Latest news on Russia and the war in Ukraine

Russian missile strikes hit energy infrastructure in much of Ukraine, prompting emergency shutdowns across “all regions” according to Ukrainian electricity supplier Ukrenergo.

“This is a necessary step to protect power grids from additional technological accidents and support the operation of the power system,” Ukrenergo said in a statement.

While repair crews and state emergency services are prepared to address damage after the end of the air raid alert, harsh weather conditions including frost and freezing rain in some regions could prolong the restoration process.

Officials in Kyiv told residents to monitor Telegram for updates on the air raid alert, as the electric alert system is out of service due to the power outages. Regional and municipal administrations are bracing for more strikes, warning residents to remain sheltered until officials say otherwise.

— Rocio Fabbro

A number of units were shut down at the Pivdennoukrainsk nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine because of a loss of power during Russian air strikes across Ukraine, Ukraine’s nuclear energy firm Energoatom said.

“Everything is fine with the station. There is nowhere to generate electricity,” an Energoatom spokesperson said of the plant in the Mykolaiv region.

A local official said units were also not operating at the Khmelnytskyi nuclear power plant in western Ukraine.

“Stopping the units. There is no electricity, water, possibly heat,” Oleksandr Suprunyuk, the mayor of the city of Netishyn which is near the plant, wrote on his Facebook page.

— Reuters

Members of the opposition party in the northwestern Russian region of Karelia asked President Vladimir Putin to issue a decree officially ending the partial mobilization of troops.

Russia’s controversial partial mobilization of 300,000 citizens, announced in late September, caused an exodus of men from the country and sparked protests against the draft. A month later, Putin and Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu announced the completion of the mobilization. However, no official legislative changes were made.

Emilia Slabunova and Inna Boluchevskaya, deputies from the Yabloko party in Karelia’s legislative assembly, said in an appeal that “the public speeches of the defense minister, the statements of the president and his press secretary that ‘the end has been set. Partial mobilization completed’ are not normative acts and therefore have no legal force.”

They also noted that parts of the original mobilization decree continue to operate, despite its announced completion.

“This fact, the deputies believe, affects the psychological state of society, is a source of anxiety and increased anxiety in Russian families and work collectives, and many people have health problems,” they said.

“Announcements must be supported by a decree,” they added.

— Rocio Fabbro

Russia relaunched production of the Soviet-era Moskvich car at a former Renault factory, according to truckmaker Kamaz.

It comes as the Kremlin strives for a self-sufficient economy as the country’s finances continue to be choked by Western sanctions and other ramifications of its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.

Read the full story here.

— Hannah Ward-Glenton

Ukrainian authorities reportedly said the capital city of Kyiv was left without electricity after Russian airstrikes targeted critical infrastructure, while the water supply had also been cut off.

A two-story building was damaged as a result of the rocket attack, with Ukraine’s regional military administration reporting that three people were killed and six were injured.

— Sam Meredith

Rescuers search a destroyed two-story maternity building in the town of Vilnyansk, southern Zaporizhzhia region.

“As a result of a rocket attack on the territory of the local hospital, the two-storey building of the maternity ward was destroyed,” they said in a statement. There was “a woman with a newborn baby as well as a doctor” inside the building at the time, they added. The baby died while the woman and doctor were rescued from the rubble, rescuers said. 

— Katerina Klochko | AFP | Getty Images

Ukrainian authorities said Russian forces launched a new wave of missile strikes on critical infrastructure in its capital city of Kyiv.

A statement from the Kyiv city military administration said a two-story building was damaged as a result of the hit, one person was killed and one was injured. Officials advised residents to stay in shelters until the air alert ends.

— Sam Meredith

In a largely symbolic move, the European Parliament designated Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism, saying deliberate attacks by the Kremlin’s forces and their proxies against civilians in Ukraine constitute war crimes. Russia denies targeting civilians.

European lawmakers, acknowledging that the European Union cannot officially designate states as sponsors of terrorism, called on the bloc to further isolate Moscow on the international stage.

Ukraine’s Zelenskyy had pushed for the U.S. and others to recognize Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism. U.S. President Joe Biden rejected these calls in early September, fearing such a move could have “unintended consequences” for Ukraine and the world.

— Sam Meredith

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in his overnight address that winter shelters with basic services including heat, water and a first-aid kit would be freely available to citizens across the country.

He said these “invincibility” centers would be necessary to support people in the event of further Russian attacks on the country’s energy system.

More than 4,000 centers have been prepared so far, Zelenskyy said. “I am sure [that] by helping each other, we will all be able to get through this winter together,” he added.

— Sam Meredith

An overnight missile attack on a small hospital maternity ward in southern Ukraine killed a newborn baby, according to the governor of the Zaporizhzhia region.

Oleksandr Starukh said via Telegram that the “huge missiles” were Russian. “Grief fills our hearts,” he added.

CNBC has not been able to independently verify the information.

— Sam Meredith

The European Union has sent another $2.5 billion to help Ukraine, according to the country’s prime minister, Denys Shmyhal.

Shmyhal said in a tweet on Tuesday that the EU “disbursed €2.5 billion [around $2.57 billion] in macro-financial assistance.”

Tweet:

The massive infusion of cash is the latest effort by the EU to help Ukraine fight off the Russian invasion.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen recently announced that the EU will provide up to $18 billion in financial aid in 2023 as the country takes on Russia.

– Brian Schwartz

The Treasury Department issued new guidance regarding the maritime transport of Russian oil ahead of a planned price cap in early December.

The guidance complements the U.K.’s newly-released policies in outlining how domestic service providers can continue carrying seaborne oil while complying with the strategic price cap on Russian oil devised by G7 countries, the E.U. and Australia.

“We’re taking these steps to make it as easy as possible for market participants to implement the price cap policy as of Dec. 5 consistent with the coalition’s goals of allowing Russians to keep foreign oil (in) flow while lowering the Kremlin’s revenues,” a senior Treasury official said.

The price cap is intended to deprive Russia of a funding source to continue its war against Ukraine. It goes into effect on Dec. 5.

—Chelsey Cox

Iran may be guilty of crimes against humanity as a result of producing weapons for Russia that reportedly will be used in Ukraine, said British Ambassador to the U.S. Karen Pierce in an interview.

“Even at this late stage, I do think the Iranians need to contemplate how they may be guilty of crimes against humanity by supplying these weapons to the Russians,” Pierce told Andrea Mitchell on MSNBC.

The Washington Post reported that Iran has agreed to start to manufacture hundreds of unmanned drones on Russian soil.

It is expected that those weapons to be used in the conflict with Ukraine.

– Brian Schwartz