The latest news about the war between Russia and Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin said in late September that civilians should be evacuated from conflict-ridden areas in Ukraine’s southern Kherson region, which Moscow illegally seized.

In a meeting with pro-Kremlin activists, he said, “The zone should be removed from the most dangerous actions in Kherson, because the civilian population should not suffer.” Reuters quoted the country’s news agency RIA as reporting.

While Moscow says it does not target civilians, the Russian president and his generals have led a series of well-documented attacks on civilian areas and infrastructure in Ukraine, killing thousands, if not more.

Putin’s words came as Ukrainian forces launched a counterattack to retake Kherson weeks ago, putting many Russian soldiers on the rations and forcing tens of thousands of civilians to flee. According to Kyiv, the departing Ukrainians are being forcibly evicted from their homes and taken to Russia.

CNBC could not confirm where all the evacuees are being taken, but rights activists and various governments have warned that Russia’s forced deportation of Ukrainians, including children, is a war crime. Moscow said the civilians had moved voluntarily.

– Natasha Turak

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak spoke with his Polish counterpart Mateusz Morawiecki about Russia’s coordinated military presence in Belarus, which borders Poland, and the Russian military’s move to attack Ukraine.

The two leaders agreed on the importance of sending a clear message to Moscow that its intimidation tactics will not work, according to a statement from Sunac’s office.

According to the statement, Sunac told Moravički by phone that “as part of the defense efforts in the east, the United Kingdom is increasing the capacity of its forces and increased activity with the Joint Expeditionary Force in the Baltic region.”

“Both agreed on the importance of sending a strong signal to Putin that intimidation does not work,” he added.

– Natasha Turak

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, agreed on Friday to allow free grain shipments to poor African countries, he said.

“In my phone call with Vladimir Putin, he said we will send this grain to countries like Djibouti, Somalia and Sudan for free – and we agreed,” Erdogan said in a speech in Istanbul.

Erdogan has been a key negotiator in the Black Sea Grain Agreement, the condition of which was that Ukrainian grain reached poor countries without which they risk starvation. Together, Russia and Ukraine produce the largest amount of grain in the world, and shortages and rising prices caused by the Russian military’s blockade of Ukrainian ports have put many developing countries in dire straits.

Putin threatened to pull out of the deal last week. This week he reversed course and said he would keep Russia in the deal, though it could still leave, putting more pressure on the international community.

– Natasha Turak

The governor of Zaporizhia, Oleksandr Staruk, said in a Telegram post that populated areas in the southern Ukrainian region were hit by Russian S-300 missiles overnight.

“Due to the impact of one of the rockets, a gas pipe was damaged in an open area, a fire broke out, which was extinguished by our rescuers,” he wrote on the messaging platform.

CNBC could not independently verify the information. Russia has claimed Zaporizhzhia as its own after illegally seizing the territory in late September and holding it since March. The area is Europe’s largest nuclear power plant.

– Natasha Turak

Russia may use “barrier troops” or “barrier units” in its deployed forces, according to Britain’s Ministry of Defense’s daily intelligence update.

“Recently, Russian generals may want their commanders to use weapons against deserters, including firing after a warning. Generals may want to defend defensive positions to the death,” the ministry wrote. Twitter

He added, “The method of shooting in the desert proves the low quality, low morale and lack of ethics of the Russian forces.”

– Natasha Turak

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky praised the work of the International Atomic Energy Agency after completing inspections of three of Ukraine’s nuclear facilities.

Zelensky invited the inspectors to the country after Russia accused Kiev of preparing to use a “dirty bomb” on its territory, a bomb made of radioactive material. Ukrainian and Western leaders rejected the idea and scoffed at it.

“We have invited the IAEA to investigate, we have given the relevant institutions full freedom of action, and we have clear and undeniable evidence that no one in Ukraine has created or will create dirty bombs,” Zelensky said in his evening speech. .

He added, “The only dirty thing in our region now is the leaders in Moscow, who are unfortunately controlling the Russian territory and terrorizing Ukraine and the whole world.”

– Natasha Turak

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said, “I am confident that the Ukrainian military will be able to retake Kurson from Russia.”

Austin told reporters at the Pentagon, “I believe that the Ukrainians certainly have the ability to take the rest of the territory west of the Dnieper River in Kherson or not.”

“Most importantly, the Ukrainians believe they have the capacity to do that. We’ve seen them make a very strategic but effective effort to restore their sovereignty.”

– Natalie Tam

Is Russian President Vladimir Putin Backing Down From Nuclear Lines?

After weeks of apocalyptic nuclear taunts, Russia issued a vague statement on Wednesday reaffirming its long-held policy on nuclear weapons — a sign the Kremlin is trying to tone down the rhetoric it used in October.

“Russia is firmly and consistently guided by the principle that a nuclear war cannot be won and should never be fought,” the Russian Foreign Ministry website said.

The statement added that Russia’s nuclear doctrine is vague and does not allow for a “broad interpretation”, and that Moscow may be trying to reverse several statements that question the doctrine.

The statement included an appeal for the kind of “security guarantees” Russia asked NATO for before invading Ukraine in February.

Read more on NBC News.