August 3, 2022 Russia-Ukraine news

By Kathleen Magramo, Sana Noor Haq, Ed Upright, Adrienne Vogt and Mike Hayes, CNN

Updated 2:22 a.m. ET, August 4, 2022
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8:22 a.m. ET, August 3, 2022

Putin discussed gas supply issues with former German chancellor during Moscow visit, Kremlin says

From CNN's Anna Chernova

Gerhard Schroeder former German Chancellor, in the Bundestag, in Berlin, Germany, on July 1, 2020.
Gerhard Schroeder former German Chancellor, in the Bundestag, in Berlin, Germany, on July 1, 2020. (Kay Nietfeld/picture alliance/Getty Images)

Russian President Vladimir Putin met with former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder during his visit to Moscow and discussed gas supply issues, the president’s spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told journalists Wednesday.

“Yes, Schroeder was in Moscow recently, and, indeed, he had a face-to-face meeting with President Putin,” Peskov said on a regular conference call with reporters.

“Of course, former Chancellor [Schroeder] … is very concerned about the real state of affairs and about the energy crisis that is flaring up in Europe and far from prospects in this area. Of course, he asked Putin to explain the situation and explain the vision of the Russian side,” Peskov added.

According to Peskov, Russia continues to pay Ukraine for gas transit despite the hostilities in the region.

“We continue to pay Ukrainians for transit through the only working branch. Aggressor or not, but the money is being accepted and the payment is going through,” Peskov said.

Peskov said Putin told Schroeder that Nord Stream 2 is ready for operation and said that gas supplies to Europe decreased due to sanctions.

“The situation with the turbines is, one [turbine] was removed and sent to Canada for repair works. It is now in Germany but some documents are missing. President [Putin] explained [to Schroeder] what papers those are,” Peskov said, adding that the German side requested confirmation from Gazprom that the turbine is not under sanctions. “So far, these documents are not there, as far as we know.”

Another turbine is awaiting repair work from a British subsidiary of the repair company, he said.

“Putin explained that this extremely tense and absurd situation was generated by the very restrictions and sanctions imposed by the Europeans and the British,” Peskov said.

According to Peskov, it was Schroeder who raised the question of using Nord Stream 2 should the situation require it.

“Former Chancellor [Schroeder] asked if, hypothetically speaking, Nord Stream 2 could be used in a crisis situation. … Putin was not the initiator, he did not offer this,” Peskov said. Putin said that it is “technologically possible” as the project is ready for immediate use, Peskov added.

9:47 a.m. ET, August 3, 2022

First Ukrainian grain shipment passes inspection in Istanbul

From Yusuf Gezer and Nada Bashir in Istanbul, Olga Voitovych in Kyiv and Chris Liakos

Joint Coordination Centre officials are seen onboard the Razoni during an agreed inspection, on the Black Sea near Istanbul, Turkey, on August 3.
Joint Coordination Centre officials are seen onboard the Razoni during an agreed inspection, on the Black Sea near Istanbul, Turkey, on August 3. (Turkish Defence Ministry/Reuters)

The first shipment of grain to leave Ukraine’s Black Sea port of Odesa since Russia began its invasion passed the inspection of the Joint Coordination Centre (JCC) in Istanbul on Wednesday, according to Ukrainian and Turkish officials.

Turkey’s Defense Ministry said Tuesday that an inspection of the M/V Razoni would be carried out by a delegation consisting of representatives of Turkey, Russian Federation, Ukraine and the United Nations.

“The ship RAZONI has passed the inspection of the Joint Coordination Centre and is ready to proceed to its destination,” Ukrainian Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov said on Facebook.

The Turkish Defense Ministry said in a tweet that the inspection of the shipment has been completed and that the ship will head next to Lebanon.

The three-hour inspection involved assessing the ship's crew and cargo, and recording "valuable information on the vessel's journey" along the corridor in the Black Sea agreed by the JCC, according to a statement from the center.

"The JCC will use this voyage in its ongoing work on fine tuning procedures and processes to enable the continuation of safe passage of commercial vessels across the Black Sea under the Initiative," the statement said.

Three ports in Ukraine are scheduled to renew the export of millions of tonnes of wheat, corn and other crops, the statement added.

The M/V Razoni departed from the port of Odesa on Monday, carrying more than 26,000 tonnes of corn. After being delayed due to bad weather, it arrived in Istanbul on Tuesday evening. The ship is next heading to the port of Tripoli in Lebanon.

The inspection team board the vessel, carrying a cargo of more than 26,000 tonnes of corn, on the Black Sea on Wednesday.
The inspection team board the vessel, carrying a cargo of more than 26,000 tonnes of corn, on the Black Sea on Wednesday. (Ali Atmaca/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)

“This is the first ship that goes along the 'grain corridor' agreed with the UN and Turkey. Thanks to the Armed Forces of Ukraine and port services, RAZONI safely made its way to the Bosphorus, where it was inspected by representatives of the JCC," Ukrainian Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov posted on Facebook.

"Using RAZONI as an example, all the necessary control and coordination measures between Ukraine and the signatory partners -- the UN and Turkey -- are being finalized and worked out,” Kubrakov said.

He added that 17 vessels are loaded and awaiting permission to leave Ukraine and that applications are being accepted for the entry of new ships to Ukrainian ports for loading agricultural products.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called the departure of the first grain ship from the Black Sea "significant," but noted it is "only a first step, and continued implementation of the July 21 UN-facilitated deal is essential to bolster food security around the world."

"Russia must meet its commitments, including by facilitating unimpeded exports of agricultural products from Black Sea ports," Blinken said in a statement Wednesday. 

"Russia must also end its attacks that are rendering farmland in Ukraine unusable and destroying agricultural infrastructure," he continued. "As long as Russia continues its aggression, the Ukrainian people and the world’s most vulnerable will continue to suffer its effects."

CNN's Jennifer Hansler contributed reporting to this post.

7:17 a.m. ET, August 3, 2022

German chancellor expects Russian gas deliveries "will no longer be honored"

From CNN’s Benjamin Brown

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, right, stands next to Christian Bruch, President and CEO of Siemens Energy in front of a turbine for the Nord Stream 1 pipeline at the plant of Siemens Energy in Muelheim an der Ruhr, Germany, on August 3.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, right, stands next to Christian Bruch, President and CEO of Siemens Energy in front of a turbine for the Nord Stream 1 pipeline at the plant of Siemens Energy in Muelheim an der Ruhr, Germany, on August 3. (Sascha Schuermann/AFP/Getty Images)

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has warned that Germany must “expect that supply contracts will no longer be honored” by Russian state-owned energy company Gazprom, even if gas flows resume through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline.

Gazprom had blamed significantly decreased gas deliveries in the Nord Stream 1 pipeline on technical issues relating to the turbine.

“It is clear and simple: the turbine is there. It can be delivered. All someone has to do is say: I want it. Then it will be there very quickly,” Scholz said during a visit to the Ruhr city of Mülheim on Wednesday.

The chancellor, who was there to inspect a pipeline turbine that had recently been serviced in Canada, said that there were no legal or technical reasons or sanctions preventing the export of the turbine to Russia.  

“It must always be clear that there can always be some kind of pretextual reasons that lead to something not working. Technical reasons have allegedly stood in the way of gas exports to other European countries. There, too, they were just as incomprehensible,” Scholz said.

“For us, however, this means that we have to be prepared for the fact that even if the transport works now, if the gas transport through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline works well again, it will still be the case that issues can come up again at any time," he added.

Speaking alongside Scholz, Siemens Energy CEO Christian Bruch said that the servicing of the turbine should have been “a routine measure” and reiterated that there were no technical reasons for reduced gas flows. Siemens Energy and the German government had prepared all paperwork on their side but were still missing documentation from Gazprom, Bruch added.

Last week, the Russian state-owned energy company said that it would further reduce gas flows through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, halting a turbine for repairs. Gas flows to Germany through the pipeline have since run at 20%, according to German authorities.

Gas through Nord Stream 1 had previously been flowing at 40% capacity after Russia slashed exports in response to Western sanctions over the country's invasion of Ukraine.

7:05 a.m. ET, August 3, 2022

It's 2 p.m. in Kyiv. Here's what you need to know. 

From CNN staff

The number of border crossings from Ukraine since Russia's invasion began in February has now surpassed 10 million, according to figures from the United Nations.

Here are the latest developments from the conflict:

New UN figures: There have been 10,321,348 border crossings from Ukraine since Russia's invasion started on February 24, according to the latest figures from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). The number of individual refugees from the country recorded across Europe has reached 6,180,946, according to the same research. European countries that have taken in a large number of refugees from the war-torn country include Poland, Germany and the Czech Republic.

Russia reacts to Pelosi's Taiwan trip: Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan reflects Washington's desire to prove their "impunity and display their lawlessness." Lavrov added he did not see any other "reason to create such an irritant literally out of nowhere, fully aware what it means for the People’s Republic of China."

First grain shipment arrives in Turkey: Ukrainian authorities welcomed the arrival in Turkey of the first grain shipment to leave the Black Sea port of Odesa since the war began. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said this shipment must be the first of many to ensure food security internally and across the world. The shipment subsequently passed the inspection of the Joint Coordination Centre (JCC) in Istanbul on Wednesday, according to Ukrainian and Turkish officials.

US sanctions Putin's reputed girlfriend: The US Treasury Department on Tuesday sanctioned Russian President Vladimir Putin's reputed girlfriend, Alina Maratovna Kabaeva. This is part of a series of measures targeting Russian elites in the Biden administration's latest attempt to punish the Kremlin for its ongoing war in Ukraine. Kabaeva was previously sanctioned by the European Union and the United Kingdom.

Russia fails to break through Donetsk: Russian forces pushing toward the Donetsk city of Bakhmut have yet to make significant gains, according to the Ukrainian military. In its daily update, the military’s General Staff said Russian troops had made an advance from the northwest toward Bakhmut but were "unsuccessful, and retreated." The news came as Ukrainian officials said the mandatory evacuation of the eastern Donetsk region had begun.

7:10 a.m. ET, August 3, 2022

There have been more than 10 million border crossings from Ukraine since war began, UN says

From CNN's Sana Noor Haq

People cross the Ukrainian border in Medyka, eastern Poland, on March 11, 2022.
People cross the Ukrainian border in Medyka, eastern Poland, on March 11, 2022. (Louisa Gouliamaki/AFP/Getty Images)

There have been over 10 million border crossings from Ukraine since Russia's invasion started on February 24, according to the latest figures from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

In that period, 10,321,348 border crossings have taken place from Ukraine, UNHCR data published on Tuesday said.

The number of individual refugees from the country recorded across Europe has reached 6,180,946, according to the same research.

Russia has taken the majority of refugees from Ukraine, accepting more than 1,800,000 people. However, the UN added that that estimate cannot be confirmed because "potential further movements or returns cannot be factored for the time being."

Poland has received the second-highest number of refugees from the war-torn country, accepting more than 1,200,000 people. Other countries that have taken in large numbers of refugees from Ukraine include Germany and the Czech Republic, with more than 900,000 and 400,000 people respectively.

5:26 a.m. ET, August 3, 2022

Civilians are stranded by a flooded route out of Russian-occupied areas

From CNN's Vasco Cotovio and Maria Kostenko

One of the few routes people use to evacuate Russian-occupied territories back into Ukrainian-controlled areas has been flooded, leaving many civilians stranded, according to local officials.

“Unfortunately, due to the rains, the road through Vasylivka (in southern Ukraine) was washed away. It was the only more or less normal way to get out of the occupation towards the territory controlled by Ukraine,” an adviser to the head of the Kherson civil military administration said in a televised broadcast on Tuesday.

However, some difficult evacuations are still ongoing, according to the head of the Zaporizhzhia region military administration.

“The road to Kamyanske, through which people evacuated from the occupied territories, was washed away. There is a puddle of 1 kilometer long,” Oleksandr Starukh said. “The occupiers drive cars with Ukrainians right into this mud. The State Emergency Service pulls out cars with tractors and helps people get out of the mud.”

“On August 1, despite difficult weather conditions and heavy rain, 1,081 people returned to the territory under the control of Ukraine, including 265 children. Evacuation continues, we will do everything so that people can reach a peaceful territory under the control of Ukraine,” he added.

Local authorities said that while the route has become more difficult to travel, the influx of refugees has increased because of Ukraine’s counter-offensive towards Kherson.

5:11 a.m. ET, August 3, 2022

Zelensky calls on China to "join the united world" and oppose Russia

From CNN's Gabby Gretener

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has appealed to China “to join the united world” and oppose Russia amid the war in Ukraine.

The President discussed China when answering questions from students during a virtual address to the Australian National University on Wednesday.

Zelensky admitted Beijing’s “neutrality is better” than if China would join Russia, believing “the nation, the people of China will do the prudent choice.” He went on to say it is “important that China wouldn’t help Russia.” 

Speaking about the condition of Russia-Ukraine relations in the future, Zelensky said it “depends only on Russia” and that “the question belongs only to them.”

5:39 a.m. ET, August 3, 2022

Russian foreign minister says Pelosi's Taiwan visit reflects US desire to display its "lawlessness"

From CNN's Radina Gigova

Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov attends a meeting with Myanmar's Foreign Minister Wunna Maung Lwin in Naypyidaw, Myanmar, on August 3.
Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov attends a meeting with Myanmar's Foreign Minister Wunna Maung Lwin in Naypyidaw, Myanmar, on August 3. (Russian Foreign Ministry/Reuters)

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan reflects Washington's desire to prove their "impunity and display their lawlessness."

"I cannot tell what was their (the Americans’) motivation but there are no doubts that it reflects the very same policy we are talking about with regards to the Ukrainian situation," Lavrov said Wednesday at a news conference with Myanmar’s Foreign Minister Wunna Maung Lwin, according to Russian state news agency TASS.

"This is a desire to prove to absolutely everyone (their) impunity and display their lawlessness."

Lavrov added he did not see any other "reason to create such an irritant literally out of nowhere, fully aware what it means for the People’s Republic of China."

Some background: Pelosi's trip to Taiwan has inflamed tensions between the US and China and prompted criticism from the Kremlin.

China's anger at Pelosi's visit to the democratic self-governing island was underscored when Chinese Deputy Foreign Minister Xie Feng on Tuesday accused her of "deliberately provoking and playing with fire against people's will," saying her visit is "extremely egregious" and the consequences will be "extremely serious."

That same day, Moscow said that Russia considered Pelosi's visit "a clear provocation in the spirit of the United States' aggressive policy of an all-out effort to contain the PRC (People's Republic of China)."

The Russian foreign ministry also called on Washington "to refrain from actions that undermine regional stability and international security and to recognize the new geopolitical reality in which there is no longer any place for American hegemony."

5:16 a.m. ET, August 3, 2022

Zelensky opens door to same-sex civil partnerships in Ukraine

From CNN’s Vasco Cotovio and Olga Voitovych

People take part in the annual Pride parade in Kyiv, Ukraine on Sept. 19, 2021.
People take part in the annual Pride parade in Kyiv, Ukraine on Sept. 19, 2021. (Efrem Lukatsky/AP)

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has paved the way to legalizing same-sex civil partnerships in the country, in response to a petition calling for same-sex marriage to be made legal there.

Zelensky explained that while the country remained at war, it would be impossible to legalize same-sex marriage because it would violate the constitution.

“The Family Code of Ukraine defines that the family is the primary and main unit of society. A family consists of persons who live together, are connected by common life, have mutual rights and obligations. According to the Constitution of Ukraine, marriage is based on the free consent of a woman and a man (Article 51),” he said on the presidency website.

“The Constitution of Ukraine cannot be changed during a martial law or a state of emergency (Article 157 of the Constitution of Ukraine).”

Despite the obstacles, Zelensky said he would work with his ministers to “ensure the rights and freedoms” of all Ukrainians.

“At the same time, the Government worked out solutions regarding the legalization of registered civil partnership in Ukraine as part of the work on establishing and ensuring human rights and freedoms,” he said.

“In the modern world, the level of democratic society is measured, among other things, through state policy aimed at ensuring equal rights for all citizens. Every citizen is an inseparable part of civil society, he is entitled to all the rights and freedoms enshrined in the Constitution of Ukraine,” Zelensky also said.

All people are free and equal in their dignity and rights," he continued.

Zelensky also thanked the more than 28,000 people that signed the petition for their “active civic position.”

Under Ukrainian law, the president must review petitions that get more than 25,000 signatures.