The situation as of 8:00 a.m. on November 7, 2022
OPERATIONAL SITUATION
By sending mobilized soldiers to the frontline, the Russian military command is trying to stabilize the situation in the south and conducts attacks in several directions in Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
Forced deportation of civilians is underway in the temporarily occupied territories of Kherson region. Amid reports of a possible retreat of Russian troops from the bridgehead on the right bank of the Dnipro river, numerous cases of looting have been recorded in Kherson.
As of the evening of November 6, more than 4.5 million consumers were disconnected from the power grid in Ukraine, most of them in Kyiv and the region. Kyiv Mayor Vitalii Klychko does not rule out that the capital may be completely left without electricity, water and communication due to Russian missile attacks. Local authorities are preparing for a possible blackout.
IAEA experts have completed an inspection at three Ukrainian nuclear power facilities, finding no indications of undeclared nuclear activities or materials. The inspection was carried out at the request of the Ukrainian authorities following the Russian Federation’s allegations that a “dirty bomb” had been created in Ukraine.
Luhansk direction
The front line in Luhansk region remains unchanged. According to the head of the Luhansk Regional Military Administration Serhii Haidai, Russian troops are trying to break through the defense of the Ukrainian Armed Forces near Svatove and Kreminna, regardless of losses. They are also trying to regain the lost positions between Lysychansk and Siversk.
Donetsk direction
Russian troops continue attempts to break through the Ukrainian defense line in the areas of Bakhmut and Avdiivka. In addition, they are trying to surround Ukrainian units in the area of Vuhledar.
Russian troops carry on intensive shelling and strikes with the use of kamikaze drones, in particular in the area of Pokrovsk, which result in destruction of civilian infrastructure and civilian casualties. During November 3–6, at least 13 civilians were killed and 30 people were injured in Donetsk region.
Zaporizhzhia direction
On November 4, Russian troops attacked settlements of Zaporizhzhia region with S-300 missiles. Another strike on the city of Zaporizhzhia was carried out on the night of November 6; at least 1 person was killed as a result. In return, the Ukrainian Armed Forces struck several times at the headquarters and locations of the Russian military in the temporarily occupied territories of Zaporizhzhia region.
Kherson direction
Russian armed forces have withdrawn the occupation administration from Kherson and are withdrawing the most combat-ready units from the bridgehead on the right bank. Instead, new formations staffed with mobilized military are being sent to this direction. This shows the readiness of the Russian command to fight for positions around Kherson.
Russian troops continue missile attacks on Mykolaiv. On the night of November 4, the city was shelled with “S-300” missiles. As a result, the warehouse infrastructure was destroyed and a number of administrative buildings were damaged.
On the night of November 4, the Ukrainian Armed Forces hit the location of Russian troops and equipment in one of the hotel complexes in Oleshky (Kherson region). On November 5, Ukrainian troops continued to strike at enemy crossings and positions.
Shelling of Ukrainian territory
Russian troops continue systematic shelling of Nikopol and Marhanets in Dnipropetrovsk region with heavy artillery.
The shelling of the territory of Kharkiv region is ongoing. The threat of mines also remains urgent. At least 3 people were injured by shells in the region in recent days.
Border areas of Chernihiv and Sumy regions continue to be shelled with mortars, artillery and small arms from the territory of the Russian Federation. As a result of the attacks in Sumy region on November 6, 1 person was killed and 1 more was wounded.
HUMANITARIAN SITUATION
According to the Office of the Prosecutor General, as of the morning of November 6, the number of children in Ukraine who suffered as a result of the Russian-Ukrainian war increased to 1257 (430 children were killed, 827 were injured). According to the governmental platform Children of War, as of November 6, 10570 children were deported, 260 went missing.
On November 3, another large-scale exchange of prisoners took place. 107 soldiers returned to Ukraine, including 74 defenders of the Azovstal plant in Mariupol. There are 6 officers among the released prisoners, 101 are privates and sergeants.
Forced deportation of the population continues in the temporarily occupied Kherson. Ukrainian human rights organizations report that some of the forcibly deported people were settled in sanatoria near Skadovsk, where there is no heating; other deportees were sent to the Krasnodar region of Russia.
The victims of deportation are the most vulnerable segments of the population. On November 4, the Russian military forcibly deported the inmates of the Dnipro psychoneurological boarding house located near Nova Kakhovka. The Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets also reported about the deportation of children from Oleshky orphanage to Crimea.
A large-scale organized robbery of Kherson city is taking place. Russian military are transferring medical equipment, fire trucks, ambulances and other property to the left bank. They also take cultural values, including archives, paintings and sculptures from art and local history museums. Illegal searches and detentions of civilians remaining in the city continue.
In the liberated territories of Kherson region, Ukrainian law enforcement officers continue to identify and document war crimes committed by representatives of the Russian armed forces. On November 4, 3 bodies with traces of violent death were found in Vysokopillia. In total, the bodies of 868 civilians, including 24 children, were found on the liberated territories in Donetsk, Kharkiv and Kherson regions in recent months.
Details of the investigation of crimes committed by the Russian military in early March 2022 in Bucha near Kyiv have been revealed. It became known about the selection of victims among the local civilian population according to lists prepared in advance by the Russian special services. As you know, during the occupation of the city, Russian troops tortured and killed people who were considered potential threats. The police found almost 40 bodies of Ukrainian citizens on Yablunska Street, where the headquarters of the Russian military was organized.
Mariupol is witnessing intensification of repressive measures by the occupation forces. Russian servicemen have introduced door-to-door raids and searches for Ukrainian symbols and literature, as well as to collect personal data of local residents. They also check residents’ phones for compromising photos, posts in social networks and private correspondence. At the same time, the filtering process does not stop, the total queue for this procedure in the Central district alone reaches 15 thousand people. It is impossible to find a job in the city without a certificate of filtration.
Russia continues to threaten global nuclear safety. Energoatom reported another Russian shelling on November 3, which damaged power lines and substations supplying Zaporizhzhia NPP. The International Atomic Energy Agency says that the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant lost all access to external power supply after this shelling and is receiving backup power from emergency diesel generators. Only on November 5, the power supply to the facility was restored.
The Prosecutor General’s Office indicated that since February 24, Russia has committed 44,869 crimes of aggression and war crimes on the territory of Ukraine. Of these, 43,312 relate to violations of the laws and customs of war, 73 to planning, preparing or unleashing and waging an aggressive war, 39 to propaganda of war, and 1,445 to other crimes.
According to the Ministry of Health, during the eight months of full-scale war in Ukraine, 1100 health care facilities were damaged. Of these, 144 were completely destroyed.
Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine Ruslan Strilets said that since the beginning of the full-scale invasion in Ukraine, more than 2,200 crimes against the environment committed by Russian troops have been recorded. The damage caused has already exceeded €37.4 billion. The Prosecutor’s Office currently conducts procedural guidance in 10 criminal proceedings on the fact of ecocide committed by the armed forces of the Russian Federation. In particular, it is about the damage caused by missile attacks on nuclear power plants; the fact of mass death of birds at the Chornobaivka poultry farm; targeted attacks on oil depots. WWF-Ukraine informed that 20% of Ukrainian protected areas and 3 million hectares of forests have already been affected by the full-scale war.
Resistance
In the morning of November 3, there was an explosion on the territory of an industrial enterprise in the temporarily occupied Melitopol (Zaporizhzhia region), where the headquarters of Russian troops was located.
Russian media reported about the explosion of a power line in Kherson region, which left Kherson and surrounding settlements without electricity on November 6.
ECONOMIC SITUATION
Finance Minister Serhii Marchenko stated that in 2023 there are no plans to finance state budget expenditures by issuing hryvnia. However, this will depend on the receipt of funds from international partners. By the beginning of November, the National Bank of Ukraine had already financed the budget by UAH 340 billion, with a maximum of UAH 400 billion envisaged for 2022.
The National Bank of Ukraine eased a number of currency restrictions to facilitate volunteer activities. It expanded the list of defense goods for their purchase abroad and simplified the conditions for satisfying applications for the purchase of foreign currency for charitable foundations.
POLITICAL AND DIPLOMATIC EVENTS
On November 3-4, a meeting of the G7 Foreign Ministers was held in the German city of Münster. G7 representatives agreed to create a coordination mechanism to help Ukraine restore and protect critical and energy infrastructure. In addition, following the meeting, the G7 countries and Australia decided to establish a fixed maximum price for Russian oil, which will increase market stability and deprive Russia of excess profits from the sale of energy resources.
Strengthening food security remains an important issue in the international arena. According to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, the “grain deal” has reached a new stage, as 10 million tons of agricultural products have been transported through the Black Sea humanitarian corridor.
Ukraine maintains an active political dialogue with partner states. In recent days, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyi has held meetings with President of the Hellenic Republic Katerina Sakellaropoulou and National Security Advisor to the President of the United States Jake Sullivan. The parties discussed cooperation in defense, political, economic and humanitarian spheres, strengthening sanctions pressure on Russia and bringing Russia to justice for war crimes in Ukraine. Volodymyr Zelenskyi thanked Greece for the military assistance, which included BMP-1.
Head of the Office of the President Andrii Yermak met with heads of missions of ten NATO member states who arrived in Ukraine on a working visit. In the course of the negotiations, the parties discussed the support of Ukraine’s Euro-Atlantic aspirations, recommendations on security guarantees and enhancement of combat capability of the Ukrainian army. Also, Minister of Justice of Germany Marco Buschmann visited Kyiv and discussed the plans of cooperation in the sphere of justice and investigation of war crimes of Russia with the Ukrainian authorities.
The President of Ukraine had phone conversations with President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, President of Moldova Maia Sandu and President of Indonesia Joko Widodo. The politicians discussed energy and security challenges, enhanced macro-financial assistance and the importance of the grain initiative in maintaining global food security.
Individual states continue to recognize the current Russian regime as a terrorist one. The Czech Republic became the third European country to adopt a resolution recognizing the terrorist character of the Russian authorities.
The IAEA inspectors have completed inspections at three Ukrainian nuclear power facilities, carried out at the request of the Ukrainian authorities after the Russian Federation’s accusations of the alleged creation of a “dirty bomb” in Ukraine. According to the statement of the Agency Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi, no signs of undeclared nuclear activities and materials were found at any facility. This confirms that Russia’s accusations are groundless and remain part of a deliberate disinformation campaign against Ukraine.
Partner nations stand firm in support of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, providing increasing military assistance to the Ukrainian Armed Forces. On November 4, the United States announced another $400 million security assistance package. The assistance includes funding for the modernization of HAWK air defense missiles to be transferred to Ukraine in the future; provision of M1117 armored vehicles, Phoenix Ghost tactical UAVs, armored river boats, tactical secure communications and surveillance systems; funding for military training and equipment maintenance. The Ministry of Defense of the Netherlands announced the allocation of another aid package worth €120 million to provide Ukraine with heavy military equipment. The Netherlands and the United States will provide 90 modernized and repaired Czech T-72 tanks to Ukraine. The new Italian government plans to approve the sixth military aid package for Ukraine after the Russian full-scale invasion. Bulgarian parliament voted to allow military and technical assistance to Ukraine.
The U.S. creates a group to coordinate military assistance to Ukraine. The group, part of the U.S. European Command, will help streamline training and assistance. The move underscores the Biden administration’s commitment to long-term support for Ukraine.
Due to Russia’s intense shelling of critical infrastructure in Ukraine, the international community has mobilized efforts to stabilize the energy situation in the country. Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal stated that Ukraine has already received 700 generators from international partners, another 900 are expected in the near future. In turn, the EU Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid office reported that 17 EU countries had already joined the assistance to the energy sector of Ukraine. The Government of Switzerland additionally allocated 100 million Swiss francs to support the urgent restoration of energy infrastructure in the framework of the action plan to assist Ukraine in the winter period.
Iran admitted for the first time that it had supplied UAVs to Russia, but allegedly before the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Instead, the U.S. Special Representative for Iran Robert Malley claimed that these statements are not true, as large-scale deliveries were made to Russia in the summer already during the military operations in Ukraine. At the same time, the media continue to record the arrival of cargo planes from Iran to Russia, which may carry additional weapons used by the Russian military in attacks against Ukrainian critical infrastructure.
The information in the digest 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.