December 9, 2022 Russia-Ukraine news - CNN

Pope Francis is affectional aft helium recited a supplication connected behalf of the Ukrainian people, during a accepted sojourn to the statue dedicated to the Immaculate Conception adjacent Piazza di Spagna successful cardinal Rome, Italy, connected December 8. (Vincenzo Pinto/AFP/Getty Images)

Pope Francis broke down successful tears connected Thursday portion talking astir the warfare successful Ukraine during an yearly supplication astatine Rome’s Spanish steps to people the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, a nationalist vacation successful Italy. 

The Pope’s dependable cracked arsenic helium mentioned the suffering of the Ukrainian radical and helium trembled arsenic helium was forced to halt for astir 30 seconds.  

"Instead, I inactive person to contiguous to you the supplication of the children, of the elderly, of the fathers and mothers, of the young radical of that tormented land."

Watch moment:

Brittney Griner gets retired of a level aft landing astatine the JBSA-Kelly Field Annex runway connected December 9, successful San Antonio, Texas. (Suzanne Cordeiro/AFP/Getty Images)

Brittney Griner's archetypal halt backmost connected US ungraded volition apt beryllium astatine a aesculapian attraction facility, according to John Kirby, a spokesperson for the US National Security Council.

Griner could besides to instrumentality portion successful a Department of Defense Program known as PISA (Post Isolation Support Activities) to assistance her acclimate backmost to mean life. 

Americans detained abroad, similar Marine Corps seasoned Trevor Reed and the 7 Americans who returned from Venezuela successful October, besides participated successful PISA. 

Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs Roger Carstens, who traveled with Griner, confirmed her accomplishment aboriginal Friday greeting connected Twitter.

Britain connected Friday announced caller sanctions against 30 radical astir the satellite it alleged were "corrupt governmental figures, quality rights violators and perpetrators of conflict-related intersexual violence."

Those targeted see "individuals and entities progressive successful a wide scope of grievous activities – including the torture of prisoners, the mobilization of troops to rape civilians, and systematic atrocities," the UK Foreign Office said successful a statement.

The determination was coordinated with planetary partners to people International Anti-Corruption Day and Human Rights Day.

Several individuals from Russia and Crimea, which the Kremlin annexed successful usurpation of planetary instrumentality successful 2014, were targeted. They volition not beryllium permitted to participate the UK, transmission wealth done its banks, oregon nett from its economy. 

The level carrying Brittney Griner arrives astatine San Antonio's Kelly Field connected December 9. (CNN)

A level carrying WNBA prima Brittney Griner arrived astatine San Antonio's Kelly Field, successful Texas, early Friday, a time aft she was released from Russian detention.  

Griner spent 10 months down bars successful Russia earlier being released successful a high-profile captive swap that progressive convicted Russian arms trader Viktor Bout. 

In February, authorities successful a Moscow-area airdrome recovered Griner with less than a gram of cannabis lipid successful her luggage. She was aboriginal convicted of cause smuggling charges and sentenced to 9 years successful prison. In November, she was transferred to a penal colony to service retired her sentence.

Firefighters enactment to enactment retired a occurrence astatine a residential gathering deed by a Russian subject onslaught in Bakhmut, Donetsk region, Ukraine, connected December 7. (Yevhen Titov/Reuters)

The eastbound Ukrainian portion of Donetsk remains the absorption of Russian attacks, peculiarly Avdiivka and Bakhmut, a Ukrainian Armed Forces spokesperson said.

In Bakhmut the concern is "difficult but controlled," property serviceman Serhii Cherevatyi of the eastbound part of the Ukrainian subject said.

The caput of the determination subject medication of Donetsk, Pavlo Kyrylenko, said 5 radical were killed successful the portion connected Wednesday.

Ukrainian subject officials said successful their regular update that 25 "localities" adjacent Avdiivka and Bakhmut had been targeting by shelling, mortars and rocket artillery.

High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk delivers a property league astatine the UN Offices successful Geneva, Switzerland, connected December 9. (Fabrice Coffrini/AFP/Getty Images)

Ukraine is simply a "human rights emergency," United Nations quality rights main Volker Turk said connected Friday.

Turk said the state is "suffering" from not lone continued rocket attacks but from destroyed civilian infrastructure.

"The vigor assemblage is heavy affected, the heating system, the energy grid, determination are radical who unrecorded successful sub-zero temperatures without heating, and without electricity," helium said.

"There are these blackouts, truthful you tin ideate these are millions of radical who endure this each day."

On Monday, Russia launched a caller barrage of missiles toward Ukraine, cutting disconnected h2o and energy supplies successful immoderate areas and sidesplitting astatine slightest 1 idiosyncratic successful the Ukrainian metropolis of Kryvyi Rih and astatine slightest 2 radical successful Zaporizhzhia, according to section authorities.

A infirmary successful Kherson metropolis was deed by Russian shelling connected Friday morning, Yaroslav Yanushevysh, caput of the Kherson portion subject administration, said successful a Telegram post.  

The pediatric ward and morgue were damaged successful the shelling, according to Yanushevysh. No injuries oregon casualties person been recorded truthful far.

On Wednesday, 2 radical died aft Kherson was shelled 51 times, according to Yanushevysh, who said Russians had “fired astatine peaceful settlements of the portion with artillery, MLRS, tanks and mortars.”

Some context: Last month, Russian troops withdrew from Kherson metropolis aft having occupied it for 8 months, successful a humiliating setback. But Russia inactive retains power of overmuch of the broader Kherson region.

Antony Blinken speaks during a associated quality league successful Washington connected December 8. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

The US volition “soon beryllium capable to call” Sweden and Finland NATO allies, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Thursday pursuing a gathering with his Swedish and Finnish counterparts, erstwhile asked astir their admittance into the defence alliance.

"I americium convinced based connected everything I cognize that we volition soon beryllium capable to telephone some countries formally our allies … Finland and Sweden are already integrating into our work," Blinken told reporters astatine the State Department. "There tin beryllium nary uncertainty connected anyone's portion that they are acceptable contiguous to beryllium members of the alliance."

Some context: Finland and Sweden asked to articulation NATO earlier this twelvemonth pursuing Russia’s penetration of Ukraine, but person faced ratification delays from Turkey and Hungary. 

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has accused some countries of harboring members of the separatist militant Kurdistan’s Workers Party, besides known arsenic PKK, which Turkey views arsenic a violent organization. 

Erdoğan has besides called connected Finland to publically wantonness the arms embargo it imposed connected Turkey successful 2019, aft it invaded bluish Syria. A measurement which Sweden — which had joined the embargo — took successful September. 

NATO decisions are made by consensus, which means each 30 confederation subordinate states indispensable o.k. the 2 Nordic nations joining. Turkey is the lone subordinate that has voiced absorption to their membership, portion Hungary is yet to ratify it.  

Swapping an American jailed for a insignificant drugs offense successful Russia for 1 of the world’s astir notorious arms traffickers known arsenic “The Merchant of Death” mightiness look similar a lopsided woody that could substance unsafe nationalist information precedents.

But President Joe Biden’s decision to exchange WNBA prima Brittney Griner for Viktor Bout goes beyond the exchange’s bottommost line. It represented a humane solution to a achy dilemma that came aft tortuous talks with a Russian authorities that treats radical arsenic geopolitical pawns each day.

In that sense, the Biden medication demonstrated the gulf betwixt its motivation grounding and that of Russian President Vladimir Putin who is presently demonstrating his inhumanity connected different front, with a fearsome battle connected Ukrainian civilians.

But the tragic counterpoint to this diplomatic triumph — Biden’s nonaccomplishment to besides secure the merchandise of Paul Whelan, different American incarcerated successful a Russian penal colony — underscored the unforgiving motivation conundrum helium faced. And it prompted apical Republicans to complaint that helium had prioritized a hoops superstar implicit an ex-marine who benefited from a vocal governmental unit run connected Biden.

Read the afloat investigation here.