Russia says it stopped a Ukrainian attack late Friday on the Crimean Bridge, also known as the Kerch Bridge, that links the annexed Crimean peninsula to the Russian mainland.
Russia’s newest nuclear weapons system — the Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile, known in the West as “Satan II” — is now operational, a top Moscow official said. It will replace a Soviet-era missile system.
Flights serving Moscow were disrupted Friday by Ukrainian drones that targeted Russia’s capital and the Kursk region bordering Ukraine, Russian officials said.
Ukraine says its counteroffensive has made some progress in the southeast, edging closer to Russia’s sprawling network of fortified trenches. “We are moving forward,” Kyiv’s foreign minister told CNN.
26 Posts
Our live coverage for the day has ended. Follow the latest Ukraine news or read through the updates below.
Link Copied!
Russia claims it stopped an attack on the Crimean bridge from Ukrainian sea drones
From CNN’s Mariya Knight
Russia said it stopped an overnight Ukrainian attack on the Crimean Bridge, also known as the Kerch Bridge, that links the annexed Crimean peninsula to the Russian mainland.
The Russian Ministry of Defense said Ukrainian forces attempted to attack the bridge with two unmanned explosive-laden boats.
The first “sea drone was detected in a timely manner and destroyed in the Black Sea,” at 11.15 p.m. local time (4.15 p.m. ET), the ministry said.
A second boat attack was thwarted three hours later early on Saturday morning and Russia said later Saturday that it stopped a third sea drone attack on the vital bridge, according to the defense ministry.
The third “sea drone was destroyed in the Black Sea,” at 02:20 am local time (7:20 pm ET), the ministry said.
Russian State Media RIA Novosti reported Friday that “the movement of vehicles on the bridge is temporarily restricted,” citing Russia’s operational headquarters.
Ukraine is yet to comment on the alleged attacks.
Some context: The latest attempt on the Kerch Bridge comes after a Ukrainian security official claimed Kyiv’s responsibility for a July 17 attack on the bridge that left two people dead and injured their daughter, according to Russian-appointed officials.
The nearly 12-mile crossing is the longest in Europe and holds huge strategic and symbolic importance for Moscow. July’s attack on the bridge was the second since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine, after a fuel tanker exploded while crossing it in October.
Link Copied!
It’s after midnight in Kyiv. Here’s what you should know
From CNN staff
Ukraine is “not failing” but “moving forward” in its counteroffensive, the country’s foreign minister told CNN on Friday.
Those criticizing the speed of Ukraine’s counteroffensive should consider the soldiers fighting at the heart of it, Dmytro Kuleba said.
Most recently, Ukrainian forces said they had penetrated the “first line” of Russian strongholds in the Zaporizhzhia region, in a sign that Kyiv is edging closer to Moscow’s sprawling network of fortified trenches along the southern front.
If you’re just now reading in, here’s what else you should know:
New Russian missile system: Russia said its newest nuclear weapons system, the Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile, is now operational. The Sarmat will replace Soviet-era Voevoda missiles, known by the NATO designation SS-18 “Satan,” in Russia’s strategic arsenal. As the SS-18’s successor, the Sarmat has been nicknamed “Satan II” in the West.
Nobel Prize committee decision: Ambassadors from Russia and Belarus have been invited back to the Nobel Prize banquet after being excluded last year because of Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Nobel Foundation said. The foundation said it is “broadening our invitations” to involve even those who do not share the values of the Nobel Prize. On Friday, Moscow added Nobel Peace Prize-winning journalist Dmitry Muratov to its register of “foreign agents.”
Back to school: The lives of Ukrainian children and teens have been upended by Russia’s invasion of their country. Almost 4 million children in Ukraine went back to primary and secondary schools on Friday, according to the country’s education ministry. CNN spoke with Ukrainian teenagers in Kyiv who claim that they had been forcibly deported to Russia before being found and brought home by family members. Some said they were fed propaganda from Moscow.
Entertainment: This summer’s blockbuster “Barbie” has made it to Russia — despite not being officially released there due to the war in Ukraine — and it seems Barbiemania has infatuated many Russians even as the movie draws condemnation from officials. Despite the enthusiasm, a number of Russian officials and lawmakers have slammed the iconic doll, made by US toy manufacturer Mattel, and the movie for promoting what they consider to be morally degraded Western values.
Link Copied!
Russia adds Nobel Peace Prize-winning journalist to its register of "foreign agents"
From CNN’s Anna Chernova, Niamh Kennedy and Darya Tarasova
Russia's top independent newspaper Novaya Gazeta chief editor and the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize winner Dmitry Muratov meets with reporters outside the newspaper's office in Moscow on October 8, 2021.
Muratov, who is the editor of the Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta, made the headlines last year when he announced plans to auction the Nobel Peace Prize medal he was awarded in 2021 to raise money for Ukrainian refugees.
Under a law expanded in December 2022, Russia requires all individuals or organizations receiving either funding or support from abroad to be classified as “foreign agents.”
Critics say Russia has used this legislation to stifle free speech and freedom of expression in the country, pointing to the restrictions faced by “foreign agents” which include a ban from most teaching jobs and state funding for projects.
Muratov appeared on the Russian Ministry of Justice’s register of foreign agents on Friday.
Link Copied!
New Russian missile system known as "Satan II" has been placed on combat duty, official says
From CNN's Tim Lister
In this handout photo released by Roscosmos Space Agency Press Service on April 20, 2022, the Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile is launched from Plesetsk in Russia's northwest.
Roscosmos Space Agency Press Service/AP/FILE
Russia says its newest nuclear weapons system, the Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile, is now operational.
“The Sarmat strategic complex has been put on combat duty,” Yury Borisov, the director general of the state space corporation Roscosmos, said in a media appearance.
It had been due to go on combat duty at the end of 2022.
The Sarmat will replace Soviet-era Voevoda missiles, known by the NATO designation SS-18 “Satan,” in Russia’s strategic arsenal. As the SS-18’s successor, the Sarmat has been nicknamed “Satan II” in the West.
Some background: Russian President Vladimir Putin said in April last year that the Sarmat would be capable of delivering multiple nuclear warheads as far as the continental United States – and would “give thought to those who are trying to threaten Russia.”
At the time, Western analysts told CNN the threat to the US and its allies from Satan II was “extremely low,” and that Putin’s high-profile testing of the weapon may have been intended to hide Russian military failures in its war in Ukraine.
Like the SS-18, the Sarmat could carry 10 and possibly more independently targeted nuclear warheads with a range of up to 18,000 kilometers (or about 11,185 miles), according to the Missile Defense Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
It is expected to serve as a one-for-one replacement for the Voevoda missiles. Hans Kristensen, director of the Nuclear Information Project at the Federation of American Scientists, likened Satan II to a “facelift” for the Soviet-era SS-18, though he said there were “probably some enhancements under the hood.”
Link Copied!
Russia and Belarus invited back to Nobel Prize banquet after being barred last year due to Ukraine invasion
From CNN's Amy Cassidy and Christian Edwards
Ambassadors from Russia and Belarus have been invited back to the Nobel Prize banquet after being excluded last year because of Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Nobel Foundation said.
The foundation said it is “broadening our invitations” to involve even those who do not share the values of the Nobel Prize.
“To counter this tendency, we are now broadening our invitations to celebrate and understand the Nobel Prize and the importance of free science, free culture and free, peaceful societies,” Helgesen said.
Russians and Belarusians have been excluded from countless events since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which has been heavily assisted by Minsk, in February 2022.
The foundation said its decision was made to prevent further “polarisation.”
The Nobel Banquet takes place annually in Stockholm on December 10, where five out of six Nobel Prizes are awarded. The Nobel Peace Prize is awarded in Oslo, Norway.
Swift criticism: Ukraine has condemned the decision and urged the foundation to reverse course.
A Swedish member of the European Parliament also called the decision “extremely inappropriate.”
On Swedish national radio, Swedish Liberal MEP Karin Karlsbro questioned why the foundation invited “three rogue states … that suppress their citizens, wage war and terror both in their own and neighboring countries” and “in no way subscribe to democratic values.”
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson has said he would not have made the decision to invite Russia back to the banquet held in his country.
CNN’s Niamh Kennedy and Henrik Pettersson contributed reporting to this post.
Link Copied!
Ukrainian teenagers forcibly deported to Russian centers say they were fed propaganda from Moscow
From CNN's Christiane Amanpour, Madalena Araujo, Olha Konovalova and Christian Edwards
The lives of Ukrainian children and teens have been utterly upended by Russia’s invasion of their country. When the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin in March, the foremost charge against him was over an alleged scheme to deport Ukrainian children to Russian detention centers.
CNN spoke with Ukrainian teenagers in Kyiv who claim that they had been forcibly deported to Russia before being found and brought home by family members. Their return was made possible by Save Ukraine, an organization working to return deported children to their families.
Motychak was told by Russian guards that “the buses were too expensive.” And so she remained in the center during Christmas 2022 and into the beginning of the year – and she said she was only granted access to basic necessities if she performed acts of Russian patriotism.
“There were some secondhand clothing and hygiene products delivered for us. So when we asked for these, they said, ‘Whoever doesn’t like Russia doesn’t like me and isn’t going to get these things.’”
Motychak said she was able to speak to her mother on the phone once a week. Her mother contacted a volunteer working to bring detained Ukrainian children home. Together, they were able to travel to Crimea in February and bring Motychak home, along with other teens she had been detained with.
This week, Kyiv opened more than 3,000 criminal cases over Russia’s alleged crimes against children in the country, including dozens of torture cases, Ukrainian prosecutors said Thursday. Russia has repeatedly denied these accusations of torture and human rights abuses.
In July, Moscow authorities claimed some 700,000 children had been brought into Russian custody since the war began. The Russian government has defended the practice, saying they are saving the children and denying that the deportations are forced. Ukraine however, claims the children were illegally deported and that a much smaller number of children have been taken – an estimated 19,500.
CNN also spoke with Ksenia Koldin, 19, who helped retrieve her 12-year-old brother from a Russian detention center. Having been separated for months, Koldin said the reunion was tough, since she could see that her brother had been “tormented.”
“Not only had there been almost a thousand kilometers between us and we didn’t see each other for nine months – we’d also grown apart because of the psychological pressure put on him,” she said.
During his detention, Koldin said her brother had been shown Russian propaganda, making him doubt his own country and reluctant to return home.
Koldin said that, with the help of a volunteer, she had been able to convince her brother to leave the center and come back with her.
“I couldn’t believe I had managed to bring him close to me, and in a few hours we could be on our way,” she said.
Students prepare for air raids and huddling in shelters as they return to school in Ukraine
From CNN's Olga Voitovych in Kyiv and Ivana Kottasová in London
Kateryna Pylypenko pictured with her son on his first day of school on Friday.
Kateryna Pylypenko
Kateryna Pylypenko prepared two backpacks for her youngest son’s first day of school on Friday: one with school supplies, and one for the bomb shelter.
“The bag (for the shelter) will be kept in the classroom. We were told it should contain water, a toy … and something to eat while they wait in the shelter for the air raid alarm to end,” Pylypenko told CNN.
As Russia’s brutal and unprovoked assault on Ukraine enters its third academic year, almost 4 million children went back to primary and secondary schools on Friday, according to the country’s education ministry. According to UNICEF, only about a third of children enrolled in Ukraine will be attending in-person classes this year, with the rest studying at least partially online.
Pylypenko’s two sons, who are 6 and 14 years old, will be going back in person. Their school in Kyiv decided to bring pupils back in after surveying parents a few weeks ago.
In-person classes involve some risk – Ukraine’s capital has been struck by Russian missiles and drones a number of times in recent months. But Pylypenko said she was keen for her sons to have a school experience that is as close to “normal” as possible, even though their father, her husband, is currently away fighting in the war.
The first day of school is usually a special occasion in Ukraine. Crowds of parents gather outside the gates, as children dress up in their best clothes and present their teachers with flowers.
Hundreds of miles away in Zaporizhzhia, 9-year-old Dmytro Ukrainsky is one of the kids not allowed to return to class. Frequent attacks on the city, near the front lines in southern Ukraine, make in-person education far too dangerous.
Ukraine is "moving forward" in counteroffensive, foreign minister tells CNN
From CNN’s Catherine Nicholls and Zoe Cantley
Ukraine is “not failing” but “moving forward” in its counteroffensive, the country’s foreign minister told CNN on Friday.
“If Ukraine was failing, I would probably be the first one just to speak the truth. But we are not failing — we are moving forward,” Dmytro Kuleba said in an interview with CNN’s Christiane Amanpour in Kyiv.
The foreign minister added that those criticizing the speed of Ukraine’s counteroffensive should consider the soldiers fighting at the heart of it.
“Our partners who are helping us, including the United States, they understand that things are moving in the right direction. And they understand that there’s no tragedy or no kind of slow down,” Kuleba continued. “It’s just happening because it’s tough. It’s a tough fight.”
Most recently, Ukrainian forces said they had penetrated the “first line” of Russian strongholds in the Zaporizhzhia region, in a sign that Kyiv is edging closer to Moscow’s sprawling network of fortified trenches along the southern front.
Watch a clip of the interview here:
Link Copied!
"Barbie" has unofficially reached Russia's cinemas, despite Western studios pulling out of country during the war
From CNN's Radina Gigova and Katharina Krebs
Margot Robbie as Barbie in Warner Bros. Pictures' "Barbie".
Warner Bros. Pictures
This summer’s blockbuster “Barbie” has made it to Russia — despite not being officially released there due to the war in Ukraine — and it seems Barbiemania has infatuated many Russians even as the movie draws condemnation from officials.
“Barbie” distributor Warner Bros., which is owned by CNN’s parent company Warner Bros. Discovery, was among the Western studios to pull out of Russia after its full-scale invasion of Ukraine last year. Since spring 2022, not a single movie from the company has been released in Russia.
Russia’s Ministry of Culture said it hasn’t received an application to release “Barbie,” and authorities denied reports that a dubbing studio had started working on Russian voiceovers for the movie, according to state news agency TASS. When approached by CNN, Warner Bros. Discovery had no further comment on the story.
While several Russian cinema networks have said they won’t be showing “Barbie” without a proper license and have stayed away from pirated copies, some smaller theaters have chosen to hold screenings of lower-quality pirated versions due to the high demand.
Nearly 90 people showed up to watch an improvised screening of the movie in the Siberian city of Tyumen earlier this month, according to state news outlet RIA Novosti. The organizers told the outlet they had found a good adapted version with proper voiceovers.
Similar screenings with Russian voiceovers have also been promised at several cinemas in the capital of Moscow. A “Barbie House” photo zone was also set to open in Moscow last week, and Russian clothing brands have launched pink Barbie-themed collections.
Barbiemania has taken over social media as well, with numerous Russian influencers and celebrities posting Barbie-related images and videos and highlighting their own Barbie-themed looks.
Russian officials are not (publicly) fans of “Barbie world”: Despite the enthusiasm, a number of Russian officials and lawmakers have slammed the iconic doll, made by US toy manufacturer Mattel, and the movie for promoting what they consider to be morally degraded Western values. Commentaries in state media have linked the movie and the doll to the United States’ “downhill” culture and geopolitical aims.
Former spy-turned-lawmaker Maria Butina told state outlet Duma TV that images of Barbie dolls should be removed, because they promote “the LGBT theme.”
Even though the movie largely lampoons Barbie’s body standards, long-criticized as unrealistic, Butina’s position is echoed by a number of Russian officials, who maintain that both the doll and the movie could have a negative influence on young girls. It’s unclear if any of those officials have even seen the movie.
“If you take the dimensions of Barbie and put them on a real person, then this is a waist of 35 centimeters, it’s very hard to imagine a girl with a waist of 35 centimeters,” said Tatyana Butskaya, deputy chair of the State Duma Committee on Family, Women and Children, speaking at a press conference in Moscow on the influence of toys on the child psyche.
It's afternoon in Kyiv. Catch up on the latest headlines here
From CNN staff
Ukrainian officials say they are consolidating their positions on the southern front and have claimed to launch drone strikes from inside Russian territory.
Here’s what you need to know on Friday.
Ukraine targets Russian cities: Ukrainian drones again targeted Russia’s capital and a southwestern region bordering Ukraine, Russian officials said Friday. Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin said air defenses downed a drone approaching the capital overnight, and flights there were disrupted. Officials in other cities around the country also reported attacks.
Attacks “launched inside Russia:” The head of Ukrainian Defense Intelligence said that separate drone attacks earlier this week, which hit a Russian air base in Pskov, were launched from within Russian territory. Kyrylo Budanov told the online publication WarZone: “We are operating from Russian territory; four Russian IL-76 military transport planes were hit as a result of the attack.”
The southern front: The Ukrainian military says its units on the southern Zaporizhzhia front are consolidating their positions after making some progress. The General Staff said Friday that forces were pushing toward the village of Novoprokopivka, adding: “They have been successful, are consolidating their positions, inflicting artillery fire on the identified enemy targets, and conducting counter-battery operations.”
Russia arrests blogger: Andrey Kurshin, who ran an influential Russian military Telegram channel, was arrested in Moscow, state news reported. An ultra-nationalist, Kurshin had been critical of how the Kremlin had managed the war in Ukraine.
Thousands of inquests opened: Ukrainian prosecutors say they have opened more than 3,000 cases of alleged Russian crimes against children, including murder, torture and sexual violence. Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February last year, Ukrainian authorities, rights groups, international bodies and news organizations have documented an overwhelming body of evidence of alleged Russian war crimes and human rights abuses.
Grain deal: Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will meet Monday, the Kremlin has confirmed. The meeting comes after Russia’s foreign minister said it is willing to rejoin the Black Sea grain deal once it sees guarantees that promised benefits will be implemented. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres later presented “a set of concrete proposals.”
Link Copied!
Kremlin confirms Putin will meet Turkish president as Black Sea grain deal negotiations continue
From CNN’s Anna Chernova
Russian President Vladimir Putin will hold talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the southern Russian city of Sochi on Monday, the Kremlin confirmed.
“Indeed, the negotiations will take place on Monday in Sochi,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told journalists Friday.
The meeting is to be held against the backdrop of Ankara’s efforts to convince Moscow to reconsider its withdrawal from the Black Sea grain deal. Russia withdrew from the initiative in July, nearly a year after it was brokered by Turkey and the United Nations to guarantee safe passage of Ukrainian grain through the Black Sea and help facilitate Russian exports of grain and fertilizer.
Following bilateral talks in Moscow with his Turkish counterpart, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov reiterated Thursday that Russia will be ready to rejoin the Black Sea initiative as soon as it sees guarantees that benefits promised to Russia will be implemented.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres later Thursday presented “a set of concrete proposals” in order to renew the deal in a letter to Lavrov.
Ukrainian intelligence official says drone attacks against Russian airbase were launched from inside Russia
From CNN's Tim Lister and Olga Voitovych
This satellite photo from Planet Labs PBC shows the dual military-civilian use Princess Olga Pskov International Airport in Pskov, Russia, on August 31.
Planet Labs PBC/AP
The head of Ukrainian Defense Intelligence, Kyrylo Budanov, said that drone attacks earlier this week on a Russian air base in Pskov were launched from within Russian territory.
Budanov told the online publication WarZone: “We are operating from Russian territory; four Russian IL-76 military transport planes were hit as a result of the attack.”
“Two were destroyed and two were seriously damaged,” Budanov said.
Satellite imagery shows that two Il-76s — the aircraft that forms the backbone of Russian military airlift — were destroyed, and two appear to have damaged fuselages.
However, he declined to tell WarZone what type of drones and how many were used in what was one of Ukraine’s most ambitious aerial attacks inside Russia.
Pskov is about 800 kilometers (roughly 500 miles) from the Ukrainian border in northwestern Russia near Estonia.
The Kremlin declined to comment on the claim Friday, with spokesperson Dmitry Peskov deferring questions to the Russian defense ministry.
CNN’s Anna Chernova contributed reporting to this post.
Link Copied!
Ukrainian troops consolidate on southern front after some gains, officials say
From CNN's Tim Lister and Olga Voitovych
Ukrainian servicemen fire small multiple launch rocket systems towards Russian troops near a front line in Zaporizhzhia region, Ukraine, on August 19.
Viacheslav Ratynsky/Reuters
The Ukrainian military says its units on the southern Zaporizhzhia front are consolidating their positions after making some progress.
The General Staff said Friday that forces were pushing towards the village of Novoprokopivka. “They have been successful, are consolidating their positions, inflicting artillery fire on the identified enemy targets, and conducting counter-battery operations.”
However, the Russian military blogger WarGonzo reported that Russian forces had counterattacked near the village of Verbove in the same sector.
Ukrainian soldiers have said they expect battles for control of high ground to the south and east of the village as they approach the next layer of Russian defenses. The goal of Ukrainian forces in this area is to punch a hole through the multi-layered Russian defensive fortifications and approach the strategic hub of Tokmak.
The Russian Ministry of Defense reported Thursday that Russian forces repelled five Ukrainian assaults near Verbove.
CNN is unable to verify independently the battlefield claims of either side.
The Ukrainians also claim to have reached “parity” with the Russians in terms of artillery range. Brigadier General Serhiy Baranov told Ukrainian media Thursday that the Ukrainians are benefiting from the longer range of field artillery provided by NATO states.
He said that while Russian artillery had an average range of 24 kilometers, weapons provided to Ukraine could fire between 30 and 40 kilometers.
“This made it possible to destroy or damage the enemy’s guns, as well as to move the enemy’s artillery from the front line into the depths and prevent counter-battery warfare against our artillery and influence our infantry,” Baranov said.
Link Copied!
Ultra-nationalist military blogger arrested in Moscow
From CNN's Tim Lister and Anna Chernova
A Russian military blogger who has frequently been critical of the way the campaign in Ukraine has been conducted has been arrested in Moscow, according to state news agency RIA Novosti.
“A criminal case was opened against the administrator of the Moscow Calling telegram channel Andrey Kurshin for fake news about the Russian army,” RIA Novosti said.
Moscow imposed harsh penalties on spreading “fake news” about the military shortly after it invaded Ukraine, amid a brutal crackdown on dissent.
“While he is being held as a suspect, the case is being investigated by Moscow investigators,” the agency said, citing law enforcement agencies.
The Telegram channel of Moscow Calling has some 87,000 subscribers.
The Institute for the Study of War notes that Kurshin is not a mainstream blogger but an ultra-nationalist who “commonly attacks many aspects of Russia’s military conduct of the war in Ukraine while supporting the ultranationalist goals underpinning the war itself.”
ISW said that “the wider Russian ultranationalist information space welcomed Kurshin’s arrest and noted that he routinely discredited the Russian military.”
"We do whatever we can now to resist": Christiane Amanpour meets the Ukrainians training as drone pilots
By Christiane Amanpour and Maddie Araujo
As drones increasingly become a weapon of choice for both Russia and Ukraine, CNN’s Christiane Amanpour was able to witness Ukrainians training to become drone pilots.
At a sprawling field at an undisclosed location, the Victory Drones charity initiative is teaching both military personnel and civilians how to fly first-person view (FPV) civilian drones. These devices can be bought off a store shelf for as little as $500, but once weaponized they can take out entire tanks in the battlefield.
Some of the trainees have strapped water bottles full of sand to their drones as mock rocket-propelled grenades (RPG) so they can practice munition drops around an obstacle course.
“We do whatever we can now to resist because [the] Russians want to kill all of us,” 40-year-old Yuliia tells Amanpour. She used to be a writer and film director before the war.
Just this week, Ukraine launched the largest drone assault on Russian territory since the beginning of the invasion, striking at at least six regions across the country. It is unclear what types of drones were used for that attack.
Software engineer Lyuba Shipovich co-founded Victory Drones. She calls FPVs “the most cost-effective weapon” because they also have the advantage of being used for reconnaissance purposes. “If you seethe enemy you can hit the enemy, you can hide,” she explains.
The school, which trains both men and women, is working in conjunction with Ukraine’s Armed Forces.
“We are trying to fight this myth that women cannot fight,” Shipovich tells Amanpour. “If you have hands, fingers you can operate drones.”
CNN’s Victoria Butenko, Olha Konovalova and Mark Phillips also contributed reporting.
Murder, torture, sexual violence among thousands of Russian crimes against children, Ukraine says
From CNN's Mariya Knight and Helen Regan
Shards of window glass are seen in the kindergarten at the scene where a helicopter crashed on civil infrastructure in Brovary, on the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine, on January 18.
Daniel Cole/AP/File
Ukraine has opened more than 3,000 criminal cases over Russia’s alleged crimes against children in the country, including dozens of torture cases, Ukrainian prosecutors said Thursday.
Usenko said these alleged crimes are “often combined with torture and illegal deprivation of liberty” and “pretrial investigation bodies and prosecutors document such crimes in more than 3,200 criminal proceedings.”
Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February last year, Ukrainian authorities, rights groups, international bodies and news organizations have documented an overwhelming body of evidence of alleged Russian war crimes and human rights abuses.
Russia has repeatedly denied these accusations of torture and human rights abuses.
According to Usenko, prosecutors documented 75 children who suffered various forms of torture at the hands of Russian forces.
She said 69 of them were located in the village of Yahidne, in Ukraine’s northern Chernihiv region. The children were held in the basement of a school together with adults and their conditions and treatment, “is equated to torture,” Usenko said.
Isolated cases of child torture were also documented in the southern Kherson and northeastern Kharkiv regions, where children were “deprived of their freedom and subjected to physical torture,” Usenko said.
Moscow flights disrupted after reports of thwarted drone attack
From CNN's Olga Voitovych
A sign with the name of Vnukovo International Airport is seen on the rooftop of its terminal in Moscow, Russia on August 21.
Maxim Shemetov/Reuters/File
Flights serving Moscow airports were once again disrupted Friday after the Russian capital’s mayor reported another Ukrainian drone attack.
It did not provide a specific reason for the temporary restrictions.
Earlier Friday, Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin said air defenses had downed a Ukrainian drone headed toward the capital.
It comes after all four Moscow airports temporarily suspended flight operations Wednesday as Russia saw the biggest drone assault on its territory since it launched its invasion of Ukraine last year.
Ukraine has increasingly been emboldened to hit strategic targets inside Russia through the air in recent weeks, even as it suffers assaults on its own cities, setting up a new phase of the conflict defined by Kyiv’s apparent efforts to wear down domestic Russian support for the war.
Link Copied!
Russia reports new drone attacks on Moscow and Kursk regions
From CNN's Olga Voitovych
Ukrainian drones again targeted Russia’s capital and a southwestern region bordering Ukraine, Russian officials said Friday.
Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin said air defenses downed a drone approaching the capital overnight. No casualties or damage were reported, he said.
Meanwhile in the Kursk region, a Ukrainian drone targeted the town of Kurchatov in the early hours of Friday, its governor said.
Kursk Gov. Roman Starovoit said the drone hit a non-residential building, damaging its facade.
Starovoit earlier said two drones had targeted the town, but later said the fall of the second one could not be confirmed.
Some context: Ukrainian drone attacks on Russia have ramped up this week. Early Wednesday, Russia saw the biggest drone assault on its territory since it launched its invasion last year, as six regions including Moscow and Bryansk came under attack.
This post has been updated to reflect the Kursk governor’s latest remarks.
Link Copied!
It's morning in Kyiv. Catch up on the latest headlines here
From CNN staff
Ukrainian forces say they have penetrated the “first line” of Russian strongholds in the Zaporizhzhia region, in a sign that Kyiv is edging closer to Moscow’s sprawling network of fortified trenches along the southern front.
News of the latest progress comes following reports that US and Western allies had noted the slow pace of the counteroffensive. CNN reported earlier this month that the US had been receiving increasingly “sobering updates.”
Here’s what else you need to know:
On the ground: Ukrainian shelling wounded 10 people Thursday in the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic in eastern Ukraine, according to a Russia-backed official. Also, a British volunteer has been killed while fighting in eastern Ukraine, according to his family.
Weapons development: As Ukraine accelerates efforts to develop a sophisticated domestic weapons industry, it has welcomed the opening of an office in Kyiv by UK aerospace and weapons giant BAE Systems. Additionally, a Ukrainian-made long-range weapon has successfully hit a target at a distance of 700 kilometers (about 435 miles), Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelensky said Thursday. He didn’t provide any images or say what kind of weapon it was.
Grain deal: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday presented “a set of concrete proposals” in order to renew the Black Sea grain deal in a letter to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. It comes after Lavrov said Russia is ready to return to the deal as soon as what Moscow claims to be promises become concrete guarantees. Kyiv said any consideration of supporting Russian grain exports in the Black Sea without resuming exports from Ukrainian ports would bolster Moscow’s “sense of impunity” and “deal a severe blow to international obligations and international law.”
War’s wider impact: The EU’s top diplomat claimed Thursday that Russia is “losing ground in the international community” as Moscow’s attacks on Ukrainian grain supplies impact countries far away from the conflict. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said the 2nd Russia-Africa Summit held in July was a “complete diplomatic failure” for Moscow.
Wagner latest: A new video published by pro-Wagner PMC Telegram channel Grey Zone on Wednesday appears to show Yevgeny Prigozhin claiming to be in Africa shortly before his death in a plane crash. It is unclear when or where the video was shot, but the Wagner boss seems unbothered about his safety, and tells his audience he is doing fine. Meanwhile, demands by the leadership of Poland and the Baltic states for the withdrawal of Wagner mercenaries from Belarus are “unreasonable and stupid,” Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said Thursday.
War tactics: Russian military hackers have targeted Ukrainian soldiers’ mobile devices in a bid to steal sensitive battlefield information that could aid the Kremlin’s war on Ukraine, the US and its allies warned Thursday. The new advisory from the US and its “Five Eyes” allies — Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United Kingdom — corroborates a report from Ukraine’s SBU security service that found the Russian hackers sought to infiltrate Android tablets used by the Ukrainian military for “planning and performing combat missions.”
Link Copied!
EU's top diplomat claims Russia is "losing ground in the international community"
From CNN's Mariya Knight
Josep Borrell speaks during a conference at the EU foreign ministers meeting in Toledo, Spain, on August 31.
Andrea Comas/AP
Russia is “losing ground in the international community” as Moscow’s attacks on Ukrainian grain supplies impact countries far away from the conflict, the European Union’s top diplomat claimed on Thursday.
Speaking at a news conference in Brussels following a meeting of European foreign ministers, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell cited the 2nd Russia-Africa Summit held in July as a “diplomatic failure,” for Moscow.
Global food prices ticked up after Russia pulled out of the Black Sea grain deal allowing the safe passage of ships carrying grain from Ukrainian ports in July. In the following weeks, Russian forces have repeatedly attacked the ports in what Kyiv officials say is a deliberate attempt to disrupt its vital grain exports, which are relied upon by many developing countries, including in Africa.
Some context: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday presented “a set of concrete proposals” in order to renew the Black Sea grain deal in a letter to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. It comes after Lavrov said Russia is ready to return to the deal as soon as what Moscow claims to be promises become concrete guarantees. Kyiv said any consideration of supporting Russian grain exports in the Black Sea without resuming exports from Ukrainian ports would bolster Moscow’s “sense of impunity” and “deal a severe blow to international obligations and international law.”
Link Copied!
UN presents "concrete proposals" to Russia for Black Sea grain deal renewal
From CNN’s Mariya Knight and Richard Roth
Antonio Guterres talks at a press conference in Johannesburg on August 24.
Michele Spatari/AFP/Getty Images
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres presented “a set of concrete proposals” in order to renew the Black Sea grain deal in a letter to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
According to Guterres, it is “extremely important to renew” the grain deal.
He said the initiative “has given a very important contribution to make the food markets more adequate to the UN objectives of food security,” such as bringing down prices and creating “conditions for access to the global markets of many countries, namely the developing world.”
However, he said, the UN “took into concern the Russian requests.”
“We have some concrete solutions for the concerns allowing for a more effective access of Russian food and fertilizers to global markets at adequate prices,” he said.
Guterres said he believes the UN “presented a proposal that could be the basis for a renewal, but a renewal that must be stable.”
Some context: Earlier Thursday, Lavrov said Russia is ready to return to the Black Sea Grain Initiative as soon as promises made to Moscow become guarantees.
Russia withdrew from the initiative in July, nearly a year after it was brokered by Turkey and the UN to guarantee the safe passage of Ukrainian grain through the Black Sea and help facilitate Russian exports of grain and fertilizer.
Russia has persistently complained that benefits due under the agreement never materialized.
Link Copied!
Russian military hackers take aim at Ukrainian soldiers' battle plans, US and allies say
From CNN's Sean Lyngaas
Russian military hackers have been targeting Ukrainian soldiers’ mobile devices in a bid to steal sensitive battlefield information that could aid the Kremlin’s war on Ukraine, the US and its allies warned Thursday.
The new advisory from the US and its “Five Eyes” allies — Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United Kingdom — corroborates a report from Ukraine’s SBU security service that found the Russian hackers sought to infiltrate the Android tablets that the Ukrainian military used for “planning and performing combat missions.”
The Russian hackers’ malicious code was designed to steal data sent from soldiers’ mobile devices to the Starlink satellite system made by billionaire Elon Musk’s company, according to the SBU. Starlink satellites have been crucial to Ukraine’s battlefield communications, CNN previously reported.
The news shows how the struggle to control sensitive military data in cyberspace has been a key front in Russia’s full-scale war on Ukraine.
It’s unclear just how successful the hacking effort was. Ukraine’s SBU security service claimed to have “blocked” some of the hacking attempts, but also conceded that the Russians had “captured” the tablets on the battlefield and planted malicious software on them.
Zelensky touts new Ukrainian-made long-range weapon
From CNN's Mariya Knight
A Ukrainian-made long-range weapon has successfully hit a target at a distance of 700 kilometers (about 435 miles), President Volodymyr Zelensky said Thursday.
He didn’t provide any images or say what kind of weapon it was.
Zelensky discussed the launch with top military and government officials and wrote about it on Telegram.
Zelensky didn’t say where or when the weapon was used and CNN is not able to independently verify this claim.
Link Copied!
"Everything's fine," Prigozhin says in new video purportedly filmed days before his death
From CNN's Mariya Knight and Tara Subramaniam
Yevgeny Prigozhin gives an address inside a vehicle at an unknown location.
Courtesy Grey Zone via Telegram/Reuters
A new video published by pro-Wagner PMC Telegram channel Grey Zone on Wednesday appears to show Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin claiming to be in Africa shortly before his death.
It is unclear when or where the video was shot, but Prigozhin seems unbothered about his safety and well-being, and tells his audience from a moving vehicle that he is doing fine.
Prigozhin’s words suggest the video could have been recorded on the weekend of August 19. The gear that Prigozhin is wearing resembles what he wore in the only other recent video where he is said to be in Africa, which surfaced on August 21.
CNN has not been able to verify the locations or the dates of either video.
Prigozhin died in a plane crash on August 23 along with nine other passengers while en route to St. Petersburg.
The crash came two months to the day after Prigozhin’s attempted mutiny against Russia’s military leadership. It is not clear yet what caused the crash, but US and Western intelligence officials that CNN has spoken to believe it was deliberate.
Ukrainian forces advance toward "first line" of Russian defenses in southern Zaporizhzhia region
By Tim Lister, Olga Voitovych and Sana Noor Haq, CNN
Ukrainian forces said they had penetrated the “first line” of Russian strongholds in the Zaporizhzhia region, in a sign that Kyiv is edging closer to Moscow’s sprawling network of fortified trenches along the southern front.
The Ukrainian military claimed on Thursday that its units had advanced toward two villages to the south and east of Robotyne, a village in Zaporizhzhia that Kyiv secured last week amid a grueling counteroffensive that is yielding incremental gains.
Testimonies reviewed by CNN shed light on the numerous challenges for Ukrainian troops trying to break through a dense system of Russian minefields, antitank obstacles and widespread tunnels in parts of southern and eastern Ukraine.
News of the latest progress comes against the backdrop of reports that US and Western allies had noted the slow pace of the counteroffensive. CNN reported earlier this month that the US had been receiving increasingly “sobering updates.”
Russian military bloggers reported increased activity near the village of Verbove, in southeastern Ukraine, but said Moscow’s forces were resisting Ukrainian advances.
On Monday, satellite imagery of the village of Solodka Balka — 7 kilometers (4 miles) south of Robotyne — showed steel-reinforced communications trenches, vehicle shelters and “dragon’s teeth” fortifications aimed at obstructing Ukrainian advances.
Kyiv has expanded its units toward the strategic town of Tokmak in recent weeks, a logistic center for Russian forces with a railhead through which resupply is carried out and depots for fuel and ammunition are situated.
