Russian President Putin can be "quite dangerous and reckless" if he is cornered, CIA director says
From CNN's Katie Bo Lillis
CIA Director Bill Burns talks to CBS in an interview aired on October 4. (CBS)
Russian President Vladimir Putin can be “quite dangerous and reckless” if he is cornered, CIA Director Bill Burns told CBS in an interview.
Putin has “gotta be concerned, not just about what's happening on the battlefield in Ukraine, [but] what's happening at home and what's happening internationally,” Burns told CBS.
He noted in particular that despite a pledge from China in February of a “friendship without limits,” Beijing has declined to offer military support that Putin has requested and “controlled their enthusiasm for Russia’s conduct of the war.”
Russia’s rising challenges have left Putin with fewer options, making him potentially more dangerous, Burns suggested.
“Putin cornered, Putin who feels his back is against the wall, can be quite dangerous and reckless,” Burns said.
8:07 a.m. ET, October 4, 2022
More than 200,000 Russians have entered Kazakhstan since Putin's military escalation
From CNN’s Eve Brennan
People walk next to their cars while queuing to cross the border into Kazakhstan at the Mariinsky border crossing, Russia, on September 27 (AP)
More than 200,000 Russian citizens have arrived in Kazakhstan since Russian President Vladimir Putin announced his partial mobilization order, according to Kazakh Interior Minister Marat Akhmetzhanov.
Out of the 200,000 arrivals, more than 147,000 have already left since Sept. 21, Akhmetzhanov told Kazakh state news agency Kazinform.
On Monday, Akhmetzhanov said over 7,000 arrived and 11,000 left, according to Kazinform.
He also said that 68 Russians had applied for Kazakh citizenship.
Russian and Kazakhstan are neighbors that share a 7000 kilometer-long (4,350 miles) border.
8:37 a.m. ET, October 4, 2022
Residents of annexed Ukrainian territories have 1 month to change citizenship, Russian minister says
From CNN's Anna Chernova and Radina Gigova
A man casts his ballot for a referendum at a polling station in Mariupol on September 27. The placard reads "Referendum. We are returning home. Join! Vote!". (AFP/Getty Images)
Residents of the Ukrainian regions illegally annexed by Russia have one month to change their citizenship, Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Yevgeny Ivanov told state news agency RIA Novosti on Tuesday.
"The same as it was with Crimea. Within a month they must decide, make a choice," Ivanov said, adding that in the new territories, the issuance of documents will be accelerated.
According to the Kremlin, Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to sign into law on Tuesday the documents on the illegal annexation of four Ukrainian regions — the self-proclaimed Luhansk and Donetsk People’s Republics, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions.
The signing of the laws by Putin would complete the last step of the annexation process, based on the Russian legal system. The annexation is illegal under international law and Western governments have vowed to not recognize the regions as Russian territory.
8:01 a.m. ET, October 4, 2022
It's 3 p.m. in Kyiv. Here's what you need to know
From CNN staff
Ukrainian forces have propelled through occupied territory in the country's eastern and southern regions, putting pressure on Russian forces in Kherson and Luhansk.
Meanwhile, Russia's parliament is formalizing the illegal annexation of four regions in Ukraine, which the Kremlin said President Vladimir Putin is likely to sign into law on Tuesday.
Here are the latest developments:
Kyiv offensive rolls on: Ukrainian forces have pushed toward the occupied city of Kherson and captured the town of Zolota Balka on the western bank of the Dnipro River, according to a regional official and pro-Russian military blogger. Further east, Ukrainian forces have continued their counteroffensive and pushed into the Luhansk region, pro-Russian officials and propagandists said on Monday.
Putin due to sign annexation laws: According to the Kremlin, Putin will on Tuesday "most likely" sign the laws on the illegal annexation of four regions in Ukraine. It comes after both branches of the Russian legislature approved the decision to annex four Ukrainian territories in violation of international law.
Russian parliament backs illegal annexation: On Tuesday, the Federation Council unanimously sanctioned the illegal annexation of the Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics, and the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions. The lower house, the State Duma, also voted unanimously to authorize the illegal annexation on Monday, Russia's state-run TASS news agency reported.
EU summons Russian ambassadors: The European Union has summoned in a "coordinated manner” the Russian ambassadors in EU member states following Putin's decision last week to annex Ukrainian regions, an EU spokesperson told CNN on Monday. Peter Stano said the move aims to "convey strong condemnation of these actions."
More than 200,000 join Russian military: More than 200,000 people have joined the Russian Armed Forces as part of the "partial mobilization" of citizens for Moscow's war in Ukraine, according Russia's Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu. He said the training of the new units will be conducted on special training grounds and training centers, Russian state outlet RIA Novosti reported Tuesday.
Ukraine makes bid for US-supplied weaponry: In an effort to overcome Biden administration resistance to providing Ukraine with a new set of powerful, long-range rocket systems, Kyiv is now offering the US full and ongoing visibility into their list of intended Russian targets, multiple officials familiar with the discussions told CNN.
8:18 a.m. ET, October 4, 2022
Zelensky signs decree declaring negotiations with Putin an "impossibility"
From Olga Voitovych in Kyiv and CNN's Anna Chernova
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky address the nation on October 3. (President of Ukraine)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has signed a decree formally ruling out the possibility of negotiations with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.
The decree confirms "the impossibility of holding negotiations with the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin," according the the Ukrainian Presidency’s website.
It is dated last Friday, the day that Putin announced he would illegally annex the four partially-occupied Ukrainian territories of Kherson, Zaporizhzhia and the Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics.
The move came in response to Putin’s attempt at annexation, the post said.
"It takes two parties to negotiate," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday in response to Kyiv's decree.
He claimed that Russia had wanted to resolve matters "by peaceful diplomatic means" since before Moscow's attempt at a full-scale invasion in February.
"Now we will either wait for a change in the position of the current president, or we will wait for the future president of Ukraine, who will change his position in the interests of the Ukrainian people," Peskov added.
It comes as Russia's parliament formalizes the illegal annexation, in violation of international law. The move follows so-called referendums in the four Ukrainian regions held by Russian-backed leaders, which are illegal under international law and have been denounced by Ukraine and Western leaders as "sham."
7:10 a.m. ET, October 4, 2022
More than 200,000 joined Russian military as part of partial mobilization, says defense minister
From CNN's Radina Gigova
Russian reservists are registered at a gathering point in the course of partial mobilization of troops in the town of Volzhsky in the Volgograd region, Russia, on September 28. (Reuters)
More than 200,000 people have joined the Russian Armed Forces as part of the "partial mobilization" of citizens for Moscow's war in Ukraine, according Russia's Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.
Shoigu said the training of the new units will be conducted on special training grounds and training centers, Russian state outlet RIA Novosti reported Tuesday. Shoigu hasn't provided additional details about the newly mobilized personnel.
Some context: In September, Shoigu said the country would summon 300,000 reservists, after President Vladimir Putin announced increased military conscription.
The move sparked heated protests and an exodus of military age men amid draft fears. Russia's parliament also made amendments to the law on military service to toughen the punishment for violation of military service duties.
7:07 a.m. ET, October 4, 2022
Putin "most likely" to sign annexation laws on Tuesday, says Kremlin
From CNN's Anna Chernova and Radina Gigova
Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks during the signing ceremony with separatist leaders on the annexation of four Ukrainian regions at the Grand Kremlin Palace, on September 30, in Moscow, Russia. (Getty Images)
The laws on the illegal annexation of four regions in Ukraine will "most likely" be signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday, according to the Kremlin's spokesperson.
"Most likely, the laws will be signed (by President Putin) today," Dmitry Peskov said during a daily call with journalists.
Earlier Tuesday, Russia's upper house of parliament approved unanimously the illegal accession of the Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics, and the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions. Russia's lower house of parliament also voted unanimously for the four laws — one for each region — on Monday, according to Russia’s state-run TASS news agency.
The procedure was expected to be a formality, as Putin and his allies effectively control both branches of the Russian legislature.
Some context: Putin said during a ceremony at the Kremlin on Friday that the millions of people living in the four territories would be Russian citizens "forever", as he announced the illegal annexation process in defiance of international law.
In recent weeks, Moscow-backed leaders in the four Ukrainian regions held so-called referendums on joining Russia. The ballots are illegal under international law and were dismissed by Ukraine and Western leaders as "sham."
6:23 a.m. ET, October 4, 2022
Not all annexed areas are under Russian control, says lawmaker during discussion in parliament
From CNN's Anna Chernova and Radina Gigova
Representative from the executive body of the government of the Republic of Tyva Lyudmila Narusova (center) during a meeting of the Federation Council on May 29, 2019, in Russia, Moscow. (Gleb Schelkunov/Kommersant/Sipa USA/AP)
Before Tuesday's vote in Russia's upper house of parliament on the illegal annexation of four Ukrainian territories, a Federation Council senator flagged that not all areas are fully under Moscow's control.
"From the date of signing of these agreements, the line of contact has changed, and at present we are recommended to accept regions, part of the territories of which are occupied by the armed forces of another country, into the Russian Federation," Lyudmila Narusova said, asking for an explanation.
The Constitutional Court, which ruled that the incorporation of the four regions was in compliance with the Russian constitution, does not assess political matters or the line of contact on the ground, Senator Andrey Klishas, chair of the Federation Council committee on constitutional legislation, replied.
Klishas reiterated the Kremlin's position that Russian authorities intervened to protect the "human rights" of the residents of the four regions.
After the discussion at the Federation Council, Narusova still voted for the laws. The Federation Council unanimously approved the accession of the four Ukrainian regions.
In the Federation Council, Narusova represents the Russian republic of Tuva, in southern Siberia. She is the mother of Ksenia Sobchak, a controversial public figure and a TV host, who ran for the presidency in 2018.
Some context: The formalization process of the illegal annexation is in violation of international law. It follows so-called referendums held by Russian-backed leaders across the Donetsk People's Republic, the Luhansk People's Republic, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia in recent weeks. The ballots are illegal under international law and were condemned by Kyiv and its Western allies as "sham."
6:26 a.m. ET, October 4, 2022
Russia's upper house of parliament approves accession of four Ukrainian regions, in violation of international law
From CNN's Anna Chernova and Radina Gigova
Lawmakers of Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation listen to the national anthem while attending a session in Moscow, Russia, on October 4. (Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation/AP)
Russia's upper house of parliament unanimously sanctioned the accession of four Ukrainian regions into Russia on Tuesday in violation of international law.
The Federation Council passed the constitutional laws on the illegal annexation of the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR), the Luhansk People's Republic (LPR) and the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions.
The lower house, the State Duma, also voted unanimously to authorize the illegal annexation on Monday, Russia's state-run TASS news agency reported.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and his allies effectively control both branches of the Russian legislature, and the space for political dissent in Russia has shrunk in recent years.
The four accession documents — one for each of the regions — will now head to Putin's desk.
According to the laws, residents of the new entities were recognized as Russian citizens starting on September 30, when the formal agreements of accession between the Russian Federation and the four regions were signed in the Kremlin's St George's Hall.
Following the results of so-called referendums, Putin made a formal speech at the ceremony on Friday, declaring that the millions of people living in the four regions would be Russian citizens "forever."
Russian-backed leaders held votes across the four regions in recent weeks. The ballots are illegal under international law and were dismissed by Kyiv and Western leaders as a "sham."
The residents of the new regions can acquire Russian citizenship by submitting applications and being sworn in as Russian citizens, according to TASS.
According to the laws, the DPR and the LPR will retain their status as republics after joining Russia and Russian will be their official language. The Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions will also join Russia as constituent entities and will continue to be called "regions," TASS reported.
The borders of the republics and regions will be the same as those that existed on the day of their creation and accession into Russia, and their borders with other countries will be regarded as Russia’s state borders, according to TASS.
The DPR and the LPR are joining Russia under the 2014 borders described in their "constitutions," according to TASS.
The movements in Russia's parliament contradict the state of the war on the ground in Ukraine, where Kyiv has made sweeping gains in the east and the south of the country and forced Moscow to retreat from several positions in areas the Kremlin declared it is annexing.
