？
Close
Ukraine War: Russian air raids continue as counteroffensive picks up pace
For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails
Please enter a valid email address
Please enter a valid email address
SIGN UP
I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice
Thanks for signing up to the
Breaking News email
{{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }}
Vladimir Putin has admitted that Ukrainian attacks have intensified in recent days, as Kyiv ramps up the counteroffensive against Russian troops.
Speaking in St Petersburg at a summit of African leaders, the Russian president admitted that attacks by Ukrainian forces have “intensified significantly”, primarily in the Zaporizhzhia region.
He claimed Ukraine had not enjoyed success on the front lines, despite experts at the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reporting that Volodymyr Zelensky’s troops “appear to have broken through certain pre-prepared Russian defensive positions” in Zaporizhzhia.
Battles in recent weeks have taken place on multiple points along the 1,500-kilometer front line as Ukraine wages its counteroffensive.
The ISW on Thursday said that Ukraine had launched a “significant mechanised counteroffensive operation in western Zaporizhzhia”, while a Western official said that Mr Zelensky has committed thousands of troops to the region in recent days.
Ukrainian officials have been mostly silent about battlefield developments since they began early counteroffensive operations, though deputy defence minister Hanna Maliar said troops are advancing toward the city of Melitopol in the region.
Recommended Angry Russia refuses to speak at UN meeting on its attacks on Ukraine's key port city of Odesa. Putin’s forces pushed back around Bakhmut as Ukraine’s troops press on with counteroffensive Wrongfully detained in Russia and injured fighting in Ukraine. Everything we know about Trevor Reed Russian fighter jet strikes another American drone over Syria in the sixth incident this month
Key Points Kyiv is said to have launched a major push against Russian forces in southeastern Ukraine Putin’s forces pushed back around Bakhmut in Ukrainian counteroffensive Russia hits port infrastructure in Ukraine’s Odesa region Putin ‘looked paralysed and unable to act’ as Wagner coup unfolded Wagner gold smuggling critical to keeping Russia’s economy afloat, MPs say
Show latest update 1690448804 Kyiv is said to have launched a major push against Russian forces in southeastern Ukraine
Kyiv has launched a major push to dislodge Russian forces from southeastern Ukraine as part of its weeks-long counteroffensive, committing thousands of troops to the battle in the country’s southeast, according to Western and Ukrainian officials and analysts.
The surge in troops and firepower has been centered on the southeastern Zaporizhzhia region, a Western official said late Wednesday.
The official was not authorised to comment publicly on the matter and spoke on condition of anonymity.
The intense fighting is taking place in areas in the south and east of Ukraine, far from the capital Kyiv, and it was not possible to verify either side’s claims.
The Institute of Study of War, a Washington-based think tank, reported that Ukrainian forces launched “a significant mechanised counteroffensive operation in western Zaporizhzhia region” on Wednesday, adding that they “appear to have broken through certain pre-prepared Russian defensive positions.”
(AFP via Getty Images)
Maryam Zakir-Hussain 27 July 2023 10:06
1690473349 Ukraine extends martial law, ruling out October parliament vote
Ukraine’s parliament voted on Thursday to extend martial law by another 90 days until Nov. 15, ruling out the possibility of parliamentary elections being held in October.
Ukraine brought in martial law on Feb. 24, 2022, the day Russia launched a full-scale invasion of its neighbour. The law, which bars 18- to 60-year-old men from leaving the country, has since been extended several times.
Yaroslav Zheleznyak, a member of parliament, said on the Telegram messaging app that an overwhelming majority of lawmakers voted to extend martial law in a session of the Verkhovna Rada parliament.
Elections cannot be held during martial law and, with the nation scheduled to go to the polls in October to elect a new parliament, this will be the first time a big national vote has been pushed back due to the war, although the move was not unexpected.
As it stands, Ukraine is also due to hold presidential elections in March next year.
Martha Mchardy 27 July 2023 16:55
1690472733 African Union head: We should listen to Russia's complaints over grain deal to seek solution - RIA
Comoros president Azali Assoumani, the chair of the African Union, said on Thursday at a Russia-Africa summit that the complaints that prompted Russia to end the Black Sea grain deal should be listened to in order to seek a solution, the Russian state news agency RIA reported.
“I shouldn’t say that Russia is right or wrong. It acted for its own reasons. Now we need to hear them in order to try to move forward,” Assoumani was quoted as saying.
Martha Mchardy 27 July 2023 16:45
1690471856 Watch: Zelensky visits Dnipro hospital to hail medics treating Ukrainian troops
Volodymyr Zelensky visited a hospital in Dnipro on Thursday 27 July, to present state awards to medical workers.
The president of Ukraine thanked the staff on a trip that coincided with Medical Worker’s Day.
“On your frontline, you are the same heroes as the military. Thank you for saving our boys and girls. Thank you for giving all your time and energy to restore the health of our warriors,” the video, shared on Mr Zelensky’s Facebook page, was captioned.
“We highly respect you and are proud that we have such doctors. I wish you and all Ukrainians victory, good health to you and your families.”
Oliver Browning reports:
Zelensky visits Dnipro hospital to hail medics treating Ukrainian troops Volodymyr Zelensky visited a hospital in Dnipro on Thursday 27 July, to present state awards to medical workers. The president of Ukraine thanked the staff on a trip that coincided with Medical Worker’s Day. “On your frontline, you are the same heroes as the military. Thank you for saving our boys and girls. Thank you for giving all your time and energy to restore the health of our warriors,” the video, shared on Mr Zelensky’s Facebook page, was captioned. “We highly respect you and are proud that we have such doctors. I wish you and all Ukrainians victory, good health to you and your families.”
Martha Mchardy 27 July 2023 16:30
1690470056 Watch: Russian defence minister meets Kim Jong-un during visit to arms exhibition in North Korea
Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu toured an arms exhibition with Kim Jong-un on Wednesday 26 July, during his visit to Pyongyang.
The pair met to discuss military issues and the regional security environment, state media said, illustrating North Korea’s support for Russia’s conflict in Ukraine as the isolated country celebrated the 70th anniversary of an armistice that halted fighting in the 1950-53 Korean War.
Mr Kim showcased some of North Korea’s newest weapons in the arms exhibition and briefed Mr Shoigu on national plans to expand the country’s military capabilities.
Footage shows the pair walking near a row of large missiles mounted on launcher trucks.
Oliver Browning reports:
Russian defence minister tours Pyongyang arms exhibition alongside Kim Jong-un Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu toured an arms exhibition with Kim Jong-un on Wednesday 26 July, during his visit to Pyongyang. The pair met to discuss military issues and the regional security environment, state media said, illustrating North Korea’s support for Russia’s conflict in Ukraine as the isolated country celebrated the 70th anniversary of an armistice that halted fighting in the 1950-53 Korean War. Mr Kim showcased some of North Korea’s newest weapons in the arms exhibition and briefed Mr Shoigu on national plans to expand the country’s military capabilities. Footage shows the pair walking near a row of large missiles mounted on launcher trucks.
Martha Mchardy 27 July 2023 16:00
1690467918 EU’s border with Belarus ‘more dangerous’ because of Russia’s military presence, says Polish MP
The European Union’s border with Russian ally Belarus has become more dangerous because of Russia’s military presence there, and securing the frontier is the Polish government’s top priority, Poland’s ruling party leader said Thursday.
Jaroslaw Kaczynski, a deputy prime minister and head of the conservative Law and Justice party, made the comments while visiting the village of Koden on the EU’s border with Belarus. The Polish defence minister was due to meet with troops on the border later in the day.
Amid Russia’s aggression in Ukraine, thousands of Russia’s Wagner mercenaries have deployed to Belarus over the past month, and the Kremlin says it also has moved some of its short-range nuclear weapons into Belarus
.“We want to say it clearly: We are doing everything that is needed and that is sufficient for us to easily repel any potential provocations or aggressive undertakings,” from the Belarus side, Kaczynski said.
Last year, Poland’s right-wing government built a tall wall along the border with Belarus aiming to stop a swelling wave of unauthorized migration from the Middle East and Africa which it said was organized by Minsk and Moscow in order to destabilize the EU.
Martha Mchardy 27 July 2023 15:25
1690467694 Russian helicopter crashes in Siberia, killing 4 people on board and injuring 10
A helicopter crashed in the Siberia region of Russia on Thursday, killing four of the people on board and injuring 10, Russian emergency officials reported.
The Mi-8 helicopter caught fire as it was landing in southern Siberia’s Altai Republic and brushed against a power line, the Altai branch of the Russian Emergency Ministry said. It released a photo showing the chopper’s wreckage.
The branch’s initial statement said the helicopter carried 13 people and six were killed and seven were injured. Officials revised the numbers later in the day, saying a total of 16 people were on board and four died.
It turned out two people who were believed dead had left the crash site on their own and went to the nearest hospital, an updated statement said.
Russian state news agency RIA Novosti reported, citing the country’s civilian aviation regulator Rosaviatsia, that the helicopter belonged to a private company and was carrying a group of tourists.
The Mi-8 is a two-engine helicopter designed in the 1960s. It is used in Russia, where crashes have been frequent, as well as in neighbouring countries and many other nations.
Firefighters extinguish a Mi-8 helicopter after the crash near Tyungur village, Altai Republic in southern Siberia, Russia
(AP)
Martha Mchardy 27 July 2023 15:21
1690466306 UN chief warns ‘handful of donations’ can’t replace Black Sea deal
United Nations secretary-general Antonio Guterres warned on Thursday that a “handful of donations to some countries” won’t correct the dramatic impact of the end of a deal that had allowed the safe Black Sea export of Ukraine grain for the past year.
Russian president Vladimir Putin has promised free Russian grain “to replace Ukrainian grain.”
Martha Mchardy 27 July 2023 14:58
1690465943 Putin admits Kyiv’s attacks have intensified ‘significantly’
Vladimir Putin has admitted that Ukrainian attacks have intensified in recent days, as Kyiv ramps up the counteroffensive against Russian troops.
Speaking in St Petersburg at a summit of African leaders, the Russian president admitted that attacks by Ukrainian forces have “intensified significantly”, primarily in the Zaporizhzhia region.
He claimed Ukraine had not enjoyed success on the front lines, despite experts at the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reporting that Volodymyr Zelensky’s troops “appear to have broken through certain pre-prepared Russian defensive positions” in Zaporizhzhia.
Battles in recent weeks have taken place on multiple points along the 1,500-kilometer front line as Ukraine wages its counteroffensive.
The ISW on Thursday said that Ukraine had launched a “significant mechanised counteroffensive operation in western Zaporizhzhia”, while a Western official said that Mr Zelensky has committed thousands of troops to the region in recent days.
Ukrainian officials have been mostly silent about battlefield developments since they began early counteroffensive operations, though deputy defence minister Hanna Maliar said troops are advancing toward the city of Melitopol in the region.
Vladimir Putin has admitted that Ukrainian attacks have intensified in recent days
(POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Martha Mchardy 27 July 2023 14:52
1690462809 Ukraine eases its sports boycott policy to compete against some Russians ahead of Olympics
Ukraine has signaled it will no longer bar its athletes from competing against Russians who are taking part in sporting events as “neutral athletes,” a significant easing of its boycott policy a year before the Paris Olympics.
A decree dated Wednesday says Ukrainian athletes and teams will only be required to boycott if competitors from Russia or Belarus are competing under their national flags or other symbols, or have signaled allegiance to either of those countries in another way.
The change in policy could smooth the way for Ukrainians to compete at next year’s Paris Olympics. Ukrainian athletes previously boycotted events which allowed Russians and Belarusians as “Individual Neutral Athletes,” the preferred term of the International Olympic Committee.
Ukraine eases its sports boycott policy to compete against some Russians ahead of Olympics Ukraine has signaled it will no longer bar its athletes from competing against Russians who are taking part in sporting events as “neutral athletes."
Maryam Zakir-Hussain 27 July 2023 14:00
Newer 1 / 7 Older
More about Ukraine Russia Kyiv Bakhmut missiles Volodymyr Zelensky Zaporizhzhia
Join our commenting forum Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments
1/ 1Putin admits Kyiv’s attacks have intensified ‘significantly’
Putin admits Kyiv’s attacks have intensified ‘significantly’
Vladimir Putin has admitted that Ukrainian attacks have intensified in recent days
POOL/AFP via Getty Images
？ Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Subscribe
Already subscribed? Log in