November 29, 2022 Russia-Ukraine news

By Heather Chen, Sana Noor Haq and Adrienne Vogt, CNN

Updated 2:14 a.m. ET, November 30, 2022
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2:24 p.m. ET, November 29, 2022

German chancellor pledges delivery of more anti-aircraft tanks to Ukraine

From CNN’s Inke Kappeler in Berlin

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz attends a press conference after a meeting of the representatives of international finance- and economy organizations at the chancellery in Berlin, Germany, Tuesday, November 29.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz attends a press conference after a meeting of the representatives of international finance- and economy organizations at the chancellery in Berlin, Germany, Tuesday, November 29. (Michael Sohn/AP)

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Tuesday pledged the delivery of more Gepard anti-aircraft tanks to Ukraine. 

“We will continue to work to provide that very efficient system,“ Scholz said during a joint news conference with world financial and economic organizations. 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told Scholz in a phone call on Tuesday about Russian airstrikes on civilian infrastructure, water and electricity supplies, according to a government news release. The chancellor condemned the ongoing shelling and assured Ukraine of further short-term assistance, government spokesperson Steffen Hebestreit said in a news release. 

“The Ukrainian president has expressed his gratitude for Germany's very comprehensive support in monetary terms, but also in terms of weapons deliveries, because the artillery and air defense systems that we provide have a very significant impact on Ukraine's ability to guarantee its own integrity and sovereignty,“ Scholz told journalists. 

To date, the German government has provided short-term financial assistance to repair energy infrastructure in the amount of approximately 56 million euros (about $58 million), Hebestreit said in the news release. Germany is also providing over 350 generators as Ukraine suffers power outages due to the Russian shelling.

The chancellor reiterated Germany's continued support to Ukraine, including air defense and long-term reconstruction.

Scholz said that the German offer of its Patriot air defense system to Poland was not off the table, after stray missiles hit the country on Nov. 15.

1:33 p.m. ET, November 29, 2022

Ukraine praises connection with SpaceX for Starlink terminals despite at-times testy relationship

From CNN's Tim Lister

An antenna of the Starlink satellite-based broadband system donated by Elon Musk is seen in Izyum, Kharkiv region on September 25.
An antenna of the Starlink satellite-based broadband system donated by Elon Musk is seen in Izyum, Kharkiv region on September 25. (Yasuyoshi Chiba/AFP/Getty Images)

After a sometimes difficult relationship, the Ukrainian government has praised US company SpaceX, which is owned by billionaire Elon Musk, for helping it to maximize the use of the Starlink high-speed mobile satellite terminals.

Ukraine's Digital Transformation Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said in an interview with Interfax that the ministry had brought in more than 22,000 Starlink terminals in Ukraine with the help of international donors and SpaceX.

"We are in direct communication with both SpaceX and Elon Musk," he said. "We did have certain problems in temporary occupied territories and in combat areas, but this is in the past."

Musk had public disagreements with the Ukrainian government over who should finance the cost of providing bandwidth and other support for the Starlink terminals, and over his ideas for negotiating an end to the conflict. 

In October, CNN exclusively reported that SpaceX asked the US Defense Department to help pay for the service, saying that the "operation has cost SpaceX $80 million and will exceed $100 million by the end of the year." 

SpaceX warned the Pentagon that it might stop funding the service in Ukraine unless the US military kicked in tens of millions of dollars per month. But subsequently, Musk tweeted: “The hell with it … even though Starlink is still losing money & other companies are getting billions of taxpayer $, we’ll just keep funding Ukraine govt for free.”

Fedorov indicated the relationship was now on a much better footing.

"If there is a connectivity problem at the frontline, SpaceX helps us to solve it very fast for Starlinks to work. There have been some public discussions as to financial issues, but Musk has both publicly and privately assured that Starlink will keep working no matter what financial issues will arise," he said.

"We are now discussing purchasing another big shipment of thousands of Starlinks for Ukraine. I get very fast feedback. I see that they want to help us and they are helping," he added.

1:47 p.m. ET, November 29, 2022

US is considering sending Patriot air defense systems to Ukraine, senior US defense official says

From CNN's Ellie Kaufman and Barbara Starr

The US is considering sending the Patriot missile defense system to Ukraine to support their air defense capabilities against incoming Russian attacks, a senior US defense official told reporters Tuesday.

“All capabilities are on the table,” the official said when asked if the US was considering sending Patriot batteries specifically to Ukraine. “Patriot is one of the air defense capabilities that is being considered,” the official added.

The Patriot air defense missile system – Patriot stands for “Phased Array Tracking Radar to Intercept of Target” – is designed to counter and destroy incoming short-range ballistic missiles, advanced aircraft and cruise missiles.

Air defense of Ukraine is the US’s “top priority,” the official added.

“We’re looking at all the possible capabilities that could help the Ukrainians withstand Russian attacks, so all the capabilities are on the table, and we are looking at what the United States can do, we’re looking at what our allies and partners can do, and looking at combinations of capabilities that would be useful,” the official added. 

However, later on Tuesday, Pentagon press secretary Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder told reporters during a briefing that the US has “no plans to provide Patriot batteries to Ukraine” right now.

“We discuss a wide variety of capabilities and support with Ukraine, we regularly consult with Ukraine, we regularly consult with our allies and our partners on what their defense needs are,” Ryder said. “Right now, we have no plans to provide Patriot batteries to Ukraine, but again we’ll continue to have those discussions, and when and if there’s something to announce on that front, we will.” 

Part of the challenge with sending Patriot batteries or other advanced weaponry to Ukraine is those systems require a “pretty significant maintenance and sustainment tail as well as a training tail on those things,” Ryder said. 

“None of these systems are plug and play, you can’t just show up on the battlefield and start using them, so those are the kinds of things that are taken into account when it comes to more advanced systems,” Ryder said.

Ukraine’s air defense remains a “priority” to the US, Ryder added.

“We’ll continue to look at working with allies and partners in terms of what we can get to Ukraine as quickly as possible so they can start employing those capabilities immediately,” Ryder said. 

11:15 a.m. ET, November 29, 2022

NATO foreign ministers reiterate solidarity with Ukraine and pledge to assist with infrastructure repairs

From CNN's Radina Gigova in London  

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg speaks during the NATO Foreign Ministers Meeting held at Parliament Palace in Bucharest, Romania, on November 29.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg speaks during the NATO Foreign Ministers Meeting held at Parliament Palace in Bucharest, Romania, on November 29. (Murat Gok/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)

NATO foreign ministers said Tuesday in a joint statement they remain steadfast in the "commitment to Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity" and pledged allies will assist Ukraine as it repairs its energy infrastructure amid Russian attacks.

"Russia’s unacceptable actions, including hybrid activities, energy blackmail, and reckless nuclear rhetoric, undermine the rules-based international order," according to the statement. 

"We condemn Russia’s cruelty against Ukraine’s civilian populations and violations and abuses of human rights, such as forcible deportations, torture, and barbaric treatment of women, children, and persons in vulnerable situations," it said. 

"We also remain resolute in supporting Ukraine’s long-term efforts on its path of post-war reconstruction and reforms, so that Ukraine can secure its free and democratic future, modernize its defense sector, strengthen long-term interoperability and deter future aggression," according to the statement. 

Ukraine has been experiencing blackouts as Russia continues to bombard energy infrastructure.

"We will continue to strengthen our partnership with Ukraine as it advances its Euro-Atlantic aspirations," the ministers said.

3:01 p.m. ET, November 29, 2022

Russians are shelling settlements in liberated areas of Kherson along Dnipro River, official says

From Olga Voitovych in Kyiv

Damage seen to the Antonivsky Bridge in Kherson, Ukraine, Sunday, November 2. The bridge, the main crossing point over the Dnipro river in Kherson, was destroyed by Russian troops in earlier November, after Kremlin's forces withdrew from the southern city.
Damage seen to the Antonivsky Bridge in Kherson, Ukraine, Sunday, November 2. The bridge, the main crossing point over the Dnipro river in Kherson, was destroyed by Russian troops in earlier November, after Kremlin's forces withdrew from the southern city. (Bernat Armangue/AP/FILE)

Ukrainian officials said that Russian forces are shelling "all settlements" along the west bank of the Dnipro River in the southern Kherson region, including recently liberated territory.

Serhii Khlan, a member of the Kherson regional council, told a news conference that "the occupiers continue shelling both the city of Kherson and the west-bank part of Kherson region."

"They are shelling absolutely all settlements located along the Dnipro River coast," he said.

He said there had been no casualties Tuesday, but Russian forces continue to strike at vital infrastructure.

"Power company crews are working to fully restore power supply to Kherson city. Critical infrastructure is supplied, but not all of it. Hospitals have received electricity supply," he said.

"Unfortunately, it is not yet possible to fully supply water," Khlan said. "The Internet began to appear — not throughout the city — but in some areas. Now we can talk about 20% of connected consumers in Kherson."

Khlan said that only a quarter of Kherson city's pre-war population of 320,000 remains — and more were leaving every day because of the shelling and lack of utilities. Additional carriages were being added to a daily evacuation train, and evacuation by bus routes continued, he added.

"People are gradually leaving. So far, people are not returning to the city en masse. There are cases when people come to check their homes and return back to the regions where they are now. So far, a small number of people have left ... but there are many people who want to leave," Khlan said.

He also asserted that the bulk of Russian forces were positioned some 15 to 20 kilometers (about 9 to 12 miles) from the east bank of the river, but that personnel of the Russian security service (FSB) occupied observation posts close to the river in towns like Kakhovka and Nova Kakhovka. They were exerting pressure on the remaining civilian population to leave, he claimed.

Khlan said that he expected people already in temporary accommodation would be forced to leave for Russia. He also claimed that pro-Russian administrators had left the east bank towns and set up an administration in the city of Henichesk, closer to Crimea. "They defined it as the center of the occupation region, and now all supporters and collaborators are there," he said.

10:17 a.m. ET, November 29, 2022

US will provide $53 million to Ukraine to support its electrical system

From CNN's Jennifer Hansler

Workers dismantle an autotransformer in central Ukraine which stands completely destroyed after the Ukrenergo high voltage power substation was hit by a missile strike on October 17.
Workers dismantle an autotransformer in central Ukraine which stands completely destroyed after the Ukrenergo high voltage power substation was hit by a missile strike on October 17. (Ed Ram/Getty Images)

The United States will provide $53 million to support Ukraine’s electrical system as it faces a barrage of attacks from Russia.

The funding will go toward “the acquisition of critical electricity grid equipment,” which “will be rapidly delivered to Ukraine on an emergency basis to help Ukrainians persevere through the winter,” according to a media note from the US State Department.

“This supply package will include distribution transformers, circuit breakers, surge arresters, disconnectors, vehicles and other key equipment,” the note said.

The funding adds to the United States' existing $55 million in emergency energy sector support. It was announced by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken at a meeting of the G7+ Tuesday, which took place on the margins of the NATO Foreign Ministers meeting in Bucharest, according to the media note.

US and European officials have strongly condemned Russia’s strikes on Ukrainian civilian populations and infrastructure, accusing Moscow of deliberately targeting Ukraine’s energy grid in an effort to leave people without electricity and heat – an act that they say would amount to a war crime.

9:53 a.m. ET, November 29, 2022

Russia and US are not in a dialogue regarding Ukraine, Russian deputy foreign minister says

From CNN's Katharina Krebs in London

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov has said Russia and the United States do not hold dialogue on Ukraine because of what he called "different approaches,” according to Russian state media RIA Novosti.

"I am not aware about any de-escalating channel in relation to what is happening in Ukraine. I don’t know about it at all. We don’t have a dialogue with the United States on the Ukrainian topic, because our approaches are radically different,” said Ryabkov, as quoted by TASS.

“We have a periodic exchange of signals about how certain actions of Moscow and Washington are perceived in Washington and Moscow, respectively, but you understand that the difference of approaches and the inconsistency of arguments do not lead to the development of this dialogue. We send signals to the Americans, that their line of escalation and their line of ever deeper involvement in this conflict is fraught with dire consequences, the risks are growing," he added. 

Ryabkov also said that there is a "chance" to resume a strategic dialogue with the United States, but only if Washington realizes that "there should be no one-sided imposition of certain positions."

According to Ryabkov, the situation in Ukraine does not affect Russia's approach on nuclear deterrence, despite "continuous speculation" from the US " on Russia's "irresponsible nuclear rhetoric."

9:51 a.m. ET, November 29, 2022

G7 justice ministers condemn Russia’s use of "winter as a weapon" as a "war crime"

From CNN’s Inke Kappeler in Berlin

Marco Buschmann, German Minister of Justice, speaks to the media during the G7 Meeting of Ministers of Justice on November 29, in Berlin, Germany.
Marco Buschmann, German Minister of Justice, speaks to the media during the G7 Meeting of Ministers of Justice on November 29, in Berlin, Germany. (Florian Gaertner/Photothek/Getty Images)

The G7 ministers of justice condemned Russian President Vladimir Putin’s use of “winter as a weapon,” the German justice minister said Tuesday at a meeting with his counterparts in Berlin. 

Minister Marco Buschmann told a news conference that Ukrainian civilians had been living in freezing temperatures as a result of Russia’s strikes on civilian infrastructure, adding the ministers had agreed this was “a terrible war crime that is aimed at ensuring that many people fall victim to winter.”

The group vowed to coordinate criminal investigations into war crimes, which they agreed was “of the highest priority,” Buschmann said, adding Ukrainian authorities had so far documented nearly 50,000 instances of war crimes and listed around 600 suspected war criminals. 

It is a shared goal of the G7 countries “to achieve maximum accountability and to deliver justice for victims and survivors,” according to a statement published after the meeting. “There can be no impunity for war crimes and other atrocities.”

The “entire Russian leadership” should be investigated in the International Criminal Court for “crimes against humanity” Buschmann told the press conference. 

CNN's Allegra Goodwin contributed to this post.

9:14 a.m. ET, November 29, 2022

Russian minister doesn't rule out potential prisoner swap with US before end of year

From CNN's Katharina Krebs in London

Brittney Griner arrives to a hearing at the Khimki Court, outside Moscow, on August 4.
Brittney Griner arrives to a hearing at the Khimki Court, outside Moscow, on August 4. (Kirill Kudryavtsev/AFP/Getty Images)

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said on Tuesday that there is "always a chance" for an exchange of prisoners with the United States, and he did not rule out the possibility of a prisoner swap before the end of the year, according to state media RIA Novosti.

“There is always a chance. Unfortunately, there were several situations before when it seemed that a decision in favor of this was about to take place. This did not happen. But I'm just talking about previous experiences — we, as a department, do not conduct such dialogue, so we do not fully feel the dynamics," Ryabkov said, as quoted by RIA.

“I would like to note that if this happened, it would undoubtedly, send a positive signal that not everything is hopeless in Russian-American relations," he added, according to RIA.

Ryabkov said an agreement on the exchange of prisoners with the United States "would show that quiet diplomacy is bearing fruit." He added that recent methods of "megaphone diplomacy" from the United States "did not help the case."

Some background: In July, CNN reported that the Biden administration offered to exchange a convicted arms trafficker Viktor Bout as part of a potential deal to secure the release of two Americans held by Russia, basketball star Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan. But Russian officials have requested that Vadim Krasikov, a former colonel from the country’s domestic spy agency, be included in the US’ proposed swap of Bout for Griner and Whelan, multiple sources familiar with the discussions have previously told CNN.

Earlier this month, Ryabkov said that Russia hoped for a “positive outcome” on the issue of exchanging Bout, according to state media TASS.The possibility of a prisoner swap is not only possible but is getting stronger, he said, adding that “and the time will come when the prospect will become a concrete agreement,” according to TASS.

However, the US State Department has cautioned against optimism based on Ryabkov’s comments, noting that Russia still has yet to engage in good faith. “Ultimately here, actions speak louder than words,” said State Department principal deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel.