Category: War in Ukraine

The head of the OP stated that negotiations are possible when returning to the situation on February 23, 2022. Russia has sent 11,000 North Korean troops to the border and continues to escalate the conflict.

The head of the OP, Andrei Ermak, said that fruitful negotiations with Russia are possible only when all the warring parties have a desire to stop hostilities. In addition, the situation must be returned at least to the state of February 23, 2022. He said this in an article for Dagens Industri, reports UNN.

Yermak said that the implementation of the first three points of Zelensky's victory plan, namely: inviting Ukraine to join NATO, increasing military support without restrictions on the use of weapons, and a non-nuclear deterrence package, would put Ukraine in an advantageous negotiating position when participating in negotiations with Russia.

According to him, sending an invitation to Ukraine will not create any obligations for NATO allies under Article 5. However, it will encourage Russia to turn to diplomacy and undermine Putin's intention to continue the war.

"On the other hand, various proposed peace initiatives that entail a ceasefire without any ironclad security guarantees for Ukraine may prompt Russia to launch another full-scale invasion in the near future. Fruitful negotiations are possible only when all the warring parties have the desire to cease hostilities. In addition, the situation must be returned at least to the state of February 23, 2022. This would be the starting point for further settlement, since before that date part of Ukraine was occupied," Yermak said.

But Ermak notes that Russia shows no signs of such readiness, continuing the escalation.

Zelensky names conditions for talks with Russia and Trump's role in the processNov 16 2024, 08:37 AM • 21709 views

"Putin has sent 11,000 North Korean troops to the border with Ukraine with the possibility of increasing this number to 100,000. Russia's launch last week of a medium-range hypersonic missile capable of carrying nuclear weapons along the Dnieper, combined with Putin's threats of further strikes, once again demonstrates that Moscow is not interested in peace. Every Russian strike and nuclear threat must be met with unwavering determination. The strengthening of the sanctions regime, combined with the strengthening of Ukraine's military and civilian capabilities, especially our air defense, should follow immediately," Yermak said.

According to him, Ukraine's support in the face of these challenges must be steadfast, durable and long-term.

MFA on Russia's “peaceful” plans from anonymous sources: it's a smokescreen to cover up aggressionNov 21 2024, 06:09 PM • 33470 views

The international humanitarian organization MOAS's front-line medical evacuation operation is "on the verge of extinction" due to a lack of funding, the group said on Nov. 27, appealing to the international community to support their work.

MOAS's team of all-Ukrainian medics has been evacuating and keeping alive critically injured troops during the three years of the full-scale war, with the group saying their work has saved 62,000 lives.

"Now, with funding virtually exhausted, one of Ukraine's most remarkable lifesaving operations is on the verge of extinction," their press release read. The group said that without funding, it can sustain its operations only until the end of 2024.

"MOAS is keeping soldiers alive day in, day out. It's an expensive and challenging business, and we simply can't continue into 2025 without additional funding," Christopher Catrambone, MOAS's founder who has been based in Kyiv since the outbreak of the full-scale war, told the Kyiv Independent.

MOAS is now in talks with donors in North America and Europe, as well as the U.K. government, to be able to continue its work next year.

"The facts are simple. If we have to stop our operation, huge numbers of Ukrainian soldiers will die. In the words of a Ukrainian general, it will be a complete catastrophe," Catrambone said separately in the press release.

"They’re overstretched and cannot do what we do. Nor can any other NGO in Ukraine. That’s why today, we are launching this urgent appeal for support. It’s our last throw of the dice, it’s do or die."

According to MOAS, the monthly cost of a 150-strong medical team with 50 "state of the art ambulances" costs $1 million, comparable to the price tag of a Storm Shadow missile.

"We're incredibly grateful to all the donors who have made our lifesaving operation possible," Catrambone told the Kyiv Independent, explaining that MOAS's donors include wealthy philanthropists, tech billionaires, foundations, and smaller donors.

The founder said he was unsure why the funding was drying up, suggesting that some had found other causes to support or simply lost interest in the war in Ukraine.

"But what I'm focused on is getting donors now so we can continue saving lives at the medical frontline in Ukraine," he stressed.

The road from death to life: Medics evacuate wounded Ukrainian soldiers amid intensified fighting (Photo)Editor’s Note: Soldiers and military medics are introduced by first names and callsigns only due to security reasons. DONETSK OBLAST – A sunflowers-painted bus drives fast toward Dnipro, clearing the way with sirens. From the front line to the rear, from death to life, it carries wounded Ukrainian…The Kyiv IndependentSerhii Korovayny

the Russian Foreign Ministry announced its readiness to exchange 630 Ukrainian prisoners of war on parity terms. Ukraine can independently choose the Russian military for the exchange.

The Ministry of foreign affairs of the Russian Federation stated that it is ready to exchange 630 Ukrainian prisoners of war, reports UNN with reference to Astra.

"The current list contains 630 Ukrainian prisoners of war, which Russia is ready to immediately transfer to Kiev on parity terms. I would like to draw your attention to the fact that the Russian Federation leaves it up to Ukraine to decide which of the Russian servicemen to include in the exchange," Maria Zakharova, a representative of the Ministry of foreign affairs of the Russian Federation, said at a briefing.

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The largest exchange during the war took place in January of this year, when Russia and Ukraine exchanged 195 prisoners on each side.

Prisoner exchange: 31 Azovstal defenders released, Ukrainians returned thanks to UAESep 14 2024, 11:36 AM • 27733 views

Between 60,000 to 100,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed in the full-scale war, and 400,000 more are too injured to fight on, according to estimates by The Economist published on Nov. 26.

Kyiv has largely avoided revealing the full extent of its military casualties, with President Volodymyr Zelensky acknowledging only in February that 31,000 Ukrainian fighters have been killed.

Basing its calculations on leaked or published intelligence reports, defense officials, researchers, and open-source intelligence, The Economist wrote that Russia and Ukraine lost a greater share of their population than the U.S. during the Korean and Vietnam wars combined.

Almost one in 20 Ukrainian fighting-age men have been killed or injured because of the war, The Economist wrote.

In September, the Wall Street Journal provided similar estimates, positing that Ukraine had lost 80,000 soldiers killed and 400,000 wounded. The outlet estimated Russia's losses at up to 200,000 killed and 400,000 injured.

The exact figures for both sides are nearly impossible to establish as Kyiv and Moscow are secretive about their casualties. The last figure provided by Russian authorities was 5,937 killed soldiers as of September 2022.

In turn, the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces put Russian overall losses at over 735,000 as of Nov. 27. The losses Russia suffered in the full-scale war are believed to be greater than during all the wars since 1945 combined.

According to The Economist, civilian casualties are even more difficult to establish but likely reach many tens of thousands.

The U.N. mission in Ukraine verified that 11,743 civilians were killed as of the summer, but the number is likely higher due to Russia barring access for monitors to occupied territories, namely to areas that likely saw the heaviest civilian casualties like Mariupol.

Ukraine’s population dropped by 10 million after Russia’s 2014 invasion, UN saysUkraine’s birth rate is the lowest in Europe and the number of refugees has surged to 6.7 million, with the full-scale invasion of 2022 exacerbating an already dire decline, according to the U.N. Population Fund.The Kyiv IndependentAbbey Fenbert

In two districts of the Kiev region, damage was recorded from falling debris from downed enemy targets. 46 apartments, 14 private houses, 3 office premises and 5 cars were damaged.

Kiev region continues to eliminate the consequences of the enemy attack on the night of November 27. As of 13: 00 on Wednesday, damage from falling debris from downed enemy targets was recorded in two districts of the region. Apartments, residential buildings, three office premises and cars were damaged. This was told by the head of the Kiev RMA Ruslan Kravchenko, reports UNN.

Damage from falling debris from downed enemy targets is recorded in two districts of the region. In one of the settlements, glazing was broken in 46 apartments and 3 office premises in three apartment buildings

– written by Kravchenko.

Also, according to him, 14 private houses, 5 cars, utility rooms and fences were damaged.

All operational services are working to eliminate the consequences of the enemy's attack, Kravchenko added.

Addition

According to of the armed forces of Ukraine, on the night of November 27 (from 19.30 on November 26), the enemy attacked Ukraine with 89 Shahed attack UAVs and drones of an unidentified type from the directions-Orel, Bryansk, Kursk, Primorsko – Akhtarsk-of the Russian Federation. air defense destroyed 36 UAVs, 48 were lost due to electronic warfare, 5 left the airspace.

Ukrainian drones and missiles attacked the seaside city of Sevastopol in occupied Crimea on Nov. 27, the city's Russian-installed proxy head, Mikhail Razvozhayev, claimed.

Russian air defenses shot down two missiles and five drones, Razvozhayev said, claiming that the Ukrainian projectiles were downed over the water. Drone debris also reportedly fell near the Kacha highway.

The Kyiv Independent could not verify the claims.

The pro-Ukrainian Crimean Wind Telegram channel reported a powerful explosion in Sevastopol, as well as near the Belbek military airfield and elsewhere on the occupied peninsula.

The channel also shared a photo of the Nakhimov Naval Academy with smoke coming from behind it. The authenticity of the footage or the cause of the smoke could not be immediately verified.

Ukraine has repeatedly targeted Russian military and industrial targets in Sevastopol and elsewhere in Crimea during the full-scale war.

Russian Defense Ministry admits that Ukraine hit airbase in Kursk Oblast with ATACMSThe Russian Defense Ministry’s statement is the first public confirmation of the attacks by Moscow, following multiple reports of strikes after Washington permitted Ukraine to use its ATACMS missiles to strike against targets on Russian soil.The Kyiv IndependentKateryna Denisova

In Zaporizhia, Russian troops used an FPV drone to attack a car delivering bread to frontline villages. The driver was injured, and during the day the invaders inflicted 369 strikes on 12 settlements of the region.

Today, on November 27, Russian troops struck an fpv drone on a car that delivers bread to the frontline villages of the Zaporozhye region. The driver of the car was injured, said the head of RMA Ivan Fedorov, reports UNN.

Russia continues to cynically hunt residents of the frontline territories. Today, an fpv drone attacked a car that carries bread to frontline villages. The driver was taken to the hospital with injuries

– Fedorov wrote in Telegram.

addition

During the day, enemy troops carried out 369 strikes on 12 settlements of the Zaporozhye Region. The attacks included airstrikes, drone, MLRS and artillery strikes, and infrastructure was damaged.

Russian strikes against Ukraine killed at least two civilians and injured at least 17 over the past day, regional authorities reported on Nov. 27.

Russia attacked Ukraine with 89 Shahed-type drones and other unmanned aerial vehicles overnight, the Air Force reported.

Thirty-six were shot down by air defenses while 48 were lost across Ukraine, likely thanks to electronic warfare means, the statement read. Five drones reportedly flew to Belarus, Russia, and occupied territories.

Some of the drones targeted the capital city of Kyiv overnight. Two people were injured when drone debris fell on a non-residential building, the city's military administration reported.

Drone debris also damaged houses and apartment buildings elsewhere in Kyiv Oblast.

Russian attacks against Sumy Oblast killed two people and injured one, the regional military administration reported.

The two fatalities were reported after a Russian missile struck a residential building and kindergarten in the city of Sumy. One civilian was also injured during Russian attacks against the Velyka Pysarivka community near the Russian border, officials said.

In Donetsk Oblast, two people were injured in the village of Zhovte, and one in the town of Pokrovsk, Governor Vadym Filashkin reported.

Russian attacks against Kherson Oblast injured 11 people, Governor Oleksandr Prokudin said. A high-rise building, 10 houses, a gas pipeline, a car repair shop, a garage, and cars were damaged.

Chernihiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv, Kirovohrad, Luhansk, Mykolaiv, Zaporizhzhia, Poltava, and Zhytomyr oblasts were also attacked, but no casualties were reported.

Once liberated Kupiansk braces for worst as Russian troops approach, and future Western support looks uncertainVolodymyr paused his Sunday stroll from a shopping center in Kupiansk to take pictures of rubble from a Russian strike that almost killed his wife late last month. “It was broad daylight when they struck,” he said. “Our only luck was that my wife was in the kitchen, soThe Kyiv IndependentBoldizsar Gyori

Up to 50 thousand Mariupol residents left Ukraine because of the war. The invaders demand that the owners of the surviving housing return to the city, otherwise they will confiscate the property.

Russian invaders are forcing residents of destroyed Mariupol to return to the city in order to preserve the right to surviving housing. If the owners do not confirm their rights, the property will be confiscated. These actions are part of the propaganda campaign of the aggressor country, which tries to create the illusion of "restoring" the city, while in fact the rights of Mariupol residents are systematically violated, and living conditions remain catastrophic. this was reported by The Mariupol city council, reports UNN.

Over the past 3 years, 30-50 thousand Mariupol residents have left Ukraine. This is evidenced by the data of the Yamariupol and resistance centers. Some of those people still returned to Mariupol. However, there is no exact information on how many of them stayed in the city and how many later left.

how Russia manipulates Mariupol residents

The information space is actively discussing the issue of returning people to the temporarily occupied territories, in particular to Mariupol.

"Why do some people leave? The aggressor country purposefully creates a real trap for Ukrainian families, using its usual tools – propaganda, lawlessness and manipulation," Mayor Vadym Boychenko said in a statement.

After Russian troops destroyed more than 1,000 high-rise buildings in Mariupol, leaving 67,000 families homeless, the invaders are issuing an ultimatum to people. Owners of surviving homes are forced to return to prove their right to housing. Otherwise, the property will be taken away.

"It's actually a trap. After all, all this is done only to create a propaganda picture of the restoration of the city, but in fact Mariupol remains dilapidated, and the rights of Mariupol residents themselves are ignored," the Mariupol City Council added.

why not go back

The Ukrainian authorities urge Mariupol residents not to return to the occupied territory. Meeting the demands of the Russians does not guarantee security or fair treatment. In Mariupol, as in other occupied territories, the lawlessness of the Russian military and administrations Reigns.

Ukraine is preparing support programs for displaced persons, although this is a complex and lengthy process due to the war.

"Yes, we all want this work to go on as quickly as possible, but Ukraine is going through extremely difficult times precisely because of Russian aggression," the report says.

The City Council summed up that after the liberation of Mariupol, the Ukrainian law will be in force again, and the authorities will work to restore justice and ensure the rights of all residents.

previously

MP and member of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on human rights Maksym Tkachenko said that about 150 thousand internally displaced persons returned to the temporarily occupied territories, of which about 70 thousand settled in Mariupol. As a reason, he cited insufficient support for displaced persons from the state, in particular, the lack of housing, social payments and employment opportunities.

Tkachenko later denied his words, admitting that it was "an emotional and unfounded assumption.

Statements about the mass return of IDPs were sharply condemned by the deputy head of the Presidential Office Irina Vereshchuk. She stressed that such statements are "lies and an attempt to draw attention to a painful topic"

A Ukrainian delegation led by Defense Minister Rustem Umerov arrived in South Korea on Nov. 27, with the aim of requesting military aid from Seoul, several media outlets reported.

The delegation is expected to meet with President Yoon Suk Yeol as early as Wednesday, according to the Korean Times, citing several sources close to the matter. Yoon has previously said that the country does not rule out providing arms to Ukraine in the light of deepening cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang.

Russian-North Korean relations entered a new level when Pyongyang dispatched around 11,000 troops to join Russia's war against Ukraine. A vast majority of the deployed North Korean troops are currently receiving training alongside Russian forces, preparing to attempt to regain control of Russia's Kursk Oblast.

Ahead of the planned meeting, the delegation has reportedly met with South Korean National Security Adviser and former Defense Minister Shin Won-sik, according to the South Korean media outlet Dong-a Ilbo.

South Korea's government has not yet confirmed the arrival of the Ukrainian delegation. President Volodymyr Zelensky has said Ukraine would provide South Korea with a detailed request for military support in an October interview with KBS.

South Korea has thus far resisted supplying lethal arms to Ukraine and instead opted to provide financial, and humanitarian support alongside non-lethal aid, citing legislative restrictions. Some media reports from last year claimed that the country secretly supplied artillery shells to Ukraine via the U.S., though the South Korean government denied the reports.

Living in constant tension with its North Korean neighbors, South Korea boasts a powerful military and strong defense industry, making the country a major arms exporter.

Experts told the Kyiv Independent that South Korea could provide the most significant support to Ukraine through ammunition supplies. The country fields not only 155 mm artillery but also stores 3.4 million 105 mm rounds compatible with some of Ukraine's guns.

Once liberated Kupiansk braces for worst as Russian troops approach, and future Western support looks uncertainVolodymyr paused his Sunday stroll from a shopping center in Kupiansk to take pictures of rubble from a Russian strike that almost killed his wife late last month. “It was broad daylight when they struck,” he said. “Our only luck was that my wife was in the kitchen, soThe Kyiv IndependentBoldizsar Gyori