This live blog from CNBC on tracking progress in the war in Ukraine on November 4, 2022. See the latest updates here.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy praised the work of the International Atomic Energy Agency after it finished its inspection of three nuclear plants in Ukraine and found no evidence of undeclared nuclear activities.
The inspection, which began through Kyiv inviting IAEA officials to its facilities, was good news after Moscow accused Ukraine of building an alleged radioactive “dirty bomb” for use on its own territory.
The effects of the inspection showed Russia’s “best lying status,” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said in a tweet.
Meanwhile, Russian missiles hit populated spaces in southern Ukraine in Zaporizhzhia, the region’s governor said, with no casualties reported. As battles continue around Kherson and other parts of southeastern Ukraine, reports of low morale from Russian troops continue, with the British Ministry of Defense suggesting that Russian troops are ordered to fire on their own foot soldiers if they attempt to withdraw. Accounts of this have been shared in independent Russian media.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked US President Joe Biden for the additional $400 million security package.
“I am grateful to POTUS and others in the United States for another $400 million military assistance program. By armored vehicles that will help us liberate Ukrainian lands. We appreciate this continued support,” Zelenskyy wrote on Twitter.
Backlog Security Assistance Package Carries U. S. Commitment to Safety. The U. S. has been $18. 2 billion since Russia invaded its former Soviet neighbor in late February.
—Amanda Macias
Nearly 7. 8 million Ukrainians have refugees and moved to neighboring countries since Russia invaded Ukraine last February, according to estimates by the UN Refugee Agency.
More than 4. 5 million of those that other people have implemented for prestige transient resident in neighboring Western European countries, according to data compiled by the agency.
“The escalation of the fighting in Ukraine has resulted in civilian casualties and the destruction of civilian infrastructure, forcing others to flee their homes in search of safety, cover and assistance,” the UN refugee firm wrote.
—Amanda Macias
National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan met today in Kyiv with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President Andriy Yermak’s chief of staff, Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov and others to “underscore the steadfastness of the United States for Ukraine and its other peoples while protecting their sovereignty and territorial integrity. “. “
Sullivan also shared the main points of the newest security assistance program for Ukraine, according to NSC spokeswoman Adrienne Watson.
“He also affirmed the continued provision of economic and humanitarian assistance, as well as ongoing efforts with partners to hold Russia accountable for its aggression,” he said.
—Amanda Macias
Since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, there have been at least 645 attacks on major physical activities in the country, according to estimates by the World Health Organization’s Attack Surveillance System.
The organization reports that fitness services were broken 562 times, ambulances were attacked in 83 cases and at least 159 attacks affected essential medical supplies. 129 injured.
The Kremlin has denied in the past that it was targeting civilian infrastructure such as hospitals, schools and apartment buildings.
—Amanda Macias
The organization that oversees the export of Ukrainian agricultural products said a shipment will leave the besieged country for Romania.
The Black Sea Grain Initiative vessel carries 12,500 tons of sunflower oil.
On Saturday, Moscow suspended its participation in the Black Sea Grain Initiative, bringing up retaliation for the “act of terrorism” of Russian warships from Kyiv. Moscow returned to the case on Wednesday.
The Black Sea Grain Initiative, an agreement negotiated in July between Ukraine, Russia, Turkey and the United Nations, eased Russia’s naval blockade and the reopening of 3 key Ukrainian ports.
—Amanda Macias
U. S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with his German, French and British counterparts on the sidelines of the G-7 assembly to discuss Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine.
“They discussed continued transatlantic cooperation on a number of key issues, adding that Ukraine continues to confront Russia’s brutal war of aggression,” State Department spokesman Ned Price wrote in a reading of the assembly between Blinken and French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly.
Price added that the leaders also discussed Iran’s military for Russia.
In weeks, Moscow has carried out several devastating missile and drone moves opposed to what Ukraine has described as civilian targets and critical infrastructure, such as electrical installations.
Iran and Russia have strongly denied reports that Tehran has provided Moscow with a fleet of drones for the Kremlin’s war in Ukraine. The Kremlin has also denied using Iranian-made drones to target residential and other augmented civilian spaces.
—Amanda Macias
Treasury Under Secretary Wally Adeyemo will travel to Paris, London and Brussels early next week to “continue close coordination with allies on sanctions against Russia over its brutal war against Ukraine. “
In meetings with his government counterparts, he will talk about “staying strong for the Ukrainian government and others through direct economic assistance,” the Treasury wrote in an account of his upcoming trip.
He is also expected to talk about a cap on Russian oil costs that will “make it easier to ship Russian oil to global markets at lower costs and decrease Putin’s main source of revenue,” the Treasury added.
Adeyemo will also talk about emerging energy cost considerations and worsening food insecurity, triggered in part by Russia’s war in Ukraine.
—Amanda Macias
The Pentagon announced a $400 million security aid package for Ukraine, bringing the U. S. commitment to $18. 2 billion since Russia invaded its former Soviet neighbor last February.
Newest support includes:
“The revised T-72B tanks included in this package are a coordinated trilateral effort with the Netherlands and the Czech Republic,” the Pentagon said in a statement.
—Amanda Macias
The Russian from the key southern Ukrainian city of Kherson has become increasingly dubious after officials warned that Kremlin troops would withdraw from the western bank of the Dnieper.
Just weeks after Moscow claimed the area, Kirill Stremousov, the deputy civil administrator of the Kherson region installed across Russia, said troops would withdraw to regroup across the river.
“Most likely, our units, our soldiers, will go to the left (east) bank,” he said in an interview with Solovyov Live, a pro-Kremlin online media outlet. Civilians remaining in the town of Kherson will have to leave. without delay as they put their lives at risk, he added.
His comments came after several pro-Kremlin bloggers posted videos and photographs NBC News verified of Kherson’s government building without the Russian flag, though the white, blue and red tricolor flag still appears to fly over other government buildings.
Learn more about NBC news.
Basic food security for tens of millions of others around the world hangs in the balance this week as the United Nations, Turkey and Ukraine desperately worked to maintain a deal that would allow Ukrainian grain to cross the Black Sea.
Before Moscow’s large-scale invasion of its former Soviet neighbor, Ukraine and Russia accounted for nearly a quarter of global grain exports, until those shipments came to a severe halt for about six months.
The Black Sea Grain Initiative eased Russia’s naval blockade and the reopening of 3 key Ukrainian ports.
Last week, Moscow suspended its participation in the Black Sea Grain Initiative, prompting retaliation for what it called an “act of terrorism” by Kyiv against Russian warships. Russia joined the humanitarian deal on Wednesday, but with a caveat that the Kremlin would possibly refuse. to renew the agreement, which expires in two weeks.
Here’s a look at what Ukraine exports and where:
—Amanda Macias
Russian President Vladimir Putin has said civilians will have to be evacuated from conflict zones in Ukraine’s southern Kherson region, which Moscow illegally annexed in late September.
He reportedly told an assembly with pro-Kremlin activists that “those living in Kherson are far from the domain of the most harmful actions, because the civilian population does not suffer. “
Moscow says it is targeting civilians, but the Russian president and his generals have directed many well-documented attacks on civilian spaces and infrastructure in Ukraine, killing thousands or more.
Putin’s words come as Ukrainian forces have been engaged for several weeks in a counteroffensive to retake Kherson, which has put many Russian troops on their backs and prompted the evacuation of tens of thousands of civilians. Kiev says Ukrainian evacuees are forcibly evicted from their taken to Russia.
CNBC has not been able to determine where all the evacuees are being taken, yet human rights teams and governments have sounded the alarm about what they say is Russia’s forced deportation of Ukrainians, adding children, which would amount to a war crime. Moscow says civilians are being displaced voluntarily.
—Natasha Turak
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak spoke with his Polish counterpart, Mateusz Morawiecki, about the buildup of mobilized Russian troops and activity in Belarus, which borders Poland and has been used as a launching pad by Russian forces to attack Ukraine.
The two leaders agreed on the importance of sending a transparent message to Moscow that its intimidation tactics would not be effective, according to a statement from Sunak’s office.
According to the statement, Sunak told Morawiecki that “as a component of deterrence efforts on the eastern flank, the UK is expanding the capability of its forces and has increased activities with the Joint Expeditionary Force in the Baltic region. “
He added: “Both agreed on the desire to send a strong and uninterrupted signal to Putin that intimidation would work. “
—Natasha Turak
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he agreed with Friday’s talks with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, that grain shipments deserve to be sent duty-free to poor African countries.
“In my phone call with Vladimir Putin, he said, ‘Let’s send this grain to countries like Djibouti, Somalia and Sudan for free,’ and we agreed,” Erdogan said in a speech in Istanbul.
Erdogan was a mediator in the Black Sea grain deal, one of the situations in which Ukrainian grain had to succeed in poor countries that risked starvation without them. The increases in value caused by the Russian military blockade of Ukrainian ports have put many emerging countries under pressure.
Putin threatened last week to withdraw from the deal, which would have pushed some of those countries into crisis. He turned around this week and said he would keep Russia in the deal, but could decide to leave it, putting significant pressure on the foreign community.
—Natasha Turak
Zaporizhzhia Governor Oleksandr Starukh said in a Telegram article that populated spaces in Ukraine’s southern region were hit by Russian S-300 missiles overnight.
“As a result of the impact of one of the rockets, a fuel line broke in an open area, a chimney burst, which was extinguished by our rescuers,” he wrote on the message platform.
CNBC cannot independently determine information. Russia claims Zaporizhzhia as its own after illegally annexing the territory last September and occupying it since March. The region is home to Europe’s largest nuclear power plant.
—Natasha Turak
Russia can simply use “barrier troops” or “blocking units” in its deployed forces, which are tasked with firing on any infantryman seeking to withdraw, the British Ministry of Defense wrote in its intelligence update.
“Recently, Russian generals probably tried to get their commanders to use weapons against defectors, and probably added allowing shooting to kill offenders after they were given a reprimand. The generals probably also sought defensive positions to the death,” the ministry said. he wrote in his Twitter post.
“The tactic of shooting at defectors demonstrates the low quality, low morale and indiscipline of the Russian forces,” he added.
—Natasha Turak
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy praised the work of the International Atomic Energy Agency, the U. N. ‘s nuclear watchdog, after completing its inspection of three nuclear sites in Ukraine and said it found no undeclared nuclear activities or materials.
Zelenskyy invited inspectors to the country after Russia accused Kyiv of using a “dirty bomb” on its own territory, which is a bomb made from radioactive materials. Ukrainian and Western leaders rejected and ridiculed the idea.
“We have invited the IAEA to verify, we have given them complete freedom of action in the relevant facilities and we have transparent and irrefutable evidence that no one in Ukraine has created or is creating filthy bombs,” Zelenskyy said in his late-night address. .
“The only thing that is dirty in our region now are the leaders of Moscow who, unfortunately, have taken over the Russian state and are terrorizing Ukraine and the whole world,” he added.
—Natasha Turak
U. S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said confident Ukrainian forces were capable of retaking Kherson from Russia.
“On the question of whether or not the Ukrainians can take the remaining territory on the west side of the Dnieper in Kherson, they actually have the ability to do so,” Austin told reporters at the Pentagon.
“The most important thing is that Ukrainians believe they have the ability to do it. We have noticed that they interact in a very methodical but effective effort to regain their sovereign territory. “
— Natalia Tam
Is Russian President Vladimir Putin far from the nuclear ledge?
After weeks of apocalyptic atomic advances, Russia issued a statement Wednesday reaffirming its long-standing policy on the use of nuclear weapons, an imaginable sign that the Kremlin is trying to cool the escalating rhetoric it has used throughout October.
“Russia is guided strictly and systematically through the precept that a nuclear war cannot be won and will never have to be fought,” he said on the Russian Foreign Ministry website.
He added that Russia’s nuclear doctrine was unambiguous and did not allow for a “broad interpretation,” indicating that Moscow might try to backtrack on a number of doubts about the doctrine.
It also included a call for talks on the kinds of “security guarantees” Russia had demanded from NATO before invading Ukraine in February.
Learn more about NBC news.
Moscow softens nuclear rhetoric; Russia’s decline deepens
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