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.
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Russia trying to make Ukrainians 'suffer,' US officials say
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said that Russia’s attacks on Ukrainian power stations shows Russian President Vladimir Putin wants to make Ukrainians "suffer" with deliberate attacks, speaking of attacks on Ukrainian power stations.
"He is trying to make sure that the Ukrainian people suffer," Jean-Pierre said during a press briefing on Tuesday. "He's making it very difficult for them."
Pentagon press secretary Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder echoed those comments, saying Russia is trying to "inflict pain" on Ukrainian civilians with its strikes on population centers and infrastructure.
"We do continue to see them target, among other things, civilian infrastructure, to include energy related targets -- power grids, for example," Ryder said.
He added, "In terms of why we think they're targeting those areas, I think obviously trying to inflict pain on the civilian society as well as try to have an impact on Ukrainian forces."
-ABC News' Ben Gittleson and Matt Seyler
UN commission releases detailed report on war crimes in Ukraine
The United Nations' Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine has released its first in-depth, written report on what it calls "an array of war crimes, violations of human rights and international humanitarian law" committed in the country during the first weeks of Russia's brutal invasion.
The report outlines what investigators say are "documented patterns of summary executions, unlawful confinement, torture, ill-treatment, rape and other sexual violence."
The inquiry zeroed in on four regions of Ukraine-- Kyiv, Chernihiv, Kharkiv and Sumy--and focused on incidents that took place following Russia's invasion on Feb. 24 through the end of March.
Investigators traveled to 27 cities and towns, conducted nearly 200 interviews and "inspected sites of destruction, graves, places of detention and torture, as well as weapon remnants, and consulted a large number of documents and reports."
Due to the sheer number of allegations, the commission could not investigate all the claims it received. The commission said it intends to "gradually devote more of its resources" to a broader investigation within the country, according to the report.
-ABC News' Shannon Crawford
NATO to send Ukraine anti-drone systems: NATO Secretary General
Ukraine will receive anti-drone systems from NATO in the coming days according to NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.
"The most important thing we can do is deliver on what allies have promised, to step up and deliver even more air defense systems," Stoltenberg said, according to Reuters.
He added, "NATO will in the coming days deliver counter-drone systems to counter the specific threat of drones, including those from Iran."
-ABC News' Will Gretsky
30% of Ukraine's power stations destroyed
About a third of Ukraine's power stations have been destroyed by Russian attacks in the last week, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Tuesday.
"Since Oct. 10, 30% of Ukraine's power stations have been destroyed, causing massive blackouts across the country," he said on Twitter. "No space left for negotiations with Putin's regime."
-ABC News' Guy Davies