September 13, 2022 Russia-Ukraine news

By Tara Subramaniam, Ivana Kottasová, Eliza Mackintosh, Adrienne Vogt and Aditi Sangal, CNN

Updated 7:40 p.m. ET, September 13, 2022
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4:18 p.m. ET, September 13, 2022

List of Russian municipal deputies calling for Putin’s resignation grows to nearly 50, local official says

From CNN's Uliana Pavlova

Russian President Vladimir Putin looks on during the Navy Day Parade in Saint Petersburg on July, 31.
Russian President Vladimir Putin looks on during the Navy Day Parade in Saint Petersburg on July, 31. (Contributor/Getty Images)

Nearly 50 municipal deputies have now signed a petition demanding the resignation of President Vladimir Putin, 29 more than on Monday, according to one of those involved.

Ksenia Thorstrom, a municipal deputy of the Semenovsky District in Saint Petersburg, told CNN: 

“Now we have 47 verified signatures. Their geography has expanded significantly.”

“My colleagues and I wanted to support the deputies from Smolninsky, who were recently summoned to the police and will soon have a trial,” Thorstrom said. 

The petition says: “We, the municipal deputies of Russia, believe that the actions of its president Vladimir Putin are detrimental to Russia’s and its citizens’ future. We demand Vladimir Putin's resignation from the post of the President of the Russian Federation."

“We decided to make our appeal so short that there would be less reason to find any fault with it from the authorities and so that as many municipal deputies as possible would sign the petition,” Thorstrom said. 

Last week, the deputies of the Smolninskoye municipality of St. Petersburg called on the State Duma of the Russian Federation to bring charges of treason against Putin in order to remove him from office due to the war in Ukraine. Now those deputies face charges of "discrediting" the Russian army, according to a tweet by one of them, Nikita Yuferev. 

Municipal deputies are local officials with limited political influence. The petition follows Russia’s first regional and municipal elections since the start of the war, in which pro-Kremlin candidates were overwhelmingly successful.

4:18 p.m. ET, September 13, 2022

White House official heralds "swift and stunning" Ukrainian advances on Russian-held territory

From CNN's Betsy Klein

National Security Council coordinator for strategic communications John Kirby answers questions during the daily briefing at the White House on August 4.
National Security Council coordinator for strategic communications John Kirby answers questions during the daily briefing at the White House on August 4. (McNamee/Getty Images)

The White House reiterated some cautious optimism regarding Ukraine’s recent advances on Russian-held territory Tuesday, with John Kirby, National Security Council coordinator for strategic communications, saying it has been “swift and stunning.”

“They certainly have some momentum, particularly up there in the northeast part of the country in that Donbas region. You saw just from that report how swift and how stunning their advances have been," Kirby said during an appearance on “Good Morning America.”

"There is more fighting to go, though, and in particularly down in the south where the Ukrainians are also trying to break through near Kherson city. They've made some incremental progress there. They're facing a stiffer Russian resistance down south, but clearly up in that northeast region, there's some momentum here by the Ukrainians, there's no doubt about it,” Kirby said.

He noted that “weeks of planning” went into the offensive.

Pressed on threats to Russian President Vladimir Putin inside Russia, Kirby said the US is watching closely.

“It is very interesting to see, isn't it now, that he's facing some public rebukes not just from opposition figures, but from actual elected officials inside Russia. That's not insignificant, and we'll see where this goes. And we're already starting to see signs that they're going to probably start to crack down on some of these dissident elected officials. We'll watch this carefully. But it is noteworthy that now even elected municipal officials are coming out speaking against Mr. Putin,” he said. 

When asked if the US believes the table has been set for a diplomatic settlement, Kirby said, “I don’t know that we know we’re there yet,” saying he would defer to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

“Mr. Putin has shown no inclination to stop the prosecution of this war against the Ukrainian people, as we saw with his retaliatory strikes and in Kharkiv just over the over the weekend. So I don't think we're there yet. Obviously, President Biden fully supports a diplomatic end of this war, an end that we'd like to see today if possible, but I just don't know that we're on the horizon right now,” he said. 

8:54 a.m. ET, September 13, 2022

Governor of Russian region bordering Ukraine urges evacuation of some villages

From CNN's Tim Lister

Vyacheslav Gladkov, center, speaks during a meeting with local residents in Belgorod, Russia, in July.
Vyacheslav Gladkov, center, speaks during a meeting with local residents in Belgorod, Russia, in July. (Oleg Kharseev/Kommersant/Sipa USA/Sipa via AP Images)

The governor of the Russian region of Belgorod, Vyacheslav Gladkov, has again urged civilians to leave villages close to the border with Ukraine.

Belgorod is adjacent to Ukraine's Kharkiv region.

Gladkov said on Telegram Tuesday that he had been to the village of Zhuravlevka, and the situation there is "difficult, but all services are in place," including law enforcement and border guards. 

"We continue to persuade people who still remain in Zhuravlevka and Nekhoteevka to temporarily leave their homes," he added.

Shelling along the border has affected communities on both sides, with homes damaged and grain fields set on fire.

8:33 a.m. ET, September 13, 2022

China responds to questions regarding an official's remarks during a visit to Russia

From CNN's Beijing Bureau

China's Foreign Ministry on Tuesday responded to questions about remarks regarding Ukraine during a visit to Russia. 

A Russian statement on a visit by Li Zhanshu, Chinese chair of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, mentioned that Li said China “understands and supports Russia on issues that represent its vital interests, in particular on the situation in Ukraine."

But a Chinese government readout on Li's visit had no mention of Ukraine at all. 

According to the official Xinhua News Agency, Li expressed China’s willingness to “continue to work with Russia to firmly support each other on issues concerning each other’s core interests and major concerns.”

Mao Ning, a spokesperson of China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said Tuesday:

"As for China's position on Ukraine, we have already presented it many times. This position is clear and consistent, and we call on all parties to achieve a ceasefire and stop the war as soon as possible through dialogue and consultation." 

Beijing has firmly refused to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine – or even refer to it as a “war.” Instead, it has repeatedly laid the blame for the conflict on NATO and the United States.

8:09 a.m. ET, September 13, 2022

Moscow has not discussed a nationwide mobilization to boost its military campaign in Ukraine, Kremlin says

From CNN’s Anna Chernova 

Russia's Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov arrives for a meeting on Russky Island on September 6.
Russia's Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov arrives for a meeting on Russky Island on September 6. (Valery Sharifulin/TASS/ZUMA Press)

After a Russian parliamentarian suggested the need to announce a nationwide mobilization to boost Moscow's military campaign in Ukraine, the Kremlin said there has been no discussion about it.

“Without full mobilization, without wartime footing, including of the economy, we will not achieve proper results,” State Duma deputy from the ruling United Russia party, Mikhail Sheremet, was quoted as saying to local media Ura.ru on Monday.

But Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists in a conference call Tuesday there is "no discussion of this for now.” 

When asked about criticism from some popular Russian bloggers and commentators about Russia’s recent performance in Ukraine, Peskov said it illustrated “pluralism,” adding that Russians support Russian President Vladimir Putin and his decisions but warned there is a “fine line” when expressing critical opinions.

“As for other, critical points of view, as long as they remain within the framework of the law, this is pluralism. But there is a fine line, and one must be very careful here,” Peskov said.

8:01 a.m. ET, September 13, 2022

Pro-Russian officials claim Ukraine is making no progress toward southern city of Kherson

From CNN's Tim Lister and Julia Kesaieva

People inspect the damage at a residential building destroyed by a strike in Mykolaiv on September 11.
People inspect the damage at a residential building destroyed by a strike in Mykolaiv on September 11. (Umit Bektas/Reuters)

Fighting continues in southern Ukraine along a wide front in the Kherson and Mykolaiv regions.

Pro-Russian officials have insisted that a Ukrainian offensive is being contained.

In a video message close to the front lines, Kirill Stremousov, the Russian-appointed deputy head of Kherson region military administration, said that he was on the Kherson-Mykolaiv highway and that "no one is retreating and will not retreat."

Stremousov said he had visited much of the front line around Kherson and the city was "reliably protected." He maintained that Ukrainian forces had "no chance of breaking through the line of defense."

"There is no threat to Kherson. Kherson will remain with Russia," he said.

Ukrainian officials have provided few details about the progress of their offensive in the south, but claimed that some 500 square kilometers of territory had been taken — mainly along the borders of Mykolaiv and Kherson regions. 

Natalia Humeniuk, spokeswoman for the Ukrainian military's Operational Command South, said Tuesday that Russian forces continued to shell "peaceful settlements," especially in the direction of the city of Kryvih Rih.

8:54 a.m. ET, September 13, 2022

CNN goes to Izium, a city recaptured by Ukraine after months of Russian occupation

From CNN's Rebecca Wright, Sam Kiley, Olha Konovalova and Peter Rudden

An abandoned Russian armoured vehicle is seen near a village on the outskirts of Izyum on September 11.
An abandoned Russian armoured vehicle is seen near a village on the outskirts of Izyum on September 11. (Juan Barreto/AFP/Getty Images)

As a CNN team on the ground surveyed the city of Izium, the signs of Ukrainian victory after months of Russian occupation are clear.

Burned-out tanks and trucks emblazoned with Russia's signature "Z" symbol were at the side of the road, gutted and red with new rust. A collapsed bridge was covered in signs warning of landmines. Further along, the wreckage of a car was left alongside a destroyed petrol station surrounded by the debris of shelling.

Izium has now been "liberated," along with almost the whole of Kharkiv region, a Ukrainian military source told CNN. The city is a huge strategic loss for the Russian military, which used it as a key base and resupply route for its forces in eastern Ukraine, and shows the speed and scale of Ukraine's lightning-fast counteroffensive in the northeast.

Work is still ongoing to make the city center completely safe. The Ukrainians are seeking to capture a few Russian soldiers still in hiding, and anyone who worked with them during the occupation. The city also remains in a complete information blackout, with no phone or data signal — a tactic used by the Russians across the occupied territories.

From what the CNN team witnessed, local people are relieved to see their city back in Ukrainian hands.

Although the streets of Izium were largely quiet, residents would occasionally venture out of their homes and wave at CNN's vehicles or at the passing military trucks, and shake hands with any Ukrainian soldiers they came across.

But at the same time, fear of the Russians still grips the city. Most of the residents CNN approached were too scared to speak freely about what had happened there in recent months.

One couple in their 50s agreed to talk, using only their first names. They have been celebrating the Ukrainian victory over the city, a resident named Valeriy said, calling it a "balm for the soul."

"We prayed to God to be liberated without a fight and without blood. And so it happened," he said.

The distant sound of shelling is a constant reminder that despite the impressive gains in this counteroffensive, the war is not yet won — and many parts of Ukraine are still within range of Russia's arsenal of heavy weapons.

Read more here.

9:05 a.m. ET, September 13, 2022

Ukraine claims shooting down Iranian drone used by Russia

From CNN’s Yulia Kesaieva and Mostafa Salem

The wreckage of what Kyiv has described as an Iranian Shahed drone downed is seen near Kupiansk on September.
The wreckage of what Kyiv has described as an Iranian Shahed drone downed is seen near Kupiansk on September. (Ukrainian military's Strategic Communications Directorate/ Associated Press)

Ukraine's military claimed Tuesday for the first time that its forces had shot down an Iranian-supplied drone used by Russia on the battlefield in the country's east.

“With a great deal of conceit, it can be claimed that the Armed Forces of Ukraine for the first time destroyed an Iranian attack drone near Kupyansk,” the Ukrainian military's Strategic Communication Directorate said in a statement on Telegram, published alongside images of the wrecked drone allegedly downed near a city in the Kharkiv district.

“Analysis of the appearance of the wing elements of the drone allows us to say with certainty that the Armed Forces of Ukraine destroyed an Iranian UAV for the first time. It is a long-range kamikaze UAV Shahed-136,” the statement added.

CNN is unable to independently verify the Ukrainian claim

The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense also tweeted images of what appears to be the Iranian-made drone that was shot down near Kupiansk.

Background: The news comes after US intelligence warned in July that Tehran planned to send Russia "hundreds" of bomb-carrying drones for use in the war in Ukraine. In August, a US official told CNN that Russians were believed to have been training on the drones for several weeks. Later in the month, Iran’s armed forces launched drills with over 100 locally-manufactured combat and reconnaissance drones to exhibit its "power," state media reported.

Iran began showcasing the Shahed-191 and Shahed-129 drones, also known as UAVs or Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, to Russia at Kashan Airfield south of Tehran in June, US officials told CNN. Both types of drones are capable of carrying precision-guided missiles.

8:03 a.m. ET, September 13, 2022

Analysis: Putin running out of options after Russian collapse in Kharkiv region

From CNN's Ivana Kottasová

Russian President Vladimir Putin during a meeting via videoconference in Moscow on September  9.
Russian President Vladimir Putin during a meeting via videoconference in Moscow on September 9. (Gavriil Grigorov/Sputnik/Kremlin Pool/Associated Press)

Russian President Vladimir Putin has spent more than two decades carefully cultivating his domestic political image of a strong foreign policy strategist who can outsmart Western leaders and restore Russia to its former glory.

But that image has suffered significant damage in the past few days, as a blistering Ukrainian counteroffensive in eastern Ukraine exposed the inadequacies of Moscow’s master plan and forced Russian troops to retreat.

Experts said the Russian collapse in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region represented the biggest challenge of Putin’s career, and that the Kremlin leader was running out of options.

Moscow has tried to spin the hasty withdrawal as “regrouping,” but in a sign of just how badly things look for Russia, the military has been publicly criticized by a number of high-profile Kremlin loyalists — including Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, who supplied thousands of fighters to the offensive.

Russia has suffered significant setbacks earlier in the war – for example, when it lost its Black Sea fleet flagship Moskva or when it was forced to withdraw from the areas around the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv.

But the current situation could pose a much bigger problem for Putin, Russian political analyst Anton Barbashin said.

“The Kyiv withdrawal was framed as a gesture of goodwill, something they’ve had to do to prevent civilian casualties,” he told CNN. “The propaganda component was always focusing on Donbas region as being the top priority, but now that Russian forces are somewhat withdrawing from Kharkiv region and Luhansk region, it would be much more problematic to explain this if Ukraine does in fact, push further, and I didn’t see a reason why they wouldn’t.”

Read more: