Russia says it's 'destroying' Ukrainians that crossed into occupied territory, vowing to inflict 'hell' on them

Vladimir Milov, a Russian opposition politician, was sentenced in absentia to eight years in a prison for intentionally spreading false information about the Russian Armed Forces, Russian state news agency Interfax reported Thursday. A video on YouTube was cited as the basis for the case.

Milov previously worked under President Vladimir Putin but became disillusioned with the track that Russia's geopolitical approach was on and now lives abroad.

His sentence would begin as soon as he were detained on Russian territory or extradited to Russia, Interfax reported.

— Sophie Kiderlin

One person has died and four others have been wounded by Russian shelling on the town of Bilozerka in Kherson Oblast, the local governor Oleksandr Prokudin said Thursday. This comes as fighting has accelerated in the Kherson region in southern Ukraine in recent days.

In a post on Telegram, translated via Google Translate, he said one man had been pulled out from under rubble from a house that was affected in the attacks. Those injured have been taken to hospital, Produkin said.

The governor said residential buildings and a grocery store had been hit, as well as important infrastructure. Bilozerka and surrounding towns were out of electricity, he said.

CNBC could not independently verify reports on the ground.

— Sophie Kiderlin

Russia is turning increasingly hostile toward Israel. But what has been their relationship over the past 75 years and how has it changed?

Watch the video to find out more.

A Russian court on Thursday found artist and musician Alexandra Skochilenko guilty of knowingly spreading fake news about the Russian army's behavior in Ukraine and sentenced her to seven years in a prison colony.

Skochilenko, 33, replaced price tags in a supermarket in her native St Petersburg on March 31 2022 with small pieces of paper urging an end to Russia's war in Ukraine and criticising the authorities.

She denied the formal charge of knowingly spreading false information about the army.

— Reuters

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Thursday that Russia's naval fleet was forced to retreat from the eastern part of the Black Sea.

"We were able to intercept Russia's initiative in the Black Sea and created such security conditions that force the aggressor to flee from the eastern part of the water area and try to hide warships," Zelenskyy said on Telegram. 

"As one of the main results of our actions, Russia is unable to use the Black Sea as a springboard to destabilize other regions of the world."

CNBC could not confirm the report.

Ukraine increased its attacks on Russia's prized Black Sea fleet and its headquarters and port infrastructure this year, essentially forcing much of the fleet to relocate away from its home base of Sevastopol in Russian-occupied Crimea. A number of vessels were transferred to ports that flank the Kerch Strait in Novorossiysk, on the Russian mainland, and Feodosia on the Crimean coast.

— Holly Ellyatt

Russian forces say they are inflicting heavy losses on Ukrainian troops that crossed over the Dnieper River to the Russian-occupied eastern bank.

Russia confirmed that Ukrainian units had crossed the Dnieper and conceded that its forces had initially been outnumbered. Since then, however, it has warned it had brought in additional forces and that it would inflict "hell" on Ukrainian units. Various analysis suggests Russia is now pummeling units trying to defend positions along the east bank, with the village of Krynky being an epicenter of fighting.

Vladimir Saldo, the Russian-installed governor of the occupied part of the Kherson region, said Russian forces were pounding Ukrainian positions on Thursday.

"In Krynky, our military is now destroying the enemy on the largest scale," Saldo said on Telegram Thursday, saying that Russian forces were "surprised at how much the Ukrainian command does not value the lives of its personnel, sending them to their death in dozens and hundreds."

"Therefore, it is not surprising that the flow of Ukrainian prisoners from the left bank of the Dnieper does not dry up," he said.

Saldo claimed yesterday that Ukrainian forces were blocked in the village of Krynky where "a fiery hell" awaited them. "Bombs, missiles, ammunition from heavy flamethrower systems, artillery shells, and drones are flying at him [Ukrainian forces] ... Over the last two or three days alone, the enemy's total losses amounted to about a hundred militants," Saldo said.

CNBC was unable to verify developments on the battlefield.

Russian President Vladimir Putin met with the country's business leaders Wednesday in a bid to encourage them to invest more in Russia, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Thursday.

"The discussion was about possible steps to improve the investment attractiveness of our economy, to create more than competitive conditions for completing the process of transferring companies here," Peskov said, according to comments published by Russian news agency RIA Novosti.

Peskov said Putin discussed completing the process of redomiciling businesses, claiming that "the vast majority of entrepreneurs who took part have in one way or another encountered illegal treatment abroad, and now the process of transferring their business to Russian jurisdiction is actively under way, using all available mechanisms."

Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the subsequent imposition of international sanctions made it difficult for Western businesses to continue operations in Russia, and vice versa. Putin has looked to encourage more domestic investment, and has approved the seizing of Russian subsidiaries of international companies, including Danone and Carlsberg.

— Holly Ellyatt

Russia is almost certainly attempting a pincer movement to encircle the town of Avdiivka, a fighting hot spot in the eastern Ukrainian region of Donetsk, Britain's Ministry of Defense said Thursday.

"Over the last week, Russian forces have continued attacks towards outlying villages of the contested town of Avdiivka," the ministry said on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Avdiivka is a small town but holds strategic importance for both sides. It has been fought over for nearly a decade, given fighting between pro-Russian separatists and Ukrainian forces since 2014, and holds political significance for Russia given its proximity to the city of Donetsk.

"Recent advances have likely brought Russian forces close to the Ukrainian-held Avdiivka Coke and Chemical Plant, a sprawling industrial complex which produces coke and a variety of chemicals, occupies a key tactical position to the north of the town," the U.K. noted.

"The plant dominates the main road into Avdiivka and, if Russian forces were to secure it, resupplying the town would become increasingly difficult for Ukraine."

However, the ministry noted, the industrial facility provides Ukraine with a localized defensive advantage and Russian forces will probably suffer significant personnel losses if they attempt to assault the facility.

— Holly Ellyatt

The U.K.'s new Foreign Secretary David Cameron is in Kyiv Wednesday, marking his first visit to Ukraine since taking up the role on Monday.

Announcing the visit, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the pair "had a good meeting focused on weapons for the frontline, strengthening air defense, and protecting our people and critical infrastructure."

The U.K. is one of Ukraine's staunchest Western allies and one of its largest individual benefactors after the U.S.

"As Foreign Secretary, supporting Ukraine against Putin's aggression is vital, which is why I am pleased to make this my first visit as Secretary of State," Cameron said in a statement released by the British government. 

"Russia thinks it can wait this war out, and that the West will eventually turn its attention elsewhere. This could not be further from the truth. In my first discussions with President Zelenskyy in my new role, I made clear that the U.K. and our partners will support Ukraine and its people for as long as it takes for them to achieve victory."

— Holly Ellyatt

Fierce fighting is taking place between Russian forces and Ukrainian units that crossed over the Dnieper River to the Russian-occupied left (or eastern) bank of the river in the southern Kherson region, analysts say.

Fighting is concentrated around a number of villages on the east bank, including Krynky, where Ukraine has managed to establish footholds, but Russian forces are now reported to be pounding those positions. A Russian official warned Wednesday that "hell fire" would be rained down upon Ukrainian forces who had crossed the river.

Analysts at the Institute for the Study of War painted a picture of mixed fortunes in the area, citing Ukrainian officials, Russian military bloggers closely following developments in the war and open-source evidence.

"Ukrainian forces continued larger-than-usual operations on the east (left) bank of Kherson Oblast [region] on November 15," the ISW noted in analysis Wednesday.

But it added that "Russian milbloggers claimed that Ukrainian forces conducted unsuccessful attacks from central Krynky ... [they] also claimed that Russian forces prevented Ukrainian forces from conducting casualty evacuation and deploying additional Ukrainian personnel to the east bank near the Antonivsky road bridge."

The ISW also noted that geolocated footage published on Nov. 14 shows that Russian forces made some advances into Ukrainian-held Krynky, with Russian milbloggers claiming that the counterattacks by Russian forces forced Ukrainian forces to withdraw from some areas south of Krynky.

CNBC was unable to verify developments on the ground and neither Russia nor Ukraine mentioned the battles taking place in the area in their military updates on Thursday. On Wednesday, Ukraine requested an "informational silence" around its maneuvers so that its "plans are put in motion."

A senior Ukrainian official said Monday that Ukrainian forces managed to cross the Dnieper river which has essentially divided Russian and Ukrainian forces since a successful Ukrainian counteroffensive a year ago. Russia confirmed the development Wednesday.

If Ukrainian forces can make progress on the eastern bank, it could herald the start of an advance southward to Russian-occupied Crimea.

— Holly Ellyatt

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday that any internal and external attempts to interfere with the 2024 presidential election in Russia will be suppressed, state media outlet TASS reported.

Putin said any measures necessary would be taken to prevent illegal obstruction of the election, including any pressure applied to the electoral process, according to a Google translation of his comments.

Putin has not confirmed if he will run for re-election next year, however various news reports have cited sources saying he plans to stand for election once again. If he were to be re-elected, his presidency could extend until 2030.

Russia has long been accused of interfering in the electoral processes of other countries, particularly the U.S. vote in 2016.

Last month, the U.S. released an intelligence assessment sent to more than 100 countries that found Moscow is using spies, social media and Russian state-run media to erode public faith in the integrity of democratic elections worldwide, Reuters reported. Russia has repeatedly rejected various accusations of interference.

— Sophie Kiderlin, Holly Ellyatt

The outcome of the war in Ukraine is considered a "determining, and even existential," factor in the future of the West, according to a survey of 21 countries published Wednesday by the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) thinktank and Oxford University.

The majority of respondents outside of Europe and the U.S. said they saw Western nations as a bigger obstacle to peace than Russia, and more still viewed Moscow as the ultimate victor in the conflict.

Almost three quarters of non-European respondents who expected Russia to win the war also believed the European Union could "fall apart" within the next 20 years, while around one third of those in the U.S. and in Europe shared the view.

For many, the conflict in Ukraine was considered a "proxy war" between the U.S. and Russia, with majorities in Russia, China, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey saying they believe two Cold War powers are "already at war."

— Karen Gilchrist

There was more than a hint of schadenfreude in Russian state coverage of the forthcoming meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and his U.S. counterpart Joe Biden in San Francisco on Wednesday, with Russia accentuating the geopolitical gulf between the two superpowers.

Russia will be watching the talks closely, given its alliance with China, and any signs of a rapprochement between Beijing and Washington is likely to earn a frosty response from Moscow.

Russian media reveled in pouring cold water on the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit where Xi and Biden are due to meet Wednesday.

A reporter for Russia's state-run RIA Novosti news agency on Tuesday reported that a plenary meeting of the APEC summit chaired by U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai took place "in a half-empty hall."

RIA Novosti contrasted its image of a half-empty conference hall with the U.S. Trade Representative Tai emphasizing to delegates "how important this event is for the United States." 

Read more on the story here: Russia relishes divisions between China and the U.S., pouring cold water on Xi-Biden talks

— Holly Ellyatt

Ukraine requested an "informational silence," amid fierce fighting on the Russian-occupied left (or eastern) bank of the Dnieper River in the southern Kherson region.

"The Russians understand that the advance of the defense forces is inevitable, but they cannot calculate from which direction they can expect such a danger," Natalia Humeniuk, press officer for Operational Command South, said Wednesday in televised comments translated by NBC News.

Russian forces were, she said, "trying to actively defend themselves, to actively use heavy artillery, rocket launchers, and aviation as much as possible."

"The pushback from our side is taking place on a line from 3 to 8km [up to 5 miles] along the entire coast from the water's edge [of the Dnieper River]. The front line is quite fluid today," she said. 

"I cannot reveal all the measures we are currently taking, but it is obvious that the enemy is being pressed [by our measures]. For now, we are asking for informational silence so that our plans are put in motion, it will allow us to report on great successes later."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's chief of staff Andriy Yermak said Monday that Ukraine's forces had gained a foothold on the left side of the river and were looking to advance.

"Against all odds, Ukraine's defense forces have gained an foothold on the left bank of the Dnieper. Step-by-step, we demilitarized Crimea. We have covered 70% of the distance," he told the Hudson Institute.

Russia confirmed the development Wednesday, but said it was pummeling a "small group" of Ukrainian troops near the village of Krynky.

Vladimir Saldo, the Russian-installed governor of the occupied part of Kherson, claimed Ukrainian units were now trapped and were being hit with "bombs, rockets, ammunition from heavy flamethrower systems, artillery shells [and] drones."

CNBC could not independently verify the reports.

— Holly Ellyatt

Russian forces are pummeling Ukrainian units that have crossed over the Dnieper River to the Russian-occupied left (or eastern) bank of the river in Kherson, a Russian-installed official said Wednesday.

The Kherson area, in southern Ukraine, is partially occupied by Russian forces after an offensive to take the city of Kherson last year prompted Russian forces to withdraw to the eastern bank of the river.

Ukraine reported Tuesday that its forces had established a foothold on the eastern bank of the river. The announcement could herald the start of an advance toward Russian-occupied Crimea, with Ukraine saying on Wednesday that it was starting to push back Russian forces.

"Along the front line, which runs along the Dnipro [the Dnieper River]... The pushback from our side is taking place on a line from 3 to 8 km (2-5 miles) along the entire bank from the water's edge," Natalia Humeniuk, spokesperson for the southern military command, said, in comments reported by Reuters.

"For now, we will ask for informational silence ... which would allow us to report later on great successes," she added.

A Russian-installed official, Vladimir Saldo, said in Google-translated comments on Telegram that Ukrainian units had been able to cross the river — confirming for the first time that this had taken place — and said that initially Ukraine had sent "more manpower than our means of destruction were able to destroy."

"Additional forces have now been brought up," he said, claiming that Ukrainian forces were blocked in the village of Krynki where "a fiery hell" awaited them. "Bombs, missiles, ammunition from heavy flamethrower systems, artillery shells, and drones are flying at him [Ukrainian forces] ... Over the last two or three days alone, the enemy's total losses amounted to about a hundred militants."

Analysts at the Institute for the Study of War noted Tuesday that "Ukrainian forces are continuing their own offensive operations and making tactical-level gains along the front, particularly in western Zaporizhia Oblast [region] and on the east (left) bank of Kherson Oblast," the ISW noted.

"The Russian military command will likely have to decide whether to keep certain Russian elements on certain sectors of the front to defend against ongoing Ukrainian offensive operations or to redeploy them to support offensive operations elsewhere that will likely culminate without reinforcements."

These choices will likely hinder Russia's ability to fully regain the initiative in the coming weeks, the ISW said.

CNBC was unable to verify developments on the ground.

— Holly Ellyatt

Russia says ‘hell’ awaits Ukrainians after confirming they’ve crossed the Dnieper River into occupied territory