September 21, 2022 Russia-Ukraine news

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

Joy Black was sitting with a friend during her break at work Wednesday when she received an unexpected call from Saudi Arabia — to tell her that fiancé Andy Tai Ngoc Huynh was coming home.

“It’s kind of indescribable. I was still kind of in shock so I was like ‘How do I know it’s really you?’ and he said this inside joke we have between each other and instantly I was like, ‘It’s him! It’s really him,’” Black told CNN’s Erin Burnett. 

It was her first conversation with Huynh since June 8. “It was just so amazing to finally get to hear his voice again and speak to him,” she said.

Huynh and another American, Alexander John-Robert Drueke, were captured in June while fighting in Ukraine. They were released, along with eight others, in a prisoner swap between Russia and Ukraine that was spearheaded by the government of Saudi Arabia.

“It’s just so good to know that they are OK and that they’re going to come home,” Black said.

Huynh could be back as early as Friday, she said, adding he has a special request for his homecoming in Alabama: spaghetti with meat, which he’d been craving while in Ukraine.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday welcomed the prisoner exchange between Ukraine and Russia that led to the release of 10 people, including two Americans.

“The United States is appreciative of Ukraine including all prisoners of war, regardless of nationality, in its negotiations, and we look forward to these U.S. citizens being reunited with their families,” Blinken said in a statement.  

He also thanked Saudi Arabia for spearheading the initiative. “I conveyed my gratitude to Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan in a call this morning,” Blinken said.

Family members of Americans Alexander John-Robert Drueke and Andy Tai Ngoc Huynh — captured in June while fighting for Ukraine north of Kharkiv — confirmed to CNN earlier Wednesday that they had been freed.

Five Britons were also released, the British government said. Additionally, three others — Moroccan, Swedish and Croatian nationals — were freed in the swap, the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

 In his statement, Blinken reiterated that US citizens should not travel to Ukraine.

“Americans who travel to Ukraine to participate in the fighting there face significant risks and the United States cannot guarantee their safety,” he said. “We encourage U.S. citizens to devote their energies towards the many other opportunities that exist to help the country of Ukraine and its people.”

North Korea says it never exported weapons or ammunition to Russia, according to the state-run Korean Central News Agency. 

Earlier this month, a US official told CNN that Russia is purchasing millions of rockets and artillery shells from North Korea for use in Ukraine. The New York Times first reported the purchases.

North Korea condemned the US “for thoughtlessly circulating the rumor against the DPRK to pursue its base political and military aim” and said the US should keep its mouth shut, according to KCNA.

DPRK stands for the Democratic Republic of Korea, the formal name for North Korea.

The state media cited a press statement from the Vice Director General of the General Bureau of Equipment of the Ministry of National Defense but did not provide a name for the Vice Director General.

North Korea said the “development, production, possession of military equipment, but also their export and import are the lawful right peculiar to a sovereign state, and nobody is entitled to criticize it.”

However, the statement said:

“We have never exported weapons or ammunition to Russia before and we will not plan to export them.”

It added that the rumors about exports to Russia were aimed at tarnishing North Korea’s image.

Russia is afraid of real peace negotiations in Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky said Wednesday during his address to the UN General Assembly.

Instead, Russia lies to everyone, the president said. It “talks about the talks but announces a military mobilization.”

Zelensky, in his pre-recorded remarks, added:

Zelensky ended his address by saying, “We are ready for peace. But true, honest and fair peace. That’s why the world is on our side.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s attempt at “playing the nuclear card” in his national address earlier Wednesday along with his order for a partial mobilization was an act of weakness, a senior US administration official said Wednesday.

“Declaring a mobilization, and then refining the declaration of mobilization to try to have it both ways — on the one hand, indicating you’re calling a bunch of people up, and on the other hand, saying we’re not calling too many people up — that also indicates a very pressurized environment in Russia,” the official said. “And the fact that he has to resort to something he clearly didn’t want to do is a reflection of the fact that his campaign in Ukraine is failing.”

The official said the US does not see any signs that indicate a heightened nuclear threat from Russia, despite Putin’s rhetoric.

“We have heard him before, wave around the nuclear card, and we heard it again in his speech today, and in fact, the language and formula he used today is quite similar to how he’s spoken before,” the official said.

Still, President Biden and other US officials remain on alert for potential escalation as the conflict in Ukraine grinds ahead.

“We are watching carefully to see for any signs of potential escalation, and we are sending very clear and strong messages to Russia about the consequences of escalation,” the official said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky addressed the UN General Assembly on Wednesday in a pre-recorded speech that focused on the Russian war launched on Feb. 24. 

He outlined five preconditions for peace during his speech:

Here are the key lines from Zelensky’s remarks:

Zelensky received a standing ovation from most delegates after his speech. The Russian delegation remained seated and did not applaud.

International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Grossi said he met the foreign ministers of Ukraine and Russia on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly on Wednesday in an effort to establish a safety and security protection zone around the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.

Grossi had meetings with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dymtro Kuleba and Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

The issue needs to be resolved quickly, Grossi said.

“Getting an agreement today would have been nice, but you can imagine that these are very complex issues that require perhaps a bit more than one meeting. But we are already working on the very concrete aspects that would be required to having the zone be established,” he said.

Grossi added that beyond the differences, “there is the conviction that the establishment of this zone is indispensable. Let’s be clear. This nuclear power plant is being shelled now. And so we need to protect it in some way.”

A number of cables providing electricity to one of Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant’s reactors were damaged by shelling on Wednesday, the UN nuclear watchdog said in a statement.

The International Atomic Energy Agency said the shelling had temporarily forced reactor number six “to rely on emergency diesel generators for the power it needs for essential safety functions.”

The five other reactors were not affected and continued ” to receive power directly from the plant’s off-site power line that was restored last week,” IAEA added.

The plant in southern Ukraine, with six reactors, is the largest nuclear power station in Europe. It was mostly built in the Soviet era and became Ukrainian property after its declaration of independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.

“Work is underway to repair the damaged cables,” the IAEA’s statement said.

“This once again demonstrates the urgent necessity to establish such a zone around the ZNPP. Until yesterday, there seemed to be less shelling at or near the plant, but this latest episode shows that the danger remains very real, It hasn’t gone away, and we can’t afford to lose any more time,” IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday called for Russia to be deprived of its veto power. 

Russia is one of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council.

In his speech to the UN General Assembly, Zelensky said:

 “So long as the aggressor is party to decision making in the international organization you must be insulated from them, at least until aggression stops.”  

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday called for the creation of a special tribunal to punish Russia for invading Ukraine.

“A special tribunal should be created to punish Russia,” Zelensky said during his pre-recorded speech to the United Nations General Assembly.

Zelensky said: “This will become a signal to all would-be aggressors, that they must value peace or be brought to responsibility by the world.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he held 88 rounds of talks with Russia to prevent war since the start of his presidency.

“88 rounds of talks in various formats to prevent these wars just from the beginning of my presidency until Feb. 24 of this year,” Zelensky said during his pre-recorded address to the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday.

Russia launched its war in Ukraine on Feb. 24.

He added, “but Russia, instead of stopping the crime of aggression,” it’s started a full-scale invasion. 

President Volodymyr Zelensky said he believes Ukraine will continue to liberate territory as the military mounts its counteroffensive against Russian aggression.

“We can return the Ukraine flag to our entire territory. We can do it with the force of arms, but we need time,” he told the UN General Assembly in a pre-recorded address.

He said Ukraine tried ending the war at the negotiating table, but concluded, “This is a war for life.”

Zelensky reiterated his country needed support in the form of weapons and military assistance in order to be successful on the battlefield.

“How can we allow the Russian army somewhere on Ukraine soil knowing that they’re committing such mass murders everywhere? We cannot,” he said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky demanded “just punishment” for the crimes Russia has committed since the invasion of Ukraine.

“A crime has been committed against Ukraine and we demand just punishment. The crime was committed against our state borders. The crime was committed against the lives of our people,” Zelensky told the UN General Assembly in his pre-recorded address.

Ukraine wanted Russia punished for trying to steal territory and for the murder of thousands of people, he said.

In addition:

“Punishment for tortures and humiliation of women and men. Punishment for the catastrophic turbulence that Russia provoked with its illegal war and not only for us, Ukrainians, but for the whole world.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday that the entire world wanted peace in his country, with the exception of Russia.

“Ukraine wants peace. Europe wants peace. The world wants peace,” he said in a pre-recorded speech.

There is “only one entity” among all UN member states that was happy with “his” war, Zelensky said, alluding to Russian President Vladimir Putin without saying his name, adding, “We will not let this entity” prevail over us.

The president said Ukraine had shown strength on the battlefield by using its right to self-defense.

Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis said Wednesday that Vladimir Putin’s partial mobilization announcement is “a sign of desperation,” but downplayed the Russian President’s nuclear saber-rattling.

“They are losing, the front has been breached by the successful consequences from Ukraine and this is Putin’s answer: more escalation,” Landsbergis told CNN on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York. “I think it has to be met with, first of all, with calm and resolve. He expects us to be afraid, but we have to be prepared.”

In remarks overnight, Putin threatened to use “all means” at his disposal to respond to the West, saying, “I’d like to remind them that our country has also various similar weapons and in some cases more modern weapons than NATO. In order to protect our people and in order to protect Russia, we will definitely use all means.”

Landsbergis said he believes the Russian leader is bluffing.

“I’m more worried about the people who are worried about this than about actual saber-rattling,” he said.

“It shouldn’t come as a surprise that Putin is an aggressive actor, that Russia is an aggressive country. We should not have expected him just to have a limited conflict with Ukraine, limited war,” Landsbergis added.

The Swedish and Croatian governments confirmed Wednesday their citizens were among the 10 foreign prisoners of war held by Russian-backed forces released as part of the prisoner swap between Russia and Ukraine that was brokered by Saudi Arabia.

“The Swedish citizen detained in Donetsk has now been exchanged and is well,” Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde said in a tweet, without disclosing the person’s name. 

Linde said she had worked closely with her Ukrainian counterpart, to whom she extended her “deepest gratitude.” 

“A warm thank you also goes to Saudi Arabia,” the foreign minister added. 

Croatia’s Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said he spoke on the phone with the released Croatian prisoner Vjekoslav Prebeg. 

Prebeg would be returning to Croatia on Thursday, the prime minister said. 

The Croatian leader also thanked authorities in Ukraine and Saudi Arabia for their cooperation and help that led to Prebeg’s release.  

Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk has urged people in occupied areas not to participate in the referendums planned by pro-Russian authorities.

“Please tell your friends and relatives who remain on the temporarily occupied territories: not to take the passports, not to take part in any pseudo-referenda, and definitely not to collaborate with the occupiers,” Vereshchuk said on Ukrainian television.

She also outlined who would face criminal charges:

“For example, we know of cases when people were refused treatment or necessary medications where they did not carry a Russian passport,” she said.

Vereshchuk said those who organized and conducted a referendum would face penalties — but not those who had provided their personal data in order to receive pensions or humanitarian aid.

“In any case, every effort should be made not to participate in the so-called referendum. In any case, you should not be among those who organize or conduct the so-called referendum, that is, the supervisory commission or anything else of a kind.”

Moroccan citizen Brahim Saadoun, who had been held by Russian-backed forces for months, has been released as part of the prisoner swap between Russia and Ukraine that was brokered by Saudi Arabia, his sister Imane Saadoune tells CNN. 

Imane Saadoune says her family has still not been contacted by Moroccan or Saudi officials regarding her brother’s release, but she identified her brother in a picture and video released by the Saudi Press Agency showing him in Saudi Arabia. 

At least 1,045 people have been detained across Russia in a crackdown on anti-war protests across two dozen cities in Russia, according to the independent monitoring group OVD-Info on Wednesday.

More background: Photos released on OVD-Info’s Telegram channel showed police in Saint Petersburg using batons against protestors. Videos show police attempting to contain behind barriers a crowd gathering at Isakiivskiy Cathedral, amid chants of “no mobilization.”

Videos from Moscow show several protestors being carried away by the police at a demonstration in the center of the city.

CNN’s Tim Lister Gianluca Mezzofiore and Anastasia Graham-Yooll contributed to this report.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told CNN on Wednesday that she believes the latest move from Russian President Vladimir Putin calls for a new round of European Union sanctions against Russia. 

“President Putin is showing his weakness now because what you see is that he tries to mobilize personnel that is less trained, less experience, less motivated and he wants to start sham referenda on Ukrainian sovereign soil. So I think this calls for sanctions from our part again,” von der Leyen told CNN’s Christiane Amanpour in an interview.  

Earlier in the day, Putin announced an immediate partial mobilization of Russian citizens, marking the biggest escalation since the start of his war in Ukraine. 

After the interview, von der Leyen gave the Amanpour program this statement, confirming her commitment to fresh sanctions against Moscow: 

“We stand ready to impose further economic costs on Russia and on individuals and entities inside and outside of Russia who support, politically or economically. Plus we will propose additional export controls on civilian technology as Russia moves to a full war economy.” 

During the interview, the EU leader hailed the effect of sanctions so far, saying they are “really biting.” 

When Amanpour asked about the Russian leader’s nuclear rhetoric in his recent address, von der Leyen said “Putin has nuclear weapons, that’s a fact, but will never bow to blackmail.” 

Flight sales websites in Russia indicate that all direct flights to countries that do not require Russian visas are sold out through Friday at least.

Direct flights from Moscow to Istanbul, Yerevan in Armenia and Baku in Azerbaijan are among those that are full, according to ticket aggregator sites.

The term “leaving Russia” saw a sharp spike in searches among Russians over the past 24 hours, according to Google Trends.

Google Trends also shows there has been a sharp rise in people searching “Aviasales,” which is a leading Russian flight sales engine. The number has quadrupled in the last 24 hours.

According to Aviasales, a ticket aggregator, one-way tickets on Friday out of Moscow to Istanbul are starting at $2,715 per ticket. Before Russian President Vladimir Putin’s partial mobilization announcement, the tickets cost about $350.

A survey of one-way fares in coming days to Belgrade, Tel Aviv and Istanbul shows a doubling and tripling of prices. 

Russian state carrier Aeroflot’s website showed that only business-class tickets were available for flights to Armenia Wednesday. According to the Aviasales website late Wednesday, one-way tickets from Moscow to the Armenian capital of Yerevan were available Thursday for $4,241, with multiple stops. All economy-class tickets to Armenia are sold out until Sept. 28. 

“Due to inquiries from passengers and the media, we would like to inform you that Aeroflot Group airlines are operating as usual. There are no restrictions on ticket sales,” Aeroflot said in a statement.

Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier announced the immediate partial mobilization of Russian citizens.

Foreign ministers of European Union member states, currently in New York attending the United Nations General Assembly, will hold an emergency meeting on Wednesday night to discuss the recent developments related to Russia’s war in Ukraine, the EU’s top diplomat announced at a press briefing. 

High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell said the meeting was called after a speech from Russian President Vladimir Putin, which Borrell described as the Russian leader’s implicit threat to use nuclear weapons. 

“Tonight, immediately after knowing the words of Mr. Putin, I am convening an extraordinary and ad hoc informal meting of the EU foreign ministers with the purpose to agree on a common line. And the common line I’m sure can be summarized as saying, ‘We will not be intimidated and will continue full support for Ukraine’s sovereignty,’” he said.

Borrell said Putin looked “like he [was] speaking with … panic and desperation” in his announcement of an immediate partial mobilization of Russian citizens.

“He is doubling [down] on a failing strategy. By the threat of using nuclear weapons, he is trying to intimidate Ukraine and all countries that support. But he will fail,” Borrell said.

In response to a question about what will happen at tonight’s emergency meeting, he said:

“I think ministers have to discuss this threat to reiterate continuous support for Ukraine and to alert the international community about the unacceptable situation in which Putin is putting all of us. The ministers will discuss how to continue military support to Ukraine, how to continue putting pressure on Russia.”  

He also said that new EU sanctions against Russia would be “on the table.” 

“I will start proposing what to do with sanctions. And we will reinforce our reach out to all states in the world in order to share with them our strong concern for this situation,” Borrell said. 

Borrell said he does not have plans to meet Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who is also in New York to attend the UN meeting.

Valerii Zaluzhnyi, the commander in chief of Ukraine’s Armed Forces, said that Russia’s partial mobilization won’t frighten Ukraine.

In a Facebook post, Zaluzhnyi said that the military had been “deterring the armed aggression of the Russian Federation for 8 years and 7 months,” since the spring of 2014, when pro-Russian militia appeared in eastern Ukraine.

“The full-scale offensive of the enemy did not frighten us. Moreover, we united and met the enemy with dignity. The announcement of mobilization in Russia is a confirmation of this,” he said.  

“No statements of the military and political leadership of the aggressor country will affect our readiness to fight for our freedom. We will destroy everyone who comes to our land with weapons — whether voluntarily or under mobilization,” Zaluzhnyi said.

Latvia’s President Egils Levits said that Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered a partial mobilization because Russia’s “once-mighty army is overwhelmed” by the Ukrainian forces.

“The heroic defense mounted by the people of Ukraine is bringing success … The blitzkrieg envisaged by President Putin has turned into a long nightmare,” Levits told the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday. 

He also dismissed the recent announcement of “illegal referenda” on the annexation of the occupied territories in Ukraine to the Russian Federation as another sign of desperation.

“Latvia will not recognize the legitimacy of these referenda and their results. I call on the international community to do likewise,” he added. 

Levits said despite the commencement of legal action against Russia by the International Criminal Court and International Court, a legal gap existed.

“No international court has jurisdiction over as a main issue the starting of a war of aggression, the gravest violation of the charter of United Nations and to international law,” Levits said.

To rectify the problem, the Latvian leader called on the international community to form a special tribunal to investigate Russia’s invasion.

Maia Sandu, the president of Moldova, spoke directly to families in her country during her speech at the United Nations General Assembly, thanking them for “opening their homes and hearts” to millions of Ukraine refugees.

In remarks at the UN in New York on Wednesday, Sandu said she represents a country that wants peace. She pointed out that Moldovan people speak a diverse range of languages — including Ukrainian and Russian — but “regardless of our ethnicity” or political preferences, “we all want peace.”

Sandu paid tribute to all Moldovan families who showed “unprecedented solidarity with refugees by opening their homes and hearts to those in need” during the war.

Moldova, which has about 2.6 million people, sheltered more than half a million refugees fleeing the war. At its peak, Moldova’s population grew by 4% as Ukrainians crossed the border, the Moldovan president said. Sandu said about 800,000 refugees chose to stay in the country.

“It is our moral duty as an international community to continue supporting Ukraine,” the president said.

Sandu’s address comes as Moldova was granted European Union candidate status in June. During her remarks, she said is grateful for the support from member states and for the “recognition and vote of trust in our love for freedom” and democracy.

“By applying to join the European Union, we want the world to know we choose democracy over autocracy, liberty over oppression, peace over war, and prosperity over poverty,” Sandu said.

French President Emmanuel Macron said Russian President Vladimir Putin was making a “new mistake” following his announcement of a partial mobilization of citizens to bolster the war in Ukraine on Wednesday.

“I think the decision taken during the last few hours by President Putin is a new mistake,” Macron said in English.

Macron, who is attending the United Nations General Assembly in New York, added that the decision of Putin “to increase the level of war … is bad news for Russian people, is bad news for young Russian people and is bad news for Russia because it will increase the isolation of his own country.”

The French president noted that China and India had both expressed concerns about the war. “Today, Russia is more and more isolated and is more and more committed to a war which only [Russia] wants, and which is illegal and illegitimate,” Macron said.

“Everybody is calling for peace. No one understands any longer the choices made by Russia,” he added.

Five British nationals held by Russian-backed authorities in eastern Ukraine have been released and are on their way back to Britain, the United Kingdom said Wednesday. 

“Hugely welcome news that five British nationals held by Russian-backed proxies in eastern Ukraine are being safely returned, ending months of uncertainty and suffering for them and their families,” British Prime minister Liz Truss said in a tweet. 

She thanked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for “for his efforts to secure the release of detainees” and Saudi Arabia for their “assistance,” which saw 10 nationals from Morocco, US, UK, Sweden and Croatia released. 

Among them is British national Aiden Aslin, who in June was sentenced to death in a court in the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic and accused of being a mercenary for Ukraine.  

“I am delighted that my constituent, Aiden Aslin, and the other British prisoners of war held captive by the Russian authorities have finally been released and are on their way back to the UK,” British lawmaker Robert Jenrick tweeted Wednesday.  

“Aiden’s return brings to an end months of agonizing uncertainty for Aiden’s loving family in Newark who suffered every day of Aiden’s sham trial but never lost hope,” he continued. 

“As they are united as a family once more, they can finally be at peace,” he said. 

More than 500 people have been detained across Russia in a crackdown on anti-war protests across two dozen cities in Russia, according to the independent monitoring group OVD-Info. 

About 100 arrests were made at protests in St. Petersburg after President Vladimir Putin’s announcement of a partial mobilization to increase the availability of troops for the war in Ukraine.

Photos released on OVD-Info’s Telegram channel showed police in Saint Petersburg using batons against protesters. Videos show police attempting to contain a crowd gathering at Isakiivskiy Cathedral behind barriers, amid chants of “no mobilization.”

Social media video geolocated by CNN showed protests in several cities, each involving what appear to have been a few dozen people.

Videos from Moscow showed protestors being carried away by the police at a demonstration in the center of the city.

One video posted by a journalist from the Moscow web publication The Village includes dozens of people in Arbatskaya street chanting “let him go” as one man is carried away.

There was also video from the city of Yekaterinburg of a struggle between police officers and protesters.

As of 8 p.m. Moscow time, 535 people had been detained in 30 cities across Russia, according to OVD-Info.

Arrests took place in Irkutsk and Krasnoyarsk, Yekaterinburg, Chelyabinsk, Novosibirsk, Ulan-Ude, Tomsk, Ufa, Perm, Belgorod and Moscow, according to the OVD-info tally.

Moscow prosecutor’s office published a statement Wednesday warning citizens against participation in protests, threatening those with up to 15 years in jail.

Two American veterans who have been held by Russian forces for months have been released as part of a prisoner swap between Russia and Ukraine, their family members confirmed to CNN. 

The men are Alexander John-Robert Drueke, 39, from Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and Andy Tai Ngoc Huynh, 27, from Hartselle, Alabama. They were captured while fighting for Ukraine north of Kharkiv in June.

The families did not know that the prisoner exchange was in the works. 

“It kind of knocked us off our feet but this is the best outcome we could have asked for,” said Darla Black, the mother of Huynh’s fiancée, Joy Black, told CNN. “The only thing confirmed for us is that they are at the US Embassy in Saudi Arabia and that they are free.”

Earlier on Wednesday, the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced the release of 10 prisoners, who are Moroccan, US, UK, Swedish and Croatian nationals.

Joy Black got a call from Saudi Arabia this morning, less than an hour ago, to let her know that Drueke and Huynh were at the US embassy in Saudi Arabia and going to get medical checks. Then Huynh called her, she said.

Huynh never spoke with his family while he was being held as a prisoner of war. It was the first time his fiancée spoke to him in over 100 days. Drueke spoke with his family a handful of times. 

Darla Black said she also got a call from the State Department letting her know that Huynh was in Saudi Arabia. 

The families do now know many details about the trade or how they got to Saudi Arabia. 

The families also do not know exactly where the two Americans were being held, but the assumption was that they were in the Donetsk region.

Sergey Aksenov, the Russian-appointed head of Crimea, said an office has been established to assist with the partial mobilization declared by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Aksenov said that “the republic’s government, ministries and departments are working in direct contact with the command of the Russian armed forces.”

“We understand these are tough times; however, the independence and future of our country depends on the special military operation development, where we are opposed to the whole NATO,” he said, referring to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

“All tasks in regards to the mobilization readiness, according to the President’s decree, will implemented in full in Crimea. All contacts and addresses of those who will potentially fulfill the military tasks are well-known,” Aksenov told Russian state television.

Another Crimean official claimed that the government in Kyiv is “barbaric” and the West is trying to “divide” Russia. This claim comes after Ukraine’s counteroffensive in southern and eastern regions revealed a mass burial site in Izium.

Mikhail Razvozhaev, governor of the city of Sevastopol in Crimea, said that the “Kyiv regime’s policy of intimidation and terror is taking more and more terrible and barbaric forms. The goal of the West is to weaken, divide, and destroy Russia.”

“The heads of the regions were instructed to provide all-round support to the military registration and enlistment offices. We have begun to carry out this order,” Razvozhaev said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, during a speech Wednesday at an event to mark the 1,160th anniversary of the birth of Russian statehood, said that it’s “dangerous” for Russia to “weaken its sovereignty” and that it won’t make the “same mistake” again. 

“In the 1,160 years, we have learned that it is dangerous for Russia to weaken its sovereignty even for a moment. In these periods the very existence of Russia was at risk. Nobody will see us make the same mistake again,” he said, as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine nears its seven-month mark.

“We will not give in to blackmail and intimidation and we will never lose our self-sovereignty. We will strengthen it and develop our country. Sovereignty is a guarantee of each person’s freedom and our tradition. People cannot feel free, genuinely free, if the motherland Russia is not free,” he continued.

Putin also spoke about unity “in the face of a common threat.”

“Respect for the family, love for the children — this is the strong foundation of our values, such as compassion and the desire to seek well-being, not only for yourself, but for all of Russia, country and to rise together in the face of a common threat for our friends, for our motherland,” Putin added. 

“Now in the course of the special military operation, our heroes, soldiers and officers, our volunteers show these highest human values. They fight valiantly as brothers for the sake of the people of Donbas,” he said, referring to the war in Ukraine. 

“To be a patriot is the very nature of Russia,” he said.

Earlier, Putin announced an immediate partial mobilization of Russian citizens and hinted at use of nuclear weapons.

In a joint statement, British Prime Minister Liz Truss and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Wednesday that both agree Russian President Vladimir Putin’s announcement of an immediate partial mobilization of Russian citizens is a sign of “weakness.” 

It’s also a sign that “Russia’s invasion is failing,” the two leaders said in the statement after meeting on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.  

It was the first time Truss and von der Leyen had met in person since the British prime minister took office earlier this month. 

“They recognised the courage and bravery of the Ukrainian people and underscored their joint commitment to sustaining support for Ukraine in its struggle as long as it takes,” according to the statement.  

US President Joe Biden squarely pinned the blame for the global food crisis on Russia, accusing the country of “pumping out lies” about Western sanctions amid its war in Ukraine.

“Russia … is pumping out lies, trying to pin the blame for the crisis — the food crisis — on the sanctions imposed by many in the world for the aggression against Ukraine. So let me be perfectly clear about something: Our sanctions explicitly allow, explicitly allow, Russia the ability to export food and fertilizer. No limitation,” he said at the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

Biden lauded the UN for helping to broker a grain export deal with Ukraine and Russia, and he encouraged its extension.

Biden said as many as 193 million people around the world are experiencing acute food insecurity, “a jump of 40 million in a year.”

He also announced $2.9 billion in US support for humanitarian and food assistance.

US President Joe Biden told world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly that Russia’s ongoing war on Ukraine “should make your blood run cold.”

Biden discussed how Russian President Vladimir Putin had denied Ukraine’s statehood, adding that “now we see attacks on schools, railway stations, hospitals, on centers of Ukrainian history and culture.”

Referencing discoveries of a mass burial site, Biden said, “This war is about extinguishing Ukraine’s right to exist as a state — plain and simple — and Ukraine’s right to exist as a people.”

“Whoever you are, wherever you live, whatever you believe — that should make your blood run cold. That’s why 141 nations in the General Assembly came together to unequivocally condemn Russia’s war against Ukraine,” Biden continued.

The President argued that if nations, like Russia, “can pursue their imperial ambitions without consequences, then we put at risk everything that this very institution stands for.”

US President Joe Biden said during remarks to the United Nations General Assembly in New York Wednesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed he had “to act” and invade Ukraine “because Russia was threatened.”

Biden added, “no one threatened Russia, and no one other than Russia sought conflict.” 

Speaking directly to the leaders present at the assembly, the President continued: “In fact, we warned it was coming, and many of you tried to avert it.” 

US President Joe Biden vowed to stand with Ukraine and against Russian aggression during remarks to the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

“This past year the world was tested as well, and we did not hesitate. We chose liberty. We chose sovereignty. We chose principles to which every party to the United Nations charter is beholding. We stood with Ukraine,” Biden said Wednesday.

Biden said that members of the UN must be united against Russia’s war.

“Like you, the United States wants this war to end on just terms, on terms we all signed up for, that you cannot seize a nation’s territory by force. The only country standing in the way of that is Russia, so we, each of us in this body, we determine to uphold the principles and beliefs we pledge to defend as members of the United Nations, must be clear, firm and unwavering in our resolve,” he said. 

“Ukraine has the same rights that belong to every sovereign nation. We will stand in solidarity with Ukraine, we will stand in solidarity against Russia’s aggression, period,” Biden added.

##UNGA#

US President Joe Biden addressed Russian President Vladimir Putin’s speech announcing an immediate partial mobilization of Russian citizens and making a thinly veiled nuclear threat.

“President Putin has made overt nuclear threats against Europe, and a reckless disregard for the responsibilities of a non-proliferation regime. Now Russia is calling up more soldiers to join the fight, and the Kremlin is organizing a sham referendum to try to annex parts of Ukraine — an extremely significant violation of the UN charter,” Biden said.

##UNGA#

President Joe Biden opened his remarks to the United Nations General Assembly in New York by speaking about Russian president Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, “a war chosen by one man, to be very blunt.”

“Russia has shamelessly violated the core tenets of the United Nations charter,” he said.

Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas said that Russian President Vladimir Putin is “clearly afraid” after he announced partial mobilization and hinted at use of nuclear weapons.

“The threat has always been real, considering that Russia is a nuclear power. And we see that this war is not going in accordance with Putin’s plans, so he’s clearly afraid. That’s why he’s making the next steps: First, doing the fake referendums to say these are Russian territories, then when Ukraine makes counterattacks saying that Ukraine is now attacking Russia, and then, you know, giving reasons to further escalate,” she told CNN’s Jim Sciutto.

Kallas said Estonia has seen no indication that Putin is taking steps to carry out his nuclear threats.

“We should not give in one inch. We should actually put more pressure on Russia to stop this war, because now the discontent within the Russian society is also building, because they are also feeling the war on their skin, so to say,” Kallas added.

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s announcement on an immediate partial mobilization comes as no surprise, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told German media outlet BILD.

The announcement shows that Russia has “problems with officers and other military personnel,” he said.

“We already know that they mobilized cadets — guys who couldn’t fight. These cadets have fallen. They couldn’t even finish their training. All these people can’t fight. They have come to us and are dying,” according to BILD’s account of the interview, which it translated into German. “He sees that his units are just running away. He needs an army of millions to come to us. Because he sees that a large part of those who come to us just run away.”

CNN translated BILD’s report.

“He wants to drown Ukraine in blood, but also in the blood of his own soldiers,” Zelensky added.

Zelensky said he had not seen Putin’s speech.

It was “not my favorite video,” he said, adding that the speech was “nothing new for me.”

BILD said Zelensky insisted that Ukraine’s plans to recover its territory would not be affected.

“We will act step by step according to our plans. I am sure we will liberate our territory,” he said, according to BILD. 

He said the referendums planned by Kremlin-backed authorities later this week in occupied Ukrainian territories were a “sham” and that 90% of governments would not recognize them.

Zelesnky also told BILD that he doesn’t believe Putin will use nuclear weapons despite the Russian president’s thinly veiled warning earlier on Wednesday.

“I don’t believe he will use them. I don’t believe the world will allow him to use these weapons,” he said, adding that caveat that “we cannot look into this person’s head, there are risks.”

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on Wednesday described Vladimir Putin’s announcement that Moscow would use “all the means” at its disposal in its war in Ukraine as part of a “dangerous and reckless nuclear rhetoric.” 

Stoltenberg also said that Putin “made a big miscalculation” on the invasion of Ukraine. 

Putin had referenced his potential use of nuclear weapons earlier on Wednesday, saying, “those who try to blackmail us with nuclear weapons should know that the prevailing winds can turn in their direction.”

Stoltenberg said in an interview with Reuters in New York that “nuclear war should never be fought,” adding “it will have unprecedented consequences for Russia.”

He added that NATO had “increased its military presence, especially in the eastern part of the alliance, to remove any room for miscalculation or misunderstanding in Moscow.”

Stoltenberg told Reuters that Putin’s Wednesday speech, in which Russia announced a partial mobilization, was “an escalation” but “not a surprise.”

Putin’s speech “demonstrates that the war is not going according to President Putin’s plans,” Stoltenberg said. 

“He has made a big miscalculation. He thought he was able to take control of Ukraine within days,” the NATO chief added, pointing out this was not the case, as Russian forces were forced to move out of Kyiv and as the Ukrainians had been able to liberate some territory.

President Biden plans to issue a “firm rebuke” of Russia’s war in Ukraine on Wednesday in his speech at the United Nations following Russian President Vladimir Putin’s announcement ordering an immediate “partial mobilization” of Russian citizens.

An official said Biden will​ respond to Putin’s speech when he speaks at the United Nations General Assembly shortly.

Putin’s speech was seen internally as both an escalation and sign of weakness. Coming several hours before Biden’s yearly address at the UNGA, it set up a rhetorical showdown with the US leader, who had already been planning to make the war in Ukraine a centerpiece of his speech.

Biden plans to deliver “a call to the world to continue to stand against the naked aggression that we’ve seen these past several months,” his national security adviser said.

What we know: The White House said it was aware that Putin could be making the announcement ahead of Biden’s UN speech, and that the announcement did not require his staff to rewrite his speech. 

“The NSC had been aware of the possibility of Putin making such an announcement, so the speech did not have to be rewritten,” an official said. 

“Secretary Blinken and NSA Sullivan did review the speech with the President in the morning, and certain lines were adjusted and emphasized, but the speech already fit the moment,” the official said.

Update: This post has been updated to reflect that Biden is expected to respond to Putin’s speech.

A Russian capsule took an American to space today, marking a notable continuation of the Russian-US partnership in space in an era of great geopolitical tension.

The spacecraft took off from the famed Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, carrying NASA astronaut Frank Rubio and Russian cosmonauts Dmitri Petelin and Sergey Prokopyev on what is expected to be a six-month stay on the International Space Station. Liftoff occurred at 9:54 a.m. ET. 

When Rubio and his Russian counterparts make it to the space station, they’ll be tag-teaming with astronauts from the United States, Russia and Europe. The space station, which has continuously had people on board since the year 2000, keeps a rotating base of crew members to ensure the orbiting laboratory is consistently staffed with enough astronauts to maintain the space station’s hardware as well keep a lengthy log of space-based experiments operating.

Remember: In July, Russia said it was planning to pull out of the International Space Station and end its decades-long partnership with NASA at the orbiting outpost after 2024, according to the head of Russia’s space agency.

Moscow prosecutor’s office has warned citizens against participation in protests — reminding people that they could face up to 15 years in jail.

According to the official statement published Wednesday a few hours after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a “partial mobilization,” it said that posts with “information calling for participation in public actions in Moscow and the commission of other illegal acts” were published on social media.

“The Moscow Prosecutor’s Office warns that the distribution of such materials… as well as participation in illegal actions are punishable under the current administrative and criminal legislation,” the statement read.

“The deed can be qualified as an administrative offense… which is punishable, including in the form of imprisonment for up to 15 years,” it added.

Some more context: According to OVD-Info, an independent monitoring group that tracks detentions in Russia, over 60 people have been detained at anti-mobilization protest actions in 8 cities across Russia.

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s declaration of a partial mobilization only throws “more men into the flames” of the conflict, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said Wednesday.

In a tweet from New York, where he is attending the United Nations General Assembly, Kuleba said, “Putin has shown utter disrespect to China, India, Mexico, Turkey, other Asian, African, Middle Eastern, Latin American nations which have called for diplomacy and an end to Russia’s war on Ukraine. He wants to throw more men into the flames of the war he has no chance of winning.”

Read his tweet:

Britain’s Foreign Secretary James Cleverly on Wednesday described Moscow’s announcement that it will call up 300,000 reservists as clear proof that the war is not going as Russian President Vladimir Putin had expected.

“We knew … that he had hoped to dominate Ukraine in a matter of days. We’re now seeing months later, Ukrainians are pushing the Russians back, and these are the actions of someone who knows this conflict is not going well,” the British lawmaker said to CNN’s John Berman from the United Nations General Assembly in New York. 

When asked what difference 300,000 new troops would make to Russia’s efforts, Cleverly said the “hundreds of thousands of Russian troops” massed on Russia’s border with Ukraine in February were “poorly motivated, poorly equipped, and they did not have the spirit for the fight.”  

“I said at the time the Ukrainians would be ferocious in the defense of their country; that’s exactly what we have seen,” he said, adding, “with the support of the international community including the UK and, of course, the United States of America, they have been incredibly effective defenders of their homeland.” 

The foreign secretary added that sending more troops into Ukraine would only “create more parents who have lost their sons and daughters in this conflict,” and “more disquiet in Russia.”  

“It is a fundamentally wrong way forward and what Putin should do is withdraw from Ukraine, let the Ukrainians have control of their territory once again and bring this conflict to an end,” he said.  

Ukraine’s Western allies must “respond decisively and without hesitation” to Russia’s latest maneuvers, presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak told CNN on Wednesday.

“The attempted annexation of territories, mobilization, and nuclear blackmail is a new stage of the war, to which the Western Allies must respond decisively and without hesitation,” Podoliak told CNN in a written exchange.

Ukraine’s allies should supply it with more HIMARS rockets, including those that have a range of up to 300 kilometers, “as well as American Abrams tanks,” he said.

The announcement of an immediate partial mobilization of Russian citizens is Vladimir Putin’s “last hope to change the course of the war,” Podolyak said, warning that the Russian president is making the “same mistake he made in February” when he launched an invasion of Ukraine.

The announcement is “in fact a recognition of the absolute incapacity of the Russian army after seven months of a full-scale war,” Podolyak added. “The Kremlin tells the Russians bluntly, ‘we dragged you into a military adventure and assured you that everything was going according to plan, but the situation is out of control, so get ready to send your children to die in the war.’”

Meanwhile, Podolyak says the Ukrainian stance remains unchanged.

“We do not recognize referendums in the occupied territories, we do not respond to threats of using nuclear weapons, and we will continue the operation to de-occupy the territory and liberate our cities,” he added.

Pope Francis referenced Russian President Vladimir Putin hinting at the use of nuclear weapons in a speech today, with the pontiff calling it “madness.”

The Pope, speaking in front of a crowd at St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City, which had gathered for his weekly general audience, did not name Russia or Putin specifically.

“This tragic war brings us to the point where some people are thinking of nuclear weapons, that madness,” Pope Francis said on Wednesday morning in front of a general audience.

The mayor of Moscow on Monday expressed his support for President Vladimir Putin’s announcement on immediate partial mobilization of Russian citizens, and said that he would extend his city’s “material support” to anyone who is called up under the new decree.

“I consider the Presidential Decree on partial mobilization to be forced, but timely and absolutely necessary,” Mayor Sergey Sobyanin said in a statement on his website, adding that “several thousand volunteers from Moscow are already taking part in the fighting with weapons in their hands.”

Sobyanin also expressed hope that the separatist-held Ukrainian regions of Donetsk and Luhansk will soon join Russia.

“I hope that soon, following the results of the referendum, they will become part of our Russian family,” he said.

John Kirby, the National Security Council coordinator for strategic communications, said that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s announcement on immediate partial mobilization was “expected” and a “sign that he’s struggling.” 

“I think there was a lot in there that was a typical – a lot that we’ve heard before,” Kirby said during an appearance on ABC’s “Good Morning America,” citing Putin’s baseless claims of neo-Nazis in Ukraine and that Russian territorial integrity is being threatened.

Kirby said that Putin’s announcement of a partial mobilization of reservists is “a lot” and “almost twice as much as he committed to the war back in February of this year.”

He sought to cast Putin’s speech, which comes hours ahead of US President Joe Biden’s address to the United Nations, as a signal of weakness.

“It’s definitely a sign that he’s struggling, and we know that he has suffered tens of thousands of casualties. He has terrible morale unit cohesion on the battlefield command and control has still not been solved. He’s got desertion problems and he’s forcing the wounded back into the fight. So clearly, manpower is a problem for him. He feels like he’s on his back foot, particularly in that northeast area of the Donbas,” Kirby said.

More than 75,000 Russian troops have been killed or wounded during the war in Ukraine, Biden administration officials told US lawmakers during a classified briefing in July, but it’s difficult to independently gauge casualty figures in the war.

Kirby also said the US is taking Putin’s nuclear threats “seriously” but that this rhetoric was “not atypical.”

“It’s irresponsible rhetoric for a nuclear power to talk that way, but it’s not atypical for how he’s been talking the last seven months, and we take it very seriously. We’re monitoring as best we can, their strategic posture, so that if we have to, we can alter ours. We’ve seen no indication that that’s required right now,” he said.

There will be “severe consequences” for the use of nuclear weapons, Kirby warned.

Kirby reiterated national security adviser Jake Sullivan’s Tuesday preview of Biden’s remarks to the UN, saying that Biden will be “very clear about where we stand with respect to Russia and Ukraine,” and he also reiterated the US commitment to the UN charter.

German chancellor Olaf Scholz on Wednesday called Russian President Vladimir Putin’s partial mobilization announcement “an act of desperation.”

“Putin’s announcement of partial mobilization is an act of desperation,” Scholz tweeted. “Russia cannot win this criminal war. Putin completely underestimated the situation from the very beginning — the will of #Ukraine to resist and the unity of its friends.”

“The planned sham referendums are an attempt to conquer the neighbor’s country by force. We will not accept that. In our world, law must prevail over violence. Violence cannot be stronger than law,” Scholz tweeted.

Scholz also told reporters on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York City that “with the latest decision, Putin, makes all of this even worse.”

What we know: In a televised national address Wednesday morning, Putin announced an immediate partial mobilization of Russian citizens, marking the biggest escalation since the start of his war in Ukraine.

The leadership of the self-declared Luhansk People’s Republic on Wednesday elaborated on its plans to begin holding a referendum on joining Russia later this week.

The LPR, on its Telegram channel, said that 461 polling stations would be set up in the Luhansk region, and another 181 locations “for residents of the LPR on the territory of Russia.”

The LPR also claimed that “foreign observers will work in the LPR at the referendum on the issue of the republic joining Russia,” but did not offer any more detail.

Ukraine’s foreign ministry has described the referendums planned in Luhansk and other regions as “fake plebiscites” with “no legal consequences.” Western leaders have denounced the referendums as a “sham.” 

Nearly all of Ukraine’s Luhansk region is now controlled by Russia, but it is still contested. Just this week, the Luhansk region’s Ukrainian governor said that forces had liberated the town of Bilohorivka.

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) has cautioned that increased military activity in Ukraine will exacerbate the humanitarian crisis and prompt a rise in displacement.

The IRC’s warning came on the heels of President Vladimir Putin’s announcement on Wednesday launching the immediate partial mobilization of Russian citizens in the conflict.

Moscow will summon 300,000 reservists as part of its strategy, according to Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.

“Russia’s move to mobilise additional armed forces sets the conflict on a fresh and dangerous path,” Marysia Zapasnik, IRC Ukraine country director, said in a statement.

“A further escalation in fighting is a grave concern for the Ukrainian people – both inside the country and for those who have left.

“In the last seven months, Ukraine has experienced a desperate spiral into humanitarian catastrophe; almost 18 million people are in need of shelter, food and healthcare and the future looks bleak as winter closes in and conditions worsen. Meanwhile, displacement could soar as more people attempt to leave the country to seek safety in neighbouring countries.”

Recent figures from the UN’s refugee agency show that over 7.2 million refugees from Ukraine have been recorded across Europe.

“The consequences of the conflict will be longlasting: if the war deepens and protracts further, Ukraine’s population could face poverty and the vulnerabilities that come with it for years to come,” Zapasnik added.

“The only solution is an immediate ceasefire.”

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has been a key point of discussion for world leaders gathering in New York City for the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is the only world leader to speak by video, as he grapples with the war in his country. The Assembly on Friday overrode Russian objections to permit Zelensky to speak virtually.

CNN’s Richard Roth contributed reporting.

The Lithuanian government has raised the readiness of its army’s Rapid Reaction Force, following President Vladimir Putin’s announcement of the partial mobilization of Russian citizens in Ukraine.

“Lithuania’s Rapid Reaction Force is being put on high alert to prevent any provocation from Russia,” tweeted Arvydas Anušauskas, Lithuania’s minister of national defense.

Lithuania, a European Union member, shares a 185-mile-long border with Kaliningrad Oblast, an exclave of Russia.

Following Russian President Vladimir Putin’s announcement of partial mobilization, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said that the Kremlin will try to “destroy” Ukraine and change its borders.

“Information about partial mobilization in Russia has been confirmed. Russia will continue its work of destruction and try to destroy Ukraine and take part of the territory,” Morawiecki said during a speech on Wednesday, adding: “We cannot agree to this.”

When Russia shows its brute strength, we must show our defense strength. Poland is part of the most important alliance in the history of the world and this is a powerful guarantee of security for us,” Morawiecki added.

Germany has announced it will nationalize gas giant Uniper as part of an €8 billion ($7.9 billion) plan to stem an impending shortage of energy supplies due to the war in Ukraine.

Europe has been hit by soaring gas prices as a result of Moscow’s invasion and its suspension of gas flows to the continent. 

The government will hold around 99% of Uniper and 8% of its Finnish parent company Fortum, German Economy Minister Robert Habeck told journalists in Berlin on Wednesday. 

Uniper, Germany’s largest importer of gas, provides 40% of the country’s gas supply and is crucial for large companies and private consumers. 

In July, Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced the government would step in to bail out Uniper with a package worth up to €15 billion ($15.3 billion), after it was brought to its knees by months of Russian supply cuts and rocketing market prices. 

But Habeck said the situation had “worsened dramatically” after Russia cut off gas supplies to Europe through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline indefinitely on September 1, citing an oil leak. 

Russian gas has had to be substituted with costly alternatives, leading to inflated bills for consumers. 

Habeck said a gas levy would be charged to German customers from October 1, telling reporters: “We have found a legally secure way to levy a gas charge.” 

Although gas supplies through Nord Stream 1 are suspended, Germany’s gas reserves are filled at more than 90% capacity, the European Storage provider GIE AGSI+ said on its website. 

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s announcement of partial mobilization and his threat of nuclear deployment in Ukraine has “launched the processes that will bury him,” the mayor of Kyiv said Wednesday.

“The mobilization announced by Putin and nuclear threats will not help the aggressor in his quest to conquer and destroy Ukraine and Ukrainians,” Vitali Klitschko said on his official Telegram channel.

“The civilized world must finally understand that evil must be destroyed completely, and not talk about some illusory ‘peace negotiations,’” Klitschko added.

McDonalds in Ukraine has reopened three of its restaurants in Kyiv for the first time since Russia’s full-scale invasion in late February.

The restaurants opened on Tuesday for delivery only.

McDonalds will open seven more restaurants sometime later this month, and dine-in and drive-through services are set to resume in October, according to Alesya Mudzyri, head of corporate communications at McDonalds in Ukraine.

“Restaurants will be open from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. and will close during the air raid alarm to allow employees and patrons to evacuate to the nearest shelter,” Mudzyri said on Facebook.

“At the same time, the team quickly issues already paid orders while stopping production processes and turning off equipment before closing.”

In August, the company announced a “phrased plan” to reopen some restaurants in the capital and western Ukraine.

Latvia will not offer shelter to Russians fleeing President Vladimir Putin’s partial mobilization of citizens in the war in Ukraine, a top government official has said.

“For security reasons, Latvia will not issue humanitarian or other visas to Russian citizens who are evading mobilization, nor will it change the border crossing restrictions imposed since 19 September on Russian citizens with Schengen visas,” Latvia’s minister of foreign affairs, Edgars Rinkēvičs, tweeted.

Rinkēvičs’ announcement comes days after his country joined other Baltic states in beginning to enforce a ban on some Russian tourists, in a move to bolster restrictions in response to Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.

Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, as well as Poland, reached an agreement earlier this month to limit issuing Schengen Area visas due to “a serious threat” to security posed by an influx of Russians.

The Schengen Area comprises 26 mostly EU countries that allow unrestricted movement within the zone’s borders.

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte has said that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decision to launch a partial mobilization of his country’s citizens is a sign of “panic” over the situation in Ukraine.

“You see that Ukraine is increasingly able to turn the tide, has conquered big chunks,” Rutte told reporters in The Hague on Wednesday.

“You also see that Western support is starting to work, so our help with weapons systems and other things. We need to really continue with that.”

“Russia cannot win this war. But this is a kind of panic reaction.”

When asked whether he thought that partial mobilization would lead to escalated military activity, Rutte said: “I think it really shows that Russian leadership does not have the situation under control.”

He added that he would not “worry too much” about the Kremlin’s threats of conflict with the West, saying that such rhetoric had been heard before.

“We are not at war with Russia. But we are supporting Ukraine in their justified struggle against the Russian aggression.”

Some background: Rutte joins a chorus of top government officials who have condemned Putin’s national address early on Wednesday.

The US ambassador to Ukraine, Bridget A. Brink, dismissed his announcement and tweeted that “sham referenda and mobilization are signs of weakness.”

She also pledged the United States would remain a staunch ally in Ukraine’s resistance against Russian aggression.

Germany’s economy minister, Robert Habeck, denounced the Kremlin’s move as a “bad and wrong development,” while British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said Putin’s address was “an admission that his invasion is failing.”

Pope Francis lamented what he called the “terrible situation” in “battered Ukraine,” on Wednesday morning.

Speaking at the end of his general audience in St. Peter’s Square, the Pope related a conversation with Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, the Vatican aid envoy who has been visiting Ukraine.

“There he told me about the pain of the people, the savageness, the monstrosities, the tortured corpses they find. Let us join these noble and martyred people.”

According to Reuters, Vatican media reported that Krajewski had to run for cover after coming under light gunfire last week while delivering aid in Ukraine. It also said that the Polish cardinal had visited mass graves discovered near the northeastern city of Izium, after it was retaken from Russian forces.

The Pope has previously spoken out against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Earlier this month, he decried the “senseless and tragic war” during a three-day visit to Kazakhstan.

“I have come to echo the plea of all those who cry out for peace, which is the essential path to development for our globalized world,” he said in an address to political leaders in the capital Nur-Sultan.

President Vladimir Putin has conceded that Ukraine attacked the regions of Belgorod and Kursk in southwestern Russia.

“Such terrorist attacks, including those using Western weapons, are already taking place in the border settlements of the Belgorod and Kursk regions,” Putin said during his address on Wednesday.

He added that “with its aggressive anti-Russian policy, the West has gone beyond the pale.”

Local Russian officials and the country’s Ministry of Defense have previously accused Ukraine of carrying out attacks in the Belgorod and Kursk regions. But this is believed to be the first time Putin has discussed it – an admission that the war is hitting home.

Kyiv has not acknowledged those attacks, and says that it uses Western weapons only to strike Russian-held territory in Ukraine.

In the past, US President Joe Biden has said American weapons should not be used to attack Russia (as opposed to Russian-held territory in Ukraine), and Ukrainian presidential adviser Alexey Arestovych told CNN this May that his country would not use those weapons to attack Russian territory.

CNN’s Katya Krebs and Matthew Chance contributed reporting.

President Vladimir Putin’s announcement of the partial mobilization of Russian citizens is an acknowledgement that Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine “is failing,” a top UK official has claimed.

British Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said that Putin’s address on Wednesday, in which he declared increased military conscription and threatened nuclear deployment in the war, indicated that “Ukraine is winning.”

“President Putin’s breaking of his own promises not to mobilize parts of his population and the illegal annexation of parts of Ukraine, are an admission that his invasion is failing,” Wallace said in a statement.

“He and his Defence Minister have sent tens of thousands of their own citizens to their deaths, ill equipped and badly led,” Wallace added.

“No amount of threats and propaganda can hide the fact that Ukraine is winning this war, the international community are united and Russia is becoming a global pariah.”

During his speech Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin backed proposed referendums in several Russian-occupied regions of Ukraine.

Putin said Russia had been asked to support referendums by the two “people’s republics” in Donetsk and Luhansk, as well as by the regions of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, and had pledged to do “everything to ensure the safe conditions for people to express their will.”

Some context: Multiple Kremlin-backed authorities in occupied areas of eastern and southern Ukraine have announced they will hold referendums on formally joining Russia this week, in a move that threatens to redefine the parameters of the conflict.

In what appeared to be a coordinated announcement, Russian-appointed leaders in the occupied regions of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia and the self-declared Luhansk People’s Republic and Donetsk People’s Republic all said they planned to hold “votes” beginning on September 23. 

Together the four regions that have announced their referendum plans make up around 18% of Ukraine’s territory. Russia does not control any of the four in their entirety. 

The referendums could pave the way for Russian annexation of the areas, allowing Moscow to frame the ongoing Ukrainian counteroffensive there as an attack on Russia itself, thereby providing Moscow with a pretext to escalate its military response. 

The latest developments follow a significant shift in Russia’s position after a sudden and successful Ukrainian offensive through most of occupied Kharkiv this month, which has galvanized Ukraine’s Western backers and led to recriminations in Moscow. 

Russia will call up 300,000 reservists as part of its partial mobilization, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Russian television Wednesday morning.

“These are not some people who have never heard of the army,” Shoigu said. “These are those who have served, have a military registration specialty, have had military experience.”

He also reiterated that no conscripts (who serve mandatory military service; not those in the reserves) would be sent to “the zone of a special military operation,” as the Russian government refers to its war in Ukraine. (The Ministry of Defense has in the past admitted that Russian conscripts have mistakenly, it claims, been sent to fight in Ukraine.)

“There is no question of any mobilization of university students and there will be none under (any) circumstances. No one will call them up.”

“Like those who serve under conscription, they are not subject to being sent to the zone of a special military operation; our conscripts continue to serve on the territory of the Russian Federation.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s announcement on Wednesday of a partial mobilization appears to contradict his claim earlier this year that no more reservists would be called up.

Putin said Wednesday the “partial mobilization” would apply to “only those citizens who are in the reserve and, above all, those who served in the armed forces, have certain military specialties and relevant experience.”

However, during a televised address in March, Putin had said “there will be no additional call-up of reservists.” 

A top Ukrainian official on Wednesday responded to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s speech announcing a partial mobilization of Russian citizens, saying “Life has a great sense of humor.”

“210th day of the ‘three-day war,’” Mykhailo Podolyak, adviser to the Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, said on Twitter.

“Russians who demanded the destruction of [Ukraine] ended up getting: 1. Mobilization. 2. Closed borders, blocking of bank accounts. 3. Prison for desertion,” Podolyak tweeted.
“Everything is still according to the plan, right? Life has a great sense of humor.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin made clear reference on Wednesday to his potential use of nuclear weapons, saying “those who try to blackmail us with nuclear weapons should know that the prevailing winds can turn in their direction.”

Announcing a partial mobilization of citizens to bolster the war in Ukraine, he emphasized that Russia has access to “various means of destruction.”

“I want to remind you that our country also has various means of destruction and in some components more modern than those of the NATO countries,” he said. “And if the territorial integrity of our country is threatened, we will certainly use all the means at our disposal to protect Russia and our people.”

“This is not a bluff! The citizens of Russia can be sure that the territorial integrity of our homeland, our independence and freedom will be ensured, I will emphasize this again, with all the means at our disposal. And those who try to blackmail us with nuclear weapons should know that the prevailing winds can turn in their direction.”

In a 60 Minutes interview earlier this week, US President Joe Biden addressed concerns that Russia would resort to using its nuclear stockpile in Ukraine.

Asked by a reporter what he would say to the Russian leader regarding the use of chemical or tactical nuclear weapons, Biden said “Don’t. Don’t. Don’t.”

“You will change the face of war unlike anything since World War II,” Biden said, adding that the US response to such actions would be “consequential.”

Germany’s Economy Minister has denounced Russian President Vladimir Putin’s announcement of partial mobilization on Wednesday morning. 

The move is a “bad and a wrong development,” Economy Minister Robert Habeck told journalists in Berlin.

The US Ambassador in Kyiv has dismissed Russian President Vladimir Putin’s announcement Wednesday morning as a sign of failure and vowed the United States would continue to support Ukraine’s resistance towards Russian aggression.

“Sham referenda and mobilization are signs of weakness, of Russian failure,” Ambassador Bridget A. Brink tweeted, just minutes after the broadcast of the Russian leader’s speech had begun.

“The United States will never recognize Russia’s claim to purportedly annexed Ukrainian territory, and we will continue to stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes,” Brink added.

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s announcement of a partial mobilization follows moves Tuesday by Moscow’s lower house of parliament, the State Duma, to amend the law on military service, toughening the punishment for violation of military service duties — such as desertion and evasion from service — according to state news agency TASS.

The bill sets a jail term of up to 15 years for resistance related to military service or coercion to violate an official military order, involving violence or the threat of it, during the period of mobilization or martial law.

State Duma deputies and senators have also prepared amendments to the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, proposing to introduce liability of up to five years of jail time for the destruction or negligent damage of weapons and military equipment during wartime, state news agency RIA Novosti reported.

Deputies in the State Duma have introduced concepts of “mobilization,” “martial law,” “wartime,” and “armed conflict” into the Criminal Code of Russia, which will now be regarded as aggravating factors in criminal sentencing.

Though Putin’s announcement Wednesday stops short of a full large-scale draft, as some had predicted, it marks a significant movement in the conflict and provides Russia with broad powers to conscript its citizens with previous military experience.

It’s not clear how many people with this background have already been mobilized.

Some context: Analysts have said Russia’s military faces significant shortages of manpower.

In July, CNN reported that the call had gone out across Russia for more than 30,000 volunteers to join the war effort in Ukraine. The lure was big cash bonuses and no experience was necessary.

Russia is launching a partial mobilization of its citizens, President Vladimir Putin announced during a highly anticipated speech to the nation on Wednesday morning.

“In order to protect our homeland, its sovereignty and territorial integrity, to ensure the security of our people and people in the liberated territories, I consider it necessary to support the proposal of the Ministry of Defense and the General Staff to conduct partial mobilization in the Russian Federation,” he said.

Efforts to begin partial mobilization will begin today, on Wednesday, Putin announced. He said that a decree on partial mobilization has already been signed.

“I repeat, we are talking only about partial mobilization. That is, only those citizens who are in the reserve and, above all, those who served in the armed forces, have certain military specialties and relevant experience, will be subject to conscription.”

“After the Kyiv regime actually publicly refused a peaceful solution to the Donbas problem today and, moreover, announced its claim to nuclear weapons, it became absolutely clear that a new next large-scale offensive in the Donbas, as it had already happened twice before, was inevitable.”

It is unclear what Putin is referring to with his mention of nuclear weapons.

At the start of a highly anticipated speech to the nation, Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday morning said that Western countries are seeking to destroy Russia.

“The goal of the West is to weaken, divide and ultimately destroy our country,” Putin said. “They are already saying directly that they were able to split the Soviet Union in 1991 and now the time has come for Russia to break up into a multitude of regions and areas which are fatally hostile to each other.”

Multiple Kremlin-backed authorities in occupied areas of eastern and southern Ukraine have announced they will hold referendums on formally joining Russia this week, in a move that threatens to redefine the parameters of the conflict.

The referendums could pave the way for Russian annexation of the areas, allowing Moscow to frame the ongoing Ukrainian counteroffensive there as an attack on Russia itself, thereby providing Moscow with a pretext to escalate its military response. 

The latest developments follow a significant shift in Russia’s position after a sudden and successful Ukrainian offensive through most of occupied Kharkiv this month, which has galvanized Ukraine’s Western backers and led to recriminations in Moscow. 

In what appeared to be a coordinated announcement, Russian-appointed leaders in the occupied regions of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia and the self-declared Luhansk People’s Republic and Donetsk People’s Republic all said they planned to hold “votes” beginning on September 23. 

Together the four regions that have announced their referendum plans make up around 18% of Ukraine’s territory. Russia does not control any of the four in their entirety. 

Ukraine has dismissed the announcement of referendums in the occupied regions as a “sham” stemming from the “fear of defeat,” while the the country’s Western supporters signaled they would not alter their support for Ukraine. 

US condemns: US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield condemned the expected referendums during a meeting with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba on Tuesday, and reiterated the US would not recognize any attempt by Russia to “claim annexation of Ukraine’s sovereign territory.”

The Pentagon said on Tuesday that the referendums would have no credibility and would not impact US support for Ukraine.

Russians support: The potential referendums have not been fully endorsed by the Kremlin, but the announcements have received swift support from Russian politicians. Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has publicly endorsed referendums in the self-declared Donbas republics, saying this would have “huge significance” for “systemic protection” of the residents.

Medvedev, who is vice-chairman of Russia’s National Security Council, said on his Telegram channel that once the republics were integrated into the Russian Federation, “not one future leader of Russia, not one official will be able to reverse these decisions.”

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Multiple Kremlin-backed authorities in eastern and southern Ukraine have announced referendums on joining Russia will be held this week.

While previous plans for such a vote have been delayed, there was a flurry of announcements Tuesday from Russian-backed officials in occupied regions in Ukraine — all set on voting from Sept. 23 to Sept. 27.

Kherson: Russian-backed head of the Kherson administration, Vladimir Saldo, said he “signed a decree” for the referendum, which also established the procedure for organizing voting and “measures of administrative and criminal liability for violation of these rules.” Parts of Kherson are on the front lines between Ukrainian and Russian forces.

Luhansk People’s Republic: The leader of the self-declared Luhansk People’s Republic, Leonid Pasechnik, also signed a law on a referendum. According to the text, “the Central Election Commission of the LPR will determine the results of the referendum on the Republic’s entry into the LPR no later than five days after the last voting day,” according to local media portal Lug-Info.

Donetsk People’s Republic: The self-declared DPR agreed to hold a referendum and the head said he wrote a letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin, asking him for the rapid accession of the republic to the Russian Federation once a referendum is held.

Zaporizhzhia: The so-called National Congress of Citizens of the Zaporizhzhia Region has approved a referendum, said Vladimir Rogov, a senior pro-Russian official in occupied Zaporizhzhia. “Technically, we are ready. Security of polling stations is ensured. Our borders are reliably protected by the Russian military,” said Yevgeniy Balitskiy, the Russian-appointed head of the Zaporizhzhia regional administration

Ukrainian response: Ukrainian officials condemned these announcements. The Foreign Ministry said the “fake plebiscites” will not change the “administrative-territorial structure and internationally recognized borders of Ukraine.” The ministry called the vote “forced citizenship” of residents and said it is “another attempt of Russia to legitimize the consequences of its aggressive war against Ukraine.” 

Russian response: The announcements have received swift support from Russian politicians. Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has publicly endorsed referenda in the self-declared Donbas republics, saying it will have “huge significance” for “systemic protection” of the residents. “Not one future leader of Russia, not one official will be able to reverse these decisions,” he added.

US response: The Pentagon said that announcements are “simply an information operation that’s meant to distract from the difficult state that the Russian military currently finds itself in.” US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield also condemned the moves on Tuesday.

The United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres met with Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal and the First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska in New York Tuesday.

According to a readout of their meeting, the Secretary-General and the Prime Minister discussed the war in Ukraine and efforts to avoid a global food crisis, including the implementation of the Black Sea Grain initiative.

With Zelenska, they also discussed the importance of protecting Ukrainian women and children affected by the war.

According to the readout, the Secretary-General reiterated the UN’s full support for continuing to provide humanitarian assistance.

In the ruins of an apartment block tarred with soot and clouded in dust amid constant shelling, a small group of Ukrainian soldiers are face to face with a new type of Russian enemy: mercenaries, some of whom may be convicts sent to the front line.

The battle is as heated as it is crucial around the city of Bakhmut. Russian positions are within 200 meters of the Ukrainian military unit that CNN has joined. The unit is caught in a gruesome artillery duel, sheltering in basements, and using commercially purchased drones as the best line of defense and intelligence.

Through broken windows, from inside rooms littered with rubble, Ukrainian soldiers look across the neighboring field, pockmarked with countless blackened craters from artillery impacts.

“They can see us here,” said one Ukrainian soldier, pointing into the distance.

This is a new type of fighter on the front line. Moscow’s manpower has dwindled after as many as 80,000 casualties, according to US officials, leading Moscow to turn to the country’s sprawling private sector of mercenaries, namely the Wagner group.

The Wagner group is allegedly run by the man known as “Putin’s Chef”, Yevgeny Prigozhin. A man matching Prigozhin’s appearance recently appeared in a video in a Russian prison yard, extolling to prisoners the virtues of joining his Wagner group and fighting on the front line.

Here in Bakhmut is where that system is put into ruthless action. This city has been the focus of Russian forces in the past weeks, even as they abandon positions around Kharkiv and appear to struggle to hold ground elsewhere. Wagner mercenaries have been deployed to that fight, according to multiple reports from Russian media, and have been making gains around the eastern edges of the city. 

The mercenaries’ attacks are often devastatingly callous: the Ukrainians tell CNN that the Wagner fighters rush at them with small arms attacks, causing the Ukrainians to fire at them to protect their positions. The gunfire then gives away where the Ukrainians are, allowing the Russian artillery to target with greater accuracy.

The attacks are regular, and the shelling is almost constant.

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Members of the United Nations must act over war crimes committed by Russia in Ukraine, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said in an address to the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Tuesday. 

“We must pay heed and take action when Russia commits war crimes in Mariupol, Bucha and Irpin,” Scholz said, “We will bring the murderers to justice.”

Scholz urged UN member states not to concede to Russia in peace negotiations. 

“Putin will only give up his war and his imperialist ambitions if he realizes that he cannot win,” Scholz said. “This is why we will not accept a peace dictated by Russia – and we will not accept any sham referendums either.”

The German leader also highlighted his country’s support for Ukraine. 

“We’re supporting Ukraine with all our might – financially, economically, with humanitarian assistance, and also with weapons,” he said. 

“Together with our partners around the world, we have imposed tough economic sanctions on the Russian leadership and Russia’s economy,” Scholz added.

Scholz also denied that the sanctions had caused the delay of any grain shipments to Ukraine.

“Not one sack of grain has been held back on account of these sanctions,” he said, “Russia alone has prevented Ukrainian grain ships from putting out to sea, bombing ports and destroying agricultural enterprises.”

Scholz also addressed the issue of climate change, calling it the biggest challenge of his generation. 

“We, the industrialized countries and major emitters of greenhouse gases, have a very special responsibility here,” he said.

“We stand by our pledges to support emerging economies and developing countries in their efforts to reduce emissions and to adapt to climate change – with new, just energy transition partnerships, for example,” Scholz said. 

Russian and foreign press held their breath on Tuesday night as media reports circulated that Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu were to address the nation. 

The news came after Russian-appointed leaders in the occupied territories of Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, and the self-proclaimed Luhansk and Donetsk People’s Republics announced they would stage referendums on joining Russia in a matter of days. 

Russian media website RBK, a business daily with Kremlin connections, reported – citing three anonymous sources – that Putin was due to speak at 8 p.m. local time on Wednesday followed by an address from his Minister of Defense Sergei Shoigu.

However, the Kremlin has not confirmed whether the addresses will take place.

After hours of anticipation that the address would take place on Tuesday evening, Russian Telegram channels citing a political analyst close to the Kremlin, Sergei Markov, said that Putin’s address had been delayed.

Margarita Simonyan, the chief editor of Russia Today and one of the Kremlin’s main mouthpieces, tweeted: “Go to bed.” 

Russian Forbes, citing two anonymous sources, reported that Putin’s pre-recorded address would air once the country’s “Far East wakes up.”

Rockets hit multi-story residential buildings in the Kholodnogorsk district of Kharkiv in the early hours of Wednesday, Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov said in a Telegram post.

Information on casualties is still being gathered, Terekhov said.

The mayor added that responders were working to rescue several people who were trapped at one location. 

CNN’s team in Kharkiv reported hearing six to seven “large explosions” as air raid sirens wailed in the northeastern Ukrainian city around 1:52 a.m. local time.

This just over two weeks after Ukraine launched a counter-offensive in the Kharkiv region that allowed Kyiv to regain thousands of square miles of territory that had been occupied by Russia for months.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the fact that Russia is moving ahead with referenda in Ukrainian territory and that President Vladimir Putin is reportedly contemplating mobilizing more of Russia’s reserve forces while the UN General assembly is happening shows Moscow’s disregard for the UN.

“That both of these things are happening this week, as we’re at the United Nations, shows his utter contempt and disdain for the United Nations, for the General Assembly, for the United Nations Charter,” Blinken said.

“The very principles that we’re here to uphold this week in the charter of sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity, are what are being violently aggressed by Russia, including through the attempts to proceed with these referenda and putting even more forces into the effort to seize Ukrainian sovereign territory,” he said.

Blinken also said it was “not a surprise” that Russia was making these moves now, after recent battlefield losses and more widespread concern globally about the war in Ukraine.

“We’ve seen in the last weeks significant gains by Ukraine in (retaking its land) seized by Russian forces since the aggression began in February 24. It’s also a time when Russia itself is seeing serious reverses on the battlefield, and even some of its closest partners are clearly raising their deep concerns about what Russia is doing, and the consequences this is having for countries around the world,” Blinken said.

Blinken reiterated that the US will “never” recognize the sham Russian-backed referenda in Ukraine, or any move by Russia to annex Ukrainian territory. He said it is important for other countries to also make that clear.

Blinken said that these actions are a sign of weakness.

“It is a sign of Russian failure,” Blinken said of Russia’s recent actions and Putin’s reported plans.

Blinken make these remarks standing next to his new British counterpart, in their first meeting since James Cleverly took on his role as the United Kingdom’s Foreign Secretary.

Cleverly cited the need to “remain resolute” in support of the Ukrainians while they defend their homeland. He called the US an “unbelievably” important friend and ally of Ukraine.