Category: War in Ukraine

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.

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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

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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.

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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.”

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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 .

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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.

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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.

Editor's note: This story is being updated as more details emerge.

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."

One person died and 10 were injured in the russian attack on Odesa. Local authorities have set up aid centers to help the victims and organized medical and legal support.

One person was killed and 10 others were injured in yesterday's russian attack in Odesa. This was reported by the deputy head of the Odesa regional state administration, Oleksandr Kharlov, on the air of the "United News" marathon, UNN reports.

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He added that the victims received the necessary medical care.

Only one person is in serious condition in the hospital. Doctors are providing her with the necessary medical care

– he said.

With the assistance of the city and regional authorities, headquarters have been set up in the city. People are being provided with assistance in the form of food, warm clothing and legal services for further compensation, he said.

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According to the head of the Odesa regional state administration, Oleh Kiper, the enemy has been terrorizing Odesa with mixed shelling for more than a week.

Russian strikes across Ukraine killed at least one civilian and injured at least 19 others in the past day, regional authorities reported on Nov. 15.

Russia attacked several regions with two X-59/69 guided missiles from the Black Sea and 29 Shahed-type attack drones from Crimea. The Air Force confirmed that one guided missile and 25 drones were shot down.

Russian attacks on Odesa, where most of the air targets were intercepted, killed one woman and injured 10 people, the State Emergency Service reported.

Among them, a nine-year-old boy is in moderate condition at a hospital, a 22-year-old man is in serious condition, and the rest of the wounded are in moderate condition at medical facilities throughout the city and region, according to Odesa Oblast Governor Oleh Kiper.

An apartment building was destroyed, and several high-rise buildings were damaged, Kiper said.

The attack also damaged the main district heating pipeline, which served 220 apartment buildings (with a population of 40,000), seven kindergartens, four schools, and a maternity hospital.

In Donetsk Oblast, three people were injured in Russian attacks, Governor Vadym Filashkin reported. The injuries occurred in the villages of Shcherbynivka, Vovkove, and Shevchenko.

Five people were wounded by Russian attacks on Kherson Oblast, according to Governor Oleksandr Prokudin. A critical infrastructure facility, a post office, and 12 houses were also damaged.

In Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, the communities of Nikopol, Myrove and Marhanets were attacked, and a 51-year-old woman was injured, Governor Serhii Lysak reported.

Kharkiv, Kirovohrad, Luhansk, Mykolaiv, Sumy, Ternopil, Poltava, and Zaporizhzhia oblasts were also attacked, but no casualties were reported.

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There is a shortage of both civilian and military personnel in the territorial recruitment centers. Out of 48,000 staff positions, only 36,000 are filled, of which 18,500 are limitedly fit military personnel.

Currently, there is a shortage of personnel in the territorial centers of recruitment and social support, both civilian and military. This was stated by the head of the communications group of the Sumy regional recruiting center and joint venture Oleksandr Bondarenko during a telethon, a correspondent of UNN reports.

When asked how much he feels the lack of staff, Bondarenko replied: “Now there is a shortage of both civilian and military personnel in the TCC. Compared to 2022, the TCC staff has increased due to the introduction of security companies in each unit.

He noted that initially these were mobilized people who were fit for military service, but over time, when units were formed, there was a rotation to the TCC, guys who were wounded or contused, i.e. not fit for service in combat units, were transferred to the TCC, and they took positions in the guard companies, while guys who were fit for service went to combat units.

AddendumAddendum

Defense Ministry spokesman Dmytro Lazutkin said that there are 48,000 positions in Ukraine's territorial recruitment centers (TCCs). But in fact, 36,000 people work there, of whom 18,500 are of limited fitness.

MP Yulia Yatsyk, who is a member of the provisional investigative commission for the protection of the rights of servicemen, stated that a report had been submitted proposing to disband the TCC. According to her, more than 10 full-fledged brigades could be created out of the current number of military personnel of the TCC.