November 21, 2022 Russia-Ukraine news

By Kathleen Magramo, Jack Guy and Lauren Said-Moorhouse, CNN

Updated 2:28 a.m. ET, November 22, 2022

What we covered here

There is evidence of "systemic war crimes" being committed in every region where Russian forces have been deployed in Ukraine, a US State Department official said.
Russian and Ukrainian officials blamed each other for recent shelling at the Moscow-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, with the IAEA chief warning that whoever was responsible was "playing with fire." A team from the UN’s nuclear watchdog on Monday reported no "immediate" nuclear safety concerns at the plant.
Ukraine says it will begin voluntary evacuations from areas in the southern Kherson and Mykolaiv regions because damage to infrastructure from Russian strikes has made it perilous for residents as temperatures drop.
The city of Kherson is still without electricity, an official in the office of President Volodymyr Zelensky said Monday.

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3:20 a.m. ET, November 21, 2022

IAEA warns whoever was behind "powerful explosions" at Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant is "playing with fire"

From CNN's Radina Gigova and Joshua Berlinger

The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Russian-controlled Ukraine, on October 14. (Alexander Ermochenko/Reuters)

Powerful explosions rocked the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine on the weekend, renewing concerns that fighting so close to the facility could cause a nuclear accident.

The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, said whoever was responsible for the attacks was “playing with fire,” reiterating a warning he made in September.

IAEA experts at the plant said more than a dozen blasts were heard within a short period of time Sunday morning local time, the nuclear watchdog said in a statement. Shelling was observed both near and at the site of the facility. IAEA officials could even see some explosions from their windows, the nuclear watchdog said.

“Whoever is behind this, it must stop immediately,” Grossi added.

Based on information provided by the plant management, the IAEA team said there had been damage to some buildings, systems and equipment at the plant’s site, “but none of them so far critical for nuclear safety and security,” the agency said. There were no reports of casualties.

Kyiv and Moscow blamed each other for the attacks.

Read more here.

7:44 p.m. ET, November 20, 2022

Zelensky says regions of Kyiv, Odesa and Kharkiv are experiencing most electricity issues

From CNN's Mariya Knight

In his nightly address on Saturday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that work continues to restore power in areas targeted by Russian strikes on infrastructure this week.

"We are working throughout the country to stabilize the situation," he said.

"The most problems with electricity are in the city of Kyiv and Kyiv region, the city of Odesa and Odesa region, the city of Kharkiv and Kharkiv region. Vinnytsia, Ternopil, Cherkasy, Chernihiv and other regions — energy workers are doing everything possible to give people a normal life."

Zelensky also thanked UK Prime Minster Rishi Sunak for meeting with him in Kyiv.

"Thank you, Rishi, Mr. Prime Minister, for your willingness to defend freedom even more strongly with us. We also have some very necessary decisions — we agreed on them today," Zelensky said.