Latest news on Russia and the war in Ukraine

Two U.S. Air Force F-16 fighter jets intercepted two Russian bombers that were identified operating in Alaska’s air defense identification zone.

The Russian aircraft “remained in international airspace and did not enter American or Canadian sovereign airspace,” said the North American Aerospace Defense Command, or NORAD.

“NORAD routinely monitors foreign aircraft movements and as necessary, escorts them from the ADIZ,” the Pentagon wrote in a release.

“The recent Russian activity in the North American ADIZ is not seen as a threat nor is the activity seen as provocative,” the release added.

— Amanda Macias

The U.S. takes Russian president Vladimir Putin’s “reckless” comments about the potential use of nuclear weapons seriously and is closely monitoring the situation, the Pentagon said.

“We are completely ready,” Pentagon press secretary Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said when asked if the U.S. was prepared if Russia decided to use nuclear weapons.

Ryder added that the U.S. had not found cause to change Washington’s strategic nuclear posture.

He also reiterated that the U.S. assesses that Putin has not yet decided whether to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine.

— Amanda Macias

The organization overseeing the export of grain from Ukraine said that more than 350 vessels have left the besieged country under an agreement to reopen ports.

The Black Sea Grain Initiative, a deal among Ukraine, Russia, the United Nations and Turkey, reopened three Ukrainian ports in August.

So far, 7.8 million metric tons of grain and other food products have left Ukrainian ports.

Read more about the Black Sea Grain Initiative here.

— Amanda Macias

McDonald’s has reopened restaurants in Lviv nearly eight months after temporarily shuttering them due to the Kremlin’s invasion.

Lviv is the second Ukrainian city to see the Golden Arches resume service since the war began. In August, the Chicago-based company announced that it would reopen locations in Kyiv and western Ukraine in phases.

At that time, McDonald’s said it would be implementing “enhanced procedures and protocols” for the safety of employees and customers.

— Amelia Lucas

The organization overseeing the export of grain from Ukraine said it has approved four vessels to leave the besieged country.

The Black Sea Grain Initiative, a deal among Ukraine, Russia, the United Nations and Turkey, said the vessels are carrying 49,000 metric tons of grain and other crops.

Two ships carrying wheat and soybeans will depart from Chornomorsk and are destined for Turkey. The other two ships will depart from Odesa for Israel and Turkey and are carrying wheat.

Read more about the Black Sea Grain Initiative here.

— Amanda Macias

Lockheed Martin will increase production of its High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, or HIMARS, as Russia’s war in Ukraine enters its eighth month.

The defense titan is poised to boost HIMARS production to 96 launchers annually, up from its current level of 60 launchers. Lockheed Martin CEO Jim Taiclet announced the increase during a third-quarter earnings call.

Sales from Lockheed Martin’s Missiles and Fire Control unit, which manufactures the HIMARS launchers, rose to $2.83 billion, 1.8% higher than the prior-year period. However, profit margins dipped slightly compared to the same time period a year before.

So far the U.S. has transferred 20 HIMARS to Ukraine as it has proven to be effective in countering Russian missile strikes.

— Amanda Macias

U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen held a virtual meeting with Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal to discuss more financial aid for the war-weary country.

Yellen said the U.S. is working to disburse $4.5 billion in budget support for Ukraine, which brings total economic support to approximately $13 billion.

“Secretary Yellen also emphasized the need for inclusive coordination across international partners to help Ukraine begin to rebuild and recover,” according to a Treasury readout of the call.

— Amanda Macias

Since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, there have been at least 623 attacks on vital health services in the country, the World Health Organization’s Surveillance System for Attacks on Health Care estimates.

The organization reports that health care facilities were damaged 541 times, ambulances were targeted in 82 cases and at least 154 attacks affected crucial medical supplies. The group also estimated that attacks on health services led to at least 100 deaths and 129 injuries.

The Kremlin has previously denied that it targets civilian infrastructure like hospitals, schools and apartment buildings.

— Amanda Macias

British Prime Minister Liz Truss spoke with French President Emmanuel Macron this afternoon to discuss more support for Ukraine.

“They agreed the UK and France will continue to work closely together with allies to support Ukraine and coordinate our response to Russian aggression,” a Downing Street spokesperson said in a statement. The British readout of the call did not provide additional details of security assistance.

The two leaders discussed their concern about a slew of Russian missile and drone strikes against civilian areas in Ukraine. 

“The Prime Minister and President Macron also welcomed the recent opportunity to meet in person at the leaders’ summit in Prague, and looked forward to continuing to deepen bilateral cooperation,” the spokesperson added.

— Amanda Macias

At least 62 civilian casualties were recorded across Ukraine from Friday through Sunday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s office said.

The three-day death toll followed a flurry of Russian missile and drone strikes against Ukrainian infrastructure. The Kremlin has previously denied that it targets civilians or critical infrastructure.

The United Nations has confirmed 6,306 civilian deaths and 9,602 injuries in Ukraine since Russia invaded its ex-Soviet neighbor on Feb. 24.

The Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights said the death toll in Ukraine is likely higher, because armed conflict can delay fatality reports.

The international organization said most of the civilian casualties recorded were caused by the use of explosive weapons with a wide impact area, including shelling from heavy artillery and multiple launch rocket systems, as well as missiles and airstrikes.

— Amanda Macias

More than 7.6 million Ukrainians have become refugees and moved to neighboring countries since Russia invaded Ukraine in late February, the U.N. Refugee Agency estimates.

More than 4.3 million of those people have applied for temporary resident status in neighboring Western European countries, according to data collected by the agency.

“The escalation of conflict in Ukraine has caused civilian casualties and destruction of civilian infrastructure, forcing people to flee their homes seeking safety, protection and assistance,” the U.N. Refugee Agency wrote.

— Amanda Macias

The Ukrainian official in charge of Kyiv’s military administration told residents to shelter in place and not post anything on social media as Russia unleashed fresh strikes in the area.

“Residents of the Kyiv region! Stay in shelters! Take care of yourself and your loved ones,” wrote Oleksiy Kuleba, head of Kyiv Military Administration on the Telegram messaging platform.

“I emphasize, do not film or post anything on social networks,” he said. He also urged residents not to film the work of the Ukrainian military.

Kuleba’s warnings followed fresh Russian drone attacks across Kyiv on Monday.

— Amanda Macias

Iran has promised to provide Russia with surface-to-surface missiles, in addition to more drones, two senior Iranian officials and two Iranian diplomats told Reuters, a move that is likely to infuriate the United States and other Western powers.

A deal was agreed on Oct. 6 when Iran’s First Vice President Mohammad Mokhber, two senior officials from Iran’s powerful Revolutionary Guards and an official from the Supreme National Security Council visited Moscow for talks with Russia about the delivery of the weapons.

“The Russians had asked for more drones and those Iranian ballistic missiles with improved accuracy, particularly the Fateh and Zolfaghar missiles family,” said one of the Iranian diplomats, who was briefed about the trip.

A Western official briefed on the matter confirmed it, saying there was an agreement in place between Iran and Russia to provide surface-to-surface short-range ballistic missiles, including the Zolfaghar.

— Reuters

Ukraine received 2 billion euros in financial aid from the European Union ($1.96 billion), part of a 5 billion euro macro-financial loan package.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked the bloc in a tweet, saying, “Grateful to [EU] President @vonderleyen for support,” referring to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. “We count on ASAP implementation of the full program – €9 billion. This is a crucial contribution to financial stability & our victory.”

Ukraine’s Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal also thanked the EU, saying, “The additional financial resource will help to cover urgent budgetary expenses, in particular for the social and humanitarian spheres.”

— Natasha Turak

The bodies of five children have been exhumed in the eastern Ukrainian city of Lyman, in the Donetsk province, which had been occupied by Russian forces in early October.

They were three girls and two boys between the ages of one and 14 who appeared to have died from shrapnel injuries, Ukraine’s defense ministry said.

Hundreds of bodies have been found in mass graves in and around the towns and cities that Russian troops occupied and later left, Ukrainian and United Nations officials say. The existence of these graves and the civilian bodies found in them has been well-documented, and Ukraine’s government as well as international rights organizations are in the process of conducting investigations into war crimes committed by Russia.

— Natasha Turak

Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has sent a proposal to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to cut diplomatic ties with Iran, based on evidence that Tehran has supplied lethal drones to Russia.

The Shahed-136 unmanned aerial vehicles are Iranian-made and have been increasingly used by Russia to strike at civilian and critical infrastructure in Ukraine, particularly in the capital Kyiv.

Iran officially denies providing Russia with the drones, but U.S. officials say the first shipment was delivered to Russia in August.

Despite Tehran’s denials, Kyiv says this makes Iran fully responsible for the destruction and death caused by the drone attacks across Ukraine.

Kuleba has also asked EU foreign ministers to sanction Iran for helping Russia “carry out terror against Ukrainians.”

— Natasha Turak

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko is urging residents to restrict their water and electricity use after Russian strikes hit critical energy facilities across Ukraine.

“In Kyiv, as a result of rocket attacks by Russian barbarians, two critical infrastructure facilities were damaged. Emergency and rescue services are working on the ground,” Klitschko said in a Telegram post.  

“Currently, the provision of electricity and water supply services is partially limited in many houses on the left bank of the capital … I appeal to all Kyiv residents to save electricity as much as possible. For residents who have low pressure in the water supply network – save water as much as possible now,” Klitschko said.

He added that work was in progress to “stabilize the situation.”

Several Russian strikes hit power stations in Kyiv on Tuesday morning, Ukrainian officials said. At least three major cities in the country are experiencing power outages.

— Natasha Turak

A whopping 30% of Ukraine’s power stations have been destroyed by Russian strikes in the past eight days, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in the wake of fresh Russian attacks on the country’s critical energy infrastructure.

This has resulted in widespread blackouts across the country, with three major cities, including Kyiv, experiencing power outages.

“Another kind of Russian terrorist attacks: targeting energy & critical infrastructure,” Zelensky wrote in a tweet. “Since Oct 10, 30% of Ukraine’s power stations have been destroyed, causing massive blackouts across the country. No space left for negotiations with Putin’s regime.”

— Natasha Turak

Danish police said a preliminary investigation found that “powerful explosions” on two Russian gas pipelines sent gas spewing into the Baltic Sea.

The findings appeared to be similar to a crime scene investigation carried out by Sweden’s national security service earlier this month, which reinforced suspicions of “gross sabotage.”

A flurry of detonations on the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines on Sept. 26 caused what might be the single largest release of methane in history. The explosions triggered four gas leaks at four locations — two in Denmark’s exclusive economic zone and two in Sweden’s exclusive economic zone.

Danish police said it was not possible to say when the investigation was likely to be completed.

— Sam Meredith

Air strikes have been reported in several Ukrainian cities, prompting President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to accuse Russia of terrorizing and killing civilians.

Zelenskyy said via Telegram that one person had been killed in a missile strike on a residential building in Mykolaiv in southern Ukraine.

“Ukraine is under fire by the occupiers. They continue to do what they do best – terrorize and kill civilians,” Zelenskyy said, according to Reuters. “The terrorist state will not change anything for itself with such actions. It will only confirm its destructive and murderous essence, for which it will certainly be held to account.”

Meanwhile, Maria Avdeeva, a security analyst from Kharkiv, described the latest barrage of air strikes as a “massive attack on energy infrastructure facilities.”

Avdeeva reported three strikes on an energy facility in the Desnyansky district of Kyiv, two strikes at an energy infrastructure facility in Dnipro in central Ukraine and no electricity or water supplies in Zhytomyr in the north.

CNBC has not been able to independently verify this report.

— Sam Meredith

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called on the country’s forces to take more Russian prisoners in order to help free more Ukrainian troops.

His comments come shortly after Kyiv and Moscow carried out the largest prisoner swap of the war to date, exchanging a total of 218 detainees, including 108 Ukrainian women.

“I am grateful to all involved for this success, and I also thank all those who replenish our exchange fund, who ensure the capture of enemies,” Zelenskyy said during his evening address to the nation.

“The more Russian prisoners we have, the sooner we will be able to free our heroes. Every Ukrainian warrior, every frontline commander should remember this,” he added.

— Sam Meredith

A senior Russian health official said 13 people were killed after a Russian fighter plane crashed into a nine-story residential building in the southern Russian town of Yeysk, according to Russian news agency Interfax.

Videos and images published on social media on Monday showed a large fireball erupting from a residential building in the resort town, near the border with Ukraine.

Alexei Kuznetsov, Russian assistant health minister, told the news agency that 13 people had died as a result of the crash, including three children.

The European Union approved a military training mission in Europe for thousands of Ukrainian troops and to provide around 500 million euros ($486 million) in extra funds to help buy weapons for the war-torn country.

The mission, which will have a headquarters in Brussels and be under the command of French naval officer Vice Adm. Herve Blejean, will initially run for two years with a budget of almost 107 million euros ($104 million).

EU headquarters said in a statement that the mission’s aim is to allow the Ukrainian armed forces to “effectively conduct military operations,” so that Ukraine can “defend its territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders, effectively exercise its sovereignty and protect civilians.”

It said that the EU will provide “individual, collective and specialized training.” Countries that aren’t part of the bloc will be allowed to take part in the training effort. The aim initially is to train about 15,000 Ukrainian troops, chiefly in Poland and Germany

— Associated Press

Russia’s monthslong war in Ukraine coupled with rising inflation has pushed more of the world’s children into poverty, according to a new report by UNICEF.

UNICEF, the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund, says an additional four million children across eastern Europe and Central Asia have been pushed into poverty, a 19% increase since 2021. 

“Beyond the obvious horrors of war – the killing and maiming of children, mass displacement – the economic consequences of the war in Ukraine are having a devastating impact on children across eastern Europe and Central Asia,” said Afshan Khan, UNICEF Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia.

“Children all over the region are being swept up in this war’s terrible wake. If we don’t support these children and families now, the steep rise in child poverty will almost certainly result in lost lives, lost learning, and lost futures,” Khan added.

— Amanda Macias

Moscow and Kyiv carried out one of the biggest prisoner swaps of the war so far, exchanging a total of 218 detainees, including 108 Ukrainian women, officials from both sides said.

Andriy Yermak, head of the Ukrainian president’s staff, said there were 12 civilians among the freed women.

“It was the first completely female exchange,” he wrote on the Telegram messaging app, adding that 37 of the women had been captured after Russian forces took the giant Azovstal steelworks in the port city of Mariupol in May.

Separately, Ukraine’s interior ministry said some of the women had been in jail since 2019 after being detained by pro-Moscow authorities in eastern regions. Earlier, the Russian-appointed head of one of the regions said Kyiv was freeing 80 civilian sailors and 30 military personnel.