LIVE UPDATES: US to Reportedly Announce New $275 Million Ukraine Security Package on Friday

The official has also underscored that there is no need to evacuate the residents of the left bank of the Dnepr river in the Kherson region.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) would like to see a protection zone around the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant as soon as possible, the IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi told reporters.

"I remain extremely concerned. I think we have come to a point where everybody agrees that there must be a protection zone. We are discussing about the parameters but this discussion is taking far too long. We should have concluded already. We should have established a protection zone," Grossi said on Thursday. "But we are making progress."

South Korea’s decision to deliver weapons to Ukraine will be destroying Seoul-Moscow relations, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday.

"But now we know that the Republic of Korea has decided to supply weapons and ammunition to Ukraine. It will destroy our relationship," Putin said at the Valdai discussion club.

The United States expects Ukraine will have the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS) capability by early next month and the US can train its troops there, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Thursday.

"We have been pressing hard to get them a NASAMS capability and we expect that early next month we'll be able to get the capability and train troops up there in Ukraine," Austin said during a press conference.

Earlier this week, Raytheon Technologies CEO Greg Hayes said two National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS) recently delivered to the US government are currently being installed in Ukraine.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that he hopes that those responsible for sabotage at the Kursk nuclear power plant will be eventually detained.

"But, unfortunately, the FSB was unable to catch them [saboteurs]. But they will, I hope, someday," Putin said at the Valdai discussion club.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that Moscow and Tehran had given "exhaustive explanations" to the UN Security Council on the alleged use of Iranian drones in Ukraine. Russia and Iran also maintain that the possible UN investigation into the case is "illegal" as the UN has no mandate for it.

Western countries are concerned about possible Ukrainian government plans to postpone next year's parliamentary election due to the martial law imposed in the country and are urging Ukrainian officials to hold it as planned, Ukrainian news portal reported.

Martial law in Ukraine was introduced on February 24, the day Russia launched a military operation in Ukraine, for an initial 30 days and extended a number of times. On August 15, it was extended for another 90 days until November 21.

During negotiations with Kiev, Western partners began to raise the issue of the parliamentary election, stressing the importance of holding it in fall 2023 as scheduled, sources close to Ukraine's ruling Servant of the People Party told the news portal, adding that there were concerns that the Ukrainian government would further extend martial law so as to postpone the election.

At the same time, the news website said, citing sources, that the Ukrainian authorities had no such plans so far, with some officials even wanting to hold the election sooner, as President Volodymyr Zelensky’s party has a high approval rating.

There is no specific statement in Russian President Vladimir Putin's message to Volodymyr Zelensky, allegedly conveyed by the president of Guinea-Bissau, Umaro Sissoco Embalo, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

Earlier, the president of Guinea-Bissau said that Putin had allegedly asked to convey a message to Zelensky about his readiness for negotiations.

"There is no specific statement in this case, and there was no talk of it," Peskov told reporters.

Earlier, the president of Guinea-Bissau was in Russia on an official visit. During negotiations with Putin, he expressed hope for the restoration of dialogue between Russia and Ukraine.

On Wednesday, Guinea-Bissau President Umaro Sissoco Embalo said that Russian President Vladimir Putin had allegedly asked him to convey a message to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky about his readiness for negotiations.

Pope Francis has confirmed the Vatican's intention to do everything possible to achieve peace in Ukraine, if both Moscow and Kiev ask it to mediate the negotiation, Leonid Sevastianov, the head of the World Union of Old Believers, told Sputnik.

On Wednesday, a source in the Vatican also told Sputnik that the Holy See was ready to do everything possible to achieve peace in Ukraine. If both sides ask the Vatican for mediation, it will not back down, according to the source.

"The Vatican is always ready to work in the name of peace," the pontiff said in his letter to Sevastianov.

Pope Francis also thanked the World Union of Old Believers for their work and contribution to peace, according to the letter seen by Sputnik.