The intelligence reports that Russian President Vladimir Putin has given an order to stage a disaster at the Chornobyl nuclear power plant and pin it on Ukraine. The plant, controlled by Russians since Feb. 24, is cut from power and disconnected from the International Atomic Energy Agency’s monitoring systems.
Toma Istomina is the deputy chief editor of the Kyiv Independent. She previously worked for the Kyiv Post from 2017-2021, first as a staff writer, later taking editor roles. For co-founding the Kyiv Independent, Toma was selected as one of the Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe in 2022. She holds a master’s in international broadcasting from Taras Shevchenko University.Read more
"We are recording an increased supply of defense aid packages. The situation with artillery has improved," President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote on Telegram after a meeting of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief's Staff.
"I cannot believe that a guy who is so passionate about his country… would want to kick off his presidency by basically allowing the Soviet Empire to be great again," Boris Johnson said in reference to Trump's "Make America Great Again" motto.
Russia will launch two Iranian satellites, Kowsar and Hodhod, into orbit on Nov. 5 using a Soyuz launcher, Iranian Ambassador to Russia Kazem Jalali said on Nov. 4.
The instructions have been reportedly distributed among Russian troops as Moscow's losses in Ukraine have–according to Kyiv–crossed 700,000 dead and wounded as of Nov. 4.
"Russia’s aggression against Ukraine is an existential threat. The Republic of Korea is best positioned to understand it," Josep Borrell said on X after meeting South Korean Defense Minister Kim Yong Hyun.
"We are countering this brutality with our humanity and support, so that Ukrainians can not only survive the winter, but so that their country can survive," German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said upon arrival.
North Korean soldiers are believed to receive $2,000 per month for their service from Russia, adding up to a total of at least $200 million annually if calculated by 10,000 soldiers, Wi Sung-lac, a member of the South Korean parliamentary intelligence committee, told The Korea Herald.
A new political museum at the same site will open on Feb. 15, 2025, Finnish authorities announced. The museum will reportedly focus on Finnish-Russian relations, including developments in the 21st century.
"This would represent a very dangerous escalation of the war in Ukraine. Everything must be done to avoid any internationalization of this conflict," Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, said on Nov. 3.
An average of 54% of those surveyed said they wanted a Ukrainian win, compared to only 20% who supported Russia. Popular support for Ukraine was strong even in countries that are not traditional allies of Kyiv.
With nearly 99% of votes counted, pro-EU incumbent President Maia Sandu held a 9-point lead over Alexandr Stoianoglo, according to Moldova's election commission.
U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink said on Nov. 3 that the U.S. State Department has funded 800 mobile fire teams in Ukraine, which have shot down over 200 Russian drones since January 2024.
Roman Kostenko, secretary of the parliamentary defense committee, stated on Nov. 2 that in his view it is necessary to mobilize 500,000 citizens, given current battlefield conditions.
Russia launched its latest overnight drone strike on Ukraine, targeting the capital in an attack that lasted over five hours, city officials reported on Nov. 3. Several waves of explosions were heard in Kyiv throughout the night.
Russian troops shelled the village of Bilozerka in Kherson Oblast, wounding a paramedic and an ambulance driver, Governor Oleksandr Prokudin reported on Nov. 3.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said in a radio interview on Nov. 3, as cited by Hungarian news outlet Telex, that if Donald Trump wins the U.S. presidency, "Europe cannot remain pro-war," supposedly referring to EU's defense assistance to Ukraine, which Orban has repeatedly criticized.