**US Imposes Visa Restrictions on Russian Officials**
The US State Department has imposed visa restrictions on five Russian officials. They are accused of being involved in the forced deportation of Ukrainian children.
These children were taken from their homes and sent to other parts of Ukraine or Russia. Some had their identities changed and were subjected to pro-Russian propaganda. A total of at least 20,000 Ukrainian children have been abducted since February 2022.
A Yale School of Public Health study found that Russian President Vladimir Putin was behind the program. Children were taken from occupied areas and sent to other parts of Russia or Ukraine. They were then adopted by Russian families.
The report also found that psychologists were used to justify the adoptions, saying they were medically necessary. The study will be submitted to the International Criminal Court as evidence of war crimes.
**Ukraine’s Energy Crisis Deepens**
As Ukraine faces another winter with power outages and freezing temperatures, businesses are looking for alternative ways to keep their operations going.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Ukraine is being pushed into dependence on Russia. US House Speaker Mike Johnson said he does not expect any funding from the US at this time.
**Russia’s Military Actions Continue**
A drone attack hit a police building in Grozny, Chechnya, according to Russian news agency RIA Novosti. Ukrainian officials say that Russian troops are storming the Kherson direction in an attempt to gain control of islands in the Dnipro River delta.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that mobilization is critical for Ukraine’s defense against Russian aggression. NATO countries will provide air defenses to protect Ukraine’s infrastructure, but there is a shortage of such systems.
**NATO and Russia Tensions Rise**
Russia and Belarus are planning to set up three training centers to train soldiers together. This has raised tensions with NATO countries, which continue to oppose inviting Ukraine to join the alliance at this time.
Ukraine’s Finance Ministry and the EU have signed an agreement to attract up to 35 billion euros in funding.