This has been CNBC's live blog covering updates on the war in Ukraine. [Follow the latest updates here.]
Russia is facing the prospect of another raft of sanctions on prominent individuals and sectors of the economy after it oversaw a series of sham referendums in four Russian-occupied parts of Ukraine, and is expected to annex those regions imminently.
Condemned by Ukraine and its Western allies, the votes showed a resounding majority voted to join Russia, although the elections were widely seen as rigged and many irregular voting practices were reported.
The EU proposed an eighth package of sanctions on Russia yesterday in response to the referendums, and the U.S. said it will announce more sanctions "in the coming days." The U.K. has already announced 92 new sanctions as a result of the sham votes.
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It's widely expected that Russian President Vladimir Putin will announce Friday that the occupied regions are being annexed and becoming a part of the Russian Federation. There are widespread fears that Moscow could resort to using nuclear weapons to "defend" what it will then claim is its territory.
Meanwhile, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has warned Russian conscripts sent to fight in Ukraine that they should surrender if they want to survive.
"If you want to live, run. If you want to live, surrender. If you want to live, fight on your streets for your freedom. Everything was taken from you anyway," he said on Telegram, addressing the soldiers in Russian.
Money Report
'The U.S. does not, and will never, recognize' Russia's sham referenda, Blinken says
Secretary of State Antony Blinken slammed Russia's "attempt at a land grab in Ukraine" and said that the U.S. will never recognize the results of the Kremlin's "sham referenda."
"The results were orchestrated in Moscow and do not reflect the will of the people of Ukraine. The United States does not, and will never, recognize the legitimacy or outcome of these sham referenda or Russia's purported annexation of Ukrainian territory," Blinken wrote in a statement.
"This spectacle conducted by Russia's proxies is illegitimate and violates international law," he added.
Biden's top diplomat said that the U.S. will continue to "support Ukraine for as long as it takes."
The Kremlin has previously said that the results of the referendums held in four regions of Ukraine are legitimate.
— Amanda Macias
More than 238 vessels carrying agricultural products have left Ukrainian ports
The organization overseeing the export of agricultural products from Ukraine said that so far 238 vessels have left the besieged country since ports reopened.
The Joint Coordination Center, an initiative of Ukraine, Russia, the United Nations and Turkey, said the ships transported a total of 5.4 million metric tons of grain and other food products.
In July, three of Ukraine's ports were reopened to exports under a U.N.-backed deal
Read more about the Black Sea Grain Initiative here.
— Amanda Macias
More than 1.7 million Ukrainian children have received mental health services since the war began, U.N. says
The U.N. agency dedicated to observing the welfare of children said that it has administered mental health and psychosocial support services to more than 1.7 million children since Russia's war started earlier this year.
The United Nations Children's Fund, or UNICEF, said it's also working with the Ukrainian government on additional ways to support its children.
UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell wrote in a statement that life for Ukrainian children has been "dramatically compromised" during two years of the Covid-19 pandemic and Russia's war.
"Their physical and mental health is under enormous strain," Russell wrote.
— Amanda Macias
'It can still be stopped,' Zelenskyy says of Russian attempts to annex parts of Ukraine
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy slammed Russia's attempt to annex additional swaths of his country.
"Russia will not get new territory in Ukraine," Zelenskyy said in Russian in a nightly address on the Telegram messaging app. "It can still be stopped," he added.
"The price of one person in Russia wanting to continue this war will be that the entire Russian society will be left without a normal economy, without a decent life, and without respect for any human values," Zelenskyy said, according to an NBC News translation.
"In order to stop this, you have to stop the one in Russia who wants war more than life. Your life, citizens of Russia," Zelenskyy said without naming Russian President Vladimir Putin.
— Amanda Macias
U.N. urges Kremlin to immediately release those detained for protesting mobilization order
The U.N. reiterated its calls to release people detained in Russia for protesting President Vladimir Putin's mobilization order.
Ravina Shamdasani, a spokeswoman for the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, said that more than 2,300 people have been arrested in various parts of the county.
"It is unclear how many people remain in detention," wrote Shamdasani, adding that the U.N. calls for the immediate release of all those arrested for peaceful demonstrations of the mobilization order.
— Amanda Macias
UN says nearly 6,000 killed in Ukraine since start of war
The United Nations has confirmed 5,996 civilian deaths and 8,848 injuries in Ukraine since Russia invaded its ex-Soviet neighbor on Feb. 24.
The Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights said the death toll in Ukraine is likely higher, because the armed conflict can delay fatality reports.
The international organization said most of the civilian casualties recorded were caused by the use of explosive weapons with a wide impact area, including shelling from heavy artillery and multiple launch rocket systems, as well as missiles and airstrikes.
— Amanda Macias
At least 550 Ukrainian health-care facilities have been attacked since war started, WHO says
Since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, there have been at least 550 attacks on vital health services in the country, the World Health Organization's Surveillance System for Attacks on Health Care estimates.
The organization reports that health care facilities were damaged 469 times, ambulances were targeted in 75 cases and at least 144 attacks affected crucial medical supplies. The group also estimated that attacks on health services led to at least 100 deaths and 129 injuries.
The Kremlin has previously denied that it targets civilian infrastructure like hospitals, schools and apartment buildings.
— Amanda Macias
Only two NATO members have not yet ratified Sweden and Finland’s entry into the alliance
Only two NATO member countries have not yet signed ratification protocols for Finland and Sweden to join the military alliance.
Hungary and Turkey are the last holdouts in the 30-member alliance, which is moving to grant Sweden and Finland membership. Slovakia was the latest NATO ally to sign ratification documents on Sept. 27.
In May, the two Nordic nations began the formal process of applying to NATO as Russia's war in Ukraine raged on. All 30 members of the alliance have to individually ratify each new country's entry into the group.
U.S. President Joe Biden signed ratification documents in August, following a 95-1 Senate vote in favor of bringing Finland and Sweden into NATO.
— Amanda Macias
More than 7.5 million Ukrainians have become refugees from Russia's war, U.N. estimates
More than 7.5 million Ukrainians have become refugees and moved to neighboring countries since Russia invaded Ukraine in late February, the U.N. Refugee Agency estimates.
Nearly 4.2 million of those people have applied for temporary resident status in neighboring Western European countries, according to data collected by the agency.
"The escalation of conflict in Ukraine has caused civilian casualties and destruction of civilian infrastructure, forcing people to flee their homes seeking safety, protection and assistance," the U.N. Refugee Agency wrote.
— Amanda Macias
Russian exodus shows no signs of easing as Ukraine war looms over recruits
The flow of Russian men of fighting age looking to leave the country persisted amid fears the government would soon close its borders to stop those trying to evade President Vladimir Putin's draft.
The exit of military-age men began shortly after Putin ordered the mobilization of more troops last Wednesday to regain the upper hand in Ukraine.
But confusion over who will be called up and when has led to mass protests across the country, violence at draft offices, sold-out flights and chaotic scenes at border crossings.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said no decisions had been made on whether to seal the borders and introduce martial law, Tass reported.
Read the full story by NBC News.
— NBC NEWS
Zelenskyy calls for urgent meeting as Russia prepares to annex additional parts of Ukraine
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called for an urgent meeting tomorrow of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine.
"The agenda and other details will be announced later," Zelenskyy's spokesman Serhii Nikiforov wrote on Facebook.
The meeting comes as Moscow moves to annex four Russian-occupied regions of Ukraine.
— Amanda Macias
Spain says Nord Stream leaks likely the result of a deliberate act of provocation by Russia
Spanish Energy Minister Teresa Ribera says the Kremlin was likely responsible for the damage caused to the two underwater Nord Stream gas pipelines that sent gas spewing into the Baltic Sea.
"It was a deliberate act and in my opinion it can very likely be linked to the push for constant provocation by the Kremlin," Ribera told reporters, according to Reuters.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said earlier in the week that claims Russia was behind the suspected attack were "stupid."
— Sam Meredith
Finland to close border to Russian tourists from Friday
Finland is to close its border to Russian tourists from midnight local time (21:00 London time) on Friday in a bid to stem an increase in cross-border traffic following President Putin's partial military mobilization, which has prompted a mass exodus of eligible fighting men.
Entry for family visits, as well as for work and studies, will still be permitted, Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto told a news conference Thursday, Reuters reported.
— Holly Ellyatt
Russia just confirmed it will annex more of Ukraine: Here's why it matters
The Kremlin has just said Russia will hold a signing ceremony on Friday, formally annexing four occupied regions of Ukraine.
Analysts are warning that could mark a dangerous point in the war for Ukraine with the possibility that Russia could turn to unconventional weapons, even nuclear weapons, to "defend" what it will then say is its "territorial sovreignty" and citizens.
Read more here: Fake referendums in occupied Ukraine set the stage for annexation — and immense danger for Ukraine
The announcement that Russia would annex more parts of Ukraine, as it did with Crimea in 2014, comes after sham referendums were held in the last week in four occupied parts of the country — in two self-proclaimed, pro-Russian "republics" in Luhansk and Donetsk, and in Kherson and Zaporizhzhia in the south. The votes, seen as illegitimate and rigged by Ukraine and its allies, saw a majority vote to join the Russia.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed Thursday that at around midday London time on Friday, the signing ceremony of the agreements on the accession of new territories to the Russian Federation will take place in the Kremlin.
Top Russian officials have been warning that Moscow has the "right" to use nuclear weapons if it feels there is an existential threat to its territory and people, raising concerns that the war could escalate further once more Ukrainian territory is annexed. Ukraine and its Western allies have said they will not recognize the results of the illegitimate and illegal referenda.
— Holly Ellyatt
Kremlin says it will formally annex Russian-occupied regions
The Kremlin said Russia will hold a signing ceremony on Friday, as expected, formally annexing four occupied regions of Ukraine.
Sham referendums have been held in the last week in four occupied parts of Ukraine, in two self-proclaimed, pro-Russian "republics" in Luhansk and Donetsk, and in Kherson and Zaporizhzhia in the south. The votes, seen as illegitimate and rigged by Ukraine and its allies, saw a majority vote to join the Russia.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed Thursday that at around midday London time on Friday, the signing ceremony of the agreements on the accession of new territories to the Russian Federation will take place in the Kremlin.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is also expected to make a speech, and to address the Russian Parliament on Friday.
There are widespread fears that Moscow could resort to using nuclear weapons to "defend" what it will soon claim is its territory in Ukraine.
— Holly Ellyatt
NATO body issues a statement on the Nord Stream pipeline leaks
The North Atlantic Council, the principal political decision-making body of the Western military alliance NATO, issued a statement on the leaks to the Nord Stream pipelines, saying the damage done "is of deep concern."
"All currently available information indicates that this is the result of deliberate, reckless, and irresponsible acts of sabotage. These leaks are causing risks to shipping and substantial environmental damage," the council said, adding that it supports investigations to determine the origin of the damage.
The statement continues that "we, as Allies, have committed to prepare for, deter and defend against the coercive use of energy and other hybrid tactics by state and non-state actors. Any deliberate attack against Allies' critical infrastructure would be met with a united and determined response," although it did not detail what such a response could look like.
The Nord Stream pipelines are designed to bring natural gas from Russia to Europe via the Baltic Sea but suspicious leaks appeared at the start of the week with both Russia and the West leveling thinly-veiled accusations at each other of being behind the "sabotage."
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said Wednesday that the bloc was "deeply concerned" about the damage to the Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines and that "all available information indicates those leaks are the result of a deliberate act," adding too that "any deliberate disruption of European energy infrastructure is utterly unacceptable and will be met with a robust and united response."
— Holly Ellyatt
Confusion after reports of 'new' Nord Stream leak
There was confusion around the status of the Nord Stream gas pipelines following reports of a fourth leak being found on the underwater energy infrastructure.
It was reported earlier this week that three leaks had been found, affecting both the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines, with gas stored within the pipelines (neither were sending supplies to Europe at the time) leaking out into the Baltic Sea, causing a hazard to shipping and the environment.
The leaks were reported by the Swedish and Danish authorities with both making moves to secure the area while investigations were conducted as to their source.
On Thursday, it was reported that a fourth leak had been found by the Swedish coastguard but this has since been disputed, with the coastguard then telling NBC News that no new leak had been found. The coastguard has since issued a statement clarifying that there was no new leak and that there had originally been four leaks detected.
"There are currently two gas leaks in Swedish waters, a larger leak above North Stream 1, and a smaller leak above North Stream 2. Two leaks have also been reported in Danish waters. The number of reported incidents and observations have therefore not changed since the initial observations were reported Monday evening," the coastguard said in a statement.
The European Union suspects sabotage was behind the attack and has vowed a "robust and united" response. Both Europe and Russia have said sabotage cannot be ruled out as the cause of the damage.
The Kremlin says claims that Russia was behind the suspected attack were "stupid and absurd."
On Thursday, Moscow again tried to deflect accusations that it had purposefully damaged the pipelines, with Russia's foreign ministry on Thursday claiming that the leaks off the coasts of Denmark and Sweden had occurred in territory that is "fully under the control" of U.S. intelligence agencies, without presenting any evidence or detail to back up its claim.
A White House spokesperson was not immediately available to comment when contacted by CNBC.
The Nord Stream pipelines are designed to carry gas from Russia to Europe via the Baltic Sea but one pipeline has never officially opened, its certification halted after Russia invaded Ukraine, and the other seeing all flows brought to a halt by Gazprom earlier this month.
Russia's state gas giant said the stoppage was due to international sanctions preventing it from being able to fix a technical problem. Gas analysts said that was an excuse and the reason for the halt in supply is geopolitical.
— Holly Ellyatt and Sam Meredith
Russia is experiencing a 'brain drain,' UK says
The "better off and well educated" are over-represented among the mass of men attempting to leave Russia in a bid to escape President Putin's partial military mobilization, according to Britain's Ministry of Defense.
"When combined with those reservists who are being mobilised, the domestic economic impact of reduced availability of labour and the acceleration of 'brain drain' is likely to become increasingly significant," the ministry said on Twitter on Thursday.
It's been one week since Putin announced a partial military mobilization in Russia with the call-up of around 300,000 reservists. Since then, there has been what the U.K. described as a "considerable exodus" of Russians seeking to evade the call-up.
While the exact number is unclear, it likely exceeds the size of the total invasion force Russia fielded in February 2022 (of around 100,000 troops), the ministry said.
Reservists being sent to Ukraine are reportedly poorly trained and equipped, with social media footage purportedly showing Russian troops being told to take their own equipment to Ukraine.
— Holly Ellyatt
More sanctions planned for Russia after illegal referendums
The European Commission proposed an eighth package of sanctions aimed at Moscow on Wednesday following a series of sham referendums in occupied parts of Ukraine which saw residents purportedly vote to join the Russian Federation.
The votes are widely seen as illegitimate and the results falsified, with residents forced to vote, but are expected to pave the way for Russian President Vladimir Putin to announce the annexation of the regions where the votes were held. That could then lead to an escalation of the conflict.
Read more
Fake referendums in occupied Ukraine set the stage for annexation — and immense danger for Ukraine
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen responded to the sham referendums yesterday, saying the commission was proposing more "biting sanctions" against Russia as a result.
"We do not accept the sham referendum and any kind of annexation in Ukraine, and we are determined to make the Kremlin pay for this further escalation. So today we are together proposing a new package of biting sanctions against Russia."
The proposals include extending the list of sanctioned individuals, new trade restrictions and a Russian oil price cap. In addition, the European Commission proposed to extend the list of products that cannot be exported to Russia.
The EU's 27 member countries will now have to agree on the sanctions. Ukraine has urged its allies to impose more punitive measures on Russia immediately in a bid to deter it from annexing occupied regions, but Russia is expected to announce annexations imminently.
The White House's Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said yesterday that the U.S. would "work with our allies and partners to impose additional economic costs on Russia and individuals and entities inside and outside of Russia that provide support to this action [annexation]."
— Holly Ellyatt
Zelenskyy to Russian conscripts: "If you want to live, surrender"
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has warned Russian conscripts sent to fight in Ukraine that they should surrender if they want to survive.
"If you want to live, run. If you want to live, surrender. If you want to live, fight on your streets for your freedom. Everything was taken from you anyway," he said on Telegram, addressing the soldiers in Russian.
Highlighting the differences between ordinary Russian men called up last week in President Putin's partial mobilization, and powerful Russian oligarchs, Zelenskyy asked the conscripts: "What are you fighting for? You have only loans, some food to eat at the end of the day, and now - mobilization. Fight for what is yours! Do not climb into our land, into our soul and into our culture."
Zelenskyy carried out a flurry of diplomatic calls to Ukraine's Western allies on Wednesday, drumming up support for Kyiv following a series of sham referendums in Russian-occupied parts of the country. It's widely expected that Putin will announce the annexation of those areas of the country (Luhansk and Donetsk in the east, and Zaporizhzhia and Kherson in the south) on Friday.
Zelenskyy said Ukraine's main task was to "coordinate actions with the partners in response to the fake referendums organized by Russia, and related threats. This is not 2014 [when Crimea was annexed by Russia]. Everyone understands everything. And they will certainly act."
"If someone over there, in Russia, thinks that they can 'get away' with everything they are doing in the occupied territory ... they are wrong," the president added.
— Holly Ellyatt
CIA reportedly warned Berlin about possible attacks on gas pipelines
The U.S. Central Intelligence Agency had weeks ago warned Germany about possible attacks on gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea, German magazine Spiegel said after gas leaks in Russia pipelines to Germany were reported.
The German government received the CIA tip in summer, Spiegel reported, citing unnamed sources, adding that Berlin assumes a targeted attack on Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines.
A German government spokesperson declined to comment, Spiegel added.
— Reuters
Satellite imagery spots Nord Stream pipeline leak in the Baltic Sea
Satellite imagery from U.S. company Planet captured the disturbed surface of the Baltic Sea following Tuesday's leak in the Nord Stream gas pipeline.
The pipeline rupture is about 13 nautical miles away from Bornholm Island, Denmark, the company noted.
– Michael Sheetz
Two NATO allies still have to approve Sweden and Finland’s entry into the alliance
Two NATO member countries have yet to sign ratification protocols for Finland and Sweden to join the military alliance.
Out of NATO's 30 member countries, Hungary and Turkey are the last holdouts to grant Sweden and Finland membership. Slovakia was the latest NATO ally to sign ratification documents on Sept. 27.
In May, both nations began the formal process of applying to NATO as Russia's war in Ukraine raged. All 30 members of the alliance have to ratify the countries' entry into the group.
Last month, U.S. President Joe Biden signed ratification documents following a 95-1 Senate vote to bring Finland and Sweden into NATO.
— Amanda Macias
U.S. and Europe are running out of weapons to send to Ukraine
Western officials and military analysts are increasingly concerned about diminishing weapons stocks curbing their ability to supply Ukraine in its fight against Russia.
"I'm greatly concerned. Unless we have new production, which takes months to ramp up, we're not going to have the ability to supply the Ukrainians," Dave Des Roches, a senior military fellow at the U.S. National Defense University, told CNBC.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg held a special meeting of the alliance's arms directors on Tuesday to discuss ways to refill member nations' weapons stockpiles.
Weapons Ukraine relies on that are now classified as "limited" in the U.S. inventory include 155 mm howitzers, HIMARS launchers, Javelin missiles, Stinger missiles, the M777 Howitzer and 155 mm ammunition.
— Natasha Turak
