As the war enters its 618th day, the main developments include:
This is the situation as of Friday, November 3, 2023.
finding
- Russian shelling of the Kherson region in southern Ukraine has killed two people and disrupted power supplies. “A hellish night in Stanislav. There were more than 40 hits in the village,” regional governor Oleksandr Prokudin said on the messaging app Telegram.
- President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Ukrainian forces had repelled a new Russian offensive near the town of Vledal, located between the eastern and southern fronts in eastern Donetsk. President Zelenskiy said the Russian military had suffered “huge losses” with many soldiers killed and wounded.
- Ukrainian military command spokesman Oleksandr Stupun said Russian troops were trying to regroup near the eastern city of Avdiivka and recoup losses before proceeding with an attempt to surround the ruined town. .
- Russia has accused Ukraine of putting Ukraine at risk of nuclear disaster after shooting down nine Ukrainian drones near the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, which Russia has occupied since early March 2022. The drone was shot down near the Russian-controlled city of Enerkhodar. It is inhabited by factory workers. Russia and Ukraine have each accused the other of attacks near power plants.
- Russia also announced that its air defenses shot down five Ukrainian drones over Crimea and one over the Black Sea.
- Russia has jailed two Ukrainian soldiers who fought in the city of Mariupol with longer prison terms as it continues to try dozens of prisoners of war. Russia captured thousands of Ukrainian soldiers after occupying Mariupol last May. Some were sent to Russia, while others were tried in Moscow-backed courts in occupied territory in eastern Ukraine. Under international law, soldiers cannot be prosecuted for fighting for their country.
- Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov rejected comments by Ukrainian military commander Valery Zarzhiny that the war had become a war of attrition, saying it was foolish to think Kiev could defeat Russia.
politics and diplomacy
- The United States has imposed new comprehensive sanctions on individuals and companies for abetting Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine by helping Russia procure dual-use items that can be used in suicide drones and other weapons. was imposed. The latest sanctions include 130 new targets, including China, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
- Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a law withdrawing Russia’s ratification of the landmark Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT). The Russian government insists that the move is in line with the United States and that Russia will not resume nuclear tests unless the United States does so.
- Ukraine has placed Swiss food giant Nestle on its list of “international war supporters” for continuing to do business in Russia. Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Authority said: “Despite the Russian invasion, Nestlé continues to operate in Russia, supplying the invaders with goods and expanding Russia’s production base.”
- Dmitry Medvedev, a former Russian president and current vice-chairman of the Russian Security Council, said that the Russian government considers Poland a “dangerous enemy” for its support of Ukraine, and that if things continue like this, Poland will eventually become a state. He said he could lose his position.
weapons
- The United States will on Friday announce a $425 million military aid package for Ukraine that includes laser-guided weapons to counter drones, Reuters reported, citing two U.S. officials and documents. It’s planned.