Russian fighters mock 'great generals' after heavy losses; Zelenskyy says Russia has ruined 5 million acres of Ukraine forests

Russia's Defense Ministry is downplaying claims made in an open letter apparently from members of the 155th marine brigade of Russia's Pacific Fleet saying they had been sent into an "incomprehensible offensive" on Ukrainian forces near Donetsk.

The letter was published on the Telegram channel of Grey Zone, a Russian military blog.

"As a result of the 'carefully' planned offensive by the 'great generals,' we lost about 300 people in 4 days, killed, wounded and missing," the letter says. It adds that brigade commanders "call people fodder" and only care about their own careers.

Russian officials tacitly acknowledged the source of the letter but said it exaggerated the losses.

“For more than 10 days, units of the 155th brigade of the Marines of the Pacific Fleet have been conducting effective offensive operations in the Uludar direction," the Defense Ministry said in a statement. "Due to the competent actions of the commanders of the units, the losses of the Marines over this period do not exceed 1% of the combat strength and 7% of the wounded, a significant part of which have already returned to duty."

Latest developments:

►Nearly 8,000 Ukrainian civilians, including 430 children, have been killed since the war began Feb. 24, according to the Ukrainian parliament’s Commissioner for Human Rights, who also said almost 11,000 civilians have been injured.

►Russia is fortifying its lines throughout areas of occupation, likely aimed at stalling any rapid Ukrainian advances in the event the troops break through Russian lines, the British Defense Ministry said in its latest assessment.

►Satellite photos analyzed by The Associated Press show a rapid expansion of a cemetery in southern Ukraine in the months after Russian forces seized the port city of Mariupol. It remains unclear how many people were buried there.

►Two civilians were seriously wounded by exploding mines in Ukraine’s northeastern Kharkiv region, where Ukraine has retaken territory, Gov. Oleh Syniehubov said.

►Russian-installed authorities in the partially occupied Kherson region said they have completed measures to evacuate residents ahead of anticipated Ukrainian advances.

Russia paid $141 million and 3 captured weapons for Iran drones, report says

Russia acquired more than 160 Iranian drones in August in exchange for the current equivalent of $141 million in cash and three captured missiles -- two of them from the U.S. -- that were meant for Ukraine, the British Sky News reported.

If accurate, the report would provide further evidence of Iran selling drones during the war to Russia, which both countries have denied. The unmanned aerial vehicles have been a major factor in Moscow's assault on the Ukrainian energy infrastructure and other civilian targets.

The unnamed security source cited in the story said Tehran and Moscow have recently agreed to another shipment of drones worth about $200 million. The source added that Iran may try to copy the technology from the captured weapons for future use.

Zelenskky tells climate forum Russia has ruined 5 million acres of Ukrainian forest

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told participants at the COP27 climate conference Tuesday that Russia's invasion has led to the destruction of 5 million acres of forest in his country while dramatically raising fossil fuel prices worldwide.

“That has forced dozens of countries to resume coal-fired power generation in order to lower energy prices for their people,” he said in a video address.

Zelenskyy said Russia's "insane and illegal war'' is keeping other countries from working collaboratively to confront climate change, adding that military aggression like the one Ukraine is confronting forces nations to focus on immediate protection at the risk of longer-term threats.

“There can be no effective climate policy without peace on Earth,” he said.

India urges peace but won't stop buying Russian oil

While acknowledging the global impacts of the war in Ukraine, a conflict Russia is largely funding through oil sales, India's foreign minister said Tuesday that his country benefits from buying that oil at favorable prices and doesn't intend to stop.

S. Jaishankar urged the Kremlin to find a diplomatic solution to the war but made it clear India will not follow the path of Western countries that have curtailed or cut off purchases of Russian energy to pressure Moscow into withdrawing its forces from Ukraine.

Speaking in Moscow, where he was meeting his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov, Jaishankar pointed out India is the world's third-largest consumer of oil and gas, adding: "Our fundamental obligation is to ensure that Indian consumers have the best access to the most advantageous terms in the international markets. And in that respect, quite honestly, the India-Russia relationship has worked to our advantage. So if it works to my advantage, I’d like to keep that going.”

Zelenskyy makes rare pitch for peace talks, on tough terms

Ukraine's leader made a rare but contingency-laden pitch for peace talks with Russia on Tuesday, imploring the world to help "force Russia into genuine peace negotiations."

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy once again blamed Russia for the failure to establish talks, saying his nation's repeated proposals for peace have "always received insane Russian responses with new terrorist attacks, shelling or blackmail."

Zelenskyy's demands for talks would likely draw a hard no from the Kremlin – the return of all Russian-occupied land to Ukrainian control, respect for the U.N. Charter, compensation for all damages caused by the war, punishment of every war criminal and guarantees that Russia won't invade Ukraine again.

"These are completely understandable conditions," Zelenskyy said.

Russia has repeatedly claimed to be willing to negotiate but has rejected Ukraine's conditions.

US ambassador to UN visits Kyiv, promises 'unwavering' support

Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the U.S. ambassador to the U.N., met with Zelenskyy and a group of farmers and grain processors in Kyiv, promising to press for an extension of a crucial shipping deal with Russia set to expire next week. A Russian official said the Kremlin hasn't decided yet whether to renew the agreement.

"This site has taken on added importance because Russian forces have attacked so many of Ukraine’s other grain facilities," Thomas-Greenfield said in Kyiv, calling Ukraine "the breadbasket of the world.”

She also visited with families of war victims, urging the world to hold Russia accountable for "atrocities."

"The Ukrainian people have inspired the world with their extraordinary courage as they fight for their freedom and territorial integrity," she said. "In my meeting with the president, I made clear that the United States' commitment to Ukraine is unwavering."

North Korea denies selling arms to Russia

North Korea denied claims that it’s shipping artillery shells and ammunition to Russia for use in its war against Ukraine. U.S. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby recently accused North Korea of covertly supplying a “significant number” of ammunition shipments to Russia. And the secretive nation's factories are producing uniforms for Russian soldiers, sources inside North Korea told Radio Free Asia.

Last week, Russia sent North Korean leader Kim Jong Un a trainload of 30 thoroughbred horses, opening the border with its neighbor for the first time in 2 1/2 years.

Contributing: The Associated Press

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Russian fighters mock generals; Ukraine considers talks