This was CNBC's live blog tracking developments on the war in Ukraine on Nov.21, 2022. See here for the latest updates. 

The official civilian death toll from the Russian invasion of Ukraine has risen to nearly 6,900, with civilian injuries topping 10,000, the United Nations said.

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said fierce battles are continuing along the front line, with the most intense in Donetsk, but wintry weather is prompting a change in Russia's tactics.

While the number of ground offensives has declined as the weather worsens, "the number of Russian shelling occasions remains, unfortunately, extremely high," Zelenskyy said in his nightly address Sunday.

In Luhansk, the region next to Donetsk, Zelenskyy said Ukrainian forces are advancing "little by little," but added there have been almost 400 instances of shelling in the eastern region on Sunday alone. Britain's Ministry of Defense said Monday it believes an area of Luhansk "is likely now a more vulnerable operational flank of the Russian force."

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Monday that Ukraine is in a good position to keep fighting Russia's invading forces through winter — and in a better state than Russia's forces.

"We've done a lot to try to prepare the Ukrainians to be prepared for a fight in the winter, and enable them to continue to keep pressure on our adversaries throughout the winter months," he told a press conference as he prepared to meet his Indonesian counterpart, Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto.

Poland to put German Patriot missiles near border with Ukraine

NATO allies Poland and Germany have agreed to deploy additional Patriot missile launchers near the Polish border with Ukraine following an offer from Berlin, Poland's defense minister said on Monday.

"The German Defence Minister confirmed her willingness to deploy the Patriot launcher at the border with Ukraine," Mariusz Blaszczak wrote on Twitter.

"The version of the system remains to be determined, as does how quickly they will reach us and how long they will be stationed."

Berlin offered Warsaw the Patriot missile defense system to help secure its airspace after a stray missile crashed in Poland last week, Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht told a newspaper on Sunday.

The German government had already said it would offer its eastern neighbor further help in air policing with German Eurofighters after the incident, which initially raised fears that the war in Ukraine could spill across the border.

— Reuters

100 million euros pledged to Moldova, hit hard by war in Ukraine

French President Emmanuel Macron said more than 100 million euros ($102 million) were raised at a donors conference to help assist Europe's poorest country, Moldova, which is suffering massive blackouts, an acute energy crisis, heavy refugee flows and potential security threats from the war in neighboring Ukraine.

The international aid conference in Paris was co-chaired by France, Germany, and Romania in support of Moldova and aimed to achieve "concrete and immediate assistance" for the land-locked former Soviet republic, according to the French Foreign Ministry.

Two previous conferences for Moldova this year also raised hundreds of millions of euros, but as the war drags on and winter begins to grip, its needs are growing.

Broad blackouts temporarily hit more than a half-dozen Moldovan cities last week as the Russian military pounded infrastructure targets across Ukraine. Moldova's Soviet-era energy systems remain interconnected with Ukraine, which is why the Russian missile barrage triggered the automatic shutdown of a supply line.

France's Macron vowed to continue helping Moldova and said that "fighting for Moldova today is part of the war effort we lead alongside Ukraine."

Moldova's pro-Western president, Maia Sandu said, "Moldova remains Ukraine's most vulnerable neighbor."

"As Ukraine defends itself from Russian attacks it also defends Moldova and defends the whole of Europe ... the international community must do everything to support Ukraine," Sandu said.

— The Associated Press

Ukrainians will face a 'life-threatening' winter, WHO warns

Ukrainians face a "life-threatening" winter amid a devastating energy crisis and limited access to medical and humanitarian services, according to the World Health Organization's regional director for Europe.

"Continued attacks on health and energy infrastructure mean hundreds of hospitals and healthcare facilities are no longer fully operational, lacking fuel, water and electricity to meet basic needs," said Dr. Hans Henri Kluge, the director.

Kluge noted that the coming winter will be not only a "formidable test" of the Ukrainian people and Ukraine's health system, but also of the world's commitment to supporting Ukraine.

Many Ukrainians will also turn to alternative heating methods due to Russian attacks on critical energy infrastructure that have caused blackouts in several regions across Ukraine.

Kluge noted that burning charcoal or wood and using diesel generators or electric heaters to try to stay warm can worsen respiratory and cardiovascular complications and result in burns.

Officials have suggested that those who are able to leave Ukraine for the winter do so, to preserve power for hospitals and other critical facilities.

— Rocio Fabbro

Evacuation train leaves Kherson, as region's infrastructure remains damaged

The Ukrainian government said it is facilitating voluntary evacuations from the recently liberated city of Kherson.

Civilian infrastructure in the Kherson region has been heavily damaged due to widespread Russian shelling.

The Kremlin has previously said that its forces do not target civilian infrastructure.

- Chris McGrath | Getty Images

Three vessels will depart Ukraine’s ports under Black Sea Grain Initiative

The organization overseeing the export of agricultural products said three vessels carrying wheat and vegetable oil left Ukrainian ports.

The amount of grain and other foodstuffs exported under the Black Sea Grain Initiative so far exceeds 11.6 million metric tons.

The Black Sea Grain Initiative, a deal brokered in July among Ukraine, Russia, Turkey and the United Nations, eased Russia's naval blockade and saw three key Ukrainian ports reopen.

The deal between the signatories is set to expire in about four months.

— Amanda Macias

'No immediate safety concerns' at Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, shelling caused widespread damage

There are "no immediate safety or security concerns" at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant following heavy shelling throughout the weekend, the International Atomic Energy Agency said.

However, while key equipment remained intact, the assessment team found widespread damage across the site.

"This is a major cause of concern as it clearly demonstrates the sheer intensity of the attacks on one of the world's largest nuclear power plants," IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said in a statement after the agency conducted an investigation of the site.

Areas of the plant damaged by the strikes included a pressurized air pipeline, the main road to reactors and condensate storage tanks, resulting in non-radioactive leakage. Operating and maintenance staff are already repairing some of the damage and plant personnel are cleaning up the site, the IAEA said.

Grossi has repeatedly warned against fighting near the site, most recently saying that whoever was responsible for the attacks was "playing with fire."

The renewed attacks on and around the nuclear site have intensified Grossi's calls for a protection zone, which would prevent shelling near the plant.

— Rocio Fabbro

Backlog of 76 ships waiting to transport crops from Ukraine

The organization overseeing the export of Ukrainian crops said that there is a backlog of 76 vessels waiting to be loaded with cargo.

The U.N.-led Joint Coordination Center also said that about 33 loaded vessels are waiting for inspection in Turkish territorial waters.

The Black Sea Grain Initiative, a deal brokered in July among Ukraine, Russia, Turkey, and the United Nations, eased Russia's naval blockade and saw the reopening of three key Ukrainian ports.

Since the deal was signed, more than 480 ships carrying 11.6 million metric tons of grain and other food products have left for destinations around the world.

Kyiv has previously blamed Moscow for holding up inspections and delaying vessel movements.

— Amanda Macias

More than 7.8 million Ukrainians have become refugees from Russia's war, U.N. estimates

More than 7.8 million Ukrainians have become refugees and moved to neighboring countries since Russia invaded Ukraine in late February, the U.N. Refugee Agency estimates.

Nearly 5 million of those people have applied for temporary resident status in neighboring Western European countries, according to data collected by the agency.

"The escalation of conflict in Ukraine has caused civilian casualties and destruction of civilian infrastructure, forcing people to flee their homes seeking safety, protection and assistance," the U.N. Refugee Agency wrote.

— Amanda Macias

Iran has agreed to help Russia manufacture drones

Iran has agreed to help Russia manufacture drones, two U.S. officials and a Western official confirmed to NBC News.

Earlier this week, The Washington Post reported that Moscow and Tehran reached an agreement during a meeting in early November to produce Iranian-designed weapons on Russian soil.

The two countries are moving quickly to transfer designs and components to Russia that would allow production to begin within the next few months, U.S. intelligence officials told The Post.

Iran had previously been accused by Ukraine and Western allies of supplying Russia with self-detonating drones that were used on Ukrainian territory, heightening concerns about an arms exchange between the two nations.

— Rocio Fabbro

One dead, four injured by Russian shelling in Kherson, top Ukrainian official says

One person was killed and four others injured from Russian shelling in the Kherson region, according to Kyrylo Tymoshenko, deputy head of the Office of the President of Ukraine.

Despite Russia's withdrawal from Kherson earlier this month, shelling has continued in the southern Ukrainian region. same t

Over the past several months, Russia has consistently attacked civilian infrastructure, including energy systems and residential buildings.

Ukrainian officials began evacuating civilians from Kherson and a neighboring province as infrastructure damage was deemed too critical for inhabitants to safely remain during the winter.

— Rocio Fabbro

More than 6,590 people have died in Ukraine, United Nations says

At least 6,595 civilians have died and 10,189 have been injured in Ukraine since Russia invaded its ex-Soviet neighbor on Feb. 24, according to the United Nations.

The Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights said that the death toll in Ukraine is likely higher than that because armed conflict can delay fatality reports.

Most of the civilian casualties recorded were caused by the use of explosive weapons with a wide impact area, including shelling from heavy artillery and multiple launch rocket systems, as well as missiles and airstrikes, according to the organization.

— Amanda Macias

Ukraine's Zelenskyy: Nuclear plants need protection from Russian sabotage

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged NATO members to guarantee the protection of Ukraine's nuclear plants from Russian sabotage, a day after the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia plant was rocked by heavy shelling.

"All our nations are interested in not having any dangerous incidents at our nuclear facilities," Zelenskyy said in a video address to NATO's Parliamentary Assembly in Madrid.

"We all need guaranteed protection from Russian sabotage at nuclear facilities," he added.

The Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine was shelled on Saturday and Sunday, raising concern about the potential for a serious accident just 500 km (300 miles) from Chornobyl, site of the world's worst nuclear disaster in 1986.

— Reuters

NATO Parliamentary Assembly calls for creation of special tribunal on Russian aggression in Ukraine, recognizes Russia as a terrorist state

The NATO Parliamentary Assembly in Madrid called for the creation of a special international tribunal on Russia's aggression in Ukraine and recognized Russia as a terrorist state, according to a statement from the head of Ukraine's permanent delegation to the NATO assembly.

"All 30 NATO countries supported the proposals of our delegation," Yehor Chernev said in the statement.

"Such a tribunal will make it possible to convict not only the direct perpetrators of war crimes, but also the senior leadership of the Russian Federation."

The resolution, which also includes proposals to increase arms supplies to Ukraine, develop further steps for Ukraine's accession to NATO, and create a reparation collection mechanism, will be sent to all NATO member countries, Chernev said.

"The adoption of this resolution is an important political step that reflects the mood in Western parliamentary circles, and therefore influences the leadership of countries in decision-making," he said.

At the assembly, NATO Allies and the European Union also reinforced their commitment to long-term, sustained financial and military support for Ukraine.

— Rocio Fabbro

Graffiti by the anonymous street artist Banksy popping up across Ukraine.

Graffiti by the famous anonymous street artist Banksy have been popping up on destroyed buildings from Russia's continued war in Ukraine.

Banksy posted a video on his Instagram account and website detailing him doing some of the work in the village of Horenka.

"Don't be sad honey," one Ukraine mother said on the video as she comforted her small daughter outside the bombed-out rubble of a school where the girl had attended kindergarten.

"We already cried so much. We don't have any more tears left," the woman said.

Banksy last week confirmed to The Art Newspaper that he created seven murals in different locations in Ukraine.

— Dan Mangan and Adam Jeffrey

-Getty Images

Ukraine urges civilians to leave liberated areas for winter

Ukrainian authorities have started evacuating civilians from the recently-liberated areas of the Kherson region and the neighboring province of Mykolaiv, fearing that damage to the infrastructure is too severe for people to endure the upcoming winter, officials said Monday.

Residents of the two southern regions, regularly shelled in the past months by Russian forces, have been advised to move to safer areas in the central and and western parts of the country, said Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk.

The government will provide "transportation, accommodation, medical care," she said.

The evacuations come just over a week after Ukraine retook the city of Kherson and areas around it. The liberation of the area marked a major battlefield gain, while the evacuations now highlight the difficulties the country is facing following heavy Russian shelling of its power infrastructure as winter weather sets in.

— The Associated Press

NATO chief says member nations must be prepared to support Ukraine 'for the long haul'

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg urged members to continue their support of Ukraine, noting that the long-term costs of Russian victory outweigh the current financial cost on member nations.

"If we allow Putin to win, all of us will have to pay a much higher price," Stoltenberg told the 68th Annual Session of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly. "Authoritarian regimes around the world will learn that they can get what they want with brute force. This would have direct consequences for our security. It would make the world more dangerous. And us more vulnerable."

Stoltenberg recognized the cost-of-living crisis around the world and the concerns about the cost of support for NATO Allies, as many countries have begun to experience what has become known as "Ukraine fatigue." However, Stoltenberg contrasted the monetary price paid by Allies to the massive loss of life in Ukraine: "the Ukrainians, they pay a price which is measured in blood."

NATO significantly stepped up its support to Ukraine earlier this year, following the Alliance's June summit in Madrid. It is because of this continued military and financial support, along with Ukrainian bravery, according to Stoltenberg, that Russia faces "setback after setback" including the withdrawal from Kherson.

"But it would be a great mistake to underestimate Russia," he warned. "It retains significant military capabilities and a high number of troops. Russia is willing to suffer substantial casualties. And is willing to inflict horrific suffering on Ukrainian people."

"So we must be prepared to support Ukraine for the long haul," he said.

 — Rocio Fabbro

Top Russian official warns of potential accident at Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant

The head of Russia's state-run atomic energy agency, Rosatom, warned that there's a risk of a nuclear accident at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant a day after several attacks on the Russian-occupied site, which Rosatom CEO Alexey Likhachev blamed on Ukraine.

"We are informing the world community that the plant is at risk of a nuclear accident, and it is obvious that Kyiv considers a small nuclear incident acceptable," Russian state news agency Tass quoted Likhachev as telling reporters.

"Large or small radioactivity, this will be a precedent that will forever change [the] course of history. Therefore, everything must be done so that no one has in their minds to encroach on the safety of the nuclear power plant," he said.

Russia and Ukraine have repeatedly accused each other of shelling Europe's largest nuclear power plant and risking a massive nuclear accident.

It's unknown who was behind the attacks at the weekend that damaged buildings, systems and equipment, with some of the explosions occurring near the reactors but not directly striking them.

The IAEA has called for the creation of a security zone around the plant, something Likhachev said would only be possible if it was approved by the U.S.

— Holly Ellyatt

Kremlin says it will 'bring to justice' those responsible for alleged execution of Russian solders

The Kremlin said that it will "bring to justice" those responsible for the alleged execution of Russian solders as a dispute over the alleged killings continues between Moscow and Kyiv.

Speaking to reporters Monday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said "Russia will do everything possible within the framework of international mechanisms in order to draw attention to this crime and call to order and to the law those who may be involved in it."

Ukraine has said it would investigate video footage circulated on Russian social media which Moscow claims shows Ukrainian forces killing Russian troops who may have been trying to surrender.

"Of course Ukrainian authorities will investigate this video," Olha Stefanishyna, Ukraine's deputy prime minister, said on the sidelines of a security forum in Nova Scotia, AP reported earlier Monday.

However, Stefanishyna, speaking late Saturday, said "it is very unlikely" that the short, edited snippets show what Moscow claims to be a "brutal murder."

Conversely, Ukraine says Russia has been responsible for multiple alleged war crimes on Ukrainian soil since the start of the invasion, including the deliberate targeting of civilian infrastructure, including hospitals and schools, and residential buildings. Allegations of torture chambers set up to interrogate Ukrainian civilians and captured troops is also being investigated. Moscow denies targeting civilians during the war.

— Holly Ellyatt

Spain to deploy police in Ukraine to assist war crime investigations

Spanish police will deploy in Ukraine over the coming weeks to help investigate alleged war crimes, Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez told the NATO Parliamentary Assembly in Madrid on Monday.

An advance delegation of Spanish police officials has already arrived in Kyiv to meet with representatives of the Ukrainian public prosecutor's office, the Spanish Interior Ministry said.

In their initial meeting, the two countries established the terms of cooperation and specified the areas of deployment, the ministry said.

Spanish officers are set to work alongside Ukrainian investigators and prosecutors in the collection of evidence that could be incorporated into cases probing alleged violations of international law following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February.

Sanchez also announced that a new training center for Ukrainian troops in the central Spanish city of Toledo will start operating at the end of November.

— Reuters

Ukraine says will look into alleged prisoner shooting video

Ukraine says it will investigate video footage circulated on Russian social media which Moscow alleged shows that Ukrainian forces killed Russian troops who may have been trying to surrender, after one of the men seemingly refused to lay down his weapon and opened fire, AP reported.

"Of course Ukrainian authorities will investigate this video," Olha Stefanishyna, Ukraine's deputy prime minister overseeing the country's push to join the European Union, said on the sidelines of a security forum in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Stefanishyna, speaking late Saturday, said "it is very unlikely" that the short, edited snippets show what Moscow claims.

Russian authorities announced the opening Friday of a criminal investigation based on the snippets posted on Russian Telegram channels and relayed on other social media. They present a muddled and incomplete picture.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova claimed the footage shows an "execution" and said Russia wants an international investigation.

- The Associated Press

'We may not be so lucky' next time, IAEA chief says after nuclear plant attacked again

The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, which came under heavy shelling over the weekend, had a lucky escape, according to the head of the U.N.'s nuclear energy agency.

"Once again, we were fortunate that a potentially serious nuclear incident did not happen. Next time, we may not be so lucky. We must do everything in our power to make sure there is no next time," the International Atomic Energy Agency's director general Rafael Mariano Grossi said in a statement Sunday.

The IAEA said repeated shelling at the Zaporizhzhya plant on Saturday evening and Sunday morning damaged buildings, systems and equipment, with some of the explosions occurring near the reactors and damaging parts of the plant, including a radioactive waste and storage building and cooling pond sprinkler systems.

Grossi reiterated his call for urgent measures to protect the plant and prevent a nuclear accident during the current conflict in Ukraine. He added that agreeing and implementing a nuclear safety and security protection zone around the nuclear power plant must happen now.  

"Even though there was no direct impact on key nuclear safety and security systems at the plant, the shelling came dangerously close to them. We are talking metres, not kilometres. Whoever is shelling at the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant, is taking huge risks and gambling with many people's lives," Grossi said.

Ukraine and Russia accuse each other of shelling the nuclear power plant, Europe's largest of its kind, which has been occupied by Russian troops since near the start of the war. The IAEA team of experts plan to assess the shelling impact on the site on Monday.

— Holly Ellyatt

Ukrainian forces likely well prepared to fight through winter, U.S. defense secretary says

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Ukraine is in a good position to keep fighting Russia's invading forces through winter.

"As we go forward into the winter, we've done a lot to try to prepare the Ukrainians to be prepared for a fight in the winter, and enable them to continue to keep pressure on our adversaries throughout the winter months," he told a press conference as he prepared to meet his Indonesian counterpart, Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto, Monday.

"I think they'll be in much better condition than their adversaries, because of the things that we provide. And again, our focus is to support them throughout. Their focus is to make sure that they're doing everything to take back every edge of their sovereign territory," he said.

He added that it's "hard to predict how things will evolve" or what kind of timeline there might be for the war ending, however.

Austin said Ukraine had put the military assistance from its allies to good use in the war, noting "we've seen Ukraine use that assistance in very artful ways and they they've been very successful on the battlefield ... they've taken back Kharkiv, and they've also most recently taken back as the important town of Kherson. And so we've seen a number of successes on the battlefield."

An area of Luhansk looks vulnerable for Russian forces, UK says

Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region has been the focus of intense fighting for weeks, if not months, but Britain's Ministry of Defense said it believes a key area of vulnerability for Russian forces is Svatove, an administrative hub in the neighboring Luhansk region.

"With Russia's south-western front line now more readily defendable along the east bank of the Dnipro River, the Svatove sector is likely now a more vulnerable operational flank of the Russian force," the ministry said on Twitter Monday.

"As a significant population centre within Luhansk Oblast [province], Russian leaders will highly likely see retaining control of Svatove as a political priority."

"However, commanders are likely struggling with the military realities of maintaining a credible defence, while also attempting to resource offensive operations further south in Donetsk," it added. "As on other parts of the front, Russian forces continue to prioritise constructing defensive positions, almost certainly partially manned by poorly trained mobilised reservists."

The ministry noted that both Russia's defensive and offensive capability continues to be hampered by these severe shortages of skilled personnel and munitions.

The ministry said that in the last week, "intense artillery exchanges" have continued in the area of Svatove in Luhansk.

— Holly Ellyatt

Russia's shelling of Ukraine intensifies as winter approaches

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said fierce battles are still ongoing, with the most intense being in the Donetsk region, but that ground attacks have declined as winter sets in.

"The fiercest battles, as before, are in the Donetsk region. Although there are fewer attacks today due to the deterioration of the weather, the number of Russian shelling occasions remains, unfortunately, extremely high," Zelenskyy said in his nightly address Sunday.

In Luhansk, the region next to Donetsk, Zelenskyy said Ukrainian forces are advancing "little by little," but added there have been almost 400 instances of shelling in the eastern region on Sunday alone. The president said forces in the southern part of Ukraine are "holding the line," although the situation around de-occupied Kherson remains tense, with Russians shelling the city last night.

Ukraine's damaged energy networks remain a massive problem for the government, with Zelenskyy noting that the "restoration of networks and technical supply capabilities, demining of power transmission lines, repairs - everything goes on round the clock."

He said energy workers had managed to alleviate the situation in some regions "where there were a lot of real problems yesterday." Nonetheless, "stabilization shutdowns" (scheduled energy shutdowns) have taken place in 15 regions and in Kyiv.

— Holly Ellyatt