July 26, 2022 Russia-Ukraine news

By Kathleen Magramo, Adrienne Vogt, Mike Hayes and Maureen Chowdhury, CNN

Updated 3:05 a.m. ET, July 27, 2022
6 Posts
Sort byDropdown arrow
5:32 a.m. ET, July 26, 2022

Another Russian missile strike hits Odesa region

From CNN's Tim Lister and Olga Voitovych

Firefighters work at site of a residential area damaged by a Russia missile strike in the settlement of Zatoka, Odesa region, Ukraine, on July 26.
Firefighters work at site of a residential area damaged by a Russia missile strike in the settlement of Zatoka, Odesa region, Ukraine, on July 26. (State Emergency Service of Ukraine/Reuters)

There's been another Russian missile strike on the Odesa region, according to Serhii Bratchuk, spokesman for the Odesa regional administration.

Bratchuk said that at around 5 a.m. local time, air launched missiles had struck a civilian area and set off fires.

It took place at the coastal village of Zatoka, where Russian forces have previously targeted a bridge with missiles.

President Volodymyr Zelensky posted a video of the missile attack.

"An ordinary village of Zatoka. People rested and lived. Just lived," Zelensky posted on Instagram.
"There are no bases, no troops. It's just that terrorists from the Russian Federation WANTED TO SHOOT. They will be responsible for everything."

There are no details on casualties in the attack, but video shows a number of properties on fire.

3:40 a.m. ET, July 26, 2022

Ukraine says Russia increased gas pipeline pressure without notice

From CNN's Alex Stambaugh, Josh Pennington and Clare Sebastian 

Ukrainian authorities say they recorded a "sharp increase" in pressure on a main pipeline that supplies Russian gas to Europe through Ukraine without prior notice —warning that such incidents can lead to emergency situations. 

The Transmission System Operator of Ukraine (Gas TSOU) said in a statement Monday it had reported the increase on the "Urengoi-Pomari-Uzhhorod" pipeline at the Russia-Ukraine border to Russian state-owned energy giant Gazprom.

The report "informed Gazprom that negligence in sharing information in a timely manner about switching and changing regimes [of flow] can create emergency situations," the statement said.

Sharp changes in pressure in pipelines can lead to mechanical damage, including pipeline rupture. 

Gas TSOU said such actions must be coordinated between operators in advance and called on Gazprom to provide a reason for the change.  

"Such actions can be especially dangerous for Europe, given how Gazprom once again reduced transit through Nord Stream 1 to 33 million cubic meters per day," said Serhiy Makohon, the company's general director. 

CNN has reached out to Gazprom, but has not yet received a response.

Some context: Gazprom said Monday it will further reduce gas flow through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline on Wednesday as it halts another turbine for repairs just days after it resumed shipments through the vital artery linking Russia's vast gas reserves to Europe via Germany. The pipeline had been shut 10 days for scheduled maintenance, and many had feared Russia would not resume deliveries once the work was done.

9:31 p.m. ET, July 25, 2022

Ukraine grain shipments are expected to resume within the next few days, UN says

From CNN's Richard Roth

The first shipment of Ukrainian grain under the Black Sea deal brokered by the United Nations is expected to move within a few days, a spokesperson for the UN Secretary General said Monday.

Parties to the agreement have reaffirmed their commitment as of Sunday, Deputy Spokesman Farhan Haq said, despite Russian strikes in the Ukrainian port of Odesa just a day after the accord was signed.

"On the Black Sea Initiative, we can tell you that since the signing of the agreement, parties to the initiative, and the UN, have been in frequent contact, including yesterday. All parties have reconfirmed their commitment to the Initiative," Haq said Monday.

The Russian attack on Saturday cast doubt on the future of the agreement, which aims to ease the global food crisis sparked by war and Moscow's months-long blockade of Ukraine's Black Sea ports.

As part of the deal, grain ships would navigate through a safe corridor in the Black Sea under the direction of Ukrainian pilots, and then pass through the Bosporus strait — an important shipping corridor in northwest Turkey — in order to reach global markets.

Haq said officials from Russia, Ukraine, Turkey and the UN would have a presence at a Joint Coordination Center in Turkey by Tuesday.

"We expect that the first ship may move within a few days," he said. "The Joint Coordination Center will be liaising with the shipping industry and publishing detailed procedures for ships in the very near future."
9:30 p.m. ET, July 25, 2022

Ukrainian General Staff admits small Russian advances in the Donetsk region

From CNN's Petro Zadorozhnyy

The Ukrainian General Staff has conceded that Russian forces have been able to make small advances in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine.

“The enemy carried out airstrikes near Soledar, Pokrovske, New York, and on the territory of the Vuhlehirska TPP. It led assault operations in the directions of Klynove — Pokrovske, and Volodymyrivka — Pokrovske, suffered losses and withdrew,” the General Staff update read. “In the area of ​​the Vuhlehirska TPP, individual units of the enemy have partial success.”

According to the General Staff, intense shelling was reported along the front line in the entire Donetsk region, especially near Siversk, Sloviansk, Bakhmut and Kramatorsk. Ukraine says Russia also made a push toward Spirne and Ivano-Dariivka.

“[Russian forces] received a tough fight back and withdrew,” the General Staff said. 

The Ukrainian military also said Russian forces are demoralized and “the Russian command in some directions is throwing manpower into the attack without being covered by armored vehicles.”

CNN could not independently verify the claims made by the Ukrainian military.

2:57 a.m. ET, July 26, 2022

Russia's Gazprom announces further reduction of gas flow through Nord Stream 1 pipeline

From CNN's Frederik Pleitgen, Darya Tarasova, Inke Kappeler and Anna Chernova 

Russian state-owned energy company Gazprom said it will further reduce gas flow through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline on Wednesday as it halts another turbine for repairs.

It comes days after Gazprom resumed gas shipments through the pipeline, a vital artery linking Russia's vast gas reserves to Europe via Germany. The pipeline had been shut 10 days for scheduled maintenance, and many had feared Russia would not resume deliveries once the work was done.

"Gazprom is shutting down one more gas turbine produced by Siemens at the Portovaya [compressor station]," the Russian company said in a statement on Monday, citing "the technical condition of the relevant machine."

The head of Germany’s gas regulator, Klaus Muller, confirmed the move in a tweet on Monday. 

“According to our information, there is no technical reason for a reduction in gas deliveries via Nord Stream 1,“ the German Ministry of Economy insisted in a tweet on Monday. 

“If Russian gas deliveries via Nord Stream 1 continue at this low level, a storage level of 95% by November is hardly achievable without additional measures,“ Germany's regulatory office for gas and electricity said in a statement Monday.  

The country’s Economics Minister Robert Habeck had previously called on Germans to reduce gas consumption in order to get the gas storage facilities as full as possible for the winter. 

The receiving station for the Nord Stream 1 natural gas pipeline on July 11, near Lubmin, Germany.
The receiving station for the Nord Stream 1 natural gas pipeline on July 11, near Lubmin, Germany. (Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

Price rises: Germany’s current total gas inventories are at 65.9%, according to the daily figures provided by the government. 

The reduction in the gas through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline will also affect the transfer of gas to other European countries such as France, Austria and the Czech Republic.

Wholesale prices have risen noticeably as a result of the reduction in gas supplies and have recently settled at a higher level, Germany’s regulatory office said, warning that “businesses and private consumers must prepare for significantly high gas prices.”

The Nord Stream 1 pipeline delivers 55 billion cubic meters of gas per year, or nearly 40% of the bloc's total pipeline imports from Russia.

Russia's response: Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Monday that a repaired gas turbine for Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline will be installed after all the technical procedures are fulfilled, after which the gas flow to Europe will resume “to the extent that is technologically possible.” 

Peskov insisted that the issues with gas supply have nothing to do with politics.

“There is no politics here. These are the consequences of the restrictions that the Europeans themselves have introduced, and the Europeans themselves suffer from these restrictions,” he said, adding that Russia does not want Europe to give up Russian gas.
Moscow will continue to be a “reliable gas supplier," he said.

Read more here on why it matters.

2:55 a.m. ET, July 26, 2022

Russia tries to blame West for food shortages as Lavrov rallies support on Africa tour

From CNN's Josh Pennington, Darya Tarasova and Stephanie Busari

Republic of Congo's President Denis Sassou Nguesso, right, and Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, left, meet in Oyo, Republic of Congo, on July 25.
Republic of Congo's President Denis Sassou Nguesso, right, and Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, left, meet in Oyo, Republic of Congo, on July 25. (Russian Foreign Ministry/Reuters)

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has arrived in the Republic of Congo, the second stop on his Africa tour where he is aiming to seek support amid global anger over food shortages following Moscow's blockade of vital Ukrainian ports.

After visiting Egypt over the weekend, Lavrov was scheduled to meet Congolese leaders face-to-face on Monday before traveling on to Uganda and Ethiopia. All these countries rely heavily on wheat imports from both Russia and Ukraine.

Egypt is the world's biggest importer of wheat, and it depends on Ukraine and Russia for a supply to feed a 100-million strong population.

Ukraine and Russia agreed a deal on Friday that would allow the resumption of grain exports from Ukrainian Black Sea ports, a major diplomatic breakthrough aimed at easing a worldwide food crisis sparked by the war.

However, Russia's attack on a key Ukrainian port a day later has left the agreement hanging in balance.

On Sunday, Moscow's top diplomat met with Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shukri. During that meeting, Lavrov blamed Ukraine for the stagnation in negotiations on the "wider range of issues."

Global food prices have risen by 17% since January, according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

Lavrov said during the talks with his Egyptian counterpart that the deal to free up Ukraine's ports will go ahead.

"It will be guaranteed that the Ukrainians will clear their territorial waters and allow ships to leave from there, and during their passage on the high seas, Russia and Turkey will ensure their safety with their military naval forces," Lavrov said.

Read more here.