Russia-Ukraine war live: Zelensky admits Kremlin ‘onslaught’ on Avdiivka is ‘extremely difficult’

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has warned that it is proving “extremely difficult to withstand the onslaught” in Avdiivka, a city in the eastern region of Donetsk that has become the epicentre of fighting.

Russia has thrown hundreds of tanks and armoured personnel carriers (APCs) into a mechanised assault on the eastern Ukrainian city, attacking from the eastern flanks.

Though Russian forces have suffered significant losses over the past month, according to multiple reports, they continue to attack with considerable force.

In his nightly address on Tuesday, Mr Zelensky said that despite the losses sustained by Russia, which he claimed are greater than in nearby Bakhmut, a former flashpoint of the frontline, it remains nonetheless “extremely difficult to withstand this onslaught”.

“Each of our warriors holding the positions, each of our warriors performing combat missions there deserves our utmost gratitude. They are true heroes!” he said.

“The more Russian forces are destroyed near Avdiivka now, the worse the overall situation and the overall course of this war will be for the enemy.”

Key Points

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

• Russia intensifies attacks in Avdiivka

• Strong explosions’ in Kyiv as Ukrainian capital comes under attack

• Two Russian landing boats filled with armoured vehicles destroyed

• Goal to supply 1m rounds of ammunition to Ukraine will not be reached, German Defence Minister

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

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

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

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

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

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’

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

One dead after Russian drone attack, governor says

Tuesday 14 November 2023 12:54 , Athena Stavrou

One person has died and a 72-year-old man has been hospitalised after a Russian drone attack in Nikopol.

The governor of the Dnipropetrovsk region, Serhiy Lyask, posted on Telegram: “A 72-year-old man was injured. He is in the hospital in a moderate condition. Unfortunately, there is also a dead person. Condolences to the relatives... Shame on the occupiers who are fighting with the civilians.”

Zelenksy reports increase in Russian assaults

Tuesday 14 November 2023 12:33 , Athena Stavrou

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said there has been an increase in attacks from Russia in the Avdiivka, Kup’yansk, Donetsk regions.

He wrote in a Telegram post: “The enemy continues to take revenge on the free Kherson: shelling the city center without any military necessity.”

It comes after Ukrainian forces said that they repelled a total of eight attacks on the battered, strategic city of Avdiivka.

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.

Vitaliy Barabash said Putin’s troops “need” Avdiivka.

“Quite simply, Avdiivka and its strategic position is geographically located on heights and you can see Donetsk... from here,” he said, referring to the Ukrainian area occupied by Russia

Grain exports via Black Sea corridor hit 4m tonnes

Tuesday 14 November 2023 12:09 , Athena Stavrou

Ukraine’s exports through an alternative Black Sea shipping corridor have reached almost four million metric tonnes since the route started operating in August, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Tuesday.

Ukraine launched a “humanitarian corridor” for ships bound for African and Asian markets to try to circumvent a de facto blockade in the Black Sea after Russia quit a United Nations-brokered deal that had guaranteed Kyiv’s seaborne exports during the war.

Russia to ‘increase production of laser-guided artillery'

Tuesday 14 November 2023 11:14 , Athena Stavrou

Russia has announced it will increase production of its 152mm Krasnopol-M2 laser-guided artillery munitions, the UK Defence Ministry said today.

In their latest intelligence update, Britain’s Ministry of Defence said Russia will improve the rounds weather performance which has already achieved some success with Krasnopol.

The intellegence said Russia utilises uncrewed aerial vehicles to designate targets for Krasnopol, by shining a laser beam at the target.

They added that the limiting factors of the ammunition include low cloud.

Blinken and David Cameron discuss Israel, Ukraine and China

Tuesday 14 November 2023 10:31 , Athena Stavrou

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and newly appointed British foreign minister David Cameron discussed the Israel-Hamas conflict, relations with China and help for Ukraine during a telephone call on Monday, the State Department said.

“Secretary Blinken and Lord Cameron underscored continuity in the U.S.-UK special relationship and its importance to regional and global security,” State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a readout of the conversation.

EU industry commissioner insists one million ammunition target will be met

Tuesday 14 November 2023 09:55 , Athena Stavrou

Following the German defence minister’s claim that the goal to supply Ukraine with one million rounds of ammunition will not be reached, the EU commissioner for industry insisted they would.

At a summit of defence in Brussels, Thierry Breton told reporters that the target would be reached,

“I’m responsible for ammunition production capacity so I can confirm that the target of producing more than a million rounds of ammunition a year, which we set ourselves and which they hope to achieve from spring onwards, will be met,” he said.

Russian strike hits hospital injuring two-month-old baby, UN says

Tuesday 14 November 2023 08:54 , Athena Stavrou

The UN humanitarian coordinator for Ukraine said Russian attacks in Kherson, Ukraine, struck a hospital injuring a two-month-old baby girl and killing civillians.

Denise Brown said she was “utterly outraged and deeply disturbed” by the brutal attacks on Monday afternoon.

She added that the attacks killed and injured civilians and an innocent baby girl was hospitalised with a blast injury.

Oleksandr Prokudin, governor of Kherson Oblast, said that two people had been killed and a further ten had been injured.

He said in a Telegram post: “Eight vehicles, including an ambulance, an administrative building, a hospital and at least fifteen houses were destroyed or damaged.

“With these blows, the Russians ended the lives of two people. According to detailed information, ten more were injured.”

He added: “As a result of the attack on the hospital, two female medical workers, aged 24 and 41, as well as an 81-year-old patient of the medical facility were injured. All of them have mine-explosive injuries.”

Project HOPE, a global health & humanitarian organization, said their staff were holding a meeting at the hospital at the time.

None of the team were injured. Natalja Iscenko, Project HOPE’s Liaison Officer, said: “While inside, we counted more than 10 explosions, and the walls were shaking. When we got outside and saw the damage and heard of casualties, we realized just how lucky we were.

“If timing had been different, this could have been us.”

Germany updates on goals for aid to Ukraine

Tuesday 14 November 2023 08:50 , Athena Stavrou

The goal to supply Ukraine with one million rounds of ammunition will not be reached, German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said on Tuesday.

“It is safe to assume that the one million rounds will not be reached,” he told reporters ahead of a EU Defence council in Brussels.

He also added that he expects other countries to do more to ramp up Ukrainian military aid and hopes the German parliament will approve topping up military aid by four billion euros

Russia destroys four Ukrainian drones

Tuesday 14 November 2023 08:20 , Athena Stavrou

Russian air defences destroyed four Ukrainian drones over four Russian regions including the Moscow region overnight, Russia’s defence ministry said in a statement.

The drones were destroyed in Moscow, Tambov, Orlov and Bryansk regions, the ministry said.

Putin makes third failed attempt to capture Avdiivka as shelling intensifies

Tuesday 14 November 2023 07:51 , Athena Stavrou

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.

Vitaliy Barabash, head of Avdiivka’s military administration, also revealed Russia’s losses in its current drive for Avdiivka.

He said Mr Putin’s troops “need” Avdiivka.

“Quite simply, Avdiivka and its strategic position is geographically located on heights and you can see Donetsk... from here,” he said, referring to the Ukrainian area occupied by Russia.

Zelensky says Ukraine can deliver frontline success – but the current stalemate with Russia is hurting Kyiv

Tuesday 14 November 2023 07:00 , Tom Watling

It is clear there is little movement on the battlefield, writes Askold Krushelnycky, and that is bad news for Kyiv.

Analysis: Ukraine’s current frontline stalemate with Russia is hurting Kyiv

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

Tuesday 14 November 2023 06:00 , 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.

“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.

“And in Ukraine, all our attention should be focused on defence, on response to terrorists, on everything Ukraine can do to make it easier for our people to get through this winter and to increase the capabilities of our troops.”

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

Hungary's Orbán says negotiations on Ukraine's future EU membership should not move forward

Tuesday 14 November 2023 05:00 , Tom Watling

Hungary’s prime minister said Friday he does not support moving forward on negotiations on Ukraine‘s future membership in the European Union, signaling again that his country could pose a major roadblock to Kyiv‘s ambitions to join the bloc.

EU leaders are to decide in mid-December whether Ukraine should be formally invited to begin talks to join the 27-member union, with Hungary seen as a potential obstacle. Unanimity among all member states is required to admit a new country into the bloc, giving Hungary’s prime minister, Viktor Orbán, a powerful veto.

Hungary's Orbán says negotiations on Ukraine's future EU membership should not move forward

Two Russian landing boats filled with armoured vehicles destroyed by Ukraine in ‘significant loss’ for Putin

Tuesday 14 November 2023 04:00 , Tom Watling

Ukraine on Friday said its naval drones had destroyed two small Russian landing boats in Crimea, in an embarrassment for President Vladimir Putin.

Ukrainian military intelligence said two amphibious Russian ships loaded with armoured vehicles had been hit by naval drones overnight.

One of the boats was identified as an Akula class vessel, while the other landing vessel was a Serna class.

“The results of intelligence conducted on 10 November 2023 near Vuzka Bay in temporarily occupied Crimea show that after an attack by naval drones, two small Russian landing ships have been destroyed,” a Ukraine military report said.

“As a consequence of the attack, both vessels went to the bottom, the Akula straight away and the Serna after attempts to save it.”

Ukraine destroys Russian landing boats in ‘significant loss’ for Putin

Military training efforts for Ukraine hit major milestones even as attention shifts to Gaza

Tuesday 14 November 2023 03:00 , Tom Watling

Battle cries pierce the smoke and rat-a-tat-tat of gunfire as Ukrainian soldiers fight through and take enemy trenches and dugouts that hide gruesome, bloody remains.

“Grenade!” one screams in Ukrainian. Another yells: “Let’s go, let’s go, let’s go, let’s go!”

This time, no lives or limbs were lost. Because this time, the rounds fired were blanks and the “enemy” troops were, in fact, French soldiers whose intention was not to kill the Ukrainians but instead to help shape them into better, more lethal warriors.

But soon, the war games these troops played in the mud in France will become all too real, when the Ukrainians return home and are sent to the front lines against Russia’s forces.

Military training efforts for Ukraine hit major milestones even as attention shifts to Gaza

Russian officers killed in ‘act of revenge’ in occupied Ukrainian city

Tuesday 14 November 2023 02:00 , Tom Watling

Three Russian officers have been killed in an “act of revenge” in an occupied Ukrainian city, said Kyiv’s intelligence officials.

A blast struck a Saturday meeting attended by Russian National Guard and FSB intelligence service officers in occupied Melitopol, said the Ukrainian intelligence’s main unit.

“This act of revenge, carried out by representatives of the local resistance movement, took place in the (post) offices seized by the Russians,” the Ukrainian defence ministry’s intelligence department said on Sunday.

Russian forces have established their headquarters in Melitopol, a city in southwestern Ukraine that was captured in the early days of the war.

“As a result of the explosion at least three National Guard officers were killed at the headquarters,” officials said.

Russian officers killed in ‘act of revenge’ in occupied Ukrainian city

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

Tuesday 14 November 2023 01:00 , 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

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

Tuesday 14 November 2023 00:00 , 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

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

Monday 13 November 2023 23:00 , 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.

“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.

“And in Ukraine, all our attention should be focused on defence, on response to terrorists, on everything Ukraine can do to make it easier for our people to get through this winter and to increase the capabilities of our troops.”

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

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

Monday 13 November 2023 22:00 , 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.

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

Ukrainian politician on US sanctions list suspected of state treason

Monday 13 November 2023 21:00 , Tom Watling

Ukrainian lawmaker Oleksandr Dubinsky has been formally notified that he is suspected of treason for allegedly spreading misinformation about the political leadership and cooperation with Russia’s military intelligence, officials said on Monday.

Ukraine‘s security service, the SBU, on Monday said on the Telegram messaging app that a politician was under suspicion, but did not name the suspect.

Lawmaker Yaroslav Yurchyshyn, first deputy head of the parliamentary committee on anti-corruption policy and lawmaker Oleksiy Honcharenko both named Dubinsky, also on Telegram.

“Dubinsky received a (notice of) suspicion of state treason. He was searched today,” Honcharenko said.

In his own post on Telegram, Dubinsky called the notice of suspicion fabricated and “based on the absolute lies of top state officials”.

The lawmaker was expelled from the ruling Servant of the People party in 2021 after he was put on a U.S. sanctions list over alleged election meddling. He denied those accusations and continued to work in parliament.

The SBU said the suspect was a member of a criminal organisation, financed by Russia’s military intelligence.

The criminal organisation was created in 2016 and included as well an ex-lawmaker, their aide, and an ex-prosecutor.

Listen to Zelensky’s nightly address

Monday 13 November 2023 20:15 , Tom Watling

You can listen to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s nightly address below.

The Ukrainian leader delivers a speech every night. The video has been given English subtitles.

EU plan for new Russia sanctions to go to members this week

Monday 13 November 2023 19:30 , Tom Watling

European Union officials are finalising the “last details” of a proposed 12th package of sanctions on Russia that will include a diamond ban, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Monday.

Borrell said the European Commission, the EU executive, could approve the proposed package on Wednesday. It would then go to the Council of the EU, comprising the bloc’s 27 member countries, for discussion and approval.

Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the EU has already applied 11 packages of sanctions against Moscow to diminish the Kremlin’s ability to finance the war. The measures span across sectors and include some 1,800 individuals and entities.

“This twelfth package will include ... new export bans, among them ... diamonds, actions to tighten the oil price cap, in order to decrease the revenue that Russia is getting from selling its oil - not to us but to others - (and) fighting against circumvention,” Borrell told reporters after a meeting of EU foreign ministers.

EU diplomats told Reuters last week said the 27-nation bloc had been waiting for a G7 green light to move ahead with the diamond ban. An EU official said the current timing for a European Commission proposal for the package, that would then be debated by the EU’s 27 governments, was “early next week”.

“We are finalising the last details of this package,” Borrell said.

100th ship departed through Black Sea humanitarian corridor

Monday 13 November 2023 18:45 , Tom Watling

The US ambassador to Ukraine, Bridget Brink, has said the 100th ship has departed through the black Sea humanitarian corridor since its opening in August 2023.

She wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter: “Today the 100th ship departed the Black Sea humanitarian corridor - an export lifeline for Ukraine that has delivered 3.7 million tons of food & goods to the world.”

Over 100,000 Ukrainians evacuated since invasion

Monday 13 November 2023 18:00 , Athena Stavrou

Save Ukraine - an organisation focused on rescuing vulnerable Ukrainians - said they have successfully evacuated 108,880 people from the frontlines.

In a post on X they added that since the onset of the full-scale invasion last February, they had provided humanitarian assistance to more than 186,450 people.

Ukraine’s foreign minister congratulates David Cameron

Monday 13 November 2023 17:20 , Tom Watling

Ukraine’s foreign minister, Dmytro Kuleba, posted on X to congratulate David Cameron on his appointment as Foreign Secretary today.

Mr Cameron mentioned Ukraine in his first statement as foreign secretary today and Mr Kuleba said he is “looking forward to working side by side” with the former British Prime Minister.