Russia-Ukraine updates: Putin says 'certain positive movements' in negotiations
A third round of talks between Russia and Ukraine ended without any resolution.
Russian forces are continuing their attempted push through Ukraine from multiple directions, while Ukrainians, led by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, are putting up "stiff resistance," according to U.S. officials.
The attack began Feb. 24, when Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a "special military operation."
Russian forces moving from neighboring Belarus toward Ukraine's capital, Kyiv, have advanced closer to the city center in recent days despite the resistance, coming within about 9 miles as of Friday.
Russia has been met by sanctions from the United States, Canada and countries throughout Europe, targeting the Russian economy as well as Putin himself.
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Latest headlines:
- Ukrainian air force claims Russia carried out false flag airstrike in Belarus
- UN has credible reports of Russian cluster bomb use, attacks on health care
- Putin claims 'certain positive movements' in Ukraine negotiations
- Russian general prosecutor wants Meta declared 'extremist organization'
- Putin orders Russian military to help volunteer fighters from Middle East travel to Ukraine
Blinken will travel to Europe to coordinate with allies, address refugee crisis
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced that he will be traveling to Brussels, Poland, Moldova and the Baltic countries starting Thursday.
Blinken will be continuing discussions and consultations with NATO allies and partners regarding the invasion of Ukraine, including consequences and severe economic costs on Russia.
In Brussels, he will participate in NATO and G7 summits and meet with EU counterparts, as well as hold additional meetings.
In Poland, he will meet his Polish counterpart and "thank Poland for generously welcoming hundreds of thousands of displaced persons from Ukraine."
In Moldova, where Russian troops occupy the breakaway region Transnistria, Blinken will meet with leadership.
Blinken will also be traveling to Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, where he will reassure the three NATO allies about possible further Russian action.
- ABC News' Conor Finnegan
Some Russian losses due to weapons provided by US
At least some of the losses the Russians acknowledged Wednesday were due to weapons the U.S. provided Ukraine, acting U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Kristina Kvien told ABC News.
The U.S. has supplied defensive weapons to Ukrainians including anti-tank Javelins and anti-aircraft Stingers, along with ammunition and other supplies.
"We don't know which individual piece of hardware did which individual thing, but let's just say my understanding is Javelins have been extremely effective against Russian onslaught," Kvien said.
"When you see on television some of these Russian tanks or planes blowing up that's partly due to the weapons we have been able to provide," she added.
Kvien told ABC News the U.S. would continue to push weapons and ammunition into the hands of the Ukrainians, but declined to discuss how they are getting into the country.
-ABC News' Aaron Katersky
White House announces new sanctions, restrictions on Russia, Belarus
The White House announced it will impose several new sanctions and restrictions on Russia and Belarus on Wednesday.
The U.S. will be placing export controls on extraction equipment and refining technology needed for Russia's oil and gas industry.
The White House argues this will degrade Russia's oil and gas industry over time, as it will prevent them from maintaining and upgrading current projects and, to some degree, future projects and likely make Russia a less desirable place for foreign oil and gas companies to invest in.
The U.S. will also impose full-blocking financial sanctions, its toughest sanctions, on 22 entities that support Russia's defense sector. These entities make combat aircraft, infantry fighting vehicles, electronic warfare systems, missiles, and unmanned aerial vehicles for Russia’s military, according to the White House.
Export controls currently placed by the U.S. on Russia will be extended to Belarus, cutting them off from access to semiconductors and other technology. The U.S. will also sanction entities that support Belarus's military.
-ABC News' Ben Gittleson
Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich to sell Chelsea FC
Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich confirmed on Wednesday that he will sell the Chelsea soccer club.
Abramovich said he instructed his team to set up a charity for the victims of the war in Ukraine where all net proceeds from the sale will be donated.
"The foundation will be for the benefit of all victims of the war in Ukraine. This includes providing critical funds towards the urgent and immediate needs of victims, as well as supporting the long-term work of recovery," Abramovich said in a statement.
Abramovich said the sale of the club will not be fast-tracked.
"This has never been about business nor money for me, but about pure passion for the game and Club," Abramovich said. "This has been an incredibly difficult decision to make, and it pains me to part with the Club in this manner. However, I do believe this is in the best interest of the Club."
-ABC News' Zoe Magee
Russians running out of food, gas: US official
The Russian forces charging toward Kyiv haven't made progress in the last day as they face Ukrainian resistance and low food and gas supply, a senior U.S. defense official told reporters Tuesday.
However, it could be a deliberate pause, the official said. "Part of the stall could be ... as a result of their own self-determined sort of pause in operations -- that they are possibly regrouping, rethinking, reevaluating," the official said.
The U.S. believes Russian forces "have committed now more than 80% of what was their pre-staged combat power," the official added.
The official said some Russian soldiers weren't told they were going into combat. The official said "not all of them were apparently fully trained and prepared."
The strong Ukrainian resistance has also hurt morale, according to the official.
Russia has now launched more than 400 missiles on Ukraine, the official said. The U.S. believes Russia has launchers that could be used for thermobaric weapons, but cannot confirm their use, the official said.
Russian forces are making the most progress in the south. Russians are attacking Kherson in south Ukraine, which "appears very much to be contested city at this point," the official said.
Russians are also approaching Mariupol in southeastern Ukraine, and while they haven't yet entered the city, "they are close enough now that they could attack Mariupol with long range fires," the official said.
Two towns on the path to Mariupol are believed to be occupied by the Russians, according to the official.
The U.S. believes the Russians hope to move north out of Mariupol up to the heavily-contested city of Kharkiv. The official said they believe Russian forces are trying to encircle Kharkiv.
The U.S. official noted that they've seen "certain risk-averse behavior by the Russian military" over the last week.
"Take the amphibious assault, for instance. They put those troops ashore a good 70 kilometers away from Mariupol because they knew Mariupol was going to be defended and they could put them ashore in an uncontested environment. And they still haven't reached Mariupol," the official said.
"They are not necessarily willing to take high risks with their own aircraft and their own pilots," the official said.
"And of course we're seeing that on the ground -- the fairly slow and steady progress that they have made, and you guys are seeing it for yourselves on the ground where ... units are surrendering, sometimes without a fight."
-ABC News' Matt Seyler