Rescue workers in Ternopil discovered another victim on Saturday afternoon, bringing the total number of fatalities from Russia's November 19 strike to 33, according to Ukraine's State Emergency Service.

In Ternopil, search and rescue operations continue for the fourth day. On 22 November, around 16:00, rescuers found the body of a woman. The number of dead has risen to 33, the agency stated.

The strike hit an industrial facility and two residential buildings in the Soniachny district during the night of 19 November. Ukraine's Air Force confirmed that Russian Kh-101 cruise missiles launched from strategic bombers struck the apartment blocks. Six Tu-95MS aircraft took off from Olenya airbase and four Tu-160MS bombers from Engels and Ukrainka airbases. The missiles were fired from Russia's Vologda and Astrakhan regions.

As of 3:00 am on 22November, before Saturday's discovery, 32 people had been killed and 94 injured, including 18 children. Thirteen people remained missing.

Among the dead was a pharmacist and her two young children. One resident who helped rescue efforts reportedly doused himself with water and entered the flames to save people trapped in the burning building.

Search and rescue operations are now in their fourth day.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk stated that Russia cannot dictate terms to Ukraine and Europe, while the US peace proposal requires joint work. He wrote this on social media platform X following a phone conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, reports European Pravda.

"It requires joint work. Russia cannot impose its conditions on Ukraine and Europe. Everything that concerns Poland must be agreed with the Polish government," Tusk wrote.

According to him, Zelenskyy presented his position on the US peace proposal during the conversation. The Polish premier had previously expressed surprise at provisions mentioning his country in the 28-point US "peace plan," in whose preparation Warsaw did not participate.

Zelenskyy confirmed the conversation with Tusk in his social media post and spoke about coordinating actions with partners.

"I shared details of our diplomatic work with the US and Europe. It is important for us that all partners who have been with us since the very beginning of this war are informed about the situation. We are coordinating to ensure Europe is included in the process," the Ukrainian president wrote.

He thanked the Polish prime minister and the Polish people for their support: "We know that we can always count on Poland, and we greatly appreciate this."

The mention of Poland in the 28-point plan, as leaked to the media, includes point 9 about the possible deployment of European fighter jets in the country. Poland is also mentioned in the draft supplementary document on security guarantees for Ukraine in connection with its participation in the "coalition of the willing."

Ukrainian Special Operations Forces have downed a Russian Mi-8 helicopter using a long-range FPV drone, the SSO reported.

The strike occurred over the village of Kuteynikove in Russia's Rostov Oblast. The helicopter was hit by an FP-1 long-range drone, according to the military.

"This mission left the enemy with many questions, the answers to which only the Mi-8 crew members know, but they won't tell," the SSO stated.

According to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, as of 22 November, Russia has lost 347 helicopters and 428 aircraft since the start of the full-scale invasion.

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European Council President António Costa has convened a special meeting of all 27 EU leaders on Ukraine for 24 November on the sidelines of the EU-African Union Summit in Luanda, Angola.

Costa announced the meeting following discussions on Ukraine at the G20 summit. "The American draft of the 28-point plan includes important elements that will be crucial for a just and lasting peace. We are ready to do our part to ensure the sustainability of the future world," Costa wrote on X.

"The work continues. I have invited all 27 EU leaders to a special meeting on Ukraine at the EU-AU summit in Luanda on Monday," he added.

The announcement follows a joint statement by leaders of European states and institutions, along with prime ministers of Britain, Canada, Japan, and Norway, indicating that the US draft peace plan requires further development. The statement expressed concern over "the proposed limitations on Ukraine's armed forces, which would leave Ukraine vulnerable to future attack," reports NBC News.

The 28-point framework suggests that Russia could be granted more territory than it holds, limits placed on Ukraine's army, and Kyiv prevented from ever joining NATO, according to NBC News. President Donald Trump has set Thanksgiving as the deadline for Ukraine to agree to the framework, the outlet reports.

Rustem Umerov, secretary of Ukraine's National Security and Defence Council, announced on 22 Nobember that Kyiv will hold consultations with the United States in Switzerland regarding the cessation of the war.

"Top Ukrainian and US officials will meet in Switzerland to discuss 'possible parameters of a future peace,'" NBC News reports, citing Umerov's Telegram post.

The Dutch Ministry of Defense detected several unidentified drones over Volkel Air Base on the evening of 21 November, according to a statement by the department reported by European Pravda.

The ministry took action Friday evening when multiple drones were spotted over the air base between 7:00 PM and 9:00 pm. Air Force personnel deployed ground-based weapons to shoot them down. The drones disappeared and were not located afterward.

Following the incident, both the Royal Netherlands Security Service and police were notified and are now conducting further investigations.

The defense ministry stated that the purpose of the drone flights over and around the air bases remains unclear.

"For security reasons, the Ministry of Defense does not provide additional information about how the drones were detected and what measures were taken," according to the statement.

The department noted that drone use near airports is prohibited due to flight safety risks. "At military bases and facilities, operational security is also a concern," the ministry reminded.

Reports of suspicious drones disrupting airport operations have become increasingly frequent across European countries in recent months. On 15 November, a drone flew near Vilnius Airport, and its owner was detained. On the morning of 7 November, the airport in the Belgian city of Liège suspended operations due to an unknown drone.

Romania deployed F-16 fighter jets in the early hours of 22 November after Russian air strikes hit southern Odesa Oblast near the state border, prompting air raid alerts for settlements along the Danube River, Digi24 reports.

The Romanian Ministry of Defense confirmed Saturday morning that two F-16 fighters were scrambled overnight between 21 and 22 November to monitor airspace near the Ukrainian border during another Russian aerial attack.

At 1:33 am., air raid sirens sounded in northern settlements of Tulcea County following the detection of Russian strike drones in the area of Izmail, Ukraine.

The ministry emphasized that no violations of Romanian airspace were recorded. The fighter jets returned to Borcea Air Base at 3:42 am.

"We are in permanent contact with our allies, we exchange operational information in real time and we act decisively to guarantee the security of Romania and NATO's eastern flank," the ministry stated.

The Russian shelling damaged the Orlivka border crossing point between Ukraine and Romania, according to reports. Operations at the checkpoint have been suspended until the consequences are addressed.

Earlier this week, during a massive Russian attack on Ukraine, one drone flew over Romanian and Moldovan territory.

Poland also scrambled aircraft that day and preemptively closed airports in Rzeszów and Lublin.

On November 17, several Romanian villages along the Danube were evacuated due to a fire on an LPG tanker near the Ukrainian shore following Russian strikes.

US President Donald Trump stated that Ukraine will "have to agree" to painful concessions to end the war sooner or later, Evropeyska Pravda reports.

Trump made these remarks during an exchange with journalists in the Oval Office on the evening of 21 November.

When a reporter asked Trump about reactions to his administration's "peace plan" and quoted Zelenskyy's words about Ukraine risking "losing dignity or a key partner," Trump responded: "Even he (Zelenskyy) doesn't like it?.. He should like it, and if he doesn't like it, then they need to keep fighting, I think so."

The journalist noted that Kyiv fears losing US support if it rejects the "28-point plan."

"At some point you have to agree to something… Recently in the Oval Office I said that 'you have no cards'... I think he should have made a deal a year ago, two years ago. The best deal would have been one where this war never started. That deal could have happened too if we had the right president," Trump added.

The US side gave Ukraine until 27 November to agree to the proposed "peace plan."

On Friday, Zelenskyy addressed the Ukrainian people, stating that Ukraine today faces a difficult choice and risks losing either its dignity or its key partner.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced a meeting of European states on the situation in Ukraine on the sidelines of the G20 summit.

Tusk hinted that he was surprised by the mention of Poland in the "peace plan," which was not discussed with her

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has suggested surprise at provisions mentioning his country in the 28-point US "peace plan," which Warsaw did not participate in developing, while emphasizing that nothing can be decided about Ukraine without Ukraine.

"All the decisions concerning Poland will be taken by Poles. Nothing about us without us. When it comes to peace, all the negotiations should include Ukraine. Nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine," Tusk wrote in a post on X.

The opening sentences of his statement appear linked to Poland's mention in the 28-point plan as it was leaked to media. Point 9 specifically states that "European fighter jets could be stationed" in Poland. Poland is also referenced in a draft supplementary document on security guarantees for Ukraine in connection with its participation in a "coalition of the willing."

On 21 November, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed the Ukrainian people, stating that Ukraine faces a difficult choice and risks losing either its dignity or its key partner.

Trump responded by commenting that if Ukraine rejects this plan, it will have to continue fighting and will sooner or later have to agree to some painful concessions

Members of both parties in the US Congress have sharply criticized the Trump administration's draft peace agreement aimed at ending the Russia-Ukraine war.

Former Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell suggested Trump's advisers are more focused on appeasing Putin than securing lasting peace.

"Putin has spent an entire year trying to make President Trump look like a fool. If administration officials are more concerned with placating Putin than ensuring real peace – the president needs new advisers," McConnell said, according to European Pravda.

He warned that "rewarding Russian slaughter would be a disaster for American interests," comparing such a move to "a capitulation like Biden's withdrawal from Afghanistan."

Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen, co-chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, called the proposal "more like Putin's plan." According to Shaheen, the United States should instead "pressure Putin, provide long-range weapons, impose secondary sanctions on companies fueling the Russian war machine, and force Putin to the table for real negotiations. We should not be representing Russia's interests in this agreement."

Senator Roger Wicker, Republican chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said the 28-point plan has "real flaws" and he remains "very skeptical" about its chances of securing peace. "Ukraine cannot be forced to give its lands to one of the world's worst war criminals in the person of Putin," Wicker emphasized. He added that "any assurances given to Putin must not reward his evil actions or undermine the security of the US or its allies."

Republican Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick has begun collecting signatures to bring legislation for enhanced sanctions against Russia to a vote.

Trump has given Ukraine until 27 November to agree to the proposed American "peace plan." On 21 November, President Zelenskyy addressed the Ukrainian people, saying the country faces a difficult choice and risks losing either its dignity or its key partner.

Russian forces launched an overnight attack on Ukraine using an Iskander-M ballistic missile and 104 drones, according to the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Ukrainian air defenses neutralized 89 Russian targets.

The Iskander-M ballistic missile was fired from occupied Crimea, the Air Force reports. The 104 UAVs were launched from multiple locations: Oryol, Bryansk, Shatalovo, Millerovo, Primorsko-Akhtarsk in Russia, as well as from temporarily occupied territories in Donetsk Oblast and Chauda in occupied Crimea.

Approximately 65 of the launched drones were Shahed-type UAVs. Russian forces also deployed Gerber-type drones and other UAV models in the attack.

As of 09:00, air defense forces destroyed 89 Russian UAVs across northern, southern, and eastern regions of the country, the Air Force reports.

Strikes from 13 attack drones were recorded at 15 locations, with the ballistic missile hitting one location. Military officials warned that the attack remains ongoing, with several enemy UAVs still present in Ukrainian airspace.

European leaders are preparing their own proposal to end the war in Ukraine within days, offering alternative terms to the Trump administration's peace framework, The Wall Street Journal reports.

The White House confirmed the authenticity of a 28-point draft plan that demands Ukraine cede the Donbas Oblast currently under its control to Moscow and accept Russia's de facto control of other territories where the front line would be frozen. Ukraine's military would be capped at 600,000 personnel, and the country's NATO membership aspirations would be foreclosed.

"This plan was crafted to reflect the realities of the situation, after four years of a devastating war, to find the best win-win scenario, where both parties gain more than they must give," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement.

The framework offers Moscow substantial incentives: an invitation to rejoin the Group of Eight, case-by-case lifting of sanctions, and collaboration with Washington on artificial intelligence, data centers, energy deals and rare-earth mining in the Arctic. The US would also recognize Russia's de facto control of Luhansk, Donetsk and Crimea.

Ukraine would retain the right to join the European Union and receive security guarantees for 10 years, including "intelligence and logistical assistance" or "other steps judged appropriate" after consultations with allies. However, the document does not commit the US to provide direct military assistance, according to a copy reviewed by the Journal.

Leavitt said that Rustem Umerov, secretary of Ukraine's national security and defense council, had endorsed "the majority of the plan" in talks with US officials. President Volodymyr Zelensky took a conciliatory stance after receiving a briefing Thursday, saying he was ready to work with the US on halting the war.

But Ukraine's deputy permanent UN representative struck a different tone at the Security Council. "Ukraine won't accept any limits on its right to self-defense, or on the size or capabilities of our armed forces," Khrystyna Hayovyshyn said.

European officials told the Journal they were neither included in drafting the 28-point plan nor briefed on its contents as of Thursday evening. They are now working to persuade Kyiv to back their alternative framework, which is designed to be more favorable to Ukraine. Kyiv has not yet committed to joining the European plan.

The proposal also calls for Ukraine to hold elections in 100 days, which could see Zelenskyy ousted as his administration faces a mounting corruption scandal. A peace council chaired by Trump would oversee implementation, and the US would rebuild Ukraine's gas pipelines and help create a fund for artificial-intelligence projects and data centers.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on 20 Novermber that the Russian and US sides were not actively engaged in discussing a cease-fire and that any deal needed to address the root causes of the war—Moscow's shorthand for its displeasure over NATO's eastern expansion, Ukraine's pro-Western tilt and the West's dismissal of Russia as a great power.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, a staunch Trump ally, said "any peace deal probably should come before the Senate," adding: "I think they need to read us in on what they are going to do."

According to Politico, the plan has caused alarm in European capitals, where it has been characterized as "Putin's wish list."

A massive corruption scandal has transformed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy into a "lame duck" at home, according to Adrian Karatnycky, senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, writing for Politico.

The scandal centers on an alleged scheme to extort around $100 million from Ukraine's energy sector. Justice Minister German Galushchenko, Energy Minister Svitlana Hrynchuk, and officials from the state atomic energy agency and State Bureau of Investigation have been implicated.

The most damaging allegations involve Zelenskyy's closest allies. Former business partner Tymur Mindich stands accused of being central to the schemes, which have been dubbed "Mindichgate." Chief of Staff Andriy Yermak, described as "highly powerful yet unpopular," faces accusations from adversaries of undermining the National Anti-Corruption Bureau and Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor — the very offices that uncovered the conspiracy.

"While there's no evidence of personal corruption by the president, his style of rule and reliance on governing with the help of a group of pals and cronies has worn thin," Karatnycky writes.

The revelations carry particular weight because Zelenskyy won power promising to root out corruption and replace dishonest officials with "new faces of integrity." According to Politico, his pledges "have now been punctured by the misrule that's being revealed each day in plot twists as riveting as a Netflix crime series."

Public support has collapsed. October polling — conducted before the scandal erupted — showed only one in four Ukrainians wanted Zelenskyy to run for office again after the war. Opposition Deputy Yaroslav Zheleznyak, who helped expose the corruption, told Politico that unpublished polls now show Zelenskyy losing a further 40% of support, placing his base at around 25%.

If elections were held, polls indicate Gen. Valery Zaluzhny, the former armed forces commander whom Zelenskyy dismissed, would "handily" defeat the president.

Sources close to the president and his inner circle speaking anonymously have hinted Zelenskyy may not seek a second term once circumstances permit elections, according to the report. Multiple sources have told Politico that First Lady Olena Zelenska believes her husband should not run for reelection given the extension of his current term and the toll on their family.

Despite wartime discontent reaching its peak, mass protests remain unlikely. Civic activist Serhiy Sternenko, who has millions of social media followers, confirmed to Karatnycky that Ukrainians understand destabilizing protests would be "perilous" amid Russian territorial advances.

"And though Zelenskyy's position as president remains secure given the wartime setting, as a lame-duck president his main aim must be to restore public confidence in the government," Karatnycky writes.

The author recommends Zelenskyy begin consultations with civic leaders, anti-corruption experts and the opposition to create a technocratic government. He should limit his powers to defense, national security and foreign policy while transferring domestic and economic responsibilities to government and parliament, according to the analysis.

"The fact is, if Zelenskyy doesn't act, others may do it for him," Karatnycky warns.

Cracks are appearing in Zelenskyy's parliamentary base. Investigative outlet Ukrainska Pravda reports that David Arakhamia, head of the Servant of the People parliamentary faction, has joined calls for presidential office reform and Yermak's replacement. Powerful legislator Danylo Hetmantsev, who chairs parliament's finance committee, plans to create a new party. Lawmaker Mykyta Poturayev announced an initiative to form a new parliamentary majority including opposition members.

Karatnycky suggests potential cabinet members could include First Deputy Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, former US Ambassador and Finance Minister Oksana Markarova, and former Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba.

"While the damage done to Zelenskyy is likely irreversible, the president has a chance to use the current crisis to set Ukraine on a proper path of greater transparency," the analyst writes.

Strong prosecution of those involved in the corruption network would maintain morale and strengthen Ukraine's position as Washington pressures Kyiv to make concessions to Russia, according to the report. The New York Times previously noted that nearly seven years after the last elections, many Ukrainians believe Zelenskyy operates within "a small, closed circle, not bound by rules."

Canada has delivered a new military aid package to Ukraine including 25 M113 armored personnel carriers and approximately 75,000 spare parts from Canadian Armed Forces surplus stocks, according to an update on Canada's military assistance webpage published in November.

The shipment, sent on 16 October, also includes 125 AIM-7 Sparrow air-to-air missile components and 38 LAU-7A launch rails. The LAU-7 launcher systems can be adapted and upgraded to carry and launch additional munitions similar in size to the AIM-9 Sidewinder, including AIM-132 ASRAAM and IRIS-T missiles.

Canada is providing an additional $30 million for winter equipment, the update states. The winter gear package comprises 34,231 sleeping bags, 51,679 winter jackets, 9,302 units of thermal clothing, 22,502 pairs of military-style winter boots, and 78,351 pairs of wet weather winter boots.

Since Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022, Canadian aircraft have assisted with delivering Ukraine-bound military aid from Canada and allied nations. "Since March 2022, the amount of aid delivered by Air Mobility Detachment - Prestwick, has totaled over twenty-five million pounds," according to the Canadian government's operational support page.

Operation UNIFIER, Canada's military training mission in support of Ukraine, was launched in 2015 at Ukraine's request and was expanded and extended until March 2026 in 2023.

"Since the start of Op UNIFIER, the CAF has trained more than 45,000 Ukrainian military and security personnel in battlefield tactics and advanced military skills," the update reports.

Canadian Armed Forces members are currently deployed in various roles including "the provision and coordination of training, national command support, and the facilitation and delivery of military donations to Ukraine in coordination with Allies and Partners."

From April to July 2022, CAF personnel provided assistance to Ukrainian refugees at reception centers in Warsaw operated by the Polish Territorial Defence Force, helping thousands with administrative support, limited medical care, mental health supports, and spiritual services.

Ukrainian light armored vehicle manufacturer PJSC SPC "Praktika" has signed a memorandum of understanding on industrial cooperation with Spanish companies TECNOVE S.L. and Escribano Mechanical & Engineering (EM&E Group), reports the Ukrainian Armament Council.

This marks the first joint armored vehicle production project for Praktika and the League of Defense Enterprises of Ukraine public association with Spanish partners on European Union territory.

The document focuses on combining the parties' experience in producing specialized and military automotive equipment, as well as joint development and production of armored vehicles in Spain for the needs of the EU, Ukraine and other partner countries.

The cooperation between Praktika and the foreign companies will focus on several types of equipment: multi-purpose military armored vehicles, fire support vehicles, specialized equipment including medical, electronic warfare, and command-and-control vehicles, and non-militarized armored platforms for demining and transporting explosive items.

"For us, this is a logical step – to transfer the combat experience of Ukrainian armored vehicles into joint production chains with EU partners. Cooperation with Tecnove and Escribano will simultaneously strengthen the Defense Forces of Ukraine and provide allies with modern, combat-tested solutions," said Yulia Vysotska, director of PJSC SPC "Praktika."

The company emphasizes that joint projects with Western partners are viewed as a tool to accelerate production for the front lines, not as a replacement for Ukrainian capacities.

The planned joint production will be established at an industrial facility covering 25,000 square meters in the city of Herencia in the Madrid region. Tecnove recently commissioned this facility specifically for defense and security solutions.

The site will handle large-unit assembly of armored and other special vehicles using components manufactured at Praktika's Ukrainian facilities. Finished equipment will be supplied to Ukraine and for Spain's needs.

For the Ukrainian defense industry, this project means integration of Ukrainian combat solutions into European production chains, additional opportunities for scaling up serial production of armored vehicles without transferring critical competencies outside the country, and strengthening the positions of Ukrainian private manufacturers in joint EU and NATO programs.

Previously, it was reported that the joint Ukrainian-American enterprise AIRO Nord-Drone will produce drones for the needs of Ukraine and NATO. The new company will combine AIRO's experience in production and procurement with Nord Drone's combat-tested technologies and European production capacities.

Chinese and Indian banks and refineries are moving to comply with US sanctions on Russia's two biggest oil companies, a US Treasury official said on 20 November.

The Trump administration imposed sanctions last month on Lukoil and Rosneft in an effort to cut revenues Moscow uses for its nearly four-year-old war on Ukraine. China and India are the top buyers of Russian oil.

Many Chinese and Indian entities are conscious of the sanctions and are "risk averse, do recognize the importance of the relationships with the West, and are moving to comply," the official told reporters in a call.

The Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control said on 17 November that its analysis of the initial market impact shows the sanctions announced on 22 October "are having their intended effect of dampening Russian revenues by lowering the price of Russian oil and therefore the country's ability to fund its war effort against Ukraine."

The action marked some of the strongest US sanctions since Russia's February 2022 invasion of Ukraine and the first direct sanctions President Donald Trump has imposed on Russia since taking office in January.

The sanctions established a 21 November deadline for companies to cease dealings with Rosneft and Lukoil. Companies that violate the sanctions risk being cut off from the dollar-based financial system.

OFAC's analysis found that several key grades of Russian crude are now selling at multi-year-low prices. Nearly a dozen major Indian and Chinese purchasers of Russian crude have announced plans to pause purchases of Russian oil for December deliveries, according to the analysis.

LSEG Workspace data showed benchmark Urals crude loaded at Russia's Black Sea oil hub of Novorossiysk traded at $45.35 per barrel on November 12, the lowest level since March 2023. At that time, Russia was just beginning to assemble a shadow fleet of tankers to avoid a G7-led price cap of $60 a barrel imposed in December 2023.

Brent crude futures stood at $62.71 on 12 November and traded at $64.03 on 17 November. Urals Novorossiysk rose to $47.01 on 17 November after loadings resumed at the Black Sea port following suspension caused by a Ukrainian drone and missile attack.

Reuters reported earlier this month that Russian oil discounts to Brent had widened as major Indian and Chinese refiners reduced purchases in response to US sanctions.

A Treasury spokesperson said the sanctions were "starving Putin's war machine" and the department "is prepared to take further action if necessary to end the senseless killing" in Ukraine.

Lukoil and Rosneft Both are giants in their market and have about 50 subsidiaries around the world, Radio Liberty reports. So, the consequences were felt not only in Russia.

Lukoil and Rosneft are Russia's two largest oil companies, with Rosneft being the state-controlled giant and the world's largest publicly traded petroleum company by output, while Lukoil is Russia's second-largest oil producer and the country's largest privately owned oil company.

Both have about 50 subsidiaries around the world. Lukoil operates in over 30 countries worldwide and sells petrol in 59 regions of Russia and in 17 other countries.

Chile has agreed to sell 30 Marder 1A3 infantry fighting vehicles to Germany in what appears to be a ring exchange scheme, with the vehicles likely destined for Ukraine, El Mostrador reports.

The transaction, which has been kept strictly secret, involves vehicles currently operating in Chile's northern border region alongside Leopard tanks and armored artillery. Neither the Chilean Army nor the Ministry of Defense agreed to provide information about the deal when contacted by the Chilean publication.

According to multiple sources cited by El Mostrador, the most probable destination for the Chilean Marders is the Ukrainian army, though it's also possible Germany seeks to replenish its own stocks after transferring equipment to Kyiv.

The sale comes as part of Germany's Ringtausch program, through which Berlin has been supplying various types of weapons to the Zelenskyy administration since the start of the conflict. By October last year, Germany had delivered 140 Marder 1A3 vehicles to Ukraine, but demand far exceeds production capacity at manufacturer Rheinmetall.

Rather than a traditional sale, sources told El Mostrador the arrangement is more akin to a barter, with Chile receiving air defense equipment in exchange. The context for this includes Bolivia's acquisition of Iranian Shahed drones—the same type Russia uses to attack Ukraine—and Argentina's purchase of 24 secondhand F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft from Denmark.

"The only way a deal of this type is favorable for Chile is if it increases its military capabilities, but that doesn't appear to be the case here. It seems like robbing Peter to pay Paul," a military analyst told El Mostrador on condition of anonymity.

Chile currently operates around 270 Marder vehicles in armored infantry battalions stationed in Arica, Pozo Almonte, and Antofagasta. The country acquired 146 used Marders from Germany in 2009 at a bargain price of 50,000 euros per unit—far below the standard cost of $400,000 at the time—alongside the purchase of 60 Leopard tanks.

Der Spiegel reported that Chile paid $7.3 million for vehicles whose commercial value exceeded $60 million, though this required the army to invest in modernization work carried out by Rheinmetall.

In May, Defense Minister Adriana Delpiano reviewed the latest modernization of the Marders during a visit to the Arica Armored Brigade, where vehicles updated with Eoptris aiming systems and Sentinel observation equipment from Belgian company OIP Sensor Systems were presented.

When contacted, the Chilean Army stated that "issues of purchases, sales, contracts are handled by the Ministry of Defense. Therefore, it is not up to the Army to comment on this matter."

The Ministry of Defense responded that "matters referring to strategic capabilities are reserved," declining to specify the total number of vehicles involved, timeframes, values, or whether it is indeed a sale or barter for anti-aircraft technology.

German Aid to Ukraine, citing El Mostrador, notes that Germany has already transferred 140 Marder 1A3s to Ukraine and publicly promised another 25. Adding 30 vehicles from Chile would be a logical continuation of Berlin's commitments, though the original timeline called for completion in the first half of the year—more than four months ago.

If confirmed, this would mark the first instance of a Latin American country participating in such an exchange as part of support for Ukraine. Previous ring exchange participants have included the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Greece.

The deal comes as European security concerns intensify. In August, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz warned that if Ukraine is ultimately defeated, other countries could follow in the midst of Russian expansionist escalation, including Germany itself.

Ireland has delivered five air defence radar systems to Ukraine, though officials have declined to specify their type, according to a transcript of government debates held on 14 October.

Government minister Neale Richmond revealed that Ukraine received 34 vehicles in recent months, including ambulances, a fire tender, and the five radar systems. "In June, five air defence radar systems and a fire tender were delivered to Ukraine," Richmond stated during the debate.

The delivery was part of a broader package of Irish military aid. In mid-September, three Reacher bomb disposal robots were sent to the Ukraine defence contact group's de-mining coalition. Richmond also announced that Irish Defence Forces personnel will conduct another basic training module for Ukrainian armed forces through the European Union military assistance mission, bringing the total number of modules delivered by Irish instructors to 22.

The radar systems are likely Giraffe Mark IV units, preparations for which were announced earlier this year. Ireland's Defence Forces operate seven Giraffe Mark IV radars, purchased in 2008.

The Giraffe Mark IV is a mobile early warning and air defence control radar developed by Swedish company Saab. Part of the oldest generation in the Giraffe radar family, it is designed to detect low-flying aerial targets in complex electronic warfare environments and amid natural or artificial obstacles.

The system is mounted on a BV206 tracked all-terrain vehicle chassis. "The Mk IV model is equipped with a retractable mast that allows the antenna to be raised to a height sufficient to detect low-flying targets, including those in cover zones behind terrain or buildings," according to technical specifications.

First introduced in 1977, the system has been supplied to the armies of Sweden, Finland, Lithuania, and Ireland. The Irish units have a detection range of up to 50 kilometers and can track up to 20 aerial targets simultaneously.

Richmond emphasized Ireland's ongoing commitment to Ukrainian defence. "Through the Department of Defence, we continue to provide direct military support-in-kind," he said, adding that Ireland has contributed approximately €66 million to the European Peace Facility for non-lethal military support to Ukraine.

The minister also revealed that in July, Ireland provided €10 million each to coalitions on de-mining and IT support. The remaining €80 million is being disbursed to EU member states for procurement partnerships, "primarily for the procurement of non-lethal elements of air defence."

Richmond concluded by reaffirming Ireland's position: "Our continued support for Ukraine is a necessity, not a choice. It is why Ireland stands with Ukraine now and however long it takes."

Confirmed: Terrahawk Paladin in action

A Terrahawk Paladin short-range air defense system has been documented operating with Ukraine's 156th Air Defense Missile Regiment, according to field reports, representing the first battlefield confirmation of the British-manufactured platform in Ukrainian hands.

The system, mounted on a MAN HX chassis, was originally committed to Ukraine in 2023. The platform centers on countering unmanned aerial threats that have targeted both military positions and civilian infrastructure throughout the conflict.

30mm cannon and advanced sensors

The Terrahawk Paladin fields a 30mm Mark 44 Bushmaster II cannon as its primary armament. The system integrates a 360-degree surveillance radar, an electro-optical targeting system, and a night-vision channel for operations in low-visibility conditions.

"The platform is fully autonomous and features integrated sensors for detecting, tracking, and engaging aerial, ground, and maritime targets at short distances," according to technical specifications.

Field modifications and protective screens

Imagery from Ukrainian deployment shows protective screens installed around the radar assembly—modifications assessed as shielding for mission-critical sensors during drone attacks or fragmentation events.

The MAN HX tactical truck chassis provides mobility, allowing the system to operate as a mobile platform or permit rapid dismounting when tactical situations require it.

Ukraine has received an expanding inventory of short-range counter-UAS and air defense systems to address Russian drone operations, including Shahed loitering munitions, Lancet strike drones, and reconnaissance platforms. Western suppliers have accelerated deliveries of mobile gun systems, radar-guided weapon stations, and electronic warfare platforms to disperse Ukraine's air defense network and protect infrastructure from low-altitude threats.

Field modifications and protective screens

The Paladin emphasizes low-cost engagement, rapid reaction capability, and modular design—characteristics gaining importance as Ukraine confronts high volumes of relatively inexpensive unmanned aircraft. The fully autonomous mode enables quick response with minimal crew involvement, improving survivability when operators must relocate rapidly or engage sequential threats.

Russian forces launched drone strikes on Odesa during the night of 21 November, damaging residential buildings and an industrial facility. Five people were injured in the attack, according to Serhiy Lysak, head of the Odesa Military Administration.

Among those hospitalized were a 49-year-old woman and a 16-year-old boy who sustained thermal burns, as well as a 70-year-old man with a head injury, Lysak said. Two other men received outpatient care—one for acute stress reaction and another for facial burns, Oleh Kiper, head of the regional administration, added.

"Emergency and utility services are working at the scene, elimination of consequences continues," Lysak added.

The air raid alert sounded at 10:54 pm on 20 November. The Air Forces warned of drones moving in the Black Sea toward the Odesa Oblast, and later of UAVs heading toward or past Odesa and Chornomorsk. The all-clear was given at 12:14 am.

A second air alert followed at 1:35 am. The Air Forces reported drone movement from the Black Sea toward or past Odesa, Chornomorsk, Pivdenne, and Chornomorske. The first explosion in Odesa occurred at 1:58 AM—there were at least three blasts total. The all-clear came at 2:13 am.

In Zaporizhzhia, the number of injured from a Russian strike rose to eight, regional head Fedorov wrote. Five deaths have been confirmed.

Russian troops also struck Kostiantynivka with an FPV drone, targeting a civilian vehicle. The attack injured one woman while she was driving, according to Serhiy Horbunov, head of the Kostiantynivka Military Administration.

"The attack was directed at the city, as a result of which one civilian was injured," Horbunov said. The woman received medical assistance, and the vehicle was damaged.

On 20 November, Russian forces injured four residents of Donetsk Oblast. The casualty count does not include Mariupol and Volnovakha.

In Kherson Oblast, five settlements came under fire during the previous day—Kherson, Antonivka, Prydniprovske, Komyshany, and Molodizhne. Russian artillery and drone attacks damaged private and multi-story buildings, two educational institutions, and a gas pipeline. One person was killed and four were wounded in the Kherson community.

Russian drone strikes on Dnipropetrovsk Oblast overnight on 21 November killed one woman and injured two others, according to acting regional governor Vladislav Haivanenko.

"The enemy directed drones at Vasylivka and Pokrovska communities in Synelnykove district. A woman was killed... Two more people were injured," Haivanenko wrote on Telegram.

A 54-year-old man and a 71-year-old woman were hospitalized in moderate condition.

The attacks sparked fires across the district. Three private houses were destroyed and two more damaged. A utility building and a car were destroyed, while a minibus sustained damage.

Russian forces also shelled Nikopol district with artillery and launched FPV drone attacks. The district center, Pokrovska and Marhanets communities came under fire, resulting in damage to a private residence, a utility building, and a gas pipeline.

Poland will allocate $100 million by the end of the year for the procurement of American weapons for Ukraine through the PURL program, Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski announced, as quoted by PAP.

The funds will finance weapons purchases under the Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List (PURL), a new mechanism established by the United States and NATO for supplying American weapons to Ukraine.

"Europe's security will be either strengthened or weakened depending on how this war in Ukraine ends," Sikorski said.

The minister addressed the reported 28-point US plan for ending the war in Ukraine, emphasizing Europe's role in decision-making. "Of course, as Europe, we demand to be involved in making these decisions. But, in my opinion, it is not the ability to defend the victim that should be limited, but the aggressor's ability to commit aggression," he stated.

Sikorski arrived in Brussels on Wednesday evening and met with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte over dinner. On Thursday, he and other EU foreign ministers are scheduled to meet with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha to discuss the situation on the front lines in Ukraine.

When asked what more the European Union could do to counter Russian sabotage operations, Sikorski said he hopes for "a strong 20th package of sanctions" against Russia.

"The Russian economy is already suffering from the loss of the best European market for energy sales. Today it is forced to sell oil and gas at a discount, and has also become an importer of gasoline. On the other hand, we must not allow this environmental risk in the Baltic, which is the scrap fleet (shadow fleet)," the Polish foreign minister emphasized. "And this is also a procedure that finances Putin's war."

Hybrid attacks by Belarus on EU countries, including Lithuania, will also be on the agenda at the EU ministers' meeting. Sikorski said he will provide ministers with details of sabotage incidents on Polish railways.

Poland deploys 10,000 troops, closes Russian consulate after rail blast blamed on Moscow

The daughter of former South African President Jacob Zuma has been linked to recruiting citizens from South Africa and Botswana for service in Russian military forces in the war against Ukraine, Bloomberg reports, citing sources familiar with the situation and WhatsApp correspondence.

According to the publication, a group of approximately 20 young men contacted by South African parliamentarian Duduzile Zuma traveled to Russia in July after being told they would train as bodyguards for her father's political party, uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP).

Relatives of some of the men told Bloomberg that they signed military contracts written entirely in Russian and ended up on the frontlines, losing contact with their families in August. The relatives insist the men believed they were signing documents for a bodyguard training course.

Bloomberg obtained photographs showing the group traveling to Russia and later wearing camouflage with instructors. WhatsApp messages between the men's parents and Zuma, shown to the publication, reveal her assurances that they would not be sent to the front.

"As we speak now, we are packing and preparing to move to the war zone," one of the young men wrote in a WhatsApp message to Duduzile Zuma, asking why his phone and bank cards were being taken away.

"It's not the frontline. They are just scaring you," she responded. "What I know is that you will watch Russian solders go in and out of the red zone and you may just patrol or be put on cooking duties or gun cleaning," she wrote later, promising to come and fetch them "personally" if they were sent to the frontline.

In the messages, Zuma told some of the men she had been on the same bodyguard training course. "They will taunt you like they did with me," she said. "But I trust and believe all will be well."

Relatives of those sent to Russia said that after this, it became difficult to contact her and she did not answer calls or messages for up to a month.

Zuma has previously been tied to Russian social media campaigns, where she posted support for Russian President Vladimir Putin on X platform, shared photos of herself in Russia and her father with Putin, and attacked current South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.

The woman is currently on trial for treason charges for inciting violence on social media in 2021, when approximately 350 people were killed in riots after her father was imprisoned for contempt of court.

The information emerged two weeks after President Ramaphosa ordered an investigation into how South African citizens were recruited to fight as mercenaries in Russia's war against Ukraine. In a November 6 statement, Ramaphosa's office said 17 South Africans stuck in the Donbas region contacted the president's office seeking help.

Working as a mercenary or fighting on behalf of another government has been a crime in South Africa since 1998.

On November 11, South African news website News24 reported that Jacob Zuma had written a letter to Russia's defense minister asking him to remove 18 men from the combat zone, stating they had been misled into signing an infantry contract in Pskov, near Estonia.

Since Russia's war against Ukraine began in 2022, there have been reports across the continent of African citizens being recruited to fight for Russia. In September, Business Insider Africa reported Kenya opened an inquiry after its citizens were found fighting in the conflict. More than 200 Kenyans are fighting for Russia, according to Foreign Minister Musalia Mudavadi last week. On November 7, Reuters reported Ukraine's foreign minister as saying more than 1,400 Africans are fighting for Russia.

The "I Want to Live" project previously received lists naming 16,894 foreigners from 121 countries and unrecognized territories who fought or continue to fight against Ukraine as part of the Russian army. Among them are 4,658 citizens of Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, 1,013 citizens of African states, and 9,961 citizens of other countries and territories. At least 678 foreigners from this list are now known to have been killed.

Polish ambassador to Moscow Krzysztof Krajewski was physically assaulted by a group of protesters in St. Petersburg on 16 November while on his way to meet with the local Polish community for Poland's Independence Day celebrations, Gazeta Wyborcza reports.

The incident occurred around noon as Krajewski, accompanied by consul Jarosław Strycharsky, was walking to a service at the Basilica of St. Catherine of Alexandria. An aggressive group of approximately 10 people surrounded the diplomat carrying banners with anti-Polish and anti-Ukrainian slogans.

"This was the most serious incident of this kind in many years. Only the intervention of security prevented the ambassador from being beaten," a source in the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs told the newspaper.

Several protesters attempted to strike the ambassador before the State Protection Service intervened to prevent the physical assault. The Polish security detail, which has accompanied Krajewski continuously since relations between Poland and Russia deteriorated following the invasion of Ukraine, had never before needed to take such decisive action.

Polish Foreign Ministry spokesman Maciej Wewiór confirmed the attack and said Warsaw expressed its outrage during a meeting with Russia's chargé d'affaires on November 19.

"In response, we were told that such situations 'should not happen,'" Wewiór said.

He described the attackers as "an aggressive group of about 10 people with banners. They wanted to move from verbal assault to physical assault, but were stopped by the State Protection Service."

The demonstrators attacked Krajewski over Poland's support for Ukraine. Russian media coverage of the incident accused Polish security services of "aggressive behavior toward a peaceful group of demonstrators," omitting mention of the physical attack on the diplomat.

Footage broadcast by Russian channel "78" shows plainclothes Polish security officers pushing back two men and a woman attempting to shove the ambassador before escorting him into the basilica. Inside, with security surrounding him, Krajewski said he would call the police while demonstrators shouted "children are dying because of your money."

The Russian television report, titled "Warm Welcome," claimed the protesters were "social activists" and "concerned citizens" asking why "Polish authorities pursue a policy of double standards: on one hand declaring a desire for peace, while on the other financing and arming Ukraine."

A man identified as "Vadim, activist" — one of those who attacked the ambassador — appeared in the broadcast speaking about "Polish ingratitude" and claiming that "now Polish weapons and missiles are being used against children."

The Russian coverage also accused Poland of "disrespecting the memory of Soviet soldiers who fell liberating Poland from fascism" and noted that "hundreds of monuments to our soldiers have already been dismantled on the territory of this unfriendly state."

Krajewski, an experienced diplomat who assumed the post in 2021 and was retained by the current Polish government, had traveled to St. Petersburg specifically to mark Poland's Independence Day with the local Polish community. The protesters had waited for him at the consulate and attempted to reach him throughout his walk to the church.

Recently, Poland accused Russia of "an act of state terrorism" on 20 November and announced the deployment of 10,000 soldiers to protect critical infrastructure following a rail explosion that damaged a key supply route to Ukraine over the weekend.

Ukraine received the bodies of 1,000 fallen soldiers on 20 November, the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War reported.

"In Ukraine, 1000 bodies were returned, which, according to the Russians, belong to Ukrainian defenders," the Coordination Headquarters stated.

Investigators, together with expert institutions of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, will conduct all necessary examinations and identification of the repatriated bodies in the near future.

The repatriation was carried out through the joint work of employees of the Joint Center under the Security Service of Ukraine, the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ombudsman's Office, the State Emergency Service, and other structures, according to the Coordination Headquarters.

The Coordination Headquarters also expressed gratitude to the International Committee of the Red Cross for its assistance.

The exchange of bodies between Ukraine and Russia occurs on a regular basis. On 18 September, the aggressor state transferred 1,000 bodies to Ukraine. The same number of bodies, which, according to the occupiers, belong to Ukrainian defenders, were transferred on 23 October.

Ukraine has issued a notice of suspicion against a Russian military commander in connection with killings in Bucha, marking what prosecutors call the first time a commander has been formally implicated in the 2022 atrocities that left more than 450 bodies in the Kyiv suburb.

Lieutenant Yurii Vladimirovich Kim, a platoon commander in the 76th Air Assault Division's 234th Assault Regiment, is suspected of criminal responsibility for 17 killings and four instances of ill-treatment committed by forces under his command, according to Global Rights Compliance, an international law foundation assisting Ukraine.

"The notice of suspicion served to a commander of a unit of the Russian Armed Forces marks a fundamentally important step towards justice for the systematic and large-scale war crimes committed in Bucha," Ukrainian Deputy Prosecutor General Andrii Leshchenko said in a statement, according to Reuters.

Russian forces occupied Bucha for a month at the start of the full-scale invasion before withdrawing in late March 2022, leaving bodies in streets and mass graves. Hundreds more were killed in the wider area, Ukrainian officials reported. The Kremlin has called the Bucha events "a set-up and a fake."

Kim, born in 1997 and a native of Moscow Oblast, is not in Ukrainian custody, said Jeremy Pizzi, legal advisor at Global Rights Compliance. Russia's defense ministry did not respond to questions about the case, and Reuters was unable to reach Kim directly.

The investigation relied on witness testimonies, crime scene forensics and open-source intelligence, according to the foundation. "Kim specifically ordered his forces to hunt, harm, and kill individuals perceived as supporting or assisting Ukrainian armed or security forces," Global Rights Compliance said, citing the evidence gathered. "After the civilian killings had taken place, evidence shows the commander ordered his subordinates to burn some of the bodies to conceal the crime."

Ukrainian prosecutors have previously issued notices of suspicion for dozens of Russian soldiers in the Bucha case, but investigators say Kim's case represents a shift toward establishing command responsibility. "We have moved beyond bringing low-ranking perpetrators to account — now we are uncovering the chain of command decisions through which ordinary orders turned into mass executions of civilians," said Maksym Tsutskiridze, first deputy head of the National Police and head of the Investigation Department.

Ukraine's Main Directorate of Intelligence has identified four additional Russian soldiers from the same unit charged with executing the 17 civilians. Working with the National Police, the agency published names and personal data for Private Yevgenii Meshalkin, born in 2001, a shooter-operator from Tyumen region; Senior Sergeant Anatolii Pavlov, born in 1990, a gun commander from Chuvashia who lives in Pskov; Senior Sergeant Shamil Hasanhuliev, a squad commander from Pskov; and Senior Soldier Pavlo Kretinin, born in 1985, a deputy platoon commander from Voronezh region who lives in Pskov.

The intelligence directorate reported that "the indicated persons are involved in murders, torture, attempts to conceal war crimes by burning the bodies of executed Bucha residents, as well as threats to the civilian population during the Russian occupation of the city."

Global Rights Compliance said the evidence uncovered in the case suggested a systematic plan that implied involvement by the Russian leadership and could serve as a foundation for further investigations into the chain of command. A Reuters investigation published in May 2022 highlighted the role of the 76th Air Assault Division, among other units, in events in Bucha.

Ukrainian intelligence separately reported on 23 October that it eliminated Russian paratroopers of the 247th Caucasian Cossack Regiment in Stavropol, a unit implicated in war crimes during the invasion. On 27 October, reconnaissance forces struck Russian positions on the Zaporizhzhia front, killing the son of Lieutenant General Arkadii Marzoev, who is implicated in war crimes in Kherson, according to the intelligence directorate.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz pledged on 19 November to equip Ukraine's armed forces with long-range weapons systems but declined to specify whether Germany would supply the controversial Taurus cruise missiles that Kyiv has sought for months.

Speaking at a joint press conference with Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson in Berlin, Merz said Germany has been working for months with Ukrainian officials on what he described as "long-range fire" capabilities, according to AFP footage of the event.

When asked directly by a Swedish journalist about Taurus deliveries, Merz avoided giving a clear answer. "Over the past few months, we have been actively cooperating with the Ukrainian government on the implementation of projects to create long-range missiles. The Ukrainian army will be equipped with such weapons systems," Merz said.

The chancellor justified his evasiveness by citing tactical considerations. "We have agreed that we will no longer discuss details publicly, because we believe that a certain degree of ambiguity is necessary, especially for the Russian side, regarding the extent of our military support in this area," he explained.

Merz added that Germany would continue efforts to equip Ukrainian forces with appropriate-range weapon systems in coming weeks and months, potentially extending to helping Ukraine produce such systems domestically

"We will do everything possible to equip the Ukrainian army with weapons systems with sufficient range, and this number will increase in the coming weeks and months if necessary," the chancellor said.

In April, Merz announced his readiness to provide Ukraine with Taurus missiles, but only in coordination with allies. In May, German government spokesman Stephan Cornelius indicated that if Berlin approves Taurus transfers, the decision would be classified.

The Taurus KEPD 350 is a German-Swedish cruise missile with a range exceeding 500 kilometers, giving it greater reach than the British-French Storm Shadow missiles and American ATACMS that Ukraine has already received.

Poland accused Russia of "an act of state terrorism" on 20 November and announced the deployment of 10,000 soldiers to protect critical infrastructure following a rail explosion that damaged a key supply route to Ukraine over the weekend.

Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski told Parliament that Poland would close Russia's last remaining consulate in the northern city of Gdansk and promised a response that would be "more than just diplomatic," to be revealed in coming days.

"This time, it was not just sabotage, as before, but an act of state terrorism, as the clear intention was to cause human casualties," Sikorski said in a speech to Parliament in Warsaw.

Polish authorities identified two Ukrainian citizens who they believe carried out the attack on Russian orders and then fled the country, along with four Ukrainian accomplices who remained in Poland, according to Polish news site Onet Wiadomosci.

The explosion damaged tracks on the Warsaw-Lublin route, which has been used to deliver aid to Ukraine. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk called the incident "an unprecedented act of sabotage."

Polish Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz announced the troop deployment under Operation Horyzont, saying soldiers would work with internal affairs ministry services to protect critical infrastructure.

“By utilizing the capabilities of operational forces and Territorial Forces, as well as military equipment and artificial intelligence-based tools, we will protect our homeland even better,” Kosiniak-Kamysz said, according to his official statement.

Polish media outlet RMF FM reported that the railway may have been blown up remotely using mobile phones. Law enforcement authorities have seized SIM cards as part of the investigation. According to RMF FM, the two suspects arrived in Poland from Belarus in autumn and fled back after the incident.

Jacek Dobrzynski, spokesman for Poland's security services minister, said the first arrests related to the rail explosion were taking place Wednesday, Polish media reported.

The rail attack marks the most direct confrontation between Moscow and a NATO country since Russian drones violated Polish airspace in September, when some were shot down by NATO aircraft.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed the allegations over the train line explosion as "Russophobia."

The escalating tension between Warsaw and Moscow came as Russian missile and drone attacks killed at least 25 people in Ternopil, a city in western Ukraine, on 20 November, Ukrainian authorities said. Dozens more were injured across Ukraine, including at least 15 children. At least three children were among the dead.

Poland scrambled fighter jets in response to the Russian attack, the Polish armed forces operational command said on X. Two German fighter jets deployed as part of a NATO air-policing mission and two Romanian military aircraft also responded after a drone violated Romanian airspace, Romania's Defense Ministry said.

The Russian Defense Ministry described its attacks against Ukraine as targeting rocket launch systems, energy and railway infrastructure, and military deployment sites.

Wieslaw Kukula, chief of staff of the Polish armed forces, warned that attacks on Poland and its NATO allies could intensify in coming weeks. "Longer winter nights would provide more cover and might be seen as an opportune window to strike," Kukula said at a news conference.

The closing of the Gdansk consulate will leave the Russian embassy in Warsaw as Russia's only remaining diplomatic outpost in Poland. Poland shares a border with the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad, where about 1 million Russian citizens live.

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said the attack on the rail line "highlights the unprecedented risk to European transport infrastructure."

"Russia's attacks have become increasingly brazen," Kallas told reporters in Brussels. "Our critical infrastructure needs more protection."

A senior European diplomat said the blast would be discussed at a meeting of the EU's 27 foreign ministers in Brussels on Thursday. "We see these hybrid attacks intensifying against European countries," said the diplomat, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations. "The problem is it's not always easy to attribute to somebody."

Kallas said it was "up to Poland to attribute," but added, "We have to have a strong response." Europe, she said, needed to "protect our critical infrastructure, send a message of unity to Russia that they cannot get away with these attacks, but at the same time give assurances to our societies that there is nothing to be afraid of."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, speaking from Türkiye where he was discussing attempts to revive peace talks, described strikes around Ukraine since Tuesday evening, including in Lviv and Ivano-Frankivsk in the west and areas in the east.

"Every brazen attack on normal life shows that pressure on Russia is still insufficient," Zelensky said. "Effective sanctions and assistance to Ukraine can change this."

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said on 18 November that the alliance was "in close contact with the Polish authorities" but was waiting for the outcome of Poland's investigation.

Overnight drone strikes on power substations in Russia's Kursk Oblast left over 16,000 residents without electricity, regional governor Oleksandr Hinstein said on Telegram on the morning of 20 November.

The governor published photos showing fires at the facilities and drone debris. Substations in the Glushkovsky, Rylsky, and Korenevo districts were targeted, according to his statement.

"The consequences are being clarified, engineering and explosive ordnance surveys of the territories will be conducted soon," Hinstein said.

The governor did not specify how many facilities were hit or provide their exact locations. Social media posts from Kursk Oblast residents indicate explosions began after 3 am, followed by complaints about power outages.

The same night, Ukrainian strike drones attacked the Ryazan oil refinery, one of Russia's largest petroleum processing facilities. Ryazan Oblast Governor Pavel Malkov reported a "flash" at one of the region's enterprises, while local social media channels wrote about a fire in the refinery area.

Malkov claimed Russian air defense successfully operated and attributed the fire to "falling debris" from allegedly downed drones—a standard explanation from Russian officials.

Local residents counted over 10 explosions in different parts of the city. Social media channels suggested the Ryazan refinery was hit, publishing photos and videos of the fire.

Russia's Ministry of Defense reported shooting down 16 drones over the region. The Russian military claimed to have downed 65 drones total overnight across Russian territory and temporarily occupied Crimea.

The Ryazan oil refinery, owned by Rosneft, is one of Russia's largest with a processing capacity of approximately 17 million tons of crude oil per year. The facility produces a wide range of petroleum products, much of which is exported. In 2024, it processed approximately 13.1 million tons of oil (about 262,000 barrels per day), accounting for roughly 5% of Russia's total refining capacity.

The refinery has been repeatedly targeted by drone attacks. On 23 October, residents reported a series of explosions in Ryazan, including in the refinery area. On 15 November, the city was again attacked by drones, with locals reporting strikes on the refinery.

The facility houses four primary oil processing units, along with equipment for vacuum gas oil hydrotreatment, cracking, catalytic reforming, and other complexes producing various products including bitumen, LPG, sulfuric acid, and catalytic reforming products. The refinery serves as the main fuel supplier for regions around the Russian capital.

Over 230 rescuers from nine oblasts continue searching through rubble at a Ternopil residential building struck by a Russian cruise missile on 19 November, with 22 people still unaccounted for as of 20 November morning.

The strike killed 26 people, including three children, and injured 93 others, among them 18 children, according to Ukrainian emergency services. Rescuers saved 46 people from the damaged nine-story building.

"Our rescuers have been working in Ternopil all night, and search-and-rescue operations continue," President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in his morning address. "22 people remain unaccounted for — the search continues."

Working around the clock, rescue teams cleared over 700 square meters of debris and removed 230 cubic meters of destroyed structures. Fifty units of equipment support the operation.

"High fragmentation of structures, massive destruction, and the need to work exclusively by hand in several areas complicate the work," emergency services reported.

Ukrainian Air Force investigators recovered missile fragments by 4:00 pm on 19 November, identifying the weapon as a Kh-101 cruise missile manufactured in the fourth quarter of 2025. The missile carried a 450-kilogram warhead containing components from the United States, China, Taiwan, Germany, and the Netherlands, according to the Air Force.

Russia launched the strike using six Tu-95MS strategic bombers from Olenya airbase and four Tu-160MS bombers from Engels and Ukrainka airbases, with launch zones in Vologda and Astrakhan oblasts.

Moscow planned to manufacture 633 Kh-101 missiles in 2025, with an additional 223 units scheduled for 2026, according to Ukrainian intelligence reports.

Modern air defense systems, including IRIS-T and Patriot, can intercept such missiles, Ukrainian officials note.

"It is critically important that during these difficult days, despite all Russian attacks and terror, our people always know they can count on rescue and help," Zelenskyy said.

The search-and-rescue operation continues with teams from across Ukraine working at the site.

Russian forces attacked multiple Ukrainian oblasts overnight and into 20 November, injuring at least six people and damaging civilian infrastructure across Dnipropetrovsk, Kherson, and Donetsk oblasts, regional authorities reported.

In Dnipropetrovsk oblast, three men were wounded in drone attacks on Pavlohrad district, according to regional military administration head Vladyslav Haivanenko. A 38-year-old man remains in serious condition. All three were hospitalized after attacks on Pavlohrad city and Bohdanivka community.

"Wounded three men. All hospitalized. 38-year-old wounded – in serious condition," Haivanenko wrote on Telegram.

Russian forces used guided aerial bombs and drones to strike Synelnykove district, hitting Mezhivka and Vasylkivka communities. A farm caught fire, killing livestock. The attacks damaged an administrative building and power lines.

Nikopol and surrounding communities came under artillery fire, Grad rocket systems, and FPV drone strikes. Air Command reported shooting down 24 Russian drones over Dnipropetrovsk oblast.

In Kherson oblast, a 17-year-old girl was wounded in a morning attack on the Korabelny district of Kherson city, according to city military administration head Shanko.

An 85-year-old man suffered injuries in a nighttime strike on Kherson's Dniprovskyi district. He sustained "mine-blast and closed craniocerebral trauma and contusion," the city military administration reported.

A 40-year-old man sought medical treatment on 20 November for injuries from a 17 November attack in Kherson. He was diagnosed with blast trauma and shrapnel wound to the leg before being released for outpatient treatment.

Regional military administration head Prokudin reported that Russian forces attacked 31 settlements in Kherson oblast over the previous day, wounding two people. The strikes damaged an apartment building, three private houses, a gas pipeline, and vehicles.

In Donetsk oblast, occupying forces attacked Sloviansk with Geran-2 drones on the evening of 19 November, wounding one man who was hospitalized, city military administration head Vadym Liakh reported on Facebook. At least 15 private houses and two cars were damaged.

Donetsk regional police reported attacks on six settlements over the previous day: Kostiantynivka, Sloviansk, Dmytro-Dariivka, Illinivka, Kalenyky, and Kucheriv Yar. The strikes damaged 39 civilian objects, including 29 residential buildings.

Russian forces hit Sloviansk with three KAB-250 bombs and Molniya-2 and Geran-2 drones, damaging two apartment buildings, 17 private houses, a workshop, infrastructure facility, and two civilian vehicles, police stated.

In Dmytro-Dariivka, four Geran-2 drones wounded one person and damaged nine private houses, an educational facility, and critical infrastructure.

Kramatorsk came under drone attack around 01:30 on 20 November, city military administration head Oleksandr Honcharenko reported. Five private houses, a shop, and a non-residential building were damaged in the private sector. No casualties were reported.

The Myrnograd city military administration reported three civilian deaths from strikes on 25 October and 18 November.

Regional military administration head Vadym Filashkin reported two people wounded in Donetsk oblast over the previous day – one each in Sloviansk and Dmytro-Dariivka. Since the start of the full-scale invasion, 3,735 Donetsk oblast residents have been killed in Russian attacks and 8,462 wounded, not including victims in Volnovakha and Mariupol.

Russian forces also struck energy infrastructure in Donetsk, Chernihiv, Dnipropetrovsk, and Kharkiv oblasts, Ukraine's Energy Ministry reported on Facebook. "Repair and restoration work continues at damaged energy infrastructure facilities," the ministry stated.

Due to damage to the energy system, hourly blackout schedules and power limitation schedules for industrial consumers apply from 00:00 to 23:59 across all Ukrainian regions on 20 November, according to the Energy Ministry.

As of 2025, Ukrainian-language music accounts for 57% of music consumption in Ukraine, according to the Ministry of Culture citing research from music label pomitni titled "Music has power."

This marks a significant shift from the pre-February 24, 2022 period, when Ukrainian-language content represented just 33%.

The study found that 79% of Ukrainians continue to listen to music in English, while 12% listen to Russian-language tracks—primarily older songs by Ukrainian artists—and 16% listen to music in other languages.

Ukrainian artists have gained prominence on streaming platforms including YouTube, Spotify, and YouTube Music. Even among those who consume Russian-language music, the tracks are predominantly performed by Ukrainian artists.

The research, conducted by Ruban Litvinova Social Impact Advisory and Dive and Discovery Research, examined the broader impact of Ukrainian music on society. The findings revealed that 86% of Ukrainians believe supporting Ukrainian music strengthens national unity. For 66% of respondents, it reinforces pride in their country and sense of personal identity, while 64% said Ukrainian music helps them feel connected to the language, culture, and people around them.

Among respondents who did not grow up speaking Ukrainian, 80% reported that music aids their language transition.

According to Suspilne Culture, the survey ran from July through August 2025 and included 1,800 listeners in Ukraine and 453 Ukrainians abroad, aged 16 to 60.

Data compiled by pomitni in partnership with streaming service NUAM provides a snapshot of Ukraine's music industry. As of October 2025, Ukraine has 15,837 artists, of whom 8,151 released at least one single during the year. Throughout 2025, Ukrainian artists released 67,837 tracks, averaging 6,300 new releases per month.

However, the research also highlighted challenges in the industry. Of the 27,155 tracks released during the first four months of 2025, only 20% of Ukrainian artists accumulated more than 243 million streams on Spotify per month. The remaining 79.7% failed to reach even 1,000 listens due to lack of promotion.

The United States has signaled to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that Ukraine must accept a US-drafted framework to end the war with Russia that proposes Kyiv giving up territory and some weapons, two people familiar with the matter told Reuters on 19 November.

The proposals include cutting the size of Ukraine's armed forces, among other things, the sources said. Washington wants Kyiv to accept the main points, the sources added.

According to a person familiar with the talks who spoke to CNN, the Trump administration has been quietly hammering out a new peace plan with Russia. Steve Witkoff, the president's special envoy who has been at the center of the administration's talks with Moscow, has been leading the effort. The negotiations accelerated this week as the administration feels the Kremlin has signaled a renewed openness to a deal, the source said.

A senior official told Reuters that Kyiv has received "signals" about a package of US proposals to end the war that Washington has been discussing with Russia. However, Kyiv did not participate in preparing these proposals, the source noted.

Army Secretary Dan Driscoll and a top-level Pentagon delegation arrived on 19 November, morning in Ukraine "on a fact finding mission to meet with Ukrainian officials and discuss efforts to end the war," Army Spokesperson Col. Dave Butler said in a statement. The mission, at the direction of the president, was part of the White House effort to resuscitate peace talks, according to a separate source who is a US official.

Driscoll was expected to discuss battlefield conditions and weapons needs with Zelensky and other senior Ukrainian officials, as well as the nascent peace efforts, the official said.

In a post on Telegram, Ukrainian Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal wrote that he had the honor of meeting with Driscoll. Shmyhal expressed "gratitude" to the US for its "important support that saves the lives of Ukrainians every day." He added that he "presented to partners our developments in the field of defense innovations" and "focused on the next steps to implement the historic defense agreements reached by President Zelensky and President Trump."

Russian sources also confirmed to CNN that there are ongoing high-level contacts between US and Russian officials, including Witkoff. Russian Special Envoy Kirill Dmitriev went to the US in October to meet Witkoff and others and had what a Russian source told CNN were "very productive discussions."

According to an Axios report, the current draft being hashed out between Washington and Moscow is focused on 28 points, including security guarantees for Ukraine and Europe, as well as future US relations with Russia and Ukraine.

The Kremlin on Wednesday downplayed the Axios report. When asked about it, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that there are "no new developments to report so far" regarding an end to the war. "There were discussions in Anchorage. Beyond what was discussed in Anchorage, there have been no updates yet," he said, referencing a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Trump in Alaska in August.

According to a source familiar with the talks who spoke to CNN, it remains unclear whether Europe and Ukraine will participate in the negotiations regarding this plan, as well as whether they would support such a plan.

The discussions come as the Trump administration has tried repeatedly to find an end to the war, only for talks to fall apart after Putin refused to make substantial commitments to the effort.

"I thought that was going to be my easy one, because I have a good relationship with President Putin, but I'm a little disappointed in President Putin right now," Trump said during remarks at a US-Saudi investment conference Wednesday. "He knows that."

After Trump spoke with Putin by phone last month, he was so convinced there was enough progress made that he announced he would soon be traveling to Budapest for an in-person summit with the Russian leader. But just five days later, the summit was off and new sanctions on Moscow — the first of Trump's second administration — were on.

US officials told CNN that in the time between, the president and his administration came to the conclusion that Putin's stance on ending the war had not significantly shifted from the last time he met Trump on a US air base in Alaska.

Previous US peace talks had focused on freezing Russian and Ukrainian forces along current battle lines. Europe and Ukraine backed the plan as a jumping off point for fresh negotiations, while the Kremlin rejected the proposal, arguing they were not interested in a ceasefire but a longer-term peace deal.

The White House declined to respond to a request for comment.

The US Treasury said on 17 November that sanctions imposed on Russian oil companies Rosneft and Lukoil are reducing Russian oil revenues and will likely decrease the volume of Russian oil sold over time.

The Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control said its analysis of the initial market impact shows the sanctions announced on 22 October "are having their intended effect of dampening Russian revenues by lowering the price of Russian oil and therefore the country's ability to fund its war effort against Ukraine."

The action marked some of the strongest US sanctions since Russia's February 2022 invasion of Ukraine and the first direct sanctions President Donald Trump has imposed on Russia since taking office in January.

The sanctions established a 21 November deadline for companies to cease dealings with Rosneft and Lukoil. Companies that violate the sanctions risk being cut off from the dollar-based financial system.

OFAC's analysis found that several key grades of Russian crude are now selling at multi-year-low prices. Nearly a dozen major Indian and Chinese purchasers of Russian crude have announced plans to pause purchases of Russian oil for December deliveries, according to the analysis.

LSEG Workspace data showed benchmark Urals crude loaded at Russia's Black Sea oil hub of Novorossiysk traded at $45.35 per barrel on November 12, the lowest level since March 2023. At that time, Russia was just beginning to assemble a "shadow fleet" of tankers to avoid a G7-led price cap of $60 a barrel imposed in December 2023.

Brent crude futures stood at $62.71 on 12 November and traded at $64.03 on 17 November. Urals Novorossiysk rose to $47.01 on 17 Nov. after loadings resumed at the Black Sea port following suspension caused by a Ukrainian drone and missile attack.

Reuters reported earlier this month that Russian oil discounts to Brent had widened as major Indian and Chinese refiners reduced purchases in response to US sanctions.

Enforcement of the sanctions remains unclear given that China and India are the two largest buyers of Russian oil.

A Treasury spokesperson said the sanctions were "starving Putin's war machine" and the department "is prepared to take further action if necessary to end the senseless killing" in Ukraine.

China has facilitated the establishment of production lines in Belarus capable of manufacturing approximately half a million ammunition shells annually that are supplied to Russia, according to Matviy Kupreychik, a public representative of BelPol, an organization of former Belarusian law enforcement officers.

"China helped the Belarusian regime establish production of 240,000 152-millimeter artillery shells and 240,000 122-millimeter rockets for the Russian GRAD system. This is annual data. Thus, at one Belarusian enterprise, at least half a million shells are produced," Kupreychik said, clarifying that these are shell blanks without explosives inside.

China sold Belarus the production lines for manufacturing these ammunition blanks, according to BelPol. Kupreychik said that the Lukashenka regime currently lacks the capability to produce explosives independently due to the absence of production facilities.

"Therefore, they produce blanks, that is, empty shells," he explained.

The BelPol representative revealed that Belarus was able to manufacture these blanks because China sold the country assembly lines for their production.

"Belarusian engineers could not install this ammunition production line themselves. For this, China sent ten of its engineers to Belarus who installed it. It already exists. And a very interesting point is that China was so interested in installing this line that it has now placed its workers at two Belarusian enterprises, who sit at these enterprises and control the process," he emphasized.

According to Kupreychik, the blanks are manufactured in Belarus exclusively under the state defense order of the Russian Federation. "This is currently the only buyer, the Lukashenka regime has no alternative," he stated.

Last week, Finnish Defense Minister Antti Häkänen said that China is significantly financing Russia's war effort, which increases the security threat to Europe and poses a challenge to NATO. "It supplies military components, cooperates in the defense industry, organizes joint military exercises and other various large-scale activities in the Arctic, Indo-Pacific region and Europe," Häkänen emphasized.

Overnight on 18 November, drones struck the Zuivska thermal power station in occupied Zuhres in Donetsk Oblast, triggering a fire at the facility.

In videos released by Telegram channel Exilenova+, the sound of UAVs can be heard, along with Russian air defense systems operating and a powerful explosion. Fire subsequently broke out on the facility's grounds. Later reports suggested the strike drones likely hit the transformer of the second boiler, which was knocked out of service.

Local social media accounts reported that power outages began in occupied Donetsk and Makiivka following the explosions, while Ilovaisk lost electricity completely.

The occupation administration later confirmed the strike, claiming that in addition to Zuivska, the Starobeshivska thermal power station was also allegedly attacked overnight.

"As a result of an attack on the Republic's energy system, the Zuivska and Starobeshivska thermal power stations were damaged. Many settlements were left without power, which caused heating plants and filtration stations to shut down," wrote Denis Pushilin, the so-called "governor" of the so-called "DNR."

Pushilin added that "relevant departments" are working in emergency mode.

The Zuivska thermal power station is located 40 km east of Donetsk. It has been under Russian control since 2014 and supplies electricity to temporarily occupied territory. Its capacity is approximately 1.2-1.3 GW (four power units of roughly 300 MW each).

In the early hours of 18 November, several social media accounts reported unidentified drones over occupied Donetsk Oblast. Within half an hour, reports emerged that power was flickering in Makiivka and some districts of Donetsk, while Ilovaisk lost power entirely.

Shortly after, videos appeared online showing that unidentified drones were attacking the Zuivska thermal power station. The published footage showed fire breaking out near the facility.

Around 4 am, local Telegram channels reported that power had gone out across all of Donetsk and parts of Makiivka. This occurred after reports of an attack on the Starobeshivska thermal power station, though what struck the facility remains unknown.

A gas pipeline exploded in the suburbs of Omsk, Russia, early on the morning of 18 November, sparking a massive fire that sent a fireball into the sky, according to regional governor Vitaly Khotsenko.

The incident occurred around 5 am near the village of Rostovka in Omsk district. Videos of the blaze began circulating on social media shortly after, showing flames erupting from a field.

"In the area of the village of Rostovka in Omsk district, a fire broke out in a field. There are no casualties. One version suggests a gas leak from a pipeline," Khotsenko wrote in his initial statement.

The governor later updated his post, clarifying that "the ignition of the pipe was the result of an accident that occurred on an underground section of the main branch pipeline."

According to SHOT, a Russian Telegram channel, residents in Rostovka reported a chemical smell in the air. The outlet said that 18 firefighters and 4 units of equipment were deployed to the scene.

Law enforcement agencies are investigating the cause of the incident, Khotsenko said. Emergency service specialists continue to work at the site.

This explosion follows a series of incidents affecting Russian energy infrastructure in recent months. On 2 August, the Central Asia–Center main gas pipeline failed in Russia's Volgograd oblast following explosions near the village of Dynamivske, sources told RBC-Ukraine. On 9 September, a series of explosions in Penza disabled a main oil pipeline and a regional gas pipeline.

The Orenburg Gas Processing Plant experienced a large-scale fire, while the Astrakhan Gas Processing Plant, controlled by Gazprom, halted production on 22 September after a drone attack.

The night before the Omsk incident, on 17-18 November, drones struck energy infrastructure in occupied Donetsk and other cities in the region, according to local Telegram channels. The attacks targeted the Zuivska thermal power plant in Zuhres and the Starobeshivska thermal power station, leaving Donetsk, Makiivka, and Ilovaisk without power.

On the evening of 17 November, Dnipro came under massive Shahed drone attack, with approximately 15 explosions striking the city around 10:30 PM. The assault damaged the building of Suspilne Dnipro and Ukrainian Radio Dnipro, leaving two people injured.

The editorial building sustained severe damage, with windows blown out, ceilings collapsed, and the roof partially destroyed. The main studio on the first floor was substantially destroyed by fire.

"We cannot currently access the second floor to assess the scale of destruction. The main thing we emphasize is that all our employees are alive and unharmed. We continue to work, continue to broadcast live on the first channel and work on all our digital platforms," said Suspilne Dnipro editor-in-chief Yevhen Pedashenko.

Manager Kateryna Lysiuk reported the studio burned down completely. "In total, there were up to 15 explosions. They hit directly on the territory and on all our buildings. Despite everything, we continue to work, continue to do news," she said.

The fire spread rapidly due to strong winds. Staff managed to retrieve two laptops and several cameras. One of the branch's vehicles was destroyed, and there is a risk of building collapse.

The attack also damaged Suspilne Donbas regional directorate and destroyed Kontrabas film studio facilities. Co-founder Oleksandra Teslenko said nearly all their property was lost.

"We have a large filming pavilion with sets, props, costumes, professional equipment. There is nothing even to document, everything burned down. For more than seven years we invested in all this. Nothing is left," she said.

Dnipro mayor Borys Filatov wrote on Facebook that the attack also damaged the television tower. "You hit the television tower and the former Soviet television center, where journalists of Suspilne have been sitting for a long time," he wrote.

The youth media center of Dnipro also sustained damage, with blown-out windows and broken equipment, the center's Telegram channel reported.

Two people were injured—a 59-year-old woman and a 67-year-old man, both hospitalized in moderate condition. The strikes damaged six apartment buildings, transportation and private enterprises, and more than 20 vehicles.

Ukrzaliznytsia CEO Oleksandr Pertsovskyi said that Russian forces struck the suburban depot in Dnipro. Despite the attack, morning DniproExpress trains departed on schedule.

Two passenger trains departed with 2.5-hour delays. The blast wave shattered windows in carriages and at the station. Parts of the region lost power, prompting railway workers to deploy reserve diesel locomotives.

Deputy Prime Minister Oleksii Kuleba wrote on Facebook that Russian forces attacked railway infrastructure in Dnipro with dozens of drones overnight.

"For the second time since the full-scale invasion, Russians are massively hitting it. The main repair workshop has been significantly destroyed," he said.

In Kharkiv Oblast, Russian forces struck several railway stations. A railway worker in Berestyn was injured. Carriages and infrastructure at four stations were damaged.

"Terrorist strikes are purposefully aimed at destroying the logistics system. But despite the shelling, we are doing everything possible to maintain connections between communities," Kuleba emphasized.

According to Kharkiv Oblast Governor Oleh Syniehubov, Russian forces launched missile strikes on Berestyn. Nine people were injured, including a 16-year-old boy. A 17-year-old girl who sustained severe injuries later died in hospital. Seven people were hospitalized with blast injuries, while two others received treatment for acute stress reaction.

Two European Parliament deputies from the ultra-left German party BSW, led by Sahra Wagenknecht, held meetings in May with organizers of the Russian influence network Voice of Europe, which is under EU sanctions, according to German portal t-online.

T-online obtained photographs from the Moscow visit of BSW MEPs Michael von der Schulenburg and Ruth Firmenich in May 2025. The images show them with Nadia Sas, wife of fugitive Ukrainian MP Oleh Voloshyn, who is under British and US sanctions and is believed to be involved in organizing the Voice of Europe network. Sas, a former TV host on Viktor Medvedchuk's channels in Ukraine, now works as a propagandist on Belarusian television.

Medvedchuk is behind the Voice of Europe influence campaign, through which pro-Kremlin narratives were spread in the EU using Russian money.

T-online notes there are reasons to believe Russia paid for von der Schulenburg and Firmenich's trip. While the politicians reported paying for the journey themselves, they were officially invited by the so-called "Russian Peace Foundation," which, according to investigative journalists, regularly passes personal data of its guests to Russian military intelligence GRU.

Firmenich is considered a long-time confidante of BSW founder Sahra Wagenknecht and works closely with von der Schulenburg in the European Parliament.

T-online describes this as one of the first concrete proofs that BSW has contacts with the Russian side. According to the portal, Voice of Europe agents have repeatedly attempted to reach Wagenknecht's party.

The 56-year-old leader of the far-left BSW, Sahra Wagenknecht, has been called Germany's "Putin's friend" due to repeated pro-Russian statements. She previously demanded removing Ukraine's NATO membership prospects from the agenda and called for a referendum in Germany on providing Ukraine with Taurus cruise missiles.

In November, Wagenknecht announced her intention to step down as BSW chair, with the decision to be confirmed at the party congress in December.

Unknown individuals hung Ukrainian flags near the home of Czech Chamber of Deputies Chairman Tomio Okamura, who made headlines by removing Ukraine's flag from the parliament building on his first day in office, reports Novinky.

Ukrainian flags appeared on the afternoon of 17 November on the fence near Okamura's house in Prague's Břevnov district. Someone also painted Ukrainian flags on the sidewalk and street lamps near the building, as well as on the stairs and a garbage bin.

Prague Police spokesman Jan Danek told Novinky that law enforcement is aware of the incident and investigating the situation.

"We will document the entire case and determine whether damage was caused, and if so, to what extent. Based on this, the legal qualification of the entire case will be determined," he said.

The leader of the right-wing populist SPD party ordered the removal of Ukraine's flag from the Czech parliament building on his first day as speaker of the lower chamber and personally held the ladder while the flag was being taken down.

Okamura has long criticized the display of Ukrainian flags on public buildings as symbols of solidarity with the country facing full-scale Russian invasion.

In response, three parliamentary factions in the Czech Parliament have hung Ukrainian flags themselves.

Lithuanian electricity transmission system operator Litgrid has delivered another support package to Ukraine to strengthen the country's power supply and help restore damaged energy infrastructure, Delfi reports.

The package includes over 7,000 glass insulators used on power lines and substations. The equipment is no longer used in Lithuanian infrastructure but remains in good condition.

"We collected this equipment from various corners of Lithuania, and it has been successfully delivered to Ukraine. We are confident that this equipment will help restore the operation of power lines and substations of the Ukrainian energy system faster," Litgrid head Rokas Masiulis said in a statement.

According to Litgrid, the insulators transferred to Ukraine are necessary to ensure the operation, safety and reliability of the electricity grid.

This marks the seventh support package from Litgrid to Ukraine. Previous shipments included four voltage autotransformers and other critical equipment for the power transmission network.

In late October, Germany announced a contribution of 60 million euros ($69,6 mn) to the Ukraine Energy Support Fund to accelerate the supply of generators, energy equipment and mobile thermal power plants.

Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre had earlier announced additional funding to provide electricity and heating for Ukraine ahead of winter.

Authorities evacuated residents of Plauru, a Romanian village near the Ukrainian border, after a Russian drone struck a liquefied gas vessel near the Ukrainian port of Izmail, Digi24 reports.

The ship, carrying 4,000 tons of liquefied gas, is located approximately 500 meters from the village on the Ukrainian side of the border, according to Horia Todorescu, head of the Romanian county that includes Plauru.

"Due to the proximity to Romania and the dangerous cargo, local authorities in coordination with the Ministry of Internal Affairs decided to evacuate people and animals from the nearby territory until the complete elimination of the risk," Romania's Department for Emergency Situations reported.

According to the reports, 100-150 people were evacuated from the village along with their animals.

Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister for Reconstruction and Minister of Communities and Territories Development Oleksii Kuleba and the Administration of Sea Ports of Ukraine reported that Russian forces attacked the port of Izmail with drones overnight on 17 November.

The attack damaged port equipment and several civilian vessels moored at the berths.

Ukrainian defenders have published photographs of residential areas in Kostiantynivka, Donetsk Oblast, destroyed by Russian strikes, the 93rd Separate Mechanized Brigade "Kholodnyi Yar" reported.

According to the Donetsk Regional Military Administration, 4,800 people currently remain in Kostiantynivka. The administration states that evacuation from the city is still possible, but soldiers say the reality on the ground tells a different story. Burned-out vehicles at the city exits and on all main roads indicate how dangerous and difficult evacuation operations have become.

"But staying in the city for civilians is more dangerous. The Russian army constantly drops guided aerial bombs with enormous charges on residential areas and turns them into centers of hell on Earth," the 93rd Brigade stated.

The Defense Forces showed several such areas near Hromova Street in photographs. The brigade reported that taking advantage of the weather conditions, the enemy is trying to enter Kostiantynivka through both infantry assaults and attempts to bring in equipment.

However, the Defense Forces, including soldiers of the 93rd Kholodnyi Yar Brigade in their section of the front, are resisting the occupiers and preventing them from approaching the city directly.

The European Commission has assessed Ukraine's financial requirements for 2026 at €71.7 billion ($83.2 billion), with €51.6 billion ($59.9 billion) allocated for military needs, Radio Free Europe's Europe editor Rikard Jozwiak reported.

The estimate appears in an options paper the Commission prepared for EU member states, following an 23 October European Council request. EU leaders asked the Commission to develop proposals for Ukraine financing in 2026-27 ahead of their next summit on 18-19 November.

"According to von der Leyen's options paper provided to member states, Ukraine will need €71.7 billion ($83.2 billion) in 2026, of which €51.6 billion ($59.9 billion) is for military needs. This assumes the war will end in 2026," Jozwiak wrote.

The options paper is designed to outline specific plans for providing Ukraine with reparations loans based on frozen Russian assets, as well as alternative methods of financial assistance over the next two years.

The Commission recently announced nearly €6 billion ($7 billion) for Ukraine through the ERA Loan mechanism and the Ukraine Facility initiative.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in Paris on 17 November, where he was greeted by French President Emmanuel Macron at the Villacuble military airbase in the Paris suburbs, according to live broadcasts from the scene.

The two leaders signed a declaration of intent on cooperation in the procurement of defense equipment for Ukraine during the visit to the airbase.

Reuters, citing its sources, reported that Paris may conclude a 10-year strategic agreement with Kyiv that would signal the provision of Rafale aircraft to Ukraine. According to the agency's sources, France may also provide additional SAMP/T air defense systems, missiles for them, and anti-drone equipment from its stocks or through long-term orders.

Last week, officials announced the visit would focus on bilateral cooperation issues. Ahead of the trip, Zelenskyy said that Ukraine and France would sign "a historic agreement" to strengthen aviation.

Following France, Zelenskyy will travel to Madrid on 18 November to discuss military assistance with Spanish leadership.

The Ukrainian president was on an official visit to Greece on 16 November, where Athens and Kyiv signed an agreement on natural gas sales to Ukraine, with deliveries set to begin in January.

Polish Lieutenant General Maciej Klisz has revealed that the Russian drone incursion into Poland on the night of 9-10 September posed a greater danger than initially assessed, according to RMF24 and Rzeczpospolita.

"The narrative that these were objects made of cardboard and cardboard is not entirely true," Klisz told Rzeczpospolita. He said that even drones used as decoys to overload air defense systems were equipped with explosives, meaning the threat to Poland in September was real.

The scale of the incident was substantial. Klisz informed Rzeczpospolita that several hundred Russian unmanned aerial vehicles were flying from Ukraine toward Poland that night. The Operational Command treats every object heading west as a potential threat to Polish airspace. Some drones passed Kyiv and reached western Ukraine.

Twenty-three Russian drones crossed into Polish airspace, according to the general. Some were destroyed on Polish territory, while others broke apart, which may have led to inaccurate counts of the number of objects that violated the border.

Individual drones penetrated nearly 300 kilometers from the eastern border. This marked the first mass incursion of Russian drones into Poland, with approximately two dozen unmanned vehicles entering the country.

The incident prompted diplomatic action. On 18 September, Ukraine and Poland agreed to establish a joint operational group on unmanned aerial systems, which will include representatives from both countries' armed forces.

Earlier statements by Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk indicated that no drones with warheads were found among those that fell on Polish territory. General Klisz's recent comments appear to contradict this assessment, emphasizing that the drones carried explosive materials.

Ukraine's Main Intelligence Directorate has published new information about foreign equipment Russia uses to manufacture guided bomb modules, missiles and artillery ammunition.

The data comes from participants in an international OSINT hackathon organized to mark the first anniversary of the War&Sanctions portal.

Teams and independent investigators from Ukraine and abroad identified Okuma machining centers from Japan and Hision equipment from China on the production line for universal planning and correction modules for aerial bombs at Russia's Tactical Missile Armament Corporation, according to GUR.

Researchers also discovered that JSC Central Research Institute Burevestnik manufactures stabilizers for mortar rounds using a Performa vertical machining center made by Taiwan's AKIRA SEIKI.

The investigation identified Russian companies that supplied Chinese KEDE and WMT machine tools, as well as Taiwanese ECOM VL-12i milling centers, to the Votkinsk Plant after the full-scale invasion began. The Votkinsk facility produces Iskander missiles and the recently deployed Oreshnik system.

"The obtained data is already being used to form sanctions initiatives and limit the production capacity of the Russian military-industrial complex," GUR stated.

Ukraine's intelligence services have previously documented foreign components in Russian weapons systems. HUR recently released a diagram of Russia's Orion drone and data on 43 enterprises involved in its production. Earlier, the intelligence directorate published information on 68 foreign components in missiles and drones that Russia uses against Ukraine.

The Russian army attacked energy infrastructure in Kharkiv, Sumy, Chernihiv, Odesa, and Donetsk oblasts, the Ministry of Energy reports.

Repair and restoration work is ongoing at the damaged energy facilities, according to the ministry.

The ministry said that hourly blackout schedules and capacity limitation schedules for industrial consumers and businesses are being applied from 00:00 to 23:59 in most oblasts of Ukraine today.

"Current schedules are posted on the official resources of regional distribution system operators. Learn about changes in energy supply on the pages of your region's oblenergo," the ministry emphasized.

The Ministry of Energy called on consumers to use electricity rationally throughout the day, especially during peak consumption hours in the morning and evening. This helps reduce the load on the system.

On 17 November, energy consumption restriction measures will be applied in most regions of Ukraine, with hourly blackout schedules ranging from 1 to 4 stages in effect throughout the entire day.

Germany maintains its confidence in Ukraine following a major corruption scandal in the country's energy sector, according to German government spokesman Stefan Kornelius in comments to DW

"The federal government will now very closely monitor developments," Kornelius said on 12 November. "We are in the closest confidential contact with the President [of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy and continue to be at his side, especially in such situations. Now we will observe the development in this particular case. And, if necessary, we may have to take measures in this matter as well."

The spokesman was responding to questions about whether the scandal would lead Germany to tighten control over how Ukraine uses aid.

"At this moment we have confidence in the government of Ukraine that it will take care of resolving this issue itself, as well as in anti-corruption bodies - that they will solve this case and bring it to a logical conclusion," Kornelius emphasized.

He added that corruption is not on the agenda for German-Ukrainian intergovernmental consultations scheduled later this year, and its discussion is not planned.

Finland previously reported that the corruption scandal in Ukraine's government would not negatively impact the European Union's plans to provide financial assistance to Kyiv.

The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) announced on 10 November an investigation into a large-scale corruption scheme at the National Nuclear Energy Generating Company "Energoatom," codenamed "Midas." Businessman Tymur Mindich, co-owner of Kvartal-95 and former partner of President Zelenskyy, was identified as the scheme's organizer. The prosecution stated that Mindich exerted influence on former Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko and former Defense Minister Rustem Umerov.

On the morning of 12 November, Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko announced that Halushchenko, now serving as Justice Minister, had been suspended following the NABU investigation.

Suspects in the case include a businessman described as the head of a criminal organization, a former advisor to Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko, the executive director for physical protection and security at Energoatom, and four individuals involved in the back office for money laundering. Former Deputy Prime Minister and ex-Minister of National Unity Oleksiy Chernyshov also received suspicion.

Two government members will be dismissed in the near future - Energy Minister Svitlana Hrynchuk and Justice Minister Herman Halushchenko.

Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha discussed the corruption scandal with international partners during a meeting in Canada with counterparts from France (Jean-Noël Barrot), Germany (Johann Wadephul), Italy (Antonio Tajani), and the EU (Kaja Kallas).

"I informed our partners about the situation on the battlefield, efforts to achieve peace and the fight against corruption. I confirmed that those involved in corruption schemes will be held accountable - this is the firm position of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and our government," Sybiha wrote on X following the talks.

Russian negotiators came to peace talks in Istanbul with detailed dossiers on every member of Ukraine's delegation and proposed creating WhatsApp groups to simulate progress rather than discuss substantive peace terms, according to Ukraine's Deputy Foreign Minister Sergiy Kyslytsya.

In an interview with The Times, Kyslytsya described three rounds of negotiations held on 16 May, 2 June, and 23 July in the Turkish city, where Russia's lead negotiator Vladimir Medinsky opened discussions with a lecture denying Ukraine's separate identity.

"He had the entire line-up of Ukrainian defence ministers, generals and diplomats, and still they deny your identity, your nationality," Kyslytsya said.

The Ukrainian delegation had anticipated this approach and agreed beforehand to avoid engaging with historical arguments, he explained.

"They know very well the background of every one of us and sometimes they do say provocative things and quite nasty," the diplomat told The Times. The tactic was designed to distract Ukrainian negotiators and create grounds to blame them for derailing talks.

Medinsky concluded his opening remarks by stating "we, the Russians are killing Russians," Kyslytsya recalled. The Ukrainian team let Russian negotiators speak as long as they wanted before attempting to move to their agenda.

Russian representatives repeatedly refused to discuss concrete proposals, instead offering to establish working groups and messaging channels that could create an illusion of diplomatic momentum, according to Kyslytsya.

"You have to put your arguments on the desk too, then the other side also puts their arguments on the desk. Then you try to figure out, where is the common ground? What is a grey zone? Where is the batch of the arguments that are totally unacceptable? We never reached that point," he said.

The only ceasefire proposal Russia's delegation would consider was a two-hour truce to collect bodies from battlefields. All other discussions of temporary cessations of hostilities were rejected.

Kyslytsya explained that Russian negotiators operated under rigid mandates from the Kremlin. "In a dictatorship, you can't have creative discussions with negotiation teams representing the dictator. They come with a very rigid mandate and they have to defend whatever positions they were given," he said. "So in the Russian system, you have to deal directly with the dictator."

The deputy foreign minister, who was appointed by President Zelenskyy to oversee Ukraine's peace process with Russia and Western allies, said talks aimed to deceive American officials into believing negotiations were progressing to avoid punitive measures.

Before the Trump administration imposed sanctions on Russian oil companies Rosneft and Lukoil on 22 October, Kyiv worked to demonstrate Russian deception to Washington. Kyslytsya said he had confronted Trump's negotiator Steve Witkoff about accepting Kremlin rhetoric at face value.

"I told him at one of the meetings, you know, Mr Witkoff, your problem is that you are too American. Americans, overall are very direct, they hear what you say and they say what you want heard. While the eastern European and Byzantine attitude is very ornate and very difficult, full of hints and references," Kyslytsya recounted. "Witkoff was really buying at face value what the Russians were telling him."

Kyslytsya was in the room when Trump met with Zelenskyy a week before the sanctions announcement and had lobbied Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on economic cooperation, including proposals to use Ukraine's underground gas storage network for American liquefied natural gas destined for Europe.

The Istanbul talks have since been abandoned. Kyslytsya said Ukraine's focus has shifted to pressuring international partners to force Putin into direct negotiations with Zelenskyy.

Over 20,000 customers in Belgorod and the surrounding oblast lost electricity on the evening of 8 November, following reports of missile danger, according to Russian governor Vyacheslav Gladkov.

The Belgorod Oblast declared a missile alert at approximately 6:10 pm, which was lifted at 6:23 pm. Gladkov claimed air defense systems were activated over the region and that "targets were shot down," with no reported casualties.

In Belgorod itself, several garages caught fire, Gladkov said. Power outages affected multiple streets in the city. The village of Dubove in Belgorod district was also partially left without electricity.

"Emergency services are working on site to restore power supply," the governor said.

The Telegram channel ASTRA reports that the "Luch" thermal power plant in Belgorod likely came under attack.

Earlier on 8 November, Russian authorities reported a strike on energy infrastructure in Volgograd Oblast, which left four districts without power.

Meanwhile, Kyiv has been experiencing its own power outages, with the Ukrainian capital facing electricity supply disruptions.