4:41 p.m. ET, July 29, 2023
Kyiv is claiming modest gains in its counteroffensive. Here's what else you should know
From CNN staff
Ukrainian servicemen fire rockets towards Russian troops in the Donetsk region on July 18.
Sofiia Gatilova/Reuters
Kyiv's troops remain on offense in areas surrounding the cities of Melitopol and Berdiansk in the country's south, military leaders said in a statement Saturday.
Russia is responding with missiles, rockets and air strikes targeting Ukraine's troops and
populated areas of southern Ukraine, according to the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
Ukraine's military also reported Russian air strikes near Orikhiv in the Zaporizhzhia region, and in the Kherson region's Antonivka. In those areas, the General Staff said, "the enemy is focusing its main efforts on preventing further advance of our troops."
Here are other headlines you should know:
Russian missile strikes: A Russian missile strike on an apartment block in central
Dnipro left at least
nine people wounded, according to Serhii Lysak, the head of the region's military administration. And at least four people have been hurt in Ukraine's Kherson region after
Russian shelling hit residential areas and near a grain terminal in the Beryslav district on Friday, regional leader Oleksandr Prokudin said in an update on Telegram. Russian strikes also
left two people dead and another person wounded in the southern city of Zaporizhzhia, a local official said Saturday.
Ukrainian attacks: Ukrainian forces
targeted a railroad between the southern Kherson region and Crimea overnight with 12 Storm Shadow long-range missiles, which were intercepted by air defenses, according to a Russia-backed local official. Moscow
also reported an apparent rare example of Ukraine using missiles to attack inside Russian territory, leaving at least 14 wounded in the city of Taganrog.
Wagner Group developments: More than 100
Wagner Group mercenaries have
moved toward the Suwałki corridor, a small stretch of NATO territory separating the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad from Belarus, Poland’s Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said on Saturday. Morawiecki called it “a step toward a further hybrid attack on Polish territory.” He warned, according to the Polish Press Agency, that Wagner mercenaries may try to pose as migrants in order to cross from Belarus into Poland.
Russia-Africa summit: Russian President Vladimir Putin continued his meetings with
African leaders in St. Petersburg today, including holding discussions on the war in Ukraine. Putin has been hosting representatives from the continent in a summit this week, seeking to strengthen ties after being left internationally isolated by the Ukraine invasion.
Zelensky visits troops: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he
traveled to the Bakhmut area of eastern Ukraine to visit troops and present them with state awards on Saturday, which marks Special Operations Forces Day in Ukraine. Zelensky said he visited
"advanced positions" of the forces, but that he could not go into details about their current mission.
Christmas in Ukraine: Ukraine has
passed legislation moving its official Christmas holiday to December 25, further distancing itself from the traditions of the Putin-aligned Russian Orthodox Church, which celebrates the holiday on January 7. Zelensky signed the bill into law Friday after it was passed by Ukraine’s parliament earlier this month.
Olga Kharlan update: The Ukrainian fencing champion Olga Kharlan, who was
banned from the world championships in Italy for refusing to shake hands with a Russian opponent, has been readmitted to the tournament and given an automatic place at next year’s Paris Olympics.