Russian President Vladimir Putin on TV.
This was CNBC's live blog tracking developments on the war in Ukraine. See here for the latest updates.
Tuesday is the final day of voting in a series of referendums on joining Russia. The votes, widely seen as rigged and illegitimate, are likely to pave the way for Russia to announce it has annexed more of Ukraine by the end of the week, analysts say.
The votes have been taking place in two pro-Russian, self-proclaimed "republics" in the eastern regions of Donetsk and Luhansk and southern occupied regions of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson.
There have been multiple reports of votes being staged and coercion and aggression being used to force people living in Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine to vote in favor of joining Russia.
Electoral officials have gone door to door with portable ballot boxes from last Friday until yesterday. Polling stations will only open today, Tuesday, with officials citing security reasons.
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In other news, Russia has again insisted it has a "right" to use nuclear weapons if its territory is threatened, and several suspicious leaks have hit the Nord Stream pipelines, with experts not ruling out sabotage.
European officials, meanwhile, are investigating unexplained leaks affecting both the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines that bring natural gas from Russia to Europe via the Baltic Sea.
Both Europe and Russia have both said sabotage cannot be ruled out as the cause of the damage, but the finger of blame is being pointed at Moscow — which is yet to directly respond to the accusations.
Blinken says initial reports of damage to Nord Stream pipeline could be sabotage
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that initial reports of apparent damage to the Nord Stream pipeline indicate it may be the result of sabotage.
"These are initial reports and we haven't confirmed that yet," Blinken told reporters at the State Department.
"Now, my understanding is the leaks will not have a significant impact on Europe's energy resilience. And what's critical is that we are working day in and day out both on a short-term basis and a long-term basis to address energy security for Europe and for that matter around the world," Blinken added.
European officials, meanwhile, are investigating the unexplained leaks affecting both the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines that bring natural gas from Russia to Europe via the Baltic Sea.
— Amanda Macias
Russian forces are using Iranian drones in Ukraine, Pentagon says
The Pentagon said it has observed Russian forces use Iranian drones in Ukraine.
"We do assess that the Russians are using the Iranian drones in Ukraine," Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said during a daily press briefing.
"We've also seen reports of Ukrainians shooting down some of these drones," he added, without providing more detail.
Last month, U.S. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby confirmed that Russia had received the drones but said it was "too soon to tell" how the new weapons would shape the combat.
"It remains to be seen what the overall impact is going to be on those drones, but it's not going to change the kinds of capabilities we continue to provide," Kirby told reporters on a conference call.
"We know of some difficulties that the Russians have been having with some of those drones," Kirby added, but declined to elaborate.
— Amanda Macias
Use of nuclear weapons is 'absolutely unacceptable,' NATO chief says
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that the alliance is taking Russia's rhetoric and threats of using a nuclear weapon in Ukraine very seriously.
"Any use of nuclear weapons is absolutely unacceptable," Stoltenberg said in his opening remarks before the European Parliament.
"It will change the nature of the conflict," he said, adding that the NATO alliance, as well as the European Union, will impose severe consequences on Russia if it uses a nuclear weapon.
The Kremlin has previously said that it has a "right" to use nuclear weapons if its territory is threatened.
— Amanda Macias
Nine vessels depart Ukraine carrying more than 340,000 metric tons of agricultural products
The organization overseeing the export of agricultural products from Ukraine said it has approved nine vessels to leave the besieged country.
The Black Sea Grain Initiative, an initiative of Ukraine, Russia, the United Nations and Turkey, said the vessels are carrying a total of 344,643 metric tons of grain and other crops.
Two ships are destined for Spain and are carrying corn, barley and wheat. Another ship will depart from Ukraine's Yuzhny-Pivdennyi port for South Korea and is carrying corn. Two ships carrying wheat and soy beans will sail to Turkey. Another ship carrying sunflower pellets will sail to Bulgaria. Two vessels from Odesa will sail to Tunisia and Romania carrying wheat and corn. The ninth vessel with leave from Chornomorsk for France and is carrying rapeseed.
Read more about the Black Sea Grain Initiative here.
— Amanda Macias
CIA reportedly warned Berlin about possible attacks on gas pipelines
The U.S. Central Intelligence Agency had weeks ago warned Germany about possible attacks on gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea, German magazine Spiegel said after gas leaks in Russia pipelines to Germany were reported.
The German government received the CIA tip in summer, Spiegel reported, citing unnamed sources, adding that Berlin assumes a targeted attack on Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines.
A German government spokesperson declined to comment, Spiegel added.
— Reuters
A superyacht linked to a sanctioned Russian businessman fetched $37.5 million at auction
A superyacht linked to a sanctioned Russian businessman fetched $37.5 million at auction in Gibraltar last month after it was sold at the behest of creditor JP Morgan, a court has confirmed, in the first sale of its kind since Russia invaded Ukraine.
The 72.5-meter Axioma was impounded by the Gibraltar authorities in March after U.S. bank said its alleged owner, a company that was owned by Dmitry Pumpyansky, had reneged on the terms of a 20.5 million euro loan ($19.6 million).
Pumpyansky, 58, was until March the owner and chairman of steel pipe manufacturer OAO TMK, a supplier to Russian energy company Gazprom.
— Reuters
NATO chief speaks with Zelenskyy and reaffirms the alliance's support
"Just spoke with President Zelenskyy and made clear that NATO allies are unwavering in our support for Ukraine's sovereignty and right to self-defense," NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg wrote on Twitter.
"The sham referenda held by Russia have no legitimacy and are a blatant violation of international law. These lands are Ukraine," he added.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed the call in a separate tweet and said that he thanked the NATO chief for "condemning Russia's illegal referenda."
"We discussed current battlefield developments and further support of the alliance's member states to the Ukrainian Armed Forces," Zelenksyy added.
— Amanda Macias
Gas leaks from Russian pipelines to Europe raise sabotage fears
Europe is investigating leaks in two Russian gas pipelines that churned up the Baltic Sea, raising concerns from Copenhagen to Moscow about sabotage on infrastructure at the heart of an energy standoff.
However, it remained far from clear who might be behind any foul play, if proven, on the Nord Stream pipelines that Russia and European partners spent billions of dollars building.
Poland's prime minister blamed sabotage for the leaks, without citing evidence, while the Danish premier said it could not be ruled out.
Russia, which slashed gas deliveries to Europe after the West imposed sanctions over Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, said sabotage was a possibility and that the incident undermined the continent's energy security.
A senior Ukrainian official called it a Russian attack to destabilize Europe, without giving proof.
The Nord Stream pipelines have been flashpoints in an escalating energy war between European capitals and Moscow that has pummeled major Western economies, sent gas prices soaring and sparked a hunt for alternative energy supplies.
— Reuters
U.N. calls for immediate release of those detained in Russia protesting Putin's mobilization order
The U.N. called on the Kremlin to release people who have been detained in Russia for protesting President Vladimir Putin's mobilization order.
"As of 26 September, according to credible reports, some 2,377 demonstrators had been arrested since last Wednesday in various locations across the country. It is unclear how many people remain in detention," wrote Ravina Shamdasani, spokeswoman for the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights.
"We stress that arresting people solely for exercising their rights of peaceful assembly and freedom of expression constitutes an arbitrary deprivation of liberty," Shamdasani said, adding that the U.N. calls for the immediate release of all those detained in this manner.
— Amanda Macias
NATO air forces conduct training drills over Baltic Sea
NATO members Hungary, Germany, Czech Republic, Italy, Turkey, the United Kingdom, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania participated in the training drills dubbed "Ramstein Alloy."
"The exercise series integrates more than two dozen fighter and support aircraft and NATO airborne early warning aircraft with NATO and national command and control centers," the alliance wrote in a release.
"The realistic drills train Allied forces to deter and if needed defend against any aggression."
— Amanda Macias
Russian reservists called up in Putin mobilization attend a departure ceremony
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced last week that he was mobilizing hundreds of thousands of Russian men to bolster Moscow's army in Ukraine, sparking demonstrations and an exodus of men abroad.
Reservists that have been called-up to active duty attend a departure ceremony in in Sevastopol, Crimea.
— AFP | Getty Images
Wheat rises on concern over Russian crops
Chicago wheat futures climbed, supported by concern over Russian supplies as some farmers are called to the army, while corn and soybeans rose from the previous session's near two-week low due to a slower-than-expected U.S. harvest.
Wheat prices gained 1.5% and were set to snap a two-session losing streak.
"Agricultural markets have faced pressure in the last few sessions due to concerns over global recession," said a Singapore-based trader. "But we have a slight strength today as the U.S. harvest is slow."
The Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) most-active corn contract was up 0.4% at $6.69 a bushel, as of 1130 GMT, and soybeans added 0.7% to $14.21-1/2 a bushel.
Wheat gained 1.5% to $8.70-1/2 a bushel.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture said the corn harvest was 12% complete, as of Sunday, behind the average analyst estimate of 13% and the five-year average of 14%.
The soybean harvest was 8% complete, lagging the average analyst estimate of 11% and the five-year average of 13%, the agency reported after the market closed on Monday.
— Rueters
Nord Stream leaks 'a severe safety and environmental hazard,' analysts say
Suspicious leaks reported on the Nord Stream pipelines from Russia to Germany represent a "severe safety and environment hazard," according to experts at the Eurasia Group.
Nord Stream operator Nord Stream AG reported Tuesday that both the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines have sustained "unprecedented" damage via three known leaks, adding it was impossible to estimate when the gas network system's working capability would be restored.
Danish and Swedish authorities declared a no-shipping zone around the location of the suspected leak in their maritime zones while Denmark raised its power and gas safety alert level.
Henning Gloystein, director of energy, climate and resources and senior analyst Jason Bush, both at Eurasia Group, said in a note Tuesday that while German and Danish authorities said the cause of the leaks was unknown, "unplanned leaks to undersea pipelines are rare as they are designed to avert accidental damage."
"Several EU sources said sabotage seemed likely. Neither pipeline was delivering commercial gas at the time of the leaks, yet given both lines were still pressured and each has the capacity to pipe around 165 million cubic metres of methane-heavy gas per day," they said, adding: "Leaks of this size are a severe safety and environmental hazard, especially should Russia not stop pumping gas into the system."
The Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines have centered heavily in the breakdown of relations between Europe and Russia because of the war in Ukraine. The new Nord Stream 2 pipeline had not even opened when the German government refused to certify it for commercial operations after Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
Meanwhile, the functional Nord Stream 1 pipeline is currently not being used to deliver Russian gas to Europe after Gazprom, the Russian gas giant, said there was a technical fault with a turbine that could not be fixed due to Western sanctions.
The latest report of leaks make it even less likely that gas supplies to Europe will resume before the winter, analysts now say.
"Depending on the scale of the damage, the leaks could even mean a permanent closure of both lines," Eurasia Group said.
Gazprom declined to comment when approached by Reuters.
Mystery leaks hit Russian undersea gas lines, raising European suspicions
European countries on Tuesday raced to investigate unexplained leaks in two Russian gas pipelines runningunder the Baltic Sea near Sweden and Denmark, infrastructure at the heart of an energy crisis since Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Experts and also Russia, which built the network, said the possibility of sabotage could not be ruled out, Reuters reported Tuesday.
Sweden's Maritime Authority issued a warning about two leaks in the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, shortly after a leak on the nearby Nord Stream 2 pipeline was discovered that had prompted Denmark to restrict shipping in a five nautical mile radius.
Both pipelines have been flashpoints in an escalating energy war between European capitals and Moscow that has pummelled major Western economies, sent gas prices soaring and sparked a hunt for alternative energy supplies.
"There are some indications that it is deliberate damage," said a European security source, while adding it was still too early to draw conclusions. "You have to ask: Who would profit?"
Russia also said the leak in the Russian network was cause for concern and sabotage was one possible cause. "No option can be ruled out right now," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
Neither pipeline was pumping gas to Europe at the time the leaks were found amid the dispute over the war in Ukraine, but the incidents will scupper any remaining expectations that Europe could receive gas via Nord Stream 1 before winter.
"The destruction that occurred on the same day simultaneously on three strings of the offshore gas pipelines of the Nord Stream system is unprecedented," said network operator Nord Stream AG. "It is not yet possible to estimate the timing of the restoration of the gas transport infrastructure."
Although neither were in operation, both pipelines still contained gas under pressure.
Denmark's energy minister Dan Jorgensen said in a written comment leaking gas had been detected in Nord Stream 2 on Monday between Russia and Denmark.
Gazprom, the Kremlin-controlled company with a monopoly on Russian gas exports by pipeline, declined comment.
— Reuters
Kazakhstan to hold talks with Moscow after influx of Russians fleeing the draft
Kazakhstan is to discuss an influx of Russians to the country following President Putin's partial military mobilization last week.
President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Zhomart Tokayev told Russian news agency Interfax that there is "neither crisis nor panic" in the country in connection with the influx of Russians, but called the situation "difficult."
"We will hold talks with the Russian side and will solve this problem in the interests of our country," he said.
"We do not have a crisis or panic. The government must do its job. Visitors from abroad will be assisted, but they will not receive any preferences" the president said, adding that it was important for Kazakhstan to maintain good relations with its Russian neighbor.
"The most important thing is that we maintain agreement with neighboring countries. We will not lose anything from this. In recent days, many people from Russia have been coming to us. Most of them are forced to leave due to the current hopeless situation. We must take care of them and provide their security. This is a political and humanitarian issue. I instructed the government to take the necessary measures," Tokayev said.
On September 23, the border service of the National Security Committee of Kazakhstan reported that it was registering an increase in the number of foreigners entering the border with Russia. That came a day after President Putin announced the call-up of 300,000 military reservists to fight in Ukraine, prompting a mass exodus from the country as men tried to escape the draft.
Russia says it has right to use nuclear weapons if territory threatened, top official says
Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said Russia has the right to use nuclear weapons if Moscow deems it necessary, and if it deems its territory is under threat from conventional weapons.
Medvedev is seen as a close ally of President Putin and is currently the deputy chair of Russia's Security Council. During the war he has infrequently taken to Telegram to issue aggressive anti-Western and pro-war statements.
On Tuesday, he wrote on the social media site, "Our enemies love to make grandiloquent statements [and] operate with the terms 'freedom', 'democracy', 'mission'. In fact, this is just ritual verbal diarrhea," he said, with the "topic of recent days is the Russian nuclear threat."
"I have to remind you again ... Russia has the right to use nuclear weapons if necessary. In predetermined cases. In strict accordance with the fundamentals of state policy in the field of nuclear deterrence [or] if we or our allies are attacked using this type of weapon. Or if aggression with the use of conventional weapons threatens the very existence of our state," he wrote.
There are heightened concerns that Russia could resort to using a nuclear weapon in Ukraine after it annexes more territory in the country — a move it is expected to announce later this week after a series of sham referendums in occupied parts of the country on joining Russia.
Despite the illegitimacy of the votes, which are widely regarded as rigged and coercive, Russia is expected to announce the annexation of four regions of Ukraine into the Russian Federation. There are concerns that Russia could resort to using nuclear weapons, justifying it on the grounds of defending Russian territory.
Russia has repeatedly insisted it would not use such catastrophic weapons, though Putin has regularly boasted about possessing such weapons. Last week, he warned the world again that he was not "bluffing" that he could use nuclear weapons, a warning the West is taking seriously.
— Holly Ellyatt
Putin expected to announce annexation of Ukrainian regions on Sept. 30
Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to announce that Russia is annexing four more regions of Ukraine on Friday, after a set of sham referendums held in occupied parts of the country over the last week.
Voting in the referendums, which Western countries say are illegitimate, have been taking place in Donetsk and Luhansk in east Ukraine, and Zaporizhzhia and Kherson in the south. Voting concludes on Tuesday.
President Vladimir Putin is scheduled to address both houses of the Russian Parliament on Friday and is widely expected to use the address to formally announce the accession of the occupied regions of Ukraine to the Russian Federation.
"Russia's leaders almost certainly hope that any accession announcement will be seen as a vindication of the 'special military operation' and will consolidate patriotic support for the conflict," Britain's Defense Ministry said in an intelligence update Tuesday.
"This aspiration will likely be undermined by the increasing domestic awareness of Russia's recent battlefield sets-backs and significant unease about the partial mobilisation announced last week."
— Holly Ellyatt
'Referendums' taking place under tha barrel of the gun, academic says
Dr Olexiy Haran, Professor of Comparative Politics at the University of Kyiv Mohyla Academy, speaks to CNBC about "referendums" being held in occupied parts of Ukraine on whether to join Russia.
The votes are widely seen as illegitimate, fake attempts by Russia to legimitize the annexation of four regions of Ukraine (Donetsk and Luhansk in the east, and Kherson and Zaporizhzhia in the south).
There have been multiple reports of voting irregularities and the results are expected to be rigged, with analysts saying Russia could look to announce it will annex the four regions by the end of the week.
— Holly Ellyatt
Russian conscripts head off to war in Ukraine while others try to flee the draft
Many Russian reservists called up to be sent to Ukraine have been reporting for duty at military bases in Russia before setting off to fight in Ukraine. Reuters footage showed queues at the border with Georgia as men tried to escape the draft.
Video footage by Reuters in Bataysk in the Rostov region showed soldiers arriving in uniform at military recruiting offices before showing them setting off to war carrying backpacks.
"I got the draft notice yesterday. A man came and gave it to me. Mum was unhappy but what could we do, we have to defend our country," one reservist, Roman Khodakov, told Reuters.
"Fear is one thing. The main thing is to overcome the fear. I only fear for my family; they are heartbroken. I don't fear for myself. It's God's will," he added.
The wife of another reservist said she found the situation "frightening."
When asked what she was afraid of, Yevgeniya Naboka said, "What everybody is scared of. The main thing for him to come back alive and healthy." Her husband, Dmitry Naboka, said he was feeling positive about the draft.
"I'm positive. I will come back alive and healthy. It's going to be okay. I'm a sergeant in reserve."
— Holly Ellyatt
Russia trying to delay the moment they lose the war, Zelenskyy says
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russian forces are delaying the inevitable moment when they lose the war in Ukraine, saying men drafted to fight in the conflict are just "cannon fodder" for Russia.
"Despite the obvious senselessness of the war for Russia and the occupiers' loss of initiative, the command of the Russian military still drives them to their death," Zelenskyy said on Telegram Monday night.
"Constant attempts of the Russian offensive in the Donetsk region will surely go down in the history of wars as one of the most cynical murders of one's own soldiers," he said, adding that such offensives and the Russian mobilization are an attempt to give commanders on the ground a constant stream of "cannon fodder."
"There is simply no other point in the Russian mobilization. They felt that they will lose, and they are simply trying to delay this moment, to ensure at least some activity at the front, to replace the dead with at least someone with weapons in their hands. Unfortunately, Russian society is not yet aware of all the brutality of the Russian government towards its own people," he added.
President Vladimir Putin announced a partial military mobilization last week, causing a flurry of Russian men set to be called up in the draft to attempt to flee the country. There have been multiple reports of standoffs between conscripts and military officials and anti-mobilization protests have erupted.
— Holly Ellyatt
Russia set to annex more of Ukraine after final day of voting in sham referendums
Tuesday is the final day of voting in a series of sham referendums on joining Russia that are being held in occupied regions of Ukraine: in two pro-Russian separatist "republics" in Donetsk and Luhansk in eastern Ukraine, and Zaporizhzhia and Kherson in the south.
Today is the only day that polling stations will open, with officials citing security reasons for the brief opening, with other votes collected by officials going door to door with portable ballot boxes.
There have been numerous reports of other irregular electoral practices and the votes are seen as illegal, coercive and staged, although Moscow insists they're legitimate.
Russian state news agency Tass reported that voter turnout for the referenda stood at 86.89% in Donetsk, 83.61% in the Luhansk, 63.58% in the Kherson region and 66.43% in the Zaporizhzhia region although those figures could well be fake.
Ukraine's Western allies have said they will not recognize the results of any of the fake referenda. Still, Russia is likely to hail the votes as a success and is expected to annex the four regions from Ukraine within days, analysts at risk consultancy Teneo say.
"Following the so-called referendums, Moscow is expected to swiftly annex these regions, possibly by the end of this week," Teneo analysts said in a note Monday.
"As previously noted, Russia's treatment of these regions as its own territory could pave the way for further escalation of the war, including ultimatums backed by nuclear threats."
— Holly Ellyatt
Senior Russian lawmakers express concern over Putin's mobilization as thousands attempt to flee the country
Amid increasing public anger about Russia's mobilization drive, two of the country's most senior lawmakers ordered regional officials to solve the "excesses" that have stoked protests and seen flocks of military-age men attempt to flee.
Valentina Matviyenko and Vyacheslav Volodin both took to the Telegram messaging app to address what they said were the many complaints from the public about the mistakes that were made when recruiting civilians into the military.
"Appeals are coming in," Volodin, speaker of the Duma, Russia's lower chamber of Parliament, said in a post Sunday. "Each case should be dealt with separately. If a mistake is made, it must be corrected," he said.
"All levels of government must understand their responsibility," he added.
Videos posted to social media have also shown arguments between military recruiters and reservists, as well as members of the public, prompting even ultra-loyal pro-Kremlin figures to publicly express concern.
Read the full story from NBC News.
The Kremlin says it is in sporadic contact with Washington over nuclear issues
The Kremlin said it was in "sporadic" contact with Washington on nuclear issues after the two traded threats concerning the use of nuclear weapons, Reuters reported.
Washington over the weekend warned of "horrific consequences" and a decisive U.S. response if Putin were to make good on his threat of using nuclear weapons to defend Russian territory. That territory, in Putin's eyes, may soon include areas of Ukraine occupied by Russian forces, where Moscow is now staging highly-criticized referendums to join the Russian Federation.
Ukrainian and Western officials are deriding the votes as a sham with a pre-determined outcome in favor of Russia, which they warn could give Putin a pretext to use nuclear weapons in order to attack forces trying to retake them for Ukraine.
— Natasha Turak
Russian state media reports high turnout in occupied territory referendums
Russian state news agency RIA has reported turnout levels in the Russian-controlled "referendums" in four of Ukraine's occupied territories. It said that turnout for the votes so far ranged from 49% in the southern Kherson region to 77% in the eastern Donetsk oblast.
The announced figures are high enough that Moscow will likely deem the results legitimate, although numerous reports and videos have surfaced of people being forced to vote and votes being staged. Voting began on Friday and will run until Tuesday.
Ukrainian and international governments have roundly condemned the referendums, calling them a "sham" and refusing to recognize the results, which they say will be rigged in Russia's favor.
— Natasha Turak
First troops in Russia's 'partial mobilization' wave arrive at bases
The first troops in Russia's "partial mobilization" wave have started arriving at military bases, and the country will struggle to arm and train them all properly, security analysts say.
"Unlike most Western armies, the Russian military provides low-level, initial training to soldiers within their designated operational units, rather than in dedicated training establishments," Britain's Ministry of Defense wrote in its daily intelligence update on Twitter.
"The lack of military trainers, and the haste with which Russia has started the mobilisation, suggests that many of the drafted troops will deploy to the front line with minimal relevant preparation. They are likely to suffer a high attrition rate," the ministry wrote.
— Natasha Turak
Read CNBC's previous live coverage here:
U.S. warns of 'horrific' consequences if Russia uses nuclear weapons in Ukraine
