Russian President Vladimir Putin would be crossing a “very important line” if he were to order the use of nuclear weapons in Ukraine, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg warned on Thursday, with Russia set to hold nuclear exercises in the coming days. Earlier, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan defended Ankara's booming trade ties with Moscow during a meeting with Putin in Kazakhstan, resisting Western pressure to comply with sanctions against Russia. Follow FRANCE 24’s live blog for all the latest developments. All times are Paris time (GMT+2).
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9:48pm: Women in eastern Ukraine recount ordeal of giving birth during wartime
While filming in the Donbas region and the nearby town of Izium on Thursday, FRANCE 24's Catherine Norris Trent met women who recounted the ordeals of giving birth and keeping their children safe in a war zone.
"They spoke of tank fire, artillery hitting their homes. One woman told us that her 10-year-old son told them he could hear a bomb dropping and they all ran for shelter, and then, they said cluster munitions went off in their garden," Norris Trent reports. "You can just see what kind of a struggle it's been for them to survive."
8:55pm: Russia begins evacuating civilians from Ukraine's Kherson
The Russian-installed governor of Ukraine's southern Kherson region has urged residents to take their children and leave for safety, in one of the starkest signs yet that Moscow is losing its grip on territory it claims to have annexed.
Russia's TASS news agency reported a first group of civilians fleeing from Kherson was expected to arrive in Russia's Rostov region as soon as Friday.
"Every day, the cities of Kherson region are subjected to missile attacks," Russian-installed Kherson administration chief Vladimir Saldo said in a video message.
"As such, the leadership of Kherson administration has decided to provide Kherson families with the option to travel to other regions of the Russian Federation to rest and study," he said.
6:55pm: Russia steps up drone attacks deep in Ukrainian territory
Ukrainian authorities say Russia carried out three successful strikes to the west of Kyiv overnight using Iranian-made drones, damaging parts of critical infrastructure.
FRANCE 24’s correspondent Gulliver Cragg has more on the new threat faced by Ukrainian forces as well as civilians.
6:15pm: NATO to monitor upcoming Russian nuclear exercise
Russian President Vladimir Putin would be crossing a “very important line” if he were to order the use of nuclear weapons in Ukraine, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg warned Thursday, as both the military alliance and Russia are due to hold nuclear exercises in the next few days.
NATO is holding its exercise, dubbed “Steadfast Noon,” next week. The long-planned manoeuvres are conducted around the same time every year and run for about one week. They involve fighter jets capable of carrying nuclear warheads, but do not involve any live bombs.
Russia usually holds its own manoeuvres around the same time, and NATO is expecting Moscow's exercise of its nuclear forces sometime this month. Stoltenberg said NATO will “closely monitor” what Russia is up to.
"We have monitored Russian nuclear forces for decades and of course we will continue to monitor them very closely and we will stay vigilant – also when they now start a new exercise," Stoltenberg told reporters.
Asked what NATO would do if Russia launched a nuclear attack, Stoltenberg said: “We will not go into exactly how we will respond, but of course this will fundamentally change the nature of the conflict. It will mean that a very important line has been crossed.”
He added that “even any use of a smaller nuclear weapon will be a very serious thing, fundamentally changing the nature of the war in Ukraine, and of course that would have consequences”.
Stoltenberg's remarks came after a meeting of NATO's secretive Nuclear Planning Group, which was held among defence ministers in Brussels, as concerns deepen over Putin’s insistence that he will use any means necessary to defend what he views as Russian territory.
5:05pm: Russia slams 'unacceptable' Macron comment on Caucasus role
Russia's foreign ministry has slammed as "unacceptable" a comment by French President Emmanuel Macron that Moscow was "destabilising" the peace process between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
"We consider Emmanuel Macron's statements that Russia is allegedly using the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict to destabilise the South Caucasus outrageous, absolutely unacceptable," Russia's foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Telegram.
Macron accused Russia of "destabilising" and "seeking to create disorder" in the Caucasus in comments to French television Wednesday.
The criticism came a week after he held talks with Armenia's Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev – arch foes who rarely meet face-to-face.
4:45pm: Ukrainian forces hope for breakthrough in Donbas
While Ukraine's army has pushed back Russian forces in the Kharkiv and Kherson regions, there has been no such progress in the Donbas, where government troops have been battling Moscow-backed separatist militants for almost 10 years.
Kyiv's troops are now hoping new weapons provided by the West could help secure the breakthough that has eluded them since 2014. FRANCE 24's Fraser Jackson has the story.
4:05pm: Iran drone sales to Russia would violate UN resolution, says France
Any sale of Iranian drones to Russia would be a violation of the United Nations Security Council resolution that endorsed the 2015 nuclear accord between Iran and world powers, France's foreign ministry has said.
The ministry added that it was coordinating with its EU partners on how to respond.
Three drones operated by Russian forces attacked the small town of Makariv, west of Ukraine's capital, early on Thursday, with officials saying that critical infrastructure facilities were struck by what they said were Iranian-made suicide drones.
>> Read more: Ukraine faces new Russian threat from Iran-made ‘kamikaze’ drones
3:15pm: Putin seeks to kindle anti-Western sentiment among Asian leaders
Russia's Vladimir Putin has used a speech to Asian leaders to develop a theme that he has pressed more intensely as his military fortunes wane: that Moscow is fighting the West to establish a fairer world.
With Western economic sanctions also tightening, Putin has shifted his emphasis from fighting alleged "fascists" in Kyiv to confronting a "collective West" that is arming Ukraine with the supposed aim of expanding its influence at Russia's expense.
"The world is becoming truly multi-polar," Putin said. "And Asia, where new centres of power are emerging, plays a significant, if not key, role in it."
At a meeting of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) in the Kazakh capital Astana, Putin described the West as a neo-colonial power bent on stunting the development of the rest of the world and exploiting poorer countries.
"Like many of our partners in Asia, we believe a revision is needed of the global financial system, which has for decades allowed the self-proclaimed so-called 'golden billion', who redirected all capital flows and technologies to themselves to live largely at others' expense," Putin said.
1:46pm: Russian-installed Kherson governor urges residents to evacuate
The Russian-installed governor of Ukraine's Kherson region has appealed to residents to evacuate amid fighting between Russian and advancing Ukrainian forces.
In a video statement on the Telegram app, Vladimir Saldo, head of the Russian-installed local administration, also publicly asked for Moscow's help in transporting civilians into Russia.
Kherson is one of four Ukrainian regions that Russia formally incorporated into its territory this month, a move the UN General Assembly has described as an "attempted illegal annexation".
1:31pm: Turkey-Russia ties make ‘less developed countries happy’: Erdogan
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has defended Ankara's booming trade ties with Moscow during his meeting with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.
Even as the US and the EU apply pressure on NATO-member Turkey to comply with sanctions, Erdogan mentioned Russia's construction of Turkey's first nuclear power plant, which Ankara hopes to open next year. The Turkish president also raised the idea of Russia building a second nuclear power plant in northern Turkey.
Putin also told his Erdogan that Moscow would consider developing a "gas hub" in Turkey, with Russia's supplies to Europe disrupted by Ukraine-related sanctions and leaks at key pipelines.
"Turkey has turned out to be the most reliable route for deliveries today, even to Europe. We could consider the possibility of creating a gas hub in Turkey for supplies to other countries," Putin told Erdogan.
"While Turkey and Russia's steps will disturb certain circles, they will make less developed countries happy," Erdogan said, referring to a grain deal he helped broker, which paved the way for Ukrainian grain deliveries across the Black Sea.
1:12pm: IMF’s $1.3 billion emergency funding arrives in Ukraine: PM
Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal has said the IMF’s latest $1.3 billion emergency funding has arrived and will be used to finance the war-torn country’s “priority needs”.
1:04pm: Ukraine shells residence block near border in Russia's Belgorod: governor
A residential building in the southern Russian city of Belgorod near the border with Ukraine was hit Thursday in shelling by Kyiv's forces, the governor of the city said.
"The Ukrainian armed forces shelled Belgorod. There is damage at a residential apartment building on Gubkin street. Information about the victims is being specified," the Belgorod regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said in a statement on Telegram.
12:37pm: Power largely restored in Ukraine after Russian attacks: grid operator
Power has largely been restored across Ukraine following this week's attacks by Russia on Ukrainian energy facilities, according to the head of Ukrainian grid operator Ukrenergo.
Volodymyr Kudrytskyi told national television that some repair work was continuing on damaged infrastructure but supplies had been restored. Despite this, Ukrainians should continue to conserve energy because further Russian attacks were possible on energy facilities, he said.
11:46am: Russia summons German, Danish, Swedish envoys over Nord Stream probe
Russia's foreign ministry said it had summoned diplomats from Germany, Denmark and Sweden to complain that representatives from Moscow and Gazprom had not been invited to join an investigation into ruptures of the Nord Stream gas pipelines.
"Russia will obviously not recognise the pseudo-results of such an investigation unless Russian experts are involved," the foreign ministry said.
The cause of the ruptures in the Nord Stream pipelines, which run under the Baltic Sea, remains unclear, but EU countries have pointed to sabotage.
>> Swedish security service opens inquiry into Nord Stream pipeline 'sabotage'
10:43am: Ukraine says it has only 10% of what it needs for air defences
President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday said Ukraine has only about 10% of what it needs for its air defences and ruled out diplomatic contacts with Russia.
He said in a question-and-answer session with the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, Europe's leading human rights watchdog, that diplomacy was not possible with leaders who do not respect international law.
10:30am: Zelensky demands demilitarisation of Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said Moscow must be made to comply with demands by the UN nuclear watchdog to allow the demilitarisation of the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.
He made his comments in a video address to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, Europe's leading human rights watchdog.
10:14am: Putin to meet Erdogan in Kazakhstan as Turkey eyes peace broker role
Ahead of a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Kazakhstan, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said his country aims to keep up its effort to help reach peace between Russia and Ukraine.
In his address to the summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA) on Thursday, Erdogan said Turkey’s “goal is to continue the momentum that has been achieved and bring an end to the bloodshed as soon as possible”.
He was referring to agreements that Turkey helped broker, which allowed Ukraine to resume grain exports via the Black Sea and led to a prisoner swap between Moscow and Kyiv.
Reporting from Ankara, FRANCE 24’s Turkey correspondent Jasper Mortimer explains the grain deal is set to expire in November and Turkey is keen to be seen as a peace broker in the Ukraine conflict.
9:37am: US committed to defending 'every inch' of NATO territory as nuclear planning group meets
The US reaffirmed its commitment to defend "every inch" of NATO territory ahead of talks among defence ministers from the alliance on Thursday that will include closed-door discussions by its nuclear planning group.
US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin made the remarks affirming America's commitment to NATO's collective defence following repeated nuclear threats by Russian President Vladimir Putin amid battlefield setbacks in his nearly eight-month-long invasion of Ukraine.
"We are committed to defending every inch of NATO's territory -- if and when it comes to that," Austin said.
Austin spoke shortly before attending a meeting by NATO's Nuclear Planning Group, which is NATO's senior body on nuclear matters and handles policy issues associated with its nuclear forces.
9:33am: Pro-Russian forces say captured villages near Bakhmut in Donetsk region
Russian-backed separatist forces in the eastern Donetsk region of Ukraine said Thursday they had captured two villages near the industrial city of Bakhmut, posting small gains against Kyiv's counter-offensive.
"A group of troops of the DNR and LNR -- with fire support from the Russian Armed Forces -- liberated Opytine and Ivangrad," a statement released by separatist authorities said on Telegram, using acronyms for the so-called Donetsk and Lugansk people's republics.
The villages are located just south of Bakhmut, a wine-making and salt-mining city that used to be populated by some 70,000 people and which Russian forces have been pummelling for weeks to capture.
The reported gains come after weeks in which Ukrainian troops have been clawing back large swathes of territory in the south and east of Ukraine -- including Donetsk -- controlled by Russian forces for months.
The Ukrainian military said in an update Thursday morning that it had repelled Russian attacks near the villages of Bakhmutske, Ozaryanivka, Ivangrad, Bakhmut and Maryinka.
9:02am: Ukraine nuclear chief denounces Russian claim that plant needs Russian fuel
The head of Ukraine's state nuclear energy company on Thursday decried as "fake news" Russian assertions that the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant is in need of Russian fuel.
Energoatom chief Petro Kotin, speaking in a Reuters interview, said there are fresh fuel supplies in storage at the six-reactor plant, the largest in Europe.
"Just to prepare for this transfer from one supplier to another you need about three years. So they (Russia) call tell this fake news," Kotin said.
8:21am: Russia consolidating new front line in Kherson's Mylove village: UK
Russian troops are likely attempting to consolidate along a new front line west of the village of Mylove in Ukraine's southern region of Kherson, according to the daily British military intelligence briefing.
"Heavy fighting continues along this line, especially at the western end where Ukrainian advances mean Russia's flank is no longer protected by the Inhulets River," the ministry said in its intelligence update on Twitter.
7:11am: Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant to switch to Russian fuel: Rosenergoatom
The Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant will switch to Russian nuclear fuel after it has used up its current reserves, Russia's TASS state news agency reported, citing an official with Russia's nuclear power operator Rosenergoatom.
"The fuel that is in operation will be used up ... ours will be used in the future," Russian news agency TASS cited Renat Karchaa, a senior Rosenergoatom official, as saying.
6:57am: Russian missiles pound Mykolaiv
Russian missiles pounded the southern city of Mykolaiv, hitting a residential building, according to the mayor.
"A five-storey residential building was hit, the two upper floors were completely destroyed, the rest – under rubble. Rescuers are working on the site,” Mykolaiv's Mayor Oleksandr Senkevich said in a social media post, adding that the city was "massively shelled".
6:42am: Drone strikes hit infrastructure facilities in Kyiv region: Zelensky's office
Critical infrastructure facilities were hit by drone strikes early Thursday, said Kyrylo Tymoshenko, deputy head of the Volodymyr Zelensky's presidential office.
"Another attack by kamikaze drones on critical infrastructure facilities," Tymoshenko said on the Telegram messaging app.
Ukraine has reported a spate of Russian attacks with Iranian-made Shahed-136 drones in recent weeks. Iran denies supplying the drones to Russia, while the Kremlin has not commented.
4:55am: Shelling hits Kyiv region on Thursday, says local administration
A settlement in the region of Ukraine's capital Kyiv was hit by shelling early on Thursday, the region's administration said on the Telegram messaging app.
"Rescuers are already working at the site," the administration said, without providing further details on where the shelling took place.
3:55am: Russian missiles target Ukraine's Mykolaiv
Russia unleashed a barrage of missiles on the Ukrainian city of Mykolaiv on Thursday, officials said, after the United Nations General Assembly condemned Moscow's attempted annexation of four Ukrainian areas and Kyiv's allies committed more military aid.
"A five-storey residential building was hit, the two upper floors were completely destroyed, the rest – under rubble. Rescuers are working on the site,” Mayor Oleksandr Senkevich said in a social media post, adding the southern city was "massively shelled".
A shipbuilding centre and a port on the Southern Bug river off the Black Sea, Mykolaiv has suffered heavy Russian bombardments throughout the war.
1:30am: Britain to donate air defence missiles to Ukraine
Britain said it would donate air defence missiles capable of shooting down cruise missiles to Ukraine in the wake of Russian strikes on Kyiv and other cities in recent days.
British Defence Secretary Ben Wallace announced the new support ahead of a NATO meeting in Brussels on Thursday.
Ukraine's allies had pledged new air defences and more aid on the sidelines of the meeting on Wednesday.
Britain said the Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile, or AMRAAM, which will be provided in the coming weeks, could be used with the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System, or NASAMS air defence systems pledged by the United States.
Hundreds of additional air defence missiles of other types would also be donated, along with more aerial drones and a further 18 howitzer artillery guns, it said.
10:25pm: UN General Assembly strongly condemns Russian annexations
The United Nations General Assembly has overwhelmingly condemned Russia's "attempted illegal annexation" of four occupied regions in Ukraine and called on all countries not to recognise the move, reinforcing a diplomatic international isolation of Moscow since it invaded its neighbour.
Three-quarters of the 193-member General Assembly – 143 countries – voted in favor of a resolution that also reaffirmed the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders.
Only 4 countries joined Russia in voting against the resolution – Syria, Nicaragua, North Korea and Belarus. Another 35 countries abstained from the vote, including Russia's strategic partner China, while the rest did not vote.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP, AP and REUTERS)
