Russia-Ukraine updates: Putin suspends key US-Russia nuclear treaty in speech denouncing West

President Vladimir Putin said he'd sought an "open dialogue" with the West.

Almost a year after Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of neighboring Ukraine, the two countries are engaged in a struggle for control of areas throughout the east and south.

Putin's forces pulled out of key positions in November, retreating from Kherson as Ukrainian troops led a counteroffensive targeting the southern port city. Russian drones have continued bombarding civilian targets throughout Ukraine, knocking out critical power infrastructure as winter sets in.

For previous coverage, please click here.

Latest headlines:

Here's how the news is developing. All times Eastern.
Sep 26, 2022, 10:14 AM EDT

Ukrainian first lady 'worried' about Russian mobilization

In a new interview, Ukrainian first lady Olena Zelenka told ABC News that recent developments in the war are upsetting, saying this is not an "easy period" for the people of Ukraine.

"When the whole world wants this war to be over, they continue to recruit soldiers for their army," said Zelenska, referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin's announcement last week that he is mobilizing 300,000 more troops against Ukraine. "Of course, we are concerned about this. We are worried and this is a bad sign for the whole world."

First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska spoke to ABC News' Amy Robach.
ABC News

Zelenska, who spoke with ABC News' Amy Robach through a translator, said Ukrainians will continue to persevere in the face of conflict.

"The main difference between our army and the Russian army is that we really know what we are fighting for," she said.

"On the one hand, it's horrible news, but it's the news that we knew about already," she said. "On the other hand, it's great news that the whole world can finally see that this is a heinous crime, that this war is against humanity and humankind."

Sep 26, 2022, 5:40 AM EDT

Man opens fire at Russian military enlistment office

A man has opened fire at a military enlistment office in eastern Russia, severely injuring a recruitment officer there.

A gunman opens fire at a military draft office in Ust-Ilimsk, Irkutsk region, Russia Sept. 26, 2022 in this an image from social media video.
@taygainfo/Telegram via Reuters

An apparent video of the shooting was circulating online, showing a man shooting the officer at a podium in the officer in the city of Irkutsk.

Irkutsk’s regional governor confirmed the shooting, naming the officer injured as Alexander V. Yeliseyev and saying he is in intensive care in a critical condition.

The alleged shooter has been detained, according to the governor.

-ABC News’ Patrick Reevell

Sep 25, 2022, 12:49 PM EDT

Russia Defense Ministry announces high-level leadership shake-up

The Russian Defense Ministry announced a high-level shake-up in its military leadership amid reports Russian forces are struggling in the war against Ukraine.

The defense ministry said Saturday that Col. Gen. Mikhail Y. Mizintsev has been promoted to deputy defense minister overseeing logistics, replacing four-star Gen. Dmitri V. Bulgakov, 67, who had held the post since 2008.

Bulgakov was relieved of his position and is expected to be transferred "to another job,” the Defense Ministry statement said.

The New York Times reported that Mizintsev -- whom Western officials dubbed the “butcher of Mariupol" after alleged atrocities against civilians surfaced in the Ukrainian city in March, previously served as chief of Russia’s National Defense Management Center, which oversees military operations and planning.

In this previous role, Mizintsev became one of the public faces of the war in Ukraine, informing the public about what the Kremlin still calls a “special military operation.”

Mizintsev was put on international sanctions lists and accused of atrocities for his role in the brutal siege of the Mariupol.

Sep 25, 2022, 11:58 AM EDT

Russian recruits report for military mobilization

Newly recruited Russian soldiers are reporting for duty in response to the Kremlin's emergency mobilization to bolster forces in Ukraine, according to photographs emerging from Russia.

Images taken by Associated Press photographers showed Russian recruits gathered at recruitment centers on Sunday in Volgograd and Krasnoda, Russia, some bidding emotional farewells to loved ones as they boarded buses.

Russian recruits board a bus near a military recruitment center in Krasnodar, Russia, Sept. 25, 2022.
AP

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced last week a mobilization to draft more than 300,000 Russians with military expertise, sparking anti-war protests across the country and prompting many to try to flee Russia to avoid the draft.

Russian recruits stand near a military recruitment center in Krasnodar, Russia, Sept. 25, 2022.
AP

Putin signed a law with amendments to the Russian Criminal Code upping the punishments for the crimes of desertion during periods of mobilization and martial law.

A Russian recruit and his wife kiss and hug each other outside a military recruitment center in Volgograd, Russia, Sept. 24, 2022.
AP

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said in an interview Sunday with ABC "This Week" anchor George Stephanopoulos that Russia's military draft is more evidence Russia is "struggling" in its invasion of Ukraine. He also said "sham referendums" going on in Russia-backed territories of eastern and southern Ukraine are also acts of desperation by the Kremlin.

A Russian Orthodox priest blesses a group of recruits at a military recruitment center in Volgograd, Russia, Sept. 24, 2022.
AP
Russian recruits sit inside a bus near a military recruitment center in Volgograd, Russia, Sept. 24, 2022.
AP

"These are definitely not signs of strength or confidence. Quite the opposite: They're signs that Russia and Putin are struggling badly," Sullivan said while noting Putin's autocratic hold on the country made it hard to make definitive assessments from the outside.

Related Topics

Sponsored Content by Taboola