Saturday, November 18

Russia’s war against Ukraine

Oleksiy Chernyshov, CEO of Naftogaz, Ukraine’s state-owned oil and gas giant, speaks during an interview in Kyiv on Feb. 16, 2023. (Andrew Kravchenko/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Zelensky fires foreign intelligence service official. President Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed Oleksandr Tarasovsky from his post as deputy head of Ukraine’s Foreign Intelligence Service on Nov. 17, according to a presidential decree. The reason for the dismissal wasn’t specified. Tarasovsky had served in this position since January 2022.

Germany joins G7 talks on potential security guarantees for Ukraine. Ukraine and Germany on Nov. 17 began bilateral negotiations on potential security guarantees as presented during the NATO summit in Vilnius in July, the President’s Office reported.

Kremlin labels Moscow Times ‘foreign agent.’ The Russian government added the Moscow Times to its list of “foreign agents,” the outlet reported, citing a Nov. 17 decision by Russia’s Justice Ministry. Several other journalists and activists were also included in the newly published list.

Zelensky: Kremlin planning campaign to destabilize Ukraine, potential coup.

Russia is plotting a destabilization campaign against Ukraine known as “Maidan 3,” aimed at sowing chaos and ultimately fomenting a coup, President Volodymyr Zelensky said to reporters on Nov. 16. Zelensky cited information from Ukrainian intelligence, as well as information stemming from Western countries. He didn’t provide documents to back his claim.

Energy giant DTEK calls for more air defense systems as winter looms. Ukraine needs more powerful air defense systems, such as Patriot and IRIS-T air defense systems, to better protect its critical infrastructure from Russian attacks, Maksym Timchenko, CEO of Ukraine’s largest private energy company DTEK, said on Nov. 17.

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15 Russian warships destroyed, 12 damaged, Ukraine’s navy says. Ukrainian military operations have destroyed 15 Russian warships in the Black Sea and damaged 12 others since the start of the full-scale invasion, Navy spokesperson Dmytro Pletenchuk reported on Nov. 17.

BBC: 20,000 Ukrainian men have illegally crossed border since February 2022.

According to the BBC, authorities in Ukraine’s neighbors, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia, Poland, and Moldova, said that 19,740 men had illegally crossed their borders between February 2022 and Aug. 31, 2023.

Zelensky: Artillery munition deliveries to Ukraine have decreased since Israel-Hamas War. The delivery of artillery shells to Ukraine from Western allies has decreased since the beginning of the Israel-Hamas conflict, President Volodymyr Zelensky 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

Ukrainian Marines: Russia has suffered close to 3,500 casualties in Dnipro River battles. Russian forces have lost almost 3,500 soldiers, including more than 1,200 killed, as well as dozens of pieces of military hardware, in battles on the Dnipro River near Kherson, the Ukrainian Marines said on Nov. 17.

Russian shelling in Kherson Oblast kills man; deaths from prior attacks rise by 3. Russian shelling on Nov. 17 in the town of Bilozerka, Kherson Oblast, killed a 60-year-old man, the regional prosecutor’s office said. Kherson Oblast Governor Oleksandr Prokudin also reported three more deaths after the previous day’s attacks.

Russian attacks in Donetsk Oblast kill 2, injure at least 3. Russian attacks in Donetsk Oblast over the past day killed two people and injured at least three, acting regional Governor Ihor Moroz said on Nov. 17.

Russian attacks in Kherson Oblast kill 6, injure at least 10, including 1 child.

Russian forces used a variety of different weapons, including artillery, drones, multiple-launch-rocket systems, tanks, and planes to attack Kherson Oblast over the past day, leaving six dead and at least 10 injured, including a child, regional Governor Oleksandr Prokudin said on Nov. 17.

General Staff: Russia has lost 316,760 troops in Ukraine. The military also said that Russia has lost 5,315 tanks, 10,132 armored fighting vehicles, 10,077 vehicles and fuel tanks, 7,712 artillery systems, 895 multiple launch rocket systems, 585 air defense systems, 323 airplanes, 324 helicopters, 5,709 drones, 22 ships and boats, and one submarine.

International response

US and Ukraine to attend joint defense industry conference in December. The United States and Ukraine will attend a joint defense industry meeting in December, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced in an address on Nov. 17.

Russia calls Finland’s decision to restrict border crossings ‘big mistake.’ The Kremlin accused Finland of taking a path of “destroying bilateral relations” over Finland’s decision to close some border crossings with Russia, the Russian state news agency TASS reported on Nov. 17.

Zelensky thanks Finland for new military aid. Finland will send Ukraine 100 million euros worth of military aid in its 20th package to the country since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, the Finnish Defense Ministry said in a statement on its website.

Dutch defense minister announces $2 billion of military aid for Ukraine in 2024.

“With this substantial amount, we send a clear signal that we are determined to continue our support to Ukraine, now and in the future,” Dutch Defense Minister Kajsa Ollongren said on X.

US to ensure sustainability of Ukrainian F-16s by providing spare parts. The U.S. Defense Department (DoD) will send Ukraine spare parts to ensure that the F-16s Ukraine will receive can be properly maintained, the DoD reported on Nov. 16, citing comments made by Pentagon officials earlier in the week.

Biden signs temporary spending bill without aid for Ukraine, Israel. U.S. President Joe Biden signed a temporary spending bill into law on Nov. 16, averting the impending government shutdown but leaving the issue of continued aid for Ukraine unaddressed.

Bulgarian Defense Minister: ‘Pro-Russian disinformation weakening Bulgarian army.’ Pro-Russian disinformation targeting Bulgaria has started to “seriously affect the army’s ability to fight,” Bulgarian Defense Minister Todor Tagarev said at a debate in parliament.

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Ukraine war latest: Ukrainian Marines say Russia has suffered close to 3,500 casualties in Dnipro River battles

Russian forces have lost almost 3,500 soldiers, including more than 1,200 killed, as well as dozens of pieces of military hardware, in battles on the Dnipro River near Kherson. Around 20,000 Ukrainian men have violated martial law and illegally crossed the border, BBC claimed on Nov. 17, citing information received from neighboring countries.

Photo: President Volodymyr Zelensky/Telegram

In other news

New natural gas deposit discovered in Carpathians, Naftogaz says. Naftogaz, Ukraine’s state-owned oil and gas giant, said on Nov. 17 that a new natural gas deposit was discovered in the Carpathians, offering what could be a promising outlook for Ukraine’s domestic gas production amid war.

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Today’s Ukraine Daily was brought to you by Lili Bivings, Oleksiy Sorokin, Nate Ostiller, Asami Terajima, Alexander Query, Dmytro Basmat, and Rachel Amran.

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