Sunday, November 19

Russia’s war against Ukraine

A monument to Russian writer Alexander Pushkin doused with red paint in Dumskaya Square, Odesa. Local artist Yaroslav Voitsekhovskyi, who painted the statue, said it is illogical to have a monument to a Russian in a Ukrainian city during the war. (Viacheslav Onyshchenko/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

Partial blackout reported in Odesa Oblast following Russian attack. Russian attacks caused a blackout for around 2,000 families in Odesa Oblast, the DTEK energy company reported on Nov. 18.

Military: Russia prepares another Avdiivka offensive. Russian forces intensified ground attacks against Avdiivka and surrounding settlements in early October, in an attempt to encircle the town. The campaign has been supported by heavy shelling and air strikes, which continue to inflict casualties among civilian residents.

Military intelligence denies Russia’s claim that Ukrainian pilot defected. Earlier the same day, Russian state-run news agency TASS claimed that a Ukrainian Ka-52 helicopter pilot named Oleksiy Voyevoda supposedly flew over into Russian territory.

Ukrainian government delivers 2,000 drones to front lines. Digital Transformation Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said that Ukrainian drones took out 39 tanks, 57 heavy weapons, and 34 armored vehicles in the span of last week.

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Media: Convicted Russian war criminal Girkin announces intention to run for president. However, it would be impossible for Igor Girkin to be registered as a candidate in the March 17, 2024 presidential election without the Kremlin’s approval, according to independent observers. Candidates in Russian elections are vetted by the Kremlin beforehand, and voting is heavily rigged.

Governor: 12 children remain in embattled Kupiansk community in Kharkiv Oblast. A dozen children remain in the embattled Kupiansk community of Kharkiv Oblast, while 283 were evacuated, Governor Oleh Syniehubov reported on Nov. 18.

Russian doctors demand release of imprisoned anti-war artist. “Apart from our outrage over the obvious injustice of the verdict, we, as a medical community, are deeply concerned about Sasha’s health,” doctors said in an open letter.

Drone shot down over Moscow, mayor claims. The Russian Defense Ministry claimed that the drone was intercepted above the Bogorodskoye municipal district at 1 a.m. local time.

Read our exclusives

Bulgaria’s Soviet stockpiles and large defense industry may be key to Ukraine’s success

The new coalition government elected in June is now shifting Bulgaria towards Kyiv and the West. Sofia has been quietly shipping ammunition to Kyiv since 2022, but the most recent pledge of 100 armored vehicles was the first package to be announced publicly.

Photo: Borislav Troshev/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

Human cost of war

Governor: Russian attacks kill 1, injure 3 in Kherson Oblast. Governor Oleksandr Prukudin said Russian forces fired 577 rounds using artillery, mortars, tanks, grenade launchers, drones, and jets. Kherson, the regional capital, was attacked 26 times, according to the report.

Media: Another Georgian volunteer fighter killed in Ukraine. Nika Gelenidze, a 31-year-old Georgian volunteer fighter in the Ukrainian military, has been killed, Georgian media outlet Sova News reported on Nov. 18.

Russia shells 11 communities in Sumy Oblast, injuring 2. Artillery attacks in the settlement of Znob-Novhorodske left two residents wounded. No additional information was provided on the status of the victims.

2 civilians wounded in Russian shelling of Kherson Oblast. Russian shelling in Ukraine’s southern Kherson Oblast wounded two people, including a volunteer, on Nov. 18, local authorities reported.

General Staff: Russia has lost 317,380 troops in Ukraine. The military also said that Russia has lost 5,422 tanks, 10,141 armored fighting vehicles, 10,091 vehicles and fuel tanks, 7,726 artillery systems, 896 multiple launch rocket systems, 586 air defense systems, 323 airplanes, 324 helicopters, 5,726 drones, 22 ships and boats, and one submarine.

International response

EU mulls plan to ban sale of oil tankers to Russia. Any sales of tankers to a third country would include clauses forbidding the subsequent resale of ships to Russia or freighting Russian oil products in defiance of Western price caps, such as $60 per barrel of crude.

Media: Kazakhstan blocks Russian TV portal. Kazakh authorities have blocked Russia’s Sputnik24 service, which broadcasts Russian state-controlled television channels in Kazakhstan, Kazakh media outlet Arbat Media reported on Nov. 18.

Orban rails against Ukraine, says Kyiv is ‘light years’ away from EU membership. At a Nov. 18 meeting of the Fidesz party, Hungary’s Viktor Orban focused part of his speech on the EU, railing against the “machinations of Brussels bureaucrats,” the “invasion of migrants,” “gender propaganda,” “the illusions of war” and “Ukraine’s ill-prepared membership in the EU.”

This Week in Ukraine Ep. 34 – What’s wrong with Hungary?

In other news

Ukrainian athlete wins gold medals at World Junior Championships. Svitnala Samuliak, a Ukrainian athlete, won three gold medals at the World Junior Championships in Mexico’s Guadalajara Weightlifting Forum. Samuliak, 20, won medals in the women’s weightlifting 59 kilograms category.

Ukrainska Pravda journalist Tkach assaulted while filming. Journalist Mykhailo Tkach from online newspaper Ukrainska Pravda said on Nov. 18 that he had been assaulted by a security guard while shooting video near a restaurant late on the previous day, Ukrainska Pravda reported.

Armenian PM warns of threat of military aggression from Azerbaijan. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said Azerbaijan may be preparing for military aggression against his country as the term “Western Azerbaijan,” has become increasingly popular in public discourse in Azerbaijan.

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Today’s Ukraine Daily was brought to you by Oleksiy Sorokin, Alexander Khrebet, Francis Farrell, Daria Shulzhenko, Igor Kossov, Nate Ostiller, Alexander Query, Dmytro Basmat, and Abbey Fenbert.

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