Ukraine war: Russia repels border attack, Black Sea spy ship destroyed, Wagner boss post-coup debut

Russia says it repelled assault into territory

Moscow said on Tuesday it had beaten back an armed incursion from Ukraine into the border region of Bryansk, yet it did not provide any information about the outcome. 

“Thanks to the coordinated and heroic actions” of border guards, the local FSB, the Ministry of Defense and special units of the National Guard “the attack was repelled,” said regional governor Alexandre Bogomaz on Telegram.

He claimed the assault had been repelled, but also noted Russian authorities were “currently busy taking measures to ensure the safety of the residents.”

Russian border regions have been repeatedly targeted by incursions, generally claimed by fighting units calling themselves Russian, who opposed the Kremlin and are based in Ukraine. 

Iran unveils upgraded military drone

Iran has revealed the latest incarnation of a military drone capable of flying 24 hours and carrying several types of armaments. 

The Islamic Republic has been repeatedly accused of supplying Russia with unmanned aerial vehicles, including the notorious Shahed (martyr) suicide bombers, to carry out deadly strikes on Ukraine. 

Tehran has previously admitted doing so, but assured deliveries to Moscow took place before it invaded Ukraine. 

The new Mohajer 10 was presented to President Ebrahim Raisi during a visit to an exhibition in Tehran on Iran’s ‘Defence Industry Day’, according to the official Irna agency.

This new model from the Mohajer (migratory) has a range of 2,000 km, can operate for 24 hours and has a maximum altitude of 7,000 m, Irna said.

It can fly at a maximum speed of 210 km/h and carry a load of 300 kg, allowing it to “carry all kinds of bombs and ammunition”, added the agency without going into details.

The Mohajer range of combat drones has been developed by the Iranian army and Revolutionary Guard Corps since the Iran-Iraq War of the 1980s.

The United States warned in June that Russia was receiving equipment from Iran to “build a drone factory” on its soil.

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Ukrainian reconnaissance ship destroyed in Black Sea

Russia claims to have downed a Ukrainian army vessel surveying the Black Sea, amid mounting attacks by both sides in the area following Moscow’s recent withdrawal from a major grain deal.

The Russian Defence Ministry said on Tuesday morning its naval airforce had destroyed the spy ship last night near Russian gas production installations in the waters south of Ukraine. 

The ministry did not provide further details.

Last week, Russian ships in its Black Sea fleet were targeted by a Ukrainian naval drone, according to the Russian Ministry of Defense. 

It said the was drone intercepted by Moscow’s military ships without reaching its target.

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Attacks on Russian ships have escalated since Moscow refused in mid-July to renew a UN-brokered agreement that authorised Ukrainian grain exports.

Wagner chief Prigozhin in first video after coup bid

Russian mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin has appeared in his first video address since his abortive mutiny in Russia. 

The Wagner leader hints he is in Africa in the clip posted on Telegram, though Euronews cannot independently verify this. 

Prigozhin – filmed in combat gear standing in the desert with a rifle in his hands – says his force is making Africa “more free”. 

Thousands of his private fighters are believed to be involved in shady business across the African continent. 

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Prigozhin accrued his reported massive torture “protecting weak African regimes in exchange for their gold mines”,  Mark Beissinger, Professor of Politics at Princeton University told Euronews in April. 

Wagner mercenaries were recently accused by Human Rights Watch of committing grave human rights violations in Mali, including summarily executions and forced disappearance of several dozen civilians.

“We are working. The temperature is +50 – everything as we like. Wagner PMC conducts reconnaissance and search actions, makes Russia even greater on all continents, and Africa even more free,” said Prigozhin in the video. 

He says the guns for hire are exploring for minerals and fighting Islamists and criminals.  

“Justice and happiness – for the African people, we’re making life a nightmare for ISIS (Islamic State) and Al-Qaeda and other bandits,” he says. 

Prigozhin led a short-lived mutiny in June in which some 5,000 Wagner troops seized control of the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don and moved towards Moscow, aiming to depose the military leadership. 

It ended with a deal that saw treason charges against him dropped and Wagner relocated to Belarus.  

He has been keeping a low public profile ever since. 

Russia shoots down two Ukrainian drones in Moscow region

Russia announced early on Tuesday it had destroyed two Ukrainian drones heading for Moscow, as such attacks increase in recent weeks. 

“An attempt by the Kyiv regime to carry out terrorist attacks using unmanned aerial vehicles was foiled” overnight from Monday to Tuesday, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Telegram.

The drones were “destroyed by air defence systems”, it said. 

According to Moscow mayor Sergei Sobyanin one was shot down in the Krasnogorsk area, located 20 km northwest of the Kremlin, while the second fell in the Chastsy area, some 50 km southwest of central Moscow.

Moscow’s Domodedovo, Sheremetyevo and Vnukovo international airports were closed to arrivals and departures, according to the Russian state news agency TASS, which later announced landings had resumed at the first two airports. 

Drone attacks inside Russian territory have been increasing for several weeks, most often without causing damage or casualties. They typically target the Russian capital, located more than 500 km from the Ukrainian border.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned at the end of July that “war is coming to Russian territory”.