News Feed

10:28 AM

Media: Polish PM supports return of permit system for Ukrainian truckers.

The return of the permit system is one of the key demands stemming from the ongoing protest and blockade by Polish truckers, who claim that the liberalization of rules for Ukrainian truckers has undercut their business.

10:20 AM

Russian attacks across Ukraine kill 1, injure at least 15.

Ukraine's Air Force said on Nov. 30 that Russia had launched 20 Shahed-type drones and eight S-300 missiles toward Donetsk Oblast, and that 14 of the drones were shot down by air defenses.

10:09 AM

Russia claims Ukrainian drones attack overnight.

Local Russian Telegram channels also claimed that a group of drones targeted a warehouse of Shahed-type drones in Bryansk at around 6 p.m. local time on Nov. 29.

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.

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Media: Russian soldier working with intelligence defects to Ukrainian forces

by Nate Ostiller September 30, 2023 5:18 PM 2 min read

This audio is created with AI assistance

A Russian soldier who had been working with Ukraine's Military Intelligence (HUR) has defected to Ukrainian forces, the military intelligence said on Sept. 30.

The soldier, Daniil Alfyorov, had been working with Ukrainian intelligence since July and had successfully convinced 11 other Russian soldiers to defect to the Ukrainian side, Andriy Yusov, a HUR spokesman, said.

When it became clear that suspicions had arisen and there was a risk to Alfyorov's life, Ukrainian special forces undertook an operation to evacuate him to Ukrainian-controlled territory, Yusov added.

Alfyorov said that he initially contacted Ukrainian forces via the hotline called "I want to live."

Launched in September 2022 by Ukraine's Main Directorate of Intelligence, the 24-hour hotline helps Russians to willingly surrender themselves or their units to the Ukrainian army. Russians are promised that after surrender, they will be held in compliance with the Geneva Conventions.

A report by Ukraine's Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War found in March 2023 that nearly 10,000 Russians had contacted the hotline.

In Aug. 2023, the hotline marked a significant 70% increase in traffic after a Russian helicopter pilot defected to the Ukrainian side with a fully intact Mi-8 helicopter, and subsequently received the hryvnia equivalent of $500,000 (approximately Hr 18.48 million).

In April 2022, Ukraine's parliament passed a law offering up to $1 million to Russian military personnel who manage to transfer equipment to Ukraine. The size of the reward depends on the type of equipment they hand over.

At the time of this publication, it is unknown what Alfyorov's status is in Ukraine, or what his monetary reward may be.

Author: Nate Ostiller

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