Four children returned home from Russian-occupied parts of Kherson Oblast, regional governor Oleksandr Prokudin said on Nov. 15.
"Thanks to the efforts of the charity organization 'Save Ukraine,' the children are back," the governor reported via his official Telegram channel. "They are safe and receiving the necessary medical and psychological help to recover from what they've experienced under Russian occupation."
Since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine, Moscow has abducted Ukrainian children from occupied territories and forcibly transferred them within the occupied territories or to Russia itself. According to the Ukrainian government’s database, Russia has illegally abducted over 19,500 children since February 2022, and less than 390 have returned home thus far.
In a statement released on Nov. 15, Prokudin said the children who returned home include four boys, aged between 1.7 and 17. Prokudin said that since the beginning of 2024, at least 229 children from occupied parts of Kherson Oblast have been returned to Ukraine.
Taking hostage people who take no active part in hostilities breaches the Geneva Conventions and constitutes a war crime.
Around 1.5 million Ukrainian children who remain in occupied areas of Ukraine are at high risk of being deported to Russia, Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets said on Oct. 2. According to the Ombudsman's Office, those from children's homes in Kherson Oblast were first moved to the occupied territories and then deported to Russia.
There were 157 combat engagements over the day, most of them in the Pokrovske and Kurakhove sectors. The enemy lost 373 servicemen, 2 tanks and 12 armored personnel carriers, conducted 42 air strikes and launched 689 drones.
Since the beginning of the day, 157 combat engagements have taken place. Ukrainian defenders continue to resolutely repel the enemy's attempts to advance deep into our territory, inflicting fire damage. Most of the fighting took place in the Pokrovske and Kurakhove sectors. This is stated in the report of the General Staff as of 22:00 on 15.11.2024, UNN reports.
The Russian invaders launched one missile (1 rocket) and 42 air strikes (69 drones) on the territory of Ukraine. In addition, 689 kamikaze drones were used and more than 3,800 attacks were made on the positions of our troops and populated areas,
– the statement said.
In the Kharkiv sector, the enemy tried to storm our positions near Vovchansk and Vysoka Yaruga. Seven attacks were repelled by the defense forces, and two firefights are ongoing.
The enemy's losses in the sector so far amounted to 68 troops killed and wounded, two vehicles, 13 UAVs and a unit of enemy special equipment were destroyed; two nuclear weapons and two units of special equipment were also damaged.
Kupyansk sector: the enemy conducted offensive actions near Kolisnykivka, Kopanky and Nadiya. Fourteen battles were completed, one is still ongoing.
In the Liman sector, Russian invaders stormed the positions of the Defense Forces 16 times near Novoyehorivka, Makiivka, Terny and Torske. Ukrainian defenders stopped all enemy attacks.
Northern sector: the enemy stormed our positions once near Verkhnekamianske.
In the Toretsk sector , with the support of bomber aircraft, the enemy carried out nine assault operations. The invaders stormed the positions of Ukrainian units near Toretsk, Diliyivka and Shcherbynivka. Eight of the aggressor's attacks were repelled, and the battle near Toretsk is ongoing.
Pokrovsk sector: Since the beginning of the day, the enemy attacked 35 times in the areas of Myroliubivka, Promenu, Lysivka, Petrivka and Pustynka. Ukrainian troops repelled 34 attacks, one combat engagement is still ongoing.
According to the available data, the enemy's losses for today amounted to 373 servicemen killed and wounded; 12 armored combat vehicles, two tanks, nine vehicles, two artillery systems, an ATGM and an electronic warfare system were destroyed by Ukrainian defenders; our troops also damaged an occupant vehicle.
In the Kurakhove sector, the invaders attacked 34 times near Berestky, Novoselydivka, Voznesenka, Novodmitrivka, Maksymilianivka, Dale and Antonivka. 14 attacks have already been repelled, and the fighting continues.
In the Vremivsk sector, fighting continues near Trudove, Rivne and Novodarivka, the situation is under control.
In the Prydniprovskyi sector, the Ukrainian Defense Forces stopped five attempts by the occupants to attack our positions.
In the Kursk region, our defenders repelled 21 enemy attacks, and three combat engagements are ongoing,
– the General Staff added.
There were no major changes in other areas.
Russians are amassing manpower and equipment in the Siversky sector – Luhansk OTU spokespersonNov 15 2024, 12:46 PM • 13844 views
Scholz condemns war, urges Russia to negotiate with Ukraine in first call with Putin in nearly 2 years
Drone attack reported in Russia's Krasnodar region, explosions heard near military airfield
Russian troops plant flag at border in Chernihiv Oblast, Border Guard says no major offensive detected
Trump says Russia-Ukraine war 'gotta stop'
Ukrainian military fighting in Russia to receive additional financial rewards
Russian President Vladimir Putin and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz spoke by phone on Nov. 15, their first direct call in nearly two years, according to a German government statement.
Earlier in the day, Bloomberg reported that Putin and Scholz were scheduled to speak, though it did not specify the time or topics of discussion. The call, unannounced by either Moscow or Berlin, lasted about an hour, Reuters reported.
The last phone call between Putin and Scholz occurred on Dec. 2, 2022. Scholz is the first head of government from a European Union country supporting Ukraine to resume direct contact with Putin.
During the conversation, Scholz condemned Russia's war against Ukraine, calling on Putin to end it and withdraw Russian troops from Ukrainian territory. He also urged Russia to negotiate with Ukraine to achieve a "just and lasting peace."
"Germany has unwavering determination to support Ukraine in its defensive struggle against Russian aggression for as long as necessary," the German government's statement read.
Zelensky warned later in the day that Scholz's call with Putin opens a "Pandora's box," potentially leading to "other conversations and other calls."
Scholz had informed Zelensky in advance of his intention to call Putin. Zelensky reportedly responded, "This will just make Putin feel that the isolation is decreasing," according to Suspilne, citing an undisclosed source in the Presidential Office.
In his evening address, Zelensky criticized any negotiations that could ease Russia's isolation without meaningful outcomes. "It is extremely important for Putin to loosen his isolation, Russia's isolation, and to conduct ordinary negotiations that will not result in anything — as he has been doing for decades," Zelensky said.
"This has allowed Russia to change nothing in its police, to do nothing in essence, and this is exactly what led to this war."
Zelensky also reiterated that there would be no "Minsk-3," referencing the Minsk agreements of 2014 and 2015, which proposed creating autonomous zones in Russian-occupied areas of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts but excluded mention of occupied Crimea.
Ukraine's Foreign Ministry also expressed concerns over the Scholz-Putin call, stating that such lengthy conversations have been a tool Putin has exploited for over 20 years, now providing him hope for easing his international isolation.
"Even if the German chancellor did not express any positions contradicting Ukraine’s stance, conversations with the Russian dictator do not add value in achieving a just peace," the ministry said in a statement.
Germany, Ukraine's main European backer, is facing internal political turmoil. The center-left coalition led by Scholz has weakened, while opposition leader Friedrich Merz is eyeing the chancellorship.
Both Scholz and Merz have pledged to maintain aid to Ukraine in line with current policies.
However, an expert told The Kyiv Independent that the Trump administration's stance "will have a much larger impact on Germany's policies than whether the next German chancellor is Friedrich Merz, Olaf Scholz, or any other likely candidate."
Drone attack reported in Russia's Krasnodar region, explosions heard near military airfield
Russia's Krasnodar region came under a "massive drone attack" overnight on Nov. 15, Governor Veniamin Kondratiev reported via his Telegram channel. One of the targeted districts hosts a military airfield.
The governor said that two municipalities in the region were targeted, with Russian air defense intercepting approximately 36 drones over the Krymsk and Krasnoarmeisk districts.
In Krymsk, debris from a drone fell on four residential properties, damaging the roof of one house and a car, according to Kondratiev. In the Krasnoarmeisk district, drone debris allegedly caused damage to the roof of a private house. No casualties were reported.
The Russian telegram channel Astra cited local sources suggesting the drones may have been targeting the Krymsk military airfield. This claim has not been confirmed by official sources, and the governor has not commented on it. The Ukrainian military has not commented on the attack.
Astra noted that earlier reports from local officials claimed 46 drones had been intercepted over the Krymsk area. Astra said that his statement was later removed without explanation.
The Russian Defense Ministry later said that its forces had intercepted 51 Ukrainian drones overnight, including 36 over the Krasnodar region, 10 over the Azov Sea, three over Russian-occupied Crimea, and another two over the Belgorod region.
Outmanned and outgunned on the battlefield, Ukraine has turned to homemade drones to try to exhaust Russian combat capabilities as much as possible from afar, targeting Russian military-industrial complex facilities, airbases, or oil refineries.
While Ukraine regularly claims attacks deep into Russia, it is difficult to verify the authenticity of the reports and the scale of the damage inflicted.
Russian troops plant flag at border in Chernihiv Oblast, Border Guard says no major offensive detected
State Border Guard spokesperson Andrii Demchenko confirmed to the Kyiv Independent that a Russian sabotage group planted a Russian flag near the border in Ukraine's Chernihiv Oblast, but said that the event occurred in the grey zone and Russian troops did not launch a major offensive in the region.
Demchenko's statement comes on Nov. 15 after Russian military bloggers posted videos purportedly showing Russian troops planting a flag on the bridge over the Sudost River near the border settlement of Hremiach and claimed they entered Hremiach and Muravi.
Demchenko denied that Russian forces entered the settlements and said that they did not cross the bridge.
"The territory where the (Russian) sabotage group operated from the border is actually cut off by rivers, and no one lives in the settlements located between the rivers and the border. In addition, due to the constant flooding of that territory, it is not possible to build proper fortifications there," Demchenko said in a comment.
"Ukraine's defense forces fully control this axis and are in the most advantageous positions to hold the defense."
Demchenko added that Ukraine has deployed additional forces in the area to fend off acts of sabotage from Russia.
"The threat from Russian sabotage and intelligence groups has not disappeared anywhere, in particular in Chernihiv Oblast. Although the activity of saboteurs has decreased significantly recently, the terrorist country has not given up on the use of sabotage groups, including for psychological influence."
The Russian service of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) wrote on Nov. 15 that it had confirmed the geolocation of two Russian soldiers seen in footage shared by Russian military bloggers planting a flag on the bridge over the Sudost River. RFE/RL suggested the two soldiers were part of a larger group.
Chernihiv Oblast is located on Ukraine's northern border with Russia and Belarus. It was partially occupied during Russia's initial offensive in February 2022, but the invading force retreated in April after the Kremlin failed to take Kyiv.
Since then, Russian forces have been regularly shelling regional settlements near the border and launching cross-border raids into the region.
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump said at a Mar-a-Lago event in Florida on Nov. 14 that his administration will focus on the Russia-Ukraine war.
"We're going to work very hard on Russia and Ukraine. It's gotta stop. Russia and Ukraine’s gotta stop," Trump said at an event in Florida on Nov. 14, according to CNN. "Whether they’re soldiers or they’re people sitting in towns, we’re going to work it."
Trump secured victory in the 2024 U.S. presidential election, adding further uncertainty for Ukraine regarding the future of Western military aid and its defense against the ongoing Russian full-scale invasion.
Reacting to the election result, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a Nov. 15 interview with Suspilne that the war "will end faster" under the policies of Trump's administration, set to take office in January 2025.
"A just peace is very important for us so that there is no feeling that we have lost the best for the sake of injustice imposed on you (Ukrainians). The war will end, but there is no exact date," Zelensky said.
"Certainly, with the policies of this team that will now lead the White House, the war will end faster. This is their approach, their promise to their society, and it is also very important to them."
Zelensky noted that he and Trump had a "constructive interaction," during which Ukraine presented its vision for peace. "He (Trump) heard the basis on which we stand. I did not hear anything contrary to our position," Zelensky said.
When asked whether Trump had demanded Kyiv negotiate with Moscow, Zelensky emphasized Ukraine's independence.
"During this war, both our people and I personally, in negotiations with the U.S. — with Trump, Biden, and European leaders — have shown that the rhetoric of 'Sit down and listen' does not work with us," he said.
Trump, during a campaign event on Oct. 14, claimed to have "gotten along very well with (Vladimir) Putin" during his first term (2017–2021) and suggested that Putin had expressed ambitions to control Ukraine.
"It (Ukraine) was the apple of his eye; he used to talk about it. But I said, 'You're not going in,' and he wasn't going in," Trump said.
Following his electoral victory, Trump allegedly warned Putin in a phone call not to escalate the war, though the Kremlin later denied that such a call had occurred.
U.S.-Russia relations have soured since Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, rendering Putin a persona non grata in much of the Western world.
Ukrainian military fighting in Russia to receive additional financial rewards
Ukrainian soldiers will receive additional financial rewards for completing combat missions in Russia, Taras Melnychuk, the Ukrainian government’s representative in parliament, announced on Nov. 15.
The update applies primarily to those currently involved in combat in Russia's Kursk Oblast. Kyiv launched the surprise offensive into Kursk in August, and while Russian forces have recaptured about half of the territory initially lost, fighting continues.
The Cabinet of Ministers has amended two resolutions regarding payments to military personnel, extending the regulations to include troops serving on Russian territory, according to Melnychuk.
Ukrainian military personnel operating in Russia during martial law will receive an additional monthly payment of 100,000 hryvnias ($2,400), proportional to the time spent on combat missions there. They will also receive a lump sum payment of 70,000 hryvnias ($1,700) for every 30 days of combat, cumulatively calculated.
Soldiers and officers from the State Emergency Service, National Anti-Corruption Bureau's Special Operations Department, and police officers performing missions in Russia will also receive the 100,000 hryvnias ($2,400) bonus.
Additional payments of 100,000 hryvnias ($2,400) will be made to soldiers wounded while on duty in Russia. In the event of death during a combat mission in Russia, the soldier's relatives will receive a one-time payment of 15 million hryvnias ($363,000).
Ukrainian forces are currently holding off nearly 50,000 Russian troops in the Kursk area, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in mid-November.
The Kursk incursion was designed to preempt a Russian plan to invade Sumy Oblast in order to create a "buffer zone" in Ukraine's north and draw Russian forces away from the steadily advancing front in Donetsk Oblast, the Ukrainian military reported.
According to Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi, Russian forces have lost 7,905 soldiers killed, 12,220 wounded, and 717 captured over the three months of the Kursk offensive.
Energoatom called Russia's threats to stop the IAEA mission at ZNPP an act of nuclear terrorism. The reason was Grossi's statement about the experts' stay at the plant “until the war is frozen”.
Energoatom JSC called Russia's threats to stop the work of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) mission at the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant an act of nuclear terrorism. This is stated in a statement by the national nuclear power generating company Energoatom, UNN reports.
Details
It is noted that the reason for the threats from Russia was the rhetoric of IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi, who said that experts would remain at the station "until the war is frozen.
Instead, the Kremlin emphasized that the mission's presence at ZNPP is possible only with their permission.
Energoatom emphasized that the IAEA mission to ZNPP is the result of agreements between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi, which provides for constant monitoring of Ukrainian nuclear facilities to prevent potential incidents.
Ukraine's initiative to engage international experts is an important step towards improving the safety of Ukrainian NPPs in times of war, Energoatom added.
Threats to stop the work of the IAEA mission at ZNPP confirm that the Kremlin has no intention of complying with any international law. The seizure of ZNPP, deployment of military and equipment there, shelling of critical infrastructure and manipulation of energy security are direct evidence of Russia's nuclear terrorism,
– the statement said.
Energoatom added that maintaining the IAEA's work at ZNPP is not only a matter of Ukraine's security, but also of the world's. The international community must ensure continuous monitoring and bring Russia to justice.
Recall
The Russian Foreign Ministry announced that the IAEA mission at Zaporizhzhya NPP may be suspended due to statements by Rafael Grossi.
The war "will end faster" under the policies of Donald Trump’s administration, set to take office in January 2025, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a Nov. 15 interview with Suspilne.
Trump's victory in the 2024 U.S. presidential election has introduced new uncertainty for Ukraine regarding future Western military aid as it continues to defend against Russia’s full-scale invasion.
"A just peace is very important for us so that there is no feeling that we have lost the best for the sake of injustice imposed on you (Ukrainians). The war will end, but there is no exact date," Zelensky said.
"Certainly, with the policies of this team that will now lead the White House, the war will end faster. This is their approach, their promise to their society, and it is also very important to them."
Zelensky noted that he and Trump had a "constructive interaction," during which Ukraine presented its vision for peace. "He (Trump) heard the basis on which we stand. I did not hear anything contrary to our position," Zelensky said.
When asked whether Trump had demanded Kyiv negotiate with Moscow, Zelensky emphasized Ukraine's independence.
"During this war, both our people and I personally, in negotiations with the U.S. — with Trump, Biden, and European leaders — have shown that the rhetoric of 'Sit down and listen' does not work with us," he said.
Trump, during a campaign event on Oct. 14, claimed to have "gotten along very well with (Vladimir) Putin" during his first term (2017–2021) and suggested that Putin had expressed ambitions to control Ukraine.
"It (Ukraine) was the apple of his eye; he used to talk about it. But I said, 'You're not going in,' and he wasn't going in," Trump said.
Following his electoral victory, Trump allegedly warned Putin in a phone call not to escalate the war, though the Kremlin later denied that such a call had occurred.
U.S.-Russia relations have soured since Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, rendering Putin a persona non grata in much of the Western world.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Heorhiy Tykhyi commented on the telephone conversation between the German Chancellor and Putin. According to him, such conversations only give Putin hope for easing international isolation.
Talks with the Russian dictator alone do not bring any added value to achieving a just peace, but only give Putin hope for easing international isolation. This was emphasized by Foreign Ministry spokesman Heorhiy Tykhyi, commenting on the conversation between the German Chancellor and the Russian dictator, UNN reports.
"The German side announced that it was going to talk to Putin. But even if the German Chancellor did not express any positions in the conversation that would contradict Ukraine's position, conversations with the Russian dictator do not in themselves carry any added value for achieving a just peace.
Long talks are a resource that Putin has been using for more than 20 years to achieve his interests. Now, the talks only give Putin hope of easing his international isolation," Tychy said.
He emphasized that specific strong actions are needed to force him to peace, not persuasion and attempts at appeasement, which he sees as a sign of weakness and uses for his own purposes.
"Specific actions are known – first of all, the withdrawal of the occupier's troops from the territory of Ukraine," Tychyi summarized.
This is Pandora's box: Zelensky on Scholz's call to Russian dictator PutinNov 15 2024, 05:16 PM • 8579 views
Recall
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During a telephone conversation with Putin, Scholz urged him to end the war against Ukraine and start peace talks.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz spoke by phone on Nov. 15, their first direct call in nearly two years, according to a German government statement.
Earlier in the day, Bloomberg reported that Putin and Scholz were scheduled to speak, though it did not specify the time or topics of discussion. The call, unannounced by either Moscow or Berlin, lasted about an hour, Reuters reported.
During the conversation, Scholz condemned Russia’s war against Ukraine, calling on Putin to end it and withdraw Russian troops from Ukrainian territory. He also urged Russia to negotiate with Ukraine to achieve a “just and lasting peace.”
"Germany has unwavering determination to support Ukraine in its defensive struggle against Russian aggression for as long as necessary," the German government's statement read.
Before the call with Putin, Scholz spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and indicated plans to do so again.
The last phone call between Putin and Scholz occurred on Dec. 2, 2022. Scholz is the first head of government from a European Union country supporting Ukraine to resume direct contact with Putin.
Germany, Ukraine’s main European backer, is facing internal political turmoil. The center-left coalition led by Scholz has weakened, while opposition leader Friedrich Merz is eyeing the chancellorship.
Both Scholz and Merz have pledged to maintain aid to Ukraine in line with current policies.
However, an expert told The Kyiv Independent that the Trump administration’s stance “will have a much larger impact on Germany’s policies than whether the next German chancellor is Friedrich Merz, Olaf Scholz, or any other likely candidate.”
The President of Ukraine reported a positive conversation with Donald Trump about the war. According to Zelenskyy, the war may end faster with the new US administration.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that the war between Russia and Ukraine will end faster with the administration of US President-elect Donald Trump. Zelensky said this in an interview with Suspilne, UNN reports.
"He (Trump – ed.) heard the basis on which we stand. I have not heard anything against our position," Zelensky said.
Asked whether Trump had demanded that Ukraine participate in negotiations with Russia, the President said: "We are an independent country. And during this war, both our people and I personally, in negotiations with the United States, with Trump, with Biden, and with European leaders, proved that the rhetoric of "Sit down and listen" does not work with us.
"A just peace is very important for us, so that there is no feeling that we have lost the best for the sake of the injustice that was imposed on you. The war will end, but there is no exact date. Certainly, with the policies of this team that will now lead the White House, the war will end faster. This is their approach, their promise to their society, and it is also very important to them," Zelensky added.
Recall
US President-elect Donald Trump saidthat his administration will focus on Russia's war against Ukraine.
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has uncovered and arrested a high-ranking Ukrainian officer allegedly working as a Russian mole, the SBU reported via its Telegram channel on Nov. 15.
According to the report, the officer, the commander of a unit in Special Operations Forces, had been transmitting critical military intelligence to Russian troops.
The leaked information included sensitive details about sabotage and reconnaissance missions conducted by Ukrainian special forces in Zaporizhzhia and Kherson oblasts and Russian-occupied Crimea.
Russian forces were reportedly using this intelligence to target Ukrainian Defense Forces stationed at the front lines and in occupied areas of southern Ukraine.
The officer, whose identity was not revealed, has been arrested and is currently in custody.
He faces charges of treason and espionage, which carry severe penalties, including life imprisonment and asset forfeiture upon conviction.
The suspect was recruited by the Russian military intelligence agency (GRU) before Russia’s full-scale invasion on Feb. 24, 2022, and started receiving tasks in the spring of 2024, according to the SBU.
The command of Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces confirmed the detention of the commander and said they had been aware of the investigative actions regarding this serviceman and “fully facilitated their implementation.”
“While special forces operators perform combat missions behind enemy lines in temporarily occupied territories, unfortunately, there are those who try to interfere from the inside,” the command added.
“Special forces continue to fulfill tasks, destroy the enemy, and liberate Ukrainian land from the occupiers. And all those who think that they can interfere with this and put the lives of our soldiers in danger will be exposed and sent behind bars.”
This is not the first time the SBU has uncovered Russian infiltration within Ukrainian ranks.
On Aug. 14, it uncovered a Russian intelligence cell that included two former members of ex-President Viktor Yanukovych's security detail and an active member of Ukraine's National Guard.
Similarly, on Aug. 27, it arrested another individual in Kharkiv who was passing information to Russian forces about the city’s air defense systems and the positions of Ukrainian troops and fortifications.
The Center for Public Advocacy denied information about the invasion of the village of Hremyach in Chernihiv region by Russian troops. Only a Russian flag on a destroyed bridge was found on the border, and there is no real threat of invasion.
There is no threat of Russian military invasion of Chernihiv region, and the story about the village of Hremyach is an enemy information operation. However, there is a limited threat of sabotage and reconnaissance groups.
This was reported by the head of the Center for Countering Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council, Andriy Kovalenko, UNN reports .
Details
On the information about the “entry of the DRG into the village of Hremyach, Chernihiv region” with Russian flags. First of all, the Russians did not even cross the destroyed bridge from the border, so the information is a lie from the beginning. Secondly, I would just like to remind you that in June, a very similar story happened in Ryzhivka, Sumy region. Someone appeared somewhere, took down the flag and fled. There is no threat of invasion of Chernihiv region. There is only a limited threat from the DRG
– Kovalenko said.
According to him, the information about the DRG's entry into the village is false and is exclusively an enemy information operation.
Recall
Ukrainian defenders in the Chernihiv region discovered a Russian tricolor that was installed near the border on a destroyed bridge across the Sudist River.
The statement by Russian propagandists that the DRG entered the town of Hremyach is not true. They did not cross the bridge.
The Kyiv IndependentKateryna Hodunova
