Russia-Ukraine war – live: Putin’s forces suffering major losses says Kyiv as fighting rages around key city

Ukraine’s military says it is inflicting major losses on Russian troops as Vladimir Putin’s forces seek to try and encircle the key strategic city of Avdiivka in the east.

The general staff of Ukraine’s armed forces said soldiers are “standing their ground, inflicting major losses on the enemy” both around Avdiivka and along other areas of the eastern frontlines. “Our defenders are steadfastly holding the defence in the Avdiivka direction,” Commander Oleksandr Tarnavskyi said.

It comes as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukrainian troops face “difficult” defensive operations on parts of the eastern front with bitter winter cold setting in. Images from the frontline in Donbas, as well as in Kyiv, show that snow has already begun to fall.

Russian troops have launched offensives on different sections of the frontline in Ukraine’s east this autumn, trying to advance on the devastated town of Avdiivka and in the northeast between the towns of Lyman and Kupiansk.

“Difficult weather, difficult defence on the Lyman, Bakhmut, Donetsk and Avdiivka fronts. Offensive actions in the south,” Mr Zelensky said.

Key Points

• Russia has never abandoned peace negotiations with Ukraine, says Putin
• Ukrainian army pushing Russian forces back at Dnipro river
• Putin Scales back attacks on Avdiivka

Ukraine’s defence

Thursday 23 November 2023 10:03 , Chris Stevenson

Ukraine’s military says it is inflicting major losses on Russian troops as Vladimir Putin’s forces seek to try and encircle the key strategic city of Avdiivka in the east.

Russia has been trying to advance in the area for weeks, with the army saying that Ukrainian troops have repelled more than 30 attacks in the last 24 hours.

ICYMI – Ukraine may fail to meet future grain demands amid non-stop Russian attacks

Thursday 23 November 2023 21:00 , Lydia Patrick

Ukraine may not be able to meet domestic and export demand for wheat in the years to come if Russia’s attacks on its export routes and facilities continue, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) has warned.

“If attacks on food infrastructure and the blockage of sea export routes continue, it will dramatically impact the agricultural production outlook over years to come, and may, in a worst-case scenario, lead to wheat production being unable to meet domestic and export demand,” said the WFP’s Ukraine director Matthew Hollingworth on Tuesday.

Since mid-July this year, there have been 31 documented attacks on Ukraine’s grain production and export facilities, according to an upcoming report by the UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR), said Mr Hollingworth.

Of these, “28 of these attacks were in Odesa oblast alone”. The province has critical Black Sea and the Danube River terminals essential for global trade, the top official told the UN Security Council (UNSC).

Ukraine may fail to meet future grain demands amid non-stop Russian attacks, says UN

Watch – Putin will choose Iran over Israel in tough choice for protecting his regime, says expert

Thursday 23 November 2023 20:00 , Lydia Patrick

Russian journalist killed by drone strike, claim Russia

Thursday 23 November 2023 19:00 , Lydia Patrick

A Russian television journalist has died from injuries he sustained in a Ukrainian drone attack, says Russia’s Ministry of Defence.

Boris Maksudov died after being wounded in a drone attack while working in southern Ukraine‘s Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia region. Maksudov, who worked for Russian state television channel Russia 24, was hit Wednesday while working on a story about Ukraine allegedly shelling civilians, according to Russia’s Ministry of Defense.

Zaporizhzhia is one of the four Ukrainian regions that Russia illegally annexed last year.

Russian court fines Google over ‘fakes’ about Ukraine war

Thursday 23 November 2023 18:00 , Lydia Patrick

A Russian court fined Alphabet’s Google 4 million roubles ($44,582) for its failure to delete what the court called fake information about the course of Russia’s “special military operation” in Ukraine, the RIA news agency reported.

Russia has repeatedly clashed with foreign technology companies over content, censorship, data and local representation in a simmering dispute that intensified after Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.

A Russian court fined Alphabet’s Google 4 million roubles (Getty)

Israel and Ukraine could face each other in a playoff final for a spot at soccer’s Euro 2024

Thursday 23 November 2023 17:00 , Lydia Patrick

Israel and Ukraine, two countries currently fighting wars, could face each other for a spot at next year’s European Championship.

The two national teams were put on the same qualifying path in Thursday’s playoff draw, with a possible deciding match in March.

Israel was paired with Iceland, while Ukraine will face Bosnia-Herzegovina in the playoff semifinals. The 12 playoff teams will play the six semifinal matches on March 21. All three finals are scheduled for March 26.

Neither Israel nor Ukraine can currently host games at home because the wars. If they both advance to the playoff final, they could meet in a neutral country.

Israel and Ukraine could face each other in a playoff final for a spot at soccer’s Euro 2024

Another person killed in Kherson strikes

Thursday 23 November 2023 16:00 , Lydia Patrick

The death toll from the overnight strikes on Kherson has risen to four.

The office said on the Telegram messaging app that Russian forces shelled the town of Beryslav, killing a man who was riding a bicycle.

In a separate massive shelling of several settlements in Kherson district, three people – two men and a woman – were killed, it said.

“It is preliminarily known that the shelling was carried out with cluster munitions,” Andriy Yermak, the head of Ukraine‘s presidential office, said on Telegram.

Russian troops abandoned Kherson and the western bank of the Dnipro River late last year, but now regularly shells those areas from positions on the eastern bank.

Reuters could not independently confirm the report.

Russia singer killed in occupied Ukraine after missile strike hits concert hall during her performance

Thursday 23 November 2023 15:30 , Lydia Patrick

A Russian singer entertaining soldiers in occupied Ukraine has been killed after a missile hit the concert hall in which she was performing, local reports have confirmed.

Polina Menshikh was performing at a dancehall in the town of Kumachove, Donetsk Oblast, roughly 37 miles from the frontline when two missiles allegedly struck the area on 19 November.

The first missile hit the car park outside and the second struck the hall, according to Russian commentators on Telegram.

A video circling among Russian military blogger channels appears to show the moment the first missile hits the car park while Ms Menshikh was singing inside.

Russia singer killed in occupied Ukraine after missile hits the concert hall

Ukraine says at least three dead in Russian airstrike on hospital

Thursday 23 November 2023 14:43 , Lydia Patrick

At least three people were killed and eight others injured after Russian missiles struck a hospital in southern Ukraine, said the country’s emergency services.

Missiles had struck and damaged two buildings of the hospital in Selydove town late on Tuesday, interior minister Ihor Klymenko had said in an earlier statement.

He had warned in his statement that casualties would increase as officials assessed damage from the attack.

Rescue workers finished clearing the rubble after sifting through the remains night and day, 24 hours after the attack, emergency services said on Wednesday. A whole section of the building had totally collapsed, they said.

Ukraine says at least three dead in Russian airstrike on hospital

Kremlin ‘inexplicably concerned’ about upcoming election, say ISW

Thursday 23 November 2023 14:00 , Lydia Patrick

The Kremlin seems to be inexplicably concerned about the outcome of next years’ election, despite Putin’s widespread popularity, report the Institute for the Study of War.

Ella Pamiflova, the chairperson of the Russian Central Electoral Comission, said both Russian citizens who live in Russia and those who have left are attempting to discredit the president.

The ISW suggests the statement means the government will continue to “intensify censorship efforts under the guise of fighting attempted internal election meddling.”

Russia National Expo (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

NATO logistics chief warns ‘We are running out of time’

Thursday 23 November 2023 13:30 , Lydia Patrick

NATO has warned its members that too much red tape is hindering troop movements across Europe, a problem that could cause major delays were a conflict with Russia to erupt.

“We are running out of time. What we don’t get done in peacetime won’t be ready in case of a crisis or a war,” the chief of NATO’s logistics command JSEC, Lieutenant-General Alexander Sollfrank, told Reuters in an interview published on Thursday.

NATO’s Joint Support and Enabling Command (JSEC) in the southern German town of Ulm started operating in 2021. Its job is to coordinate the swift movement of troops and tanks across the continent as well as logistical preparations such as the storage of munitions on the alliance’s eastern flank.

A result of Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine in 2014, the creation of JSEC reflected the assessment that NATO, after decades of detente following the Cold War, once again needed to be ready for a war in Europe that could break out at any time.

However, the task of quickly deploying forces up to a size of a division with some 20,000 troops, as well as having ammunition, fuel, spare parts and provisions in place, has become trickier since the Cold War.

“We have a surplus of regulations, but the one thing we don’t have is time,” warned Admiral Rob Bauer, head of NATO’s military committee.”

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, left, speaks at a joint press conference with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, on the occasion of their meeting in Belgrade, Serbia (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

Russian journalist killed by drone strike, claim Russia

Thursday 23 November 2023 13:00 , Lydia Patrick

A Russian television journalist has died from injuries he sustained in a Ukrainian drone attack, says Russia’s Ministry of Defence.

Boris Maksudov died after being wounded in a drone attack while working in southern Ukraine‘s Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia region.Maksudov, who worked for Russian state television channel Russia 24, was hit Wednesday while working on a story about Ukraine allegedly shelling civilians, according to Russia’s Ministry of Defense.

Zaporizhzhia is one of the four Ukrainian regions that Russia illegally annexed last year.

This pool photograph distributed by Russian state agency Sputnik shows Russia’s President Vladimir Putin taking part in a virtual G20 leaders’ summit in Moscow (POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

ICYMI- Putin may start sourcing ballistic missiles from Iran, warns White House

Thursday 23 November 2023 12:30 , Lydia Patrick

At least three people were killed and eight others injured after Russian missiles struck a hospital in southern Ukraine, said the country’s emergency services.

Missiles had struck and damaged two buildings of the hospital in Selydove town late on Tuesday, interior minister Ihor Klymenko had said in an earlier statement.

He had warned in his statement that casualties would increase as officials assessed damage from the attack.

Rescue workers finished clearing the rubble after sifting through the remains night and day, 24 hours after the attack, emergency services said on Wednesday. A whole section of the building had totally collapsed, they said.

Ukraine says at least three dead in Russian airstrike on hospital

Russia carry out deadly strike in southeastern regions

Thursday 23 November 2023 12:00 , Lydia Patrick

Russian shelling killed three civilians in southeastern regions of Ukraine, Kyiv authorities said.

Eight artillery barrages targeted Kherson overnight, killing a 42-year-old in his apartment and wounding another man, the Ukrainian presidential office said.Russian shelling also killed two people in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine, the office said.It was not possible to independently verify the reports. Long-range Russian shelling that hits civilian areas has been a hallmark of Moscow’s 21-month war in Ukraine.

A heavily damaged building is seen in Chasiv Yar, Donetsk region, Ukraine (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

Two Ukrainian truckers die amid trucker protest

Thursday 23 November 2023 11:45 , Lydia Patrick

Two Ukrainian drivers have died and thousands of trucks have been stuck for days in the winter cold as the truckers block the roads to three crossings on the Polish-Ukrainian border, a key route for Ukraine‘s trade during Russia’s invasion.

Ukraine wants its export routes via Poland to be unblocked before it holds talks with Warsaw and the European Commission aimed at ending protests by Polish truckers.

Taras Kachka, Ukraine‘s trade representative and a deputy economy minister, said drivers were being forced to live for days in freezing temperatures and unhygienic conditions.

“Our task is to unblock the road first and then talk about all the demands that the protesters have,” Kachka said in an interview on national television.

“This should be done at the negotiating table… in Brussels, or in Warsaw, or in Kyiv, but not on the road in winter, causing damage not only to the economy but also to the health and lives of drivers who are stuck there,” he added.

Ukrainian media outlets reported that a truck driver died overnight near the Polish village of Korczowa where he had been stuck waiting to cross the border. Another driver died on Nov. 11 near the crossing in the Polish city of Chełm.

Polish truckers started their blockade on Nov. 6 to protest against what they said was business lost to Ukrainian drivers who have been made exempt from seeking permits to cross the Polish border during the Russian invasion.

With Ukraine‘s Black Sea ports – a key export route before the war – virtually blocked by Russia, Ukrainian businesses rely on roads and railways to reroute exports and imports.

Ukraine‘s Infrastructure Ministry estimated that an average 40,000-50,000 trucks cross the border with Poland per month via eight existing crossings, twice as many as before the war. Most of the goods are carried by Ukraine‘s transport fleet.

ICYMI – What Russian leader said in virtual address about Ukraine war ‘tragedy’ in G20 speech

Thursday 23 November 2023 11:15 , Lydia Patrick

Russian president Vladimir Putin told the leaders of the Group of Twenty (G20) on Wednesday it was time to think about how to stop the “tragedy” of the war in Ukraine which entered its 22nd month.

Acknowledging his military operations in the neighbouring nation, the Kremlin chief said some of the leaders mentioned in their speeches that they were shocked by the “continuing aggression” of Russia in Ukraine.

“Yes, of course, military actions are always a tragedy. And of course, we should think about how to stop this tragedy,” he said.

Mr Putin declared a full-scale invasion of the country – calling it a “special military operation” – and despite international calls for peace, continued to send to Ukraine tens of thousands of troops who are trying to capture areas in east and south of the country.

Putin G20 speech: Russian leader calls Ukraine war a ‘tragedy’

Wagner veterans officially recognised by Russia, say MOD

Thursday 23 November 2023 10:45 , Lydia Patrick

A group of Wagner soldiers have been officially recognised as veterans by Russian troops.

The Russian Ministry of Defence has established a new system allowing Wagner veterans to receive official identificaion documents and obtain bonuses, reports the UK’s MOD.

Yale historian says west can help Ukraine break stalemate

Thursday 23 November 2023 10:15 , Lydia Patrick

A historian urges western countries to continue their aid to Ukraine so they can overcome their ‘deadlock’.

Timothy Snyder insisted Ukraine had not reached a stalemate since the west could ‘drop five more queens on the board’, in conversation with the Guardian.

It comes as Kyiv’s top military commander said the Ukrainian counteroffensive was stalling in an interview with the Economist in November.

Professor Snyder told the Guardian: “I hate the stalemate analogy because war is not a game of chess,.

“In chess, there are only so many pieces on the board, and the reason why you get into stalemate is that your pieces get into a certain arrangement.”

Historian Timothy Snyder has spoken out in support of Ukraine (Yale University)

Russia carry out deadly attack on Ukrainian hospital

Thursday 23 November 2023 09:45 , Lydia Patrick

At least three people were killed and eight others injured after Russian missiles struck a hospital in southern Ukraine, said the country’s emergency services.

Missiles had struck and damaged two buildings of the hospital in Selydove town late on Tuesday, interior minister Ihor Klymenko had said in an earlier statement.

He had warned in his statement that casualties would increase as officials assessed damage from the attack.

Rescue workers finished clearing the rubble after sifting through the remains night and day, 24 hours after the attack, emergency services said on Wednesday. A whole section of the building had totally collapsed, they said.

Ukraine says at least three dead in Russian airstrike on hospital

Mapped – Current battlefields and frontlines

Thursday 23 November 2023 09:14 , Lydia Patrick

Putin ally adopted Ukrainian child, claim BBC

Thursday 23 November 2023 08:38 , Lydia Patrick

A 10-month-old who was taken from a Kherson children home has been linked to Vladmir Putin’s political ally.

Sirgey Mirnov, aged 70 and leafer of a Russian Political party has been named on the adoption record of a two-year-old who was taken in 2022 by his current wife, found the BBC.

The girl who was orginally named Margarita and 47 other children were taken from the care home when the city was under Russian occupation last year.

A BBC investigation has attempted to trace the missing and to identify a ‘mysterious woman in lilac’ who claimed to be “the head of children’s affairs from Moscow.”

The ‘smiley baby’ was discharged from hospital where she was being treated for bronchitis and returned to the home- where she was then taken, report the BBC.

Some weeks later more children were taken from the home, the BBC believes almost all the children remain in Russian hands, just one child, three-year-old Viktor Puzik has returned.

A view of the courtyard of Kherson regional children’s home in Kherson, southern Ukraine (Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

Ukraine says at least three dead in Russian airstrike on hospital

Thursday 23 November 2023 08:16 , Andy Gregory

At least three people were killed and eight others injured after Russian missiles struck a hospital in southern Ukraine, said the country’s emergency services.

Missiles had struck and damaged two buildings of the hospital in Selydove town late on Tuesday, interior minister Ihor Klymenko had said in an earlier statement.

He had warned in his statement that casualties would increase as officials assessed damage from the attack.

Rescue workers finished clearing the rubble after sifting through the remains night and day, 24 hours after the attack, emergency services said on Wednesday. A whole section of the building had totally collapsed, they said.

My colleague Arpan Rai reports:

Ukraine says at least three dead in Russian airstrike on hospital

Sweden’s Nato bid unlikely to be ratified by summit next week, sources say

Thursday 23 November 2023 07:52 , Andy Gregory

Turkey has informed Nato that ratification of Sweden’s membership bid will not be completed in time to allow the country’s accession ceremony at a meeting of alliance foreign ministers next week, two sources familiar with the matter have told Reuters.

Last week, the Turkish parliament’s foreign affairs commission delayed a vote on Sweden’s Nato membership bid in order to hold further talks on the subject.

One source said the commission will likely resume its debate on the matter on Tuesday or Wednesday, when Nato foreign ministers will meet in Brussels – a gathering that some had hoped would mark Sweden’s accession.

Finland considering shutting entire Russian border

Thursday 23 November 2023 07:00 , Alexander Butler

Finland’s foreign minister has revealed they are considering closing some of the four remaining crossing points – or even the entire border – with Russia.

More than 600 people without valid travel documents to the EU have come to Finland via Russia so far this month, prompting Helsinki to shut several crossings.

Russia claims Ukraine attacked a group of journalists

Thursday 23 November 2023 05:01 , Alexander Butler

Moscow has claimed a group of Russian journalists have come under attack from Ukrainian forces.

The Russian Defence Ministry said the incident happened in Ukraine’s southern Zaporizhzhia region, which is partially under Russian occupation.

Russia annexed the region, illegally, in September last year.

Thursday 23 November 2023 03:01 , Alexander Butler

The Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban has now written to European Council President Charles Michel arguing EU leaders should not endorse the European Commission’s recommendation that Ukraine be allowed to join the bloc.

“The European Council is not in a position to… agree on the future of the enlargement process unless a consensus on our future strategy towards Ukraine is found,” he said.

The Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

Thursday 23 November 2023 01:00 , Alexander Butler

After more than a thousand of its workers went to fight Russia’s invasion, a coal mining enterprise in eastern Ukraine suffered a huge staff shortage. Its answer was to allow women to work underground for the first time in its history.

Over a hundred took up the offer. “I took this job because the war started and there were no other jobs,” 22-year-old Krystyna said.

For five months, she has worked as a technician 1,542 feet below ground, servicing the small electric trains that haul workers more than 2.5 miles from the lift shaft where they descend to the seams of coal.

‘It’s like Covid’: Zelensky says Putin has made ‘five or six’ attempts on his life

Thursday 23 November 2023 00:01 , Alexander Butler

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has claimed that at least “five or six” Russian attempts to assassinate him have been foiled by his security services.

The wartime leader, speaking from the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, said the volume of attempts had turned him almost numb to the danger. He compared the later attempts to catching the Covid-19 infection.

“The first one is very interesting, when it is the first time, and after that it is just like Covid,” he said in a new interview.

‘It’s like Covid’: Zelensky says Putin has made ‘five or six’ attempts on his life

Ukrainian sniper ‘breaks world record after killing Russian solider nearly 2.5 miles away’

Wednesday 22 November 2023 23:00 , Alexander Butler

A Ukrainian sniper claims to have broken the world record by killing a Russian soldier almost 2.5 miles away, with a custom rifle called ‘Lord of the Horizon’, Holly Evans reports.

The previous record was held by a Canadian special operations sniper at a distance of 2.2 miles in Iraq in 2017.

In a press statement, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) said: “The SBU sniper set a world record for a successful shot.

“He hit a Russian soldier from an incredible distance.

“SBU snipers are changing the rules of world sniping, demonstrating the ability to work effectively at fantastic distances.”

Ukrainian sniper ‘breaks world record after killing soldier nearly 2.5 miles away’

Estonia accuses Russia of helping migrants to its border

Wednesday 22 November 2023 21:00 , Tom Watling

Estonia‘s interior minister accused Russia on Wednesday of being involved in “a hybrid attack operation” to bring migrants to its border, aiming to undermine security and unsettle the Baltic state’s population.

A total of 75 migrants, largely from Somalia and Syria, have attempted to enter Estonia from Russia through the Narva crossing point since Thursday, Estonia‘s public broadcaster ERR reported. None have asked for an asylum and all were turned back, the interior ministry said.

Estonia has made preparations to close border crossings if “the migration pressure from Russia escalates”, and to deal with migrants if they try to enter outside official crossings, Interior Minister Lauri Laanemets told Reuters through a spokesperson.

“Unfortunately, there are many signs that Russian border officials and possibly other agencies are involved”, said the minister.

“Quite frankly, (the) ongoing migration pressure on Europe’s eastern border is a hybrid attack operation”, he added.

Russian officials were not immediately available to comment.

Estonia‘s neighbour Finland said on Tuesday Russian authorities were likely directly involved in more than 500 asylum seekers, mostly from Yemen, Somalia, Syria and Iraq, arriving in a sudden surge from Russia over the past two weeks.

On Monday, the Kremlin denied Russia was deliberately pushing illegal migrants towards the Finnish border and said Russian border guards were carrying out their duties in line with the rules.

Migrants look at a Finnish Customs official’s dog at the international border crossing with Russia earlier this week (AP)

10 years later, a war-weary Ukraine reflects on events that began its collision course with Russia

Wednesday 22 November 2023 20:00 , Tom Watling

It happens every November, when the cold descends on Kyiv. The change in weather always makes Dmytro Riznychenko think back, and he is overwhelmed by his emotions.

“This is where it truly began,” Riznychenko said, walking through central Kyiv’s Independence Square recently, reflecting on the uprising that unleashed a decade of momentous change for Ukraine, eventually leading to the current war with Russia.

“Ten years of war and struggle,” the 41-year-old psychologist continued, wearily and reluctantly. “And it seems like the blood has only just begun to flow, truly. I regret nothing. But, God, it’s just so tiresome.”

10 years later, a war-weary Ukraine reflects on events that began its collision course with Russia

Ukraine may fail to meet future grain demands amid non-stop Russian attacks, says UN

Wednesday 22 November 2023 19:00 , Tom Watling

Ukraine may not be able to meet domestic and export demand for wheat in the years to come if Russia’s attacks on its export routes and facilities continue, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) has warned.

“If attacks on food infrastructure and the blockage of sea export routes continue, it will dramatically impact the agricultural production outlook over years to come, and may, in a worst-case scenario, lead to wheat production being unable to meet domestic and export demand,” said the WFP’s Ukraine director Matthew Hollingworth on Tuesday.

Ukraine may fail to meet future grain demands amid non-stop Russian attacks, says UN

Germany’s defense minister unveils more help for Ukraine’s fight against Russia’s invasion

Wednesday 22 November 2023 18:00 , Tom Watling

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius vowed Tuesday to keep supporting Ukraine’s efforts to win its war against Russia, pledging further military aid worth 1.3 billion euros ($1.4 billion).

The new support is to include further Iris-T SLM anti-aircraft missile systems as well as anti-tank mines and 155-millimeter artillery shells, German news agency dpa reported.

“We are talking about 20,000 additional shells,” Pistorius said at a joint news conference with his Ukrainian counterpart, Rustem Umerov, in Kyiv, according to dpa.

Germany’s defense minister unveils more help for Ukraine’s fight against Russia’s invasion

Putin may start sourcing ballistic missiles from Iran, warns White House

Wednesday 22 November 2023 17:00 , Tom Watling

The White House said on Tuesday it was concerned that Iran might be providing Russia with ballistic missiles for use in its war against Ukraine.

Moscow is already receiving Iran’s help with Shahed drones, guided aerial bombs, and artillery ammunition and may be gearing up “to go a step further in its support for Russia”, said National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby.

Moscow has received hundreds of Shahed drones that the Russian military used against Ukraine’s energy facilities and other key infrastructure.

Putin may start sourcing ballistic missiles from Iran, warns White House

Putin scales back attack on Ukraine’s strategic Avdiivka town after heavy Russian losses

Wednesday 22 November 2023 16:30 , Tom Watling

Vladimir Putin has scaled back his assault on Avdiivka, said Kyiv’s military officials who also warned that the attacks have not fully stopped yet.

Mr Putin is pouring in fewer troops and equipment in an attempt to seize the battered but strategic Ukrainian stronghold in the Donetsk oblast that has largely been occupied by Russia.

“Russian occupying forces have reduced the number of ground and air attacks, though they still violate the rules of war by shooting at medical teams and evacuation vehicles,” said Ukrainian military spokesperson Oleksandr Shtupun.

Putin scales back attack on Ukraine’s strategic town after heavy Russian losses

Lithuanian military support package arrives in Ukraine

Wednesday 22 November 2023 16:03 , Tom Watling

A Lithuanian military support package has arrived in Ukraine, a ministry of defence statement has shown.

You can read the specifics of the package below.

Here are some of the latest photos from Ukraine

Wednesday 22 November 2023 15:16 , Tom Watling

Below are some of the latest photos from Ukraine as the first snowfall of the winter covers parts of the country.

A woman walks her dog beside destroyed Russian armoured vehicles during the first snowfall of winter in Kyiv (EPA)

Vladimir Putin speaks during a virtual G20 summit hosted by Indian prime minister Narendra Modi (POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

A Ukrainian tank crew member of the 21st Mechanised Brigade sits inside a German made Leopard 2A5 battle tank near the front line (AFP via Getty Images)

Russia has shipped grain to Africa free of charge, Putin tells G20

Wednesday 22 November 2023 14:40 , Tom Watling

Russia has sent the first vessels carrying grain to Africa free of charge, President Vladimir Putin told an online gathering of the Group of 20 leading economies on Wednesday.

Russia pulled out of a United Nations-backed deal in July that had allowed safe passage for Ukrainian grain exports via the Black Sea, but Moscow has since pledged to help developing countries that rely on Russian and Ukrainian grain exports.

In his comments to the G20 meeting, Putin also said a large share of global economic activity was shifting to Asia and Africa, and he called for a bigger role for developing nations in the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.

Putin says Russia stands for ‘mutually-beneficial cooperation in the world’

Wednesday 22 November 2023 13:36 , Tom Watling

Vladimir Putin said Russia “stands for restoring the spirit of open and mutually beneficial cooperation in the world”.

Putin finishes addressing the G20

Wednesday 22 November 2023 13:34 , Tom Watling

Vladimir Putin has finished addressing the G20 virtual summit.

We will continue to post the most newsworthy bits of his speech as they are translated.

Russia says relations with US risk breaking at any moment

Wednesday 22 November 2023 13:30 , Tom Watling

The fabric of relations between Russia and the US is extremely thin and risks being torn at any moment, Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Wednesday.

Zakharova told reporters at her weekly briefing that Washington’s actions could lead to “unpredictable consequences”.

Russia has never abandoned peace negotiations with Ukraine, says Putin

Wednesday 22 November 2023 13:28 , Tom Watling

Vladimir Putin has said Russia has never abandoned peace negotiations on Ukraine.

“The situation in Ukraine cannot but shock, but the coup in Ukraine and the extermination of the civilian population there and in Palestine is not shocking,” he said, according to state media.

Putin pictured addresses a virtual G20 summit

Wednesday 22 November 2023 13:25 , Tom Watling

Vladimir Putin has been pictured addressing the virtual G20 summit.

It appears only a handful of countries have tuned in to hear him speak, inlcuding India, Spain Indonesia, and Korea.

Vladimir Putin addresses a G20 virtual summit (Tass)

Ukraine troops face ‘difficult defence’ in east as bitter cold sets in, admits Zelensky

Wednesday 22 November 2023 13:16 , Tom Watling

Ukrainian troops face “difficult” defensive operations on parts of the eastern front with bitter winter cold setting in, but forces in the south are still conducting offensive actions, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Wednesday.

Russian troops launched offensives on different sections of the front line in Ukraine’s east this autumn, trying to advance on the devastated town of Avdiivka and in the northeast between the towns of Lyman and Kupiansk.

“Difficult weather, difficult defence on the Lyman, Bakhmut, Donetsk and Avdiivka fronts. Offensive actions in the south,” Zelenskiy said on Telegram messenger.

Snow and freezing temperatures that stood at about minus 5 degrees Celsius during the day on Wednesday and were expected to drop lower may further complicate operations on the battleground, where fighting is moving to an attritional phase.

Russia, which launched a full-scale invasion in February 2022, controls nearly a fifth of Ukraine. Kyiv launched a counteroffensive to retake occupied territory this summer, but has not forced a major breakthrough.

Since mid-October, Avdiivka, where the front line has changed little since the first war erupted in 2014 between Kyiv and Russian-backed militants, faced waves of attacks followed by temporary lulls, according to the Ukrainian military.

After one such lull the day before, the head of the “Tavria” military command said on Wednesday that Russian troops had “dramatically increased” the number of assaults and airstrikes.

“Our defenders are steadfastly holding the defence in the Avdiivka direction,” Commander Oleksandr Tarnavskyi said on Telegram. Ukrainian forces continued the offensive on the southeastern Melitopol front, he added.

In their morning readout on the battlefield, the General Staff said troops were also holding onto the bridgeheads secured on the eastern side of the River Dnipro that was occupied by Russian forces in the early days of their invasion.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky speaks during a joint press conference in Kyiv on Tuesday (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

Vladimir Putin begins G20 speech

Wednesday 22 November 2023 12:54 , Tom Watling

Vladimir Putin has just begun speaking at the G20 virtual summit, according to Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov.

Kremlin declines to comment on US suggestion that Russia may get ballistic missiles from Iran

Wednesday 22 November 2023 12:40 , Tom Watling

The Kremlin declined on Wednesday to comment on a suggestion by White House spokesman John Kirby that Iran may be considering providing Russia with ballistic missiles for use in Ukraine.

“We are developing relations with Iran, including in the field of military-technical cooperation, but we do not comment on this information,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters in a regular news briefing.

Kirby said the United States would monitor the situation between Iran and Russia, and take appropriate action as needed.

Iran has been a key military support for Russia, supplying the Kremlin with thousands of Shahed kamikaze drones that have been used to target critical Ukrainian infrastructure.

Ukrainian air defense intercepts a Shahed drone mid-air over Kyiv (Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

Putin scales back attack on Ukraine town after heavy Russian losses

Wednesday 22 November 2023 12:20 , Athena Stavrou

Vladimir Putin has scaled back his assault on Avdiivka, said Kyiv’s military officials who also warned that the attacks have not fully stopped yet.

“Russian occupying forces have reduced the number of ground and air attacks, though they still violate the rules of war by shooting at medical teams and evacuation vehicles,” said Ukrainian military spokesperson Oleksandr Shtupun.

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Putin scales back attack on Ukraine’s strategic town after heavy Russian losses

Ukraine’s coal mines turn to women for first time ever

Wednesday 22 November 2023 11:53 , Athena Stavrou

Ukrainian coal mines have allowed women to work underground for the first time in history to solve wartime staff shortages.

Krystyna, 22, is one of the 100 women who took up the offer.

She has worked as a technician 470 metres below ground for five months. She took the job after overcoming her fear of leaving her four-year-old son, Denys, at home with her mother.

Her hometown of Pavlohrad is 100 km (62 miles) from the front, but is often hit by Russian missiles.

“I took this job because the war started and there were no other jobs,” she said candidly.

Her beloved older brother worked in the same mine. He joined the army two weeks after the start of the full-scale invasion, Krystyna said, adding that she worries greatly about him.

She added: “Our boys were taken to the front, and now we need to support them: there is no-one else to work in the mine now.”

Putin to give Russian view on world situation at G20 virtual summit today

Wednesday 22 November 2023 11:41 , Athena Stavrou

The Kremlin said on Monday that President Vladimir Putin will set out Russia’s view of what it sees as the “deeply unstable world situation” when he addresses an upcoming virtual G20 summit.

Russian state TV presenter Pavel Zarubin said on his Telegram channel on Sunday that it would be the “first event in a long time” including both Putin and Western leaders.

According to the state RIA news agency, the G20 virtual summit will be held on Wednesday.

Separately, RIA reported that Putin will also take part via video link in a discussion on Tuesday about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict at a summit of the BRICS bloc of nations.

(POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Russia says three Ukrainian drones destroyed over Crimea

Wednesday 22 November 2023 11:40 , Athena Stavrou

Russian anti-aircraft units destroyed three Ukrainian drones over the Crimean peninsula, the Russian defence ministry said.

“An attempt by the Kyiv regime to carry out a terrorist attack with aircraft-type UAVs on objects on the territory of the Russian Federation was prevented,” the defence ministry said.

Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014. Ukraine says it will not rest until every last Russian soldier is ejected from its territory. Russia says Crimea is now part of Russia.

“Three Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles were destroyed over the territory of the Republic of Crimea by air defences,” the ministry added.

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