Russia’s defense ministry said it intercepted five Ukrainian drones near Moscow Tuesday in what it called a “terrorist” attack.
The Kremlin said Russia and the United States remain in contact on the issue of exchanging prisoners, but that communication must be carried out “in complete silence.” The remarks followed a visit Monday by the US ambassador to detained US reporter Evan Gershkovich in a Moscow jail.
Dozens of people were injured in a Russian attack on a town in the Kharkiv region, while two people were killed in an attack on the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson, according to officials.
Russia says it repelled a drone attack near Moscow. Here's what else you need to know
From CNN Staff
Russia said it foiled a drone attack near Moscow on Tuesday while Ukraine said it was making gains around the devastated eastern city of Bakhmut.
Meantime, the Kremlin said Russia and the United States remain in contact on the issue of exchanging prisoners, but that communication must be carried out “in complete silence.” The remarks followed a visit Monday by the US ambassador to detained US reporter Evan Gershkovich in a Moscow jail.
Here’s what else you need to know about the war:
Attack in Kharkiv region: Russian shelling of the town of Pervomaiskyi injured at least 43 people, including 12 children, according to the head of the Kharkiv regional military administration Oleg Sinegubov. “Russians fired a high-explosive projectile,” which caused several cars to catch on fire and caused damage to the high-rise buildings, according to Andriy Yermak, the head of the Ukrainian presidential office.
Ukraine claims gains near Bakhmut: Ukraine keeps making gains south of Bakhmut while Russia is “throwing all its forces” to try and stop Kyiv’s advance, Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar said. “Ukrainian soldiers continue to conduct offensive operations to the south and north of Bakhmut, strengthening on the achieved lines,” the Ukraine military said in an update.
Some flights diverted in Moscow after alleged drone attack: At least 16 domestic and international flights to Moscow’s Vnukovo International Airport were diverted Tuesday, according to Russian state media. Some flights were rerouted “for security reasons” due to the “attempted drone attack by Ukrainian drones,” Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin said. Russia’s defense ministry said it downed five “Ukrainian drones” near Moscow. Kyiv has not commented on the allegations.
Russia says it opposes renewal of Black Sea grain deal: The UN-brokered deal, which is set to expire on July 17, was established to provide “assistance to needy countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America,” but “has turned into a purely commercial export of Ukrainian food to ‘well-fed’ countries,” the Russian foreign ministry claimed in a statement. “It is obvious that there are no grounds for further continuation of the ‘Black Sea Initiative.’”
Putin attends virtual summit: President Vladimir Putin thanked allies who expressed solidarity with Russia after last month’s short-lived rebellion led by the Wagner private military company. He spoke at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization conference, hosted by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Other leaders taking part included China’s Xi Jinping, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko.
NATO chief gets extension: Ahead of a critical meeting of NATO leaders next week in Lithuania – expected to be dominated by Russia’s war in Ukraine – the alliance resolved one outstanding issue by extending the term of Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg for one more year. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed the news while US President Joe Biden said it was an “important signal of stability” heading into the summit.
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Zelensky and NATO chief discuss upcoming alliance summit in Lithuania
From Svetlana Vlasova in Kyiv
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg held a phone call to coordinate their positions ahead of the alliance’s upcoming summit in Vilnius.
A former prime minister of Norway and UN Special Envoy on Climate Change, Stoltenberg became NATO’s Secretary General in October 2014.
On Tuesday, he announced his term was extended for a further year.
Ukraine is expected to be at the top of the agenda when the leaders of the military alliance meet in the Lithuanian capital next week.
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Ukraine has "proceeded in a very precise and well-organized way so far," German chancellor says
From CNN's Inke Kappeler in Berlin
Romanian Prime Minister Ion Marcel Ciolacu and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz during a press conference on July 4, in Berlin, Germany.
Janine Schmitz/Photothek/Getty Images
The Ukrainian forces have “proceeded in a very precise and well-organized way so far” in the war, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Tuesday.
Speaking at a joint press conference with Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu, Scholz said he “never expected that everything would change from one day to the next,” but added the Ukrainian defense forces had been planning operations “in a very targeted way.”
Meanwhile, Ciolacu said Romania had expected the conflict to end with the Ukrainian counteroffensive, but has had to reckon with a longer-lasting conflict.
While Ukraine remains in a state of war, it cannot become a NATO member, Scholz said, adding that the criteria for NATO membership included “no open border conflicts.“
However, the important thing, he said, was NATO’s “great practical support for Ukraine,” which will continue.
Germany has “created the conditions to support Ukraine even for a long time if the war lasts for a long time,” he added, saying that many countries will be able to support Kyiv “for one, two, three, and if need be, more years, because we don’t know how long the military conflict will last.”
Some background: President Volodymyr Zelensky called Monday on US President Joe Biden to invite Ukraine into NATO “now” – even if membership does not come until after the war.
Speaking in English to CNN, Zelensky said that Biden was “the decision maker” about whether Ukraine would be in NATO or not.
Ukraine’s aspiration to join is enshrined in its constitution and its relationship with NATO dates back to the early 1990s, according to the alliance. NATO is due to hold a summit in Lithuania on July 11 and 12 where leaders are expected to discuss Ukraine’s membership.
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Ukraine claims advances south of Bakhmut
From CNN's Vasco Cotovio and Svetlana Vlasova
Ukrainian servicemen ride on armored personnel carriers on a road toward Bakhmut in the Donetsk region of Ukraine on July 1.
Genya Savilov/AFP/Getty Images
Ukraine keeps making gains south of Bakhmut while facing stiff resistance to the north of the embattled eastern city, according to Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar.
Russia is “throwing all its forces” to try and stop Kyiv’s advance in the area, Maliar claimed, adding that Moscow’s soldiers are pushing in the direction of Lyman, Svatove and Bakhmut, and had set up a three-tiered defense in those areas “to gain a foothold.”
“But they are still not succeeding,” she said Tuesday.
Lyman and Svatore are cities north of Bakhmut.
In its daily update, the Ukrainian Military’s General Staff also said Ukraine was consolidating positions around Bakhmut. “Ukrainian soldiers continue to conduct offensive operations to the south and north of Bakhmut, strengthening on the achieved lines,” it said.
CNN cannot verify Ukrainian claims of battlefield gains.
Neither Maliar nor the General Staff reported any advances along the southern front, where Ukraine’s counteroffensive is meeting stiff resistance.
“At the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson directions, the enemy is focusing its main efforts on preventing the advance of our troops,” the general staff update said. “At the same time, the Ukrainian Defence Forces continue to conduct offensive operations in the Melitopol and Berdiansk directions, securing the achieved positions, inflicting artillery fire on the identified enemy targets, and carrying out counter-battery measures.”
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Here's why Ukraine's counteroffensive progress has been slower than some expectations
From CNN's Ivana Kottasová
Ukrainian servicemen ride in a T-80 main battle tank captured earlier from Russian troops, along a road near the front line town of Bakhmut on June 19.
The minefields in southern Ukraine are so dense, the troops trying to liberate the area can only advance “tree by tree,” one soldier involved in Kyiv’s counteroffensive in the south told CNN. In all his years of service, he said, he’s never seen this many mines.
The soldier, who asked to be identified by his call sign “Legion,” told CNN he believed the actions by his troops were “quite successful and effective.” Yet as he and other Ukrainian soldiers wade through mined areas, encountering heavily fortified defenses and aerial assaults, much of the world seems to think they are moving rather slowly.
Ukraine’s Western allies are getting nervous about the fact that the progress of Kyiv’s long-awaited counteroffensive is being measured in meters, rather than kilometers. Kyiv’s allies are well aware that Ukraine cannot defeat Russia without their help. But the slower than expected pace of the counteroffensive means their support could become increasingly unsustainable if the conflict drags on.
Many of the countries that are supporting Ukraine’s war efforts are struggling with high inflation, rising interest rates and sluggish growth. Their leaders — some of whom are facing elections in the next year and a half — need to justify the huge amount of resources they’ve poured into Ukraine when their own voters are struggling to make ends meet. That can become difficult if there isn’t much battlefield success to show for it.
For now though, the support appears unfaltering. Multiple Ukrainian and Western officials have admitted that the counteroffensive has so far failed to yield major advances — but most were quick to add that the slow progress was justified.
The front lines in southern and eastern Ukraine have not moved much over the past months, giving Russian troops plenty of time to dig in and prepare for a counteroffensive.
According to an assessment by the Washington-based think tank Institute for the Study of War (ISW), some of the most strategic sections of the front line are guarded by multiple lines of defense, making it very difficult for the Ukrainians to break through.
Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley said that the pace is not surprising, given that Ukrainian soldiers were fighting “for their life.”
Dozens injured in Russian attack on Kharkiv region, officials say
From CNN's Svitlana Vlasova
Cars burn at a site of a Russian military strike in the town of Pervomaiskyi in Kharkiv region, Ukraine, on July 4.
National Police of Ukraine/Reuters
The number of people injured during a Russian attack on a town in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region has been revised up to 43, according to the head of the Kharkiv regional military administration Oleg Sinegubov.
“According to the updated data provided by the medical staff, as of now, 43 people have been wounded as a result of the shelling of Pervomaiskyi, including 12 children,” Sinegubov posted on Telegram. “5 people were treated on the spot. The condition of the injured is moderate to light.”
Sinegubov had earlier reported that the shelling had damaged a car and windows of eight multi-story buildings. Four cars at the time were also on fire, he had said.
Rescue workers are on the scene, according to the Interior Ministry of Ukraine.
“Russians fired a high-explosive projectile,” which caused several cars to catch on fire and caused damage to the high-rise buildings, according to Andriy Yermak, the head of the Ukrainian presidential office.
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At least 16 incoming flights to Moscow airport were diverted after alleged drone attack, state media says
From CNN’s Anna Chernova
At least 16 flights to Moscow’s Vnukovo International Airport had been diverted on Tuesday, according to Russian state media and data from the official schedule on the airport website.
Some flights were rerouted “for security reasons” due to the “attempted drone attack by Ukrainian drones” in Russia’s capital, Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin said on Telegram.
Six of the planes were diverted due to “technical issues,” according to a statement on the website of Russia’s Federal Air Transport Agency, also known as Rosaviatsiya.
Flight restrictions at Vnukovo were in place from 5:10 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. local time, according to the state news agency TASS.
Flights impacted – from countries such as Armenia, Egypt and the UAE, and domestic locations such as St. Petersburg, Novosibirsk and Makhachkala – were redirected to other airports, according to the Vnukovo airport website.
Vnukovo is one of four major airports that serve Moscow. The airport’s press office did not immediately respond to CNN’s requests for comment.
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Zelensky congratulates America on the Fourth of July
From Olga Voitovych
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky congratulated the American people in honor of Fourth of July and thanked US President Joe Biden and Congress for supporting Ukraine.
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There are no grounds to continue Black Sea grain deal, Russian foreign ministry says
From Darya Tarasova and Lauren Kent in London
Malta-flagged bulk carrier M/V Rojen carrying tons of grain from Ukraine sails along the Bosphorus Strait in Istanbul on August 7, after being officially inspected as part of the Black Sea grain deal.
Yasin Akgu/AFP/Getty Images
Russia’s foreign ministry on Tuesday said it sees no basis for renewing the UN-brokered Black Sea grain deal, which is set to expire on July 17.
The deal, which was first brokered by the United Nations and Turkey last July to guarantee safe passage for ships carrying vital grain exports from Ukraine, was most recently extended in May.
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Ukraine has launched more than 84,000 criminal cases on war crimes during Russia's invasion, Zelensky says
From Svetlana Vlasova and Vasco Cotovio
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky delivers a speech commemorating the National Police day on July 4.
President of Ukraine
The Ukrainian National Police investigations into war crimes committed during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine have led to the launch of more than 84,000 criminal cases and an additional 1,838 notices of suspicion, according to President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The body has also created a special database called “War Criminal,” which now includes the records of more than 200,000 Russian service members and mercenaries, Zelensky said.
During a speech commemorating the National Police Day, Zelensky thanked law enforcement for its work, saying it will bring Russia “to full accountability for its aggression and terror against Ukraine.”
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It's mid-afternoon in Kyiv. Here's what you need to know
From CNN staff
A barrage of deadly Russian strikes has showered over parts of northern Ukraine this week, as Ukraine’s counteroffensive grinds on.
Here are the latest developments:
Strikes in Sumy: A Russian drone attack in Sumy late on Monday killed at least three people and injured 21 others, according to city’s mayor. Further west, three men were injured after a Russian shelling in the village of Buda-Vorobiivska, in the Chernihiv region, a military official said.
“Terrorist” attack in Russia: Russia’s Defense Ministry said it downed five “Ukrainian drones” near Moscow on Tuesday after accusing Kyiv of a “terrorist” attack. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said later that all drones involved were “destroyed or neutralized.” Ukraine has not commented on the allegations.
Alleged Russian war crimes: Several top Ukrainian law officials are in The Hague this week, discussing “key priorities” for a possible future tribunal into alleged Russian war crimes. “This is history in the making: we’re laying the groundwork for the future tribunal,” Ukraine’s Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin said on Tuesday.
Putin attends virtual summit: Russian President Vladimir Putin thanked Eurasian allies for “coming out as a united front,” in his first appearance on the world stage since last month’s short-lived Wagner mutiny. Meanwhile, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba welcomed the one-year leadership extension of NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, a key ally, on Tuesday.
Mikheil Saakashvili: Kyiv’s foreign ministry summoned the Georgian ambassador to Ukraine over the “deteriorating” conditions of Mikheil Saakashvili’s detention. The former Georgian leader fled the country in 2013 and got Ukrainian citizenship. He was convicted in absentia in 2018, on abuse of power charges he claims are false, and later arrested.
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2 people killed in Russian shelling of Kherson city, Ukraine says
From Olga Voitovych
Two people were killed Tuesday in a Russian attack on the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson, according to the Prosecutor General’s Office.
Russian forces shelled the city around 6:00 a.m. local time (11:00 p.m. ET Monday), killing one man and one woman, according to the office.
“Residential buildings were damaged,” the office said “Law enforcement officers are working at the scene to document another war crime committed by Russian military personnel.”
The Kherson District Prosecutor’s Office initiated a pre-trial investigation into the attack.
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Kremlin says Russia and US maintain "contact" over prisoner exchange matters
From CNN’s Anna Chernova
US journalist Evan Gershkovich stands inside a defendants' cage before a hearing to consider an appeal on his extended detention at The Moscow City Court in Moscow, Russia, on June 22.
Natalia Kolesnikova/AFP/Getty Images
The Kremlin said Russia and the United States remain in contact on the issue of exchange of prisoners, but said these must be carried out “in complete silence.”
“As we’ve said before, certain contacts on this matter remain, but we do not want to make them public in any way. They must be carried out and continue in complete silence,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
A US State Department spokesperson said on Monday that US Ambassador to Russia Lynne Tracy visited detained Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich in Lefortovo prison in Moscow, stating that he is “in good health and remains strong, despite his circumstances.”
Speaking on Tuesday, Peskov said that the right to consular contacts should be ensured by both Russia and the United States.
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Kremlin says all drones in Moscow attack 'destroyed or neutralized'
From CNN's Anna Chernova
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Tuesday that all drones involved in an attack on Moscow on Tuesday were either “destroyed or neutralized.”
Russia’s Defense Ministry said earlier it intercepted five Ukrainian drones near Moscow on Tuesday, calling the incident a “terrorist” attack in.
Asked to comment on the attack during a regular conference call with journalists, Peskov said he “cannot give a professional assessment of the defense system’s performance.”
“We can only state that all these drones were either destroyed or neutralized using the appropriate systems,” he added.
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Ukraine welcomes NATO chief's extended term
From CNN's Olga Voitovych
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg holds a press conferenceat the NATO headquarters in Brussels on October 11, 2022. (Photo by
Kenzo Tribouillard/AFP/Getty Images
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said he looks forward to working with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, whose leadership term was extended by one year on Tuesday.
“Excellent news on the extension of @JensStoltenberg’s mandate as NATO Secretary General. Tough times demand strong leadership. Jens Stoltenberg has demonstrated just that,” Kuleba tweeted.
“I look forward to furthering our cooperation.”
Stoltenberg said he was “honored” by the transatlantic military alliance’s decision to prolong his leadership for another year, until 1 October 2024.
“The Transatlantic bond between Europe and North America has ensured our freedom and security for nearly 75 years and in a more dangerous world, our Alliance is more important than ever,” Stoltenberg tweeted.
The former prime minister of Norway and UN special envoy on climate change became NATO secretary general in October 2014.
Some background: Members of NATO have staunchly supported Ukraine throughout the conflict, distributing billions of dollars worth of military aid and imposing sanctions on Russia to squeeze its economy.
Finland’s accession in April 2022 doubled NATO’s border with Russia and changed the security landscape in northeastern Europe, in a major blow to Putin’s agenda.
But the war in Ukraine has also exposed cracks in the alliance amid tensions over Kyiv’s bid for NATO membership, with some members voicing concerns that such a move could cause tensions with Moscow to boil over.
CNN’s Tara John and Sana Noor Haq contributed reporting.
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Kyiv summons Georgian ambassador to protest Saakashvili's imprisonment conditions
From CNN's Stephanie Halasz and Olga Voitovych
Georgia's jailed ex-President Mikheil Saakashvili appears on a screen via a video link from a clinic during a court hearing in Tbilisi, Georgia, on July 3.
Irakli Gedenidze/Reuters
Kyiv’s foreign ministry has summoned the Georgian ambassador to Ukraine to “protest” the “deteriorating” conditions of former Georgian leader Mikheil Saakashvili’s detention.
Recent photos of Saakashvili, who was given Ukrainian citizenship in 2015, show him visibly emaciated and frail.
The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stressed to the Georgian ambassador George Zakarashvili that the former Georgian president’s treatment is “absolutely unacceptable.”
“The Georgian authorities must stop abusing the citizen of Ukraine.”
The ministry said it was willing to discuss Saakashvili’s transfer to Ukraine to receive medical care.
Some background: Saakashvili ruled Georgia during the nation’s short-lived conflict with Russia in 2008, before losing the 2013 presidential elections and fleeing abroad.
He surrendered his Georgian citizenship in 2015 and lived in Ukraine for several years.
Saakashvili was convicted in absentia in 2018 on abuse of power charges that he claims are false. Despite the conviction, he returned to Georgia in 2021 – and was promptly arrested.
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Military aid to Ukraine bumps up German arms exports
From CNN's Inke Kappeler in Berlin
A worker at German armaments company Rheinmetall works on ammunition that will be delivered to Ukrainian Forces for the Panzerhaubitze 2000 at the Rheinmetall factory in Unterluess, Germany, on June 6.
Axel Heimken/AFP/Getty Images
Approvals for German arms exports rose by a quarter in the first half of 2023 with the largest batch destined for Kyiv, the German Economy Ministry said on Tuesday.
As allies ramp up military aid to boost Ukraine’s counteroffensive, Germany issued about €5.22 billion ($5.69 billion) worth of individual licenses for military equipment exports this year alone.
By comparison, in the first half of 2022, the total value amounted to €4.16 billion ($4.53 billion).
More than a third of the German arms exports, about €1.65 billion ($1.79 billion) worth of them, went to Ukraine. Hungary was the second largest recipient.
German State secretary Sven Giegold said in a statement that the value of exports “showed Germany’s continued support for Ukraine in its self-defense against the Russian war of aggression, which is contrary to international law.”
Some background: The war in Ukraine has forced many European countries to rethink their approach to security. Germany, which has for years spent far less on its military than many of its allies has beefed up spending and ditched its longstanding policy of not delivering lethal weapons to conflict zones.
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Russia accuses Ukraine of attempting a "terrorist" drone attack near Moscow. Here's what we know
Russia’s Defense Ministry said it intercepted five Ukrainian drones near Moscow on Tuesday in what it called a “terrorist” attack.
Ukraine rarely comments on attacks on Russian soil, which have ramped up in recent months as the war increasingly comes home to the Russian people.
Here’s what we know:
What happened: In a Telegram statement, Russia’s Defense Ministry said it thwarted a Ukrainian attempt to carry out a “terrorist” attack using five unmanned aerial vehicles against targets near the capital. Four of the UAVS were intercepted by air defenses in the New Moscow region, while a fifth was “suppressed by electronic warfare” and crashed in Odintsovo district, Moscow region, the ministry said.
What was the impact: Speaking earlier Tuesday, Moscow’s mayor said the alleged attempted attack forced Vnukovo airport, one of four airports serving the capital, to divert flights. Six flights were diverted from the airport due to “technical issues,” Russian aviation authorities said. No casualties or damage resulted from the drone interceptions, the Defense Ministry said.
How Russian officials reacted: A Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson claimed the alleged attack targeted civilian infrastructure. “Considering that [Ukrainian President Volodymyr] Zelensky carries out these attacks with weapons supplied by the West or purchased with Western funds, this is international terrorism,” spokesperson Maria Zakharova claimed.
What Ukraine says: Kyiv is yet to address the Russian allegations and Ukrainian officials rarely comment directly on attacks inside Russian territory.
Has this happened before: Drone attacks on targets inside Russia have increased in recent months, including in restive regions near the Ukrainian border, including Belgorod. Though rarer, some alleged attacks have targeted Moscow. US officials believe pro-Ukrainian agents inside Russia carried out a drone attack that targeted the Kremlin in early May by launching drones from within Russia rather than flying them from Ukraine into Moscow. Meanwhile, Russia blamed Ukraine for launching a drone attack on Moscow in late May that reportedly left two people injured and damaged several buildings.
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Ukrainian prosecutors "laying the groundwork" for Russian war crimes tribunal
From CNN's Niamh Kennedy and Sana Noor Haq
Ladislav Hamran, President of Eurojust, left, Andriy Kostin, Prosecutor General of Ukraine, center and Kenneth A. Polite Jr., Assistant Attorney General, USA, attend a press conference on the international center being set up to prosecute Russian aggression against Ukraine, the ICPA, in the Hague, Netherlands, on July 3.
Hollandse Hoogte/Shutterstock
Several top Ukrainian law officials are in Hague this week, discussing “key priorities” for a possible future tribunal into alleged Russian war crimes
Ukraine’s Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin said the team had been “laying out the groundwork for the future tribunal,” as part of Kyiv’s longstanding effort to hold accountable Russian officials accused of war crimes.
“First working meeting with Ukrainian prosecutors at ICPA in The Hague. Defining the scope of work and key priorities. The strategic goal is the accountability of Russia’s political and military leadership,” Kostin tweeted on Tuesday, after a new evidence-gathering center was launched in the Hague on Monday.
“This is history in the making: we’re laying the groundwork for the future tribunal.”
The new International Centre for the Prosecution of the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine was described as ” judicial hub” where prosecutors from different countries will work together to build cases.
Ukraine has already issued criminal proceedings in domestic courts for Russian crimes of aggression, including 312 indictments, according to Kostin.
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Putin thanks allies for support during Wagner mutiny
From CNN's Zahid Mahmood, Niamh Kennedy and Anna Chernova
Leaders of states and officials of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) are seen on a screen during a summit via a video conference at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, on July 4.
Alexander Kazakov/Sputnik/Kremlin/Reuters
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday thanked allies who expressed solidarity with Moscow after last month’s short-lived rebellion led by the Wagner private military company.
Speaking at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) conference, Putin thanked the leaders attending the summit for “coming out as a united front.”
Chinese leader Xi Jinping, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko were all attending the virtual gathering of Eurasian leaders hosted by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The summit marked Putin’s first appearance on the world stage since the attempted rebellion in June. He said:
“We highly appreciate it,” he added.
Putin added that Russia was “withstanding all “sanctions and provocations” and that the country was “steadily developing.”
The attempted insurrection steered by Wagner head Yevgeny Prigozhin marked the biggest threat to Putin’s tenure since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine. The long-time Russian leader has since stepped up his public appearances, working hard to reassert his authority.
Putin claimed in his address that the Russian people came out against the Wagner rebellion.
“The solidarity and high responsibility for the fate of the Fatherland was clearly demonstrated by Russian political circles and the entire society by coming out as a united front against the attempted armed rebellion,” he said.
While many of Russia’s top officials rushed in to express support for Putin, there were no large scale protests or other shows of unity.
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Russian strike injures 3 in a village in northern Ukrainian region of Chernihiv, official says
From CNN's Olga Voitovych
Shelling from Russia injured three men in the village of Buda-Vorobiivska, in the northern Ukrainian region of Chernihiv, according to a local military official.
All three men are in “moderate condition,” according to Viacheslav Chaus.
Chaus said the area, near the border with Russia, has experienced frequent shelling in recent days.
“Buda-Vorobiivska is under constant fire. During this time, half of the residents have left the village. However, more than 150 are still there,” Chaus said in a Telegram post.
More families have left the village in the wake of the latest attack, he added.
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Putin makes first appearance on world stage since diffusing Wagner rebellion
From CNN's Simone McCarthy, Rhea Mogul and Alex Stambaugh
Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Heads of State Council via a video conference at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, on July 4.
Alexander Kazakov/Sputnik/AFP/Getty Images
World leaders including Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi met Tuesday in a virtual summit of Eurasian leaders hosted by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The one-day online gathering of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) marks the first time that Putin has appeared on the world stage in an international summit since he diffused an armed rebellion by the Wagner mercenary group late last month — widely seen as the most significant threat to his power the autocrat had faced.
The summit is expected to provide Putin with a stage to project an image of power, and reassure Moscow’s partners — and by extension the world — that he remains firmly in control.
It is also an opportunity for the China and Russia-founded body expand its reach — with the expected inclusion of Iran and a step toward welcoming staunch Moscow ally Belarus — the second expansion in the group’s more than two decade history.
Modi in opening remarks praised the SCO as an “important platform for peace, prosperity and development in the entire Eurasia region.”
An alleged Ukrainian drone attack targeted civilian infrastructure in Moscow on Tuesday, a spokesperson for Russia’s Foreign Ministry claimed.
Spokesperson Maria Zakharova’s remarks came after Russian authorities said air defenses intercepted five Ukrainian drones that forced a number of flights to be diverted from the Vnukovo airport serving the capital.
Ukraine rarely comments on attacks on Russian soil, which have ramped up in recent months. Multiple people familiar with US intelligence on the matter told CNN in June that Kyiv has cultivated a network of agents inside Russia and has provided them with drones to stage attacks.
US officials believe these pro-Ukrainian agents inside Russia carried out a drone attack that targeted the Kremlin in early May by launching drones from within Russia rather than flying them from Ukraine into Moscow.
In her statement, Zakharova said Vnukovo airport receives overseas flights and called the alleged attack “yet another act of terrorism.”
No casualties or damage occurred as a result of the drone interceptions, Russia’s Defense Ministry said earlier.
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Death toll rises to 3 in Sumy drone attack, mayor says
From CNN's Olga Voitovych in Kyiv
Rescue workers are seen in a building damaged by a drone strike in Sumy on Monday.
National Police of Ukraine/Reuters
Three people have now been confirmed dead following a Russian drone attack on the northeastern Ukrainian city of Sumy Monday, the city’s mayor said Tuesday.
Four Russian drones struck the center of the city on Monday, hitting two apartment blocks and an administrative building, according to local officials.
The number of people wounded has also increased, from 19 to 21, Mayor Oleksandr Lysenko said.
The Sumy regional military administration called the strike “another terrorist act of the Russian Federation” and declared Tuesday a day of mourning in the city.
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Russian military says it shot down 5 drones in attempted "terrorist" attack near Moscow
From CNN's Olga Voitovych
Russia’s Defense Ministry said it intercepted five Ukrainian drones near Moscow on Tuesday in what it called a “terrorist” attack in a statement on Telegram.
Four of the drones were intercepted by air defenses in the New Moscow region, it said.
The fifth drone was “suppressed by electronic warfare and crashed on the territory of the Odintsovo district of the Moscow region,” the ministry said.
There were no casualties as a result of the drone interceptions, the ministry said.
Some context: Ukraine rarely comments on attacks on Russian soil, which have ramped up in recent months as the war increasingly comes home to the Russian people.
Multiple people familiar with US intelligence on the matter told CNN in June that Kyiv has cultivated a network of agents inside Russia and has provided them with drones to stage attacks.
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Moscow mayor says attempted Ukrainian drone attack forced airport to divert flights
From CNN's Olga Voitovych
An attempted Ukrainian drone attack forced an airport serving Moscow to divert “some flights” on Tuesday, the Russian capital’s mayor said.
All drones detected were eliminated by air defense forces and there were no casualties or injuries, he added.
Russian state media reports earlier said two drones were shot down near the capital Tuesday.
Russian aviation authorities said earlier that six flights were diverted from Vnukovo airport — one of four airports that serve the capital — due to “technical issues.”
All flight restrictions at the airport were lifted at 8 a.m. local time, according to Russian authorities.
Some context: Ukraine rarely comments on attacks on Russian soil, which have ramped up in recent months as the war increasingly comes home to the Russian people.
Multiple people familiar with US intelligence on the matter told CNN in June that Kyiv has cultivated a network of agents inside Russia and has provided them with drones to stage attacks.
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Moscow airport diverts planes due to "technical issues," Russian authorities say
From CNN's Josh Pennington
Vnukovo International Airport, one of four airports that serve Moscow, diverted six flights on Tuesday, according to a statement from Rosaviatsiya, Russia’s Federal Air Transport Agency.
It is unclear whether the changes were related to earlier state media reports that two drones were shot down near the capital Tuesday.
Restrictions on flights arriving to and departing from Vnukovo Airport remained in place until 8:00 a.m, Rosaviatsiya said.
Other airports in Moscow and the region surrounding the capital were operating as normal and without restriction, according to the statement.
Drone reports: State-run TASS news agency said Tuesday that one drone was intercepted in Novaya Moskva (New Moscow) and the other in Kaluga Oblast. There were no injuries or damage, state-run RIA Novosti reported.
Ukraine rarely comments on attacks on Russian soil, which have ramped up in recent months as the war increasingly comes home to the Russian people.
Multiple people familiar with US intelligence on the matter told CNN in June that Kyiv has cultivated a network of agents inside Russia and has provided them with drones to stage attacks.
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2 drones intercepted near Moscow, Russian state media reports
From CNN’s Josh Pennington and Maija-Liisa Ehlinger
Two drones were shot down near Moscow early Tuesday morning, according to Russian state media.
State-run TASS news agency said one drone was intercepted in Novaya Moskva (New Moscow) and the other in Kaluga Oblast southwest of the capital.
There were no injuries or damage after the drones were intercepted, state-run news agency RIA Novosti reported.
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It's early morning in Kyiv. Here's what you need to know
From CNN staff
President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday acknowledged difficulties on the battlefield — but said Ukraine was “making progress.”
Kyiv says the military has taken back 9 square kilometers of territory in the east of the country and 28.4 square kilometers in the south in the past week, totaling about 14 square miles.
However, Ukrainian officials reported heavy fighting in the east.
Russia has deployed over 180,000 troops to two major battlefronts, according to Serhii Cherevatyi, spokesperson for the eastern grouping of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
The Russians, which he described as a “pretty powerful grouping,” were ranged near the cities of Lyman to Kupyansk and around Bakhmut, the nearly flattened city that has endured some of the bloodiest clashes since the start of the year.
Here are the other developments you should know:
Deadly Sumy attack: Four Russian drones struck the center of the northeastern city, according to local officials. At least two people were killed, the regional military administration said.
Call for grain deal extension: German Chancellor Olaf Scholz held a telephone call with Zelensky on Monday to discuss the “political, military, and humanitarian situation in Ukraine,” according to Berlin. The two leaders called for the extension of the UN-brokered Ukraine grain agreement, which is due to expire on July 17.
Nuclear fears: Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant reconnected to its only available backup power line four months after it was lost, but the situation “remains extremely fragile during the ongoing military conflict and is not sustainable,” the UN nuclear watchdog chief said. The plant is held by Russian forces but is mostly operated by a Ukrainian workforce.
Turkish leader digs in: President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says Turkey “will not back down” on its opposition to Sweden joining NATO until all of its “demands are met.” Last month, after meeting with Erdogan in Istanbul, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Sweden had fulfilled its obligations.
Plea to Biden: Zelensky called on US President Joe Biden to invite Ukraine into NATO “now” — even if membership does not come until after the war. Speaking to CNN, Zelensky said Biden was “the decision maker” about whether Ukraine would be in NATO or not.
International probe: Ukraine hopes an international tribunal into alleged Russian crimes of aggression can be held based on the work of a new evidence-gathering center launched in The Hague on Monday. Ukraine’s Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin said he anticipated prosecutors will not only gather evidence but also begin building a “prosecutorial strategy” which could be used by a future tribunal.
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Zelensky calls on Biden to invite Ukraine into NATO now — even if membership doesn't happen until after war
From CNN’s Erin Burnett, Yon Pomrenze, and Mick Krever
President Volodymyr Zelensky called on US President Joe Biden to invite Ukraine into NATO “now” — even if membership does not come until after the war.
Zelensky said Biden was “the decision maker” about whether Ukraine would be in NATO or not.
“He supports our future in NATO,” but an invitation now would be a huge motivator for Ukrainian soldiers, Zelensky said in an exclusive interview with CNN’s Erin Burnett.
Ukraine’s aspiration to join is enshrined in its constitution and its relationship with NATO dates back to the early 1990s, according to the alliance. NATO is due to hold a summit in Lithuania on July 11 and 12 where leaders are expected to discuss Ukraine’s membership.
“Now,” Zelensky said in response to a question about why not wait for an invitation. “It’s very important.”
Zelensky said he understood that Ukraine would “never be in NATO before war finishes.”
NATO stipulates that the settlement of territorial disputes is “a factor in determining whether to invite a state to join the Alliance.”
“We understand everything,” Zelensky said.” But this signal is really very important. And depends on Biden’s decision.”
Turkey will continue to oppose Sweden's NATO bid until "demands are met," Erdogan says
From CNN's Jessie Gretener
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says Turkey “will not back down” on its opposition to Sweden joining NATO until all of its “demands are met.”
Erdogan said his country’s expectations were made clear and that “we defend the same principles that we defended last year.”
Some background: FETO is what Turkey calls the followers of Fethullah Gulen, a former Erdogan ally who has been in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania since 1999. Erdogan has accused him of orchestrating a failed coup attempt in July 2016. He has likened Gulen’s followers to ISIS, which has repeatedly bombed targets within Turkey, and the Kurdish separatist movement PKK, which is listed as a terror organization by the US.
The Turkish president’s comments contradict recent remarks made by Swedish, NATO and US officials regarding Sweden’s possible accession to the alliance.
Last week, Sweden’s Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom said it had fulfilled the necessary requirements set out by Turkey in order to join NATO.
Earlier in June, after meeting with Erdogan in Istanbul, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said that Sweden had fulfilled its obligations.
More context: Sweden, Finland and Turkey are set to hold a meeting in Brussels before NATO’s July meeting in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius next week where the matter of Ukrainian membership of the alliance is expected to be on the agenda.
Both Sweden and Finland stated their intent to join NATO through its open-door policy in May of 2022, just weeks after Russia launched its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.
Finland was accepted in April of this year, doubling the alliance’s border with Russia, but Sweden’s accession remains blocked.
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Russia has deployed more than 180,000 troops to 2 major battlefronts, Ukrainian military says
From CNN's Mariya Knight and Olga Voitovych
Russia has deployed over 180,000 troops to the two major eastern battlefronts, according to Serhii Cherevatyi, spokesperson for the eastern grouping of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
Cherevatyi called it “a pretty powerful grouping.” He said it included “air assault and mechanized units, units of the Bars combat army reserve, territorial forces” and new Storm Z assault companies, that he said recruited people with criminal records.
Cherevatyi said there are around 50,000 Russian troops on the Bakhmut front.
The cities of Lyman and Kupyansk are about 100 kilometers apart, north of Bakhmut on Ukraine’s eastern front.
Bakhmut fighting: Meanwhile, Hanna Maliar, deputy defense minister of Ukraine, reported frequent clashes near Bakhmut. “The situation is changing very rapidly,” Maliar said in a Telegram post. “Control over the same positions can be lost and regained twice a day.”
Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi, the commander of Ukrainian Land Forces, echoed Maliar’s comments in an interview with Ukrainska Pravda, a Ukrainian online newspaper, on Monday.
Chasiv Yar is about 15 kilometers west of Bakhmut.
Syrskyi noted that Russians are “desperately clinging to the positions and strongholds that were once occupied by the Wagnerites,” a reference to the mercenary force that led the Russian offensive around Bakhmut.
Ukrainian forces have been able to stop Russian troops from moving within Bakhmut, he said.
