Fragments of the Iranian drone Shahed-136 (Russia named Geran 2), displayed in Kyiv on Aug. 24, 2023. (Aleksandr Gusev/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Ukrainian forces shot down 16 of the 18 Shahed "kamikaze" drones and one missile launched by Russia overnight, the Air Force reported on Nov. 16.
Fighter aircraft, anti-aircraft missile units, and units of mobile fire groups were used to down the weapons, the Air Force said.
The Kh-59 missile was downed on the evening of Nov. 15 over Poltava Oblast.
Russia also attacked civilian infrastructure in Kharkiv Oblast with S-300 anti-aircraft missiles, but no victims were reported, according to the Air Force.
Kharkiv Oblast Governor Oleh Syniehubov said that an educational building and a residential building were damaged by a S-300 strike on the city of Chuhuiv at around midnight.
Elsa Court is the audience development manager at the Kyiv Independent. She previously worked as a news editor at the Kyiv Independent and was an intern at the Kyiv Post in 2018. She has a Master’s in Conflict Studies and Human Rights from Utrecht University. Elsa is originally from the UK.
"Every time you are here, General, we can sleep a little more. We would like you to travel to all Ukrainian cities," Zelensky said at the annual Yalta European Strategy meeting.
"(Russian President Vladimir) Putin’s bombardment of Ukrainian civilians, his stalling and delaying in internationally-backed peace talks, and his blatant disregard for human life must end," U.K. Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said.
The Kyiv Independent has been awarded the Online Journalism Award for Innovation in Revenue Strategy for building a sustainable business model during wartime.
"I'm not gonna defend anybody but they were actually knocked down and they fell. But you should not be close to Poland anyway," U.S. President Donald Trump said.
Ukraine is striking oil refineries deep inside Russia — but it’s not really the oil they’re after. The Kyiv Independent’s Dominic Culverwell explains how Ukraine’s drone campaign targets the high-tech equipment Russia cannot easily replace under sanctions.
Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski’s visit came days after the largest Russian drone incursion into Polish airspace during a mass strike on Ukraine, in what Polish officials describe as a "deliberately targeted" strike and provocation.
When asked about the Ukraine-Russia talks, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov replied that communication channels have been established and exist, but as of now, "it’s more accurate to say there is a pause" in dialogue.
According to Russia's Central Bank, current price growth indicators have "remained largely unchanged," while the economy continues to return to a path of "balanced growth."
Primorsk in Leningrad Oblast serves as a key hub for Russia's "shadow fleet" of aging tankers used to avoid sanctions, the source said. Roughly 60 million tons of oil pass through the port every year, bringing Russia roughly $15 billion, the source added.
The Polish Defense Ministry clarified on Sept. 12 that Ukrainian and Polish specialists will practice the use of drones and anti-drone systems only on Polish territory.
The German Army needs an additional 100,000 troops to meet NATO targets and prepare for a possible Russian aggression, Reuters reported on Sept. 11, citing a confidential letter from a top army commander.
When asked by reporters what his reaction was to the incursion, Trump responded: "It could have been a mistake. But regardless, I'm not happy with anything to do with that whole situation."
Martin Fornusek
