Russia shells 6 communities in Sumy Oblast

4:26 PM

Parliament adopts bill to strip individuals supporting Russia of state awards.

Ukraine’s parliament adopted a law on Nov. 20 allowing the deprivation of state awards from individuals who spread Russian propaganda or commit other illegal actions against the Ukrainian state.

4:13 PM

Latest strikes on Ukraine’s electricity substations threaten ‘power failure,' Greenpeace warns.

Greenpeace has warned that Ukraine’s power grid faces a "heightened risk of catastrophic failure" after a mass missile and drone attack on Nov. 17 targeted electrical substations essential for nuclear power plants, the Guardian reported on Nov. 20.

4:00 PM

Opinion

Opinion: Europe’s 2% defense benchmark is an illusion, not a solution

4:00 PM

Parliament backs bill to dissolve medical commissions in 1st reading after corruption scandals.

President Volodymyr Zelensky issued a decree in October to liquidate the commissions in the wake of accusations of Ukrainian officials using corrupt schemes to acquire falsified disability certifications.

3:45 PM

Russia's FSB detains German citizen over alleged 'terrorist plot.'

Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) announced on Nov. 20 the detention of German citizen Nikolai Gaiduk, accusing him of planning terrorist attacks on energy infrastructure in the Kaliningrad region.

3:25 PM

Germany delivers new military aid to Ukraine, including howitzers, Gepards.

Germany has handed over ammunition for infantry fighting vehicles Marder, 41,000 rounds 155 mm ammunition, several reconnaissance drones, including Vector, Hornet XR, Golden Eagle, VT-4 Rochen, Songbird, and others.

3:14 PM

Russian officials threaten US over long-range strikes, allude to nuclear doctrine changes.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Nov. 19 that Moscow "will respond accordingly" to Washington's permission for Ukraine to strike Russian soil with U.S. weapons.

8:31 AM  (Updated:  November 20, 2024 2:45 pm)

US Embassy in Kyiv temporarily closes due to 'potential significant' Russian strike on Nov. 20.

"Out of an abundance of caution, the Embassy will be closed, and Embassy employees are being instructed to shelter in place," the statement read.

2:23 PM

Russia strikes humanitarian aid distribution point in Kherson Oblast.

The attack targeted a building where volunteers were distributing bread to residents, officials said. A projectile struck the roof, damaging windows, the facade, and the roof itself. No people were injured.

2:12 PM

Russian forces attack 10 times per day as they push toward Kurakhove, military says.

Russian military conducts up to 10 assaults daily in an attempt to approach the town of Kurakhove in Donetsk Oblast, Oleksandr Nevidomyi, head of the communications department of the 46th separate airmobile brigade, told Suspilne on Nov. 20.

1:24 PM

Carmaker forecasts 30% collapse in Russian car market by 2025.

Sales of new cars and light commercial vehicles in Russia could decline by 21-30% in 2025 if high interest rates persist, Avtovaz CEO Maxim Sokolov said on Nov. 19, according to the state-owned TASS news agency.

1:12 PM

Parliament passes bills on military service, including draft deferral for civilians released from captivity.

The Ukrainian parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, passed several bills on Nov. 20 considering mobilization and demobilization.

12:44 PM

Sweden investigating Chinese ship's possible role in Baltic Sea cable damage, FT reports.

Data from maritime tracking group MarineTraffic shows the Yi Peng 3, traveling from Russia to Egypt, passed near the Swedish-Lithuanian and Finnish-German cables on Nov. 17 and Nov. 18, the dates the cables were damaged.

12:23 PM

'Putin is weaker than US' — Zelensky outlines US role in ending war in Ukraine.

President Volodymyr Zelensky suggested that Ukraine risks losing the war if aid from the new U.S. administration is cut. "Of course, anyway, we will stay, and we will fight. We have production, but it's not enough to prevail. And I think it is not enough to survive."

11:45 AM

North Korean troops in Russia to be led by secrecy-shrouded general close to Kim Jong Un, WSJ reports.

Kim Yong Bok, officially the Deputy Chief of the Army General Staff, is expected to oversee the integration of North Korean troops into Russian forces, gain combat experience, and establish a framework for future deployments, the Wall Street Journal reports.

11:01 AM

Putin open to discussing Ukraine ceasefire with Trump, Reuters reports.

For the first time, five current and former Russian officials outlined to Reuters the Kremlin’s potential terms for a Trump-brokered peace deal.

10:14 AM

Russian attacks against Ukraine kill 2, injure 30 over past day.

In Kherson Oblast, Russia attacked 21 settlements, including the regional center of Kherson. The attacks killed two people and injured 15 others, according to the local military administration.

9:42 AM

Ukrainian drones allegedly strike Russian factories, weapons arsenal.

Belgorod Region Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov confirmed that drone wreckage damaged the premises of an enterprise in the town of Alekseevka on Nov. 19. Media reports identified the facility as an EFKO plant, officially a sauce manufacturer.

9:16 AM

Biden reportedly approves delivery of anti-personnel mines to Ukraine in light of Russian gains in east.

Washington is now concerned about Russia's rapid advance in eastern Ukraine and sees the need to halt it, U.S. officials told the Washington Post.

9:00 AM

No signs Russia is preparing to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine, Pentagon says.

Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh dismissed Russia’s rhetoric surrounding its nuclear policy as a continuation of its behavior over the past two years.

8:16 AM

General Staff: Russia has lost 725,740 troops in Ukraine since Feb. 24, 2022.

This number includes 1,690 casualties Russian forces suffered just over the past day.

8:07 AM

Increasing number of Ukrainians favor peace talks, poll suggests.

As attitudes around potential future peace negotiations continue to shift in Ukraine, 52% of Ukrainians now say that they would like to see their country negotiate an end to the war "as soon as possible," according to a survey published by Gallup on Nov. 19.

5:17 AM

US to announce $275 million military aid package to Ukraine, AP reports.

The new aid package will include HIMARS (High Mobility Artillery Rocket System) ammunition, artillery shells, and Javelin surface-to-air missiles, in addition to a wide range of spare parts and equipment, according to officials.

4:21 AM

Russia behind recent bomb threats at Czech, Slovak schools, Czech intelligence chief says.

Michal Koudelka, the director of the Czech Security Information Service, said on Nov. 18 that Russia was behind a flurry of bomb threats made against schools in Czechia and Slovakia in recent months.

2:24 PM  (Updated:  November 20, 2024 3:21 am)

Ukraine used ATACMS on Russian territory for first time, according to Moscow, media.

If confirmed, this would mark the first instance of Ukraine using U.S.-made long-range missiles on Russian territory since Washington eased the restrictions last week.