LIVE UPDATES: No Signs of Kiev Preparing for Large-Scale Attack on Kherson Yet

On September 30, Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke in the Kremlin after the referendums, and later signed treaties with the new territories' heads on the admission of the regions to Russia. A few days after, Putin signed federal laws ratifying the admission of the territories to the Russian Federation.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said the operation aims to "protect people subjected to genocide by the Kiev regime for eight years." Western nations have imposed numerous sanctions on Russia and have been supplying weapons to Ukraine.

On September 30, Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke in the Kremlin after the referendums, and then he signed treaties with the new territories' heads on the admission of the regions to Russia. A few days later, Putin signed federal laws ratifying the admission of the territories to the Russian Federation.

Last week, leading members of the so-called collective West requested the United Nations Secretariat to conduct an investigation into Iran allegedly supplying drones to Russia for use in Ukraine. Nebenzia dismissed the allegations in a letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and also criticized the Secretariat for siding with the West without having a legal mandate to conduct such an investigation.

In June, the EU General Affairs Council in Brussels said the EU members had reached a full consensus on granting Ukraine the EU candidate status.

On Tuesday, Russian Permanent Representative to International Organizations in Vienna Mikhail Ulyanov said that experts from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will head to Kiev and Zhovti Vody in the coming days after Russia's warnings about Ukraine preparing a "dirty bomb," and the preliminary results of the visit may be published within a few weeks.

Bloomberg previously reported that US and EU officials are no longer considering a price cap in the $40-$60 range and would instead set the cap above $60 to encourage continued output.

Burns and other US officials have said they see no evidence that Russia is preparing to use a nuclear weapon in Ukraine.

According to CBS, its commanders told the broadcaster that while they're there to defend NATO soil, if the fighting escalates or there's an attack on the alliance, they're fully prepared to cross into Ukraine.

President Joe Biden recently expressed concern that Republicans could jeopardize future aid for Ukraine after current House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy vowed to cease writing blank checks to Kiev if Republicans get the majority after the elections.

In general, US voters were not paying much attention to Ukraine or other foreign policy issues in the current election races, Zogby added.

More Russian citizens left the European Union over the past week compared to the number of Russians who entered the EU over the same period, the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, Frontex, said on Wednesday.

"24,429 Russian citizens have entered the EU over the past week, a minor increase compared to the week before. At the same time, 25,684 Russian citizens left the EU," the agency wrote on Twitter.

Out of over 25,000 Russians that left the EU, almost 8,000 people came to Russia from Estonia, with another 7,200 entering Russia from Finland, according to Frontex.

In response to Russia's military operation in Ukraine, the West has launched a massive sanctions campaign against Moscow. In addition, the EU decided to limit the movement of Russian citizens, terminating its simplified visa regime agreement with Russia on September 12.

Estonia, along with Poland, Latvia and Lithuania agreed to put restrictions starting September 19 on Russians trying to enter their countries.

In late September, Finland also closed its borders for Russians with Schengen tourist visas, becoming the latest European country bordering Russia to do so.

The European Commission has not yet put forward any concrete proposal on a price cap on natural gas from Russia, Szijjarto added.

"We had a meeting of the energy ministers of the EU yesterday in Luxembourg, and there was no concrete proposal to be put on the table yet when it comes to gas," Szijjarto said in an interview. "The European Commission should put the proposal on the table soon, but I don’t know what time they will be ready."

Kiev is preparing a terrorist sabotage act with the use of a "dirty bomb," and Moscow will continue to encourage the world to prevent this irresponsible activity, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday.

"We have information that indicates an existing threat of a dirty bomb from Ukraine. We have information that indicates that Ukraine is preparing for such a terrorist act," Peskov told reporters.

Russia will convey this information to the world community to prevent such sabotage, the official added.

"We will vigorously continue to convey our point of view to the world community in order to encourage them to take active steps in terms of preventing such irresponsible behavior of the Kiev regime," he said.

Lt. Gen. Igor Kirillov, who heads the Russian radiation, chemical and biological defense forces, said on Monday that the Russian Defense Ministry had well-sourced information about Kiev's plans to use a "dirty bomb" and blame Moscow for this. Foreign ministers of France, the United Kingdom, and the United States dismissed these claims in a joint statement later in the day.

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu had several calls with his foreign counterparts to discuss the dangers of the use of a "dirty bomb" by Kiev. Russia is also seeking to convene a meeting of the UN Security Council on the issue.

A dirty bomb is a radiological weapon in a form of a container with radioactive materials and an explosive charge. Such weapons disperse radioactive material over large areas when they explode, thus contaminating the environment and the population. According to the Russian Defense Ministry, if Ukraine detonates the "dirty bomb," radioactive isotopes will spread in the atmosphere to a range of up to 1,500 kilometers (930 miles) and can cover Poland.

Turkey makes efforts to return Russian agricultural products to world markets during talks on the extension of the UN-initiated grain deal, a source in Istanbul told Sputnik on Wednesday.

The deal is in force until November 19.

"Now the main task is to remove all obstacles to the entry of Russian agricultural products, in particular fertilizers, to the markets. Indeed, in addition to grain, there is a need for Russian fertilizers. It is also important that countries in need can receive these products freely," the source said.

The Holy See is ready to do everything possible to achieve peace in Ukraine, an informed source in the Vatican told Sputnik on Wednesday.

"The Holy See is ready to do everything possible to achieve peace. If both sides asked for mediation, the Holy See, of course, would not back down," the source said, answering about the Vatican's reaction to the latest proposals of French President Emmanuel Macron.

Earlier, French magazine Le Point reported that on Monday, during a visit to the Vatican, Macron had asked Pope Francis to call Russian and US leaders, Vladimir Putin and Joe Biden, in order to resolve the crisis in Ukraine. Macron also spoke of the need for the United States to sit down at the negotiating table to advance the settlement process. In this regard, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov pointed out that "Russia is open to all contacts, but we must proceed from the fact that Ukraine has codified the non-continuation of negotiations."

"Peskov announced Moscow's readiness to conduct a dialogue with the Pope, and this is good. As for Kiev's position, as you know, the rule in politics is 'never say never,'" the source noted.

He also noted the importance of what will be a reaction to these proposals from Washington and London.

The source recalled that Pope Francis had repeatedly confirmed his readiness to contribute to the peaceful resolution of the Ukrainian crisis and gave appropriate instructions to the Vatican's Secretary of State Pietro Parolin.

Switzerland has rejected several requests from the Ukrainian military to send helmets and body armor, citing the ban on military military supplies under its policy of neutrality, the Swiss Federal Council said on Wednesday.

"Body armor and helmets are military equipment. They are classified as the specific military property under Swiss law. As a result, Switzerland rejected applications for the supply of helmets and body armor to the Ukrainian army," the Council said in a statement.

Conversely, Switzerland granted Ukraine's requests for humanitarian aid, such as medical products and sleeping bags, as it does not belong in military supplies, the council said.

Switzerland has also introduced export restrictions on certain military-purpose goods to Ukraine, to retain parity between parties to conflict, the council said.

"Since the Federal Council has joined the EU sanctions against Russia, Switzerland has had to impose export restrictions in some areas against Ukraine," the statement said.

According to the statement, since Switzerland bans the export or transit of equipment suitable for military use for one of the parties to the conflict, neutrality obligates it to mirror the restriction onto the other side.

The Swiss government published a detailed report on the neutrality policy for the first time since 1993 due to criticism and misunderstanding of this policy after the beginning of the conflict in Ukraine in late February.

The territory of Austria is secretly used for the transit of weapons to Kiev, it is not clear how this and other steps correlate with the neutral status of the republic, Russian Ambassador to Vienna Dmitry Lyubinsky said in an interview with Sputnik.

"It is unclear, for example, how this principle [of neutrality] correlates with the financial assistance allocated by Vienna to Ukraine, related to the supply of military ammunition and protective equipment, tacit consent to all new EU tranches for the needs of the Kiev military, support for the so-called 'EU military training mission.' From the lips of individual Austrian politicians, there are even calls for direct deliveries of lethal weapons to Ukraine. The territory of Austria is quietly used for the transit of weapons for the Kiev regime. But we receive frequent appeals and videos about this from anxious citizens," the diplomat said.

He added that with the start of the special operation in Ukraine, Moscow was "forced to state with regret the demonstrative departure of Austria's political leadership from the interpretation of the neutral status that has been established in international practice toward its exclusively military dimension."

The closer US troops are to Russia's borders, the more fully Russia must build its security, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday, commenting on the deployment of the 101st US Airborne Division in Romania.

CBS reported last week that 4,600 soldiers from the US Army's 101st Airborne Division and some heavy equipment had been deployed to Romania for the first time in almost 80 years to defend against any attack on NATO amid the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

"The close US troops are to our borders, the greater the danger is for us," Peskov told reporters, adding that based on this, Russia will build a policy of ensuring its own security.

Such movements of US troops near the borders of Russia "do not lead to the strengthening of predictability and stability" in the region, the official added.

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu talked to Chinese Defense Minister Wei Fenghe, raising concerns about possible provocations by Ukraine with the use of a "dirty bomb," the Russian Defense Ministry said on Wednesday.

"The situation in Ukraine was discussed. Gen. of the Army Sergei Shoigu conveyed to his Chinese counterpart concern about possible provocations by Ukraine with the use of a "dirty bomb," the ministry said.

Russia is in a very constructive dialogue with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and plans to further maintain it, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday, commenting on IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi's plans to visit Ukraine amid "dirty bomb" reports.

"We are in a very constructive dialogue with the IAEA and intend to continue to do so," Peskov told reporters.

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu raised concerns about possible provocations by Ukraine using a "dirty bomb" during a phone conversation with Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, yhe Russian Defense Ministry said on Wednesday.

"The situation in Ukraine was discussed. Gen. of the Army Sergei Shoigu conveyed to his Indian colleague his concerns about possible provocations by Ukraine with the use of a 'dirty bomb,'" the statement says.

The authorities of the Zaporozhye Region may introduce additional security measures to impede activities of terrorist and sabotage groups after the imposition of martial law, Yevgeny Balitsky, the head of the region, said on Wednesday.

"If necessary, we will be forced to introduce additional measures. Then, we will, certainly, expand the range of measures that can impede the work of terrorist or sabotage groups, or just crazy people seeking to create a conflict somewhere," Balitsky told the Rossiya 24 broadcaster.

At the same time, he said that the imposition of martial law in the region had not significantly affected the local environment.

"We have not felt a big change. Peaceful life is going on, but with a touch of terrorist events on the part of the Kiev regime. We have a curfew, but it has not increased," Balitsky added.

There is no plan to surrender the Kherson region and Russian troops will continue to defend the territory, Kirill Stremousov, the deputy head of the regional administration, said on Wednesday.

Authorities of neighboring Donetsk said on Tuesday that Ukraine was accumulating troops near Kherson for an offensive.

"I want to reassure everyone who is worried that the Kherson region will surrender or that Russia will retreat. We once again remind you that Russia does not abandon its own people. Today's Kherson region is synonymous with Russia, and we act as one single state," Stremousov said on Telegram.

All attempts by Ukrainian troops to attack the Kherson region will "result in death," the official said.

Kherson voted in a referendum in September to become part of Russia. Along with Donetsk, Lugansk and Zaporozhye, it was incorporated into Russia by law on October 5.

Earlier in the day, an air raid warning was also issued in the Ukrainian region of Poltava.

The Embassy of India in Kiev has reiterated its call on Indian citizens to leave Ukraine amid the recent escalation of the situation primarily caused by reports about the possibility of provocations with the use of so-called dirty bombs.

"In continuation of the advisory issued by the Embassy on 19 October 2022, all Indian citizens in Ukraine are advised to immediately leave Ukraine by available means. Some Indian nationals have already left Ukraine pursuant to earlier advisory," the embassy said in a statement released on Tuesday.

In addition, New Delhi posted recommendations on available options for crossing Ukrainian border with Hungary, Moldova, Poland, Slovakia and Romania. The embassy attached the list of required documents and contacts of Indian embassies in these countries.

India issued the first recommendation for its nationals to leave Ukraine on October 19 due to "the deteriorating security situation and recent escalation of hostilities" in and around the country. The relevant recommendations were also issued last week by embassies of other countries, including China, Italy, Iran and Tajikistan.

New UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak expressed hope that he would soon be able to meet with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky personally, the UK government said in a statement.

Earlier, Zelenskyy said he had had a telephone conversation with Sunak and invited him to Ukraine. The UK prime minister, in turn, said Zelensky and the Ukrainian people can count on London's support.

"President Zelensky congratulated the Prime Minister on his appointment and wished him a happy Diwali. The Prime Minister thanked him and said he hoped they would see each other in person soon," the UK government said.

On Monday, former Chancellor of the Exchequer Sunak was elected the head of the UK ruling Conservative Party and, as such, the new prime minister for lack of other contenders. On Tuesday, King Charles III officially appointed Sunak to the post, while also asking him to form a government.

Two National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS) recently delivered to the US government are currently being installed in Ukraine, the company's CEO Greg Hayes said in an interview.

"We did just deliver two NASAMS systems... we delivered them to the [US] government a couple of weeks ago, they're being installed in Ukraine today," Hayes told CNBC on Tuesday.

The Pentagon did not immediately respond to Sputnik for requests for comment on this matter.

Hayes added that right now the US government has decided that it is going to only allow NASAMS into Ukraine and not the Patriot missile defense system, however, it is an ongoing topic of discussion between Raytheon and US officials.

Any final decision on whether the Patriot missile defense system will be deployed to Ukraine will come from the White House, Hayes underscored.

Ukraine expects to receive at least six more NASAMS as part of a $2.98 billion package of military aid for Kiev announced in August, but those are not expected to be delivered any time soon.

NASAMS are short-to-medium-range ground-based air defense systems that can defend against drones, helicopters, cruise missiles, and aircraft.