Aftermath of Russian missile strike on Ukraine mail depot that killed six
An ex-Russian officer has said Vladimir Putin’s forces are ‘deteriorating’ in Ukraine as the Crimea was hit by up to 17 drones.
Igor Girkin, an imprisoned Russian nationalist, said Putin’s forces would be “even less capable of offensive operations than they are now” by spring 2024, according to the Institute for the Study of War.
In a letter published by his wife, Girkin claimed that the situation for Russian forces was “gradually deteriorating” and that Russian forces were showcasing “growing weakness compared to Ukraine’s capabilities.”
He added that the Avdiivka offensive, where thousands of troops are said to have died, demonstrated the Russian Army’s inability “to achieve superiority on a very narrow sector of the front”, the ISW said.
It comes as Ukraine launched up to 17 drone attacks on Crimea and the Black Sea, which Russia destroyed and intercepeted, according to the Russian defence ministry.
Nine drones were destroyed by air defence systems and eight were intercepted by electronic warfare, it added. Explosions were heard near the towns of Novofedorivka and Saky, a Russian air base on the peninsula, just after 4am, according to local reports.
Putin faces ‘tough choice’ between Iran and Israel if he is to preserve his regime, expert says
Moscow’s continuing war in Ukraine will test its relationship with both Iran and Israel, according to Kimberly Kagan, the president for the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) think-tank.
Athena Stavrou8 November 2023 04:00
Zelensky cancels Israel visit over leaked plans
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky cancelled a planned visit to Israel today after news of his apparent trip was leaked to Israeli media over the weekend, according to reports.
Israeli newspaper The Times of Israel cited diplomatic sources as saying the Ukrainian president was still due to visit the country, but no date had been set.
“If President Zelensky comes, he will be welcomed with open arms,” an Israeli official was reported as saying. A Ukrainian diplomat previously told The Times that Mr Zelenskyy was “very disappointed” by the leak.
Athena Stavrou8 November 2023 03:00
Mapped: Tracking Ukraine’s frontline
As fierce fighting ensued across much of eastern and southern Ukraine, Maryam Zakir-Hussain maps out where Ukraine’s frontline currently stands:
Athena Stavrou8 November 2023 02:00
Zelensky says Israel-Gaza war is ‘taking away focus’ from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has admitted that the war in Israel and Gaza is “taking away the focus” from Russia’s full-scale invasion as he denied suggestions that the conflict in eastern Europe had reached a stalemate.
Speaking at a briefing in Kyiv on Saturday alongside European commission president Ursula von der Leyen, Mr Zelensky said Russia wanted the focus on Ukraine to be “weakened” but added that “everything is [still] in our power”.
Mr Zelensky has offered to visit Israel, though he has admitted it is “difficult” because it depends on “what’s happening on the battlefield” in Ukraine, which he said remains “hot”.
My colleague Tom Watling has more here:
Athena Stavrou8 November 2023 00:45
Nato suspends key Cold War-era armed forces treaty after Russia withdraws
Nato has announced the formal suspension of a key Cold War-era armed forces treaty in the wake of Russia withdrawing from the deal.
The alliance said that members who signed the Treaty of Conventional Armed Forces in Europe are now freezing their participation in the pact.
Athena Stavrou7 November 2023 23:30
US suspends exports of three companies over Russia sales
The U.S. Department of Commerce on Tuesday issued an order temporarily suspending the exports of three companies accused of sending electronics to Russia in aid of that nation’s war effort, the department said.
Details of which companies have been suspended have not been released yet.
Athena Stavrou7 November 2023 22:30
Zelensky rules out elections next year
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has ruled out holding a presidential vote in the spring and urged his countrymen to avoid political divides, saying they must concentrate all resources on fighting Russia.
Mr Zelensky, who was elected for a five-year term in March 2019, had previously avoided definitive statements on the question. His associates had said he was pondering various possibilities.
“Now, in wartime, when there are so many challenges, it is absolutely irresponsible to throw the topic of elections into society in a light-hearted and playful way,” he said, adding that “the waves of any politically divisive things must stop”.
“We must realise that now is the time of defence, the time of the battle that determines the fate of the state and people, not the time of manipulations, which only Russia expects from Ukraine,” he said.
“I believe that now is not the right time for elections.”
Ukrainian legislation bans elections during martial law which has been in place since Russia launched its invasion in February 2022.
The country would need to amend the law if it decided to hold the vote.
Athena Stavrou7 November 2023 21:30
US Senate Democrats block Republican bid to aid Israel, not Ukraine
On Tuesday, US Senate Democrats blocked a Republican effort to win quick approval for a bill that provides emergency aid to Israel but no assistance to Ukraine.
The original bill passed through the House of Representatives last week.
Republican Senator Roger Marshall said: “Time is of the essence and it’s imperative that the Senate not delay delivering this crucial aid to Israel another day,” he said.
Democrats objected, stressing the importance of providing aid to Ukraine as well as Israel, in addition to humanitarian aid, border security funding and money to push back against China in the Indo-Pacific that was in a $106 billion funding request President Joe Biden sent to Congress last month.
Athena Stavrou7 November 2023 20:30
Mapped: Tracking Ukraine’s frontline
As fierce fighting ensued across much of eastern and southern Ukraine, Maryam Zakir-Hussain maps out where Ukraine’s frontline currently stands:
Athena Stavrou7 November 2023 19:30
Ukraine deploys new air defences ahead of winter bombardment
Ukraine has deployed new western air defence systems as it braces for a second winter of Russian attacks on its energy grid.
President Volodymyr Zelensky hailed the deployment of additional Nasams mobile surface-to-air missile launchers.
“I received reports on the receipt of ammunition, hardware and equipment over the past day,” he said on social media
“Additional Nasams systems from partners have been put on combat duty. Timely reinforcement of our air defence before winter.”
Athena Stavrou7 November 2023 18:30