Ukrainian soldiers fire artillery on November 2023. (Diego Herrera Carcedo/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Neither Ukraine nor Russia has made substantial progress on the battlefield and as winter begins to set in, there are “few immediate prospects of major changes in the frontline,” the UK Defense Ministry said on X on Nov. 18.
Intense infantry combat continues near Kupiansk in Kharkiv Oblast, in Luhansk Oblast, and near Avdiivka in Donetsk Oblast, as Russian casualties continue to mount.
“Eyewitness reports suggest small uncrewed aerial vehicles and artillery (especially cluster rounds) continue to play a major role in disrupting the attacks of both sides.”
In southern Ukraine, Kyiv has established a bridgehead on the left bank of the Dnipro river in Kherson Oblast.
Lance Luo (Li P. Luo) is a news editor at the Kyiv Independent. Previously, he worked at Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and Hromadske Television in Kyiv. He also spent three years in finance and strategy consulting. Mr. Luo graduated from the University of Southern California and serves as an arbitrator at FINRA.
In a joint statement, representatives of five Security Council members — Denmark, France, Greece, the United Kingdom and Slovenia — along with incoming member Latvia, denounced Russia's invasion of Georgia 17 years ago and its continued military presence in the country's Abkhazia and South Ossetia regions.
Poland's Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz confirmed that the object, which fell into a cornfield near the village of Osiny, was a Russian unmanned aerial vehicle.
The Kyiv Independent spent a day with the 20th Separate UAV Regiment, also known as K-2, which specializes in ground robots, in northern Donetsk Oblast. We also spoke with the regiment's commander, Kyrylo Veres, about how these machines could shape the next phase of warfare in Ukraine, helping to reduce the risk to soldiers amid a growing manpower shortage.
European leaders have accelerated negotiations on security guarantees for Ukraine in recent weeks, responding to President Volodymyr Zelensky's request for binding assurances that Russia will not attack again if a ceasefire is reached.
Ukrposhta, Ukraine's state-owned postal service, is closing its offices in the front-line city of Kostiantynivka in Donetsk Oblast due to the deteriorating security situation, company CEO Ihor Smelyansky announced on Aug. 20.
"Valerii Zaluzhnyi has stated his position more than once, and as far as I know, it has not changed: while the war continues, we need to work to preserve the country, not think about elections," Zaluzhnyi's aide Oksana Torop said.
"Not everyone may remember this, but in 1994, Ukraine already got assurances of territorial integrity from the U.S., Russia, and the U.K. In Budapest," Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin "noted with satisfaction Turkey's assistance in hosting talks between Russian and Ukrainian representatives in Istanbul," the Kremlin reported.
Indian Oil Corp. and Bharat Petroleum Corp. bought several shipments of Russian Urals crude in recent days, with deliveries expected in September and October.
"The call addressed the latest developments concerning the peace process between Ukraine and Russia," Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's office reported.
After the attack, a family with three injured children — aged 5 months, 4 years, and 6 years — sought medical assistance, President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
Martin Fornusek
