Russia-Ukraine war live: Moscow admits major breakthrough for Kyiv but warns troops face ‘hell fire’

Ukraine’s forces have “gained a foothold” on the eastern bank of the Dnipro River in a significant step for Kyiv’s counteroffensive, but Russia says they are raining “hell fire” on the troops.

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

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

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.

The Russian military said it had pinned down Ukrainian forces who crossed onto the eastern bank of the River Dnipro is raining “hell fire” on them.

They said that the average life expectancy of a Ukrainian soldier there is around two days.

“The enemy is trapped in (the settlement of) Krynki and a fiery hell has been arranged for him: bombs, rockets, heavy flamethrower systems, artillery shells, and drones,” said Vladimir Saldo

Key Points

• Russia raining 'Hell fire' on Ukrainian forces

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

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

• Russia intensifies attacks in Avdiivka

US Congress closes without approving more aid for Ukraine and Israel

20:30 , Matt Mathers

The US Congress closed its doors for nearly two weeks on Thursday without passing emergency aid for Israel and Ukraine, as lawmakers argued over unrelated immigration policy and faced pockets of resistance from Republicans on continued aide for Kyiv’s war against Russia.

The Senate adjourned well after midnight after passing a stopgap spending bill to avert a government shutdown. Supporters of the foreign military aid had hoped it would be included in the spending bill, known as a continuing resolution.

President Joe Biden asked Congress to approve the money last month. Its omission from the spending bill raised concerns that funding for Kyiv might never be appropriated especially after the Republican-led House passed a bill this month including assistance for Israel, but not Ukraine. The Senate’s Democratic leaders rejected that bill.

A vocal bloc of Republicans oppose sending more aid to Kyiv as it fights a nearly 21-month-long Russian invasion. Opponents of the aid say US taxpayer money should be spent at home, but majority of Republicans and Democrats in Congress still support aid to President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s government.

A Reuters/Ipsos poll this week showed 41 per cent of Americans backed sending weapons to Ukraine, compared to 32 per centwho were opposed and the rest unsure. The same poll showed U.S. public support dropping for Israel’s war against Hamas militants.

Thousands of Ukrainian children taken to Belarus - Yale research

19:30 , Matt Mathers

More than 2,400 children from Ukraine aged between six and 17 years old have been taken to 13 facilities across Belarus since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in early 2022, research published by Yale University said on Thursday.

Ukraine’s prosecutor general said in May that he was investigating the alleged role of Belarus in the forced transfer of more than 19,000 identified children from Russian-occupied territories since the conflict broke out, including to Russia.

The total number is estimated by some experts and organisations to be far higher.

The findings by the Humanitarian Research Lab at Yale School of Public Health, which receives US State Department funding, shared with Reuters are the most extensive to date about the alleged role of Belarus in the Russian relocation program for Ukrainian children.

"Russia’s systematic effort to identify, collect, transport, and re-educate Ukraine’s children has been facilitated by Belarus," the report said.

"Russia’s federal government and Belarus’ regime have been working together to coordinate and fund the movement of children from Russia-occupied Ukraine through Russia to Belarus."

Majority of Russians still support war - poll from Russia

18:48 , Matt Mathers

A majority of Russians still support Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine, according to a poll conducted in Russia.

Some 76 per cent of respondents said they backed the invasion, while 21 per cent thought it was going poorly.

Meanwhile, one in five said they thought the country was on the “wrong path”.

Some 45 per cent of those believe Russia was on the wrong path cited “war” and “people are dying”.

25 per cent cited “low wages and pensions”, “no work”, “no confidence in the future”.

The survey was carried out by the Levada Centre, which says it is a Russian independent non-governmental polling and sociological organisation.

Nato general-secretary meets with Latvian president

18:30 , Alexander Butler

Nato general secretary Jens Stoltenberg met with Latvian president Edgars Rinkēvičs to dicuss the ongoing war in Ukraine.

“Welcomed Edgars Rinkēvičs back to Nato & congratulated him on his appointment as President of Latvia.

“We addressed Ukraine, where the difficult situation on the battlefield is an argument for even more support. We also look forward to welcoming Sweden as an Ally very soon,” he said on X, formerly Twitter.

Slovak truckers to hold symbolic blockade of Ukraine border

17:30 , Alexander Butler

Slovak truckers will stage a symbolic one-hour blockade of the country’s main crossing with Ukraine to support Polish calls for restrictions on the number of Ukrainian trucks entering the EU.

“Our aim is support of Polish colleagues as well as all freight haulers in the EU.

“We will request that the European Commission immediately introduces licences for shipments for Ukrainian vehicles, because European companies are falling on their mouth and cannot compete,” haulers union UNAS said.

‘Great’ to see Lord Cameron in Ukraine, Johnson says

16:30 , Alexander Butler

Boris Johnson said it was “great” to see Lord Cameron in Ukraine on his first official visit to the country as the UK’s foreign secretary.

“Great news that Ukrainian forces have established themselves on the east bank of the Dnieper, and great to see our new Foreign Secretary in Kyiv,” Mr Johnson wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

Lord Cameron previously joked about his “disagreements” with Mr Johnson but said support for the Ukrainian president was “the finest thing” his government did.

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

Pictured: Lord Cameron visits Odesa

16:00 , Alexander Butler

Ethical concerns over defence industry are ‘immoral’ and ‘dangerous’, Shapps says

15:30 , Alexander Butler

Ethical concerns over the British defence industry are “immoral” and “dangerous”, British defence minister Grant Shapps said.

“British defence companies keep us safe, help nations like Ukraine defend their freedom & act as global champions for the UK.

“We’ll back them all the way against those who want to defund the industry due to so-called ethical investing rules that are not only immoral but dangerous,” Mr Shapps said on X, formerly Twitter.

Bodies of married couple found in eastern Ukraine

15:05 , Alexander Butler

The bodies of a married couple have been found amid rubble following a Russian strike in the eastern Ukrainian town of Selydove, officials said.

The number of dead from the strike, on Wednesday, has risen to four. Russia fired four S-300 missiles at the town, damaging six apartment buildings and 20 homes, police said.

The Ukrainian military said it shot down a missile and 16 of 18 attack drones launched by Russian troops overnight.

Russian aggression in Ukraine ‘must not go unpunished’, Switzerland says

14:49 , Alexander Butler

Switzerland has pledged its support for the establishment of a special tribunal to address Russia’s crimes of aggression against Ukraine.

“Switzerland is firmly convinced that the aggression against Ukraine must not go unpunished,” the Swiss department of foreign affairs said.

The initiative has attracted support from 38 countries, including France, Germany, Norway, Guatemala, Japan and Canada, according to the department’s statement.

Kyiv forces Russian navy to pull back in Black Sea, Zelensky claims

14:07 , Alexander Butler

Ukraine has forced Russia’s naval fleet to pull back in the eastern part of the Black Sea, president Volodymyr Zelensky claimed.

“For the first time in the world, it was in the Black Sea that a fleet of naval drones began to operate – a Ukrainian fleet,” Zelensky wrote on Telegram.

“I would also like to note that now – as one of the main results of our actions – Russia is unable to use the Black Sea as a springboard to destabilise other regions of the world.”

In case you missed it...

14:00 , Maira Butt

Kim Sengupta reports:

The fate of Kamianka is in many ways what has befallen Ukraine in microcosm, reflecting the bitterness, sorrow and pity of this war. There were murders and mass graves; treachery and torture. Prosecutors gathered evidence of human rights abuse ; exhumed bodies piled up in morgues in Kharkiv. Families continue desperate searches for those missing, seeking their graves as hopes of finding them alive fade away.

A handful of residents who returned to the village after the Russians left found a lethal legacy of fighting and occupation --- unexploded ordnance, concealed booby traps and mines. Soon these began to maim and kill as had been the enemy’s intention.

Read the full piece, “Bombs, betrayals and burying loved ones: Plight of one Ukraine village illustrates toll of Russia’s invasion” here.

Zelensky praises ‘warriors’ of Ukraine in fight against Russia

13:45 , Maira Butt

As the war in Ukraine slowly approaches its second year, President Zelensky, sent a message of praise to his soldiers who he called “warriors” on Thursday.

In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, he said:

“I am grateful to all of our people who are fighting and working for Ukraine.

“To our warriors, who make it possible for Ukraine to live with each stride and with their strength.

“I thank them all for everything they do for our country’s freedom and independence.”

Medical volunteer urges people to ‘keep supporting’ Ukraine

13:27 , Maira Butt

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

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

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

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

Death toll from Donestky Oblast attack rises to 4

13:13 , Maira Butt

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

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

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

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

12:55 , Maira Butt

AP reports:

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

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

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

Ukraine ‘grateful to UK for its support'

12:45 , Maira Butt

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

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

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

Court convicts activist of organising armed incursions from Ukraine into Russia

12:33 , Alexander Butler

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

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

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

Russia 'loads intercontinental ballistic missile into launch silo'

12:00 , Alexander Butler

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

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

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

Russia planned to 'weaponise' Ukrainian grain

11:30 , Alexander Butler

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

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

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

Ukraine 'shoots down one Russian missile and 16 drones'

11:00 , Alexander Butler

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

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

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

Ukraine and UK 'determined to work together'

10:15 , Alexander Butler

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

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

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

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

09:43 , Alexander Butler

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

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

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

David Cameron praises Boris Johnson

08:42 , Alexander Butler

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

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

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

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

Watch: New foreign secretary David Cameron meets Zelensky

08:16 , Alexander Butler

Lord Cameron visits Ukraine

08:15 , Alexander Butler

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

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

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

Russian attempting ‘pincer’ movement on Avdiivka

07:57 , Alexander Butler

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

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

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

Russian defences 'down three Ukrainian drones'

07:45 , Alexander Butler

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

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

Kremlin forcing Ukrainians to ‘become Russian'

07:29 , Alexander Butler

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

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

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

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

07:00 , Tom Watling

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

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

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

06:00 , Tom Watling

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

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

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

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

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

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

05:00 , Tom Watling

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

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

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

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

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

04:00 , Tom Watling

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

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

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

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

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

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

US imposes new sanctions over Russian oil price cap violations, Kremlin influence in the Balkans

20:23 , Matt Mathers

The U.S. Treasury on Thursday imposed a new round of sanctions on firms and ships that used American service providers to carry Russian crude oil in violation of the multinational price cap — and imposed another set of sanctions on a group of Balkan people and firms tied to Kremlin influence in the region.

Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control imposed sanctions on three United Arab Emirates-based firms and blocked three ships that used U.S. service providers to carry Russian crude oil above the $60 price cap.

Full report:

US imposes new sanctions over Russian oil price cap violations, Kremlin influence in the Balkans

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

03:00 , Tom Watling

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

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

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

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

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

02:00 , Tom Watling

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

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

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

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

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

01:00 , Tom Watling

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

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

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

Ukraine troops pressuring Putin’s forces along Dnipro River

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

00:00 , Tom Watling

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

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

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

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

Wednesday 15 November 2023 23:00 , Tom Watling

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

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

Russian oil tankers not targeted in EU sanctions proposal

Wednesday 15 November 2023 22:00 , Lydia Patrick

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

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

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

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

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

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

Wednesday 15 November 2023 21:00 , Lydia Patrick

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

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

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

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

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

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

Wednesday 15 November 2023 20:00 , Lydia Patrick

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

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

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

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

Ukraine says troops have foothold on eastern bank of river

Wednesday 15 November 2023 19:00 , Lydia Patrick

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

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

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

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

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

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

Wednesday 15 November 2023 18:00 , Athena Stavrou

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

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

Read more:

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

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

Wednesday 15 November 2023 17:30 , Athena Stavrou

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

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

Read more:

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

Pictures of the day

Wednesday 15 November 2023 17:00 , Athena Stavrou

EU executive submits proposal for 12th packaged of Russia sanctions

Wednesday 15 November 2023 16:15 , Athena Stavrou

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

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

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

Wednesday 15 November 2023 15:45 , Athena Stavrou

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

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

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

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

Russia says Ukrainian NATO membership is unacceptable in any form

Wednesday 15 November 2023 15:11 , Athena Stavrou

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

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

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

Zelenksy thanks Italian prime minister

Wednesday 15 November 2023 15:00 , Athena Stavrou

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

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

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

Publishers to stop selling Putin books amid Russian payment claims

Wednesday 15 November 2023 14:30 , Athena Stavrou

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

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

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

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

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

Pictures: Aftermath of Russian attack

Wednesday 15 November 2023 14:00 , Athena Stavrou

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

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

Ukraine pushes back on ‘fluid’ frontline

Wednesday 15 November 2023 13:30 , Athena Stavrou

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

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

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

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

Reuters could not independently verify Kyiv’s account.

Hungary call for review of EU policy on Ukraine

Wednesday 15 November 2023 13:04 , Athena Stavrou

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

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

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

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

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

Zelensky says Russia stockpiling missiles to attack energy system

Wednesday 15 November 2023 12:30 , Athena Stavrou

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

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

One killed, seven injured in Russian strikes

Wednesday 15 November 2023 11:56 , Athena Stavrou

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

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

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

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

Moscow denies targeting civilians.

Latest pictures from Ukraine

Wednesday 15 November 2023 11:30 , Athena Stavrou

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

At least one person was killed in the shelling overnight.

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

Wednesday 15 November 2023 11:00 , Athena Stavrou

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

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

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