Russia-Ukraine updates: Putin suspends key US-Russia nuclear treaty in speech denouncing West
President Vladimir Putin said he'd sought an "open dialogue" with the West.
Almost a year after Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of neighboring Ukraine, the two countries are engaged in a struggle for control of areas throughout the east and south.
Putin's forces pulled out of key positions in November, retreating from Kherson as Ukrainian troops led a counteroffensive targeting the southern port city. Russian drones have continued bombarding civilian targets throughout Ukraine, knocking out critical power infrastructure as winter sets in.
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Latest headlines:
Russia purchasing weapons from North Korea: US intelligence report
Crippling global sanctions are forcing Russia to turn to North Korea to secure ammunition and other vital supplies for its military, according to a newly declassified American intelligence report.
"The Russian Ministry of Defense is in the process of purchasing millions of rockets and artillery shells from North Korea for use on the battlefield in Ukraine," a U.S. official said in the report. "This purchase indicates that the Russian military continues to suffer from severe supply shortages in Ukraine, due in part to export controls and sanctions."
Given that Moscow has few viable trade partners, the official added that this could be a continuing trend.
This development, first reported by The New York Times, comes on the heels of Russia securing initial shipments of Iranian drones for use on the battlefield.
U.S. sources have released little information about the quality of the weapons from North Korea or when Russia expects to receive them, but sources within the administration said it's a sign of the Kremlin's desperation.
Sources also told ABC News that there's no indication so far that China played an indirect hand in the deal, but that they're continuing to monitor the situation closely.
-ABC News' Shannon K. Crawford
US senator responds to new Russian sanctions against 25 Americans
The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday imposed new sanctions on 25 Americans, including one of U.S. President Joe Biden's cabinet secretaries, several U.S. senators and two Hollywood actors, all of whom have been outspoken against Russia's war in neighboring Ukraine.
Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, Arizona Sens. Mark Kelly and Kyrsten Sinema, Sen. Rick Scott of Florida, Sen. Mike Rounds of South Dakota, Sen. Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania, Sen. Kevin Kramer of North Dakota, as well as actors Ben Stiller and Sean Penn, are banned from entering Russia.
"Through the Armed Services Committee I’ve worked with Republicans, Democrats, and our military leaders to get Ukraine the supplies and weapons needed to beat back this invasion," Kelly, who is up for re-election, said in a statement to ABC News on Tuesday. "If that earns me a sanction by the Kremlin, then that means we’re doing something right."
-ABC News' Libby Cathey
Zelenskyy vows to 'regain territory' in exclusive David Muir interview
In an exclusive interview with ABC's "World News Tonight" anchor David Muir, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy hinted of more counteroffensives as his country tries to turn the tide of war against Russia.
"It's a very difficult war," Zelenskyy told Muir from the presidential office in Kyiv. "We will regain our territory."
Click here to read more of [Muir's full interview with Zelenskyy]().
Zaporizhzhya lost connection to last external power line, IAEA says
Ukraine's Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant has lost connection to its last remaining main external power line, the International Atomic Energy Agency said in a statement Saturday.
Zaporizhzhya is continuing to supply electricity to the grid through a reserve line, the IAEA said it was informed while at the site.
Three other power lines were lost earlier during the conflict, the IAEA said.
The information came less than 48 hours after IAEA Director General Mariano Grossi established a presence in the plant.
One reactor is still operating and producing electricity both for cooling and other essential safety functions at the site and for households, factories and others through the grid, the IAEA said.
The power plant has been held by Russian forces since early March, but its Ukrainian staff are continuing to operate the plant.
Biden makes surprise visit to Ukraine
U.S. President Joe Biden made an unannounced visit to war-torn Ukraine on Monday, arriving in Kyiv as Washington signals its ongoing support ahead of the one-year anniversary of Russia's invasion.
Biden's visit came ahead of a planned meeting with NATO allies in Poland. He is expected to give a speech at the Royal Castle Arcades in Warsaw on Tuesday evening to offer an appraisal of international support during the first year of the war and to address "how we will continue to stand with the people of Ukraine for as long as it takes," White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement earlier this month.
Biden also plans to meet in Poland with leaders of the Bucharest Nine, a group of eastern NATO allies formed in 2015 in response to Russia's annexation of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made a dramatic visit to the United States in December, his first known international trip since the Russian invasion began in February 2022. Zelenskyy met with Biden at the White House in Washington, D.C., before addressing members of U.S. Congress on Capitol Hill.