Situation as of 8:00 a.m. on November 27, 2023
- On the night of November 25, Russian troops carried out the largest attack in recent months on the territory of Ukraine using drones. At the same time, Ukrainian air defense shot down the vast majority of UAVs used – 74 out of 75 drones.
- On November 22, the 17th meeting of the Contact Group on Defense of Ukraine took place within the “Ramstein” format, launching a new coalition of ground-based air defense assets in support of Ukraine.
- During the week, ministers of defense from the USA and Germany, the President of the European Council, and the Presidents of Switzerland, Latvia, and Moldova visited Kyiv. This high level of activity in visits is associated both with Ukraine’s preparation for winter, including on the front lines, and with preparations for the crucial session of the European Council in December, significant for Ukraine’s European integration.
- On November 25, 2023, on the 90th anniversary of the Holodomor, the second international summit of the “Grain from Ukraine” initiative took place in Kyiv, dedicated to global food security.
OPERATIONAL SITUATION
Russian troops continue attacks in the eastern sector of the front – in the Avdiivka and Kupyansk directions. The Ukrainian military is holding the line and at the same time trying to expand their positions on the left bank of the Dnipro River in the Kherson region.
The Armed Forces of Ukraine continue strikes at the temporarily occupied territories and the territory of the Russian Federation. Russian sources reported the downing of Ukrainian drones over the territory of the Oryol and Kursk regions of the Russian Federation, as well as in the temporarily occupied Crimea. They recorded the largest attack on the night of November 26. According to Russian sources, more than 20 UAVs were involved in the attack. A multi-storey building in Tula in the Moscow region was hit. Also, due to the damage of the Starobeshevska TPP, power supply to part of the temporarily occupied territories of the Donetsk region was interrupted.
In addition, it was confirmed that Russian servicemen from the 810th Naval Infantry Brigade were targeted by missile strike on November 19, when they were gathered for a concert in honor of the celebration of the Day of Missile Forces.
Russian troops are actively using kamikaze drones and missile weapons to attack the territory of Ukraine. On the night of November 21, the Ukrainian military shot down 10 out of 11 drones used, as well as 1 missile. On the afternoon of November 21, Russian aircrafts launched missile strikes on the Odesa region. On the night of November 22, 14 UAVs were destroyed in the airspace of Ukraine. On the night of November 25, Russian troops carried out the largest UAV attack in recent months. Ukrainian air defense reported shooting down 74 out of 75 drones used in the attack. The main target of the attack was Kyiv, where the wreckage of downed UAVs damaged buildings in different areas of the city; 5 people were injured as a result of the attack. The next night, the attack was repeated, but on a much smaller scale. The Ukrainian military reported the destruction of 8 out of 9 drones used in the attack.
During the week the losses of civilians in the territory of the frontline regions of Ukraine as a result of the actions of the Russian military amounted to at least: in the Donetsk region – 6 people killed and 10 people wounded; in the Kherson region – 8 people killed and 19 people wounded. In Kharkiv region, 1 person was killed and 1 more civilian was injured. In Dnipropetrovsk region, 1 person was killed and 1 more person was injured.
HUMANITARIAN SITUATION, POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTS
According to Russian media reports, the leader of the Russian party “Fair Russia-Patriots-For Truth,” Sergey Mironov, and his wife have adopted a child abducted from Ukraine. The adoption of deported Ukrainian children in Russia is considered a crime under international law.
The Cabinet of Ministers has dismissed the head of the State Service of Special Communications and Information Protection of Ukraine, Yuriy Shchyhol. The National Anti-Corruption Bureau and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office exposed the leadership of the State Special Communications and Information Protection Service of Ukraine for embezzling over 62 million hryvnias of state funds allocated for the purchase of equipment and software.
The High Anti-Corruption Court has arrested MP Andriy Odarchenko from the “Servant of the People” party. He is suspected of bribery using cryptocurrency to influence the head of the State Agency for Restoration and Development of Infrastructure, Mustafa Nayyem, in exchange for assistance in obtaining funds from the Fund for the Elimination of Consequences of Armed Aggression by the Russian Federation.
President Volodymyr Zelensky has implemented sanctions against a number of Russians and Russian companies, including enterprises related to Russian critical infrastructure.
FOREIGN POLICY AND INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT
On November 25 in Kyiv, on the 90th anniversary of the Holodomor of 1932-1933, the Second International Summit of the Grain from Ukraine initiative took place. The summit aimed to strengthen Ukraine’s role as a guarantor of food security, consolidate efforts to ensure global food security, and develop alternative logistic routes for the export of Ukrainian agricultural products. During the initiative’s existence, 170 thousand tons of Ukrainian grain were delivered to Somalia, Kenya, Ethiopia, and Yemen. The summit resulted in a joint statement supported by 23 countries. Additionally, Ukraine reached agreements with partners to receive military ships to ensure the safety of vessels in the “grain corridor” in the Black Sea.
On November 22, the 17th meeting of the Contact Group on Defense of Ukraine took place within the “Ramstein” format, with the participation of defense leaders from over 50 countries. The meeting led to the formation of a new coalition of ground-based air defense, with the leadership of Germany and France. Within the Maritime Coalition, the UK and Norway agreed to jointly enhance security in the Black Sea. Estonia and Luxembourg provided funding of 10.5 million euros for the activities of the IT Coalition. Lithuania presented plans for military support and a new demining coalition concept.
Germany announced the provision of a new military assistance package to Ukraine, estimated at 1.3 billion euros. The package includes 4 IRIS-T air defense systems, 20 thousand 155mm caliber projectiles, anti-tank mines, and other weaponry. The United States announced additional assistance to Ukraine in the security and defense sector, up to 100 million dollars, including Stinger anti-aircraft missiles, HIMARS system, artillery shells, TOW missiles, Javelin complexes, AT-4, and other ammunition. As part of the new defense assistance package, Lithuania provided 3 million rounds, remote detonation systems, and winter equipment to the Ukrainian Defense Forces. The Bulgarian Parliament ratified an agreement between the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Bulgaria and the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine on the transfer of 100 armored vehicles. According to the economic report of the Canadian government, Canada will allocate over 1.3 billion Canadian dollars (869 million euros) for military assistance to Ukraine by 2026.
The European Union transferred a new tranche of macro-financial assistance to Ukraine, amounting to 1.5 billion euros. Japan will provide 160 million euros to support economic recovery projects in Ukraine.
55 UN member states and the EU delegation signed a Declaration on the occasion of ninetieth anniversary of the Holodomor of 1932-1933, initiated by Ukraine. Currently, 28 state parliaments and 3 international organizations, including the European Parliament and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, recognize the Holodomor as genocide.
The U.S. Department of State imposed sanctions against Russian military personnel involved in war crimes in the Kyiv region (in Bucha and Andriivka).
This week, the President of Ukraine held negotiations with the speakers and representatives of the parliaments of Belgium, Ireland, the Czech Republic, Finland, Poland, and Estonia. Volodymyr Zelenskyy also met with the President of the Swiss Confederation Alain Berset, the President of the Republic of Latvia Edgars Rinkēvičs, the President of the European Council Charles Michel, and the President of Moldova Maia Sandu. He also met with the Minister of Defense of the United States, Lloyd Austin and the Federal Minister of Defense of Germany Boris Pistorius, who visited Ukraine this week. In addition, the Prime Minister of Lithuania, Ingrida Šimonytė, was also in Kyiv for a visit, where she met with her Ukrainian counterpart.President Zelensky also had a phone conversation with the newly elected President of Argentina Javier Milei and the Prime Minister of the Netherlands Mark Rutte. The leaders discussed the restoration of Ukraine’s infrastructure, the implementation of the Ukrainian Peace Formula, strengthening air defense, strategic goals, and the urgent needs of the Ukrainian military, as well as support for sanctions against Russia, and more.
The information in the newsletter is collected from official sources—reports of state authorities of Ukraine, Ukrainian and international news agencies. The accuracy of the data is carefully checked by the project team and corrected in case of fake news.