Ukraine's nuclear plants reconnected to power grid; NATO chief calls on members to give more aid

The organization overseeing the export of agricultural products from Ukraine said that more than 11.9 million metric tons of goods have left the country since ports reopened.

Before Moscow's full-scale invasion of its ex-Soviet neighbor, Ukraine and Russia accounted for almost a quarter of global grain exports, until those shipments came to a severe halt for nearly six months.

The Black Sea Grain Initiative, a deal brokered in July among Ukraine, Russia, Turkey and the United Nations, eased Russia's naval blockade and reopened three key Ukrainian ports.

The deal between the signatories is set to expire in about four months.

— Amanda Macias

The organization overseeing the export of agricultural products from Ukraine said that it has approved two vessels to leave the besieged country.

The vessels are carrying a total of 33,165 metric tons of soybeans and are expected to depart for Spain and Turkey.

The Black Sea Grain Initiative, a deal brokered in July among Ukraine, Russia, the United Nations and Turkey, eased Russia's naval blockade and reopened three key Ukrainian ports. The deal between the signatories though is set to expire in about four months.

— Amanda Macias

International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Grossi said that Ukraine's four operational nuclear power plant sites all have access to the national grid following a complete loss of off-site power earlier in the week.

Grossi also said the IAEA completed a week-long nuclear safety and security expert mission to Chornobyl.

"The mission will help pave the way for upgrades and improvements of the plant's nuclear security systems. The IAEA experts also gained a better understanding of the plant's safety and security needs and provided advice and guidance on radiation monitoring," Grossi wrote in a statement.

The IAEA continues its presence at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.

— Amanda Macias

British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly announced that he plans to visit Ukraine and meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. He will also meet with his Ukrainian counterpart Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba.

Cleverly has previously pledged additional aid to support critical Ukrainian infrastructure destroyed by Russian shelling as the harsh winter months approach.

— Amanda Macias

Vitaliy Klitschko, the mayor of Kyiv, said that about two-thirds of homes in Ukraine's war-weary capital city are without heat. Klitschko added that about half of the homes in Kyiv have power but are experiencing waves of blackouts.

A day before, the head of Kyiv's regional government said that about 70% of the regional government is without electricity.

Oleksiy Kuleba also said that the death toll from recent Russian airstrikes rose to seven, according to an NBC News translation.

Rockets rained down on Kyiv and several other Ukrainian cities on Wednesday, less than 24 hours after officials said a newborn became one of the youngest victims of Russian President Vladimir Putin's war.

— Amanda Macias

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that next week at the alliance's foreign ministers meeting he will urge partners to contribute more to the defense of Ukraine.

"Yes, we are all paying a price for Russia's war against Ukraine. But the price we pay is in money. While the price Ukrainians pay is in blood. And if we let Putin win, all of us will pay a much higher price, for many years to come," Stoltenberg told reporters at NATO's headquarters in Brussels.

"So NATO will continue to stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes. We will not back down," Stoltenberg added.

Stoltenberg said that Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, as well as the foreign ministers from Sweden and Finland, will attend the NATO ministerial in Bucharest.

— Amanda Macias

President Vladimir Putin met on Friday with the mothers of Russian soldiers fighting in Ukraine, telling them that he and his country shared their pain.

Sitting with the group of women around a table with tea and cake, Putin said he understood that nothing could replace the loss of a son.

"I would like you to know that, that I personally, and the whole leadership of the country, we share your pain," he said, according to a recorded television clip seen by Reuters.

"We understand that nothing can replace the loss of a son — especially for a mother. We share this pain," he added.

The clip did not immediately show the mothers' response to Putin's comments.

Hundreds of thousands of Russian soldiers have been sent to fight in Ukraine this year, including around 300,000 reservists who were called up in September in a "partial" mobilization.

— Karen Gilchrist

At least 77 civilians have died and millions have been plunged into extreme hardship since Russia started pounding Ukraine's critical infrastructure in October, the U.N. human rights chief said.

"Millions are being plunged into extreme hardship and appalling conditions of life by these strikes," said Volker Turk in a statement, according to Reuters.

"Taken as a whole, this raises serious problems under international humanitarian law, which requires a concrete and direct military advantage for each object attacked," he added.

Turk also noted that an early analysis of videos purporting to show Ukrainian soldiers executing Russian prisoners of war indicated they were "highly likely to be authentic."

— Karen Gilchrist

Russian forces extended their shelling of the southern city of Kherson, killing seven people and injuring at least 21 more in the latest round of strikes, according to one official.

Shelling from Russian positions across the Dnieper River has become a regular occurrence since the city was liberated from Russian occupation two weeks ago.

The governor of the Kherson region, Yaroslav Yanushevych, said a residential area was hit by Russian artillery and antiaircraft fire around 5 p.m. local time Thursday, causing a high-rise building to set on fire. A children's playground was also hit, he said.

— Karen Gilchrist

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday urged Europeans to stay united in the face of Russia's war.

Speaking via video link to a conference in Lithuania, Zelenskyy described the task as the region's number one mission.

"There is no split, there is no schism among Europeans and we have to preserve this. This is our mission number one this year," he said.

— Karen Gilchrist

The U.K. defense ministry said Russian reservists, two months after being mobilized by Putin, have "highly likely" experienced heavy casualties after being asked dig trenches in the east of Ukraine.

"The Kremlin will likely be concerned that an increasing number of reservists' families are prepared to risk arrest by protesting against the conditions their relatives are serving under," it said in its daily update Friday.

Prominent supporters of Russian President Vladimir Putin are using increasingly "genocidal rhetoric" when discussing and demonizing Ukrainians, analysts note, with some pro-war commentators cheering the concept of the "liquidation" of the modern state of Ukraine.

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The head of Kyiv's regional government reiterated that approximately 70% of the regional government remains without electricity.

Oleksiy Kuleba also said that the death toll from recent Russian airstrikes rose to seven, according to an NBC News translation.

Rockets rained down on Kyiv and several other Ukrainian cities on Wednesday, less than 24 hours after officials said a newborn became one of the youngest victims of Russian President Vladimir Putin's war.

— Amanda Macias

The Ukrainian government said investigators found 50 separate locations of mass graves in the recently liberated areas of Mykolaiv and Kherson.

"In the liberated territories of the Mykolaiv and Kherson regions, 50 locations of probable burials have been examined," the government wrote on the Telegram messaging app, according to an NBC News translation.

"Search teams identified the bodies of about 200 victims," the message added.

The Kremlin has previously denied claims that its forces have used mass graves in areas that were once heavily occupied.

— Amanda Macias

The organization overseeing the export of Ukrainian crops said there is a backlog of 79 vessels waiting to be loaded with cargo.

The U.N.-led Joint Coordination Center also said that about 110 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 490 ships carrying 11.8 million metric tons of grain and other food products have left for destinations around the world.

Kyiv has previously blamed Moscow for holding up inspections and delaying vessel movements.

— Amanda Macias

Majority of Kyiv region is without power; Ukraine says 50 mass grave sites found in liberated cities