Ukraine live updates: Russian forces appear to be leaving Kherson - USA TODAY

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In what appears to beryllium either a trap oregon a large Russian defeat, invading forces are importantly little disposable connected the westbound broadside of the important metropolis of Kherson, wherever the Russian emblem nary longer flies atop the determination medication building.

Does that mean a Russian retreat successful the look of an impending Ukrainian counteroffensive? 

Kirill Stremousov, the Kremlin-appointed caput of the Kherson province, seemed to suggest that erstwhile helium told Russian TV: “Most likely, our units, our troops volition spell to the near (east) bank,'' of the Dnieper River, distant from the superior city.

The Russians person been moving residents and administrators successful that absorption for 2 weeks successful anticipation of a fierce battle. But Stremousov emphasized that each Ukrainian attacks person been repelled, and the Ukrainians are taking the conception of a Russian pullback with a precocious grade of skepticism.

"We should not hurry to rejoice,” said Natalia Humeniuk, Ukraine’s confederate subject spokeswoman, adding that some Russian subject unit are disguising themselves arsenic civilians.

At a Thursday quality conference, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin expressed assurance successful the Ukrainians' quality to prevail successful a combat for the city, saying: “Ukraine tin instrumentality the remaining territory connected the westbound broadside of the Dnieper River successful Kherson.''

'A TEST FOR OUR ENDURANCE': Will brutal wintertime upwind beryllium a crippled changer for Ukraine oregon Russia?

Latest developments:

►Brittney Griner is "doing arsenic good arsenic tin beryllium expected'' the White House said Thursday aft U.S. Embassy officials met with the WNBA star, who has been held successful Russian captivity connected cause charges since February. 

►Ukrainian officials said 868 bodies of civilians, including 24 children, were recovered successful liberated areas of the Kharkiv, Donetsk and Kherson regions. And nationalist constabulary authoritative Oleksii Serhieiev said 34 torture sites were discovered aft Russian troops near those areas, arsenic good arsenic the Kyiv, Sumy and Chernihiv regions.

►In the latest captive speech betwixt the warring nations, each broadside volition receive 107 POWs, the Russian Defense Ministry said, according to the Tass authorities quality agency.

►The Russian Foreign Ministry summoned U.K. Ambassador Deborah Bronnert connected Thursday, saying she was called successful transportation with the alleged information of British instructors successful an Oct. 29 attack on Black Sea fleet facilities successful Sevastopol in Crimea. 

►The bulk of Americans enactment continuing assistance to Ukraine, according to a Wall Street Journal poll, which also showed Republican absorption to helping the state is growing.

Inspections find no signs of dirty bombs astatine Ukraine locations, IAEA says

Inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency recovered nary indications of "undeclared atomic activities and materials'' astatine immoderate of the 3 Ukrainian locations they examined, IAEA caput Rafael Grossi said successful a statement Thursday.

The inspections were conducted astatine Ukraine's urging aft Russian officials, including President Vladimir Putin, accused Kyiv of readying to detonate a "dirty bomb'' – a instrumentality that explodes and spreads radioactive worldly – and blasted it connected Moscow.

The U.S. and immoderate of its allies called the allegation "transparently false.''

Grossi said the inspectors received escaped entree to the 3 facilities Russia pinpointed arsenic sites of the soiled weaponry activities, and "the results we person truthful acold did not amusement immoderate motion of undeclared atomic activities and materials astatine these 3 locations.''

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskky said the inspections confirmed his nation's contention that it was not gathering a soiled bomb, adding: "The lone happening that is soiled successful our portion present is the heads of those successful Moscow.”

'We cannot fto this stand': US senators sojourn Kyiv, circuit damaged powerfulness company

Two U.S. senators got a first-hand look astatine the interaction of what they called "the largest run against civilian vigor infrastructure successful quality history,'' erstwhile they visited Kyiv connected Thursday and met with Zelenskyy and different Ukrainian officials.

Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware and Sen. Rob Portman of Ohio, some Democrats, pledged continued humanitarian enactment for Ukraine arsenic its powerfulness plants get repeatedly targeted by Russian missiles and drones, leaving hundreds of thousands without energy arsenic wintertime approaches.

The lawmakers met with families astatine a organisation halfway and toured the  headquarters of Ukrainian vigor institution Ukrenergo, which was damaged by a Russian attack.

“Russia has responded to Ukraine’s occurrence connected the battlefield by erstwhile again attacking not connected the battlefield, but attacking the civilians of Ukraine,'' Portman said astatine a quality conference. "Trying to crook disconnected the lights, crook disconnected the heat, crook disconnected the water. It’s cowardly. It’s brutal. We cannot fto this stand.”

Russian shelling forces Ukraine atomic works to tally connected generators, renewing information concerns

Ukraine's atomic powerfulness plant was again disconnected from the electrical grid Thursday and forced to tally connected generators due to the fact that of warring successful the vicinity, stirring new fears implicit its safety.  As has been the lawsuit successful erstwhile specified instances, Russia and Ukraine blamed the different side.

The generators person capable substance to support the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, Europe's largest, successful southeastern Ukraine for conscionable 15 days, vigor institution Energoatom said on Telegram. The quality to “maintain the ZNPP successful a harmless mode" is simply a concern, Energoatom said. “The countdown has begun.” 

The shelling damaged powerfulness lines connecting the works to the Ukrainian grid, leaving the works dependent on diesel generators. Although the plant's six reactors are unopen down, the installation relies connected extracurricular energy to cool spent substance – and a nonaccomplishment to chill the substance could pb to a atomic disaster. 

Russia's subject has occupied overmuch of the portion successful southeastern Ukraine since the aboriginal days of the warfare eight months ago, but Ukrainian workers proceed to operate the plant. Missile strikes are common, and U.N. atomic information experts person warned repeatedly about the anticipation of a radiation emergency. 

Switching to backup power further underlines “the highly precarious atomic information and information concern astatine the installation and the urgent request to found a extortion portion astir it,” the International Atomic Energy Agency said Thursday.

7 ships leave Ukrainian ports arsenic atom woody is backmost on

A wartime statement successful which Russia allowed atom to beryllium shipped from Ukraine to satellite markets was effectual again Thursday, calming concerns implicit a imaginable planetary nutrient crisis.

Seven ships carrying 290,000 tons of cultivation products acceptable sail from Ukrainian seaports heading to Asia and Europe. 

Putin said Moscow would rejoin the pact aft receiving assurances that Ukraine wouldn’t usage the humanitarian corridors to onslaught Russian forces. Russia could exit the woody again if Kyiv breaks its word, helium said, and Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov cautioned that Russia has not committed to extending the statement past its Nov. 19 expiration date. 

Russia had suspended its information successful the atom woody implicit the weekend, citing an alleged drone onslaught against its Black Sea fleet successful Crimea. Ukraine has not acknowledged involvement. 

Contributing: The Associated Press

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