A Russian missile hit a multistorey residential building in the city of Dnipro on Friday injuring three people, Ukraine’s interior minister has said. Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday said earlier on Friday that Moscow is “carefully examining” African leaders’ proposals to end the war in Ukraine on the second day of a Russia-Africa Summit in St Petersburg. Read our liveblog to see how the day's events unfolded. All times are Paris time (GMT+2).
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21:04pm: Russian strike in Dnipro injures three, says Ukraine’s interior minister
A Russian missile struck a multistorey residential building in the central city of Dnipro on Friday injuring three people, Ukraine's interior minister said.
"Three people requested medical assistance," Igor Klymenko said on Telegram, adding that rescuers were at the scene.
Videos posted on social media showed smoke billowing from the top floors of a residential building that had been badly damaged.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said: "Dnipro. Friday evening. A high-rise building and the Security Service of Ukraine's building were hit. Russian missile terror again".
"All necessary services are on site... We keep the situation under control. We will do everything to bring Russia to full punishment for aggression and terror against our people."
7:16pm: IOC assures Ukraine fencer of Paris Games spot after DQ for not shaking hands with Russian opponent
The IOC assured Ukrainian fencer Olga Kharlan on Friday that she will have a place at the Paris Olympics next year after she was disqualified from a key ranking event for refusing to shake hands with a Russian she had beaten.
In a letter to Kharlan, International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach said it would make a “unique exception” by allocating her an extra place to ensure she competes in Paris.
“It is admirable how you are managing this incredibly difficult situation,” wrote Bach, who like Kharlan is a former Olympic champion in a fencing team event.
The International Fencing Federation on Friday overruled Kharlan’s disqualification and reinstated the Ukrainian fencer at the world championships..
6:54pm: Russia and Africa to promote a 'multipolar order' says Putin
President Vladimir Putin said Friday that Russia and the African leaders attending a summit in Saint Petersburg had agreed to promote a multipolar world order and to fight neo-colonialism.
Putin said the "commitment of all our states to the formation of a just and democratic multipolar world order" and the "joint determination to counter neo-colonialism, the practice of applying illegitimate sanctions, and attempts to undermine traditional moral values.
6:36pm: Putin's grain offer not enough, Ukraine ceasefire needed says African Union chair
The chair of the African Union, Azali Assoumani, said on Friday that proposals by Russian President Vladimir Putin to provide grain to Africa were not sufficient, and that a ceasefire in Ukraine was needed.
In a closing address to a Russia-Africa summit in St Petersburg, he also said Putin had shown readiness to negotiate with Ukraine, and that "the other side" now needed to be persuaded.
5:50pm: Egypt urges renewal of Black Sea grain export deal
Egypt's president on Friday called on Russia and Ukraine to find "urgent solutions" to allow the resumption of Ukraine grain exports to Africa, after Moscow's withdrawal led to the collapse of a Black Sea pact.
The Ukraine grain deal was agreed last year and allowed around 33 million tonnes of grain to leave Ukrainian ports, helping to stabilise global food prices and avert shortages. Russia last week refused to extend the deal.
"I underline the importance of finding urgent solutions to furnish food and fertiliser at prices that will help Africa to surmount this crisis," Abdel Fattah al-Sissi said at a Russia-Africa summit in the Russian city of Saint Petersburg.
"I hope to come to a consensual solution on a grain export agreement, taking into account the requests and interests of all the parties, in order put an end to the rise in price," he said.
5:40pm: EU sanctions Russians over Ukraine war disinformation
The EU on Friday imposed sanctions on 12 Russian individuals and entities over a state-linked campaign to spread disinformation about the war in Ukraine using fake media web pages.
The EU said the disinformation campaign -- dubbed "Recent Reliable News" -- aimed at "distorting information and disseminating propaganda in support of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine".
The bloc said it involved "fake pages usurping the identity of national media outlets and government websites" in the West, and had been spread by Russian state bodies.
5:24pm: Moscow says intercepted two Ukraine missiles in southwest
Russia said Friday it intercepted a Ukrainian missile, with debris falling on the southwestern Russian city of Taganrog, near the border with Ukraine, injuring more than a dozen people.
"Russian air defence equipment detected the Ukrainian missile and intercepted it in the air. The debris of the downed Ukrainian missile fell on the territory of Taganrog," Russia's defence ministry said in a statement.
The ministry also said the missile was aimed at "residential infrastructure" of the city of around 250,000 people.
Shortly after saying it intercepted the missile, Moscow said it downed a second Ukrainian missile over southwestern Russia.
"Russian air defence systems intercepted a Ukrainian missile near the city of Azov in the Rostov region. Fragments of the downed Ukrainian missile fell in a deserted area," the defence ministry said.
4:07: At least 15 injured in blast in Russian city near Ukraine, says governor
At least 15 people were injured in an explosion near a cafe in the southwestern Russian city of Taganrog near the border with Ukraine, the regional governor said Friday.
"A rocket supposedly exploded. Rescuers are at the scene. There are no dead. There are several injured to whom ambulances have been dispatched," Rostov region governor Vasily Golubev said on Telegram, later adding that 15 people suffered "light injuries".
3:24pm: Ukraine moves Christmas date in break with Russian Orthodox Church
Ukraine has moved its official Christmas holiday to December 25 in a break with the Russian Orthodox Church which celebrates it on January 7, according to legislation passed on Friday.
The bill signed by President Volodymyr Zelensky highlights the deepening rift between churches in Kyiv and Moscow since Russia's invasion of its pro-Western neighbour.
"The relentless and successful struggle for their identity contributes to... the desire of every Ukrainian to live their own life with their own traditions and holidays," according to an explanatory note to the bill on the parliament's website.
The purpose of the law was to "abandon the Russian heritage of imposing Christmas celebrations on January 7", the note said.
2:01pm: Qatar to provide Ukraine with $100 million in humanitarian aid, Kyiv says
Qatar will provide Ukraine with $100 million in humanitarian aid to support health, education and demining, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said on Friday after talks with the Gulf state's prime minister.
Qatar had earlier on Friday announced that Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, who also serves as foreign minister, was visiting Ukraine.
1:48pm: Ukraine says Russia is threatening civilian vessels in Black Sea
The Ukrainian president's chief of staff said on Friday Russia was threatening civilian vessels in the Black Sea, and urged the international community to condemn what he said were "the methods of terrorists"
"Russian warships are threatening civilians in the Black Sea, violating all norms of international maritime law," Andriy Yermak wrote on the Telegram messaging app.
1:41pm China defends trade with Russia after US intelligence report
The Chinese government defended its dealings with Russia as “normal economic and trade cooperation” Friday after a United States intelligence report said Beijing possibly provided equipment used in Ukraine that might have military applications.
A US intelligence report released on Thursday cited Russian customs data that showed Chinese state-owned military contractors supplied navigation equipment, fighter jet parts, drones and other goods.
“China has been carrying out normal economic and trade cooperation with countries around the world, including Russia,” said Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning. She said Chinese-Russian cooperation “neither targets a third party nor is it subject to interference and coercion by a third party."
1:33pm: Russian Olympic chief accuses IOC of siding with Ukraine
The head of Russia's Olympic Committee on Friday accused the International Olympic Committee of picking sides after it urged sports federations to show sensitivity when handling Ukrainian athletes.
"The statement in question indicates that the IOC determined for itself and picked a side in the political conflict, (and) began to act in the interests of this side," Stanislav Pozdnyakov said on Telegram.
On Thursday, Ukrainian fencer Olha Kharlan was disqualified at the World Fencing Championships in Milan after refusing to shake the hand of her beaten Russian opponent Anna Smirnova.
Following the incident, the IOC urged international federations to "handle situations involving Ukrainian and individual neutral athletes with the necessary degree of sensitivity".
According to Pozdnyakov, these remarks "clearly showed the duplicity of the so-called recommendations, criteria and parameters
1:32pm: Message on Telegram channels associated with Wagner Group hails Niger coup
In a voice message on Telegram app channels associated with Russia’s Wagner mercenary group, a speaker with the same distinctive intonation and turn of phrase as its chief Yevgeny Prigozhin hailed Niger's military coup as good news and offered Wagner fighters' services to bring order.
"What happened in Niger is nothing other than the struggle of the people of Niger with their colonisers. With colonisers who are trying to foist their rules of life on them and their conditions and keep them in the state that Africa was in hundreds of years ago," said the message, posted on Thursday evening.
Prigozhin remains active despite leading a failed rebellion against the Russian army's top brass last month.
11:19am: Congo leader urges end to Ukraine war at Russia-Africa summit
Congo Republic President Denis Sassou Nguesso called on Friday for an end to the war between Russia and Ukraine, saying a peace plan put forward by African leaders deserved attention.
Nguesso spoke at a Russia-Africa summit in St Petersburg hosted by Russian President Vladimir Putin, who said the peace proposal would be discussed later in the day.
10:53am: Russian Olympic chief accuses IOC of siding with Ukraine
The head of Russia's Olympic Committee on Friday accused the International Olympic Committee of picking sides after it urged sports federations to handle contests between Ukrainian athletes and Russians competing as neutrals with "sensitivity".
"The statement in question indicates that the IOC determined for itself and picked a side in the political conflict, began to act in the interests of this side," Stanislav Pozdnyakov said on Telegram.
10:48am: 'We will never shake hands' with Russian athletes, says disqualified Ukrainian fencer
Ukrainian fencer Olha Kharlan, who was controversially disqualified from the world championships for not shaking hands with a Russian opponent, defiantly insisted on Thursday: "We will never shake hands with them."
Kharlan, 32, claimed she had been given the green light to snub Russian rival Anna Smirnova by the head of the sport's federation despite the gesture being a key feature of post-bout rituals.
"My message today is that we Ukrainian athletes are ready to face Russians on the sports field but we will never shake hands with them," the four-time world champion told several journalists, including a reporter from AFP.
She claimed that Emmanuel Katsiadakis, the Greek president of the International Fencing Federation (FIE), had even assured her that it was "possible" not to shake hands and offer a touch of her blade instead following her victory.
10:10am: Moscow is studying African nations' peace proposal regarding Ukraine, says Putin
Russian President Vladimir Putin told African leaders on Friday Moscow respected their peace proposal on Ukraine and was carefully studying it.
Putin said at a Russia-Africa summit that Russia was increasing food supplies to Africa, including some free grain shipments which he announced a day earlier, and was interested in developing military cooperation with African countries.
9:27am: Russia prepares switch to rouble settlement for farm exports
Russia will get buyers of its farm exports to pay in roubles rather than dollars as a way to circumvent western sanctions, Deputy Prime Minister Viktoria Abramchenko said on Friday.
She said the government was preparing a draft decree that would enable buyers to open special rouble accounts to make this possible.
Moscow has long demanded that its state agricultural bank be reconnected to the international SWIFT bank payments network from which it was shut off after Russia invaded Ukraine last year.
Its failure to get reinstated was one of the reasons Russia last week quit the Black Sea grain deal that permitted Ukrainian exports.
9:02am: Additional Russian efforts on grain supply 'remain to be seen'
As the 2023 Russia–Africa Summit enters its second day, talks are moving from from grain supplies to other economic issues, said FRANCE 24's Caroline Dumay as she reported from St Petersburg.
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday promised to supply six African countries with up to 50,000 tonnes of grain each at no cost, following Moscow's decision to back out of the Black Sea Grain Initiative that allowed for shipments from Ukraine's Black Sea ports.
The Kremlin's promise of grain deliveries "might just not be enough for everyone", said Dumay, adding that additional Russian efforts on grain supply "remain to be seen".
Other deals are also on the agenda at the summit as Moscow looks to bolster its economic and political ties.
Russia and African nations have inked some 60 contracts on wide-ranging sectors, including agriculture in Nigeria, customs in Ethiopia, and the Olympic committee in Eswatini, said Dumay.
Please click on the video player below to watch the report.
8:29am: Japan expands sanctions on Russia over Ukraine invasion
Japan dialed up sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, announcing an expanded list on Friday that included an export ban on electric vehicles.
Russia was hit with a wave of sanctions after it sent forces into Ukraine in February last year, but calls have grown from Kyiv and its allies for tougher action against Moscow.
Tokyo has already frozen assets of Russian individuals and groups, and banned the export of goods to Russia's military-related organisations, as well as the export of construction and engineering services.
The government on Friday expanded the list of goods under its export ban to include vehicles fitted with engines of 1,900cc or more, as well as hybrid and electric cars, the trade ministry said in a statement.
The new sanctions, approved by the cabinet of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Friday, will take effect on August 9.
5:36am: Russia says its air defences downed Ukrainian drone in Moscow region
Russian air defences downed a Ukrainian military drone before it could attack its targets in the Moscow region on Friday, the RIA news agency cited Russia's defence ministry as saying.
The ministry said the incident caused no casualties or damage to buildings.
Key developments from Thursday, July 27:
UN chief Antonio Guterres warned Thursday that a "handful of donations to some countries" won't offset the impact of Russia's decision to leave a Black Sea grain deal that had allowed Ukraine to export grain worldwide.
Russian President Vladimir Putin had earlier in the day told a summit with African leaders in St Petersburg that Moscow would replace Ukrainian exports by supplying free grain to six African countries "in the coming months".
Read yesterday's liveblog to see how the day's events unfolded.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP, AP and Reuters)
