Ukraine Latest: Russia, US Fail to Agree on Asean Statement

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(Bloomberg) -- Russia and the US failed to agree on language for a joint statement following an 18-nation summit in Cambodia, making it unlikely the Group of 20 nations will reach a consensus in Indonesia either this week.

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Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov put the blame on the US and its allies, saying on Sunday they “insisted on absolutely unacceptable language regarding the situation in Ukraine.” He said the US had succeeded in dividing the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations and accused NATO of stepping up activity in the region.

Russia refuses to describe its invasion of Ukraine as a war, instead calling it a “special military operation.”

Key Developments

  • Russia, US Fail to Agree on Asean Statement in Bad Sign for G-20

  • Eight Things to Watch for as Global Leaders Meet in Bali

  • Yellen Says Russia Faces Oil Shut-In or Price Cap Amid Sanctions

(See RSAN on the Bloomberg Terminal for the Russian Sanctions Dashboard.)

On the Ground

Russian forces are amassing near Melitopol, a city some 200 kilometers (124 miles) east of Kherson, Ukraine’s General Staff said in its regular update on Facebook. Those troops are fortifying the city along its perimeter, banning civilians from coming near its airport.

Meanwhile, Russia’s military presence is declining near Kakhovka on the left bank of Dnieper river, with local residents reporting only minimal numbers of Russian troops in the towns. Ukrainian forces have taken back 179 towns and villages in over 4,500 square kilometers along the right bank over the past week, according to the military’s southern command.

Authorities urged residents of Kherson and the rest of the liberated region to continue evacuating to safety as the threat of Russian attacks persists, Yaroslav Yanushevych, the Ukrainian governor of the region, said on Telegram. Russian forces shelled civilian areas in Kurakhove and a hospital in Toretsk in the Donetsk region, without fatalities, according to regional governor Pavlo Kyrylenko.

(All times CET)

Ukraine Limits Power Supplies (5:40 p.m.)

Ukraine on Sunday introduced emergency limits on electricity supply in seven regions and the capital, Kyiv, utility company Ukrenergo said on Telegram. Power cuts have been caused by fallout from Russian attacks on Ukraine’s infrastructure and the need to repair electric lines.

Putin Files Law Change to Remove Acquired Citizenship for Army Criticism (10:46 a.m)

Russian President Vladimir Putin filed an amendment to the bill on citizenship that was approved by the parliament in the first reading. Tass newswire reported that the amendment, if passed, would allow the removal of acquired citizenship from those who discredit the Russian army, call for the violation of the territorial integrity of Russia or participate in the activities of undesirable non-governmental organizations. Tass cited Vasily Piskarev, head of the State Duma commission for investigating foreign interference in Russia’s internal affairs.

Ukraine Closes Kherson for Entry and Exit, Official Says (10:30 a.m.)

Authorities prohibited entry and exit from Kherson and introduced a curfew from 5 p.m. till 8 a.m. amid “stabilization measures” in the newly liberated city, Yaroslav Yanushevych, the Ukrainian governor of the region, said on TV.

Russian forces have left mines in all objects of critical infrastructure in Kherson, he said, adding that authorities seek to open up the city within next several days.

Zelenskiy Says Ukraine Expanding Kherson Control (6:49 p.m. Saturday)

Ukrainian forces regained control of more than 60 settlements in the Kherson region as of Saturday evening, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said in a video message.

He warned residents to be aware of the risk of unexploded ordnance and booby traps, saying that police had cleared more than 2,000 pieces in the region, including mines and undetonated shells. Departing Russian forces destroyed a broad range of infrastructure, including water, electricity, central heating and communications, he said.

Putin, Raisi Discuss Deepening Iran-Russia Ties (6:15 p.m. Saturday)

Russian President Putin and his Iranian counterpart Ebrahim Raisi discussed further increasing political and economic cooperation, including on transport and logistics, during a phone call, according to a Kremlin statement.

Separately, Ukraine’s military intelligence agency alleged on Telegram that an agreement was reached this summer to supply Iranian ballistic missiles to Russia.

More Than 700,000 Russians Fled Via Georgia, Zourabichvili Says (Saturday)

Some 710,000-720,000 Russians have left the country via Georgia since Putin announced a mobilization of reservists, Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili said in an interview with Radio France Inter.

Around 600,000 have moved on to neighboring countries and European Union states, while those who have remained in Georgia are mainly young, middle class and highly educated, she said.

“Putin is making all the wrong calculations and taking all the wrong decisions,” Zourabishvili said.

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