News Feed

9:20 AM

Telegraph: UK Foreign Secretary urges allies to ramp up arms production for Ukraine.

U.K. Foreign Secretary David Cameron urged NATO members to increase weapons production to boost Ukraine in its fight against Russia, The Telegraph reported on Nov. 29.

9:05 AM

Border guards intercept $880,000 worth of smuggled cigarettes.

The illegal cargo, which originated from an unnamed country in Asia, consisted of more than 400,000 packs of cigarettes.

8:32 AM

Media: Blinken leaves OSCE North Macedonia meeting before Lavrov arrives.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken left the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) meeting in Skopje before the arrival of his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported on Nov. 30.

8:13 AM

General Staff: Russia has lost 328,760 troops in Ukraine.

This number includes 1,180 casualties Russian forces suffered just over the past day.

6:44 AM

ISW: Ukrainian forces advancing on left bank of Dnipro river in Kherson Oblast.

Ukrainian forces made advances on the left bank of the Dnipro river in southern Ukraine’s Kherson Oblast, ISW reported on Nov. 29.

6:15 AM

National Resistance Center: Russia relocated 100,000 Central Asian migrants to Ukraine.

Russia is trying to alter the demographics in occupied regions of Ukraine by relocating 100,000 migrants from Central Asia, a Ukrainian government agency claimed on Nov. 29.

5:57 AM

Bloomberg: Putin’s daughter leads Russia’s Africa initiatives.

Katerina Tikhonova, Russian leader Vladimir Putin’s second daughter, is leading Moscow’s efforts to expand its influence in Africa, Bloomberg reported on Nov. 29.

5:37 AM

Kissinger dies at 100.

Henry Kissinger, widely considered to be the most powerful U.S. national security adviser in American history, died on Nov. 29 in his home state of Connecticut.

4:38 AM

Missile warnings blanket Ukraine as Russia ramps up targeting of energy infrastructure.

Ukraine’s air force on Nov. 30 issued aerial threat warnings for the Vinnytsia, Dnipropetrovsk, Zhytomyr, Cherkasy, Kirovohrad, Mykolaiv, and Kyiv oblasts as Russia doubles down on aerial strikes aimed at crippling the country’s energy infrastructure.

4:10 AM

Russian strikes hit 3 areas in Sumy Oblast.

Russian forces shelled three areas in Sumy Oblast on Nov. 29, the local military administration reported on Telegram.

4:04 AM

Rivne Oblast forestry officials dismissed amid illicit enrichment scandal.

All directors of the Forests of Ukraine state enterprise in Rivne Oblast have been dismissed, amid an illicit enrichment scandal that has rocked the organization, Director General of the Forests of Ukraine confirmed on Nov. 29.

3:26 AM

National Police intensifying efforts to combat domestic violence.

Ukrainian National Police are intensifying their efforts to combat domestic violence amid an increase of reports of gender-based violence, the police service announced on Nov. 29.

3:02 AM

Governor: All families evacuated from 'dangerous areas' of Kharkiv Oblast.

The remaining two families with children living in and around the town of Kupiansk in Kharkiv Oblast have been located and evacuated, Kharkiv's Regional Governor announced on Nov. 29.

2:07 AM

Ukraine adds 600 names to child exploitation registry.

In the first major update since the registry's establishment, Ukraine is moving forward to populate an automated electronic database with information on hundreds of individuals convicted of child sexual exploitation charges, Ukraine's Prosecutor General's office announced on Nov. 29.

1:15 AM

Reuters: Russian oligarch's son wins appeal against sanctions.

Alexander Pumpyansky, the son of Russian oligarch and business tycoon Dmitry Pumpyansky, has won an appeal against sanctions imposed by the European Union, Reuters reported on Nov. 29.

12:11 AM

Oligarchs

Watchdog: One of Kolomoisky's cases likely to be closed due to court ruling

11:52 PM

War update

Ukraine war latest: Russian general, 5 high-ranking officials reportedly killed in Ukraine

11:51 PM

Media: France to finalize bilateral security agreement with Ukraine by start of 2024.

France plans to finalize a bilateral security agreement with Ukraine in the coming months, French Foreign Ministry spokesperson Anne-Claire Legendre said during a press briefing, Reuters reported on Nov. 29.

11:14 PM

Zelensky visits south of Ukraine.

President Volodymyr Zelensky visited civilians and military personnel in Odesa, Kherson, and Mykolaiv oblasts in the south of Ukraine, his official website said on Nov. 29.

10:24 PM

Media: Ukrainian group, SBU hack Russian Labor Ministry database.

A Ukrainian hacker group working with the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) hacked into the website of Russia's Labor Ministry and obtained sensitive data concerning the ongoing invasion of Ukraine, Ukrainska Pravda reported on Nov. 29, citing an unnamed security service source.

9:19 PM

Kuleba meets with Stoltenberg, discusses Euro-Atlantic defense industry.

Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg agree that Euro-Atlantic defense industries need to work together as one system to increase arms supplies, Kuleba said on a visit to the NATO Headquarters in Brussels on Nov. 29.

8:22 PM

Slovakia to extend, expand ban on Ukrainian agricultural products.

The Slovak government plans to extend and expand the ban on Ukrainian agricultural products, according to an Agriculture Ministry proposal that was approved on Nov. 29.

8:20 PM

Ukraine's audit agency says state-owned energy company Centrenergo in 'state of crisis.'

An audit by Ukraine's State Audit Service of the state-owned energy company Centrenergo found a number of financial discrepancies, as well as lengthy and unjustified delays on repair work for damaged energy infrastructure, the agency said on Nov. 29.

7:24 PM

Minister: Microsoft to provide free cloud services to Ukrainian government for another year.

So far, Microsoft has provided Ukraine with $540 million in free services, technical support, equipment, and grants, Digital Transformation Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said.

7:07 PM

Russia charges Ukrainian singer Jamala in absentia for allegedly spreading 'false information' about Russian army.

Jamala was put on a federal wanted list in mid-October and arrested in absentia by a Russian court earlier in November, but at the time, it was unclear for what specifically she was wanted.

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ISW: Russia's Defense Ministry signals support for Chechen units in Ukraine amid interethnic tensions

by Olena Goncharova October 4, 2023 5:49 AM 2 min read

This audio is created with AI assistance

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu expressed gratitude to Chechen Head Ramzan Kadyrov for overseeing the creation of military units in Chechnya during an Oct. 3 conference with Russian military leadership, according to the Institute for the Study of War.

Shoigu claimed that these Chechen units have “proven themselves worthy” in the war in Ukraine and revealed that over 14,500 Russian military personnel received training at the Russian Special Forces University in Gudermes, Chechnya, before being deployed to Ukraine.

Kadyrov claimed on Oct. 2 that more than 30,000 Chechens, including over 14,000 volunteers, have been sent to Ukraine. The ISW notes that this public acknowledgment by Shoigu signals the Russian Defense Ministry's support for these units, which comes amid increasing interethnic tensions and recent controversies in Russia regarding statements about the capabilities of Chechen "Akhmat" forces compared to regular Russian forces.

The Kremlin also publicly indicated its support for Kadyrov’s style of rule in Chechnya following significant public outcry against Kadyrov and his son. On Oct. 2, Ramzan Kadyrov expressed support for appointing his 24-year-old daughter, Aishat Kadyrova, as Deputy Prime Minister for Social Issues in Chechnya, a proposal put forth by Chechen Prime Minister Muslim Khuchiev.

Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov responded to questions about Kadyrova’s appointment by saying that regional appointments are within the prerogative of the regional head, implying support for Kadyrov's decisions.

This follows a controversy involving Kadyrov's praise for his son, Adam Kadyrov, who allegedly beat a detainee accused of burning a Quran. Despite calls for an investigation by members of the Russian Human Rights Council, the ISW says it appears that the Russian government is unlikely to punish individuals involved, including Kadyrov or his son.

Author: Olena Goncharova

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