Friday, November 17

Russia’s war against Ukraine

A Ukrainian FPV (first-person view) drone operator trains not far from the front line in Donetsk Oblast on Nov. 16, 2023 (Anatolii Stepanov/AFP via Getty Images)

Air Force: Ukraine downs 9 out of 10 Russian drones launched overnight. Ukrainian forces shot down nine of the 10 Shahed drones launched by Russia overnight, the Air Force reported on Nov. 17. The drones were launched from around Russia’s port city of Primorsko-Akhtarsk in Krasnodar Krai.

Ukraine’s secret ‘Black Box’ project revealed to be long-range attack drone. The Ukrainian secret military technology project “Black Box,” was shown to be a long-range attack drone, named the “Beaver,” that can fly up to 800 kilometers, Ukraine’s military charity Come Back Alive announced on Nov. 16.

Study: Over 2,400 children have been deported from Ukraine to Belarus. At least 2,442 children from Ukraine between the ages of six and 17 have been transported to 13 facilities in Belarus following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, according to researchers from Yale School of Public Health’s Humanitarian Research Lab (HRL).

Regional authorities: ‘Dry port’ for grain exports to be created in Zakarpattia Oblast. A logistical hub and dry port to export grain, named the Horonda Platform, will be created in the western Zakarpattia Oblast, the regional administration said on Nov. 16.

Economic Security Bureau: ‘More than 20% of grain exported through high-risk channels.’ More than 20% of grain exported over the past nine months went through black market or risky informal channels, Ukraine’s Bureau of Economic Security said on Nov. 16.

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Zelensky: Ukraine is working on boosting air defense throughout periphery regions. Ukraine is building its air defenses in periphery oblasts such as Kharkiv, Donetsk, and Zaporizhzhia, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a video message on Nov. 16. “Not everything can be told publicly now. But what is absolutely certain is that Ukraine is constantly getting stronger. Our air defense capabilities are increasing. Of course, this is not yet a hundred percent protection.”

Border Guard: No signal that Slovak border will also be blocked. Ukraine’s State Border Guard Service has received no reports from its Slovak counterpart that the border will be blocked by protesters, the service’s press officer Andriy Demchenko said on air on Nov. 16, according to Ukrinform.

MP, media: Police open investigation against Arestovych. Ukraine’s National Police allegedly opened an investigation against controversial former presidential advisor Oleksii Arestovych, Ukrainian lawmaker Nataliia Pipa said on Nov. 16.

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Ukraine war latest: Zelensky meets new UK Foreign Secretary; death toll of Selydove attack rises to 4

More bodies have been found by emergency workers at the site of a Russian missile attack on the city of Selydove, bringing the death toll to four, according to the State Emergency Service.

Photo: Ozge Elif Kizil/Anadolu via Getty Images

Human cost of war

Russian attacks in Kherson kill 1, injure at least 8, including 15-year-old girl. Russian attacks in the city of Kherson on Nov. 16 killed a 75-year-old woman while she was in her apartment and injured at least eight others, including a 15-year-old girl, Governor Oleksandr Prokudin said.

Death toll of Donetsk Oblast attack rises to 4. More bodies have been found by emergency workers at the site of a Russian missile attack on the city of Selydove, bringing the death toll to four, the State Emergency Service reported on Nov. 16.

International response

Reuters survey: More Americans support arming Ukraine than Israel. An Ipsos survey conducted for Reuters revealed 41% of Americans support providing arms for Ukraine, while just 31% supported weapons for Israel. Military support for Ukraine was stronger among Democrats with 32% of respondents opposed to further aid to Kyiv.

Forbes: Canada lifts sanctions on Russian billionaire following lawsuit. Canada’s Foreign Ministry agreed to remove sanctions against Russian oligarch Oleg Boyko after he filed a lawsuit, Forbes Russia reported on Nov. 16.

Switzerland pledges support for creation of special tribunal for Russia’s war. Switzerland supports the creation of an international special tribunal to investigate Russia’s “crime of aggression” against Ukraine, the Swiss foreign ministry said on Nov. 16.

Media: EU warns Poland it must take action to stop border blockade protest. The European Commission is warning the Polish government that it must take action to end the blockade of the border with Ukraine by Polish truckers, Polish media outlet RMF24 reported on Nov. 16.

US earmarks additional $500 million for Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. The U.S. plans to allocate an additional $500 million to bolster Ukraine’s energy grid, local media reported on Nov. 16 citing Biden administration officials.

Guardian: 12th EU sanctions package to include Medvedev’s son. The 12th round of EU sanctions against Russia will allegedly include Ilya Medvedev, the only son of former president and current Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev, the Guardian reported on Nov. 16, citing the European Commission’s proposal.

US sanctions Russia-affiliated individuals, companies in Balkans. The U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced sanctions against eight individuals and six entities for corruption and enabling Russian malign influence in the region, according to an OFAC press release on Nov. 16.

Opinions and insights

Opinion: Will the Kremlin’s war soon expand to a second front in Georgia?

“The Kremlin’s intent to establish a second front on Georgian soil is because Ukraine has a legitimate right to attack Russian military targets in Abkhazia to defend itself,” writes David Kirichenko, a freelance journalist covering Eastern Europe. 

Photo: Sasha Mordovets/Getty Images

In other news

Usyk vs Fury match scheduled for February in Saudi Arabia. Ukraine’s Oleksandr Usyk and Britain’s Tyson Fury will fight for the undisputed men’s heavyweight boxing title on Feb. 17 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

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