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

A senior U.S. official met with a Russian delegation in Istanbul on Friday to discuss "a narrow set of bilateral issues," according to a spokesperson from the State Department.

Citing a hesitancy to discuss "private diplomatic discussions," the spokesperson declined to provide additional detail, but other sources say the agenda was focused on embassy staffing levels, visas, and related matters.

A spokesperson added that the war in Ukraine was not discussed, nor was Paul Whelan’s case.

The meeting was initially reported by Russian News Agency TASS.

-ABC News' Shannon Crawford

The U.S. Department of Treasury issued sanctions against four Russians accused of forcibly seizing personal data and conducting interrogations and searches against Ukrainian citizens to determine if they have any connections to the Ukrainian government or military.

There are also allegations that deportations, disappearances and torture have also been carried out.

Two of those sanctioned "oversaw the filtration of city government officials and other civilians from Mariupol, Ukraine, including through the filtration center in Manhush, Ukraine. Witnesses have reported insufficient food supplies, overcrowded cells, and beatings at the Manhush filtration center. One witness overheard Russia’s soldiers discussing shooting people who underwent filtration at Manhush," according to a press release from the Treasury.

The Treasury is also sanctioning members of Russia's Central Election Commission for overseeing the sham referenda held in Russian-controlled areas of Ukraine in September, during which Ukrainians were forced to vote for annexation.

-ABC News' Sarah Kolinovsky

A Russian airstrike that struck Kurakhov, a city in Donetsk Oblast in southeastern Ukraine, has killed 10 people, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on Wednesday.

Civilian areas such as a market, gas station, bus station and a residential building were among the targets that were struck, Zelenskyy said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin warned on Wednesday the threat of nuclear war is increasing but Russia will not be the first to use nuclear weapons.

Putin, speaking at Russia's Human Rights Council, said nuclear weapons should act as a deterrent in conflicts, not provoke them.

"We consider weapons of mass destruction, nuclear weapons, it is all built around the so-called retaliatory strike. When we are struck, we strike back," Putin said.

“I have already said: we don’t have our own nuclear weapons, including tactical ones, on the territory of other countries, but the Americans do. Both in Turkey and in a number of other European states ... we haven't done anything yet," Putin said.

-ABC News' Will Gretsky