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"We now know for sure that the great fire of the Marywilska shopping centre in Warsaw was caused by arson ordered by the Russian special services," Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on X. "Some of the perpetrators have already been detained, all the others are identified and searched for."

This week, the world watched in anticipation for Russia’s Victory Day parade after President Volodymyr Zelensky commented that he could not guarantee the safety of those attending. Meanwhile, the European Union moves one step forward to banning Russian gas from the European continent. It is also revealed this week that U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has fallen out of step with the White House.

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15 Russian warships destroyed, 12 damaged, Ukraine's navy says

2 min read

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

Since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion, Ukrainian forces have repeatedly struck ships from the Black Sea Fleet, causing what U.K. Armed Forces Minister James Heappey characterized as a "functional defeat" of Russia's naval forces in the Black Sea.

"We can count the ones that have already been taken out of action. These are 15 destroyed and 12 damaged ships. Not all of this is the result of our drones, but they have also caused quite a lot of damage to ships," Pletenchuk said on television.

Pletenchuk also said that Ukraine is now a "driver of this new type of naval warfare," showing "a new level of application of unmanned systems." He also said that Ukraine has a separate drone brigade that uses both surface and underwater unmanned systems for reconnaissance, mine clearance, and strikes.

According to the General Staff's latest report, Russia has lost 22 ships and boats since the beginning of its all-out war against Ukraine.

Earlier in October, the "Pavel Derzhavin," a patrol ship from Russia's Black Sea Fleet, was damaged by an explosion, Pletenchuk told the Ukrainian service of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.

Pletenchuk said he could not discuss more details about the incident nor the extent of the damage but confirmed there had been explosions and subsequent damage.

Ukraine war latest: Zelensky meets new UK Foreign Secretary; death toll of Selydove attack rises to 4
Key developments of Nov. 16: * Zelensky meets new UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron * Death toll of Donetsk Oblast attack rises to 4 * Ukraine’s secret ‘Black Box’ project revealed to be long-range attack drones * Russian attack damages thermal power plant fourth time * Air Force: Ukraine dow…
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Asami Terajima

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Asami Terajima is a reporter at the Kyiv Independent covering Ukrainian military issues, front-line developments, and politics. She is the co-author of the weekly War Notes newsletter. She previously worked as a business reporter for the Kyiv Post focusing on international trade, infrastructure, investment, and energy. Originally from Japan, Terajima moved to Ukraine during childhood and completed her bachelor’s degree in Business Administration in the U.S. She is the winner of the Thomson Reuters Foundation's Kurt Schork Award in International Journalism 2023 (Local Reporter category) and the George Weidenfeld Prize, awarded as part of Germany's Axel Springer Prize 2023. She was also featured in the Media Development Foundation’s “25 under 25: Young and Bold” 2023 list of emerging media makers in Ukraine.

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