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6:49 PM

Zaluzhnyi meets UK Defense Staff Chief Radakin.

Zaluzhnyi said during the talks he emphasized the importance of reinforcing Ukraine's air defense capabilities. "I thanked him for his visit and for supporting Ukraine in the fight against Russian aggression," Ukraine's top general wrote on Telegram.

6:22 PM

Polish government confirms Ukrainian air defense missile fell on Polish soil last year.

The projectile that caused the death of two people in Poland's Przewodow in November last year was a stray Ukrainian anti-air missile, Polish Justice Minister Zbigniew Ziobro confirmed, the Polish Radio Lublin reported on Sept. 28.

5:39 PM

Kazakhstan confirms intent to comply with sanctions against Russia.

Kazakhstan will "definitely comply" with the sanctions regime against Russia, the country's President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said at a press briefing on Sept. 28 after talks with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

5:02 PM

EU threatens new drone component bans to countries still re-exporting to Russia, Iran.

The European Commission has warned Western firms and governments it could ban the export of certain components to some third-party countries from where Russia and Iran source drone parts, the Guardian reported on Sept. 28.

4:32 PM

Reuters: UN trade chief says Ukraine's grain corridor is positive step but not lasting solution.

The opening of a humanitarian corridor by Ukraine to bypass Russia's de facto blockade is a move in the right direction, but should not replace a larger deal to resume shipping through the Black Sea, the top United Nations trade chief said in comments to Reuters on Sept. 27.

4:19 PM

Russia attacks Kostiantynivka in Donetsk Oblast, injuring 3.

"At 12:50, there was a strike in the residential district of Kostiantynivka," Roslov reportedly said. "According to the latest information, three people were injured, one of them is in serious condition."

3:36 PM

Navalny transferred to single-cell room for a year as appeal rejected.

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny is being transferred to a single-cell room for one year after a Moscow court rejected his appeal against a 19-year sentence on extremism charges on Sept. 27.

2:20 PM

Zelensky meets with UK Defense Minister.

President Volodymyr Zelensky met with recently appointed U.K. Defense Minister Grant Shapps in Kyiv on Sept. 28, the president announced on social media.

1:23 PM

Shelling near Kherson injures 3.

A Russian attack on the village of Antonivka, a suburb of the city of Kherson, injured two women and a man, Roman Mrochko, head of the Kherson city military administration, reported on Telegram on Sept. 28.

12:04 PM

Nagorno-Karabakh authorities dissolve self-declared government.

The president of the self-declared Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, Samvel Shakhramanyan, signed a decree on Sept. 28 dissolving all official institutions of the breakaway state from Jan. 1, 2024, Karabakh authorities announced. The government of the self-declared republic will "cease to exist" as an entity from that day, the decree said.

10:35 AM

Media: German-Japanese manufacturer continues to provide Russian military industry with components.

DMG Mori, a German-Japanese company and one of the world’s largest producers of machine cutting tools, has continued to do business with Russian firms that manufacture military hardware, according to an investigation by the independent Russian news agency Agentsvo.

9:42 AM

Media: Poll ahead of upcoming Slovak election shows divide on support for Ukraine.

A poll released ahead of parliamentary elections in Slovakia scheduled for Sept. 30 illustrate the split between the Slovak electorate on support for Ukraine and a slight lead for opposition leader Robert Fico, Slovak newspaper Dennik N reported.

8:40 AM

General Staff: Russia has lost 277,320 troops in Ukraine.

The figure includes an additional 330 casualties reported over the past day.

7:55 AM

Military: Over 30 drones downed overnight on Sept 28.

Ukraine's air defense shot down over 30 drones that Russian forces launched overnight on Sept. 28, Natalia Humeniuk, spokesperson of Ukraine's Southern Operational Command, said on air.

6:29 AM

ISW: Ukraine appears to marginally advance near Bakhmut.

Geolocated footage published on Sept. 26 and analyzed by the Institute for the Study of War indicates that Ukrainian forces advanced near the village of Orikhovo-Vasylivka, located 11 kilometers northwest of Bakhmut, Donetsk Oblast.

4:54 AM

North Korea advancing weapons deal with Russia.

North Korea is continuing arms negotiations with Russia and intends to strike a deal soon, U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters on Sept. 27.

3:41 AM

Ukrainian players shine at League Cup matches.

Three Ukrainian footballers had strong performances at the League Cup quarterfinals on Sept. 27 in the U.K., bringing further attention to the country’s sports potential, Channel 24 reports.

2:57 AM

Trudeau apologizes for honoring Nazi veteran.

"This was a mistake that has deeply embarrassed Parliament and Canada," said Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

2:22 AM

CNN: House Republicans to reject Senate deal as US shutdown nears.

The bill includes an additional $6.1 billion in funding for Ukraine, comprising $4.5 billion for defense equipment and $1.6 billion in fiscal budget support.

1:57 AM

WSJ: Scholz blocks transfer of Taurus missiles to Ukraine due to fear of Russia.

Other members of Germany’s ruling coalition have approved sending Taurus missiles to Ukraine. On Sept. 4, German MP Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann wrote on Twitter that "he (Scholtz) alone blocks this decision within the coalition".

1:48 AM

Zelensky teases new national security measures.

“Ukraine will be stronger. Ukraine will have more capabilities to defend itself,” the president said.

1:21 AM

Polish opposition leader calls for unwavering military aid to Ukraine.

"The Polish state should not budge from its position, military support of Ukraine should not be questioned," said Donald Tusk, Poland's former prime minister.

12:56 AM

Swiss parliament again votes down re-export of arms to Ukraine.

The proposed amendment was rejected by 135 lawmakers and only approved by 48.

12:55 AM

US announces new sanctions on firms involved in production of Shahed drones.

Despite the existence of these sanctions, international companies have still found ways to bypass them and continue to do business, including supplying drone components, with Iran and Russia.

12:19 AM

UPDATE: 1 killed, 1 injured in Russian attacks on Kherson.

Oleksandr Prokudin, governor of Kherson Oblast, said that there was "massive shelling" in the region and that a 41-year-old Kherson resident was killed in his own home.

MORE NEWS

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Wagner boss claims over 5,000 Russian prisoners freed after fighting in Ukraine

by The Kyiv Independent news desk March 25, 2023 11:51 PM 1 min read

This audio is created with AI assistance

Head of Russian state-backed Wagner mercenary group Yevgeny Prigozhin claimed on March 25 that more than 5,000 Russian prisoners who fought in Ukraine were offered amnesty.

Prigozhin's claim comes half a year after a video of an unnamed man resembling the Wagner leader circulated online, capturing how he offered prisoners to fight in Ukraine would be pardoned.

Reuters said in its January investigation that Prigozhin motivated prisoners, including contract killers, murderers, career criminals, and people with alcohol issues, by promising they would be free if they survived half a year on the Ukraine front. Ukraine and international observers have reported extremely heavy casualties among the Russian forces, including the Wagner members in Donetsk Oblast.

While Wagner appears to have led Russia's brutal offensive on the salt-mining town of Soledar, which led to its capture in January, tensions continue to build up between the infamous mercenary group and the Russian Defense Ministry.

For reasons unknown, Prigozhin claimed on Feb. 9 that the Wagner had “completely stopped” recruiting prisoners to fight alongside Russian forces in Ukraine. The current intensity of Wagner's prisoner recruitment remains unclear.

The Kyiv Independent news desk

We are the news team of the Kyiv Independent. We are here to make sure our readers get quick, essential updates about the events in Ukraine. Feel free to contact us via email with feedback and news alerts.

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