September 21, 2022 Russia-Ukraine news

Russian and foreign press held their breath on Tuesday night as media reports circulated that Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu were to address the nation. 

The news came after Russian-appointed leaders in the occupied territories of Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, and the self-proclaimed Luhansk and Donetsk People’s Republics announced they would stage referendums on joining Russia in a matter of days. 

Russian media website RBK, a business daily with Kremlin connections, reported – citing three anonymous sources – that Putin was due to speak at 8 p.m. local time on Wednesday followed by an address from his Minister of Defense Sergei Shoigu.

However, the Kremlin has not confirmed whether the addresses will take place.

After hours of anticipation that the address would take place on Tuesday evening, Russian Telegram channels citing a political analyst close to the Kremlin, Sergei Markov, said that Putin’s address had been delayed.

Margarita Simonyan, the chief editor of Russia Today and one of the Kremlin’s main mouthpieces, tweeted: “Go to bed.” 

Russian Forbes, citing two anonymous sources, reported that Putin’s pre-recorded address would air once the country’s “Far East wakes up.”

Rockets hit multi-story residential buildings in the Kholodnogorsk district of Kharkiv in the early hours of Wednesday, Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov said in a Telegram post.

Information on casualties is still being gathered, Terekhov said.

The mayor added that responders were working to rescue several people who were trapped at one location. 

CNN's team in Kharkiv reported hearing six to seven “large explosions” as air raid sirens wailed in the northeastern Ukrainian city around 1:52 a.m. local time.

This just over two weeks after Ukraine launched a counter-offensive in the Kharkiv region that allowed Kyiv to regain thousands of square miles of territory that had been occupied by Russia for months.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the fact that Russia is moving ahead with referenda in Ukrainian territory and that President Vladimir Putin is reportedly contemplating mobilizing more of Russia's reserve forces while the UN General assembly is happening shows Moscow's disregard for the UN.

“That both of these things are happening this week, as we're at the United Nations, shows his utter contempt and disdain for the United Nations, for the General Assembly, for the United Nations Charter," Blinken said.

Blinken also said it was “not a surprise” that Russia was making these moves now, after recent battlefield losses and more widespread concern globally about the war in Ukraine.

“We've seen in the last weeks significant gains by Ukraine in (retaking its land) seized by Russian forces since the aggression began in February 24. It's also a time when Russia itself is seeing serious reverses on the battlefield, and even some of its closest partners are clearly raising their deep concerns about what Russia is doing, and the consequences this is having for countries around the world,” Blinken said.

Blinken reiterated that the US will “never” recognize the sham Russian-backed referenda in Ukraine, or any move by Russia to annex Ukrainian territory. He said it is important for other countries to also make that clear.

Blinken said that these actions are a sign of weakness.

“It is a sign of Russian failure,” Blinken said of Russia’s recent actions and Putin’s reported plans.

Blinken make these remarks standing next to his new British counterpart, in their first meeting since James Cleverly took on his role as the United Kingdom's Foreign Secretary.

Cleverly cited the need to “remain resolute” in support of the Ukrainians while they defend their homeland. He called the US an “unbelievably” important friend and ally of Ukraine.