April 27, 2023 - Russia-Ukraine news

By Tara Subramaniam, Helen Regan, Sophie Tanno, Ed Upright, Aditi Sangal, Leinz Vales, Jennifer Korn and Matt Meyer, CNN

Updated 12:07 p.m. ET, April 28, 2023
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10:13 p.m. ET, April 27, 2023

Our live coverage for the day has ended. Follow the latest Ukraine news here or read through the updates below.

12:07 p.m. ET, April 28, 2023

It's past midnight in Ukraine. Here's what you should to know

From CNN staff

US President Joe Biden announced new sanctions against groups in Russia and Iran accused of taking Americans hostage, an effort to prevent future captures and urge the countries to release those currently in captivity.

Meanwhile, in Ukraine, official reports and witness accounts on social media detailed heavy explosions in Russian-occupied areas of the south of the country Thursday.

If you're just now reading in, here's what else you should know:

Italian journalist injured: Corrado Zunino, the Italian journalist injured in a suspected Russian strike in Kherson, “ignored the warnings of the Ukrainian military," the Ukrainian Army’s Operational Command South said in a Facebook post. Also, Ukraine’s Center for Strategic Communications and Information Security found Zunino, who works for the Italian newspaper La Repubblica, “did not inform the responsible press officers about his work in the city," the Ukrainian Command South said in their Facebook post Thursday.

Combat vehicles delivered: Ukraine’s NATO allies have delivered almost all the combat vehicles they promised Kyiv, the head of the alliance said Thursday. 

Attacks kill two: Zaporizhzhia's regional military administration said it recorded more than 80 Russian attacks on the region in the past day, according to a statement released on Thursday. Yurii Malashko, head of the Zaporizhzhia region military administration, described "chaotic shelling" in Orikhiv, Preobrazhenka, and Novodanylivka, which resulted in the deaths of two men in their 40s.

Correction: An earlier version of this post incorrectly described Corrado Zunino's injuries.

6:18 p.m. ET, April 27, 2023

Italian journalist injured in suspected Russian strike “ignored the warnings of Ukrainian military,” army official claims

From CNN's Alex Hardie

The Italian journalist injured in a suspected Russian strike in Kherson “ignored the warnings of the Ukrainian military," according to the Ukrainian Army’s Operational Command South.

Ukraine’s Center for Strategic Communications and Information Security found that Corrado Zunino, a journalist for the Italian newspaper La Repubblica, “did not inform the responsible press officers about his work in the city," the Ukrainian Command South said in a Facebook post Thursday.

“And already on the spot, he ignored the timely warnings of the Ukrainian military about the danger,” the post read.

A Ukrainian journalist, who was working as a fixer for La Repubblica, was killed in the same incident, according to Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba as well as a Ukrainian official in Kherson.

The post also implied the Ukrainian journalist with Zunino was not wearing protective gear, saying Zunino “was obliged to ensure that a member of his group was not only wearing a vest with the sign PRESS, but also armor inside it." But Zunino violated the rules of conduct for journalists in combat, according to the Ukrainian Army’s Operational Command South.

La Repubblica's editorial board acknowledged the statement on Thursday, and said in its own release that Zunino did have a pass to enter the Kherson area “as requested and issued by Ukrainian military authorities.”

“Mr Zunino behaved in full compliance with the local rules of conduct for journalists in war zones, and does share with the Ukrainian authorities the interest in clarifying every aspect of what happened on the Antonovsky Bridge on 26 April,” the newspaper said.
6:01 p.m. ET, April 27, 2023

Biden sets new sanctions on Russian and Iranian groups over detention of Americans, urges their release

From CNN's Sam Fossum

President Joe Biden delivers remarks in Virginia Beach, Virginia, on February 28.
President Joe Biden delivers remarks in Virginia Beach, Virginia, on February 28. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images/File)

President Joe Biden officially announced new sanctions against groups in Russia and Iran accused of taking Americans hostage, an effort to prevent future captures and urge the countries to release those currently in captivity.

"Today – and every day – our message to Russia, Iran, and the world is holding hostage or wrongfully detaining Americans is unacceptable," Biden said in a statement Thursday. "Release them immediately."

The measures target Russia’s Federal Security Service and the Intelligence Organization of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which have been accused of being responsible for holding hostage or wrongfully detaining Americans. They also include four individuals in Iran. Details of the sanctions were released previously.

"Since the first day of my Administration, we have prioritized the safe return of Americans held hostage or wrongfully detained abroad," Biden said, adding that his administration has already brought dozens of Americans back home. But "too many are suffering and separated from their loved ones — including Americans who remain wrongfully detained in Russia, Iran, and elsewhere."

In Russia, Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and former marine Paul Whelan are both being held on espionage charges they vehemently deny. And American citizens Siamak Namazi, Emad Sharghi and Morad Tahbaz are all being held in Iran’s Evin prison where there have been reports of torture.

—CNN's Kevin Liptak, Kylie Atwood and Jennifer Hansler contributed to this report.

4:22 p.m. ET, April 27, 2023

Explosions reported in several Russian-held parts of southern Ukraine

From CNN's From Tim Lister, Julia Kesaieva and Victoria Butenko

Official reports and witness accounts on social media detailed heavy explosions in Russian-occupied areas of southern Ukraine Thursday.

Kherson region: Unofficial Telegram channels in Kherson said there have been explosions in or near the town of Nova Kakhovka, the site of an important hydro-electric project on the Dnipro River. Videos showed smoke rising.

“The sound of a strike was heard in Nova Kakhovka, something is burning,” one Telegram channel said. “Smoke is visible. We also heard explosions that sounded like detonations.”

CNN is unable to confirm what targets might have been struck, but the Russian-installed Nova Kakhovka district administration claimed the town was left without power supply due to shelling by Ukrainian armed forces.

There was also incoming fire on the Ukrainian-held west bank of the Dnipro River. Shelling killed one woman and seriously injured her husband in a village nearby, the Kherson regional military administration said.

Melitopol: A loud explosion was heard in Melitopol, said its mayor, Ivan Fedorov. The Russian-occupied city has been a hub for Russian forces away from the front lines.

An improvised explosive device detonated near the entrance of an apartment building, according to Vladimir Rogov, a senior official in the Russian-appointed administration in occupied Zaporizhzhia. The building was slightly damaged, he said, but there were no casualties.

Melitopol has been under frequent attack from missiles and long-range rockets, as well as improvised devices apparently planted by Ukrainian partisan groups and aimed at officials in the Russian-backed administration. 

Elsewhere, in eastern Ukraine: Four children in the city of Donetsk were injured when they tried to move an explosive device they found on the road, Russian-appointed authorities in the region said. No further information was available on the incident.

3:21 p.m. ET, April 27, 2023

It's past 8 p.m. in Kyiv. Here's what you need to know

If you're just joining us, here's what you need to know about the latest developments in Russia's war in Ukraine:

New US sanctions: The United States imposed new sanctions on groups in Russia and Iran accused of taking Americans hostage as it works to prevent more captive-taking and potentially secure the release of citizens being detained. Currently, Evan Gershkovich, a Wall Street Journal reporter, and Paul Whelan, a former Marine, are being held in Russia on espionage charges that they each vehemently deny. American citizens Siamak Namazi, Emad Sharghi and Morad Tahbaz are all being held in Iran’s notorious Evin prison, where there have been reports of torture. Earlier Thursday, Russia rejected a US request to visit detained Gershkovich in response to Washington’s failure to provide visas to Russian journalists from Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s pool when he visited the United Nations in New York, the ministry said.

UN Nuclear watchdog team completes scheduled rotation at ZNPP: The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has successfully carried out a rotation of its staff at the nuclear power plant in Zaporizhzhia, which is controlled by the occupying Russian force, according to Russia's officials. The International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed the rotation, telling CNN, "the eighth team from the IAEA Support and Assistance Mission to Zaporizhzhya (ISAMZ) arrived at Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant today."

Russian shelling in northeastern Ukraine: Russian forces shelled Tokarivka, a village in Ukraine's Kharkiv region, on Thursday. At least one person is dead and several others are wounded, according to Ukrainian officials. The village is about five kilometers (roughly three miles) from the Russian border. Border villages across the regions of northern Ukraine are frequently struck by Russian artillery and mortar fire.

Russian forces have grown: While Russia has suffered thousands of losses in its war against Ukraine, a senior US military commander in Europe told lawmakers Wednesday that it has plenty of firepower left in its arsenal, and the forces are "bigger today" than they were at the start of the conflict.

Donetsk region faces dangerously low water supply: The Russian-occupied part of Ukraine's Donetsk region has dangerously low water supply, according to Denis Pushilin, the head of the the self-declared Donetsk People's Republic. Many households get just two hours of water supply every three days, the Moscow-backed leader said in an online Q&A session. The city of Donetsk lost its main source of water, a canal that runs through the eastern Ukrainian cities of Chasiv Yar and Bakhmut. Crews are still working to complete an alternative canal from the Siverskyi Donets River, which should bring relief from the water crisis, according to Pushilin.

1:31 p.m. ET, April 27, 2023

Russian-held Donetsk in eastern Ukraine is experiencing a water crisis, official says

From CNN's Denis Lapin and Julia Kesaieva in Kyiv

Water supply in the Russian-occupied part of Ukraine's Donetsk region is dangerously low, according to Denis Pushilin, the head of the self-declared Donetsk People's Republic.

Many households get just two hours of water supply every three days, the Moscow-backed leader said in an online Q&A session. 

The city of Donetsk lost its main source of water, a canal that runs through the eastern Ukrainian cities of Chasiv Yar and Bakhmut.

Crews are still working to complete an alternative canal from the Siverskyi Donets River, which should bring relief from the water crisis, according to Pushilin.

"The military is doing everything possible to speed up the resolution of this issue,” he said of the canal work. "But we need water today."

To address immediate needs, Pushilin said crews are building a water pipeline to the Don River in Russia. It will only improve the situation marginally but will increase water supply overall, he said.

In the meantime, residents are using water pumped from the region's mines.

“The mine water is of inadequate quality for the supply," Pushilin said. "This is disastrous for our water networks, which are already in a poor condition."

Some background: The canal supplying much of Donetsk’s water was built in the mid-20th century. Its route through Chasiv Yar takes it past heavy fighting between Russian and Ukrainian troops. Its filtration station is near the town of Avdiivka, another scene of constant battles.

Donetsk residents have told CNN the water situation is very difficult, especially on the upper floors of buildings because of inadequate pressure.

Maryna, a 42-year-old artist who lives on the outskirts of Donetsk city, told CNN:

“We have been living with practically no water since last February. I can use water in the courtyard of a private house, (but) in my apartment, water comes for a few hours several days a week. We gather things, clothes to wash, now it is a luxury. My whole apartment is occupied by water containers because I have two children.”
3:51 p.m. ET, April 27, 2023

US announces new sanctions against Russia and Iran for holding Americans hostage

From CNN's Kevin Liptak, Kylie Atwood and Jennifer Hansler

US journalist Evan Gershkovich, arrested on espionage charges, stands inside a defendants' cage before a hearing to consider an appeal on his arrest at the Moscow City Court in Moscow on April 18.
US journalist Evan Gershkovich, arrested on espionage charges, stands inside a defendants' cage before a hearing to consider an appeal on his arrest at the Moscow City Court in Moscow on April 18. (Natalia Kolesnikova/AFP/Getty Images)

The US is imposing new sanctions on groups in Russia and Iran accused of taking Americans hostage as it works to prevent more captive-taking and potentially secure the release of citizens currently being detained.

The move comes amid several high-profile cases of Americans being wrongfully detained. Evan Gershkovich, a Wall Street Journal reporter, and Paul Whelan, a former Marine, are being held in Russia on espionage charges they each vehemently deny.

American citizens Siamak Namazi, Emad Sharghi and Morad Tahbaz are all being held in Iran’s notorious Evin prison, where there have been reports of torture.

The sanctions ordered up Thursday would punish organizations the US accuses of being responsible for holding hostage or wrongfully detaining Americans. In Iran, four individuals are also coming under new sanctions.

The groups are Russia’s Federal Security Service and the Intelligence Organization of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

Officials said the steps should act as a warning to those thinking of taking Americans hostage. “We are also showing that one cannot engage in this sort of awful behavior using human beings as pawns, as bargaining chips, without paying consequences and these are some of the consequences,” a senior administration official said.

But questions remain about the real impact of these sanctions because many of the entities hit on Thursday were already sanctioned under different authorities by the US.

11:57 a.m. ET, April 27, 2023

UN nuclear watchdog staff rotated at Zaporizhzhia plant "in accordance to the schedule," Russians say

 From CNN's Julia Kesaieva, Tim Lister and Alex Hardie

A member of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) expert mission tours the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in the Zaporizhzhia region of Russian-controlled Ukraine, on March 29.
A member of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) expert mission tours the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in the Zaporizhzhia region of Russian-controlled Ukraine, on March 29. (Fredrik Dahl/IAEA/Reuters)

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has successfully carried out a rotation of its staff at the nuclear power plant in Zaporizhzhia, which is controlled by the occupying Russian force, according to Russia's officials.

Mikhail Ulyanov, Russia’s envoy to the UN nuclear watchdog, said that the “regular (monthly) rotation of the IAEA specialists at the ZNPP took place today strictly in accordance with the schedule.”

Ulyanov said on Telegram that “a fresh shift of IAEA specialists arrives from Kyiv and Dnipropetrovsk, crosses the line of contact near the village of Vasylivka and then goes to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant accompanied by Russian servicemen. A few hours later, the vehicles with the Agency personnel who have served their term at the plant are sent back, escorted again by Russian military personnel, all the way to the line of contact, beyond which they fall under the responsibility of the Ukrainian side.”
“Over the next month, two staff members of the Agency will be at the station. This is enough to solve the tasks the Agency faces at ZNPP,” Ulyanov said.

The International Atomic Energy Agency has confirmed a staff rotation at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.

The IAEA told CNN Thursday: "We confirm that the eighth team from the IAEA Support and Assistance Mission to Zaporizhzhya (ISAMZ) arrived at Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant today."

How things are unfolding on the ground: Maxar Technologies has shared with CNN satellite imagery taken in late March that appears to show Russian forces have established defensive positions on top of two of the six nuclear reactors at Zaporizhzhia. 

The IAEA has called, unsuccessfully, for the zone around the plant to be demilitarized. 

Separately, a Russian-appointed official in occupied Zaporizhzhia, Vladimir Rogov, said the cooling pond at the nuclear power plant has been restocked with fish to ensure vegetation was kept under control.

Rogov said nearly 500 kilograms of fish were released into the cooling pond, “which is necessary for normal operation of hydraulic structures and the plant as a whole.”

The plant is now managed by the Russian nuclear agency Rosatom after becoming occupied by Russian forces in March 2022.