Author: dmitriy.vasyura@gmail.com

Kurakhove and Pokrovsk fronts remain the most difficult sectors of the front line.

Source: Zelenskyy in his video address on 8 November

Quote: "The Commander-in-Chief delivered a report today. The front line. Kurakhove direction and Pokrovsk direction are the most challenging at the moment. The military command and the brigade command are working to strengthen our positions."

Details: Zelenskyy reported on his participation in the European Political Community summit in Budapest.

Quote: "Ukraine's position has been presented. And overall, the development of European policy for the coming period should be collaborative, coordinated, and directly supportive of our partnership in Europe and the Euro-Atlantic community. Just as global affairs collapse without a strong America, maintaining stability for European nations is simply impossible without a strong Europe. And next week should also bring relevant results – the results in our work with partners."

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The administration of US President Joe Biden has overturned a ban on US military contractors working in Ukraine to maintain and repair equipment given to Ukraine's Armed Forces.

Source: an anonymous US official in a comment to Reuters and CNN, as reported by European Pravda

Details: The White House made a decision on contractor activity in Ukraine in early November, prior to the US presidential election. It will enable the Pentagon to give contracts to American corporations to operate in Ukraine for the first time since Russia's full-scale invasion began in 2022.

According to Reuters, the Biden administration intends to speed up the maintenance and repair of Ukrainian weapons systems.

CNN clarifies that the US contractors will service F-16 aircraft and Patriot air defence systems.

The channel's sources anticipate that there will be several dozen to several hundred American contractors in Ukraine, and that they will be stationed in areas away from the contact line for security purposes.

Until now, American contractors have been unable to come to Ukraine for fear of putting US citizens in danger, and equipment in need of repair was therefore transported to neighbouring countries such as Poland or Romania.

It is worth noting that the easing of the restriction on US Pentagon contractors working in Ukraine was announced in the summer of 2024, but the concept was ultimately abandoned.

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Polish Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz has said that as far as he knows, Donald Trump has not yet made any decisions on Ukraine.

Source: RMF24, a Polish radio station; European Pravda

Details: The Wall Street Journal has reported that to keep his promise to "quickly end the war" in Ukraine, Trump’s circle is apparently considering the idea of freezing the front line as it is now, with a demilitarised zone and a 20-year moratorium on Ukraine's accession to NATO.

"As far as I know, President Trump has not made any decisions or announced any actions related to Ukraine. I would ask you to be very cautious with respect to this information and very cautious when using the information that one of President Trump's advisers or an unnamed member of his circle has proposed some decision or other. In my opinion, there is still a discussion going on," Kosiniak-Kamysz said at a press conference when asked about the WSJ report.

The minister stressed that Trump will not be sworn in until 20 January 2025, and preparations for the new administration to move in are likely to continue until then.

Quote from Kosiniak-Kamysz: "We are ready to cooperate, we are waiting, but today I ask everyone for restraint. Let's stick to declarations, to proposals, to what's on the table, but not speculation. Especially on such a sensitive topic as the war in Ukraine."

The defence minister added that it is important for Poland to have the best possible position in the North Atlantic Alliance.

Quote from Kosiniak-Kamysz: "And we are doing this by spending 4.7% of GDP on defence, building the third-largest army in NATO at the moment after the United States and Türkiye, and increasing our operational forces. These are our tasks today, and if we fulfil them, I think our voice will be significant in our contact with the Trump administration, including on the Ukraine issue. And this is the raison d'être of Poland, this is our strategy."

Background:

• President Volodymyr Zelenskyy himself, congratulating Donald Trump on his election victory, said he appreciated Trump’s commitment to the "peace through strength" approach and expressed his belief that it could help bring a just peace to Ukraine.
• Zelenskyy said after the European Political Community summit that he believes that Trump wants a quick end to the war, but it could mean losses for Ukraine.

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On 8 November, Russians attacked Sumy Oblast 57 times with ballistic missiles, anti-aircraft guns, artillery, and also dropped explosives from drones. Eight people were injured in these attacks.

Source: Sumy Oblast Military Administration; State Emergency Service of Ukraine

Details: Five people were injured in an airstrike in the Krasnopillia hromada. [A hromada is an administrative unit designating a village, several villages, or a town, and their adjacent territories]. Additionally, one apartment building, six houses, a shop, two pharmacies, a school and a secondary school, and three cars were damaged.

Aftermath of the Russian attack on the Krasnopillia hromada.
Photo: State Emergency Service of Ukraine in Sumy Oblast.

Russians fired a ballistic missile at the Sumy hromada. As a result, three civilians were injured, and non-residential premises were damaged.

Quote: "During the day, the Russians fired 57 times at the border areas and settlements of Sumy Oblast. 129 explosions were recorded. The hromadas of Sumy, Khotyn, Yunakiv, Bilopillia, Krasnopillia, Velyka Pysarivka, Nova Sloboda, Putyvl, Shalyhyne, Druzhba, Seredyna-Buda and Znob-Novhorodske were attacked."

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Ukrainian air defence responded to Russian drones in the city of Odesa on the night of 8-9 November.

Source: Oleh Kiper, Head of Odesa Oblast Military Administration, on Telegram; Dumskaya, an Odesa-based local news outlet

Quote from Kiper: "The enemy is attacking the city of Odesa and Odesa district with attack UAVs. Our air defence is responding to the attack. Stay in shelters!"

Details: Local news outlets reported a series of explosions.

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A Russian drone attack on Odesa on the night of 8-9 November has caused significant damage to high-rise buildings, a residential area, office buildings and cars. No casualties have been reported.

Source: Ukrainian public broadcaster Suspilne with reference to local reporters; Odesa City Council; Dumska, an Odesa-based local news outlet

Details: Local media also reported that part of the city had been left without electricity.

Aftermath of the Russian attack on Odesa and the Odesa District Photo: Odesa.Official

Updated: Odesa City Council stated that several high-rise buildings, houses in the residential area, office buildings, warehouses and cars had been damaged in one of Odesa’s districts due to the Russian attack.

Aftermath of the Russian attack on Odesa and the Odesa District Photo: Odesa.Official

As acting Odesa Mayor Oleksandr Filatov noted, this is the third consecutive Shahed drone attack, with drone wreckage damaging a residential complex. Windows and doors were shattered, but there were no injuries.

Aftermath of the Russian attack on Odesa and the Odesa District Photo: Odesa.Official Aftermath of the Russian attack on Odesa and the Odesa District Photo: Odesa.Official Aftermath of the Russian attack on Odesa and the Odesa District Photo: Odesa.Official

Filatov said municipal services will begin work at the sites in the morning and the headquarters will be set up to assist residents whose homes were damaged.

Background: Air defence responded to Russian Shahed drones in Odesa on the night of 8-9 November.

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Russian ruler Vladimir Putin has presented his plan for "a new world order" that envisions a security system without security blocs or alliances.

Source: Institute for the Study of War (ISW)

Details: According to the concept proposed by Putin, the "new world order" should be based on openness among states for cooperation, the absence of universal doctrines, consideration of all countries' interests in global decision-making, the rejection of defensive alliances, justice for all, and sovereign equality.

Analysts argue that such statements by Putin contradict the Kremlin’s actions. Russia is waging an illegal war against Ukraine, destabilising the situation in Moldova and Georgia, and actively cooperating with anti-Western regimes, including North Korea, China, and Iran.

Quote: "Kremlin likely aims to use this rhetoric to distract from and provide plausible deniability against the very real Russian efforts to undermine pro-Western governments and exert its influence internationally, as well as promote the expansion of BRICS and the so-called ‘new Eurasian security architecture’ that the Kremlin has created to oppose NATO."

To quote the ISW’s Key Takeaways on 8 November:

• Russian ruler Vladimir Putin appears to be assuming that US President-elect Donald Trump will defer to the Kremlin's interests and preferences without the Kremlin offering any concessions or benefits in return.
• Putin's proposed "new world order" emphasises an interconnected international system without great powers or security blocs, but the Kremlin's actions contradict and undermine his proposed ideals and principles.
• Putin also acknowledged that Russia is dealing with a serious labour shortage and is largely reliant on migrants to address it.
• Putin doubled down on an existing information operation falsely claiming that Ukraine violated its neutral status in an attempt to justify Russia's illegal and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.
• Putin notably attempted to downplay Russia's burgeoning relationship with North Korea during his 7 November Valdai Club statements, likely in an effort to maintain some semblance of a relationship with South Korea and discourage South Korean support for Ukraine.
• The Kremlin continues to build its relationship with Venezuela as a means of consolidating and expanding its influence in the Western hemisphere.
• The Ukrainian General Staff reported on 8 November that Ukrainian forces recorded 323 cases of Russian forces using ammunition equipped with chemical agents banned by the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) in October 2024 alone.
• Ukrainian forces recently advanced in northern Novoivanovka, Kursk Oblast.
• Russian forces recently advanced south of Chasiv Yar, southeast of Kurakhove, and north of Vuhledar.
• Regional Russian authorities continued to promote the expansion of newly established regional territorial defence formations by highlighting efforts to recruit women.

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Analysts from the DeepState project have reported new Russian advances on the eastern front.

Source: DeepState

Details: DeepState reported on the night of 8-9 November that the Russians have advanced near seven settlements in Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts.

Quote: "The enemy has advanced near Maksymivka, Miasozharivka, Dalnie, Selydove, Petrivka, Bohoiavlenka and Pobieda."

Background:

• The DeepState analytical project reported that the Russian forces had occupied about 490 square kilometres of Ukrainian territory in October, the highest figure for 2024 and for the Russian counter-offensive that has been going on since October 2023.
• On 1 November 2024, Estonian intelligence announced that Russian troops had managed to occupy about 150 square kilometres in Donetsk Oblast over the week before that.
• The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine has recently increased the number of regiments, brigades and divisions and the number of its personnel by almost 100,000. The length of the line of contact has also increased to 1,300 kilometres. Dmytro Lykhovii, spokesperson for the General Staff, explains that the Russian troops have a significant advantage on the line of contact, sometimes up to 5 times.

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The Russian Defence Ministry has claimed that 50 drones have been downed over Russian territory on the night of 8-9 November.

Source: Russian Defence Ministry; Astra Telegram channel

Details: A total of 28 drones were allegedly destroyed over Bryansk Oblast, 12 over Kursk Oblast, 4 over Novgorod Oblast, 2 over Smolensk Oblast, 2 over Tula Oblast, 1 over Oryol Oblast and 1 over Tver Oblast.

Russian media reported that the city of Aleksin in Tula Oblast was attacked. Local residents counted at least 11 drones in the area.

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Russia has lost over 1,600 soldiers killed and wounded, 36 armoured combat vehicles and 23 artillery systems over the past day.

Source: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Facebook

Details: The total combat losses of the Russian forces between 24 February 2022 and 9 November 2024 are estimated to be as follows [figures in parentheses represent the latest losses – ed.]:

• approximately 707,540 (+1,660) military personnel;
• 9,238 (+5) tanks;
• 18,697 (+36) armoured combat vehicles;
• 20,249 (+23) artillery systems;
• 1,245 (+0) multiple-launch rocket systems;
• 996 (+0) air defence systems;
• 369 (+0) fixed-wing aircraft;
• 329 (+0) helicopters;
• 18,575 (+49) tactical and strategic UAVs;
• 2,634 (+3) cruise missiles;
• 28 (+0) ships/boats;
• 1 (+0) submarine;
• 28,561 (+66) vehicles and fuel tankers;
• 3,604 (+2) special vehicles and other equipment.

The information is being confirmed.

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