Russia-Ukraine war live: Putin troops attempting ‘pincer’ movement to encircle Avdiivka

Vladimir Putin’s troops are attempting a “pincer” movement to encircle the eastern Ukrainian town of Avdiivka, according to the UK’s ministry of defence.

“Russian forces have continued attacks towards outlying villages of the contested Avdiivka, Donetsk Oblast. Russia is almost certainly attempting a pincer movement to encircle the town,” the MoD said.

The Russian army has also closed in on the Ukrainian-held Coke and Chemical plant in the area, which is a “key tactical position” to the north, it said.

It comes as Ukraine’s forces have “gained a foothold” on the eastern bank of the Dnipro River in a significant step for Kyiv’s counteroffensive.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s chief of staff said on Tuesday that Ukrainian forces had crossed onto the east bank of the river in the Kherson region “against all odds”.

The river has been one of the key battlegrounds of the conflict, with Russia crossing from the eastern bank to seize Kherson city in the early days of the invasion only to abandon the regional capital late last year.

Key Points

• Russia raining 'Hell fire' on Ukrainian forces

• Ukraine declares major breakthrough in southern counteroffensive ‘against all odds’

• Zelensky warns Ukrainians to prepare for ‘winter onslaught’ from Russia

• Russia intensifies attacks in Avdiivka

Medical volunteer urges people to ‘keep supporting’ Ukraine

13:27 , Maira Butt

In an armoured vehicle moving closer to the town of Bakhmut, medical volunteer Anna Filippova urged the international community to “keep supporting” the Ukrainian army.

In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, the volunteer medic said:

“I’m observing reactions of the soldiers around me. Some are quiet, some are nervously vaping. One soldier did a little “meditation” and amygdala breathing, and then was cracking jokes for the rest of the way.

“All I can say at this stage is that they operate in conditions that are not only lethally dangerous, but also detrimental for mental health. Every bit of support for our soldiers helps their morale. Please keep supporting #UkrainianArmy”

Death toll from Donestky Oblast attack rises to 4

13:13 , Maira Butt

Emergency services have recovered more bodies at the site of the missile attack on the city of Selydove bringing the death toll to four, according to the Kyiv Independent.

A four story apartment building was hit in the attack by Russia on Wednesday. Initial reports suggested one person had been killed, but more bodies have since emerged from under the rubble.

The State Emergency services confirmed workers were still at the scene of the aftermath.

Russian court convicts a woman for protesting the war in Ukraine in latest crackdown on free speech

12:55 , Maira Butt

AP reports:

A Russian court on Thursday convicted an artist and musician for replacing supermarket price tags with antiwar slogans and sentenced her to seven years in prison, Russian media reported.

Sasha Skochilenko, 33, has been held in her home city of St. Petersburg since April 2022 on charges of spreading false information about the military.

She was arrested a month after Russia adopted a law effectively criminalizing any public expression about the war in Ukraine that deviates from the Kremlin’s official line. The legislation has been used in a widespread crackdown on opposition politicians, human rights activists and ordinary Russians critical of the Kremlin, with many receiving lengthy prison terms.

Ukraine ‘grateful to UK for its support'

12:45 , Maira Butt

President Zelensky said in a post on X, formerly know as Twitter that Ukraine was “greateful to the UK for its support”.

After Lord Cameron made his first visit to the region following his appointment as foreign secretary, President Zelensky said:

“We had a good meeting focused on weapons for the frontline, strengthening air defense, and protecting our people and critical infrastructure.”

Court convicts activist of organising armed incursions from Ukraine into Russia

12:33 , Alexander Butler

A Russian court has convicted Ukraine-based Russian activist Denis Kapustin of state treason and terrorism for organising armed incursions from Ukraine into Russia’s Bryansk region, the state TASS news agency has reported.

Kapustin, also known as Denis Nikitin, is a former mixed martial arts fighter and a member of the Russian Volunteer Corps (RVC).

The RVC is an armed opposition group in Ukraine which has carried out several incursions into Russia this year.

Russia 'loads intercontinental ballistic missile into launch silo'

12:00 , Alexander Butler

Russia has loaded a nuclear-capable “Avangard” hypersonic glide vehicle into a launch silo in the south of the country, its defence ministry said.

Vladimir Putin announced the Avangard vehicle in 2018, saying it was a response to America’s development of a new generation of weapons.

As it approaches its target, the Avangard glide vehicle detaches from the rocket. It is then able to manoeuvre sharply outside the rocket’s trajectory at hypersonic speeds of up to 27 times the speed of sound.

Russia planned to 'weaponise' Ukrainian grain

11:30 , Alexander Butler

Russia planned to “pillage and weaponise” more than $1bn of Ukrainian grain, a new report has said.

Global Rights Compliance (GRC) - a not-for-profit organisation specialising in international humanitarian law - said Moscow intended to use the proceeds to fund its military and fuel global food insecurity.

“Upon capturing territory, Russian forces seized grain facilities from Ukrainian farmers and corporations, taking control of the surrounding transport networks and rapidly establishing safe and fast passage for stolen Ukrainian grain into Russia,” it said.

Ukraine 'shoots down one Russian missile and 16 drones'

11:00 , Alexander Butler

The Ukrainian military says it shot down a missile and 16 of 18 attack drones launched by Russia overnight.

Civilian infrastructure in the eastern region of Kharkiv was damaged by S-300 missiles, authorities said.

The S-300 was developed by the Soviet Union. No deaths or injuries have been reported.

Ukraine and UK 'determined to work together'

10:15 , Alexander Butler

The United Kingdom and Ukraine are “determined to work together”, according to Ukraine’s foreign minister.

Dmytro Kuleba has posted a picture of him and Lord David Cameron, the new British foreign secretary, in Kyiv.

Mr Kuleba added: “The UK remains steadfast in providing Ukraine with weapons, increasing their co-production, and ridding the Black Sea of Russian threats.”

More than two thirds of Russians still support war in Ukraine, poll finds

09:43 , Alexander Butler

More than two thirds of Russians still support their country’s war in Ukraine, according to a US think tank.

The Levada Centre - an independent Russian polling organisation - has reported that 76 per cent of respondents said they support Russia’s military operations in Ukraine, the Institute for the Study of War said.

It also said 62 per cent of those surveyed believe the invasion is progressing well, while 21% think it is going reasonably or very poorly for Russia.

David Cameron praises Boris Johnson

08:42 , Alexander Butler

David Cameron has visited Volodymyr Zelensky in Ukraine in his first overseas trip as foreign secretary.

The former prime minister joked about his “disagreements” with Boris Johnson, but said support for the Ukrainian president was “the finest thing” his government did.

In a video of the meeting posted on X by president Zelensky, Lord Cameron said: “I had some disagreements with my friend Boris Johnson, and we have known each other for 40 years, and his support for you was the finest thing that he and his government did.”

David Cameron meets Volodymyr Zelensky in Ukraine in first visit as foreign secretary

Watch: New foreign secretary David Cameron meets Zelensky

08:16 , Alexander Butler

Lord Cameron visits Ukraine

08:15 , Alexander Butler

New British foreign secretary Lord Cameron has visited Ukraine and said the UK would continue to provide “moral, diplomatic, economic and military support” to the country.

In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said: “Hosted David Cameron on his first visit to Ukraine as Foreign Secretary of the UK.

“We had a good meeting focused on weapons for the frontline, strengthening air defense, and protecting our people and critical infrastructure. I am grateful to the UK for its support.”

Russian attempting ‘pincer’ movement on Avdiivka

07:57 , Alexander Butler

Russian troops are attempting a “pincer” movement to encircle the Ukrainian town of Avdiivka, according to the UK’s ministry of defence.

“Russian forces have continued attacks towards outlying villages of the contested Avdiivka, Donetsk Oblast. Russia is almost certainly attempting a pincer movement to encircle the town,” the MoD said.

It added that Russian troops had closed in on the Ukrainian-held Coke and Chemical plant in the area, which is a “key tactical position” to the north.

Russian defences 'down three Ukrainian drones'

07:45 , Alexander Butler

Russian missile defences have reportedly downed three Ukrainian drones over the Black Sea.

One was near Crimea, with two more over the Bryansk region, according to Russia’s defence ministry.

Kremlin forcing Ukrainians to ‘become Russian'

07:29 , Alexander Butler

The Kremlin is forcing Ukrainians in occupied territories to “become Russian”, according to reports.

One resident, named as Larysa, told the European Broadcasting Union that one of her friends was not provided with insulin for her diabetes unless she applied for a Russian passport.

Another friend had to become a Russian citizen before getting treatment for a broken arm, she added.

Bombs, betrayal and burying loved ones: Plight of one Ukraine village illustrates toll of Russia’s invasion

07:00 , Tom Watling

Kim Sengupta returns to Kamianka in eastern Ukraine – the scene of one of the most extraordinary exchanges he has witnessed during the 21-month war – to hear about the struggle to rebuild amid accusations of Russian collusion and vast destruction.

Bombs and betrayal: Plight of one Ukraine village highlights toll of Russian invasion

Russian woman goes on trial in a cafe bombing that killed a prominent military blogger

06:00 , Tom Watling

A woman went on trial Wednesday in the bombing at a St. Petersburg cafe that killed a prominent Russian military blogger after he was given a bust of himself that later exploded.

Darya Trepova, 26, is charged with carrying out a terrorist attack, illegal trafficking of explosive devices and forging documents in the April 2 blast at the cafe in which Vladlen Tatarsky was killed and 52 others were injured.

She was arrested shortly after the bombing and faces up to 30 years in prison if convicted, according to Russian news reports.

Tatarsky, 40, was an ardent supporter of the Kremlin’s military action in Ukraine and filed regular reports on the fighting from the front lines.

Russian woman goes on trial in a cafe bombing that killed a prominent military blogger

Blow for Putin as Ukraine takes major step in bid to outflank Russian troops

05:00 , Tom Watling

A top Ukrainian official said its troops have established a beachhead on the eastern bank of the Dnieper River near Kherson, an important advance in bridging one of Russia‘s most significant strategic barriers in the war.

Andriy Yermak, head of the president’s office, provided no details but confirmed the development that has been widely discussed in military forums over the past month.

“Against all odds, Ukraine’s defense forces have gained a foothold on the left bank of the Dnieper,” Yermak told the Hudson Institute, a conservative Washington think tank, in a speech Monday.

Blow for Putin as Ukraine takes major step in bid to outflank Russian troops

Russian convicted of Kremlin critic’s murder pardoned after fighting in Ukraine

04:00 , Tom Watling

One of five men convicted of killing a Russian journalist critical of the Kremlin has been pardoned halfway through his 20-year sentence after a stint fighting in the “special military operation” in Ukraine.

Sergei Khadzhikurbanov was sentenced in 2014 for his role as an accomplice in the killing of Anna Politkovskaya, 48, in 2006.

The journalist worked for the independent newspaper Novaya Gazeta and wrote stories critical of Kremlin policies during the early years of president Vladimir Putin’s term, the war in Chechnya and human rights.

She was shot and killed in the elevator of her Moscow apartment block, triggering outrage at home and in the West.

Her death on 7 October, which is Putin’s birthday, led to suggestions the shooting was done to please the president.

Russian convicted of journalist’s murder pardoned after fighting in Ukraine

NATO to buy more ‘eyes in the sky’ planes to monitor Putin’s war on Ukraine

03:00 , Tom Watling

NATO announced Wednesday it has opted to buy six new E-7A Wedgetail surveillance planes built by U.S. aircraft manufacturer Boeing as the 31-nation military alliance looks to update its eyes in the sky in coming years.

NATO’s fleet of 14 Airborne Warning and Control System, or AWACS, aircraft are outdated and expensive to maintain. But their large fuselage-mounted radar domes can detect aircraft hundreds of miles away and they remain useful to monitor Russia’s war on Ukraine from NATO’s eastern flank.

NATO said that production of the six new Wedgetails — a militarized version of the Boeing 737 jetliner — will begin “in coming years,” with the first planes expected to be ready for duty by 2031. No cost was provided for the planes, but based on U.S. and U.K. contract information the price could hit $5 billion.

NATO to buy more ‘eyes in the sky’ planes to monitor Putin’s war on Ukraine

EU moves closer to imposing a new set of sanctions on Russia for its war on Ukraine

02:00 , Tom Watling

The European Union’s executive said Wednesday it proposed to the member states a new package of sanctions targeting the Kremlin and its associates, seeking to tighten previous measures approved since the February 2022 invasion of Ukraine as well as adding dozens of economic operators.

The proposal sets in motion final talks between the 27 member states to reach the necessary unanimity on the issue and officials have said they hope to have the 12th package operational by the end of the year.

Even though Wednesday’s statement did not go into details, preparatory talks centered on imposing export restrictions on Russia‘s lucrative diamond industry.

EU moves closer to imposing a new set of sanctions on Russia for its war on Ukraine

Ukraine troops applying pressure on Putin’s forces having gained foothold along Dnipro River, says Kyiv

01:00 , Tom Watling

Russia has conceded for the first time that Ukrainian forces have crossed the vast Dnipro River into occupied areas of the Kherson region – as Kyiv tries to open up a new line of attack against Vladimir Putin’s forces.

Ukraine said on Tuesday it had secured a foothold on the eastern bank of the Dnipro “against all odds”, in a potentially major setback for Russian occupation forces in the south where Kyiv is trying to open a new line of attack.

A Ukrainian military spokesperson said on Wednesday that Ukrainian troops were trying to push Russian forces back from the eastern bank of the river, which serves as a formidable natural barrier on the battlefield.

Ukraine troops pressuring Putin’s forces along Dnipro River

US nearing ‘end of the road’ on Ukraine support without more funding, White House warns

00:00 , Tom Watling

The White House is warning that America could soon lose the ability to provide Ukraine’s defence forces with needed weapons and munitions if Congress doesn’t act to pass the supplemental funding bill proposed by President Joe Biden last month.

National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby on Wednesday told reporters that Mr Biden still wants Congress to move funding for Ukraine, Israel, defence needs in the Indo-Pacific and US border security in the single package which the president submitted on 20 October, the day after he delivered an Oval Office address in which he urged the US legislature to maintain “American leadership” in the world by supporting Ukraine and Israel in their defensive struggles against Russia and Hamas.

US near ‘end of the road’ on Ukraine support without more funding, White House warns

Bombs, betrayal and burying loved ones: Plight of one Ukraine village illustrates toll of Russia’s invasion

Wednesday 15 November 2023 23:00 , Tom Watling

Kim Sengupta returns to Kamianka in eastern Ukraine – the scene of one of the most extraordinary exchanges he has witnessed during the 21-month war – to hear about the struggle to rebuild amid accusations of Russian collusion and vast destruction.

Bombs and betrayal: Plight of one Ukraine village highlights toll of Russian invasion

Russian oil tankers not targeted in EU sanctions proposal

Wednesday 15 November 2023 22:00 , Lydia Patrick

Russian oil tankers are not targeted in the European Commission’s proposal for tightening the implementation of a price cap on the country’s crude oil, EU diplomats said on Wednesday.

The Financial Times reported earlier on Wednesday that Denmark will be tasked with inspecting and potentially blocking Russian oil tankers sailing through its waters under new European Union plans as a way of enforcing a $60 per barrel price cap on Moscow’s crude.

The FT said that Denmark would target tankers carrying Russian oil that did not have Western insurance, a step that would hit Russian oil export income hard while snarling up the entire Russian oil production and refinery business.

“We have seen nothing about it in the Commission proposal,”one EU diplomatfamiliar with the Commission text said and two others confirmed they found no such reference in the proposal.

Russia sends about a third of its seaborne oil exports, or 1.5% of global supply, through the Danish straits so any attempt to halt those supplies would send oil prices higher and trigger a confrontation with Russia.

ICYMI - Zelensky tells Ukrainians to brace for ‘enemy’ Putin’s winter attacks

Wednesday 15 November 2023 21:00 , Lydia Patrick

Volodymyr Zelensky has warned Ukrainians to prepare for an increase in Russian attacks on the country’s infrastructure.

The war-time president said his country could suffer attacks similar to the ones carried out by Vladimir Putin’s troops last year.

About 10 months into Russia’s invasion, a string of attacks were carried out on power stations and other plants linked to the energy network, prompting rolling blackouts in widely separated regions.

“We are almost halfway through November and we must be prepared for the possibility that the enemy may increase the number of drone or missile strikes against our infrastructure. Russia is preparing for winter,” the Ukrainian president said in his nightly address on Sunday.

Zelensky tells Ukrainians to brace for ‘enemy’ Putin’s winter attacks

Ukrainian group says more than 30,000 troops have died in Russia's invasion

Wednesday 15 November 2023 20:00 , Lydia Patrick

A Ukrainian civic group said it has confirmed the deaths of nearly 25,000 Ukrainian soldiers since Russia’s February 2022 invasion by using open sources, and puts the total toll at more than 30,000.

Kyiv treats its losses as a state secret and officials say disclosing the figure could harm its war effort. A report in August by the New York Times, citing anonymous U.S. officials, put the Ukrainian death toll at close to 70,000.

Writing in the Ukrainian journal Tyzhden, historian Yaroslav Tynchenko and volunteer Herman Shapovalenko said Shapovalenko’s Book of Memory project had confirmed 24,500 combat and non-combat deaths using open sources.

The real figure was likely higher, they added, noting that many of the 15,000 troops listed as missing were likely dead.

Ukraine says troops have foothold on eastern bank of river

Wednesday 15 November 2023 19:00 , Lydia Patrick

A top Ukrainian official said the country’s troops have established a beachhead on the eastern bank of the Dnieper River near Kherson, an important advance in bridging one of Russia’s most significant strategic barriers in the war.

Andriy Yermak, head of the president’s office, provided no details but confirmed the development that has been widely discussed in military forums over the past month.

“Against all odds, Ukraine‘s defence forces have gained a foothold on the left bank of the Dnieper,” Mr Yermak told the Hudson Institute, a conservative Washington think tank.

Ever since Russian forces left the city of Kherson and the territory around it in November 2022, the only area they controlled on the west bank of the Dnieper, the river became a natural dividing line along the southern battlefront, preventing Ukrainian troops from advancing further into the Kherson region and towards Russian-annexed Crimea.

The barrier also allowed Russia to concentrate more troops in the heavily mined and fortified Zaporizhzhia region and eastern Ukraine.

Blow for Putin as Ukraine takes major step in bid to outflank Russian troops

Wednesday 15 November 2023 18:00 , Athena Stavrou

A top Ukrainian official said its troops have established a beachhead on the eastern bank of the Dnieper River near Kherson, an important advance in bridging one of Russia‘s most significant strategic barriers in the war.

Andriy Yermak, head of the president’s office, said: “Against all odds, Ukraine’s defense forces have gained a foothold on the left bank of the Dnieper.”

Read more:

Blow for Putin as Ukraine takes major step in bid to outflank Russian troops

NATO to buy more ‘eyes in the sky’ planes to monitor Putin’s war on Ukraine

Wednesday 15 November 2023 17:30 , Athena Stavrou

NATO announced Wednesday it has opted to buy six new E-7A Wedgetail surveillance planes built by U.S. aircraft manufacturer Boeing as the 31-nation military alliance looks to update its eyes in the sky in coming years.

NATO’s contract with Boeing — one of the military organization’s biggest ever purchases — is set to be signed next year.

Read more:

NATO to buy more ‘eyes in the sky’ planes to monitor Putin’s war on Ukraine

Pictures of the day

Wednesday 15 November 2023 17:00 , Athena Stavrou

EU executive submits proposal for 12th packaged of Russia sanctions

Wednesday 15 November 2023 16:15 , Athena Stavrou

The European Commission on Wednesday said it would submit its draft 12th sanctions package against Russia - including measures against military and IT actors linked to the country - to the Council.

The Commission said its proposal aims to sanction over 120 additional individuals and entities for their role in undermining the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine.

Russia says new EU sanctions are part of a 'hybrid war'

Wednesday 15 November 2023 15:45 , Athena Stavrou

Russia’s foreign ministry said on Wednesday that the European Union’s 12th sanctions package against Russia was part of a “hybrid war” waged by the West.

“Due to the endless sanctions flow against Russia, the EU has become Washington’s ‘useful idiot’,” Maria Zakharova, spokeswoman for the Russian foreign ministry said.

Zakharova said the United States was using Europe as a “stick” in what she cast as Washington’s “anti-Russian” policy.

Zakharova said the EU’s new sanctions would achieve nothing and said the West’s sanctions had damaged the EU itself.

Russia says Ukrainian NATO membership is unacceptable in any form

Wednesday 15 November 2023 15:11 , Athena Stavrou

Russia said on Wednesday that Ukrainian accession to the U.S.-led NATO military alliance was unacceptable to Russia, whether in part or in any other form.

“Whether in parts or in any form, Ukraine‘s accession to NATO is unacceptable for Russia,” Maria Zakharova, spokeswoman for Russia’s foreign ministry, told reporters.

Anders Fogh Rasmussen, a former NATO secretary general, has put forward a proposal for Ukraine to join the military alliance but stripped of the territories controlled by Russia, the Guardian newspaper reported.

Zelenksy thanks Italian prime minister

Wednesday 15 November 2023 15:00 , Athena Stavrou

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky expressed his gratitude after speaking with Italy’s prime minister, Giorgia Meloni.

In a post on X, Zelensky said they coordinated their joint efforts and agreed to start working on bilateral security guarantees.

The Ukrainian president also held a call with Slovakia’s president, whom he thanked for recognising Ukraine’s progress toward EU accession talks.

Publishers to stop selling Putin books amid Russian payment claims

Wednesday 15 November 2023 14:30 , Athena Stavrou

A German publishing house is to stop selling books about Russian President Vladimir Putin by an award-winning journalist following reports that he allegedly received at least 600,000 euro (£522,600) in offshore payments linked to Russian sources.

Publisher Hoffmann und Campe said in a statement it would no longer sell two non-fiction books about Putin by German journalist Hubert Seipel following reports by German magazine Der Spiegel and public German Television ZDF, saying it was not previously aware of the allegations.

The reports on Tuesday claimed that Mr Seipel accepted money indirectly linked to a sanctioned Russian oligarch to report Mr Putin in a favourable light in the published books.

The two books are Putin’s Power from 2021, and Putin: Interior Views Of A Power from 2015, the publishing house said.

The allegations, which were also published by other international media outlets including The Guardian, are based on information that emerged from the Cyprus Confidential financial data records that were leaked to the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists.

Pictures: Aftermath of Russian attack

Wednesday 15 November 2023 14:00 , Athena Stavrou

Here are the latest pictures of the aftermath of Russia’s attack on Selydobve.

At least one person was killed in an overnight Russian missile strike that hit an apartment building in eastern Ukraine, authorities said on Wednesday.

Ukraine pushes back on ‘fluid’ frontline

Wednesday 15 November 2023 13:30 , Athena Stavrou

Ukrainian troops are trying to push back Russian forces along the Dnipro River along what the military described as a “fairly fluid” frontline.

Ukraine said on Tuesday it had secured a foothold on the Russian-occupied eastern bank of the vast river in southern Kherson region.

“Along the front line, which runs along the Dnipro... The pushback from our side is taking place on a line from 3 to 8 km along the entire bank from the water’s edge,” Natalia Humeniuk, spokesperson for the southern military command, said.

“For now, we will ask for informational silence ... which would allow us to report later on great successes,” she said in televised comments.

Reuters could not independently verify Kyiv’s account.

Hungary call for review of EU policy on Ukraine

Wednesday 15 November 2023 13:04 , Athena Stavrou

Hungary has sought to review European Union’s policy towards Ukraine, disagreeing with Germany, Lithuania, Finland and Ireland.

On Wednesday, other nations backed bringing Kyiv closer to the bloc swiftly and granting Ukraine more aid - but Hungary disagreed.

Ukraine is hoping to begin formal membership talks with the EU once it meets all conditions - but those decisions require unanimity of the 27 countries in the bloc.

“We need a period of reflection and a strategic discussion on the policy of the European Union towards Ukraine,” Hungary’s European affairs minister, Janos Boka, said as he arrived for talks with his EU peers to prepare a December summit of the bloc’s leaders.

But Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban - who touts his ties with Moscow - has since said the bloc’s strategy of sending money and military aid to Ukraine has failed, and that he opposed starting membership negotiations with Kyiv.

Zelensky says Russia stockpiling missiles to attack energy system

Wednesday 15 November 2023 12:30 , Athena Stavrou

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he believes Russia is stockpiling missiles to attack Ukraine’s energy system, as it did last year.

Speaking at the German-Ukrainian Municipal Partnerships Conference, he urged for further assistance as Ukraine approaches its second winter of full-scale war.

One killed, seven injured in Russian strikes

Wednesday 15 November 2023 11:56 , Athena Stavrou

One person has been killed and a further seven people have been injured in a Russian missile strike on Wednesday morning, the Ukrainian regional governor said.

Governor Yuriy Malashko said Russia fired three missiles at Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia earlier and hit a civilian facility.

He added that houses, cars and outhouses near the strike sites were damaged by a blast wave and debris in an attack that lasted about half an hour.

“As of this moment, we know of one person killed and seven injured, including women,” Mr Malashko said on Telegram messenger.

Moscow denies targeting civilians.

Latest pictures from Ukraine

Wednesday 15 November 2023 11:30 , Athena Stavrou

The latest pictures from Ukraine show residents of Selydove - a town in eastern Ukraine - in the aftermath of Russian bombing.

At least one person was killed in the shelling overnight.

Putin likely to announce presidential candidacy before end of the year, says UK

Wednesday 15 November 2023 11:00 , Athena Stavrou

President Vladimir Putin is expected to announce his presidential candidacy before the end of 2023, Britain’s Ministry of Defence said.

Russia is set to hold elections in March 2024, with sources telling Reuters that Putin is expected to run and stay in power until at least 2023.

In their latest defence intelligence update, the UK said Putin is “likely to announce his candidacy before the end of 2023”.

Russia trying to regain theatre-level initiative, think-tank says

Wednesday 15 November 2023 10:33 , Athena Stavrou

Russian forces are likely trying to regain the theatre-level initiative un Ukraine, according to a war-monitoring think tank.

The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said Putin’s army will attempt this by conducting several simultaneous offensive operations in eastern Ukraine.

A theatre in warfare is an area in which important military events occur or are in progress

The ISW says it remains unclear if Russian forces will be able to fully regain the initiative as Ukrainian forces maintain pressure on critical areas of the front.

Several Ukrainian officials noted that the situation along the frontline is complex but that Ukrainian forces maintain control of the battlespace.

Russia raining 'Hell fire' on Ukrainian forces pinned down on east bank of River Dnipro

Wednesday 15 November 2023 10:30 , Athena Stavrou

The Russian military has pinned down Ukrainian forces who crossed onto the eastern bank of the River Dnipro in southern Ukraine and is raining “Hell fire” on them, Vladimir Saldo, a Russian-installed official, said on Wednesday.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s chief of staff said on Tuesday that Ukrainian forces had secured a foothold on the east bank of the Dnipro River in the Kherson region.

Ukrainian food exports fall amid drivers’ strike

Wednesday 15 November 2023 10:00 , Athena Stavrou

Ukraine‘s shipments of food by road decreased 2.7% in the first 13 days of November due to difficulties on the Polish border caused by a drivers’ strike, brokers said on Wednesday.

Spike Brokers, which regularly tracks and publishes export statistics in Ukraine, said on the Telegram messaging app that 220,000 metric tons of agricultural goods were exported by truck from Nov. 1-13, versus 226,000 tons in same period in October.

“The passage of vehicles through customs checkpoints on the border with Poland decreased to 4,000 tons of cargo per day, compared to the peak of 7,500 tons per day a month earlier,” Spike Brokers said.

Polish truckers last week blocked roads to three border crossings with Ukraine to protest against what they see as government inaction over a loss of business to foreign competitors since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Ukrainian officials said on Tuesday Kyiv and Warsaw again failed to reach an agreement to stop the protest.

Pope calls on faithful people to pray daily for peace in Ukraine

Wednesday 15 November 2023 09:29 , Athena Stavrou

Pope Francis on Wednesday called on the faithful to pray regularly for peace in Ukraine, the Middle East, Sudan and all other war-torn places.

“Let us pray, brothers and sisters, for peace, in a special way for martyred Ukraine, it is suffering a lot. And then the Holy Land, Palestine and Israel, and let’s not forget Sudan,” Francis said during his weekly audience in St Peter’s Square.

“Let us think (about) all places where there is war, there are many wars. Let us pray for peace, every day someone should take some time to pray for peace,” he added.

The Vatican has offered to mediate in both the Russian-Ukrainian and Israeli-Palestinian conflicts, but its efforts have so far not proved successful.

Ukraine declares major breakthrough in southern counteroffensive ‘against all odds’

Wednesday 15 November 2023 08:27 , Athena Stavrou

Ukraine’s forces in the south have “gained a foothold” on the eastern bank of the Dnipro River in a significant step for Kyiv’s counteroffensive against Russia, according to president Volodymyr Zelensky’s chief of staff.

The Dnipro River in the Kherson region has been one of the key battlegrounds of the conflict, with Russia crossing from the eastern bank to seize Kherson city in the early days of Mr Putin’s invasion only to abandon the regional capital late last year.

Though they lost ground in the area and retreated back across the river, Russia has maintained a consistent troop presence on the eastern bank, hemming in the Ukrainian counteroffensive.

“Against all odds, Ukraine’s Defence Forces have gained a foothold on the left (east) bank of the Dnipro,” said Mr Yermak.

“Step by step, they are demilitarising Crimea. We have covered 70 per cent of the distance. And our counteroffensive is developing,” he told the Hudson Institute think-tank in the US in remarks posted on Mr Zelensky’s website.

One killed in Russian missile strike on east Ukraine town

Wednesday 15 November 2023 07:59 , Athena Stavrou

At least one person was killed in an overnight Russian missile strike that hit an apartment building in eastern Ukraine, authorities said on Wednesday.

Five others, including a child, were rescued but at least one person is believed to be trapped under the rubble, Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said on the Telegram messaging app.

The attack on the town of Selydove, northwest of the Russian-occupied city of Donetsk, heavily damaged a four-storey building, Klymenko said.

Rescuers early on Wednesday were clearing the rubble and warned residents against approaching the building, which appeared to have been obliterated by the impact.

Russia lose ‘top 300,000’ in Ukraine

Wednesday 15 November 2023 07:36 , Athena Stavrou

Russia’s military personnel losses in its invasion of Ukraine have crossed 300,000, showed estimates by the UK that also said thousands more have deserted the battlefield.

James Heappey, minister of state for the armed forces, revealed the UK’s estimates of losses faced by Vladimir Putin since the start of the invasion in February last year.

“We estimate that approximately 302,000 Russian military personnel have been killed or wounded, and tens of thousands more have already deserted since the start of the conflict,” he said on Tuesday in response to queries from John Healey, the shadow secretary of state for defence.

The UK’s estimate of casualties is similar to the assessment made by Kyiv, that said Russia had lost a total 313,470 military personnel in combat as of Tuesday.

Russia has not released any official casualties suffered by it since the start of the war in Ukraine. Moscow and Kyiv have guarded their own battlefield losses and treated them as state secrets.

Russian convicted of Kremlin critic’s murder pardoned after fighting in Ukraine

Wednesday 15 November 2023 07:00 , Tom Watling

One of five men convicted of killing a Russian journalist critical of the Kremlin has been pardoned halfway through his 20-year sentence after a stint fighting in the “special military operation” in Ukraine.

Sergei Khadzhikurbanov was sentenced in 2014 for his role as an accomplice in the killing of Anna Politkovskaya, 48, in 2006.

The journalist worked for the independent newspaper Novaya Gazeta and wrote stories critical of Kremlin policies during the early years of president Vladimir Putin’s term, the war in Chechnya and human rights.

She was shot and killed in the elevator of her Moscow apartment block, triggering outrage at home and in the West.

Her death on 7 October, which is Putin’s birthday, led to suggestions the shooting was done to please the president.

Russian convicted of journalist’s murder pardoned after fighting in Ukraine

Germany's support for Ukraine is to be 'massively expanded' next year

Wednesday 15 November 2023 06:00 , Tom Watling

Germany‘s aid for Ukraine will be “massively expanded” next year, the foreign minister said Monday as Kyiv heads into its second winter since Russia launched its full-scale invasion.

Germany has become one of Ukraine’s top military suppliers since the war started in February 2022, sending material that includes tanks, armored personnel carriers, air defense systems and Patriot missile systems.

Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said as she arrived Monday at a meeting with European Union counterparts that, even as Europe grapples with the war between Israel and Hamas, it’s still important to “face the geopolitical challenge here.”

Germany's support for Ukraine is to be 'massively expanded' next year

Zelensky tells Ukrainians to brace for ‘enemy’ Putin’s winter attacks

Wednesday 15 November 2023 05:00 , Tom Watling

Volodymyr Zelensky has warned Ukrainians to prepare for an increase in Russian attacks on the country’s infrastructure.

The war-time president said his country could suffer attacks similar to the ones carried out by Vladimir Putin’s troops last year.

About 10 months into Russia’s invasion, a string of attacks were carried out on power stations and other plants linked to the energy network, prompting rolling blackouts in widely separated regions.

Zelensky tells Ukrainians to brace for ‘enemy’ Putin’s winter attacks

From Gaza to Ukraine, China to the EU: The major issues piling high in David Cameron’s in tray

Wednesday 15 November 2023 04:00 , Tom Watling

The former prime minister is re-entering frontline politics during a tumultuous time. Chris Stevenson looks at what he will need to tackle first and where his instincts may take him.

From Gaza to Ukraine, China to the EU: The major issues facing Cameron in new role

Russian UN envoys shoot back at Western criticism of its Ukraine war and crackdown on dissidents

Wednesday 15 November 2023 03:00 , Tom Watling

Western countries on Monday repeatedly called on Russia to end domestic repression of dissident voices and end its war in Ukraine — and human rights violations related to it — as Russia came under a regular review at the U.N.’s top rights body.

A delegation from Moscow, led by State Secretary and Deputy Justice Minister Andrei Loginov, defended Russia’s right to ensure law and order by restricting some forms of protest or voices that might threaten domestic security. He also said Russia’s “special military operation” in Ukraine had “no relation to the subject matter” at issue in the review.

Monday’s 3 1/2-hour hearing in Geneva was part of an exercise known as the universal periodic review, or UPR, which all U.N. member states face about every four or five years in connection with the U.N.-backed Human Rights Council.

Russian UN envoys shoot back at Western criticism of its Ukraine war and crackdown on dissidents

EU struggles to produce and send the ammunition it promised to Ukraine

Wednesday 15 November 2023 02:00 , Tom Watling

European Union nations acknowledged on Tuesday that they risk failing to provide Ukraine with the ammunition they pledged to help Kyiv stave off the Russian invasion and win back its territory.

Early this year, EU leaders promised to provide 1 million rounds of ammunition to Ukraine’s front line by spring next year in what would have amounted to a serious ramp-up of production. But the 27-nation bloc, for over half a century steeped in a “peace, not war” message and sheltering under a U.S. military umbrella, is finding it tough to come up with the goods.

“The 1 million will not be reached, you have to assume that,” said German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, ahead of a meeting of EU defense and foreign affairs ministers in Brussels.

EU struggles to produce and send the ammunition it promised to Ukraine

Why Russia retracted state media reports on its Ukraine frontline movements

Wednesday 15 November 2023 01:00 , Tom Watling

The fog of misinformation around the war in Ukraine thickened on Monday after Russia’s state news agencies claimed Vladimir Putin was withdrawing troops from the Dnipro river frontline – and then immediately retracted the update.

The potentially significant bulletins were available for about 10 minutes, after which two state news outlets withdrew them without any follow-up.

The agencies – TASS and RIA Novosti – said that the Russian Ministry of Defence had announced relocations of troops to an unspecified “more advantageous positions” east of the Dnipro river.

Why Russia retracted state media reports on its Ukraine frontline movements

Russian court fines Google for failing to store personal data on its users

Wednesday 15 November 2023 00:00 , Tom Watling

A Russian court on Tuesday fined Google for failing to store personal data on its Russian users, the latest in a series of fines on the tech giant amid tensions between Russia and the West over the war in Ukraine.

A magistrate at Moscow‘s Tagansky district court fined Google 15 million rubles (around $164,200) after the IT company repeatedly refused to store personal data on Russian citizens in Russia.

Google was previously fined over the same charges in August 2021 and June 2022 under a Russian law that obliges foreign entities to localize the personal data of their Russian users.

Russian court fines Google for failing to store personal data on its users

Ukraine warns Putin is stepping up assault on Avdiivka as Zelensky reveals where fighting is fiercest

Tuesday 14 November 2023 23:00 , Tom Watling

War-time president Volodymyr Zelensky has revealed the areas where Ukraine’s forces are facing a “challenging” time repelling Russian troops as air bombardments intensified over a strategic city in the east.

Ukrainian forces repelled a total of eight attacks on the battered, strategic city of Avdiivka by Vladimir Putin’s troops in the past 24 hours, said Ukraine’s military spokesperson Oleksandr Shtupun.

It was earlier reported that Mr Putin was going to make a third attempt at capturing the city known for its large coking plant after failing twice before.

“Fighting is still going on. Over the last two days, the occupiers have increased the number of air strikes using guided bombs from Su-35 aircraft,” said Mr Shtupun.

“The enemy is also bringing in more and more infantry. But when they tried to deploy armoured vehicles the day before yesterday two tanks and 14 other vehicles were burned out,” he said.

Ukraine warns Putin is stepping up assault on Avdiivka as Zelensky reveals hotspots

Giuliani ally in Ukraine charged with treason

Tuesday 14 November 2023 22:00 , Tom Watling

A Ukrainian MP who previously helped Donald Trump’s lawyer Rudy Giuliani allegedly find dirt on Joe and Hunter Biden has been charged with treason.

Oleksandr Dubinsky was charged after he allegedly joined an organisation formed by the chiefs of Russia’s Military Intelligence (GRU), Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) said in a statement on Monday.

The SBU claimed that the organisation aimed to “take advantage of the tense political situation in Ukraine and discredit our state in the international arena.”

Giuliani ally in Ukraine charged with treason

EU struggles to produce and send the ammunition it promised to Ukraine

Tuesday 14 November 2023 18:00 , Athena Stavrou

European Union nations acknowledged on Tuesday that they risk failing to provide Ukraine with the ammunition they pledged to help Kyiv stave off the Russian invasion and win back its territory.

Early this year, EU leaders promised to provide 1 million rounds of ammunition to Ukraine’s front line by spring next year in what would have amounted to a serious ramp-up of production.

But the 27-nation bloc, for over half a century steeped in a “peace, not war” message and sheltering under a U.S. military umbrella, is finding it tough to come up with the goods.

Read more:

EU struggles to produce and send the ammunition it promised to Ukraine

Russian court fines Google for failing to store personal data on its users

Tuesday 14 November 2023 17:00 , Athena Stavrou

A Russian court on Tuesday fined Google for failing to store personal data on its Russian users, the latest in a series of fines on the tech giant amid tensions between Russia and the West over the war in Ukraine.

A magistrate at Moscow‘s Tagansky district court fined Google 15 million rubles (around $164,200) after the IT company repeatedly refused to store personal data on Russian citizens in Russia.

Google was previously fined over the same charges in August 2021 and June 2022 under a Russian law that obliges foreign entities to localize the personal data of their Russian users.

However, Russia can do little to collect the fine, as Google’s Russia business was effectively shut down last year after Moscow sent troops into Ukraine.

Read more:

Russian court fines Google for failing to store personal data on its users

Finland considers closing border crossings with Russia to stem an increase in asylum-seekers

Tuesday 14 November 2023 16:10 , Athena Stavrou

The government in Finland is considering whether to close some crossing points on the country’s long border with Russia to prevent people from trying to enter without proper documentation, the prime minister said Tuesday.Interior Minister Mari Rantanen said the number of migrants at Finland’s southeastern border crossings has risen substantially since August due to what the government suspects is a change in Russia’s border policy and enforcement.Finnish and Russian border authorities have for years cooperated in stopping people without the necessary visas or passports before they can attempt to enter either of the two countries.

But Russia has started allowing undocumented travelers to access the border zone and enter crossing stations where they can request asylum in Finland, Rantanen said.“It is clear that these people get help to get to the border. This seems like a very conscious decision,” Prime Minister Petteri Orpo told reporters. “The government’s message is clear: We must take this seriously and safeguard the security of our border.”

Britain agree to discounts on insurance for Ukrainian Black Sea exports

Tuesday 14 November 2023 15:11 , Athena Stavrou

Ukraine and Britain have agreed a special mechanism for discounts on war risk insurance for Ukrainian goods exports, including through the Black Sea corridor, the Ukrainian Prime Minister said on Tuesday.

“It will make it possible to make a discount on the cost of insurance against military risks for exporters of all products from Ukraine. This will make the Black Sea corridor more accessible to a wider range of exporters,” Denys Shmyhal said on Telegram messenger.

He said the mechanism involved a pool of British insurance companies.

Why Russia retracted state media reports on its Ukraine frontline movements

Tuesday 14 November 2023 14:25 , Athena Stavrou

The fog of misinformation around the war in Ukraine thickened on Monday after Russia’s state news agencies claimed Vladimir Putin was withdrawing troops from the Dnipro river frontline – and then immediately retracted the update.

The potentially significant bulletins were available for about 10 minutes, after which two state news outlets withdrew them without any follow-up.

You can read more about this here:

Why Russia retracted state media reports on its Ukraine frontline movements

NATO secretary general discusses importance of continued support to Ukraine.

Tuesday 14 November 2023 13:55 , Athena Stavrou

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg participated in a meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council of the European Union with EU Defence Ministers in Brussels on Tuesday,

On the situation in Ukraine, Mr Stoltenberg highlighted that intense fighting continues. “The situation on the battlefield is difficult. And that just makes it even more important that we sustain and step up our support for Ukraine because we cannot allow President Putin to win,” said the Secretary General.

“Ukraine must prevail as a sovereign independent nation in Europe and it’s in our interest to support Ukraine,” he said.

Weather conditions ‘impacting battlespace'

Tuesday 14 November 2023 13:22 , Athena Stavrou

Ukrainian and Russian sources have noted that weather conditions are impacting the battlespace, according to a war-monitoring think-tank.

The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said that factors such as falling leaves have complicated efforts but not halted operations.

They reported that the Ukrainian ground forces spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Volodymyr Fityo noted on November 13 that rain and mud in Donbas impede the speed of ground maneuver advances.

Ukrainian 14th Mechanized Brigade Spokesperson Nadiya Zamryha stated on November 12 that fog and rain complicate both Russian and Ukrainian aerial reconnaissance efforts and lead to reduced numbers of attacks.

Meanwhile, Russian milbloggers claimed that recent heavy rains led to reduced shelling and that strong winds and rain interfere with Russian drone operations and complicate offensive operations in western Zaporizhia Oblast

Russian sources also circulated footage purporting to show mud and rain filled Ukrainian trenches.