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.
Russia has revived barter in its foreign trade for the first time since the 1990s, exchanging goods such as grain and flax seeds for Chinese cars and construction materials in an effort to evade sanctions, Reuters reported Sept. 15.
Regional Governor Ivan Fedorov said the city had sustained at least 10 strikes amid the attack which targeted both homes and "non-residential buildings."
The Kirishi refinery is one of the largest in Russia and has a processing capacity of over 17 million tons of oil per year. A fire broke out at the facility during a Ukrainian drone attack, Leningrad Oblast Governor Alexander Drozdenko claimed.
"Eastern Sentry is not just a new initiative – it is a clear signal: NATO’s borders are inviolable, and the security of our citizens remains a priority," Poland's General Staff wrote on X.
Capturing the city of Kupiansk serves as Russia's main goal in Kharkiv Oblast, operational-strategic command "Dnipro" spokesperson Oleksiy Belsky said on Sept. 15, amid Russia's attempted infiltrations into the key Ukrainian stronghold.
The Polish prime minister said that the drone had been operating near several government buildings in the Polish capital, including the Belweder palace, which serves as one of the official presidential residences as well as a guest house for international dignitaries.
"As I begin my mission as Ukraine's Ambassador to the United States, I carry with me the courage and resilience of our people," Olha Stefanishyna said.
The deal gives the U.S. special access to investment projects in Ukraine, spanning natural resources, related infrastructure, and even defense projects.
The European Union and Ukraine have completed the final screening meetings for Chapter 11 of accession negotiations, focused on "Agriculture and Rural Development."
Ukrainian forces have cleared Russian troops from the village of Pankivka in the Dobropillia sector of Donetsk Oblast, the 1st Azov Corps of the National Guard reported on Sept. 15.
Martin Fornusek
