Civilian evacuations continue around northern Ukrainian city of Kupiansk

Jul 28, 2023

By Tara Subramaniam, Jack Guy, Ed Upright, Leinz Vales and Mike Hayes, CNN

From Maria Kostenko in Kyiv

The evacuation of civilians from around the city of Kupiansk in northern Ukraine continues amid intense Russian artillery fire and air strikes, according to Ukrainian officials.

Russian forces are as close as 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) to Kupiansk, a city on the river Oskil recaptured by the Ukrainians last September.

"We continue evacuating people from the frontline communities of Kupiansk district on a daily basis with strong support from volunteers," Oleh Syniehubov, the head of Kharkiv region military administration, said Monday.

Evacuees are provided with accommodation and humanitarian supplies, he said.

The official said 30 people, including five children and one person with a disability, were evacuated from the villages amid shelling on August 20 and 21. A total of 556 people have been evacuated since August 9, including 148 children, Syniehubov added.

Ukrainian officials say that defense forces have been able to prevent the Russians making any meaningful advances east of Kupiansk.

From CNN's Victoria Butenko, Alex Stambaugh and Maria Kostenko

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky used an address to Denmark's parliament to thank the country for its support, including a pledge to provide Kyiv with F-16 fighter jets.

"When humanity is a value for you and when your values match the values of other nations, you will definitely find all the necessary weapons to defend yourself how we do," Zelensky said Monday.

"I thank you, from all the Ukrainians, from all of us, thank you Denmark for your solidarity, thank you for your help, all the help provided to Ukraine."

The Ukrainian president also warned its European allies that "all of Russia’s neighbors are under threat if Ukraine does not prevail."

Yurii Ihnat, Ukraine's air force spokesperson, told Ukrainian television that the jets "can change the course of events and provide us with what we need most."

The official said that Russian air superiority was hurting the war effort.

"At this very moment, eight to nine Russian fighter jets are flying freely in the occupied territories. They are dropping guided bombs and launching missiles," Ihnat said. "They will not be able to do this with the F-16s [present]. Air superiority is the key to success on the ground."

He said the first group of pilots in Denmark would be immediately retrained on the F-16. Another group of pilots who had recently graduated will head to the UK to complete a longer program, which will take up to two years.

More on Denmark's pledge: On Sunday, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen pledged to donate 19 F-16 aircraft to Ukraine between this year and next.

“Today we announce that we will provide 19 F-16 jets to Ukraine, we believe Danish fighter jets will help protect your skies,”

“The aim of this delivery is to protect Ukraine. We plan to provide the jets closer to the new year, about six of them, then eight in the next year and then another five," said Frederiksen alongside Zelensky in a joint press conference at the Skrydstrup airbase in Denmark.

Also on Sunday, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte announced that the Netherlands would provide Ukraine with F-16 aircraft.

Read more about Denmark's pledge.

From CNN staff

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has thanked Denmark for its pledge to send F-16 fighter jets to Kyiv, while Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar has described a "difficult" situation in the east of the country, where Russian forces have been on the attack.

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From CNN's Tim Lister

European gas storage facilities are almost full, long before the onset of the winter heating season, according to the latest data from the Aggregated Gas Storage Inventory (AGSI).

Most European countries' storage is already at 90% capacity, with Spain's facilities 100% full, the United Kingdom at 98% and Germany at 92%.

Across the European Union, the average is 91.05% of capacity, as the bloc works to end its reliance on Russian energy.

The EU had set a target of 90% of capacity by November 1, to avoid a scramble for supplies in the northern hemisphere's winter months.

On Friday, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that moves to secure supplies were "well ahead of schedule" in a post on X, formerly Twitter.

"This will help us be safe this winter. Together, we are weaning ourselves off Russian gas. And we keep working in parallel on more diverse energy supplies for the future," she added.

However analysts warn that a colder-then-expected winter or global supply disruptions could still impact the EU's energy security.

"The risk of European natural gas shortages in the upcoming winter 2023/24 peak demand season is only marginal, with a mere 10% probability of serious shortages, even with little or no Russian supply," said political risk consultancy Eurasia.

"Governments, suppliers, and consumers have successfully coordinated in accessing new supply, reducing consumption, and sending available gas to regions and sectors where there are no alternatives," it added.

Eurasia noted reduced gas demand as well as "an aggressive switch to alternative supply, for instance by boosting North Sea offshore wind for industrial power supply has further helped reduce the EU’s reliance on imported gas."

From CNN’s Anna Chernova

Russian authorities have said that drones were intercepted in the Kaluga and Belgorod regions in the west of the country on Monday.

Air defense systems thwarted a drone attack in the Kaluga region's Kirovsky district, southwest of Moscow, said Governor Vladislav Shapsha on his Telegram channel.

“This morning, despite difficult meteorological conditions, a UAV attack was repelled on the territory of the Kirovsky district. There were no casualties and no infrastructure damage," said Snapsha.

Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov of the Belgorod region, on the border with Ukraine, said three drones had been intercepted near the village of Solomino, just south of the regional capital. There were no reported casualties or damage.

From CNN's Maria Kostenko

The Russian ambassador to Denmark has described the proposed transfer of F-16 fighter jets from Denmark to Ukraine as an "escalation" in the conflict.

"Denmark's actions and words seek to leave Ukraine no other choice but to continue its military confrontation with Russia. Such a stance is pushing Ukraine into the abyss and condemning its population to new victims," said Ambassador Vladimir Barbin.

"There will be no other result from Denmark's decision to transfer F-16s to Ukraine. The goals of the special military operation in Ukraine to ensure Russia's national security will be achieved," he added, using the Kremlin's euphemism for the war in Ukraine.

From CNN’s Tim Lister and Anna Chernova

The Russian Prosecutor General's Office has initiated legal proceedings against Andrey Melnichenko, one of Russia's wealthiest oligarchs and an outspoken critic of the invasion of Ukraine.

Melnichenko is the founder of EuroChem, a fertilizer producer, and SUEK, a coal producer. He is worth an estimated $13 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

The lawsuit, as reported on the website of the Sverdlovsky District Court of Krasnoyarsk, targets Melnichenko and two of his companies.

While the specific details remain undisclosed, a preliminary hearing is scheduled for September 7.

Russian media have cited documents posted on a Telegram channel (SovetBezRynka) that the state is seeking to take ownership of Siberian energy company Sibeco, which was acquired by Melnichenko five years ago. It has several thermal energy plants.

The Prosecutor General's Office has requested the seizure of all Sibeco's shares and property in favor of the state, according to the documents, alleging the original deal was corrupt.

CNN cannot confirm the authenticity of the documents and has reached out to Melnichenko's representatives.

Melnichenko is based in the United Arab Emirates. He is sanctioned by the European Union and the United States.

EU sanctions noted he attended a meeting with Putin on the first day of the invasion. “The fact that he was invited to attend this meeting shows that he is a member of the closest circle of Vladimir Putin," the EU said.

But Melnichenko later criticized the war in Ukraine. “The events in Ukraine are truly tragic. We urgently need peace,” Melnichenko told Reuters in March 2022.

Putin has criticized Russian businessmen who have relocated overseas and demanded that the assets of companies with Russian operations be repatriated. Eurochem, one of Melnichenko's enterprises, is registered in Switzerland.

State news agency TASS reported last week that Putin had ordered authorities "to accelerate the transfer of business assets, in the first instance, in key sectors and branches of the economy, to the Russian jurisdiction."

From Tim Lister and Maria Kostenko

Ukraine is exploring ways to help merchant vessels acquire insurance for operating in the Black Sea, in the wake of the collapse of the UN-brokered Grain Initiative.

Oleksandr Hryban, an adviser to the Economy Minister, said the government was considering launching its own international insurance pool, which would be coordinated with an international institution or with other governments.

"The goal is the same - to mobilise the reinsurance market, which is then multiplied, turning a nominal billion dollars into 5 billion in insurance coverage. This is currently being tested as a pilot on the grain deal," Hryban said.

The withdrawal of Russia from the Grain Deal negotiated by Turkey and the United Nations has had a chilling effect on merchant shipping using the three Ukrainian Black Sea ports from which most grain is exported. Russia has warned that ships leaving these ports may come under attack.

Ukraine has since created its own maritime corridor for shipping, but is unable to guarantee its safety because if Russian naval superiority in the Black Sea. It was first used last week by a container ship that reached Turkish waters without incident.

"There is a direct threat from the Russian navy, fueled by constant threats from the Kremlin," Hryban said.

"We are now actively working with the international insurance community to create a mechanism where these funds will be used not directly by ship owners, but by insurance companies that will multiply this resource," Hryban was quoted as telling state news agency Ukrinform.

"The Ministry of Reconstruction, the Ministry of Economy, and underwriters such as Lloyds and Marsh & McLennan and other leading insurance and reinsurance brokers are involved in its approval."

In an interview with the Financial Times, Hryban said the scheme could be in place as early as next month, and could see between five and 30 ships covered to travel through what he described as the “danger spot” of Ukrainian waters.

The FT also quoted Marcus Baker, head of marine, cargo and logistics at Marsh, as saying that “a public-private partnership, with insurers working in tandem with the Ukrainian government, will give greater confidence to shipowners to return to delivering Ukrainian grain around the world to those countries that need it most.”

From CNN's Aruzhan Zeinulla

Two people were injured by debris after Russian air defenses thwarted a Ukrainian drone attack near Moscow on Monday morning, the region's governor said.

In a Telegram post, Moscow Gov. Andrei Vorobyov said debris fell near homes in Istra district northwest of the capital

The drone was one of two intercepted by air defenses early Monday on the outskirts of the capital, according to Russian officials.

It comes after Russia reported several Ukrainian drone attacks across the country over the weekend, including on Moscow.

Moscow's Vnukovo airport said Monday it was temporarily suspending flights "for safety reasons," state-run news agency TASS reported earlier, citing the airport's press service.