Severalcompanies in Kazakhstan are playing a significant role in helping Russia circumvent Western sanctions by supplying equipment for the development of electronic warfare (EW) systems, according to The Insider, the Russian independent investigative outlet.
The outlet reported on Nov. 15 that Kazakhstan-based firms, including Askarlab, Dicosta Technologies, Panalem Technologies, and Computer Services Ltd, have been sourcing equipment from Europe, Asia, and the United States, then delivering it to Russia.
From 2023 to 2024, these companies acquired products from international manufacturers, including Germany’s Rohde & Schwarz, France’s Safran Data Systems, the U.S.-based Mini-Circuits, and Ireland’s Farran Technology.
The sourced equipment consisted of advanced components such as radio frequency filters, frequency analyzers, RF adapters, amplifiers, attenuators, frequency extenders, satellite modems, and vector network analyzers.
The Insider cited customs declarations from the Zhetysu customs post in Almaty, Russian records, and communications involving Askarlab’s director. Since 2023, these items have been transported by air, processed through customs, and, in numerous cases, sent to Russia. Askarlab alone reportedly procured high-end radio-technical equipment valued at approximately $2 million between November 2023 and early 2024.
The Insider pointed out that Russia's reliance on alternative supply routes has prompted Western countries to impose secondary sanctions on organizations involved in facilitating such activities. These measures aim to curtail the flow of restricted technology and equipment to Russia amidst ongoing geopolitical tensions.
Ukrainian air defense forces shoot down about 10 Russian drones over Kyiv during a 3-hour air alert. The attack damaged the balconies and windows of a residential building in Obolon district.
On the night of November 16, attack drones once again attacked Kyiv, with air defense defenses neutralizing up to 10 Russian drones in the air above and around the capital. This was reported by KCMA, according to UNN.
The air raid in the capital lasted almost 3 hours. During this time, defense forces detected and neutralized up to a dozen enemy UAVs in the airspace around the city,
– the statement said.
Addendum
It is noted that as a result of this attack in the Obolon district of the capital, damage to residential infrastructure was recorded. Balconies and windows were damaged due to falling debris in a multi-storey residential building. There was no information on casualties.
Russian drone attacks continue in Kyiv and neighboring regions. UAVs may change their course to Kyiv. So watch out for air raid alerts and stay safe!
– KCMA added.
He launched fireworks in the capital: A 23-year-old man was detained, he faces restriction of libertyNov 13 2024, 05:17 PM • 28309 views
Since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022, Ukraine has received over $100 billion in foreign-backed external financing to support Ukraine's state budget, the country's finance ministry announced on Nov. 15.
In addition to military aid to support Ukrainian military efforts along its eastern border, Western countries and institutions have helped to finance Ukraine's state budget amid increased budgetary pressures on the embattled nation.
Ukraine's external financing is primarily received through various cooperation programs including International Monetary Fund's (IMF) Extended Fund Facility program, the European Union's Ukraine Facility program, the World Bank, as well as directly from individual countries.
European Union nations rank first in providing external budget support with a combined $40.5 billion, the finance ministry announced. EU member states are followed by the United States with $28.2 billion in support, the International Monetary Fund at $11.4 billion, Japan at $6.3 billion, and Canada with $5.4 billion in budget support — all of which amounting to more than 90% of Ukraine's external financing.
"While the military campaign is financed by domestic resources, Ukraine counts on the support of international partners to finance social and humanitarian needs. No country can face challenges of this scale alone," Ukraine's finance ministry said a statement.
Of the total external budget support, about 33% of the aid — or $33.7 billion — has come in the form of non-repayable grants, with the United States providing the plurality of the grant funding.
Combining external funding with military assistance for Ukraine, the United States leads in its support allocating $175 billion to assist Ukraine — although that number includes an number government funding projects associated with the war including domestic weapons production. In April 2024, the U.S. approved its largest foreign aid bill providing $61 billion for Ukraine.
Ukraine expects to receive a total of $40.8 billion in external financing in 2024, having received $27.2 billion as of Nov. 14. The total for 2024 is in line with a record high in external financing provided in 2023 at $42.5 billion.
Ukraine's Deputy Finance Minister Olha Zykova said in August that the country would need to increase its external budget support by $12-15 billion for it to meet its domestic needs.
Earlier this year, Group of Seven (G7) nations finalized a framework agreement for a $50 billion loan for Ukraine backed by frozen Russian assets revenue.
Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwai made a surprise visit to Kyiv for talks with Ukrainian officials. The visit takes place against the backdrop of Trump's victory in the US election and North Korean troops' participation in the war.
On Saturday, November 16, Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwai paid an unannounced visit to Ukraine. This was reported by Kyodo News, according to UNN.
Details
It is noted that Iwai arrived in Ukraine for talks with officials, apparently to demonstrate Tokyo's commitment to Kyiv in its fight against Russian military aggression, which now involves North Korean troops.
Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwai will hold talks with Ukrainian officials in Kyiv, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reports. According to a ministry spokesperson, after arriving in Ukraine by train from Poland, on Saturday, Ivaya will meet with his Ukrainian counterpart, Andriy Sybig, and later that day, he may hold talks with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The visit comes as Donald Trump returns to the White House after winning the U.S. presidential election on November 5.
Addendum
Japan, along with the United States and other G7 members, has been supporting Ukraine since the beginning of Russia's invasion in February 2022 by imposing economic sanctions against Russia, including asset freezes and export bans.
Japan to provide Ukraine with $3 billion loan from G7 using its natural resourcesOct 28 2024, 06:35 PM • 34977 views
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz's call with Russian President Vladimir Putin opens a "Pandora's box," potentially leading to "other conversations and other calls," President Volodymyr Zelensky warned in his evening address on Nov. 15.
Earlier today, Scholz spoke with Putin for the first time in nearly two years. The German chancellor condemned Russia’s war in Ukraine, urged Putin to withdraw his troops, and discussed potential talks with Kyiv.
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.
At the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Ukraine and Russia held talks in Istanbul in March 2022, but the negotiations were eventually abandoned after Ukrainian retook the north of the country and mass war crimes were discovered in the liberated areas.
In comments to Ukraine's Peace Summit in June this year, Zelensky said the Istanbul talks failed because of the Russian side's "ultimatums."
Explosions have been reported in Kyiv and Kyiv region as a result of a Russian attack with attack drones. Air defense systems are actively operating on the outskirts of the capital, and people are being urged to take shelter.
Last night, on November 16, explosions were heard in the Kyiv area due to a Russian air attack involving attack drones. Air defense is operating in the Kyiv region and on the outskirts of the capital. This was reported by KCMA, according to UNN.
Air raid alert continues! Air defense is operating in the region, on the outskirts of Kyiv. Stay in shelters until the air raid is over!
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 Kyiv IndependentMartin Fornusek
