October 19, 2022 Russia-Ukraine news

Our live coverage of Russia’s war in Ukraine has moved here.

Internet connectivity has weakened in multiple cities in Ukraine following the introduction of rolling blackouts by the national power company, according to Netblocks, an Internet monitoring group.?

The blackouts, which were a result of Russia’s attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, are now applied throughout the nation from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. local time.?

According to a tweet by NetBlocks, Kyiv’s connectivity fell to 81% of normal levels. The worst-hit cities were Bucha, Irpin and Brovary, where Internet access was below 70% of its ordinary levels, the organization said.

Some background: President Volodymyr Zelensky appealed to Ukrainians to become careful about electricity consumption starting at 7:00 a.m. Thursday due to the damage caused to the nation’s electricity grid.

And the national energy company, NPC Ukrenergo, on Wednesday called for the “understanding and support” of energy users as it announced restrictions.

“Unfortunately, according to new data, about 40% of the total infrastructure and our generating capacities are really seriously damaged,” said Oleksandr Kharchenko, an adviser to Ukraine’s energy minister.

Russian President Vladimir Putin?signed a law Wednesday?introducing martial law in four Ukrainian regions that Moscow claims to have annexed in defiance of international law: Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk and Luhansk.

The move drew criticism from Ukrainian officials and Western allies.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian officials announced scheduled blackouts nationwide after losing 40% of the country’s power-generating capacity following Russian missile attacks.

Here are the latest headlines:

Ukraine suffered new damage to its critical energy infrastructure, President Volodymyr?Zelensky?said in his?nightly?address Wednesday.

“Of course, we will do everything possible to restore normal energy capabilities of our country. But this requires time and our combined effort,” he said.

Zelensky appealed to Ukrainians to become careful about electricity consumption starting on Thursday from 7:00 a.m. local time.

Zelensky also thanked Ukraine’s armed forces for shooting down kamikaze drones and cruise missiles before they could reach their targets.?

Over the last month, 233 ‘Shaheds’ and dozens of missiles were shot down, he said, including 10 Iranian-made drones directed Wednesday at Kyiv.

A view of Kyiv during a rolling blackout following rocket attacks to critical infrastructures in the evening on October 11.

Ukrainian energy officials on Wednesday said they had no choice but to introduce emergency and scheduled blackouts after losing at least 40% of the country’s power generating capacity following days of devastating Russian cruise missile and drone strikes.

“Restoration and repair work is ongoing, but miracles are possible only to a certain extent,” Kharchenko said in the statement broadcast on national television.

“Therefore, we should expect not only emergency but also scheduled outages today and tomorrow in order not to overload the grid,” he added.

NPC Ukrenergo, Ukraine’s national energy company, on Wednesday called for the “understanding and support” of its energy users as they have been forced to introduce consumption restrictions following the missile attacks.

Ukrenergo said the “consumption restrictions may be applied throughout Ukraine from 7:00 am to 22:00 pm” Thursday.?

“The outages will be alternate — the duration of the outage is also determined by the regional power distribution company, but not more than 4 hours,” the statement said.

“The enemy, who cannot compete with the Armed Forces of Ukraine on the battlefield, attacked the civilian energy infrastructure again. Therefore, tomorrow we will apply controlled and carefully calculated restrictions to consumers, which we must implement to make the system work in a balanced way,” the power company said.

Ukraine’s foreign ministry has condemned Moscow’s declaration of “martial law” in the territories of Ukraine that are under Russian occupation, calling it a “new state of terror.”

The move was an attempt “to suppress the resistance of the residents of Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions, who oppose the Russian occupation,” said a statement released by Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday. “Putin’s decree is null and void. It has no legal consequences for Ukraine and its citizens, as well as for the international community.”

Despite not fully controlling the territories, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced earlier on Wednesday he has signed a decree introducing martial law in four Ukrainian regions the Kremlin has sought to annex, in violation of international law. The regions are Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk and Luhansk. Martial law will come into effect Thursday, according to the decree.

Ukraine called on its “international partners to strongly condemn the intention of the Russian occupation administrations under the guise of the so-called “martial law” to deprive residents of the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine of even basic human rights, as well as to condemn their illegal plans to legalize looting, forced deportations and mobilization,” the statement added.

The ministry said Ukraine would continue to liberate the?occupied territories and rescue the Ukrainian people.

Denis Pushilin, the leader of the separatist Donetsk region, in Saint Petersburg in June.

The Moscow-appointed head of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) welcomed the announcement of martial law by Russian President Vladimir Putin, calling it “timely.”?

The local headquarters of the Territorial Defense will now have an opportunity to coordinate with Russian federal authorities, which will have a “positive impact on the situation,” Denis Pushilin said in a video statement on his Telegram channel.???

Earlier on Wednesday, Putin announced martial law in the four Ukrainian regions he claims to have annexed: Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk and Luhansk.?

United States response: President Joe Biden said Russia’s martial law declaration reflects Putin’s desperate predicament.

“What it?reflects to me is, it seems his only tool available?to him is to brutalize?individual citizens in Ukraine, Ukrainian citizens, to try to?intimidate them into?capitulating.?They’re not going to do that,” Biden said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s martial law orders in the areas Moscow claims to have annexed are “desperate tactics to try to enforce and control,” US State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel said Wednesday.

“The truth is that Russia is not wanted in these regions, and the people in Ukraine are rejecting Russia’s illegal invasion and seizure by force of what is Ukrainian territory,” he said.

Patel stressed that “no matter what the Kremlin says or does, no matter what they try to enact via decree via paper or otherwise, Crimea, Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia are Ukrainian sovereign territory.”

“They have no legal claim whatsoever. There is no jurisdiction that they have over those territories. This is Ukraine’s land and Russia has blatantly violated Ukrainian sovereignty and territorial integrity as well as violating UN Charter with their illegal acts,” he said.

Members of the Ukrainian police force standing guard next to smoke as Ukraine's capital, Kyiv, was rocked by explosions during a drone attack in the early morning on October 17.

The European Union is working on new Iran sanctions that could come as soon as this week due to the use of Iranian drones by Russia in Ukraine, a European diplomat told CNN.

These ongoing EU efforts come as the UN Security Council is set to discuss the Iranian drones during a closed-door meeting on Wednesday in New York.?But diplomats caution that they do not expect that they could get new sanctions through the security council because they will be vetoed by Russia.??

The State Department said the US would “welcome” EU sanctions on Iran for supplying drones to Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.

State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel said the US has been “coordinating closely with the EU” but would not get into details of those discussions.

“I would again note and reiterate that the United States itself continues to have tools at its disposal that are practical, that are aggressive, that are useful in holding Iran accountable,” said Patel, “and you have seen us take those actions as it relates to Iranian malign activity.”

Moscow has no plans to close its diplomatic missions in Western countries, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Yevgeny Ivanov told state media RIA Novosti in a comment on Wednesday.

“There are no such plans,” Ivanov said.

This announcement comes off the back of?Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov saying on Tuesday that Russia will be pulling back on its diplomatic presence in Western countries.

The concept of Russia’s migration policy will be changed before the end of the year due to security risks, Russia’s Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev said on Wednesday.

According to Patrushev, in light of new challenges and threats to the national security of Russia, “there is a need to clarify the priority tasks of state authorities in the field of migration.”

According to Patrushev, about 5 million residents of Donbas in eastern Ukraine and the southeastern Ukrainian regions of have arrived in Russia in recent years.?

“As safe conditions are created in these regions, the state will provide comprehensive assistance to return them to their places of permanent residence,” he said.

On Wednesday, speaking to the members of the Russian Security Council, Russian President Vladimir Putin called for changes to the migration policy.

“This area is extremely sensitive for national security, for the stable development of Russia and our society. The situation in the world is changing dynamically, new global and regional issues are emerging that affect the migration sphere, and we need to promptly and effectively respond to these changes, improve our work based on a thorough analysis of new realities,” Putin said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin chaired a Security Council meeting via a video link at the Novo-Ogaryovo state residence outside Moscow on October 19.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday instructed his government to prepare a draft decree by Oct. 20 on establishing a coordinating council to meet the needs of the so-called Russian “special military operation” in Ukraine, which is how the president refers to the war.

The Russian government will draft a decree “in order to meet the needs that arise during the conduct of a special military operation (including in terms of the supply and repair of weapons, military and special equipment, materiel, medical maintenance, repair and construction works and logistics, and other),” a Kremlin statement read.?

The statement said the council will be headed by Russia’s prime minister and will include representatives of the country’s defense ministry, internal affairs ministry, emergencies ministry, the Russian Guard, Federal Security Service (FSB), Foreign Intelligence Service, Main Directorate of Special Programs (GUSP), other federal executive bodies and the State Council of the Russian Federation.

The council will hold its first meeting early next week, Russian state media RIA Novosti reported.

In light of Russian President Vladimir Putin declaring martial law in four Ukrainian regions that Russia is seeking to annex, a senior administration official told CNN the move was seen as a “desperate tactic” to try to assert control and that the US is not surprised that Putin has resorted to it.?

The official said Putin’s latest announcement doesn’t change the fact that Russia has no legitimate claims over sovereign Ukrainian territory, and that US officials are tracking how Ukrainians are already rejecting Putin’s latest move.

US support for Ukrainians defending their sovereignty remains unchanged and continues, they added.

The parts of Zaporizhzhia region controlled by Russia will strengthen security measures following the implementation of martial law, said the Russian-installed governor Yevgeny Balitsky on Wednesday in a statement on his Telegram channel.

“All security measures that are in place in the territory of the Zaporizhzhia region will continue to operate and will be strengthened,” said Balitsky.

All cultural events will be canceled, and a curfew will continue to operate for the duration of the martial law?Balitsky said.

“Of course, the protection of public order and public safety will be strengthened, as well as the safety of the energy facilities and facilities that pose an increased danger to human life and health. The work of military checkpoints with be strengthened too,” he added.

President Volodymyr Zelensky holds a meeting to find ways to avert the threat of a nationwide blackout on October 19.

Amid a wave of Russian missile and bomb attacks striking Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, President Volodymyr Zelensky held crisis meetings to find ways to avert the threat of a nationwide blackout.

Photos of Zelensky chairing a meeting discussing the energy crisis were posted to his official Telegram channel on Wednesday. In the caption, Zelensky said his team, “Discussed the necessary steps to eliminate the consequences in the event of a breakdown of the energy system of Ukraine.”?

“Ukraine will defend itself.?No matter what the enemy plans and does,” Zelensky added.

Here are the Ukrainian thermal power plants [TPP] hit by Russian strikes on Wednesday, according to Ukrainian officials:

An aerial view shows the city of Kherson, Ukraine, on May 20.

The management of Ukraine’s Kherson region after the introduction of martial law will be carried out by the administration together with the Russian military, the Moscow-appointed governor of the region, Vladimir Saldo, told Russian state media RIA Novosti on Wednesday.

“Martial law says that power in the regions should be transferred to the military in accordance with the law. We are doing all this work together with the military. Now we have already transferred almost the entire apparatus of the military-civilian administration to the left bank, they will work there. All functions, that are needed for life will be organized,” said Saldo, as quoted by RIA.

Remember: The Kherson region, located in south Ukraine, is not under full Russian control. Western nations have decried Russian President Vladimir Putin’s annexations, which violate international law, and have vowed not to recognize them as Russian territory.

The Russian-installed leaders of the Kherson region on Wednesday began massively ramping up the relocation of up to 60,000 people amid warnings over Russia’s ability to withstand a Ukrainian counteroffensive.

According to Saldo more than 7,000 residents have already left the Kherson region.

“We are taking people out to make it easier for the military to carry out their tasks and to protect the civilian population,” said Saldo, adding that the evacuation work is carried out in several directions.

The destroyed Fabrika shopping mall in the city of Kherson, Ukraine, on July 20.

According to Kirill Stremousov, the Russian-backed deputy head of the Kherson regional administration, the introduction of martial law on the territory of the Kherson region will make it easier for the military to carry out combat missions.

“The introduction of martial law will simplify some of the tasks of the military. We will no longer play the games that we have been playing for almost seven months. There will be no more conversations with the Nazis,” said Stremousov on Wednesday on air of Russian state TV Channel One.

Earlier on Wednesday, Putin signed a decree introducing martial law in the four Ukrainian regions the Kremlin claims to have annexed, in violation of international law.

At least three Ukrainian energy facilities came under attack on Wednesday, according to Ukrainian regional officials.

The latest report came from the Ivano-Frankivsk region in western Ukraine, where Svitalana Onyshchuk, the head of regional military administration, said the coal-fired power plant at Burshtyn had been hit.

“Unfortunately today our region came under missile attack. Our Burshtyn TPP [Thermal Power Plant] was hit today. As a result of the hit a fire started,” Onyshchuk wrote in a Facebook post.

Earlier on Wednesday, officials in the Vinnytsia region in central Ukraine and the Kryvyi Rih district of the east-central Dnipropetrovsk region reported strikes on energy facilities.

Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a Security Council meeting via a video link at the Novo-Ogaryovo state residence outside Moscow on October 19.

Martial law in the four Ukrainian regions that Moscow claims to have annexed will come into effect Thursday, according to the decree published by the press service of the Kremlin on Wednesday which was signed by Russian President Putin.

Remember: The regions — Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk and Luhansk — are not under full Russian control. Western nations have decried the annexations, which violate international law, and vowed not to recognize them as Russian territory.

“I decide to introduce martial law on October 20, 2022 from zero hours in the territories of the Donetsk People’s Republic, Luhansk People’s Republic, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions,” the decree reads.

According to the decree, territorial defense headquarters are being created in the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), Luhansk People’s Republic (LPR), Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions.

On Wednesday, Viktor Vodolatsky, Russian State Duma deputy, told Russian state media TASS that the introduction of martial law implies strengthening the work of all security and law enforcement services.

According to Vodolatsky, the evacuation of residents of the DPR, LPR and Zaporizhzhia region is not planned, the exception will be the Kherson region, where it is already taking place

An air raid alert that has been in place in Kyiv?since early afternoon local time has now been lifted, a CNN team in the capital reports.

Some more context: Ukraine said it shot down at least four cruise missiles and eight drones over the country on Wednesday.

Earlier on Wednesday, Kyiv’s mayor said a number of Russian missiles had been shot down over the Ukrainian capital. He urged residents to stay in shelters as Ukraine’s air defense “continues to work.”?

As Moscow continues to ramp up attacks targeting civilians in Ukraine, Kremlin-appointed leaders in the country’s south have started mass evacuations that human rights groups have warned may amount to crimes against humanity.

If you’re just joining us, here are the latest developments in Russia’s war in Ukraine:

Putin announces martial law in illegally-annexed regions: Despite not fully controlling the territories, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced Wednesday he has signed a decree introducing martial law in four Ukrainian regions the Kremlin has sought to annex, in violation of international law. The regions are Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk and Luhansk. Martial law will come into effect Thursday, according to the decree.

Moscow attacks continue: Ukraine claimed it took some hits and repelled attacks over the country on Wednesday, including shooting down at least four cruise missiles and eight drones. Here are some other strikes officials said unfolded throughout the day:

Russia begins evacuating Kherson residents: Vladimir Saldo, the Russian-backed governor of Kherson, announced the planned relocation of up to 60,000 people further away from the frontline. Kyiv later said Moscow is trying to “intimidate” Kherson residents. Human rights groups and international bodies?have warned?the practice may constitute a crime against humanity.

European leader accuses Moscow of “war crimes”: Russia’s recent strikes on critical energy infrastructure in Ukraine constitute “war crimes,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Wednesday. She described the attacks “acts of pure terror,” which were “marking a new chapter in an already very cruel war.”

Here’s the latest state of control in Ukraine:

Israeli Minister of Defense Benjamin Benny Gantz speaks during annual Jerusalem Post conference at Gotham Hall, New York, on September 12.

Israel will help Ukraine develop an air defense alert system, Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz announced Wednesday, but the country does not plan to deliver weapon systems.

Gantz made the announcement during a meeting with European Union ambassadors in Israel.

But Gantz added that while “Israel supports and stands with Ukraine, NATO and the West,” and will continue sending humanitarian and defensive equipment, “Israel will not deliver weapon systems to Ukraine due to a variety of operational considerations”.

“We will continue to support Ukraine within our limitations, as we have done in the past,” he added.

Israel’s offer to help Ukraine develop an air defense alert system came “too late,” Ukrainian Ambassador to Israel Yevgen Korniychuk told CNN on Wednesday.

“Unfortunately, it’s too late. We requested this assistance before the war but you can’t win the war with air defense alert system. We asked for defensive weapon and they have all our requests and no reply. It’s like when you’re going to the market and you’re asking someone for the bread and instead of the bread they give you the spoon,” the ambassador said.

Korniychuk said that today Ukraine “made the formal request for missile defense system,” adding, “I have been asking the same thing for last eight months. Either with no reply or with the answer no.”

Some more context: Gantz’s comments come days after Dmitry Medvedev, the deputy head of Russia’s Security Council and former Russian president, warned Israel against supplying military weapons to Ukraine.

Medvedev’s warning seemed to be in response to an Israeli government minister tweet saying it was time for Israel to provide “military aid” to Ukraine after Russia began using Iranian-made weapons.

New Russian strikes have targeted energy infrastructure in the Vinnytsia region in central Ukraine on Wednesday, Serhii Borzov, the head of the regional military administration, said on Telegram.?

“The enemy is hitting energy facilities again,” Borzov wrote. “There are also hits in the Vinnytsia region.?Rescue services are on the scene.”?

Remember: Russia has rapidly increased targeted attacks on Ukrainian energy facilities, leaving multiple cities with power deficits. Thirty percent of Ukraine’s power stations?have been destroyed?in just over a week, President Volodymyr Zelensky said Tuesday.

Ukraine said it shot down at least four cruise missiles and eight drones over the country on Wednesday.

The Ukrainian Air Command Center, which covers the northern and central regions, said in a post on Facebook that it had “shot down 2 cruise missiles and 8 UAVs” as of 3 p.m. local.

It added that two other cruise missiles had been intercepted by the Air Defense Forces of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

Earlier on Wednesday, Kyiv’s mayor said a number of Russian missiles had been shot down over the Ukrainian capital. He urged residents to stay in shelters as Ukraine’s air defense “continues to work.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a Security Council meeting via a video link at the Novo-Ogaryovo state residence outside Moscow, Russia, on October 19.

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a second decree on Wednesday which, among other things, imposes restrictions on movement in and out of eight regions adjoining Ukraine.

The movement restrictions apply to the southern Russian regions of Krasnodar, Belgorod, Bryansk, Voronezh, Kursk and Rostov — which border Ukraine — and the territories of Crimea and Sevastopol,?annexed by Russia in 2014.

What the decree outlines: The decree published on the Kremlin’s website listing other measures as: “strengthening the protection of public order and ensuring public security, the protection of military, important state and special facilities, facilities that ensure the vital activity of the population, the functioning of transport, communications and communications, energy facilities, as well as facilities that pose an increased danger to human life and health and to the natural environment” as well as the “introduction and maintenance of a special regime for entry into and exit from the territory, as well as restriction of freedom of movement on it.”

This is the second decree signed by the Russian president today in regards to changes and restrictions in Russian regions. He also signed a decree Wednesday imposing martial law in the four Ukrainian regions that Moscow claims to have annexed in defiance of international law — Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia. Russia does not fully control these territories and Ukraine continues to advance in its offensive of these regions.

Russian presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov told RIA Novosti Wednesday that Russia does not intend to close the borders in light of the introduction of martial law in four regions.

Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a meeting with members of the Security Council via a video link at a residence outside Moscow, Russia, on October 19.

Russian President Putin said Wednesday that he will give “additional powers” to the local leaders of all Russian regions.

This comes after Putin announced on Wednesday that he has signed a law introducing martial law in four Ukrainian regions the Kremlin has sought to annex, in violation of international law. The regions — Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk and Luhansk — are not under full Russian control. Western nations have decried the annexations and vowed not to recognize them as Russian territory.

“To coordinate the work of the heads of regions will receive the authority to create the appropriate headquarters. I instruct the government, the Ministry of Defense and other departments to provide them with all necessary assistance,” Putin added.

Putin also said that he has instructed the government to establish a special council to coordinate the changes.

“The council will include vice-premiers, representatives of law enforcement agencies, the socio-economic bloc of the government, the presidential administration, and the State Council, which will ensure close interaction with the regions,” he said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a Security Council meeting via a video link at the Novo-Ogaryovo state residence outside Moscow on October 19.

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on Wednesday that he has signed a law introducing martial law in four Ukrainian regions the Kremlin has sought to annex, in violation of international law.

The regions — Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk and Luhansk — are not under full Russian control. Western nations have decried the annexations and vowed not to recognize them as Russian territory.

Putin made the comments during a scheduled Security Council meeting.

“In this regard, let me remind you that in the Donetsk People’s Republic, the Luhansk People’s Republic, as well as in the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions, martial law was in effect before joining Russia,” Putin said during a televised address. “Now we need to formalize this regime within the framework of Russian legislation.”

“Therefore, I signed a decree on the introduction of martial law in these four subjects of the Russian Federation, so it will be immediately sent to the Federation Council,” Putin added.?

The Federation Council will consider the decree of Russian President Vladimir Putin on martial law in the regions as soon as possible, said Andrei Klishas, chairman of the Federation Council committee on constitutional legislation, in a statement on his Telegram channel.

People sit in the subway, using it as a bomb shelter, in Kyiv, Ukraine, on October 19.

A number of Russian missiles have been shot down over the Ukrainian capital Kyiv on Wednesday, Mayor Vitalii Klitschko said in a post on Telegram.?

“Air defense shot down several Russian missiles over Kyiv,” he said. “Air raid alarm is still on! Stay in shelters! Air defense continues to work.”?

A CNN team heard at least five explosions in Kyiv on Wednesday.

An air raid warning has been in place in Kyiv since 12:49 p.m. local time.

Remember: Russia has concentrated a series of recent strikes on the Ukrainian capital city, hitting key energy facilities and leaving multiple civilians dead. At least five?people were killed?Monday and at least?three people died?in strikes on Tuesday.

Fragments of a Russian rocket burn in the village of Kipti, Chernihiv region, Ukraine, on October 19.

People in Ukraine’s Chernihiv region are being advised to take shelter after a reported Russian drone attack, the head of the regional military administration said on Telegram.

“Attention! There is an explosion of ‘Shahed’ [Iranian-made Shahed drones] in Chernihiv. Air defense works. Stay in shelters,” said Viacheslav Chaus, head of Chernihiv regional military administration.

An air raid alert is currently in place in multiple regions of Ukraine.

Earlier on Wednesday, Ukraine’s Operational Command North reported on Facebook that two rockets had been shot down over the village of Kipti in the Chernihiv region.?

A CNN team heard at least five explosions in Kyiv on Wednesday.

It was not clear if the explosions were impacts on the ground, or the sound of air defense interceptions.?

An air raid warning has been in place in Kyiv since 12:49 p.m. local time.

Russia has concentrated a series of recent strikes on the Ukrainian capital city, hitting key energy facilities and leaving multiple civilians dead.

At least five?people were killed?Monday and at least?three people died?in strikes on Tuesday.

Russia is trying to “intimidate” Kherson residents, Kyiv said Wednesday, after residents were told to evacuate by the Russia-imposed local authorities amid shelling threats in the region.

“The Russians are trying to intimidate the people of Kherson with fake messaging about the shelling of the city by our army, and also arrange a propaganda show with evacuation,” Andriy Yermak, head of the Ukrainian President’s office, said on Telegram Wednesday.

Yermak called the move “a rather primitive tactic,” saying that “the Armed Forces of Ukraine do not fire at Ukrainian cities.”

“This is done by Russian terrorists only, by whom even in Russia airplanes fall on residential buildings,” he also said, adding “Propaganda will not work.”

Ukraine has previously said that Russia is forcibly deporting Ukrainian civilians; human rights groups and international bodies have warned the practice may constitute a crime against humanity.

The Kremlin-appointed leaders of the occupied Kherson region in southern Ukraine say they have started to evacuate civilians further away from the frontline.

Vladimir Saldo, the Russian-backed governor of Kherson, told Russian TV late Tuesday they intend to relocate up to 60,000 people to the left bank of the Dnipro river.

Ukraine has previously said that Russia is forcibly deporting Ukrainian civilians; human rights groups and international bodies have warned the practice may constitute a crime against humanity.

Saldo had announced the “organized relocation” of civilians on Telegram on Tuesday.

“Our key task is to save human lives and allow the troops of the Russian Federation to effectively perform their functions in protecting the Kherson region,” he said.

“We will take the civilian population to the left bank in an organized, phased manner.”

All ministries of the Russian-installed civil administration in the Kherson region will also move to the left bank of Dnipro, Saldo said, adding that entry to the region will be closed for civilians for seven days.

Residents in Kherson received a text message asking to leave the city due to the threat of shelling by the Ukrainian army on Wednesday morning, Russian state media RIA Novosti reported.

The “massive deportation of civilians” by Russia could, along with other alleged abuses, constitute crimes against humanity, according to a July report by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).

In September, Ukraine’s deputy ambassador to the United Nations, Khrystyna Hayovyshyn, told the UN Security Council that Russia had forcibly deported 2.5 million people from Ukraine – including 38,000 children – saying this was a violation of human rights.

The Kremlin’s mass evacuation of citizens from Kherson comes amid Kyiv’s efforts to retake territory in the south.

A Russian official warned of a potential new Ukrainian counteroffensive in Kherson on Wednesday.

Saldo’s deputy, Kirill Stremousov, said the situation was “stable” but alleged that the Ukrainian army might strike “at any moment” and asked people to cross to the left bank of the Dnipro river.

“On the morning of October 19, the situation on the fronts and approaches to the Kherson region is stable,” he said.

“The enemy is concentrating its forces, and at any moment may start launch the strikes at the civilian population of Kherson and the Kherson region. No one is going to retreat, but we want to save your lives. Please cross to the left bank (of the Dnipro river) as quickly as possible.”?

The Ukrainian deputy head of the Kherson region, Yurii Sobolevskyi, has characterized Russia’s “evacuations” as the “semi-voluntary?deportation?of the Ukrainian population.”

Sobolevskyi confirmed to CNN that the evacuations were underway.

“Today they started mass sending SMS to people about the evacuation. They also started handing out booklets about actions during evacuation. At the same time, the message is spreading among the population that if they go to Russia, they will receive certificates for housing.”

Sobolevskyi, who spoke to CNN from Kyiv, accused the Russian-backed authorities of “escalating hysteria.”

“On the one hand, we understand that the Armed Forces of Ukraine will liberate Kherson and the region, accordingly, there may be active hostilities, and this is a risk for the local population.

“On the other hand, there are no guarantees that the evacuated people will be safe (where they are going) and far from the front line. People will make their own decisions – to leave or stay. It is difficult to say what decision they will make.”

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen addresses the floor during a debate at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, on October 19.

Moscow’s strikes on critical energy infrastructure in Ukraine constitute “war crimes,” according to the head of the European Commission.

Commission President Ursula von der Leyen described the attacks as “acts of pure terror,” which she said were “marking a new chapter in an already very cruel war.”

“Targeted attacks on civilian infrastructure with the clear aim to cut off men, women, children of water, electricity and heating with the winter coming, these are acts of pure terror and we have to call it as such,” von der Leyen said in a speech to lawmakers at the European Parliament Wednesday.

The Kremlin has launched a far-reaching assault on Ukrainian power facilities in recent days, leaving major cities without access to water or electricity.

On Tuesday, President Volodymyr Zelensky said 30% of the country’s power stations have now been destroyed since October 10, causing “massive blackouts” across the country.

Colonel General Sergey Surovikin delivers a briefing in the Russian Defense Ministry in Moscow, Russia, on June 9, 2017.

The newly-appointed commander of Moscow’s operations in Ukraine, General Sergey Surovikin, has said the state of Russia’s “special military operation” in Kherson is “very difficult,” amid Kyiv’s efforts to retake the southern Ukrainian region.

“The Russian army will ensure the safe evacuation of the population,”?Surovikin said.

Ukraine has made significant gains toward Kherson in recent weeks, along the western (or right) bank of the Dnipro river.?The head of Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence Agency?has said that he hopes to recapture the city by the end of the year.

The Kremlin announced last week that its forces would help evacuate residents of occupied Kherson to other areas to move residents out of harm’s way,?in the latest indication that?Russian forces are struggling?in the face of Ukrainian advances.

The Ukrainian deputy head of the Kherson region characterized Russia’s “evacuations” as “semi-voluntary?deportation?of the Ukrainian population.” The practice has drawn deep concern from international bodies and human rights groups, which have said it may constitute a crime against humanity.

The Ukrainian military said Monday that Russian forces were busy building fortifications in the Kherson region and that they were moving civilians to Crimea.

The Russian-backed leader in Ukraine’s Kherson region also announced Tuesday that there would be a further “organized relocation” of civilians away from frontline settlements.

Saldo said that any civilians who decided to move on “to the regions of Russia” would be given assistance with housing.

Some background: A July report by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) said that “massive deportation of civilians” by Russia could, along with other alleged abuses, constitute crimes against humanity.

The OSCE mission that compiled the report wrote that 1.3 million Ukrainian citizens had been deported against their will to Russia and said there was evidence that tens of thousands of civilians had been detained at so-called filtration centers before being transported to Russian-controlled areas of eastern Ukraine.

Firefighters work to put out a fire at an energy infrastructure facility damaged by a Russian missile strike in Zhytomyr,?Ukraine, on October 18.

Over 1,000 settlements in Ukraine did not have power Tuesday following Russia’s spate of attacks on critical infrastructure across the country, according to the Ukrainian Ministry of Energy.

“1,162 settlements remain without power supply at the moment,” Oleksandr Khorunzhyi, a spokesperson for the country’s State Emergency Service, said late Tuesday, citing the ministry.

“This is in the Dnipropetrovsk, Zhytomyr, Kirovohrad, Kharkiv, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Luhansk, Mykolaiv, and Kherson regions – including in the occupied territories,” he added.

Swathes of Ukrainian territory have been hit with electricity and water outages, as the Kremlin ramped up strikes on energy facilities earlier this week.

Dnipropetrovsk was hit “all night long” by Russian attacks, causing power outages in towns and villages in the central Ukrainian region, a military official said in a Telegram post Wednesday.?

There were also “water outages” in the same communities, the post added.

Earlier Wednesday, Kryvyi Rih’s mayor said parts of the city were without electricity due to an overnight strike on an energy facility.?

Some context: Ukraine has been facing a wide assault on critical infrastructure and power sources from Russian forces this week.

On Tuesday, the Russian Defense Ministry confirmed the country’s military had targeted “energy systems” in Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr?Zelensky said that as of Tuesday, 30% of the country’s power stations have been destroyed since October 10, contributing to “massive blackouts” across the country.

Ukraine’s military said it shot down 13 “kamikaze” drones over the southern Mykolaiv region overnight, according to a statement on Telegram Wednesday.?

In an earlier post, the military said 12 drones in total had been taken out.?

CNN cannot independently confirm the Ukrainian military’s claims.?

Ukraine has been facing a wide assault on critical infrastructure and power sources this week involving drones and cruise missiles.?

What are “kamikaze” drones? Unlike more traditional, larger and faster military drones that return to base after dropping missiles, “kamikaze” drones are designed to crash into a target and explode, detonating their warhead and destroying the drones in the process.

The Ukrainian military and US intelligence say Russia is using Iranian-made attack drones. US officials told CNN in July that Iran had begun showcasing Shahed series drones to Russia at Kashan Airfield south of Tehran the previous month.

In August, US officials said Russia had bought these drones and was training its forces how to use them. According to Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky, Russia has ordered 2,400 Shahed-136 drones from Iran.

The Russian-occupied city of Enerhodar in southeastern Ukraine is facing power and water outages due to shelling overnight, Mayor?Dmytro Orlov said in a Telegram post Wednesday.?

“There are reports of damage to one of the substations, as well as to the building of the executive committee of the city council,” he continued, adding there was no information regarding potential casualties yet.?

The city sits on the south bank of the Dnipro River, near the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.

Some context: Ukraine has been facing a wide assault on critical infrastructure and power sources from Russian forces this week.

On Tuesday, the Russian Defense Ministry confirmed the country’s military had targeted “energy systems” in Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr?Zelensky said that as of Tuesday, 30% of the country’s power stations have been destroyed since October 10, contributing to “massive blackouts” across the country.

A pregnant woman and her husband killed in Kyiv by what Ukrainian officials said was a?Russian “kamikaze” drone strike?were inseparable, like “yin and yang,” their close friend has told CNN.

“These people loved life,” Anna Petrukova said of Victoria Zamchenko and her husband Bohdan, both 34, who she described as a “wonderful couple.”?

The Zamchenkos died at home in their apartment in Kyiv on Monday, following a barrage of strikes by Russian-launched, Iranian-made?“kamikaze” drones, according to Ukrainian officials.

Victoria Zamchenko was six months pregnant with the couple’s first child.

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Victoria Zamchenko and her husband Bohdan Zamchenko, both aged 34, were killed in their Kyiv apartment by a Russian drone stuck.

Related article Friend recalls 'wonderful couple' killed in Russian drone attack on Kyiv | CNN

Parts of Kryvyi Rih in central Ukraine are now without power due to a strike on an energy infrastructure facility, the city’s Mayor Oleksandr Vilkul said in a Telegram post Wednesday.?

Ukrainian President Volodymyr?Zelensky said Tuesday that 30% of the country’s power stations have been destroyed in Russian attacks since October 10, causing “massive blackouts” across the country.

A Russian drone, which local authorities believe to be an Iranian-made unmanned aerial vehicle, in Kyiv on Oct. 17.

The United States, France and the United Kingdom plan to discuss Iran’s drone transfers to Russia at a closed UN Security Council meeting Wednesday, a US official told CNN.

The meeting comes as Russia?has launched Iranian-made drones?against Ukrainian cities and infrastructure, killing several people.?

The three countries have said that the transfer of Iranian-made drones is a violation of?UN?Security Council Resolution 2231, which restricts certain arms transfers to or from Iran. It is unclear whether they will raise this specific point in the meeting tomorrow or move to snap back sanctions on Iran for the arms transfers.?

UNSCR 2231 was tied to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, and elements of that resolution, including a ban on the transfer of conventional weapons, were phased out in 2020. The Trump administration attempted to unilaterally snap back the arms embargo in September 2021 and the Biden administration told the UN Security Council it was reversing those efforts in February 2021.

Patel noted that UNSCR 2231 prohibits the transfer from Iran of all items, materials, equipment and goods and technology unless approved in advance by the UN Security Council on a case-by-case basis.

He also said the range of the drones being greater than 300 kilometers (186 miles) put them in violation of the resolution.

Iran has sent military personnel to Russian-occupied territory inside Crimea to train and advise the Russian military on the use of Iranian-built drones that Moscow has?used to devastating effect?in its war in Ukraine, according to two sources familiar with US intelligence.

Russia has launched many of what is believed to be a store of hundreds of Iranian-made drones from Crimea in a fusillade that has targeted Ukrainian cities and energy infrastructure in increasing numbers in recent weeks. The drones have been seen as a signal of growing closeness between Tehran and Moscow.

CNN has reached out to the Iranian mission at the United Nations for comment.

State Department principal deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel said Tuesday that the “deepening” of relations between Moscow and Tehran should be seen as “a profound threat.”

The Daily Mirror?first reported?the trainers’ presence in Ukraine.

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TOPSHOT - A drone approaches for an attack in Kyiv on October 17, 2022, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (Photo by Yasuyoshi CHIBA / AFP) (Photo by YASUYOSHI CHIBA/AFP via Getty Images)

Related article Iran has sent military trainers to Crimea to train Russian forces to use drones | CNN Politics

German?Interior Minister Nancy Faeser sacked Arne Sch?nbohm, the head of the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI), with immediate effect from his duties, a spokesperson for the ministry told CNN on Tuesday, after recent media reports alleged he had links with people involved with Russian intelligence services.

In the wake of the “current crisis situation regarding Russian hybrid warfare,” the allegations “have permanently damaged the necessary public trust in the neutrality and impartiality of Sch?nbohm’s conduct of office as president of Germany’s most important cybersecurity authority,” the spokesman said in a statement.

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08 August 2022, North Rhine-Westphalia, Bonn: Arne Sch?nbohm, President of the German Federal Office for Information Security (BSI), stands in front of a writing during a visit by the German Interior Minister. Photo: Rolf Vennenbernd/dpa (Photo by Rolf Vennenbernd/picture alliance via Getty Images)

Related article Germany's cybersecurity chief fired following reports of alleged Russian ties | CNN

The Biden administration has had communications with Russia to try and secure the release of Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan “as recently as within past days” said a senior administration official, speaking to CNN on?Griner’s 32nd birthday, which she will be spending in a Russian jail.

The United States first put an?offer for a prisoner swap?on the table with Russia back in June — the details of which CNN exclusively reported — and “conversations have not been static since then” the official said.

Despite the “pretty persistent” pace of discussions between the US and Russia to secure the Americans’ release, the official said that the Biden administration has yet to receive a serious counteroffer from the Russian side.

They said the Russians have countered with “something not in our control, not in our ability to deliver,” but did not go into further specifics.

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U.S. basketball player Brittney Griner, who was detained at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport and later charged with illegal possession of cannabis, sits inside a defendants' cage before the court's verdict in Khimki outside Moscow, Russia August 4, 2022. REUTERS/Evgenia Novozhenina/Pool

Related article Biden admin has been in touch with Russia in recent days as part of efforts to secure Griner and Whelan's release | CNN Politics

A supermarket worker installs a light powered by a generator in Kharkiv, Ukraine on October 17.

Thirty percent of Ukraine’s power stations?have been destroyed?in just over a week, leading to “massive blackouts” across the country, President Volodymyr Zelensky said Tuesday, as the Kremlin steps up attacks on critical energy infrastructure.

He added that there was “no space left for negotiations with (Russian President Vladimir) Putin’s regime.”

The Russian Defense Ministry later confirmed that the country’s military had launched high-precision strikes on “energy systems” in Ukraine.

“During the day, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continued to strike with long-range high-precision air and sea-based weapons on military command and energy systems of Ukraine, as well as arsenals with foreign-made ammunition and weapons, all designated targets were hit,” Lieutenant-Colonel Igor Konashenkov said Tuesday.

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Firefighters work to put out a fire in a thermal power plant, damaged by a Russian missile strike in Kyiv, Ukraine, October 18, 2022. State Emergency Service of Ukraine/Handout via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. MANDATORY CREDIT.

Related article 'Massive blackouts' as 30% of Ukraine's power stations destroyed in just over a week, Zelensky says | CNN