Ukraine war live updates: Latest news on Russia and the Ukraine war - CNBC

Pope Francis broke down and cried arsenic helium mentioned the suffering of Ukrainians during a accepted supplication successful cardinal Rome.

The pope's dependable began to tremble arsenic helium mentioned the Ukrainians and helium had to stop, incapable to speak, for astir 30 seconds. When helium resumed the prayer, his dependable was cracking.

The crowd, including Rome Mayor Roberto Gualtieri who was close adjacent to the pope, applauded erstwhile they realized helium was incapable to speech and saw him crying.

Francis broke down during a accepted supplication to the Madonna astatine the ft of a statue connected the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, a nationalist vacation successful Italy.

"Immaculate Virgin, contiguous I would person wanted to bring you the acknowledgment of the Ukrainian radical (for peace)," helium said earlier being overwhelmed by emotion and having to stop.

When helium was capable to, helium continued: "Instead, erstwhile again I person to bring you the pleas of children, of the elderly, of fathers and mothers, of the young radical of that martyred land, which is suffering truthful much."

— Reuters

Finland's defence curate Antti Kaikkonen said the sooner Turkey ratifies its NATO rank bid the amended and it would see granting arms export permits to Turkey connected a lawsuit by lawsuit basis.

In an interrogation with Reuters aft gathering his Turkish counterpart Hulusi Akar successful Ankara, Kaikkonen said helium could not foresee a timetable for Turkey's ratification of his country's NATO rank application.

A starring Turkish person from Turkey's ruling AK enactment said nevertheless the velocity of ratification laic successful Finland and Sweden's hands and however swiftly they met Turkey's requests.

The Nordic countries some asked to articulation NATO this twelvemonth successful the aftermath of Russia's penetration of Ukraine, but longtime subordinate Turkey refused to endorse their petition until a fig of demands were met, including taking a tougher stance against Kurdish militants and removing a prohibition connected arms sales.

— Reuters

The Biden medication said it volition support moving to merchandise Paul Whelan from detention successful Russia, portion insisting that the woody to escaped WNBA prima Brittney Griner was not an either-or prime betwixt her and Whelan.

"They person acceptable up a abstracted acceptable of expectations for Mr. Whelan," National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said connected MSNBC's "Andrea Mitchell Reports."

The Kremlin has held Whelan, a erstwhile U.S. Marine, since 2018, connected espionage charges. He and the U.S. contradict the charges.

The woody to escaped Griner successful speech for an infamous Russian arms trader was "the lone woody we could get and present was the lone infinitesimal we could get it, truthful we took vantage of that," Kirby said.

"We're going to enactment focused connected Mr. Whelan," helium said, adding that it was not "some prime betwixt the two."

"There was lone 1 mode to get 1 American home," Kirby said.

He noted that the U.S. is successful interaction with Whelan and his family, and said that the negotiations implicit American prisoners successful Russia are abstracted from the warfare successful Ukraine.

U.S. officials volition proceed to prosecute with Russia astir Whelan "for arsenic agelong arsenic they person to until we get a palmy outcome," Kirby said.

— Kevin Breuninger

After its searches of beatified sites belonging to Ukraine's historical Orthodox church, the nation's information bureau posted photos of grounds it recovered — including rubles, Russian passports and leaflets with messages from the Moscow patriarch.

Supporters and detractors of the religion statement whether specified items are innocuous — oregon summation suspicions the religion is simply a nest of pro-Russian propaganda and intelligence-gathering.

What's unambiguous are different photos shared by the agency, known arsenic the SBU, posted arsenic precocious arsenic Wednesday — immoderate showing an equipped Ukrainian serviceman lasting extracurricular a religion building, others showing brawny, camouflaged officers questioning clerics successful agelong beards and cassocks.

They exemplify the accrued unit the Ukrainian authorities is putting connected the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, with its centuries-old ties to Moscow, arsenic the brutal Russian penetration slogs into the 10th period of a warfare that has had spiritual dimensions from the start.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy connected Friday announced measures chiefly targeting the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which is 1 of 2 large Orthodox churches successful Ukraine pursuing a 2019 schism. Even though the UOC declared independency from Moscow successful May, specified a declaration is easier spoken than accomplished amid the complexities of Eastern Orthodox Christianity. Besides, galore Ukrainians don't judge it's truly escaped from Moscow.

— Associated Press

WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said that months of interest astir Brittney Griner were transformed into a "collective question of joyousness and relief" upon the quality of her release.

Griner is recognized arsenic 1 of the champion hoops players successful the world, having won 2 Olympic golden medals, a WNBA title and an NCAA championship.

She has been absent from nonrecreational play since she was detained successful Feb. 2022 by Russian customs officials and accused of smuggling drugs.

— Christina Wilkie

The member of Paul Whelan, a erstwhile U.S. Marine detained successful Russia, said the Biden medication made the "right decision" successful securing the merchandise of WNBA prima Brittney Griner.

The U.S. earlier this twelvemonth offered a captive speech of Griner and Whelan successful instrumentality for Russian arms trader Viktor Bout, who was serving a situation condemnation successful the U.S. Moscow rejected the offer.

The Biden medication yet exchanged lone Griner for Bout.

"The Biden Administration made the close determination to bring Ms. Griner home, and to marque the woody that was possible, alternatively than waiting for 1 that wasn't going to happen," Whelan's member David Whelan said successful a statement, according to Fox 2 Detroit.

David Whelan noted that Griner's and his brother's cases "were ne'er truly intertwined."

— Jacob Pramuk

In a connection hailing American Brittney Griner's merchandise from Russian detention, Secretary of State Antony Blinken sounded a enactment of remorse implicit the Biden administration's nonaccomplishment truthful acold to unafraid the merchandise of erstwhile U.S. Marine Paul Whelan.

"While we observe Brittney's release, Paul Whelan and his household proceed to endure needlessly," Blinken said successful a statement.

"I wholeheartedly privation we could person brought Paul location contiguous connected the aforesaid level with Brittney. Nevertheless, we volition not relent successful our efforts to bring Paul and each different U.S. nationals held hostage oregon wrongfully detained overseas location to their loved ones wherever they belong," said Blinken

Whelan was arrested successful 2018 connected charges of acting arsenic a spy for the United States and sentenced to 25 years successful prison.

In July of this year, the Biden medication offered to swap convicted arms trader Viktor Bout successful speech for some Griner and Whelan. Moscow refused.

Ultimately, Bout was released successful speech for conscionable Griner.

— Christina Wilkie

Here's what Russia's Foreign Ministry has enactment retired arsenic a connection connected the merchandise of Brittney Griner, and the woody that saw Russian arms trader Viktor Bout exchanged for the U.S. hoops star.

— Holly Ellyatt

U.S. hoops prima Brittney Griner has been released from Russian custody successful a high-profile captive swap.

Griner, who was fixed a nine-year condemnation for cause possession successful August, has spent the past period spent successful 1 of Russia's notoriously harsh penal colonies. She was traded for Russian arms trader Viktor Bout who was 11 years into a 25-year sentence.

President Joe Biden signed disconnected connected the exchange, which reportedly took spot successful the UAE. However, the swap did not see businessman Paul Whelan, the different American wrongfully detained successful Russia. Whelan is serving a 16-year condemnation connected spying charges that helium and the U.S. deny.

Biden tweeted Thursday that Griner was already connected a level location to the States, saying, "moments agone I spoke to Brittney Griner. She is safe. She is connected a plane. She is connected her mode home."

— Holly Ellyatt

Ukraine's authorities atomic agency, Energoatom, claimed Thursday that Russia is readying "another provocation" adjacent the Zaporizhzhia atomic powerfulness works its forces inhabit successful confederate Ukraine.

Energoatom said connected Telegram that Russian forces "stationed respective Grad aggregate rocket launchers connected the territory of the captured Zaporizhzhia atomic powerfulness plant," oregon ZNPP, connected Wednesday.

 "The invaders placed this limb adjacent powerfulness portion No. 6, close adjacent to the territory of the station's adust retention of spent atomic fuel, wherever they had antecedently built immoderate 'defensive structures', successful usurpation of each the requirements of atomic and radiation safety," the bureau said.

Energoatom added that "most likely, the provocation is being prepared," noting that Russia could beryllium readying to ammunition the other slope of the Dnieper River, successful peculiar the Nikopol and Marhanets bridges, "using these Grad launchers straight from the ZNPP site."

The Zaporizhzhia NPP has been the root of changeless hostility betwixt Russia and Ukraine during the war, and a root of interest for planetary atomic vigor experts who person called connected some sides to desist from shelling adjacent the plant, fearing a atomic catastrophe. Power to the works has repeatedly been knocked out, meaning it has to edifice to utilizing diesel generators to powerfulness captious cooling functions.

Ukraine and Russia impeach each different of shelling the site. Energoatom and planetary experts person called for the instauration of a information portion wrong and astir the presumption "for its implicit demilitarization and deoccupation."

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova refused to remark earlier Thursday erstwhile asked astir the imaginable mounting up of a information portion astatine the powerfulness works but claimed the "Russian broadside continues to work" connected the idea, news bureau Tass reported.

— Holly Ellyatt

The Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) has detained a joined mates suspected of spying for Russia successful the Black Sea metropolis of Odesa, 1 of Ukraine's largest ports.

An SBU connection issued connected Thursday did not sanction the mates but accused them of collecting quality for Russia connected locations for imaginable subject deployments and the question of aerial defence units.

It said the mates were believed to beryllium Russian subject quality officers who had planned to make a web of agents successful confederate Ukraine.

SBU officers recovered mobile phones and machine instrumentality with grounds of "hidden correspondence with the aggressor", it said.

"The SBU detained some spies erstwhile they attempted to transportation classified accusation to Russia," the SBU said.

The mates could not beryllium reached for comment.

Odesa has often travel nether occurrence since Russia invaded Ukraine successful February but it remains nether Ukrainian control.

The SBU said some the antheral and pistillate detained had arrived successful Ukraine successful 2018 and received residence permits, and that the antheral had served successful the Russian army.

It said the detainees had sent the accusation they collected to a erstwhile Russian peculiar forces serviceman successful Crimea who cooperated with subject intelligence. The Crimea peninsula was seized by Russia successful 2014.

The SBU besides published a bid of photos of the couple's arrest, the subject documents of the detained antheral showing his subject fertile arsenic colonel, arsenic good arsenic Russian passports of the detainees.

— Reuters

Emergency powerfulness shutdowns person been implemented successful Ukraine connected Thursday arsenic the nationalist powerfulness relation struggles pursuing repeated Russian bombardment connected the country's vigor network.

"As of 11:00 a.m. connected December 8, due to the fact that of harm caused by rocket strikes to powerfulness plants and the high-voltage network, the strategy has a important shortage of electricity," grid relation Ukrenergo said connected Telegram.

Consumption limits had already been exceeded successful respective regions and exigency shutdowns were applied this morning, Ukrenergo said. Earlier this week, Russia launched a caller question of rocket attacks erstwhile again targeted astatine its vigor infrastructure, a determination designed to adhd inflict much hardship and discomfort connected Ukrainian radical arsenic freezing temperatures acceptable in.

"The concern is analyzable by upwind conditions: successful galore regions successful the westbound of the country, frost, rainfall with snowfall and beardown gusts of upwind origin icing of wires and their damage," the institution said.

Eastern Ukraine, wherever warring is astatine its astir intense, is facing the astir hard concern aft Russian forces "subjected respective districts to monolithic artillery shelling." 

"Where the concern allows, an introspection of the authorities of the powerfulness grid is carried out. After receiving support from the military, repair enactment volition begin," Ukrenego said. Emergency repair enactment continued astir the timepiece successful the regions of Kyiv and Odesa, it said.

— Holly Ellyatt

The Kremlin claimed the warfare successful Ukraine could extremity instantly if Kyiv has the governmental volition to bash so.

"Zelensky knows erstwhile each this tin end, it tin each extremity time if [Kyiv] wishes," Russian Presidential Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov told reporters Thursday.

Ukraine has said it volition nary behaviour cease-fire operations with Russian portion Russian troops stay connected its territory and portion President Vladimir Putin is successful power.

— Holly Ellyatt

Russia's fleet changeable down a Ukrainian drone implicit the Black Sea, the Russian-installed politician of Sevastopol, the largest metropolis successful the annexed Crimean peninsular, said connected Thursday.

"This morning, a vessel of the Black Sea Fleet changeable down a UAV implicit the sea," Sevastopol Governor Mikhail Razvozhaev said connected Telegram.

Reuters was incapable to instantly verify battlefield reports from either side.

— Reuters

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Wednesday nighttime that aggravated warring continues successful the country astir Bakhmut successful Donetsk. 

"First of all, regarding the Donetsk region, Bakhmut districts and different hottest spots. A precise fierce confrontation is ongoing there, each metre counts. I convey each our guys who destruct the force close determination – each day, each night, each hour," Zelenskyy posted connected Telegram Wednesday aft gathering with the military's leadership. On Tuesday, Zelenskyy visited troops connected the beforehand enactment successful Donetsk.

He said warring successful the neighboring Luhansk region, arsenic good arsenic the northeastern Kharkiv region, was discussed, arsenic good arsenic the acute situation Ukraine's vigor strategy faces.

"We are perpetually expanding the procreation and proviso of energy – we are adding much measurement astir each day," Zelenskyy said, though the country's equipped forces warned Thursday that "the menace of Russian rocket attacks connected Ukraine's vigor strategy and captious infrastructure remains."

The General Staff of Ukraine's equipped forces noted on Facebook that portion different regions successful Ukraine are coming nether attack, Russian forces proceed to ore their assaults connected Donetsk and Luhansk successful eastbound Ukraine.

"Over the past 24 hours, units of the defence forces person repelled attacks by Russian invaders extracurricular the settlements of Ternova, Kharkiv Region; Stelmakhivka, Ploshchanka, Chervonopopivka and Bilohorivka, Luhansk region, and Bilohorivka, Berestove, Yakovlivka, Bakhmutske, Bakhmut, Opytne, Kurdiumivka, Maiorsk, Marinka, and Novomykhailivka, Donetsk region," the study said.

Russia launched 7 rocket strikes and 16 airstrikes, arsenic good arsenic much than 40 attacks utilizing aggregate motorboat rocket systems, the subject update noted. CNBC was incapable to instantly verify the information.

— Holly Ellyatt

Kyiv's politician connected Wednesday warned of an "apocalypse" script for the Ukrainian superior this wintertime if Russian aerial strikes connected infrastructure proceed and said though determination was nary request for radical to evacuate now, they should beryllium acceptable to bash so.

"Kyiv mightiness suffer power, water, and vigor supply. The apocalypse mightiness happen, similar successful Hollywood films, erstwhile it's not imaginable to unrecorded successful homes considering the debased temperature," Mayor Vitali Klitschko told Reuters successful an interview.

"But we are warring and doing everything we tin to marque definite that this does not happen," the erstwhile satellite heavyweight boxing champion said, raising his booming dependable to thrust the constituent home.

According to Klitschko, 152 civilian residents of Kyiv person been killed and 678 buildings destroyed since the opening of Russia's penetration connected Feb. 24, but the metropolis faces caller tribulations this wintertime arsenic Russia regularly pounds Ukraine's powerfulness grid with missiles.

— Reuters

The European Union projected question bans and plus freezes connected astir 200 much Russian officials and subject officers arsenic portion of a caller circular of sanctions aimed astatine ramping up unit connected Moscow implicit its warfare successful Ukraine.

The proposals were made by the EU's enforcement branch, the European Commission. They indispensable inactive beryllium debated and endorsed by the 27 subordinate countries, a process that routinely results successful the commission's suggestions getting watered down.

The targets of the latest recommended sanctions see authorities ministers, lawmakers, determination governors and governmental parties.

"This database covers cardinal figures successful Russia's brutal and deliberate rocket strikes against civilians, successful the kidnapping of Ukrainian children to Russia, and successful the theft of Ukrainian cultivation products," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said successful a statement.

With a caller raft of sanctions, the committee besides intends to people the Russian defence manufacture and much Russian banks, and to enforce export controls and restrictions connected products similar chemicals, nervus agents, electronics and IT components that could beryllium utilized by the equipped forces.

— Associated Press

Russian President Vladimir Putin said his penetration of Ukraine could beryllium "lengthy," arsenic the brutal struggle drags into its 10th month.

As Russia struggles to clasp crushed it gained this twelvemonth successful Ukraine, Putin downplayed the request to mobilize much troops. Considering different circular of conscription "simply does not marque sense," Putin said, according to an NBC News translation of his remarks astatine a gathering of his quality rights council.

Of the 300,000 reservists called up during Putin's partial mobilization earlier this year, 150,000 are present successful Ukraine, the Russian president said.

He added that "there is nary wide withdrawal" from Russian positions successful Ukraine.

— Jacob Pramuk