A series of explosions were recorded in Zaporizhzhia as a result of an attack by enemy drones. According to preliminary data from RMA Chairman Ivan Fedorov, there are victims.
The drone attack on Zaporizhzhia continues. According to the head of Zaporizhzhia RMA Ivan Fedorov, there are victims, UNN reports.
"The enemy continues to attack Zaporizhzhia. Preliminary, there are casualties," said Fedorov.
He urged citizens to stay in safe places.
A series of explosions occurred in Zaporizhzhia: the region is under attack by enemy dronesNov 18 2024, 07:14 PM • 3577 views
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico criticized the U.S. decision to allow Ukraine to strike Russia with long-range ATACMS missiles in his Nov. 18 statement posted on Facebook.
Several media outlets reported on Nov. 17 that U.S. President Joe Biden permitted Ukraine to use its ATACMS missiles to strike against targets on Russian soil. According to some reports, this so far concerns only Russian and North Korean forces amassing in Russia's Kursk Oblast.
Fico claimed that Biden has authorized the use of ATACMS against targets in Russia "to disrupt or delay peace talks completely."
"This is an unprecedented escalation of tension," Fico said, echoing the Kremlin's stance.
The prime minister added that he had instructed Slovak Foreign Minister Juraj Blanar and Defense Minister Robert Kalinak not to support the U.S. decision "in any international forum or in any way."
"Those who want to see the war in Ukraine continue are harming national and state interests," Fico said, adding that it is "extremely important" for Slovakia, as a neighbor of Ukraine, to achieve peace there.
Fico is known for inflammatory statements on Ukraine and the war that often echo Moscow's talking points. He has repeatedly criticized military aid for Ukraine and called for restoring relations with Russia after the war.
On Nov. 18, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that the outgoing U.S. administration intends to "provoke an escalation of the war" in Ukraine.
Several Russian lawmakers called the step an escalation that could "lead to World War III" and the end of Ukrainian statehood. Russia has repeatedly set supposed "red lines" on Western assistance for Ukraine, sometimes accompanied by veiled or overt nuclear threats.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has previously said that long-range strikes against Russia with Western arms would mean NATO's involvement in the war, adding that Moscow is preparing "various responses" to such a step.
Ukrenergo has announced a schedule of scheduled power outages for November 19 with varying numbers of outages throughout the day. The restrictions are related to damage to power facilities as a result of a massive missile attack.
Power outages are scheduled for tomorrow in Ukraine. Ukrenergo has announced when and how many power outages are planned, UNN reports.
According to the company, on November 19, the time of application and the scope of restrictions will be as follows:
6:00 – 7:00 – one turn of outages
7:00 – 9:00 – two rounds of outages
9:00 – 14:00 – one turn of outages
14:00 – 18:00 – two rounds of outages
18:00 – 23:00 – one turn of outages
Ukrenergo reminded that the schedule of outages can be found on the official pages of the distribution system operator.
"The reason for the temporary introduction of restrictions is the damage to power facilities during yesterday's massive missile and drone attack. Power engineers are working to eliminate the consequences in order to return the equipment damaged by the enemy to operation as soon as possible," Ukrenergo summarized.
Electricity consumption decreased amid outages due to the Russian attack, but there is a need to save – UkrenergoNov 18 2024, 09:27 AM • 16478 views
The Kremlin on Nov. 18 dismissed a peace plan for Ukraine reportedly to be put forward by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, describing it as "unacceptable."
Erdogan's proposal would include Ukraine abstaining from joining NATO for at least 10 years, freezing the current front line, providing Ukraine with weapons, and deploying international troops to a demilitarized buffer zone in the country's east, Bloomberg reported.
The news outlet also said Erdogan would propose the plan during G20 talks commencing on Nov. 18.
Reacting to the reports, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov dismissed the proposal.
"The option of freezing the line of military conflict is unacceptable for the Russian side," he said in comments reported by Interfax.
Erdogan's proposal comes as NATO countries prepare for a Donald Trump presidency, which many fear will lead to the U.S. pressuring Ukraine to end the war quickly, even at the cost of territorial concessions.
The G20 countries are set to convene in Brazil without the participation of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Brazil is a party to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC), which issued an arrest warrant for Putin last year for the abduction of Ukrainian children.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will also not be present, despite numerous appeals to receive an invitation. Zelensky said on Nov. 16 that Ukraine must do everything possible to end the war through diplomatic means in 2025.
The Ministry of Defense has announced the launch of the Pluses program to support military personnel through the Army+ app. The program will involve 100 of Ukraine's largest businesses that will provide bonuses and discounts to the military.
The Ministry of Defense plans to launch a nationwide program to support servicemen called “Pluses”. This was stated by Deputy Defense Minister Kateryna Chernogorenko during a briefing, UNN reports.
We want to launch a nationwide program to support military personnel, called “Plusy”, which is similar to the name “Army+”. The “Pluses” will be the virtual currency of our app, to which we will add 100 of the largest businesses in Ukraine that will support our military personnel
– Chernogorenko said.
Chernogorenko explained how it would work.
We give our military the opportunity to authorize themselves to receive bonuses, discounts, and priority purchasing opportunities for various products through the interaction between Army+ and the 100 largest businesses in our country. Therefore, I would like to take this opportunity to announce and invite our other businesses to join this nationwide program. A memorandum will be signed, 100 businesses will sign this memorandum with the Ministry of Defense
– Chernogorenko said.
She noted that Ukrzaliznytsia, Rozetka online store, Ukrnafta and Nova Poshta have already agreed to become partners.
Ministry of Defense announces appointment of military ombudsmanNov 18 2024, 02:05 PM • 8733 views
The governments of Norway, Sweden, and Finland have begun the distribution of informative pamphlets to citizens, providing them with advice in case of the outbreak of war or other emergency situations, BBC reported on Nov. 17.
Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine exacerbated fears among neighboring countries of a potential open conflict between Moscow and NATO.
Citizens of Sweden will begin to receive pamphlets in the mail on Nov. 18, providing basic information on a "worsening security situation" amid Russia's ongoing full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
In recent months, both Finland and Norway also provided pamphlets to its citizens. Helsinki provided a virtual pamphlet, as opposed to a physical copy, in an effort to save taxpayer money, while Oslo distributed 2.2 million paper pamphlets, "one for each household in Norway,” according to a spokesperson for Norwegian Directorate for Civil Protection, the BBC reported.
The advice provided in the pamphlets — which have been reprinted and updated from earlier versions — provides basic survival information, including information on meals and medicines, while stressing that the Nordic countries are prepared for "self-defense" in case of a war.
“If Sweden is attacked by another country, we will never give up. All information to the effect that resistance is to cease is false,” Stockholm's advice reads.
Both Sweden and Finland joined the NATO alliance in the two years following Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022. Both countries abandoned their non-alignment policy, concerned that they may become a target of Russia's expansionist ambitions.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova previously threatened Sweden in February 2024 saying there would be a Russian response to the country's then-prospects of joining NATO, but did not clarify what it would entail.
Russian President Vladimir Putin also made similar vague threats to Finland after it joined the alliance, saying in December 2023 that Finland is "now going to have problems" because it joined NATO.
NATO militaries have strengthened their capacity and preparedness since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. While the prospect of the war escalating to an all-out clash between the alliance and Russia has so far been averted, there are concerns that the West has not truly accepted that it may still be a possibility.
In Lithuania, the LRT public broadcaster reported on July 25, citing the country's Interior Ministry, that the country's authorities are drawing up plans for mass evacuations of civilians in case of an armed conflict.
Several NATO commanders and other alliance leaders have warned in increasingly stark terms in recent months about the dangers of such a war and what impact it could have across Europe.
President Zelenskyy held a meeting on life support in Donetsk region and inspected the construction of fortifications. According to him, most of the planned defense structures have already been completed.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a meeting on life support in Donetsk region and inspected the construction of fortifications in the region. He announced this on Monday in Telegram, reports UNN.
Donetsk region. Construction of fortifications and a meeting on life support in the region. Security is a priority. Today I got acquainted with the progress of construction of defense structures. Most of the planned facilities have already been arranged. I thank everyone involved in this important work
– Zelensky said.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited Pokrovsk in Donetsk region, where he spoke with the military defending the city from the Russian army.
Editor's note: The story was updated with comments from Rossiyskaya Gazeta and Leonid Slutsky.
Senior Russian lawmakers threatened on Nov. 17 that outgoing U.S. President Joe Biden’s decision to allow Ukraine to strike deep inside Russian territory with ATACMS missiles could lead to World War III and the loss of Ukrainian statehood.
"This is a very big step towards the start of World War III," lawmaker Vladimir Dzhabarov said, according to Russia’s state-owned TASS state news agency.
Biden has authorized Ukraine to use U.S.-supplied long-range ATACMS missiles for strikes inside Russia, marking a significant shift in U.S. policy, several media outlets reported on Nov. 17.
Ukraine will likely initially use the missiles against Russian and North Korean forces in Kursk Oblast, but Washington could also authorize their use elsewhere, undisclosed official sources told the New York Times.
The decision has not been publicly confirmed by Kyiv or Washington, with President Volodymyr Zelensky saying that the "missiles will speak for themselves."
"The West has decided on a level of escalation that could end with the remnants of Ukraine completely losing their statehood," Andrei Klishas, a member of Russia’s Federation Council, wrote on his Telegram channel.
Leonid Slutsky, head of the nationalist Liberal-Democratic Party, said the step would "inevitably lead to a serious escalation, threatening serious consequences."
Government-owned Rossiyskaya Gazeta newspaper called it "one of the most provocative and uncalculated decisions" by the Biden administration that could lead to "catastrophic consequences."
The Kremlin has yet to comment officially on the latest reports. Russian President Vladimir Putin has previously said that long-range strikes against Russia with Western arms would mean NATO's involvement in the war, adding that Moscow is preparing "various responses" to such a step.
Russia has repeatedly set supposed "red lines" on Western assistance for Ukraine, sometimes accompanied by veiled or overt nuclear threats.
The policy change follows Biden's previous hesitance to provide such weapons out of concern for escalating tensions with Russia.
While U.S. officials do not expect this move to "change the overall course of the war," Biden reportedly aims to help Ukraine target critical Russian and North Korean military assets and send a deterrent message to Pyongyang, the New York Times wrote.
Proponents of the decision have long argued that this authorization would significantly enhance Ukraine’s defense capabilities, especially with Russia ramping up military offensives on many fronts and intensifying drone and missile attacks in recent months.
A rocket attack on a residential area of Odesa killed 8 people and injured 20. According to preliminary data, the occupiers attacked the city with Iskander missiles.
As a result of a rocket attack by Russian troops on a residential area of Odesa, the number of victims has increased to 20 people. This was reported by the head of the Odesa RMA, Oleh Kiper, during a telethon, UNN reports .
Details
“In total, there are currently 20 victims, 8 people have died. Rescuers are now working at the scene to extinguish the fire,” Kiper said.
He noted that the information that one of the missiles was stuck in the school is not true.
“I will refute that, because it is most likely some part of the missile that exploded over Odesa. As for the missiles (fired by the Russians – ed.), they are preliminary Iskanders,” Kiper added.
Recall
A rocket attack by Russian troops on a residential area of Odesa killed 8 people.
Editor's note: The story was updated with the latest casualty numbers from Sumy.
Russian attacks across Ukraine killed at least 18 civilians and injured at least 113 over the past day, including children, regional authorities reported on Nov. 18.
Ukrainian forces shot down eight of the 11 drones launched by Russia overnight, the Air Force said. Russian forces also reportedly attacked Sumy Oblast with two Iskander-M ballistic missiles and a Kh-59 aerial guided missile.
Russia launched multiple missile attacks on the city of Sumy overnight, targeting residential areas. Eleven people were killed, including two children, the regional military administration reported.
Eighty-four people were injured in Russian overnight attacks against the city, including 11 children, authorities said.
In Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, two people were killed, and six people were injured during the day on Nov. 17, Governor Serhii Lysak reported.
Attacks against the Nikopol district with drones and artillery killed a 58-year-old man and a 62-year-old woman. Three women aged 67, 72, and 57, and two men aged 40 and 32 were injured.
A high-rise building, a transport company building, a medical facility, and other buildings and civilian infrastructure sites were damaged.
A 45-year-old man was also injured and hospitalized with shrapnel wounds following a Russian attack against the Synelnykove district, Lysak said.
Russian attacks against Donetsk Oblast injured one person in the town of Siversk, Governor Vadym Filashkin reported.
Three people were injured during Russian attacks against Kharkiv Oblast, Governor Oleh Syniehubov said. An 84-year-old man was injured in the village of Hlushkivka, and two women aged 50 and 65 were injured in the town of Kupiansk.
Four people were killed, and 10 were injured in Russian attacks overnight and on Nov. 17 in Kherson Oblast, Governor Oleksandr Prokudin reported. One more person – a 46-year-old man – was killed during an attack in the morning of Nov. 18, according to the governor.
In Zaporizhzhia Oblast, three women aged 52, 55, and 61, as well as a 59-year-old man, were injured during attacks against the Polohy district, Governor Ivan Fedorov said.
Luhansk, Mykolaiv, Poltava, Cherkasy, Chernihiv, and Kyiv oblasts also came under attack, but no casualties were reported.
The Kyiv IndependentKateryna Hodunova
