US secretary of state says Prigozhin should be worried about safety, citing Russia's "open-windows policy"
From CNN's Kylie Atwood
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken meets with Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid al-Zayani, not pictured, at the Department of State in Washington, DC, on July 20, 2023. Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that Wagner founder Yevgeny Prigozhin should be worried about his safety, pointing to the history of mysterious deaths of Kremlin challengers.
“If I were Mr. Prigozhin, I would remain very concerned. NATO has an open-door policy; Russia has an open-windows policy. And he needs to be very focused on that,” Blinken said at the Aspen Security Forum in Colorado.
Blinken added that it is difficult to know how weakened Russian President Vladimir Putin has been by Prigozhin’s short-lived rebellion last month, but he reiterated that there are “cracks” in Putin’s power.
Regarding the Ukrainian counteroffensive, Blinken said that it is still relatively early days and he believes "they have what they need to be very successful."
11:51 a.m. ET, July 21, 2023
Germany pledges to stand by Poland if it's attacked along eastern flank
From CNN’s Chris Stern in Berlin and Niamh Kennedy in London
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius speaks during a meeting with U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin at the Pentagon on June 28, 2023 in Arlington, Virginia. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
Germany has pledged to support its NATO ally Poland in defending its eastern flank in case of a potential attack from Wagner fighters in neighboring Belarus.
During a news conference in Prague on Friday, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius responded to a question about whether Germany was concerned by the Wagner group’s presence in Belarus and the prospect of an attack along Poland's border.
“We are all together, always in the closest coordination, not only when we physically meet at the level of defense ministers, but also otherwise. Where our Polish friends need support, if the worst comes to the worst, they will get it,” Pistorius responded.
Fighters from Wagner arrived in Belarus following a short-lived rebellion by the private military company last month. On Wednesday, Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin was apparently seen in a video greeting his troops in the country. Belarus’ defense ministry said Thursday that Belarusian forces will hold joint military exercises with the fighters near the Polish border.
Poland’s national news agency PAP reported Friday that Poland will move its military formations from the west to the east of the country, citing the head of Poland's security committee, Zbigniew Hoffmann.
Hoffmann said the decision was made by Minister of National Defence Mariusz Blaszczak, after the security committee analyzed "possible threats presented by the Wagner Group's presence in Belarus," the agency reported.
Pistorius added Friday that he could “confidently say” that the two NATO allies are “prepared” if an attack were to take place.
Putin's claims about Poland: Russian President Vladimir Putin also made a series of unsubstantiated allegations on Friday, accusing Poland of harboring plans to "directly intervene" in the war and “tear off” parts of Ukraine for itself, also claiming Warsaw has aspirations to annex parts of Belarus.
CNN’s Alex Stambaugh, Uliana Pavlova and Niamh Kennedy contributed reporting to this post.
12:52 p.m. ET, July 21, 2023
Prominent Russian military blogger notorious for role in Ukraine and criticism of Putin reportedly arrested
From CNN's Mick Krever, Olga Voitovych, Uliana Pavlova, Nathan Hodge, Josh Pennington and Katharina Krebs
Igor Girkin attends a press conference of a Russian nationalist group in Moscow, Russia, on May 12. Maxim Shemetov/Reuters
A prominent Russian military blogger who has been critical of Russian President Vladimir Putin was arrested in Moscow, according to Russian state media and a Telegram message attributed to his wife, in the latest example of Moscow's crackdown on dissent.
Igor Girkin, a former official in the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) in Ukraine, was charged with inciting extremist activity, Russian state news agency RIA Novosti reported on Friday, citing the Meshchansky District Court of Moscow. If found guilty, Girkin could be sentenced to up to five years in prison.
Girkin — also known by the nom de guerre Igor Strelkov — was reportedly taken from his apartment by Russian security officials Friday morning.
“Today, at about 11:30, representatives of the Investigative Committee came to our house,” according to a statement on Girkin’s Telegram account and attributed to his wife, Miroslava Reginskaya. “I was not at home at that time. Soon, according to the concierge, they took my husband out under the arms and took him to an unknown direction.”
Russian state news agency TASS said Reginskaya informed them about the extremism charge and that law enforcement agencies confirmed Girkin's detention.
“I do not know anything about my husband's whereabouts and he has not contacted me,” her statement read.
Girkin's criticism of Putin: The reported arrest suggests the Kremlin’s patience with dissent has grown thinner in the wake of the private military company Wagner's short-lived rebellion last month. The far-right figure, who cofounded an ultra-nationalist political group called The Angry Patriots Club this spring, has been openly critical of Russia’s military in Ukraine and even President Vladimir Putin himself.
The day after the Wagner rebellion in Russia ended, on June 25, Girkin said that if Putin “is not ready to take the leadership over the creation of war ready conditions” in Russia, “then he really needs to transfer the powers, but legally, to someone who is capable of such hard work.”
A second update on his Telegram account attributed to his “associates” said that his arrest coincided with an attempt to split The Angry Patriots Club over differing opinions about Wagner and its attempted insurrection.
Girkin also apparently called Putin a “lowlife” on his Telegram channel three days before his arrest. “The country will not be able to withstand another six years of this cowardly bum in power,” Girkin had said.
Some background: Girkin is a former colonel in Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) and served as defense minister in the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic in eastern Ukraine. A Dutch court last year found Girkin guilty of mass murder for his role in the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 over eastern Ukraine in 2014, and he was sentenced in absentia to life in prison. According to the court, Girkin also participated in conflicts in Chechnya, Transnistria and Bosnia.
Ukraine's reaction: The Ukrainian defense intelligence agency claimed Girkin's arrest signals that there could be internal confrontation inside the Kremlin. A representative for the agency, Andriі Yusov, told Ukrainian broadcasters on Friday it was “paradoxical” that Girkin had been arrested but not Wagner founder Yevgeny Prigozhin.
11:23 a.m. ET, July 21, 2023
Russia rejects possibility of Turkey escorting Ukrainian grain ships through Black Sea
From CNN's Katharina Krebs in London
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Vershinin said the option of having Turkey escort grain ships through the Black Sea is not a viable alternative to the collapse of the grain deal, after Russia suspended its participation in the pact earlier this week.
“I think that this option is dangerous and impossible,” Vershinin said during a press briefing on Friday.
He said that his country’s return to the Black Sea Grain Initiative was in the hands of Moscow’s “foreign partners” and that currently there are no negotiations on another deal.
Vershinin said Russia was working on alternative export routes for its agricultural exports, holding “serious contacts with African countries on the delivery of Russian cargo, including grain,” as well as with Turkey.
“We are ready to consider various options for further continuation of the supply of grain to the world market, both grain and fertilizers,” he said. “Among the countries we have very close cooperation with is Turkey, traditional cooperation, and we are also in contact with them now about what to do in the current situation.”
More background: The agreement — which is vital for global food supplies — was first brokered by Turkey and the United Nations in July 2022 and renewed three times. Russia has repeatedly threatened to withdraw from the deal, doing so for the first time in October 2022 and then rejoining a few days later.
Russia’s objections to the deal centered around claims that obstacles to their ability to export foods and fertilizers had still not been eased.
According to the UN, Ukraine normally supplies the world with around 45 million tons of grain every year. It ranks among the top five global exporters of barley, corn and wheat. It’s also by far the biggest exporter of sunflower oil, accounting for 46% of the world’s exports.
10:10 a.m. ET, July 21, 2023
More than 20 people injured by Russian attacks on Odesa over 5-day period, Ukrainian official says
From CNN's Yulia Kesaieva and Vasco Cotovio
A total of 21 people have been injured by Russian strikes on the southern port city of Odesa over the past five days, the head of the regional military administration, Oleh Kiper, said on Friday.
“Over the period of July 17-21, 21 people were injured as a result of Russian missile and drone attacks on the territory of Odesa region, 14 of them were hospitalized in hospitals of the city and region, including 2 children,” he wrote on his Telegram channel.
According to Kiper, four of those injured remained in the hospital on Friday, with moderate injuries.
“I wish all the injured a speedy recovery,” he said.
Russia has been bombarding the city this week. Moscow pulled out of the Black Sea Grain Initiative on Monday following an attack on a key bridge linking the Crimean Peninsula to the Russian mainland.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said the strikes were in retaliation for the bridge attack, and claimed that it targeted facilities associated with Ukraine’s seaborne attack drones. But Ukraine said Russia has been striking civilian infrastructure associated with grain exports.
11:23 a.m. ET, July 21, 2023
Putin says West disappointed in Ukraine’s counteroffensive
From CNN's Uliana Pavlova
A Ukrainian artilleryman fires a 152 mm towed gun-howitzer D-20 towards Russian positions on the front line near Bakhmut, Ukraine, on July 20. Genya Savilov/AFP/Getty Images
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday that the West is disappointed with the results of the Ukrainian counteroffensive.
“Today it is obvious that the Western curators of the Kiev regime are clearly disappointed with the results of the so-called counter-offensive,” Putin said, using the Russian name for Ukraine’s capital, during a televised portion of a meeting of Russia’s Security Council.
Putin said the counteroffensive did not bring any results.
“Nothing helped – neither the colossal resources that were ‘pumped into’ the Kiev regime, nor the supply of Western weapons – tanks, artillery, armored vehicles, missiles – nor the sending of thousands of foreign mercenaries and advisers, who were most actively used in attempts to break through the front of our army,” Putin said.
“At the same time, the whole world sees that the hyped-up Western military equipment, supposedly invulnerable equipment, is burning down on the front lines.”
Some context: Since the Ukrainian counteroffensive began in June, the fighting has proved tougher than some anticipated, with progress being measured in hundreds of meters as opposed to tens of kilometers.
Ukraine had hoped to use the push to expel a significant amount of Russian forces from Ukrainian soil and turn the tide of the war.
Andriy Yermak, a key adviser to Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky, told journalists earlier this month that he accepted the counteroffensive is “not going that fast; it is slow.”
Claims about Poland: Putin also claimed, without providing evidence, that Moscow is aware of plans to create a Polish-Lithuanian-Ukrainian military unit to protect territories in the western part of Ukraine.
Putin accused Poland of harboring plans to “directly intervene“ in the war and “tear off” parts of Ukraine for itself, also claiming Warsaw has aspirations to annex parts of Belarus.
“This is not about some kind of gathering of mercenaries — there are enough of them, and they are being destroyed — but about a regular, well-knit, equipped military formation that is planned to be used for operations on the territory of Ukraine,” Putin said during an operational meeting of the country’s Security Council on Friday.
“(This unit is for) allegedly ensuring the security of modern western Ukraine, but in fact it is, if you call a spade a spade, for the subsequent occupation of these territories,” he said. “After all, the prospect is obvious — if Polish units enter, for example, Lviv or other territories of Ukraine, they will remain there. And they will remain forever.”
“Unleashing aggression against Belarus will mean aggression against the Russian Federation,” Putin added. “We will respond to this with all the means at our disposal.”
Poland is a key NATO ally currently housing thousands of American troops that also serves as a hub for Western weapons transfers to Ukraine.
CNN's Katharina Krebs, Vasco Cotovio and Niamh Kennedycontributed reporting to this post.
8:53 a.m. ET, July 21, 2023
Erdogan: Turkey will "not hesitate" to take action to prevent "harmful" effects of grain deal suspension
From CNN’s Niamh Kennedy in London
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan attends a news conference on the closing day of the annual NATO Summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, on July 12. Andrey Rudakov/Bloomberg/Getty Images
Turkey will “not hesitate” to take the initiative needed to prevent the “harmful effects” of Russia pulling out of the Black Sea grain deal, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Friday, according to Turkish state media.
The president hailed the grain deal as a “vital initiative” for humanity, outlining Turkey’s commitment to shoring up its future, according to Turkey’s state-run Anadolu agency.
“The termination of the Black Sea grain initiative will have a range of (harmful) effects, ranging from raising global food prices, in some regions to famine, and then new waves of migration. We do not hesitate to take the initiative to prevent this," President Erdogan told journalists on the presidential plane flying home from his tour to three Gulf nations this week, Anadolu reported.
On Monday, the head of the Ukrainian Grain Association Nikolay Gorbachov told CNN’s Isa Soares that Turkey’s fleet could help move grain from Ukraine without Russia.
According to Anadolu, Erdogan expressed his belief that discussing the “issue in detail” with Russian President Vladimir Putin will “ensure the continuation of this humanitarian movement.”
Some context: Turkey played a pivotal role alongside the UN in brokering the landmark agreement, which, according to UN data, facilitated the export of nearly 33 million tons of grain from Ukrainian ports.
Referring to Putin’s expectations from Western countries on the grain deal, Erdogan remarked: “Western nations need to take action in this regard,” according to Anadolu.
Putin has accused Ukraine of failing to uphold the deal’s main objective: supplying grain to countries in need.
The Turkish leader also refuted claims that Turkey’s role as a mediator between Russia and Ukraine has diminished.
"On the contrary, we are currently maintaining our relations with Russia. Both Foreign Minister Hakan (Fidan) and (National Intelligence Organization) MIT head Ibrahim (Kalin) continue their negotiations," Erdogan told reporters.
8:13 a.m. ET, July 21, 2023
It's mid-afternoon in Kyiv. Here's what you need to know
From CNN staff
For a fourth consecutive night, Russian forces targeted the southern port city of Odesa, hitting grain warehouses and destroying tons of crops. The sustained attack comes after Moscow pulled out of the Black Sea grain deal earlier this week.
Elsewhere, the director of the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has warned that Russia could be preparing a false flag operation attacking a ship in the Black Sea. Bill Burns also said he believes Russian President Valdimir Putin is simply "trying to buy time" to determine whether and how to act against Wagner founder Yevgeny Prigozhin.
Here are the latest developments:
Odesa bombardment: Russia on Friday continued its bombardment of the southern port city of Odesa, launching seven missiles at an unspecified “infrastructure facility” south of Odesa city. “The terrorist country continues to attack Odesa region,” Oleh Kiper, head of Odesa regional military administration, said on Telegram. “The target is an important infrastructure facility. The Russians fired 7 missiles on it. Unfortunately, there is damage.”
Putin "buying time": CIA director Burns called Putin “the ultimate apostle of payback,” adding he'd be surprised if Wagner chief Prigozhin escaped further retribution after last month's mutiny. "If I were Prigozhin, I wouldn’t fire my food taster,” Burns told the Aspen Security Forum on Thursday.
Black Sea warning: Burns also echoed a warning from the US National Security Council that Russia could be preparing a false flag operation attacking a ship in the Black Sea. “We see some very concerning signs of the Russians considering the kind of false flag operations that we highlighted in the run up to the war as well – in other words, looking at ways they might make attacks against shipping in the Black Sea and then blaming, trying to blame it on the Ukrainians,” he said, without providing further detail.
Counteroffensive: Putin said Friday that the West is disappointed with the results of the Ukrainian counteroffensive, which he claimed has not yielded results. “Nothing helped – neither the colossal resources that were ‘pumped into’ the Kiev regime, nor the supply of Western weapons – tanks, artillery, armored vehicles, missiles – nor the sending of thousands of foreign mercenaries and advisers, who were most actively used in attempts to break through the front of our army,” Putin said.
UK ambassador dismissed: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has dismissed his ambassador to the United Kingdom, Vadym Prystaiko, without giving a reason. It follows an exchange of testy words between the ambassador, the British defense secretary and Zelensky.
Poland moves troops east: Poland will move military formations to the east of the country in response to potential threats from Wagner mercenary fighters stationed in neighboring Belarus, national news agency PAP reported Friday, citing Warsaw's security chief. The head of Poland's security committee said the decision was made by Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak after the committee analyzed "possible threats presented by the Wagner Group's presence in Belarus," PAP reported.
7:03 a.m. ET, July 21, 2023
Daytime Russian attack targets "important infrastructure facility" south of Odesa
From CNN's Olga Voitovych
Russia on Friday morning launched seven missiles at an unspecified “infrastructure facility” south of Odesa city.
“The terrorist country continues to attack Odesa region,” Oleh Kiper, head of Odesa regional military administration, said on Telegram. “The target is an important infrastructure facility. The Russians fired 7 missiles on it. Unfortunately, there is damage.”
The Ukrainian military said that it was “clarifying the extent of the damage” in Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi.
“So far, there is no information about the casualties,” Natalia Humeniuk, spokesperson for the Ukrainian military in the south said during a press conference. “But this is yet another demonstration that the enemy will not stop, it will continue terrorist attacks.”
Some context: Russia has been bombarding the southern Ukrainian port city of Odesa with sustained attacks.
Russian missiles struck grain warehouses in Odesa overnight on Thursday, destroying tons of crops in storage, a Ukrainian military official said.
The attacks come after Moscow pulled out of a critical grain deal that allowed Ukrainian grain exports a safe way out of the country's Black Sea ports. The UN secretary-general has warned that attacks on port cities will have an impact "well beyond Ukraine" when it comes to food prices.
