What you want to know proper now By Reuters

(Reuters) – Russia launched referendums on Friday aimed toward annexing 4 occupied areas of Ukraine, drawing condemnation from Kyiv and Western nations who dismissed the votes as a sham and pledged to not recognise their outcomes.

REFERENDUMS

* Ukrainian officers mentioned folks have been banned from leaving some occupied areas till the four-day vote was over, armed teams have been going to properties to drive folks to forged ballots, and staff have been threatened with the sack if they didn’t take part.

* Reuters couldn’t instantly confirm experiences of coercion.

* The votes within the provinces of Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia have been rapidly organised after Ukraine recaptured massive swathes of the northeast in a counter-offensive.

* Ukraine, Western leaders and the United Nations condemned the votes as an illegitimate precursor to unlawful annexation. There aren’t any impartial observers, and far of the pre-war inhabitants has fled.

* America is ready to impose further financial prices on Russia at the side of U.S. allies if Moscow strikes ahead with annexing parts of Ukrainian territory, the White Home mentioned on Friday.

* NATO will ramp up its assist for Kyiv in response to the “sham” referendums, the alliance’s secretary-general mentioned on Friday.

* Russia maintains that the referendums supply a possibility for folks within the area to precise their view.

RUSSIAN MOBILISATION

* In Buryatia, a principally rural area in Siberia, Russia’s mobilisation has seen some males drafted no matter age, navy report or medical historical past, in response to interviews with native residents, rights activists and native officers. Activists suspect that the burden of the conflict itself is falling on poor, ethnic minority areas to keep away from triggering common anger within the capital Moscow, 6,000 km away.

GRAIN DEAL

* A complete of 211 ships with 4.7 million tonnes of agricultural merchandise on board have left Ukraine to date below a deal brokered by the United Nations and Turkey to unblock Ukrainian sea ports, the Ukrainian infrastructure ministry mentioned.

FIGHTING, ABUSES

* Russia attacked a dam on the Siverskyi Donets river with a suspected short-range ballistic missile, the second strike on a dam since Sept. 15, apparently with the intention of flooding Ukrainian navy crossing factors, British navy intelligence mentioned on Saturday.

* A Russian missile hit a residential constructing in Zaporizhzhia inflicting casualties, the city’s appearing mayor informed media.

* A U.N.-mandated investigation fee mentioned on Friday it had discovered proof of conflict crimes together with executions, rape, torture and confinement of kids in Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine, after visits to 27 areas and interviews with greater than 150 victims and witnesses.

* Russia denies intentionally attacking civilians within the battle and says abuse accusations are a smear marketing campaign. It didn’t instantly touch upon the report.

* Ukraine mentioned on Friday it might downgrade diplomatic ties with Iran over its determination to produce Russian forces with drones. Iran mentioned it regretted the Ukrainian transfer to downgrade ties.