After Ukraine claimed to have killed the commander of Moscow’s Black Sea Fleet, Adm. Viktor Sokolov, Russia’s defense ministry published video Tuesday that appeared to show him participating in a meeting. Ukraine said it is “clarifying” information it received about Sokolov.
Ukraine’s defense minister neither confirmed nor denied whether Sokolov had been killed in last week’s strike during an exclusive interview with CNN.
Russian drones hit a Danube River port in the Odesa region overnight, injuring two drivers and damaging warehouses, a Ukrainian official said Tuesday. A ferry crossing between Ukraine and Romania was closed following the strike.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday hailed the arrival of the first batch of US Abrams tanks in Ukraine, as the delivery is expected to add a powerful ground component to Kyiv’s forces. Moscow said the tanks “will burn” and won’t affect the outcome of the war.
Norway pledges $92 million in humanitarian aid to Ukraine to cope with winter
From CNN’s Mariya Knight
Norway pledged 1 billion Norwegian kroner (US $92 million) for humanitarian funding to Ukraine to help the country make it through another winter of war, the Norwegian government announced in a news release Tuesday.
Funding “is being channeled via the UN, including the Ukraine Humanitarian Fund, and the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement,” the government said.
The key support will be provided to local civil society organizations in Ukraine as well as to “the most vulnerable people, children, refugees and the internally displaced, helping to ensure that they have access to shelter, food, water and sanitation, education, health care, and psychosocial support, as well as protection against sexual and gender-based violence,” the news release noted.
The provision of aid was announced at the Third Humanitarian Senior Officials Meeting (SOM) of Ukraine in Oslo, co-hosted by Norway and the European Union.
The United Nations estimates “more than 17 million people in Ukraine are in need of humanitarian assistance,” the news release stated.
Link Copied!
Ukraine says women medics registered for military service are allowed to travel abroad
From CNN’s Mariya Knight
Ukraine’s Health Ministry clarified that women medics required to register at military enlistment offices starting October 1 will be allowed to travel abroad.
The updated clarification contradicts a prior announcement made by Fedir Venislavskyi, a representative of the Ukraine’s President in the Council and member of the Parliamentary Committee on National Security, Defense and Intelligence.
Venislavskyi had said that women medics, once registered for the military service, acquire the status of conscripts and are not permitted to leave the country without special permission.
In a statement Tuesday, however, the health ministry clarified that there have been no changes in the rules for women traveling abroad, including for those “on military registration.”
Link Copied!
Admiral Ukraine claimed to have killed allegedly seen alive in new video released by Russia. Here's the latest
From CNN staff
The Russian Ministry of Defense has published video that appears to show the Commander of the Black Sea Fleet, Adm. Viktor Sokolov, participating in a meeting with Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and other Russian military leaders on Tuesday, September 26, 2023.
Russian MOD
If Russia’s Black Sea Fleet commander is dead, “it’s good news for everybody,” Ukraine’s Defense Minister Rustem Umerov told CNN Tuesday.
Earlier, the Russian defense ministry published a video appearing to show Sokolov participating by video conference in a meeting with Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, calling into question Ukrainian claims that the admiral had died in the attack.
In the Russian footage, a man resembling Sokolov appears to join the meeting via video conference. The nametape on his uniform reads Sokolov V. N. and his screen shows the Cyrillic letters “ЧФ,” the abbreviation for the Black Sea Fleet.
Ukraine’s military has said it is “clarifying” information received about Sokolov. CNN cannot confirm if the man in the video is Sokolov, when the meeting took place or where his video appearance was filmed.
Here are the latest developments:
Kremlin says US Abrams tanks delivered to Ukraine “will burn”: Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov commented on the arrival of the US Abrams tanks in Ukraine, saying they “will burn” like other weapons. Peskov said that despite the tanks’ significance, no single type of weapon could change the balance of power on the battlefield and alter the course or the outcome of the war.
Russia seeks to rejoin the UN Human Rights Council: Russia is seeking to rejoin the United Nations Human Rights Council after it was expelled in April of last year following its invasion of Ukraine. Russia is listed on the United Nations website as a candidate for the election of members of the Human Rights Council for the 2024-2026 term, which is due to take place on October 10. Membership is based on equitable geographical distribution, with two vacant seats in the Eastern European States regional group, according to the United Nations.
Link Copied!
Russia seeks to rejoin the United Nations Human Rights Council
From CNN's Richard Roth, Jessie Gretener and Florence Davey-Attlee
Russia is listed on the United Nations website as a candidate for the election of members of the Human Rights Council for the 2024-2026 term, which is due to take place on October 10.
Membership is based on equitable geographical distribution, with two vacant seats in the Eastern European States regional group, according to the United Nations. Russia, along with Albania and Bulgaria, are listed as having announced their candidacy for that region so far.
According to Russia’s position paper, which CNN obtained, Russia considers the Human Rights Council a “key body in the United Nations systems.”
The position paper, which Russia is circulating to UN members to drum up support, states that Russia “believes it is important to prevent the increasing trend of turning the Human Rights Council into the instrument, which serves political wills of one group of countries punishing non-loyal governments for their independent internal and external policy.”
Link Copied!
Ukrainian defense minister neither confirms nor denies alleged death of Russian admiral
From CNN’s Maddie Araujo and Alex Hardie in London
If Russia’s Black Sea Fleet commander is dead, “it’s good news for everybody,” Ukraine’s Defense Minister Rustem Umerov told CNN Tuesday.
In an exclusive interview from Kyiv, he neither confirmed nor denied Admiral Viktor Sokolov had been killed in a Ukrainian strike last week on the headquarters of the Black Sea Fleet in Sevastopol, Crimea.
Earlier Tuesday, the Russian defense ministry published a video appearing to show Sokolov participating by video conference in a meeting with Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, calling into question Ukrainian claims that the admiral had died in the attack.
Some context: Ukraine’s military has said it is “clarifying” information received about Sokolov. CNN cannot confirm if the man in the video is Sokolov, when the meeting took place or where his video appearance was filmed. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov earlier on Tuesday refused to comment on the Ukrainian claim that Sokolov had been killed.
Link Copied!
Ukraine "clarifying" Black Sea Fleet commander's alleged death after he is purportedly seen alive in video
From CNN’s Clare Sebastian, Florence Davey-Attlee and Olga Voitovych
A screengrab taken from video published by the Russian Ministry of Defense appears to show the commander of the Black Sea Fleet, Admiral Viktor Sokolov, participating in a meeting with Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and other Russian military leaders on Tuesday.
Handout/Russian Ministry of Defense
The Russian defense ministry published video Tuesday that appears to show the commander of the Black Sea Fleet, Admiral Viktor Sokolov, participating in a meeting. The video comes after the Ukrainian Special Operations Forces claimed Monday that Sokolov was killed in a strike on Sevastopol military headquarters on Friday.
In the video, a man who resembles Sokolov appears to join the meeting with Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and other Russian military leaders via video conference.
The nametape on his uniform reads Sokolov V. N. and his screen shows the Cyrillic letters “ЧФ,” the abbreviation for the Black Sea Fleet. He appears healthy.
CNN cannot confirm the person is Sokolov, when the meeting took place or where his video appearance was filmed.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov earlier on Tuesday refused to comment on the Ukrainian claim that Sokolov had been killed.
“There has been no information from the Ministry of Defense. This is entirely in their purview and we have nothing to say here,” Peskov told reporters Tuesday during a routine call.
Ukraine’s response: After the video was released, Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces said on Telegram that they are “clarifying” information received about Sokolov.
“Available sources claim that the Black Sea Fleet Commander is among the dead. Many have not yet been identified due to the fragmentation of body fragments,” the special forces said.
Kremlin says US Abrams tanks delivered to Ukraine "will burn"
From CNN’s Anna Chernova
US soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 70th Armor Regiment, 1st Infantry Division train with M1A2 Abrams tanks in Nowa Deba, Poland, in April.
Artur Widak/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov commented on the arrival of the US Abrams tanks in Ukraine, saying they “will burn” like other weapons and will not alter the situation in the conflict zone.
On Monday, the Pentagon confirmed 31 US Abrams tanks have arrived in Ukraine.
Peskov said that despite their significance, no single type of weapon could change the balance of power on the battlefield and alter the course or the outcome of the war.
“All this can in no way affect the essence of the special military operation or its outcome,” he said, using the term that Putin and Russian leaders use to refer to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Link Copied!
It's Tuesday afternoon in Kyiv. Here's what you need to know
From CNN staff
Firefighters work to extinguish burning trucks that were damaged during a Russian drone attack on a Danube river port compound in Ukraine's Odesa region on September 26.
Press service of a State Emergency Service of Ukraine in Odesa region/Handout/Reuters
But the Russian defense ministry published a video on Tuesday that appears to show Sokolov participating in a meeting with Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and other Russian military leaders. CNN cannot confirm whether the man in the video is Sokolov, when the meeting took place or where was his video appearance filmed.
The Kremlin earlier on Tuesday refused to comment on the Ukrainian claim that Sokolov had been killed.
Here are some of the other latest developments from the war in Ukraine:
Danube River port strikes: Russian drone attacks hit Danube River port infrastructure and injured two truck drivers overnight, a Ukrainian military official said Tuesday. The strikes caused a ferry crossing point between Romania and Ukraine to suspend operations.
Odesa strikes: Russian strikes killed at least two people and caused “significant damage” to Odesa, Ukrainian officials said Monday. Moscow’s forces have repeatedly targeted the southern port city following the collapse of the Black Sea grain deal in July.
Kherson shelling: Russian attacks also killed at least six people and wounded five others in the southern Kherson region on Monday, Ukrainian officials said.
Abrams tanks: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday hailed the arrival of the first batch of US Abrams tanks in Ukraine. The tanks are a long-awaited capability for Ukraine and add a powerful ground component to troops who have already endured more than a year and a half of war.
Here’s where the state of control stands in Ukraine:
Link Copied!
Norway will provide $92 million in humanitarian aid to help Ukrainians "get through another winter of war"
From CNN’s James Frater in London
A local resident carries humanitarian aid while passing through a battle-scarred downtown area of Bakhmut, Ukraine, on February 14.
John Moore/Getty Images
Norway will provide 1 billion Krone ($92 million USD) in humanitarian support to Ukraine, the Norwegian government announced Tuesday.
The humanitarian funding aims to “ensure that the most vulnerable, children, refugees and internally displaced persons” receive vital assistance, such as “shelter, food, water and sanitation, education, health care and psychosocial support, as well as protection against sexualized and gender-based violence,” the government said in a press release.
“Russia’s brutal warfare causes great suffering to the Ukrainian civilian population,” Norwegian Foreign Minister Anniken Huitfeldt said, adding that Ukrainians “need our help to get through another winter of war.”
The aid will be distributed through existing programs for Ukraine created by the United Nations and the Red Cross.
Norway, which is a founding member of NATO, previously announced it was sending F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine. It also donated anti-aircraft missiles, de-mining sets and additional funding to secure gas and electricity supply in the country.
Link Copied!
Kremlin has “nothing to say” on alleged death of Russian Black Sea Fleet commander
From Anna Chernova
A satellite image shows smoke billowing from a Russian Black Sea Navy headquarters after a missile strike in Sevastopol, Crimea, on September 22.
Planet Labs PBC/Handout/Reuters
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has refused to comment on the alleged assassination of the Russian Black Sea Fleet Admiral Viktor Sokolov.
Ukraine claimed on Monday that Sokolov was killed during its attack on the occupied peninsula of Crimea on Friday.
Ukrainian Special Operations Forces claimed that Sokolov, as well as 33 other officers, were killed in the attack on the Black Sea headquarters in Sevastopol Friday, in perhaps the boldest attack by Ukrainian forces on the occupied peninsula of Crimea so far.
Link Copied!
Opinion: Ukraine’s bumpy road ahead just got rockier
Opinion by David A. Andelman
Russian President Vladimir Putin visits a school in Veliky Novgorod, Russia, on September 21.
Contributor/Getty Images/File
The vast store of goodwill accumulated among the forces of democracy for Ukraine and its courageous and utterly unorthodox president may be running dry, writes CNN contributor David A. Andelman.
That is the clearest and most present danger to the security of Europe and the entire Western alliance. It is surely also the fervent hope on which Russian President Vladimir Putin continues to pursue his carnage and the reason he has chanced his whole presidency on what once seemed like a sure bet, and is instead turning into a morass of quicksand and violence with no easy exit.
America — and its allies — must under no circumstances allow that to happen.
Ukraine-Romania ferry crossing suspended following Russian drone strikes overnight
From Olga Voitovych and Tim Lister
A ferry crossing point between Romania and Ukraine was suspended Tuesday morning following an overnight Russian drone attack that hit port infrastructure on the Ukrainian side.
The Orlivka-Isaccea crossing on the Danube River has been closed and traffic is being directed elsewhere, according to a spokesperson for the Border Guard Service of Ukraine.
The Orlivka-Isaccea crossing, in Ukraine’s Odesa region, is close to the border with both Romania and Moldova. Despite the close proximity to the border, Odesa’s Danube River ports have been repeatedly targeted by Russia following the collapse of the Black Sea grain deal in July.
The Romanian Border Patrol confirmed the suspension of movement across the border, noting that traffic is being redirected to the Galati Rutier crossing point.
Link Copied!
Russian drone attack on Danube River port injures 2, Ukraine says
From CNN's Olga Voitovych
Oleh Kiper gives an interview in Odesa on August 16.
Kyodo News/Getty Images/File
Russian drone attacks hit Danube River port infrastructure and injured two truck drivers overnight, a Ukrainian military official said Tuesday.
A crossing point, warehouses and about 30 trucks were damaged in the attacks on Izmail district in the southern region of Odesa, said Oleh Kiper, head of the region’s military administration.
Odesa’s Danube River ports, located close to the border with Romania, have been repeatedly targeted by Russia following the collapse of the Black Sea grain deal in July.
The latest attacks come after Russian strikes on the city of Odesa killed at least two people and caused “significant damage” to port infrastructure, Ukrainian officials said Monday.
Link Copied!
Zelensky thanks US after Abrams tanks arrive in Ukraine. Here's the latest
From CNN staff
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is pictured at the National Archives in Washington, DC, on September 21.
Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images
US Abrams tanks have arrived in Ukraine and are “getting prepared to reinforce our brigades,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Monday.
“I am grateful to our allies for fulfilling the agreements! We are looking for new contracts and expanding the geography of supply,” Zelensky said in a Telegram statement.
The Pentagon confirmed that the first batch, which includes 31 Abrams tanks, have arrived in Ukraine. The armored capability adds a powerful ground component to Ukrainian troops, who have already endured more than a year and a half of war.
Catch up on the latest developments:
Black Sea attacks: Russian ships are still launching strikes on Ukraine following the alleged death of the commander of Moscow’s Black Sea Fleet on Friday in one of Kyiv’s boldest attacks yet on occupied Crimea, a Ukrainian navy spokesperson said. However, the spokesperson said the Russian attacks are being launched “by inertia,” and claimed the alleged death of Adm. Viktor Sokolov and 33 other officers had thrown the Black Sea Fleet into disarray. CNN has reached out to the Russian defense ministry for comment.
Odesa strikes: Russian strikes killed at least two people and caused “significant damage” to Odesa, Ukrainian officials said Monday. Moscow’s forces have repeatedly targeted the southern port following the collapse of the Black Sea grain deal in July.
Kherson shelling: Russian attacks also killed at least six people and wounded five others in the southern Kherson region on Monday, Ukrainian officials said. Only a quarter of the population remains in the city of Beryslav as civilians evacuate in the wake of intense Russian shelling, officials said.
Ukrainian attacks: Russian forces on Monday thwarted Ukrainian missile and drone attacks on Crimea and regions bordering Ukraine, officials said. Air defenses shot down four Ukrainian drones over the western Kursk region and seven drones over the neighboring Belgorod region, the Russian defense ministry and regional officials reported. Russian forces also foiled a missile attack over Crimea’s largest city Sevastopol, the ministry said.
UN accuses Russia: There is “continuous evidence” Russian forces are committing war crimes in Ukraine, the United Nations Human Rights Council said. The council alleged that attacks in Ukraine include “unlawful attacks with explosive weapons, attacks harming civilians, torture, sexual and gender-based violence, and attacks on energy infrastructure.”
Here’s where the state of control stands in Ukraine:
Link Copied!
Russia foils Ukrainian attacks over border regions and Crimea, officials say
From CNN’s Mariya Knight
Russian forces on Monday thwarted Ukrainian missile and drone attacks on Crimea and regions bordering Ukraine, officials said.
Air defenses shot down four Ukrainian drones over the western Kursk region and seven drones over the neighboring Belgorod region, the Russian defense ministry and regional officials reported.
Russian forces also stopped a missile attack over Crimea’s largest city Sevastopol on Monday, the defense ministry said.
Mikhail Razvozhaev, the Russia-appointed governor of Sevastopol, said air defenses shot down the missile near the Belbek military airfield in the region, without providing any further details.
Governor of Sevastopol Mikhail Razvozhaev is pictured in St. Petersburg, Russia, in June 2022.
Maxim Shemetov/Reuters/File
No significant damage or casualties were reported.
Some context: The reports Monday come after Ukraine claimed it killed the commander of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet, in one of Kyiv’s boldest attacks yet on Crimea, which was annexed by Russia in 2014.
The Ukrainian Special Operations Forces said in an update that Friday’s attack killed Adm. Viktor Sokolov along with 33 other officers. CNN has reached out to the Russian defense ministry for comment.
Link Copied!
Death toll rises to 6 in Kherson region following Russian attacks, Ukrainian official says
From CNN's Mariya Knight and Yulia Kesaieva
Emergency units carry out rescue tasks in the Ukrainian region of Kherson on September 25.
Latin America News Agency/Reuters
At least six people have died and five others were injured as a result of Russian attacks in Ukraine’s southern Kherson region on Monday, Oleksandr Prokudin, head of the region’s military administration, said in a social media post.
According to Prokudin, three more people were also injured.
Earlier, Prokudin reported that three people had died and two others were injured as a result of a Russian airstrike on the city of Beryslav in the Kherson region Monday.
Prokudin said only a quarter of the population remains in Beryslav after civilian evacuations following intense Russian shelling.
“Over the past two weeks, almost 100 children and their families have left the dangerous coastal communities” of the Kherson region, Prokudin said.
Link Copied!
Russian ships still launching strikes from Black Sea after top commander's alleged death, Ukrainian Navy says
From CNN's Radina Gigova and Yulia Kesaieva
Commander of the Russian Black Sea Fleet Vice-Admiral Viktor Sokolov salutes during a send-off ceremony for reservists, in Sevastopol, Crimea, in September 2022.
Alexey Pavlishak/Reuters/File
Russian ships were still launching strikes on Ukraine following the alleged death of the commander of Moscow’s Black Sea Fleet, but those attacks are being launched “by inertia,” Dmytro Pletenchuk, spokesperson for the Ukrainian Navy, said Monday on national television.
Pletenchuk was asked about comments made by Ukrainian authorities earlier Monday, claiming that Adm. Viktor Sokolov, as well as 33 other officers were killed in Friday’s attack in Sevastopol.
Pletenchuk said Russian President Vladimir Putin “does not control the actual operation of ships at sea,” and relies on his admirals who know “their means and forces, personnel, how to manage them, how to better deploy them. And they can also keep things from [Putin], not report on certain issues.”
Pletenchuk added: “Yes, last night [Russian ships in the Black Sea] were still launching strikes by inertia,” but he compared the operations to “a chicken running around without a head.”
“Therefore, as of now, [the Russian navy] will have respective problems with the control of the troops,” he said.
Earlier Monday, the Ukrainian Special Operations Forces said Sokolov was killed in Sevastopol on Friday, in perhaps the most daring attack by Ukrainian forces on Crimea so far.
“Eliminated during a strike on the headquarters in Sevastopol Commander of the Russian Black Sea Fleet Admiral Sokolov,” said Col. Vladislav Nazarov, spokesperson for the Operational Command South.
CNN cannot independently confirm Ukraine’s claims about Sokolov and the rest of the casualties in Sevastopol. CNN has reached out to the Russian Ministry of Defense for comment.
Link Copied!
"Continuous evidence" of Russian forces committing war crimes in Ukraine, UN says
From CNN's Sharon Braithwaite and Stephanie Halasz
There is “continuous evidence” Russian forces are committing war crimes in Ukraine, the United Nations Human Rights Council said.
The council alleged that attacks in Ukraine include “unlawful attacks with explosive weapons, attacks harming civilians, torture, sexual and gender-based violence, and attacks on energy infrastructure.”
The council’s Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine said it had “documented explosive weapons attacks on residential buildings, a functional medical facility, a railway station, a restaurant, shops and commercial warehouses.”
The commission heard from torture victims and quotes one person as saying, “every time I answered that I didn’t know or didn’t remember something, they gave me electric shocks … I don’t know how long it lasted. It felt like an eternity.”
The commission reported Russian soldiers committing sexual violence against women of ages ranging from 19 to 83, and said it continues to “investigate individual situations of alleged transfers of unaccompanied minors by Russian authorities to the Russian Federation.”
US Abrams tanks have arrived in Ukraine, Zelensky says
From CNN's Yulia Kesaieva, Radina Gigova, Haley Britzky and Alex Marquardt
Volodymyr Zelensky stands for the Ukrainian national anthem in Toronto, Canada on September 22.
Katherine KY Cheng/Getty Images
US Abrams tanks have arrived in Ukraine and are “getting prepared to reinforce our brigades,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Monday.
The Pentagon confirmed that the first batch, which includes 31 Abrams tanks, have arrived in Ukraine.
“The mere presence of Abrams tanks serves as a potent deterrent. By having these tanks in their arsenal, the Ukrainian army can more effectively discourage aggressive actions,” Pentagon spokesperson Maj. Charlie Dietz said Monday.
The armored capability adds a powerful ground component to Ukrainian troops, who have already endured more than a year and a half of war.