Ukraine war live updates: Helicopter crash kills top Ukrainian officials; Zelenskyy launches investigation into 'terrible tragedy' - CNBC

Flags from Russia and Belarus were banned from the tract of the Australian Open after much than 1 was brought into the stands by spectators connected Day 1 of the year's archetypal Grand Slam tournament.

Normally, flags tin beryllium displayed during matches astatine Melbourne Park. But Tennis Australia reversed that argumentation for the two countries progressive successful the penetration of Ukraine that began astir a twelvemonth ago.

Athletes from Russia and Belarus were barred from competing astatine Wimbledon and squad events specified arsenic the Billie Jean King Cup and Davis Cup past twelvemonth due to the fact that of the warfare successful Ukraine.

— Associated Press

Mayor of Dnipro Borys Filatov said the decease toll from a Russian rocket onslaught connected a residential gathering has risen to 45 people.

Filatov said that astatine slightest 17 radical stay missing successful Dnipro and 12 bodies person not been identified, according to an NBC News translation. Another 25 radical are recovering successful the hospital.

— Amanda Macias

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for announcing a caller information bundle for his country, which includes armored unit carriers.

"Today the Ukrainian service needs 200 Senator APCs much than ever. Together we are moving towards victory," Zelenskyy wrote successful a tweet.

Canadian Defense Minister Anita Anand met with Ukrainian officials successful Kyiv and said that Ottawa would bargain a U.S. aerial defence strategy and donate it to Ukraine.

— Amanda Macias

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday that triumph successful the warfare successful Ukraine was "inevitable" portion NATO's Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Putin indispensable recognize helium cannot triumph connected the battlefield.

Speaking to workers astatine a weapons mill successful St. Petersburg, Putin said "victory is assured, I person nary uncertainty astir it," state quality bureau Tass reported. Putin made the comments connected the aforesaid time connected which helium commemorated the 80th day of Soviet forces breaking the Nazi siege of Leningrad (modern-day St. Petersburg, Putin's hometown).

Meanwhile, NATO's Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg commented Wednesday that we person reached a "pivotal moment" successful the war.

"President Putin has shown nary motion of preparing for bid and truthful helium indispensable recognize helium cannot triumph connected battlefield. This is simply a pivotal infinitesimal successful the warfare and the request for a important summation successful enactment for Ukraine," Stoltenberg told Reuters successful an interrogation connected the sidelines of the World Economic Forum successful Davos.

"If we privation a negotiated peaceful solution time we request to supply much weapons today."

— Holly Ellyatt

International Energy Agency Executive Director Fatih Birol believes Russia volition suffer its vigor warfare with the West.

"Russia volition look large difficulties some for lipid and state exports and, successful my view, erstwhile we look astatine the adjacent mates of quarters and years, Russia volition suffer the vigor battle," Birol told CNBC's Joumanna Bercetche astatine the World Economic Forum successful Davos, Switzerland.

His comments travel soon aft an autarkic study showed that revenues from Russia's fossil substance exports collapsed successful December, importantly hampering President Vladimir Putin's quality to concern the warfare successful Ukraine.

Read the afloat communicative here.

— Sam Meredith

Ukraine's National Police released footage showing the aftermath of a chopper clang successful Brovary, connected the outskirts of Kyiv.

At slightest 17 radical were killed successful the incident, including Ukraine's interior curate and 2 of his colleagues arsenic good arsenic the six others successful the chopper and 4 children.

The incidental took spot adjacent a kindergarten and wrong a residential area. An probe into the origin has started. The footage beneath shows the demolition caused by the clang that immoderate viewers mightiness find distressing.

The decease toll successful the chopper clang that killed Ukraine's interior curate and 2 of his colleagues has been revised down to 17 people, according to the latest update from the country's exigency service.

— Holly Ellyatt

The elder officials of the Ukraine's Interior Ministry who died this greeting successful a chopper clang were connected their mode to the beforehand line, Kyrylo Tymoshenko, lawman caput of the statesmanlike administration, said successful a briefing Wednesday.

"The intent [of the flight] was to marque a moving sojourn to 1 of the blistery spots successful our country. The Minister of Internal Affairs was heading there," lawman caput of the President's Office, Kyrylo Tymoshenko, said astatine a briefing successful comments reported by quality bureau Ukrinform.

Interior Minister Denys Monastyrskyi, First Deputy Minister Yevheniy Yenin, and State Secretary of the Interior Ministry Yuriy Lubkovych were killed successful the crash. Nine radical were connected committee the chopper and each perished successful the clang adjacent a kindergarten and a residential gathering successful Brovary connected the outskirts of Kyiv.

— Holly Ellyatt

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has commented connected the heliptor clang extracurricular Kyiv that killed respective of his colleagues successful the Interior Ministry connected Wednesday.

"Today, a unspeakable calamity occurred successful Brovary, Kyiv region. A SES [State Emergency Service] chopper crashed, and a occurrence broke retired astatine the clang site," Zelenskyy posted connected Telegram.

"I person instructed the Security Service of Ukraine, successful practice with the National Police of Ukraine and different authorized bodies, to find retired each the circumstances of what happened."

He said the nonstop fig of victims of the calamity is presently being established. The caput of Kyiv's determination subject medication said earlier that determination were 18 known victims, including 3 children.

Zelenskyy confirmed that officials from the Interior Ministry were connected committee arsenic helium sent his condolences to the victims of the crash.

"Among them [the victims] are Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine Denys Monastyrskyi, his archetypal lawman Yevhen Yenin, State Secretary of the Ministry of Internal Affairs Yuri Lubkovych, their assistants and the chopper crew." 

"25 radical were injured, including 10 children. As of this minute, 3 children died. The symptom is unspeakable. The chopper fell connected the territory of 1 of the kindergartens," helium said, successful comments translated by NBC.

"All services are moving connected the country of the tragedy," helium added.

— Holly Ellyatt

Tributes to the victims of a chopper clang adjacent Kyiv that killed Ukraine's interior curate and 17 different people, including 3 children, are pouring in, with officials expressing their daze astatine the incident.

U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget A. Brink tweeted Wednesday that she was "shocked and saddened by the unspeakable quality from Brovary," wherever the clang happened this morning.

All 9 radical connected committee the helicopter, which belonged to Ukraine's authorities exigency service, were killed successful the crash, according to the nationalist constabulary main Ihor Klymenko.

Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro said his colleagues who had died successful the crash, Interior Minister Denys Monastyrskyi and First Deputy Minister Yevhenii Yenin, were "true Ukrainian patriots."

The chopper came down adjacent a kindergarten and residential gathering with Oleksiy Kuleba, the caput of Kyiv's determination subject administration, stating that 29 radical are known to person been wounded successful the incident, including 15 children. 

Ukraine's First Lady Olena Zelenska looked visibly upset arsenic she attended the World Economic Forum connected Wednesday morning. She and different Ukrainian officials observed a one-minute soundlessness arsenic they attended a gathering successful Davos.

The origin of the clang is chartless and volition beryllium investigated, officials said.

— Holly Ellyatt

Tributes to the victims person begun with an advisor to 1 of the victims, Interior Minister Denys Monastyrskyi, posting his condolences connected Twitter.

"Minister of Internal Affairs Denys Monastyrskyi, his 1st lawman Yevhen Yenin and Ministry's authorities caput Yurii Lubkovych died contiguous successful Kyiv region," Anton Gerashchenko, an advisor to Interior Minister Monastyrskyi said connected Twitter.

"My colleagues, my friends. What a tragic loss. Deepest condolences to their families."

The chopper belonged to Ukraine's authorities exigency service, according to the nationalist constabulary main Ihor Klymenko.

— Holly Ellyatt

The enactment of Ukraine's Interior Ministry are reported to person died successful a chopper clang successful the municipality of Brovary adjacent Kyiv, connected Wednesday.

"This morning, connected January 18, a chopper of the State Emergency Service crashed successful Brovary.  As a effect of the crash, the enactment of the Ministry of Internal Affairs died: the minister, the archetypal lawman curate and the authorities secretary," the caput of the National Police of Ukraine Ihor Klymenko said connected Facebook.

The chopper reportedly fell adjacent a kindergarten and a residential gathering successful the town, with Klymenko saying that 16 radical are known to person died, including 2 children. Nine of the fatalities were connected committee the helicopter.

Twenty-two victims are successful hospital, including 10 children, Klymenko said.

"All specialized and specialized services enactment connected site.  The inspection of the country is ongoing."

— Holly Ellyatt

Russian President Vladimir Putin could beryllium acceptable to denote different circular of mobilization arsenic Russia looks to beef up its equipped forces successful Ukraine.

"Putin whitethorn denote a 2nd mobilization question to grow his service successful the coming days — perchance arsenic aboriginal arsenic January 18," analysts astatine the Institute for the Study of War said Tuesday.

The analysts noted that Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov announced connected Tuesday that Putin volition present a code successful St. Petersburg (Putin's hometown) contiguous successful commemoration of the 80th day of Soviet forces breaking the Nazi siege of Leningrad.

"Putin is fond of utilizing symbolic dates to code the Russian people, and immoderate Russian pro-war milbloggers noted that helium volition prehend this accidental to either state mobilization oregon warfare with Ukraine," the ISW analysts said successful their regular investigation of the Ukraine war.

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Former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger connected Tuesday said Russia indispensable beryllium fixed the accidental to 1 time rejoin the planetary strategy pursuing immoderate bid woody successful Ukraine and dialog with the state indispensable beryllium ongoing.

"This whitethorn look precise hollow to nations that person been nether Russian unit for overmuch of the Cold War period," Kissinger told the World Economic Forum successful Davos, Switzerland, via video link.

However, helium said it was important to debar an escalation of struggle betwixt Russia and the West arsenic a effect of it feeling the warfare had go "against Russia itself."

This, helium said "may origin Russia to reevaluate its historical position, which was an amalgam of an attraction to the civilization of Europe and a fearfulness of domination by Europe."

"The demolition of Russia arsenic a authorities that tin prosecute its ain policies volition unfastened up the immense country of its 11 clip zones to interior struggle and to extracurricular involution astatine the clip erstwhile determination are 15,000 and much atomic weapons connected its territory."

Kissinger besides said helium believed Ukrainian rank successful NATO would beryllium an "appropriate outcome" 1 day, having antecedently caused a contention by suggesting that the state should beryllium prepared to cede territory to Russia successful bid to execute peace.

Kissinger said Tuesday that the U.S. should proceed to supply subject enactment and if indispensable intensify that enactment until a cease-fire enactment is reached oregon accepted successful preliminary discussions. He besides expressed admiration for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the "heroic behaviour of the Ukrainian people."

— Jenni Reid

U.S. President Joe Biden spoke with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz astir ways to assistance Ukraine, according to a White House readout of the call.

— Amanda Macias

Sanctions against Russia person not brought the country's system to its knees oregon ended the warfare truthful should stop, Péter Szijjártó, Hungary's curate for overseas affairs, told CNBC.

Read much connected this communicative here

Ukraine Minister of Agriculture Mykola Solskyi said that a large stock of the country's maize harvest is unharvested arsenic Russia's warfare disrupts cultivation work.

Solskyi said that the maize that remains connected the stalk volition deteriorate up until harvest, according to an NBC News translation.

He added that astir 85% of the country's maize has been harvested truthful far.

— Amanda Macias

The White House called Russia's bombing of a rocket onslaught connected a residential gathering successful the Ukrainian metropolis of Dnipro "brutal and barbaric," and a usurpation of planetary humanitarian law.

"We volition proceed our enactment to clasp Russian forces accountable," White House property caput Karine Jean Pierre said of the attack, which killed astatine slightest 40 radical and wounded galore more.

Pentagon spokesperson U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder besides condemned the attack, but declined to accidental whether the rocket that deed the residential gathering was a hypersonic weapon.

— Amanda Macias

Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin says that if Russia were to triumph the warfare successful Ukraine, it should nonstop the connection that invading different state leads to gains of onshore oregon earthy resources.

She says Europe and different Western democracies should nonstop Putin the connection that "we volition enactment arsenic agelong arsenic needed — 5 years, 10 years, 15 years, immoderate it takes — we volition enactment Ukraine, and this volition not stop."

Speaking astatine the World Economic Forum gathering successful Davos, Switzerland, Marin added, "it's for Ukrainians to determine erstwhile they are acceptable to negociate erstwhile they are acceptable to marque immoderate bid agreement."

She says "the communicative mightiness person been precise different" if Western allies had acted stronger erstwhile Russia illegally annexed Ukraine's Crimea peninsula successful 2014. The European Union subordinate that shares a agelong borderline with Russia is seeking NATO membership.

Marin says Finland believed it was champion to enactment retired of the confederation for its ain information but past it saw "Russia is attacking different neighbour and we cannot trust connected that relations anymore, truthful we person to question concern elsewhere."

All 30 NATO states indispensable o.k. Finland and Sweden joining the Western subject alliance, with just Turkey and Hungary yet to motion on. Turkey is demanding the Nordic countries tighten counterterrorism measures.

— Associated Press

A erstwhile commandant of Russia's Wagner mercenary radical who fought successful Ukraine said helium has fled to Norway and is seeking asylum successful fearfulness for his beingness aft witnessing the sidesplitting and mistreatment of Russian prisoners brought to the frontline.

Andrei Medvedev, who joined the radical connected July 6, 2022, connected a four-month contract, said successful a video posted by the Gulagu.net rights radical that helium had crossed the borderline into Norway earlier being detained by Norwegian police.

Medvedev, an orphan who joined the Russian service and served clip successful situation earlier joining Wagner, said helium had slipped distant from the radical aft witnessing the sidesplitting of captured deserters from Wagner.

"I americium acrophobic of dying successful agony," Medvedev told Vladimir Osechkin, laminitis of the Gulagu.net rights group, which said it had helped Medvedev permission Russia aft helium approached the radical successful fearfulness for his life.

He said helium crossed the border, climbing done barbed-wire fences and evading a borderline patrol with dogs, and heard guards firing shots arsenic helium ran done a wood and implicit bladed and breaking crystal into Norway.

Norwegian constabulary said a overseas national had been arrested connected the nighttime of Thursday to Friday aft illegally crossing the Russian-Norwegian borderline successful the Arctic and was seeking asylum.

His Norwegian lawyer said Medvedev was present successful the "Oslo area" but did not springiness details.

"What is important for him (Medvedev) is that migration authorities clarify his presumption arsenic soon arsenic possible," lawyer Brynjulf Risnes told Reuters.

Medvedev had not yet talked with Norwegian information constabulary and nary statement for an interrogation had been made, Risnes said. "I americium definite that volition beryllium a question astatine immoderate point," said Risnes, who declined to accidental wherever Medvedev was warring successful Ukraine.

"He says helium has taken portion successful battle, which helium says were wide conflict situations ... and that helium has not been successful interaction with civilians," said Risnes.

— Reuters

Ukraine's allies request to use much unit connected Russia done sanctions, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda told CNBC astatine the World Economic Forum successful Davos.

"Sanctions person immoderate interaction connected the Russian economy. Sometimes our expectations are higher than [the] existent effect but it does not mean that sanctions are not effective. They are effectual but with a definite clip lag," Nausėda told Joumanna Bercetche.

"Of people the occurrence of Ukraine's equipped forces successful the battlefield are conscionable critically important," Nausėda said, calling for the proviso of amended aerial defence systems and tanks to the country.

He besides discussed the trouble of Ukraine getting NATO rank successful the near-term owed to the ongoing struggle and the request for the confederation to find "guarantees" for the state without membership; and Lithuania's committedness to strengthening its ain equipped forces and expanding subject walk to 3% of GDP.

— Jenni Reid