Key developments on Nov.2-3:
- Ukraine facing one of Russia's 'most powerful' offensives since start of all-out war, Syrskyi says
- North Korean soldiers sent to Ukrainian border equipped with standard infantry weapons, military intelligence says
- Locations of Ukrainian weapons systems revealed on Google Maps, official says
- Russia launched around 900 bombs, 500 Shahed drones and 30 missiles at Ukraine over past week, Zelensky says
- Ukraine to produce anti-drone missiles with Belgian manufacturer
Ukrainian troops are holding back one of Russia's "most powerful" offensives since the start of Moscow's full-scale war, Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said on Nov. 2.
Throughout 2024, Ukraine has faced a challenging situation in its defense of the front line, particularly in Donetsk Oblast, where Russia has consistently concentrated its offensive potential.
After a meeting with a delegation of the Czech Armed Forces, Syrskyi described the situation on the battlefield as difficult.
"Active hostilities that continue in certain areas require constant renewal of the resources of Ukrainian units," he said.
Since the beginning of the day, 126 clashes between Ukrainian and Russian forces have taken place along the front line, Ukraine's General Staff said in its latest update on Nov. 2.
Russia continues to press forward on its offensives across the eastern front, primarily on the Toretsk, Kurakhove, and Pokrovsk axes in Donetsk Oblast, where outnumbered and outgunned Ukrainian soldiers are forced to withdraw little by little.
In recent weeks, the Ukrainian military warned that Russia is escalating its operations in southern Zaporizhzhia Oblast.
In Kharkiv Oblast, Ukrainian forces liberated and "cleared out" in mid-October the village of Kruhliakivka, which Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR) described as important for the defense of Kupiansk.
In the meantime, Russian troops are reportedly attempting to establish crossings near the Oskil River to advance toward the city of Kupiansk.
The reports came as Russia is planning to involve North Korean troops to aid its war effort, with more than 7,000 soldiers deployed near the Ukrainian border.
In a recent interview, President Volodymyr Zelensky blasted Ukraine's partners "zero" response to deployment of North Korean troops for the war in Ukraine. He said that if Kyiv had permission to use Western long-range weapons on Russian territory, it could preemptively target "every camp" where North Korean troops are gathering.
Kateryna Hodunova
North Korean soldiers sent to Ukrainian border equipped with standard infantry weapons, military intelligence says
Russia has armed North Korean troops deployed near the border with Ukraine with infantry weapons, Ukraine's military intelligence agency (HUR) reported on Nov. 2.
According to HUR, North Korean soldiers received 60-mm mortars, AK-12 rifles, machine guns, sniper rifles, Feniks anti-tank guided missiles, and hand-held anti-tank grenade launchers.
They also reportedly received some night vision devices, thermal imagers, collimator sights, and binoculars.
According to the Financial Times, Ukrainian intelligence officials are skeptical regarding the combat effectiveness of the North Korean troops, citing communication issues with their Russian counterparts as the main hurdle Moscow and Pyongyang will have to bridge.
Russia deployed more than 7,000 North Korean troops from Russia's Primorsky Krai to the Ukrainian border, the agency said.
These numbers almost coincide with those of Washington's announced earlier this week. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that some 8,000 North Korean troops are amassed in Russia's Kursk Oblast, where Ukraine began a cross-border incursion in August and still holds significant swathes of territory.
North Korea has sent nearly 12,000 troops to Russia, including 500 officers and three generals, HUR reported. Soldiers are reportedly currently undergoing training at five military camps in the Russian Far East.
North Korea's entry into the war comes when Russia's long and grinding campaign in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk Oblast has dramatically gained pace in recent days. Analysts say Russian forces are advancing at a pace not seen since the early months of the war.
Martin Fornusek
Locations of Ukrainian weapons systems revealed on Google Maps, official says
Locations of Ukrainian weapons systems were shown in recently updated images on Google's free online map, Google Maps, Andrii Kovalenko, the head of the counter-disinformation department at Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council, reported on Nov. 3.
After "a public reaction," Google representatives contacted the Ukrainian side, and the company is already working on fixing the issue, Kovalenko said in a later update on social media.
The official previously complained that his department had been trying to reach the U.S.-based corporation Google to fix the problem quickly but did not receive an immediate response.
"In the future, we will also talk about how to solve any (similar) problems quickly," Kovalenko added in the later post.
He also said that "the Russians are already actively sharing these pictures" without revealing any further details about the images' content.
Kateryna Denisova
Russia launched around 900 bombs, 500 Shahed drones and 30 missiles at Ukraine over past week, Zelensky says
Russia attacked Ukraine with over 900 bombs, almost 500 Shahed drones, and around 30 missiles over the past week, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on the morning of Nov. 3.
Most of these strikes targeted civilian facilities and critical infrastructure, according to Zelensky.
Zelensky said via his Telegram channel that such attacks would be "impossible" if allies provided Ukraine with sufficient long-range striking capabilities, imposed "truly effective sanctions" against Russia that would prevent it from importing critical components for the production of drones and missiles, and make political decisions "that can destroy Russia's will to fight."
"Ukraine deserves the same reliable security as all our other partners in the free world," the Ukrainian president concluded.
Russian attacks against Ukraine killed three people and wounded another 24, as well as destroyed and damaged multiple homes and infrastructure facilities in the past day, regional authorities reported on Nov. 3.
Dmytro Basmat
Ukraine to produce anti-drone missiles with Belgian manufacturer
The Thales Belgium manufacturer agreed with the Ukrainian defense industry on a joint production of missiles to counter drones, Strategic Industries Minister Herman Smetanin said on Nov. 2.
"This cooperation will strengthen the Ukrainian defense industry and the protection of critical infrastructure from enemy drones," Smetanin said.
In recent months, Russia has ramped up drone strikes, while reducing its use of more powerful and harder-to-intercept cruise and ballistic missiles.
More than 2,000 strike drones were launched against Ukraine during October, the General Staff reported on Nov. 1, which breaks the previous record set in September by nearly 700.
The two companies signed a memorandum of cooperation. The work between Kyiv and Brussels is expected to expand to technology transfer and production of missile components in the future, the minister added.
Thales is reportedly the only company worldwide developing, manufacturing and supplying a complete rocket system, including fire control systems, weapons and ammunition. It is specialized in the field of air-to-ground 70mm rocket systems.
Kateryna Denisova
