“Did the War End?” is the Kyiv Independent’s podcast that brings together three young Ukrainians exploring what it means to be a nation at war, speaking with experts and everyday Ukrainians to help them answer pressing questions. (Illustration: Karolina Gulshani)
Azovstal, a steel plant in now Russian-occupied Mariupol, has become a symbol of Ukraine’s fierce resistance to the Russian invasion. Thousands of Ukrainian fighters defended the plant with little to no resources, refusing to surrender for nearly three months.
In this episode of our podcast “Did the War End?” we hear from John Spencer, a leading expert in urban warfare studies, about what it took for Ukrainian soldiers to defend the plant, despite being drastically outnumbered. We also talk to two family members of Azovstal defenders who are now in Russian captivity about what life was like at the besieged plant.
Eyewitness footage from the scene appears to show flames emanating from the Lukoil-Volgogradneftepererabotka refinery, one of Russia's largest oil refineries with an annual crude oil processing capacity of 15 million metric tons.
In a briefing alongside Witkoff and Kushner after the meeting, Zelensky told reporters that Europe would be represented in the next round of peace talks and that the upcoming Russia-Ukraine prisoner exchange would be the largest swap yet.
Kernel Holding, Ukraine's largest producer and exporter of sunflower oil, said its production sites, equipment, and storage tanks had been damaged by Russian drones.
"Naturally, during the planned meeting with (Trump) at the APEC summit in Shenzhen, we will continue to discuss the full range of issues related to the settlement," Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov claimed.
"When it comes to European security, then the treaties are very concrete. It is (Council President) Antonio Costa, and it is the High Representative and Vice President (Kaja Kallas) who is representing Europe in security matters," Kallas said. French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, however, stopped short of endorsing the Costa-Kallas ticket.
The debris was reportedly found a few hours after Odesa Oblast Governor Oleh Kiper reported a "massive" Russian drone attack on Odesa and its surrounding areas at around noon local time.
The U.K. announced a major new sanctions package targeting Russia's energy and shipping sectors on Nov. 12, with Prime Minister Andy Burnham saying now is the time to "continue to ramp up pressure on Russia to agree a full and immediate ceasefire."
Putin claimed that Russian forces control the town and said Moscow was ready to halt fighting in the area to allow civilians to evacuate. He added that if Ukrainian forces control the town, Kyiv should take similar steps, including demining the area.
The Russian soldiers detained two unarmed local residents in June 2023. The civilians endured ten days of torture in dire conditions, deprived of sufficient food, water, and basic sanitation.
The investigation revealed that the serviceman "attracted the attention" of Russian intelligence while seeking romantic relationships on Telegram dating channels.
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