Russia's recent annexation of four Ukrainian regions will exacerbate human rights violations, the UN rights office said Tuesday, as it outlined the "unspeakable suffering and devastation" inflicted on Ukrainians. Moscow's defence ministry acknowledged serious territorial losses for Russian forces in the southern region of Kherson. Read about the day's events as they unfolded on our liveblog. All times are Paris time (GMT+2).
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9:15pm: Biden offers new $625 million security package
US President Joe Biden announced another $625 million in military assistance to Ukraine during a phone call with President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The package includes High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, or HIMARS, artillery systems ammunition, and armored vehicles.
Biden said his administration will "continue supporting Ukraine as it defends itself from Russian aggression for as long as it takes", according to a White House readout.
Zelensky in turn thanked the US for its "substantial support" for Ukraine.
9:01pm: US urges Russia to provide counter-offer on Griner swap
The White House has urged Russia to provide a counter-offer to US attempts to do a prisoner swap for the release of WNBA star Brittney Griner.
Washington has offered to swap jailed arms dealer Viktor Bout for Griner and Paul Whelan, a former Marine.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters the US had yet to receive a serious response to the offer. "We need to see a serious counter-offer," she said.
Griner was sentenced in August to nine years in prison.
Whelan, who also holds Canadian, Irish and British citizenship, is serving 16 years in prison on espionage charges, which he denies.
8:45pm: Ukrainians 'advancing rapidly' in southern Kherson region
Reporting from the eastern city of Kramatorsk in the Donetsk region, FRANCE 24’s Gulliver Cragg says Ukrainian forces are advancing rapidly in the southern Kherson region, but they appear to be “facing a stronger fight from the Russians than they did in the northeast”.
7:41pm: Recently detained head of Zaporizhzhia plant quitting job: IAEA
The head of the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant who was recently detained in what Ukraine called a Russian act of terror and released, will not return to that job, according to the UN nuclear watchdog.
"The IAEA understands that Mr (Ihor) Murashov is now with his family in territory controlled by Ukraine and will not be continuing with his duties" at the plant, the International Atomic Energy Agency said in a statement. "It is not yet clear who will replace him in this role."
5:53pm: Russian defence ministry acknowledges losing territory near Kherson
Maps released by Moscow's defence ministry on Tuesday showed serious territorial losses for Russian forces occupying Ukraine's southern Black Sea region of Kherson over recent days.
The maps, included in a daily military briefing, showed that Russian forces are no longer in control of the village of Dudchany on the west bank of the Dnieper River northeast of Kherson, where Ukrainian forces have been pushing to reclaim territory captured at the start of Moscow's offensive.
Ukrainian forces scored significant gains in the south on Monday, raising flags over the villages of Arkhanhelske, Myroliubivka, Khreshchenivka, Mykhalivka and Novovorontsovka.
Over the weekend, Russian troops pulled back from Lyman, a strategic eastern city that the Russians had used as a logistics and transport hub, to avoid being encircled by Ukrainian forces. Russian troops abandoned the city so rapidly that they left the bodies of their comrades in the streets, evidence revealed Tuesday, underscoring Moscow's recent military defeats.
Russian forces launched more missile strikes at Ukrainian cities Tuesday as Kyiv's forces pressed their counteroffensives in the east and the south.
5.51pm: Russian annexations will worsen human rights violations, UN says
Russia's claimed annexation of Ukrainian territory will only exacerbate human rights violations, said the UN human rights office as it outlined the "unspeakable suffering and devastation" inflicted on Ukrainians.
Christian Salazar Volkmann, presenting a report on Ukraine to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, said UN experts had documented "a range of violations of the rights to life, liberty and security".
"The Russian Federation's wide-scale armed attack has resulted in a dire human rights situation across Ukraine," the UN rights office's field operations chief said.
"With the purported annexation... the Russian Federation has taken steps which deepen rather than resolve the conflict, and exacerbate the human rights violations associated with it," Salazar Volkmann said.
5.35pm: Russian court sentences US citizen for 'violence' against police
A court in the western Russian city of Voronezh has sentenced a 28-year-old US citizen to four years and six months behind bars for kicking a law enforcement official.
"This man, who disagreed with lawful actions taken by the authorities, used violence against a police officer who was on duty, kicking him several times," the investigative committee, which probes major crimes, said in a statement.
The American, named by Russian-state news agency as Robert Gilman, intends to appeal against the verdict, his lawyer told the agency. His defence lawyer, Valery Ivannikov, added that he plans to contact US officials to arrange a prisoner exchange.
1pm: EU summons Russia's envoy over annexation of Ukrainian territory
The European Union summoned Russia's envoy to the bloc to condemn and reject Moscow's "illegal annexation" of the Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia regions of Ukraine, the bloc's diplomatic service said on Tuesday.
Russia declared the annexations on Friday after holding what it called referendums in occupied areas of Ukraine. Western governments and Kyiv said the votes breached international law and were coercive and non-representative.
The EU said it urged Moscow to reverse its "unlawful act" and unconditionally withdraw all its troops from the entire territory of Ukraine during Monday's meeting with Russia's charge d'affaires, Kirill Logvinov.
12:58pm: More than 200,000 mobilised into Russian army in two weeks, minister says
More than 200,000 people have been conscripted into the Russian army since President Vladimir Putin announced a mobilisation drive on September 21, Moscow's Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said Tuesday.
"As of today more than 200,000 people have entered the army," Shoigu during a televised meeting.
Russia's mobilisation is aimed at propping up Moscow's forces in Ukraine. It was announced after a series of military setbacks. The Kremlin has called the mobilisation "partial" and said it aims to recruit 300,000 men. Shoigu said those mobilised are being trained at "80 training grounds and six training centres".
12:25pm: UK to extend deployment of air defence system in Poland
Britain will extend the deployment of an air defence system in Poland, the UK's defence minister said during a visit to the southern Polish city of Zamosc on Tuesday.
"I am pleased to announce that we will extend the current posting of our medium air defence... for another period to make sure that as Poland helps continue that logistical support to Ukraine it is safe in doing so," Ben Wallace told a news conference.
11:27am: Zelensky decree rules out Ukraine talks with Putin as 'impossible'
President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a decree on Tuesday formally declaring the prospect of any Ukrainian talks with Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin "impossible", but leaving the door open to talks with Russia.
The decree formalised comments made by Zelensky on Friday after the Russian president proclaimed four occupied regions of Ukraine to be a part of Russia, in what Kyiv and the West said was an illegitimate farce.
"He (Putin) does not know what dignity and honesty are. Therefore, we are ready for a dialogue with Russia, but with another president of Russia," Zelensky said on Friday.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP, AP and REUTERS)
