Russia's war in Ukraine

By Tara Subramaniam, Jack Guy, Ed Upright, Adrienne Vogt and Aditi Sangal, CNN

Updated 2:25 a.m. ET, August 31, 2022
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6:54 a.m. ET, August 30, 2022

Ukrainian troops have "broken through" some areas of frontline near Kherson, claims official

From CNN’s Olga Voitovych and Jo Shelley

A Ukrainian soldier patrols a frontline checkpoint in Mykolaiv Oblast, Ukraine on August 19.
A Ukrainian soldier patrols a frontline checkpoint in Mykolaiv Oblast, Ukraine on August 19. Alex Chan/SOPA Images/SIPA/Associated Press

Ukrainian troops have broken through Russian defenses in “several” areas of the frontline near the city of Kherson, claimed a presidential adviser late Monday.

“[The Ukrainian Armed Forces] have broken through the frontline in several sectors,” said Oleksiy Arestovych, an adviser to the Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, in a video interview posted on YouTube.

His comments came after Ukraine started a counteroffensive aimed at recapturing Russian-controlled territory in the south of the country.

Earlier Monday, a Ukrainian military source told CNN that Ukrainian troops had taken four villages back from Russian occupation in the south near Kherson.

Moscow on Monday acknowledged Kyiv’s operation in Ukraine’s south, but said the Ukrainian troops “suffered heavy losses” and “failed miserably” in their “attempted” offensive. 

Arestovych also claimed that Ukrainian forces were shelling ferry crossing points that Moscow is using to supply Russian-occupied territory on the west bank of the Dnipro river in the Kherson Region.

“We suppress their attempts to supply their groups on the west bank [of the Dnipro River],” he said. “We strike at reserves, including reserves that are on the east bank and are trying to cross, and at ferry crossings as well.”

Serhii Khlan, an adviser to the head of the Kherson region military administration, said in a video interview posted on YouTube on Tuesday that Ukraine had hit multiple crossings over the Dnipro River, making them unusable.

6:26 a.m. ET, August 30, 2022

New satellite images show holes in roof of Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant near Russian equipment

From CNN's Paul P. Murphy, Gianluca Mezzofiore and Tim Lister

Satellite imagery shows holes in the roof of Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, on Monday.
Satellite imagery shows holes in the roof of Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, on Monday. (Maxar Technologies/Handout/Reuters)

New satellite images from Maxar Technologies show four holes in the roof of a building close to where at least three Russian armored personnel carriers are being stored at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.

The Russian-appointed leader for the Zaporizhzhia region, Vladimir Rogov, claimed that the holes were the result of a Ukrainian military strike on the complex. 

Rogov published photos showing one of the holes on his Telegram channel.

CNN has geolocated and confirmed the authenticity of the photos, but not the claims that the holes were the result of a Ukrainian military strike.

The Ukrainian government has repeatedly denied that they have conducted military strikes at or near the plant in recent weeks.

In the satellite images, at least three Russian armored personnel carriers are seen sitting underneath a large structure with pipes, which feed from the building into all six of the nuclear reactors.

Russia has repeatedly claimed that they do not have any "heavy weaponry" at the nuclear power plant. The holes in the roof of the building are almost 500 feet (120 meters) away from one of the nuclear reactors at the plant.

CNN has asked Ukrainian authorities whether they conducted a military strike at the plant, but have not yet received a response.

CNN has also reached out to Energoatom, Ukraine's state nuclear power plant authority, for comment and to inquire on what the building's purpose is.

The satellite image also shows a fire burning just north of the plant.

5:15 a.m. ET, August 30, 2022

Russia now in possession of Iranian drones, says Biden administration

From CNN's Natasha Bertrand

The United States assesses that Russia is now in possession of weapons-capable Iranian drones that they will likely deploy on the battlefield in Ukraine, Biden administration officials tell CNN.

The Russians picked up the drones from an Iranian airfield earlier this month and transported them back to Russia in cargo planes in mid-August, the officials said. 

Russian officials began training on the drones in Iran late last month, CNN previously reported, and the US now believes that Russia has officially purchased and transferred the Mohajer-6 and Shahed-series drones -- the Shahed-129 and Shahed-191 -- back to Russia, likely for use in the war in Ukraine. 

Both types of UAVs, or unmanned aerial vehicles, are capable of carrying precision guided munitions and can be used for surveillance.

Russian operators are still training on the drones inside Iran, the officials said, and the US believes that Russia intends to import hundreds of them to use for air-to-surface attacks, electronic warfare, and targeting inside Ukraine. 

The introduction of the Iranian drones could have a significant impact on the battlefield as Russia looks to blunt the impact of the High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) that the US and its allies have provided to Ukraine.

The HIMARS have a range of 49 miles and have enabled Ukraine to attack targets behind Russian front lines. 

US intelligence officials believe, however, that when tested, many of the drones Russia has purchased from Iran have already experienced numerous failures, so it is unclear how much of a game changer they will be when deployed. 

The Washington Post first reported that the drones had been transferred to Russia.

The Biden administration began warning in July that Russia was looking to purchase the drones amid acute supply shortages stemming from the war in Ukraine and Western sanctions that have stymied new production efforts.  

Satellite imagery revealed that month showed that a Russian delegation had visited an airfield in central Iran at least twice since June to examine weapons-capable drones.

The news of the drone transfers comes as the Biden administration has expressed cautious optimism about a possible deal to revive the Iran nuclear deal.

The deal’s detractors say that a new deal will result in sanctions relief for Iran -- and in turn, a financial windfall that could enable Iran’s malign activities throughout the region and beyond. 

White House officials have insisted, however, that the decision to re-enter the nuclear deal should be motivated only by the need to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, and should not be influenced by Iranian actions that fall outside the scope of their nuclear program. 

5:31 a.m. ET, August 30, 2022

"Go home": Zelensky promises to "chase" Russian forces to the border 

From CNN's Jo Shelley

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during his nightly address on Monday.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during his nightly address on Monday. (Reuters)

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky vowed to “chase” Russian troops to the border in his nightly television address Monday.

“The occupiers must know: we will chase them to the border. To our border, which line has not been changed,” he said.

Zelensky was speaking after Ukraine started a counteroffensive aimed at recapturing Russian-controlled territory in the south of the country. 

If they want to survive, it's time for the Russian military to run away. Go home,” he added.

“If they do not hear me -- they will have to deal with our defenders, who will not stop until they free everything that belongs to Ukraine.”

4:41 a.m. ET, August 30, 2022

First grain shipment from Ukraine arrives in Africa since start of Russian invasion

From CNN's Zayn Nabbi and Bethlehem Feleke

The first grain shipment from Ukraine to Africa since Russia's invasion began more than six months ago has docked in Djibouti, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) confirmed Tuesday.

"We have officially docked! The first @WFP ship to carry Ukrainian grain since February has just arrived in #Djibouti. Now, let’s get this wheat offloaded and on to #Ethiopia," WFP Executive Director David Beasley tweeted Tuesday.

After 14 days at sea, the shipment of 23,000 metric tons of wheat arrived on the MV Brave Commander in the Horn of Africa, and will be used to support the WFP's humanitarian response in the region, where over 20 million people face hunger.

The WFP says people across Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia face severe hunger as the Horn of Africa experiences some of the driest conditions its seen in decades. The drought is the worst in 40 years for Ethiopia, according to the UN. 

Some context: Since the first days of the war, Ukraine's southern ports had been blocked by Russia, stopping Ukrainian grain from traveling to the many countries that rely on it. A UN-brokered agreement struck on July 23 promised to unblock ports on the Black Sea to allow the safe passage of grain and oilseeds, following routes identified by Ukrainian maritime pilots to avoid mines, and with stops in Istanbul to ensure weapons are not being smuggled back into the country.

4:34 a.m. ET, August 30, 2022

Ukrainian presidential adviser says counteroffensive will "grind the enemy"

From CNN’s Olga Voitovych in Kyiv, Ukraine

The Ukrainian counteroffensive in the south of the country will be a "slow operation to grind the enemy," according to Oleksiy Arestovych, an adviser to the head of the Office of the President of Ukraine.

“This process will not be very fast,” Arestovych said in a statement posted on his Telegram account late Monday, “but will end with the installation of the Ukrainian flag over all the settlements of Ukraine.”

Some context: Ukrainian officials said Monday that military operations to retake Russian-held areas of the south are underway, with a source telling CNN that Ukraine's troops had taken back four villages near the city of Kherson. The effort comes as Russia's war in Ukraine has passed the six-month mark.

4:22 a.m. ET, August 30, 2022

UN nuclear inspectors arrive in Kyiv ahead of visit to Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant 

From CNN's Kim Norgaard in Kyiv, Ukraine

A team of 14 experts from the United Nations' nuclear watchdog has arrived in Kyiv ahead of their planned visit to the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southeastern Ukraine later this week.

Members of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) delegation were seen by CNN reporters at their hotel in the Ukrainian capital early Tuesday.

The visit comes amid renewed shelling at the facility and mounting fears over a potential nuclear accident.

The mission is headed by IAEA chief Rafael Grossi, Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oleg Nikolenko said Monday.

Grossi tweeted Monday: "The day has come, @IAEAorg's Support and Assistance Mission to #Zaporizhzhya (ISAMZ) is now on its way. We must protect the safety and security of #Ukraine’s and Europe’s biggest nuclear facility."
4:04 a.m. ET, August 30, 2022

Water and electricity cut as Ukrainian forces attack Russian-occupied town in south, official says

From CNN's Sharif Paget and Josh Pennington

Ukrainian forces launched an attack on Monday at the Russian-occupied town of Nova Kakhovka in southern Ukraine, knocking out its electricity and water supply, according to Russian state media RIA Novosti, who cited a Moscow-appointed local authority.  

RIA quoted the head of civil-military administration in the town, Vladimir Leontyev, as saying the consequences of the strike "will probably be terrible."

"You can't leave now. There was a lot of shelling, something exploded. There were strikes in the city and near the hydroelectric plant. We can see the fire in both places," Leontyev said. 

After the city was left without electricity and water supply, authorities managed to outfit the hospitals with generators. They will start delivering water in the morning, Leontyev added.

2:57 a.m. ET, August 30, 2022

Ukraine retakes 4 villages near Kherson, military source tells CNN

From CNN's Olga Konovalova and Bex Wright

Destruction following a missile strike in Mykolaiv, on Monday. Ukrainian forces have started to retake the southern city of Kherson, which is currently occupied by Russian troops, a local government official said on Monday.
Destruction following a missile strike in Mykolaiv, on Monday. Ukrainian forces have started to retake the southern city of Kherson, which is currently occupied by Russian troops, a local government official said on Monday. (Dimitar Dilkoff/AFP/Getty Images)

Ukrainian troops have taken four villages back from Russian occupation in the south near the city of Kherson, a Ukrainian military source tells CNN. Their main "target" is Kherson, the source added.

“The operation began at night with massive shelling of Russian positions and the rear,” the source, who CNN is not naming for security reasons, said.

“The main direction of the attack was on Pravdyne. We hit their infantry from the DNR (Donetsk People's Republic) and LNR (Luhansk People's Republic), and they fled. The Russian landing force fled after them," the source told CNN.

“We have now liberated four villages. Their first line of defense has been broken through in three places,” the military source said. 

The source said the village names are Nova Dmytrivka, Arkhanhel's'ke, Tomyna Balka and Pravdyne.

“Many of them were killed and captured, and a lot of [Russian] military vehicles [were destroyed].”

“We'll see how it goes from here. Our target is Kherson," the source said.