September 5, 2022 Russia-Ukraine news

By Aditi Sangal, Amy Woodyatt, Simone McCarthy, Tara Subramaniam and Maureen Chowdhury, CNN

Updated 2259 GMT (0659 HKT) September 5, 2022
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11:44 a.m. ET, September 5, 2022

Ukrainian nuclear agency: Zaporizhzhia's last operating reactor disconnected from grid after Russian shelling

From CNN's Yulia Kesaieva, Olga Voitovych and Vasco Cotovio

The last operating reactor at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant has been disconnected from the Ukrainian grid, the country’s nuclear agency Energoatom said on Monday, saying it was the result of a fire caused by Russian shelling. 

“As a result, power unit No. 6 was unloaded and disconnected from the grid, which currently supplies the ZNPP's own needs," the agency said in its statement.

Energoatom is working on restoring the connection, a spokesperson told CNN on Monday. 

“There is a chance to restore the power transmission to the Ukrainian grid,” the spokesperson added, saying he could not detail timings as the situation remained tense. 

The spokesperson noted that the situation was not considered an emergency. 

“The power unit No.6 is still working and cooling all the rest of nuclear reactors. So basically it maintains the power of the plant itself,” the spokesperson explained. “When the generators turn on, usually automatically, this situation would be considered emergency. For now, it is not.”

The Russian controlled military-civilian administration of the city of Enerhodar, where the power plant is located, would not say whether the power plant had been disconnected from the Ukrainian grid, but said the situation at the plant was normal.

The Energoatom spokesperson also said disconnecting the plant from the Ukrainian grid would not make connecting the plant to the Russian grid any easier, due to the damage to transmission lines.

10:20 a.m. ET, September 5, 2022

Russian court sentences former journalist to 22 years in jail for treason

From CNN's Anna Chernova

Ivan Safronov, a former journalist and adviser to the head of Russian space agency Roscosmos accused of state treason, stands inside a defendants' cage as he attends a court hearing in Moscow, Russia September 5.
Ivan Safronov, a former journalist and adviser to the head of Russian space agency Roscosmos accused of state treason, stands inside a defendants' cage as he attends a court hearing in Moscow, Russia September 5. (Press Service of Moscow City Court/Handout/Reuters)

In the most high-profile case of treason in recent years, the Moscow City Court on Monday sentenced Ivan Safronov, a former journalist and adviser to the head of Russian space agency Roscosmos, to 22 years in prison, according to an RIA Novosti correspondent reporting from the courtroom.

"[The court rules out] to sentence Safronov to a term of 22 years to be served in a high security jail," the judicial board announced the decision. In addition, he was sentenced to two years of restriction of freedom after his release and a fine of 500,000 rubles.

The defense has 10 days to appeal this decision, it has not yet entered into force, according to RIA 

More background: Safronov was detained by the Federal Security Service (FSB) in July 2020 after he was accused of collecting state confidential data about Russia's military and technical developments, as well as defense and security, and handing it over to NATO.

As a journalist, Safronov specialized in reporting on military and space topics for the Vedomosti and Kommersant newspapers before moving on to work as an adviser to the former head of Roscosmos, Dmitry Rogozin.

Details of the case were not officially released, as the case was handled behind closed doors due to the severity of the charges. Lawyers for Safronov said last week the prosecutor offered the journalist a guilty plea in exchange for a reduced sentence of 12 years, which he declined.

A few Russia’s remaining independent media outlets, including Meduza, Novaya Gazeta, TVRain, and others, published a statement in support of Ivan Safronov Monday demanding the release of the journalist and calling for an investigation into alleged legal violations in the case.

“It is clear to us that the reason for Ivan’s persecution is not ‘treason’, which is not confirmed by anything, but his journalistic work and materials that he published without regard to the opinion of the Ministry of Defense and the Russian authorities,” the statement said.

9:44 a.m. ET, September 5, 2022

Actors Sean Penn and Ben Stiller are among the latest 25 Americans added to Russia's “stop list” 

From CNN’s Anna Chernova and Fred Pleitgen

American Actors Sean Penn and Ben Stiller are among the latest 25 Americans added to Russia's “stop list.” 
American Actors Sean Penn and Ben Stiller are among the latest 25 Americans added to Russia's “stop list.”  (Getty Images)

Russia’s Foreign Ministry on Monday announced sanctions against 25 more Americans — ranging from members of Congress to business leaders and cultural figures, banning them from entry into Russia on a permanent basis. 

The Russian Foreign Ministry announced these sanctions in response to “ever-expanding personal sanctions” by the Biden administration against Russian citizens, it said on its website, adding that it was acting on the principle of reciprocity and banning US citizens in turn.

The sanctioned Americans include US Democratic senators Mark Kelley and Kristen Sinema, Republican senators Kevin Kramer, Michael Rounds, Richard Scott and Patrick Toomey, and American actors Sean Penn and Ben Stiller. 

“The hostile actions of the American authorities, which continue to follow a Russophobic course, destroying bilateral ties and escalating confrontation between Russia and the United States, will continue to be resolutely rebuffed," the foreign ministry added.

9:33 a.m. ET, September 5, 2022

Ukraine's Zelensky asks France's Macron for additional defense support

From CNN's Olga Voitovych and Xiaofei Xu

Ukrainian and French presidents discussed defense support and the UN nuclear inspection during a 1.5 hours-long call, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a tweet on Monday.

French President also reiterated his full support for restoring Ukraine's sovereignty, security and territorial integrity, the Elysee said in a readout of the call.

The two leaders also discussed the International Atomic Energy Agency’s mission to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. 

“President [Macron] reiterated the imperative need to preserve the safety and security of the nuclear facilities, which can only be achieved through the withdrawal of Russian forces,” the Elysee said. “He also reaffirmed his determination to ensure that Ukrainian sovereignty over the plant is respected.”

9:41 a.m. ET, September 5, 2022

Russian court revokes print license for one of the country's last independent newspapers

From CNN's Fred Pleitgen and Anna Chernova

Novaya Gazeta newspaper's editor-in-chief Dmitry Muratov (R) and deputy editor-in-chief Sergei Sokolov sit in a corridor before a court hearing of a case to revoke the newspaper's media license in Moscow, Russia on September 5.
Novaya Gazeta newspaper's editor-in-chief Dmitry Muratov (R) and deputy editor-in-chief Sergei Sokolov sit in a corridor before a court hearing of a case to revoke the newspaper's media license in Moscow, Russia on September 5. (Filipp Lebedev/REUTERS)

The Basmanny Court of Moscow on Monday invalidated the certificate of registration for the print version of Novaya Gazeta, one of Russia’s last independent newspapers.

Judge Olga Lipkina ruled “to invalidate the registration of Novaya Gazeta,” state news agency RIA Novosti reported from the court.

Speaking outside court, editor-in-chief Dmitry Muratov, a Nobel Peace laureate for his efforts to uphold critical news reporting in Russia, said the ruling was "a political hit job, without the slightest legal basis."

He said the paper would appeal.

In a statement published on the website, the editorial team called this “attempted murder of Novaya Gazeta.”

Russia's media watchdog Rozkomnadzor had accused the publication of failing to provide documents related to a change of ownership in 2006.

Novaya Gazeta, a stalwart of Russia's media scene since its foundation in 1993 with money from the Nobel Peace prize of late Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, had carved out a niche as Russia's leading investigative outlet, even as press freedoms were.

9:41 a.m. ET, September 5, 2022

Plan for referendum on Kherson joining Russia put on hold, Russian-backed official says

From CNN's Tim Lister, Olga Voitovych and Anna Chernova

Kirill Stremousov, deputy head of the Russian-backed Kherson administration, is pictured in his office in the city of Kherson on July 20.
Kirill Stremousov, deputy head of the Russian-backed Kherson administration, is pictured in his office in the city of Kherson on July 20. (AFP/Getty Images)

Plans to hold a referendum on the Ukrainian region of Kherson becoming a part of Russia have been put on hold, said Kirill Stremousov, the deputy head of the Russian-backed administration in the region.

"Kherson region is ready for a referendum on joining the Russian Federation, but a pause was taken due to the security situation," he said, according to the Russian state news agency TASS.

Ukrainian and US officials have long criticized Russian efforts to hold sham referendums in Kherson and other Russian-occupied regions of Ukraine.

Stremousov's remarks come a week after Ukraine announced its long-anticipated offensive to retake Kherson had gotten underway. Since then, there have been dozens of strikes against Russian forces and infrastructure in Kherson.

Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine Iryna Vereshchuk described the referendum as "a farce and a circus," and warned Ukrainian citizens against participating.

"For our citizens who will participate in this — this is, in fact, an article of the Criminal Code," she said. "Do not to take part in any 'referendums.' Neither pressure, nor forceful incitement, etc., will be able to justify the fact that a person went to the 'referendum,'" she said.

8:34 a.m. ET, September 5, 2022

Two nuclear inspectors remain at the Zaporizhzhia plant, but it's unclear for how long

From CNN's Olga Voitovych and Tim Lister

Ukraine's state nuclear energy provider said Monday that four of the six members of the International Atomic Energy Agency inspection team still at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant have left after completing their work, and that it expected the remaining two would remain at the facility "on a permanent basis."

This came hours after a senior pro-Russian official in the occupied part of Zaporizhzhia said the IAEA's current mission to the plant would end Tuesday, though he acknowledged uncertainty over the timeline.

"There is still no clear understanding of whether IAEA representatives will stay at the nuclear power plant on a permanent basis," Vladimir Rogov said.

"The delegation is still working on September 5. After its mission ends, they leave on September 6. They have received all kinds of assistance. We are interested in an objective and balanced assessment of the situation at the nuclear power plant."

In brief comments to CNN Monday, a spokesperson for the IAEA would only say that two IAEA experts are definitely staying at the plant. The organization's Director General Rafael Grossi said during a visit to the plant last Thursday that the IAEA would keep a continuing presence there. 

8:34 a.m. ET, September 5, 2022

Ukraine says it has inflicted losses on Russian forces in southern region of Kherson

From CNN's Tim Lister and Olga Voitovych

The Ukrainian military says offensive action in the southern region of Kherson continued Sunday, with air strikes and artillery brought to bear against Russian forces.

The military's Operational Command South said that the air force carried out 21 strikes, while "rocket and artillery units continue to carry out fire missions intensively. Crossings through the Dnipro and Inhulets (rivers) are under close fire control."

The command said the Russians had lost six tanks and other equipment, including nine howitzers.

An ammunition depot at Tomyna Balka and a pontoon crossing near the village of Lvove were also destroyed, as well as the command post of the 35th Army in the Kakhovka district, it said.

But the Ukrainian General Staff noted that Russian forces continued to conduct defensive operations, attacking more than a dozen settlements in northern Kherson with artillery and air strikes.

"After intensive shelling by the Defense Forces of areas where the enemy is concentrated in the Kherson region, Russian invaders imposed a ban on the movement of local residents. In particular, people are prohibited from crossing the Dnipro River both by bridges and by watercraft," the General Staff added.

The Kherson region military administration said that amid the combat, most of the region was once again without electricity.

6:47 a.m. ET, September 5, 2022

Ukrainian official suggests IAEA mission to  Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant was "ineffective"

From CNN's Tim Lister and Olga Voitovych

The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant during a visit by members of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Friday.
The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant during a visit by members of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Friday. (International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)/Handout/Reuters)

A senior Ukrainian official says the government is still waiting for a report from the International Atomic Energy Agency on the situation at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant and has suggested the IAEA mission is "ineffective."

"We do not understand whether everything is normal there in terms of safety, cooling of the reactors, with the personnel, whether they understand the algorithms by which they work. We did not see all this in the report, and this proves that international institutions, unfortunately, are completely ineffective," Mykhailo Podolyak, adviser to the Head of the President's Office of President of Ukraine, told Ukrainian television Monday.

Podolyak said there should be a "nuclear audit" the plant, which included "a certain number of people who know nuclear physics and engineering technologies" working next to Ukrainian staff.

While occupied by Russian forces, the plant is run largely by Ukrainian technicians.

"There are Russian troops who do not understand what is happening there, they do not assess the risks correctly. But there is a certain number of our workers there who need some kind of protection, to have people from the international community standing next to them," Podolyak said.

The weekend appears to have passed relatively quietly in the area around the plant, which has seen persistent shelling for weeks, some of which has damaged the plant's infrastructure, according to the IAEA.

On Friday, IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said the organization knows "much more" about the state of the plant after its visit last week. A team of inspectors will have "continued presence" at the plant, Grossi said.