Ukraine says it killed a top Russian general; U.S. collects evidence of possible Russian war crimes

Christina Wilkie
Kevin Breuninger
Sam Meredith
Chloe Taylor

This has been CNBC's live blog tracking developments on the war in Ukraine on Monday. See below for the latest updates.

Ukraine's defense intelligence agency claimed that the country's forces have killed a second Russian general within days of a first general killed last week.

Russian Maj. Gen. Vitaly Gerasimov was killed near Kharkiv, the agency said on Monday night local time. Ukraine's second-biggest city has been the scene of intense fighting for days.

The claim could not be independently verified.

Ukrainian soldiers walk through a clearing while smoke rises from nearby fighting with Russian forces, in Irpin, Ukraine, on March 7, 2022.

Gerasimov was identified by the intelligence agency as the chief of staff and first deputy commander of the 41st Combined Arms Army. Another senior officer from that army, Gen. Andrei Sukhovetsky, was killed by a sniper last week.

Meanwhile, the prospect of a ban on Russian oil and gas sent jitters through energy markets as oil prices hit 13-year highs, though they gave back most of those gains.

Separately, Ukraine says Moscow is seeking to manipulate its cease-fire arrangement by allowing Ukrainian civilians to evacuate only to Russia and Belarus. Moscow claimed Monday that it will stop attacks in four Ukrainian cities, including Kyiv, to allow the evacuation of civilians.

Tue, Mar 8 2022 12:20 AM EST

Putin still has strong support in some circles in Russia, says former NATO deputy chief

Rose Gottemoeller, a former deputy secretary general of NATO, said there are signs Russian President Vladimir Putin retains strong support in certain parts of the country.

"There are a number of very strong nationalists in Russia. Apparently they were present in … motorcades outside of the Kremlin yesterday, waving flags, supporting the president," she told CNBC's "Squawk Box Asia" on Tuesday.

Some polls also suggest that his popularity in Russia is still growing, she added.

On the other hand, people who are informed or have a stake in this, "like the oligarchs who have investments all over the world and want to keep their wealth" may be growing concerned as international sanctions hit.

"I am not surprised that they are becoming increasingly worried," Gottemoeller said.

"I don't think he's going to lose his grip on power, but perhaps some messages will start to get through to him," she said.

— Abigail Ng

Mon, Mar 7 2022 8:24 PM EST

Ukraine claims it killed another one of Putin's top generals, other senior Russian Army officers

A man stands on the rubble of a house destroyed by recent shelling during Ukraine-Russia conflict in Kharkiv, Ukraine March 7, 2022.

Ukraine's defense intelligence agency said that Russian Army Major General Vitaly Gerasimov was killed, and other senior Russian Army officers "were also killed or wounded" in action near the city of Kharkiv.

Gerasimov was identified by the intelligence agency as the chief of staff and first deputy commander of the 41st Combined Arms Army.

The agency, which said Gerasimov had been "liquidated," claimed that data obtained related to his death near the city in northeast Ukraine "show significant problems with communication" in Russia's army, "and with the evacuation of their defeated units."

The post contains embedded audio files purporting to be intercepted communications between Russians discussing Gerasimov's death.

The reported killing comes days after another deputy commander of the 41st Combined, Gen. Andrei Sukhovetsky, was fatally shot by a Ukrainian sniper.

—Dan Mangan

Mon, Mar 7 2022 5:40 PM EST

Zelenskyy says he's staying at an official residence in Kyiv

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky looks on at a press conference for selected media at his official residence the Maryinsky Palace on March 3, 2022 in Kyiv, Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy released a new video Monday evening on Telegram, telling his fellow citizens that he is in central Kyiv at an official presidential residence, with no plans to leave the city despite the Russian assault.

"I am staying in Kyiv, on Bankova Street. Not hiding," Zelensky said, citing a street where both the Ukrainian president's office and the House of Chimeras official residence are located.

"I'm not afraid of anyone. For as long as it takes to win this war!" he added, according to an NBC News translation.

Zelenskyy's insistence upon staying in Kyiv as Russian missiles shell the capital and Russian troops advance on it has become a defining image of this conflict.

It has also helped inspire average Ukrainians to mount a fierce resistance to Russia's invasion, one that has surprised experts and military leaders around the world.

Speaking on Monday, Zelenskyy said Russian troops, "forgot that we are not afraid of police vans, of tanks, of machine guns when the most important thing is on our side - truth."

"You are not retreating. We are not retreating," he said.

--- Christina Wilkie

Mon, Mar 7 2022 4:25 PM EST

Prepare for a 'difficult road ahead' as humanitarian crisis worsens

People wait in freezing cold temperatures to be transferred to a train station, after crossing the Ukrainian borders into Poland, at the Medyka border crossing in Poland, on March 7, 2022.

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield warned that the world should brace for the already-dire humanitarian crisis in Ukraine to worsen as Russia continues its invasion.

"The humanitarian toll of Putin's war on Ukraine is mounting," the ambassador said during a meeting of the UN Security Council, of which Russia is a member.

"Children are dying. People are fleeing their homes. And for what?" Thomas-Greenfield said after calling on Russia to commit to the establishment and protection of humanitarian corridors into and out of key areas of Ukraine.

"Young children have also been severely traumatized by the violence and destruction. They've witnessed so many things to the point that they've stopped speaking. The physical and psychological wounds of the is war will be long lasting," she said.

She said it was clear Putin plans to "destroy and terrorize Ukraine," even though many Russians don't want war and the Ukrainian people won't give up.

"Unfortunately, Mr. Putin doesn't seem to be listening, and we are concerned that the world needs to be prepared for a very long and very difficult road ahead," she said.

Kevin Breuninger

Mon, Mar 7 2022 3:07 PM EST

U.S. collects evidence of possible Russian war crimes in Ukraine

EDITOR'S NOTE: This article contains a graphic photo of soldiers removing human remains.

The United States is collecting evidence of possible war crimes and human rights abuses by Russia during its ongoing invasion of Ukraine, a National Security Council spokesperson told NBC News.

The U.S. ambassador to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, Michael Carpenter, earlier in the day condemned Russian President Vladimir Putin for his "unprovoked war," which has driven more than 1.5 million refugees out of the country.

EDITORS NOTE: Graphic content / Police officers prepare to remove the bodies of passersby killed in yesterday's airstrike that hit Kyiv's main television tower in Kyiv on March 2, 2022.

Some 45 participating states launched the so-called Moscow Mechanism last Thursday to document and gather evidence of violations of international law by Russia, he said.

"The brutality of this war is both revolting and heartbreaking," said Carpenter. "Children have been killed, grandparents driven from their homes, families forced to flee their country in the face of relentless strikes on civilian infrastructure," he said.

— Dan Mangan

Mon, Mar 7 2022 3:00 PM EST

Large number of civilians continue to flee Irpin

Civilians continue to flee from Irpin due to ongoing Russian attacks.

A Ukrainian serviceman helps evacuees gathered under a destroyed bridge as they flee the city of Irpin, northwest of Kyiv, on March 7, 2022.
Civilians continue to flee from Irpin due to ongoing Russian attacks in Irpin, Ukraine on March 07, 2022.
Ukrainian soldiers help an elderly woman to cross a destroyed bridge as she evacuates the city of Irpin, northwest of Kyiv, on March 7, 2022.
Civilians continue to flee from Irpin due to ongoing Russian attacks in Irpin, Ukraine on March 07, 2022.
A woman carrying her baby crosses a destroyed bridge as they flee the city of Irpin, northwest of Kyiv, on March 7, 2022.
Mon, Mar 7 2022 2:12 PM EST

Nearly all of Russia's initial invasion forces now in Ukraine, Pentagon says

A service member of pro-Russian troops in a uniform without insignia walks next to an armoured vehicle with symbols "Z" painted on its side in the separatist-controlled village of Bugas during Ukraine-Russia conflict in the Donetsk region, Ukraine March 6, 2022. 

Nearly all of the troops Russia amassed on Ukraine's border are now fighting inside the country, a senior Pentagon official said Monday.

President Joe Biden has previously said Russia positioned approximately 190,000 troops outside Ukraine.

Yet even with so much manpower deployed, the two main Russian convoys outside Ukraine's major cities of Kharkiv and Kyiv remain stalled, the official said, according to NBC News.

In the face of logistical and supply chain problems, Russians are increasingly turning to heavy artillery, the official said, effectively trying to bomb Ukraine into submission.

The official also said the United States will deploy another 500 troops to Europe, bringing the total number of American forces on the continent to more than 100,000.

— Christina Wilkie

Mon, Mar 7 2022 1:12 PM EST

Deloitte rounds out Big Four accounting firms to cut ties with Russia

Global consulting and accounting firm Deloitte said it will no longer operate in Russia and Belarus.

"While we know this is the right decision, it will have an impact on Deloitte's ~3,000 professionals located in Russia and Belarus," the company said in a press release. "Like others, we know our colleagues in Russia and Belarus have no voice in the actions of their government. We will support all impacted colleagues during this transition and do all we can to assist them during this extremely difficult time."

Deloitte's decision makes it the last of the Big Four global accounting firms to say that it will no longer conduct business in Russia as the Krelim wages war on Ukraine. It joins Ernst & Young, PricewaterhouseCoopers and KPMG in making similar announcements.

Thomas Franck

Mon, Mar 7 2022 1:07 PM EST

Russia compiles list of 'unfriendly' nations and territories

Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a meeting with members of the Security Council via a video link at the Novo-Ogaryovo state residence outside Moscow, Russia March 3, 2022.

The Russian government approved a list of dozens of nations and territories deemed "unfriendly" to Russia and its citizens, according to state media in Moscow.

The list includes all 27 European Union member states, as well as the United States, the United Kingdom, Ukraine, Switzerland, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Taiwan and others, according to Russian state media.

Those nations have imposed or joined the unprecedented array of crippling sanctions slapped on Russia following its invasion of Ukraine.

The Kremlin noted that Russians who are in debt to foreign creditors from the countries on that list will be allowed to pay them back, according to the state media outlet.

Kevin Breuninger

Mon, Mar 7 2022 12:13 PM EST

More than 1.7 million refugees have fled Ukraine, the U.N. says

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees reports that more than 1.7 million civilians have fled Ukraine since the launch of Russia's unprovoked invasion on Feb. 24. In just 12 days, the exodus from Ukraine has created the worst refugee crisis in Europe since World War II.

People wait to board a bus after fleeing the Russian invasion of Ukraine, at the border checkpoint in Medyka, Poland, March 4, 2022.

The official figure cited by the UNHCR's data portal Monday was 1,735,068. Most of those fleeing are women and children, following Ukraine's decision to bar fighting-aged men from leaving the country.

A couple embraces as passengers, including people fleeing Russia's invasion of Ukraine, board a train to leave the city of Odessa, Ukraine, March 6, 2022.

So far Poland has absorbed the largest share of the refugees, the U.N. said, with approximately 1 million border crossings by civilians from Ukraine. Hungary has absorbed slightly more than 180,000, while Slovakia has processed 128,000 civilians.

Civilians seeking to leave the city arrive at a train station in the Ukrainian city of Lviv on March 4, 2022, amid Russian attacks..

Across Europe, government and private rail services are offering Ukrainians free passage on trains, and bus companies are organizing transport for children and the elderly, according to Reuters.

--- Christina Wilkie

Mon, Mar 7 2022 12:05 PM EST

United suspends two India routes after pulling out of Russian airspace

A passenger airplane is departing from Newark Liberty International Airport in Newark, New Jersey, on January 19, 2022.

United Airlines is suspending two of its four India routes after pulling out of Russian airspace last week.

United had said it would no longer use Russian airspace, shortly before the U.S. said it was banning Russian aircraft from United States airspace last Tuesday.

United had initially canceled its San Francisco-New Delhi and its Newark-Mumbai service last week, flights that are now suspended until further notice. It will continue to operate flights to New Delhi from its hubs in Chicago and from Newark, New Jersey.

"We continue to evaluate and adjust our schedule in response to the evolving situation in Ukraine," United said.

Tit-for-tat airspace closures and safety concerns after Russia's invasion of Ukraine have forced carriers to take longer routes, some of which require refueling stops.

— Leslie Josephs

Mon, Mar 7 2022 11:58 AM EST

The U.S. 82nd Airborne on patrol along Polish-Ukraine Border

U.S. Army soldiers assigned to the 82nd Airborne carry military equipment as they take part in an exercise outside the operating base at the Arlamow Airport in Wola Korzeniecka, Poland.

U.S. Army soldiers assigned to the 82nd Airborne carry military equipment as they take part in a exercise outside the operating base at the Arlamow Airport on , 2022 in Wola Korzeniecka, Poland.
U.S. Army soldiers assigned to the 82nd Airborne carry military equipment as they take part in an exercise outside the operating base at the Arlamow Airport on March 7th, 2022 in Wola Korzeniecka, Poland.
U.S. Army soldiers assigned to the 82nd Airborne carry military equipment as they take part in an exercise outside the operating base at the Arlamow Airport on March 7th, 2022 in Wola Korzeniecka, Poland.
Mon, Mar 7 2022 11:36 AM EST

NJ Gov. Phil Murphy mulls state action against Russia-linked Lukoil gas stations

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said the state is considering action against dozens of Russian-linked Lukoil gas stations as he aims to sever financial ties with the nation in response to its invasion of Ukraine.

"We're trying to figure out what to do with them," Murphy, a Democrat, said of the gas stations on CNBC's "Squawk Box."

There are about 33 Lukoil gas stations in New Jersey, Murphy said. He noted, however, that "they happen to be franchised by local New Jersey interests in most cases."

Lukoil, one of Russia's largest energy producers, has more than 200 gas stations in the U.S. As Russian President Vladimir Putin continues to wage war in Ukraine, Americans have called to boycott those stations, a small slice of the Lukoil's overall business that nevertheless has been targeted in the push to punish Moscow's economy.

Kevin Breuninger

Mon, Mar 7 2022 11:29 AM EST

Russia and Ukraine hold a third round of talks in Belarus

Delegations attend the third round of Russia-Ukraine peace talks in Brest, Belarus on March 07, 2022.

Envoys from Russia and Ukraine met in Belarus, close to the Polish border, Monday for a third round of talks as Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine entered its 12th day.

Neither side was optimistic for progress, especially after the humanitarian evacuation corridors that were agreed to in the last round of talks were subsequently attacked by Russian forces over the weekend.

Ahead of Monday's talks, Mykhailo Podolyak, an advisor to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, tweeted, "In a few minutes, we will start talking to representatives of a country that seriously believes that large-scale violence against civilians is an argument."

Kyiv has already rejected an initial list of Russian demands that included changing Ukraine's constitution and recognizing the Ukrainian territories of Donetsk and Luhansk as independent republics.

--- Christina Wilkie

Mon, Mar 7 2022 10:32 AM EST

Secretary of State Blinken tells NATO ally Lithuania 'an attack on one is an attack on all'

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken delivers remarks to U.S. Embassy staff at the Vilnius Rotuse in Vilnius, Lithuania March 7, 2022.

Secretary of State Anthony Blinken promised fellow NATO member Lithuania the U.S. will act to repel any Russian military aggression against that country and other Baltic nations.

"The United States commitment to [NATO's] Article 5 – an attack on one is an attack on all," Blinken said, "that commitment is sacrosanct."

Blinken was speaking at a press conference in Lithuania's capital city Vilnius with that country's foreign minister Gabrielius Landsbergis. He made similar remarks in Latvia, another Baltic country that belongs to NATO.

"We will defend every inch of NATO territory if it comes under attack," Blinken said, reiterating comments made by President Joe Biden in his State of the Union address last week. "No one should doubt our readiness; no one should doubt our resolve."

— Dan Mangan

Mon, Mar 7 2022 9:51 AM EST

Canadian Forces personnel load lethal and non-lethal aid bound for Ukraine

Canadian Forces personnel load lethal and non-lethal aid for Ukraine on a transport aircraft bound for Poland, following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, at CFB Trenton in Trenton, Ontario, Canada.

Canadian Forces personnel load lethal and non-lethal aid to be sent to Ukraine, on a transport aircraft bound for Poland, following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, at CFB Trenton in Trenton, Ontario, Canada, March 7, 2022.
Canadian Forces personnel load lethal and non-lethal aid to be sent to Ukraine, on a transport aircraft bound for Poland, following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, at CFB Trenton in Trenton, Ontario, Canada, March 7, 2022.
Canadian Forces personnel load lethal and non-lethal aid to be sent to Ukraine, on a transport aircraft bound for Poland, following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, at CFB Trenton in Trenton, Ontario, Canada, March 7, 2022.
Canadian Forces personnel load lethal and non-lethal aid to be sent to Ukraine, on a transport aircraft bound for Poland, following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, at CFB Trenton in Trenton, Ontario, Canada, March 7, 2022.

— Adam Jeffery

Mon, Mar 7 2022 9:47 AM EST

Biden to hold a secure call with the leaders of Britain, France and Germany

US President Joe Biden speaks on the phone to his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, DC, on December 9, 2021.

President Joe Biden will hold a secure video call with the leaders of France, Germany and the United Kingdom on Monday morning to discuss the latest developments in Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the White House has announced.

The virtual meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will be held in the secure White House Situation Room starting at 10:30 a.m.

The small number of participants on this call is noteworthy. Ever since Russia's brutal invasion of Ukraine began last month, most of Biden's world leader calls have either been one-on-one or with larger groups like the G-7 or European powers.

— Christina Wilkie

Mon, Mar 7 2022 9:06 AM EST

International nuclear watchdog wants to meet with Russia and Ukraine on Zaporizhzhia plant

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi attends a news conference in Vienna, Austria, March 7, 2022.

The International Atomic Energy Agency said it wants to meet with Ukrainian and Russian authorities to ensure the safety of Europe's largest nuclear power plant, which came under attack by Russian forces on Friday.

Currently the IAEA, the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog, is remotely monitoring the situation at Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia plant, but there may come a time for the physical presence of observers, the agency's chief said during a press conference in Vienna on Monday.

"I would not say it's being operated unsafely — we are getting the reports and the assessments from the Ukrainian regulator, and for the time being this is the situation," IAEA Director-General Rafael Mariano Grossi said. "That being said, the conditions are absolutely extraordinary. This 'normal operation' is a technical term, but there is nothing normal about what is going on," he added.

Russia has expressed support for talks with the IAEA and Ukraine, but rejected the IAEA's proposal of Ukraine's Chernobyl as the meeting site, Grossi said.

Russian forces are now in control the plant, with Ukrainian staff working under their orders. He said it's currently operating safely, "but there are many, many questions on the ability to sustain this for much longer if we don't support these in some way."


— Natasha Turak

Mon, Mar 7 2022 8:02 AM EST

Russia reportedly says military action can be stopped 'in a moment' if Ukraine meets conditions

A resident looks out of the destroyed front of a room in a multi-storey building that was badly damaged as a result of Russian missile explosion after it was shot down over the city by Ukrainian air defence on March 6, in Kramatorsk on March 7, 2022.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has reportedly said Russia is prepared to bring an abrupt halt to its military action in Ukraine if Kyiv meets a number of highly contentious conditions.

These include Ukraine ceasing military action, changing its constitution to enshrine neutrality, acknowledging Crimea as Russian territory and recognizing the rebel-held areas of Donetsk and Luhansk as independent territories, Peskov told Reuters.

Ukraine's policymakers were made aware of these conditions, Peskov said, "and they were told that all this can be stopped in a moment."

His comments were thought to be Russia's most explicit statement so far of the terms necessary to stop Moscow's onslaught of Ukraine, which entered its twelfth day on Monday.

— Sam Meredith

Mon, Mar 7 2022 7:41 AM EST

UK PM Boris Johnson rejects calls to widen visa access for Ukrainian refugees

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson at RAF Northolt on March 7, 2022 in London, England.

U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has rejected calls for Britain to make it easier for Ukrainian refugees to enter the country, following sharp criticism that the government's visa routes for those fleeing the conflict are far too restrictive.

"We are a very, very generous country. What we want though is control and we want to be able to check," Johnson told reporters on Monday. "I think it's sensible given what's going on in Ukraine to make sure that we have some basic ability to check who is coming in."

"What we won't do is have a system where people can come into the UK without any checks or any controls at all — I don't think that is the right approach — but what we will do is have a system that is very, very generous," Johnson said.

"As the situation in Ukraine deteriorates people are going to want to see this country open our arms to people fleeing persecution, fleeing a war zone," he added.

His comments came during a visit to a British military base with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and Canada's Justin Trudeau.

— Sam Meredith

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