September 27, 2022 Russia-Ukraine news

By Tara Subramaniam, Kara Fox, Mike Hayes, Aditi Sangal and Adrienne Vogt, CNN

Updated 11:10 p.m. ET, September 27, 2022
29 Posts
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9:08 p.m. ET, September 27, 2022

Draft papers will be given to all eligible Russian citizens seeking to cross into Georgia, state media says

From CNN's Uliana Pavlova

Travelers from Russia cross the border to Georgia at the Verkhnii Lars checkpoint on September 26.
Travelers from Russia cross the border to Georgia at the Verkhnii Lars checkpoint on September 26. (Irakli Gedenidze/Reuters)

Draft papers will be given to all eligible Russian men seeking to leave Russia through the Georgian border crossing at Verkhnii Lars, according to Russian state news agency RIA Novosti.

Quoting the press office of the regional government of North Ossetia, where the crossing is located, RIA said that "at the entrances to the republic and at the Verkhnii Lars checkpoint, mobile operational groups are organized, consisting of representatives of military registration and enlistment offices and executive authorities."

Earlier on Tuesday, RIA reported that only residents of North Ossetia would receive draft letters at the checkpoint. Now the order appears to apply to all males eligible to be called up under the partial mobilization announced last week.

"The task of the operational groups is to hand draft letters to citizens subject to conscription in accordance with the lists of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation."

The head of government in North Ossetia, Sergei Menyailo, also said that the order applied to citizens who are registered with the military — not only in North Ossetia but in other regions of the country.

The Georgian government says the number of Russians crossing into its territory has almost doubled since the announcement of the mobilization, and there are long lines of traffic at the crossing. 

1:21 p.m. ET, September 27, 2022

President of Georgia condemns referenda in Ukraine as "completely unacceptable"

From CNN's Tim Lister and Josh Pennington 

Georgia's President Salome Zurabishvili in Tbilisi, Georgia on March 24.
Georgia's President Salome Zurabishvili in Tbilisi, Georgia on March 24. (Irakli Gedenidze/Reuters)

Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili has described the so-called referenda in occupied parts of Ukraine as a cynical act on the part of Russia that is "completely unacceptable."

Zurabishvili called on the Georgian government to "categorically condemn" them.

She was speaking while visiting a memorial in the capital, Tbilisi, for those who died during the conflict in Abkhazia 29 years ago, when Georgia lost control of the territory to pro-Russian Abkhazian separatists.

"We know what referendums are when they are held in the occupied territory, in conditions of war," Zurabishvili.

"This is an extremely cynical action on the part of Russia, which is completely unacceptable for us, for the world and for civilized people," she added.

Zurabishvili's comments come as the Georgian government says the number of Russians crossing into its territory has almost doubled since Russian President Vladimir Putin's announcement of the mobilization, and there are long lines of traffic at the crossing. 

CNN's Uliana Pavlova contributed reporting to this post.

12:57 p.m. ET, September 27, 2022

Ukrainians can use US-supplied weapons to regain territory, US secretary of state says

From CNN's Jennifer Hansler

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken vowed that Ukrainians would be able to use weapons provided by the United States to regain its territory, including in the regions that are expected to be annexed by Russia soon.

“I've also been equally clear that Ukraine has the absolute right to defend itself throughout its territory, including to take back the territory that has been illegally seized in one way or another by Russia, Blinken said in response to a question from CNN’s Kylie Atwood at a news conference Tuesday.

He added that the US will “never” recognize the four regions that Vladimir Putin may annex following the sham referendums being held in those regions.

“Because there is no change at all in the territory that is being annexed by the Russians as a matter for us or for the Ukrainians, the Ukrainians will continue to do what they need to do to get back the land that has been taken from them. We will continue to support them in that effort,” Blinken said.

The top US diplomat said his country is "prepared and we will impose additional severe and swift costs on Russia for proceeding with the annexations.”

1:33 p.m. ET, September 27, 2022

Number of Russians entering the EU increased by more than 30% in the past week, border agency says

From CNN's Sharon Braithwaite in London

A Russian citizen waits in a line to have his passport checked at the Vaalimaa border checkpoint in Virolahti, Finland on September 25.
A Russian citizen waits in a line to have his passport checked at the Vaalimaa border checkpoint in Virolahti, Finland on September 25. (Jussi Nukari/Lehtikuva/Reuters)

Nearly 66,000 Russian citizens have entered the European Union over the past week (from Sept. 19 to Sept. 25), a more than 30% increase in comparison to the past week, the European Border and Coast Guard Agency Frontex said Tuesday.

The increase follows Russian President Vladimir Putin’s announcement last week of a partial mobilization of Russian citizens, which has triggered protests and long queues of Russians scrambling to flee the country.

Over the past week, most of the Russians entered the EU through Finnish and Estonian border crossing points, Frontex said in a statement.

"Over the last four days, 30,000 Russian citizens have arrived in Finland," the agency said.

"The majority of them hold residence permits or visas to EU Member States or Schengen Associated Countries, others have dual citizenships. Member States are also reporting entries by Ukrainian citizens in need of temporary protection as they flee the eastern occupied region of Ukraine via Russia," it added.

Fontex estimates that "illegal border crossings are likely to increase if the Russian Federation decides to close the border for potential conscripts."

 

1:27 p.m. ET, September 27, 2022

US secretary of state: Sabotage of Nord Stream pipeline is "in no one's interest"

From CNN's Jennifer Hansler

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that if the leaks in the Nord Stream pipeline were caused by sabotage, “that’s clearly in no one's interest.”

Speaking at a news conference at the State Department Tuesday, Blinken noted the cause of the leaks is being investigated.

“There are initial reports indicating that this may be the result of an attack or some kind of sabotage, but these are initial reports and we haven't confirmed that yet,” he said. “But if it is confirmed, that's clearly in no one's interest.”

The top US diplomat said it was his understanding that “the leaks will not have a significant impact on Europe's energy resilience.”

“What's critical is that we are working, day in, day out, both on a short term basis and a long term basis to address energy security for Europe and, and for that matter around the world,” he said.

12:13 p.m. ET, September 27, 2022

UN "deeply disturbed" by thousands detained in Russia protests

From CNN's Chris Liakos and Eve Brennan

The United Nations has expressed its concerns over the detention of thousands of demonstrators in Russia protesting against President Putin's partial mobilization order.

“We are deeply disturbed by the large number of people who have reportedly been arrested in the Russian Federation for protesting after the authorities announced a partial mobilization of troops in the context of the armed conflict in Ukraine,” Ravina Shamdasani, a spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, said in a statement Tuesday.

“We stress that arresting people solely for exercising their rights of peaceful assembly and freedom of expression constitutes an arbitrary deprivation of liberty. We call for the immediate release of all those arbitrarily detained and for the authorities to abide by their international obligations to respect and ensure the rights to freedom of expression and of peaceful assembly,” Shamdasani added.

At least 2,398 people have been detained in various cities across Russia from Sept. 21 to Sept. 26, the latest data on Tuesday by independent protest monitoring group OVD-Info shows.

12:07 p.m. ET, September 27, 2022

US will introduce resolution condemning Russia over so-called referendums at UN Security Council meeting

From CNN's Kylie Atwood

Linda Thomas-Greenfield, United States Ambassador to the United Nations, speaks during the UN Security Council meeting on March 11 in New York City.
Linda Thomas-Greenfield, United States Ambassador to the United Nations, speaks during the UN Security Council meeting on March 11 in New York City. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield plans to introduce a resolution condemning Russia over the so-called referendums being carried out in four regions of Ukraine and declaring that the UN Security Council does not support the use of force to redraw borders during a security council meeting on Tuesday, a US official told CNN.

The resolution — which will be introduced by the US and Albania jointly — is expected to be largely symbolic as Russia will almost certainly veto it.

Behind the scenes US diplomats will engage with all nations in the security council, including diplomats from China and India, in an effort to get them to vote in favor, the official said.

Thomas-Greenfield will say that Russia intends to annex the territories in an effort to take the territory of another UN member country by force, which the UN charter was designed to prevent, according to the US official. She will ask the members of the security council to join the US in meeting the challenge head-on, the official said.

More context: US officials have repeatedly said they will not accept the outcome of the "sham" referendums, which they believe Russia will use as a pretext to annex those parts of Ukraine. The Biden administration is also preparing a response once Russia annexes the regions, CNN reported Monday.

The introduction of this resolution comes after both President Volodymyr Zelensky and US President Joe Biden called for changes to the UNSC during the UN General Assembly last week. Zelensky called into question why Russia is a permanent member and called on the council to punish Russia.

"Reject the right to vote. Deprive delegation rights. Remove the right of veto -- if it is a Member of the UN Security Council. In order to punish the aggressor within the institutions," Zelensky said.

11:55 a.m. ET, September 27, 2022

"Sham referenda" in Ukraine are "a blatant violation of international law," NATO chief says

From CNN’s Arnaud Siad

The “sham referenda” in Ukraine are a “blatant violation of international law,” NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Tuesday.

“The sham referenda held by Russia have no legitimacy and are a blatant violation of international law. These lands are Ukraine,” the NATO chief wrote on Twitter. 

Stoltenberg said he had just spoken with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, with whom he “made clear that NATO Allies are unwavering in [their] support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and right to self-defense.”

See the tweet:

11:56 a.m. ET, September 27, 2022

White House "not going to speculate" on cause of pipeline leaks and stands ready to support European partners

From CNN's Natasha Bertrand

Gas leak at Nord Stream 2 as seen from a Danish F-16 jet in Bornholm, Denmark on September 27.
Gas leak at Nord Stream 2 as seen from a Danish F-16 jet in Bornholm, Denmark on September 27. (Danish Defence Command/Forsvaret Ritzau Scanpix/Reuters)

A National Security Council spokesperson says that the White House “is not going to speculate on the cause” of major damage to the Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines that has led to leaks in the Baltic Sea.

The spokesperson told CNN that the United States’ European partners are investigating and that “we stand ready to provide support to their efforts.”

“As you know, these pipelines weren’t pumping gas into Europe at this time,” the official added. “NS2 was never operational. Nord Stream 1 has not been operational for weeks because of Russia’s weaponization of energy. This just drives home the importance of our efforts to work together to get alternative gas supplies to Europe and to support efforts to reduce gas consumption and accelerate true energy independence by moving to a clean energy economy.”

Some more context: In September, Russia halted deliveries of gas to Europe through Nord Stream 1 indefinitely, saying it was due to an oil leak at one of its compressor stations.  

As CNN has previously reported, US officials have expressed concern that Russia’s weaponization of oil and gas, leading to skyrocketing costs and even potential blackouts across Europe this winter, could successfully force fissures in what up until now has been a largely united European front opposing Russia’s war in Ukraine.