Carlo Allegri | Reuters The U.N. General Assembly approved a resolution calling for Russia to be held accountable for violating international law by invading Ukraine including by paying reparations. The vote in the 193-member world body was 94-14 with 73 abstentions. It was the lowest level of support of the five Ukraine-related resolutions adopted by the General Assembly since Russia’s Feb. 24 invasion of its smaller neighbor. The resolution recognizes the need to establish “an international mechanism for reparation for damage, loss or injury’” arising from Russia’s “wrongful acts” against Ukraine. It recommends that the assembly’s member nations, in cooperation with Ukraine, create “an international register” to document claims and information on damage, loss or injury to Ukrainians and the government caused by Russia. — Associated Press
Kremlin press secretary confirms Russia-U.S. talks in Turkey
Kremlin press secretary Dmitry Peskov confirmed that talks between Russia and the U.S. took place in Turkey. “Such negotiations indeed took place. It was an initiative of the American side,” Peskov told TASS, a Russian state-owned news agency. Peskov did not, however, disclose the participants or the subject of the negotiations. The U.S. CIA Director, William Burns, reportedly held a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin’s spy chief, Sergei Naryshkin, according to Reuters. Burns was set to caution the Kremlin about the consequences of using nuclear weapons, and was expected to raise the issue of U.S. prisoners in Russia, an anonymous White House official told Reuters. This conversation in Ankara, the Turkish capital, was the first known face-to-face meeting between U.S. and Russian officials since the start of the war. — Rocio Fabbro
Backlog of 60 ships waiting to transport agricultural goods from Ukraine
An aerial view shows ships at the anchorage area of the Bosphorus southern entrance in Istanbul, on October 12, 2022. Yasin Akgul | AFP | Getty Images The organization overseeing the export of Ukrainian agriculture products said there is a backlog of 60 vessels waiting to be loaded with cargo. The U.N.-led Joint Coordination Center also said that about eight loaded vessels are waiting for inspection in Turkish territorial waters. The Black Sea Grain Initiative, a deal brokered in July among Ukraine, Russia, Turkey and the United Nations, eased Russia’s naval blockade and saw the reopening of three key Ukrainian ports. Since the deal was signed, more than 450 ships carrying 10.7 million metric tons of grain and foodstuffs have left for destinations around the world. Kyiv has previously blamed Moscow for holding up inspections and delaying vessel movements. — Amanda Macias
Four vessels will depart Ukraine’s ports under Black Sea Grain Initiative
Ships, including those carrying grain from Ukraine and awaiting inspections, are seen anchored off the Istanbul coastline on November 02, 2022 in Istanbul, Turkey. Chris Mcgrath | Getty Images The organization overseeing the export of agricultural products said four vessels carrying barley, corn, and sunflower meal left Ukrainian ports. The amount of grain and other foodstuffs exported under the Black Sea Grain Initiative so far exceeds 10.7 million metric tons. The Black Sea Grain Initiative, a deal brokered in July among Ukraine, Russia, Turkey and the United Nations, eased Russia’s naval blockade and saw three key Ukrainian ports reopen. — Amanda Macias
182 towns and villages in Kherson now under Ukrainian control, national police chief says
Ukrainian police control 182 towns and villages in the Kherson region, with a continuously increasing police presence in the territories vacated by Russia, according to the head of the Ukrainian national police. Police chief Igor Klymenko acknowledged that, beyond the Ukrainian victory in the region, officials are now faced with the difficult task of ensuring the safety of the city following Russian occupation. “There is still a lot of work to do. Especially for our explosives technicians,” Klymenko said in a Facebook post. “It is necessary to examine every administrative building, infrastructure facilities, so that it becomes possible to restore the normal life of the cities.” Klymenko said police units will be patrolling streets “day and night” and are at the disposal of locals. The withdrawal of Russian forces from the southern Ukrainian region late last week was met with celebrations, as inhabitants unfurled their Ukrainian flags and took to the streets. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited the regional capital earlier to participate in an official ceremony to raise the national flag in the city and to present state awards to Ukrainian soldiers. — Rocio Fabbro
U.S. sanctions military procurement network assisting Russia
U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen speaks during a news conference with Irish Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe at Government buildings in Dublin, Ireland, November 1, 2021. Clodagh Kilcoyne | Reuters The United States has imposed new sanctions on a military procurement network in Asia and Europe to try to curb military supply chains aiding Russia. The Department of State and the Treasury have jointly designated 14 individuals and 28 entities accused of supplying Russia with military technology. Among the sanctioned are Milandr, a microelectronic developer operating in Russia. They also include family members and associates of Suleiman Kerimov, a Russian billionaire, former politician and ally to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Earlier this year, the U.S. blocked over $1 billion in Kerimov’s property interest. Additional designations were placed on two Swiss companies tied to U.S.-sanctioned businessman and known Putin associate, Andrey Guryev. “The United States will continue to crack down on Russia’s attempts to evade international sanctions to fund its war machine,” the State Department said in a statement. “Businesses worldwide are advised to do their due diligence in order to avoid being targeted for sanctions.” The U.S. and allies have imposed a barrage of sanctions on Russia and Russian-connected individuals and entities since the start of the war. The countries have tried to punish enablers of Russia’s war in Ukraine in an attempt to alienate Moscow from networks that could supply it with the weapons, technology and funds used in the conflict. — Rocio Fabbro
Lockheed Martin wins $520 million contract to replenish U.S. arsenals after Ukraine security assistance
Ukrainian troops fire with surface-to-surface rockets MLRS towards Russian positions at a front line in the eastern Ukrainian region of Donbas on June 7, 2022. Aris Messinis | Afp | Getty Images The U.S. Army awarded multiple contract options worth more than $520 million to Lockheed Martin for its Guided Multiple Launch Rocket Systems to replenish U.S. arsenals. In recent months, the Pentagon has provided Ukraine with weapons system for its fight against Russia. “This award enables us to replenish our own inventory while providing critical capabilities for our allies and international partners,” said Douglas Bush, the Army’s assistant secretary for acquisition, logistics and technology. — Amanda Macias
U.K. announces about $5 million in aid dedicated to repairing Ukrainian energy infrastructure
Power substation destroyed by a Russian missile attack, Kharkiv, north-eastern Ukraine. Future Publishing | Future Publishing | Getty Images The U.K. announced its first tranche of funding for the Ukraine Energy Support Fund, which aims to help repair Ukrainian energy infrastructure damaged by Russian shelling. “Russia’s attacks on vital infrastructure show that Putin is resorting to desperate measures. But even in the face of missile attacks and blackouts, the resolve of the Ukrainian people remains unbroken,” said British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly in a statement. “The Government of Ukraine said it needed specialized energy equipment to repair critical national infrastructure, and the U.K. is delivering on their request,” he added. Cleverly asked for all partners to allocate funds following the U.K.’s contribution of approximately $5 million. “We need all partners to step up their support and show Putin that his attempts to destroy Ukraine will be met with fierce resistance,” Cleverly added. — Amanda Macias
More than 6,500 people have died in Ukraine, UN says
A picture shows a mass grave of civilians at a cemetery near Lyman, Donetsk region, on October 11, 2022. Sergey Bobok | AFP | Getty Images The United Nations has confirmed 6,557 civilian deaths and 10,074 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 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
No other country wants peace more than Ukraine, Ukraine’s top diplomat says
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba speaks during a news conference after meeting with his counterparts Russian Sergei Lavrov and Turkish Mevlut Cavusoglu, amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, in Antalya, Turkey March 10, 2022. Murad Sezer | Reuters Ukraine’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Dmytro Kuleba called for an end to the “normalization of Russian aggression,” saying support for Ukraine and toleration of Russia are irreconcilable. “No other country in the world wants peace in Ukraine more than Ukraine itself,” Kuleba said in an address at the European Union Foreign Affairs Council. “We have never wanted this war in the first place. But we also know that accepting Russian ultimatums will not…
