Russia-Ukraine updates: Putin says 'certain positive movements' in negotiations

By a vote of 141-5, with 35 countries abstaining, the United Nations General Assembly voted on Wednesday to condemn the Russian invasion of Ukraine and call for the immediate withdrawal of Russian forces. 

In its third day, the emergency meeting of the UNGA showed the divide between the West and Russia and its allies.  

U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield expressed the country's support for Ukraine, warning that Russia plans to ramp up its attacks. 

"It appears Russia is preparing to increase the brutality of its campaign against Ukraine,” Thomas-Greenfield said. "We've seen videos of Russian forces moving exceptionally lethal weaponry into Ukraine, which has no place on the battlefield--that includes cluster munitions and vacuum bombs, which are banned under the Geneva Convention."

"At every step of the war, Russia has betrayed the United Nations. Russia's actions go against everything this body stands for," Thomas-Greenfield said. 

"To the Russian soldiers sent to the front lines of an unjust, unnecessary war. I say your leaders are lying to you--do not commit war crimes, do everything you can to put down your weapons and leave Ukraine. The truth is that this war was one man's choice, and one man alone. President Putin," Thomas-Greenfield said. 

Thomas-Greenfield also called on Belarus to stop its support of the war and to stop allowing its territory to facilitate this aggression.

The representative for Belarus denied the accusation that the country is involved in the unlawful use of force against Ukraine. 

"We categorically reject accusations against Belarus that we are involved in unlawful use of force against Ukraine. I will let you in on a secret. Yes, we are involved. The president of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, personally is sparing no efforts to ensure contacts between the Russian and Ukrainian sides,” said Valentin Rybakov, the representative for Belarus. 

Claiming the country had been embroiled in “a state of civil war” for nearly a decade, Rybakov said “we all bare our share of responsibility for what is happening in Ukraine.”

The country voted against the resolution condemning the Russian invasion. 

Ukraine's Sergiy Kyslytsya urged the body to move quickly to condemn Russia, warning that a delay would result in the loss of more lives as it did during the Second World War. 

"They have come to deprive Ukraine of the very right to exist. They have come to resolve the 'Ukrainian issue,'" Ukraine’s Sergiy Kyslytsya said of Vladimir Putin and other top ranking Russian officials. “Just stop and think if whether these words remind you of something.”

He also mentioned the destruction of the Babyn Yar holocaust memorial. "What an irony when victim of Nazis are being killed for a second time by Nazi modern followers,” he said. “It’s already clear the goal of Russia is not an occupation only. It is genocide."

Kyslytsya urged each country to take a stand or face the same plight as Ukraine. 

“The evil will never stop. It requires more and more space to conquer. If tolerated, it advances further and further. The draft resolution is one of the building blocks to build a wall to stop it,” he said. “The wall to protect all of you.”

-ABC News' Shannon Crawford

Russia's Defense Ministry on Wednesday said that 498 Russian servicemen have been killed and 1,597 have been wounded since the start of its invasion of Ukraine. 

This is the first time Russia has announced the number of military casualties it has suffered. 

Ukraine claims over 5,000 Russian soldiers have been killed since the start of the invasion.

-ABC News' Patrick Reevell

President Joe Biden told reporters Wednesday that "nothing is off the table" when asked if he is considering banning Russian oil imports. 

Biden also confirmed Russia is intentionally targeting civilians while refraining from commenting on whether Russia was committing war crimes, saying "it's early to say that."

When asked whether he thinks Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is safe or whether he should evacuate, Biden reiterated U.S. support for the leader. 

"I think it's his judgment to make and we're doing everything we can to help him," Biden said. 

—ABC News' Sarah Kolinovsky

The Russian Defense Ministry claimed on Monday that it took control over Ukraine's Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant, the largest in Europe. 

Russian military claimed it took control of the cities of Energodar and Berdyansk and the territory around the power plant, Major General Igor Konashenkov, the representative of the Russian Defense Ministry said in an official statement. 

"The NPP staff continues to work on maintenance of facilities and monitoring of the radioactive situation in the normal mode. The radioactive background is normal," Konashenkov said.

The International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed Russia informed the body that its forces took control over the plant, Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said on Wednesday. 

In an official letter to the Director General dated Tuesday, the Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation to the International Organizations in Vienna also said personnel at the plant continued their “work on providing nuclear safety and monitoring radiation in normal mode of operation. The radiation levels remain normal.”

Earlier on Tuesday, Ukraine informed the IAEA that all its nuclear power plants remained under the control of the national operator, the IAEA said on Wednesday. 

In an update on Wednesday, the State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate of Ukraine informed the IAEA that it maintained communications with the country's nuclear facilities and that they continued to operate normally. 

The Zaporozhye plant contains six out of the country's 15 nuclear energy reactors, according to the IAEA. 

Ukraine has not released a statement confirming or denying Russia's claims.

—ABC News' Tanya Stukalova