November 12, 2022 Russia-Ukraine news

Our live coverage has wrapped up for the day. You can read more on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine here, or scroll through the updates below.

This map shows the assessed Russian and Ukrainian areas of control, after Moscow’s forces retreated from the western Kherson region.

And here’s a zoomed-in view of the Kherson region:

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley speaks during a press conference at the NATO Headquarter in Brussels on October 12.

During internal conversations about the war in Ukraine, America’s top general, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley, has in recent weeks led a strong push to seek a diplomatic solution as fighting heads toward a winter lull. 

But Milley’s position is not widely backed by US President Joe Biden’s national security team, including Sec. of State Antony Blinken and national security adviser Jake Sullivan, neither of whom believe it’s time to make a serious push for talks over Ukraine, according to two administration officials familiar with the discussion.

The result is a growing debate inside the administration over whether Ukraine’s recent gains on the battlefield should spark a renewed effort to seek some sort of negotiated end to the fighting, according to officials. 

Milley’s push for peace has spilled into the public in recent days, just as Ukraine takes back the city of Kherson. In comments at the Economic Club of New York on Wednesday, Milley praised the Ukrainian army for fighting Russia to a stalemate, but said that an outright military victory is out of reach.    

The comments left administration officials unsurprised — given Milley’s advocacy for the position internally — but also raised concern among some about the administration appearing divided in the eyes of the Kremlin. 

While some Biden officials are more open to exploring what diplomacy may look like, sources tell CNN most of the top diplomatic and national security officials are wary of giving Russian President Vladimir Putin any sort of leverage at the negotiating table and believe Ukrainians must determine when to hold talks, not the US. 

“That’s up to the Ukrainians. Nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine,” President Biden said at a Wednesday press conference when asked about the potential for talks.  

In internal deliberations, officials say Milley has sought to make it clear that he is not urging a Ukrainian capitulation, but rather that he believes now is an optimal time to drive toward an end to the war before it drags into spring or beyond, leading to more death and destruction without changing the front lines, officials say. 

Milley’s position comes as the US military has dug deep into US weapons stockpiles to support the Ukrainians and is currently scouring the globe for materials to support Ukraine heading into winter — such as heaters and generators — which has raised concerns about how long this war can be sustained, officials said.   

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Russian-backed authorities have ordered evacuations in an area on the east bank of the Dnipro River in the Kherson region, sending administration staff and residents to a city in Russia.

“The administration of Kakhovka in the Kherson region moves to a safe place together with the residents of the city, that is now located in a 15-kilometer (about 9-mile) evacuation zone,” Pavel Filipchuk, Russian-backed head of the Kakhovka regional military administration, announced in an address to residents Saturday. 

Filipchuk called the regional military administration “the number-one target” for the Ukrainian Armed Forces. 

“Therefore, by order of the government of the Kherson region, we, as an authority, are moving to a safer territory, from where we will manage the district,” he said.

Filipchuk said those who evacuate to the Russian city of Tuapse will be provided with “warm and comfortable accommodations, free three meals a day, the possibility of receiving financial assistance in the amount of 100,000 rubles (about $1,500) and a possibility of obtaining a housing certificate.” 

Filipchuk emphasized that those who don’t evacuate bear full responsibility for their lives, warning that the Kakhovka district is subject to “shelling by the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and military fortifications are being built there.” 

Filipchuk said more than 3,000 people have been evacuated so far.

To note: As of Friday, new damage appeared on a critical dam that spans the Dnipro River in the Kherson region city of Nova Kakhovka, on the east bank of the river. For weeks, both sides have accused the other of planning to breach the dam, which if destroyed would lead to extensive flooding on the east bank and deprive the nuclear power plant in Zaporizhzhia of water to cool its reactors.

Authorities in the city of Kherson have introduced an evening and overnight curfew to ensure the safety of residents, the head of the regional military administration, Yaroslav Yanushevich, said Saturday in a video message.

“Our task is to ensure the safety of your life. Therefore, we are forced to introduce a curfew starting today, from 5 p.m. to 8 a.m. The corresponding order was signed by the head of the military administration of the city of Kherson,” he said. 

Yanushevich also warned that leaving and entering the city will be limited due to de-mining efforts. 

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, left, meets Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, right, on November 12.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken reiterated to Ukraine’s foreign minister Saturday that the US would leave it to Kyiv to open any diplomatic negotiations with Russia, according to the State Department.

Blinken met with Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba while in Cambodia attending the summit between the US and Association of South East Nations (ASEAN) countries. He pledged to continue supporting Ukraine’s defense against the Russian invasion, specifically highlighting its defense of infrastructure and preparations for winter, State Department spokesperson Ned Price said in a statement.

The two diplomats “also discussed Ukraine’s continued effectiveness on the battlefield, and the Secretary reiterated that the timing and contents of any negotiation framework remains Ukraine’s decision,” Price said in the statement.

CNN has reported US officials are divided over whether to push for a diplomatic solution as fighting in Ukraine could slow down for winter.

When asked about the possibility of peace negotiations at a press conference on Wednesday, President Joe Biden said, “That’s up to the Ukrainians. Nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine.”  

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba speaks at a press conference in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on November 12.

Ukraine’s foreign minister urged members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Saturday not to let Russia endanger world food supplies with its handling of the Ukrainian grain export deal.

“I call on all ASEAN members to take every measure possible to stop Russia from playing ‘hunger games’ with the world. Grain corridor should be exempted from the conflict,” Dmytro Kuleba said during a press conference on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit.

The United Nations-brokered Black Sea grain deal put in place a procedure that guaranteed the safety of ships carrying Ukrainian grain, fertilizer and other food products through a corridor in the Black Sea. 

More background: The United Nations-brokered Black Sea grain deal put in place a procedure that guaranteed the safety of ships carrying Ukrainian grain, fertilizer and other food products through a corridor in the Black Sea. 

Russia said last week that it was rejoining the grain export deal just days after Moscow cited drone attacks on the city of Sevastopol in Crimea as the reason for its withdrawal from the deal.

The Kremlin signaled Friday that it was unsatisfied with the handling of an agreement with the UN governing the export of Russian fertilizers and agricultural products, and that an extension of the grain deal would hinge on its complaints being addressed.

A resident hugs a Ukrainian serviceman in Kherson, Ukraine, on November 12.

Ukrainian authorities are rebuilding and restoring services in the newly liberated city of Kherson, the head of the regional military administration said Saturday.

“The military administration of Kherson oblast, the military administration of Kherson city and the military administration of Kherson district have arrived in the city and have begun their duties,” Yaroslav Yanushevich said in a Telegram message published on another official’s account.

About 200 police officers are currently working in the city, Ukraine’s National Police said in a statement Saturday. 

“Roadblocks have been set up around and in the territory of Kherson. The regional police continue to record the crimes of the Russian occupiers,” the statement reads. 

“The main threat at the moment is mass mining,” and 10 groups of explosive technicians are working on the detection and disposal of explosive objects, police said. “One of the police sappers was injured today during the de-mining of an administrative building in Kherson.”

Police urged “local residents to follow the established rules, to move carefully around the city and not to touch suspicious objects. If you find any, be sure to report to the law enforcement officers.”

Residents who have left Kherson are advised “not to rush to return until stabilization measures are completed,” police said. 

Residents celebrate after Russia's retreat from Kherson, Ukraine, on November 12. 

Once the scene of Russian occupation, the drive into newly liberated Kherson city was eerily quiet.

For much of the journey through smaller towns and settlements, our team of CNN journalists was forced to drive through diversions and fields; bridges over canals were blown up, and roads were full of craters and littered with anti-tank mines.

Trenches and checkpoints were empty, quickly abandoned by Russians who on Friday announced they had withdrawn from the west bank of the Dnipro River in the strategic southern region of Kherson, leaving the regional capital of the same name and surrounding areas to the Ukrainians.

The outskirts of the city, which had been occupied by Russian forces since March 3, were deserted, with no military presence except for a Ukrainian checkpoint around 5 miles outside of the city center, where half a dozen soldiers waved CNN’s crew in.

Once the scene of large protests against Russian plans to transform the region into a breakaway pro-Russian republic, the streets of Kherson are now filled with jubilant residents wrapped in Ukrainian flags or with painted faces, singing and shouting.

The military presence is still limited, but huge cheers erupt from crowds on the street every time a truck full of soldiers drives past, with Ukrainian soldiers being offered soup, bread, flowers, hugs and kisses by elated passersby.

With the Russian forces gone, everyone wants you to understand what they’ve been through, how euphoric they feel right now and how much they’re grateful to the countries who have helped them.

But Ukrainians are under no illusion that Kherson’s freedom spells the end of their country’s ordeal or the difficulties that winter will bring.

Everyone we have spoken to is aware that there are tougher days to come, that the Russians across the river could shell them here. It is also unclear whether all Russian troops have left Kherson and the wider region. Behind this euphoria, there’s still that uncertainty.

But for today, at least, they’re celebrating.

See Robertson’s reporting from Ukraine here:

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04:22 - Source: CNN

Russian troops retreating from the west bank of the Dnipro River in the strategic southern region of Kherson have taken artworks from cultural institutions across the region, as well as sanitary items, and have transferred them to Russian-occupied territories, the Ukrainian military said in a statement Saturday. 

“According to our intelligence, the Russians took property from the Kherson Art Museum named after (Ukrainian painter) Oleksiy Shovkunenko. The museum also has a branch in Nova Kakhovka,” the Ukrainian National Resistance Center said. 

Among the collections in the museum’s fund are icon paintings from the 17th to the beginning of the 20th century, Ukrainian art from the second half of the 19th to the beginning of the 20th century and works from modern artists, NRC said. 

“But not only cultural values ​​were taken away by the occupiers,” NRC said. “The Russians, according to tradition, stole sanitary ware, including toilets and household appliances.”

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin meet in Sochi, Russia, on August 5.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Saturday he hopes to be able to speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the coming days about the possibility to turn the grain export deal into a “peace corridor,” according to Turkey’s state broadcaster TRT. 

Erdogan said he will also have the discussion with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

“So, we wonder on this grain corridor how we can open a peace corridor from here, we are efforting this,” Erdogan said. “Of course, the opinions of Mr. Putin alone are not enough here. We will of course also meet with Zelensky to ask their opinion on what they think here and how they view such a thing. And we will look for ways to see if this mediation will lead us to peace.” 

“But for now, the most important thing for us is to operate this grain corridor seriously,” he added. 

Russian and Indonesian officials have said Putin won’t attend the upcoming G20 summit in Bali in person and that Russia will be represented by other top officials, including Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

More context: At the same time Erdogan hoped to use the grain deal as a pathway to peace negotiations, Moscow voiced hesitation about the implementation of the current deal.

The Kremlin signaled Friday that it was unsatisfied with the handling of an agreement with the UN governing the export of Russian fertilizers and agricultural products, and that an extension of the grain deal would hinge on its complaints being addressed.

Earlier this month, Russia reentered the agreement after briefly pulling away from the accord, citing drone attacks on the city of Sevastopol in occupied Crimea.

A tradesman works at a grain silo and storage center in Odesa, Ukraine, on November 6. 

Representatives from the Russian Foreign Ministry discussed the implementation of a key grain deal — aimed at guaranteeing safe passage of ships carrying exports from Ukraine — with a United Nations delegation Friday, the ministry said in a statement. 

“A thorough exchange of views took place on the implementation of the ‘Black Sea Initiative’ for the export of Ukrainian grain and the Russian-UN memorandum on the normalization of domestic agricultural exports, which are part of one package of measures to ensure global food security,” reads the statement, released Saturday.

All parties confirmed that only “ensuring unhindered access” of Russian food and fertilizers to world markets will make it possible to achieve price stabilization and guarantee future harvests, the ministry said.

A grain ship sits in a port in western Ukraine on November 2. 

According to the ministry, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Vershinin held the talks with the UN delegation.

Vershinin told Russian state media RIA Novosti that Moscow’s decision on the extension of the grain deal hinges on that Russia-UN memorandum regarding Russian products.

“In a number of European countries, mineral fertilizers from Russia, up to 280,000 tons, have been under arrest for the past few months,” Vershinin said.

The Russian side has come up with an initiative to donate seized fertilizers to poor countries, primarily countries in Africa, according to Vershinin. 

Some background: On Nov. 2, Russia reversed course and announced it was rejoining the agreement, just days after Moscow cited drone attacks on the city of Sevastopol in occupied Crimea as the reason for its withdrawal from the deal brokered by Turkey and the UN.

Russia is not “sincerely seeking negotiations,” Ukraine’s foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba said Saturday, following the retreat of Russian forces from the western half of Kherson.

“As of now, everything we’ve seen, is the attempt of Russia to use negotiations … as a smokescreen for its continued aggression on the ground,” Kuleba said in a press conference during his visit to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in Phnom Penh. Kuleba is visiting the Cambodian city to sign an amity and cooperation treaty with ASEAN on behalf of Ukraine.

Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov did not request a meeting with him, Kuleba said, adding that if such request were made, Ukraine “will thoroughly consider his request, taking into account all aspects and reality on the ground.”

Kuleba urged Russia to “approach talks in good faith,” adding that “every war ends with diplomacy.”

Lavrov arrived in Phnom Penh on Saturday, according to Russia’s foreign ministry. 

Kuleba also urged ASEAN countries to “take every measure possible” to keep open the grain corridor, a UN and Turkey-brokered safe corridor to export Ukrainian agricultural products through the Black Sea.

The Russian-installed regional administration in Kherson has claimed that the city of Henichesk is the new temporary capital of the region, Russian state media TASS reported Saturday.

“Today, the temporary administrative capital of the Kherson region is Henichesk. All the main authorities are located there,” Russian-backed leader Alexander Fomin told reporters, according to TASS.

Henichesk is a port city along the Sea of Azov. The city is east of the Dnipro River in the strategic southern region of Kherson and close to Crimea. 

Saturday’s announcement came after Russia withdrew from the west bank of the Dnipro in the area, leaving the regional capital of Kherson and surrounding areas to the Ukrainians. 

Renowned street artist Banksy has unveiled his latest artwork in an Instagram post – a mural in the Ukrainian town of Borodianka.

The artwork shows a female gymnast balancing on a pile of rubble on the side of a building damaged by Russian strikes.

The artist posted three images of the piece Friday on social media, with a simple caption reading “Borodyanka, Ukraine,” using an alternative spelling for the town’s name.

Speculation had been mounting that Banksy was in the war-torn country after a series of murals appeared in Borodianka, located about 35 miles northwest of the capital of Kyiv.

Read more here.

The Russian-appointed governor of the Zaporizhzhia region, Yevgeny Balitsky, said Saturday there is no need to evacuate residents from his area against the backdrop of events in Kherson region. 

“There are no plans to evacuate, as there is no reason for this. Our borders have long been securely protected. Unfounded rumors spread by enemy propaganda are deliberately trying to sow panic and destabilize the situation,” said Balitsky on his Telegram channel.

“You must understand that the evacuation of the population of the west bank in Kherson region took place according to plan, including the evacuation of cultural heritage monuments. These are strategically necessary steps to conduct a full-scale operation in which civilians and cultural heritage sites should not suffer,” he added.

Zaporizhzhia is also located in southern Ukraine, northeast of Kherson along the Dnipro River.

On Saturday, Vladimir Rogov, a senior pro-Russian official in the regional Zaporizhzhia government, told Russian state media outlet TASS that mercenaries from more than 40 countries are allegedly taking part in the fighting happening in the region. He claimed that the Ukrainian reinforcements at the line of contact are “prepared” and “have experience in military operations.”

Some background: The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, the largest plant of its kind in Europe, was captured by Russia from Ukraine in early March. Since then, international and local experts have voiced grave warnings — not only for the safety of the plant’s workers, but also for fear of a nuclear disaster that could affect thousands of people in the surrounding area, prompting the International Atomic Energy Agency to send a team there. Both sides have accused each other of shelling around the plant.

On Thursday, Rogov told TASS that after the withdrawal of Russian troops from the west bank, the Zaporizhzhia area will likely become a priority for the Armed Forces of Ukraine due to plans to seize the nuclear plant.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky speaks in Kyiv, Ukraine, on November 3.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Friday was “a historic day” for Ukraine after Russia announced its withdrawal from the west bank of the Kherson region.

“We are returning the south of our country, we are returning Kherson,” Zelensky said.

The president talked about the appearance of Ukrainian flags in the city even before the military arrived, saying, “I am happy to see how people, despite all the threats, despite the repressions, abuse of the occupiers, kept Ukrainian flags, believed in Ukraine.”

Earlier Friday, Zelensky noted the moment on his Telegram account with a video from Kherson and the caption: “Ours. Kherson is ours.”

Zelensky expressed his gratitude to the military units involved in the operation — “absolutely everyone, from privates to generals, the Armed Forces, intelligence, the Security Service of Ukraine, the National Guard — all those who brought this day closer for Kherson region.”

He said stabilization measures would follow due to the threat of mines. “The occupiers left a lot of mines and explosives, in particular at vital facilities. We will be clearing them,” he said.

Officials also on Friday warned displaced residents to hold off on returning to their homes in the newly retaken areas of Kherson, saying, “It’s too dangerous here now.”

In neighboring Mykolaiv region: The head of the regional military administration of Mykolaiv visited the small city of Snihurivka Friday to discuss “the restoration of life in the liberated territories of the region.”

He commended hospital staff in the city for working through the Russian occupation.

He also urged locals to beware of any explosives left behind by the Russians.

“Despite the fact that the relevant services have already started (removing mines in) the liberated territories, I warn local residents to be careful,” Kim added.

Residents in the city of Kherson told CNN’s Nic Robertson how they feel relief and joy after Russian troops retreated from the west bank of the Kherson region.

“We feel free, we are not slaves, we are Ukrainians,” resident Olga told CNN.

Locals have also been climbing onto the tops of buildings, including the cinema, in the square to erect Ukrainian flags. Soldiers driving through are greeted with cheers and asked to sign autographs on flags.

Back when Russian troops rolled in at the beginning of the war, this was a city that tried to resist: people were taken away, tortured, disappeared, residents said.

“We were terrified by (the) Russian army, we were terrified by soldiers that can come any moment in our house, in our home – just open the door, like they are living here, and steal, kidnap, torture,” Olga said.

But now, people flock to the central square in the newly liberated city, wrapped in Ukrainian flags, singing and chanting “Freedom for Ukraine.”

Resident Katerina described the liberation as the “best day” of her life after eight months under Russian occupation. “Our town is free, my street is free,” she told CNN.

CNN’s Nic Robertson witnessed a “moment of euphoria” in newly liberated Kherson as he and his crew appeared to be the first international journalists to reach the city center since it changed hands in the past 48 hours.

On Friday, Ukrainian forces swept into the city and Russian troops retreated to the east.

Kherson residents have no water, no internet connection and little power.

But as the crew filmed live in Kherson’s central square, some in the crowd of locals sang the national anthem while others shouted “Slava Ukrayini!” – “glory to Ukraine,” a patriotic greeting.