, for your way of being Russian.”
On Monday, Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oleh Nikolenko lambasted the pope’s speech.
“This is the kind of imperialist propaganda, ‘spiritual bonds’ and the ‘need’ to save ‘Great Mother Russia’ which the Kremlin uses to justify the murder of thousands of Ukrainians and the destruction of hundreds of Ukrainian towns and villages,” Nikolenko said in a Facebook post.
The pope’s mission should be “precisely to open the eyes of Russian youth to the devastating course of the current Russian leadership” and instead he is promoting “Russian great-power ideas, that are, in fact, the reason for Russia’s chronic aggression,” Nikolenko said.
The airport in Russia's western city of Pskov — which is used for both civilian and military aircraft — came under drone attacks on Tuesday, according to the region's governor.
In a Telegram post, Pskov Gov. Mikhail Vedernikov said he was at the scene and there were no casualties, according to preliminary information.
Vedernikov posted a video showing what appears to be a large plume of smoke coming from behind buildings in what looks like a residential area.
Russian state news agency TASS reported that "as a result of drone attacks four Il-76 aircraft were damaged," in Pskov. A fire broke out and two aircraft were engulfed in flames, TASS said, citing emergency services
Flights over Pskov and the region have been restricted, TASS added.
The United States is providing an additional $250 million security assistance package to Ukraine, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken saidTuesday.
Blinken said the package includes air defense missiles, artillery ammunition, Javelin systems and rockets, and mine-clearing equipment
The US will also supply ambulances, "spare parts, services, training, and transportation," Blinken said.
"This package of weapons and equipment, which are valued at $250 million, is being executed under drawdowns previously directed for Ukraine," he said. "Russia started this war and could end it at any time by withdrawing its forces from Ukraine and stopping its brutal attacks. Until it does, the United States and our allies and partners will stand united with Ukraine, for as long as it takes."
A Russian network of internet trolls has begun to spread messages online blaming “enemies from the West” for the plane crash that killed Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin last week, according to two experts who monitor the activity of the trolls.
Prigozhin had previously turbo-charged the use of trolls to push messages designed to disrupt and polarize Western societies. His St. Petersburg-based Internet Research Agency created hundreds of fake accounts on social networks aiming to meddle in other countries’ politics, leading the United States in 2018 to sanction Prigozhin for election meddling.
At that time, CNN obtained undercover video recorded inside the secretive Internet Research Agency, where internet provocateurs worked 12-hour shifts, aiming to distort political debate in the US.
It’s unclear whether the Internet Research Agency still exists, especially in the light of US sanctions and the short-lived mutiny led by Prigozhin at the end of June. But two groups of independent analysts — Bot Blocker and Chef’s Trap — have been analyzing several dozen Russian troll accounts on the social networks Vkontakte and X, formerly known as Twitter.
The creator of Bot Blocker, who does not reveal his identity for security reasons, told CNN he was “extremely convinced” that Prigozhin and his structures had remained in charge of the troll accounts up until his death.
A Ukrainian cross-border rocket attack killed an unspecified number of people, including a child, in Russia's southwestern Bryansk region, the local governor said Tuesday.
Gov. Alexander Bogomaz said on Telegram that the Ukrainian military had fired at the village of Klimovo with multiple launch rocket systems.
"According to preliminary information, unfortunately, there are dead, including one child. As a result of the shelling, five civilians, including children, were injured," he said, adding school buildings and several administrative buildings were damaged, and residential premises destroyed.
Bryansk and other Russian regions bordering Ukraine have come under almost daily attack in recent months, with Russian officials saying Ukrainian drones and shelling have wounded or killed civilians.
