Editor's Note: This is a developing story and is being updated.
Russia attacked the city of Odesa with drones late in the evening on Nov. 14, striking a residential buildings and killing one civilian.
A "massive" Russian drone attack targeted Odesa and the surrounding region, Governor Oleh Kiper said.
One woman was killed and at least two others were injured, Kiper reported.
The attack damaged residential buildings, a church, and vehicles, causing fires to break out in some areas. The strike also damaged a main heating pipeline, forcing the city to shut down one of its boiler houses.
Emergency services are at work at the sites of the attack, Kiper said.
Andriy Yermak, the head of Ukraine's Presidential Office, called the strike on Odesa a "terrorist attack."
"(Russian President Vladimir) Putin just likes to fight civilians," he said.
Russia has ramped up its drone attacks across Ukraine, including in major cities like Odesa and the capital, Kyiv, where civilians suffer drone attacks almost daily. Consecutive drone strikes targeted Odesa on Nov. 8 and 9, killing and injuring civilians.
As a result of the attack in Odesa, a woman was killed, two people were wounded, and residential buildings and a church were damaged. The strike damaged a heating main and shut down one of the city's boiler houses.
A woman was killed in an enemy attack in Odesa, and at least two other people were injured. This was reported by the head of the Odesa RMA, Oleh Kiper, according to UNN.
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According to preliminary reports, several residential buildings and a church were damaged. Cars parked on the streets were also damaged by debris.
Fires broke out in some areas.
Emergency services are working on the spot to help the victims and eliminate the consequences of the attack.
Updates on the situation will be provided additionally, according to local authorities.
Recall
According to the city's mayor, Gennadiy Trukhanov, the main heating pipeline was also damaged, forcing the shutdown of one of the city's boiler houses.
russia launches a attack on a residential building in OdesaNov 14 2024, 09:01 PM • 3197 views
The Defense Ministry plans to finalize a bill defining the procedure and conditions for discharging military personnel from service by Dec. 18 this year, secretary of the parliamentary defense committee Roman Kostenko told Ukrainska Pravda on Nov. 14.
Due to the lack of a regulatory framework, Ukrainian military personnel cannot be demobilized at will, even after long service. The reasons for demobilization may include injury or the need to care for a family member with a disability.
Many Ukrainian soldiers have been serving non-stop since the first day of the full-scale invasion in late February 2022.
"The committee addressed the Defense Ministry with an official request to develop a draft law on the procedure and conditions for the dismissal of certain categories of military personnel during martial law," Kostenko said.
"Recently, we received a response saying that, according to the ministry's plan, the draft will be ready by Dec. 18, 2024, within the timeframe set by the parliament."
It is not yet clear what conditions the Defense Ministry will propose for discharging military personnel from service, Kostenko added.
Ukraine's parliament adopted an updated mobilization law in mid-April to ramp up mobilization amid Russia's ongoing war. The new law simplifies the process for identifying eligible conscripts and includes additional penalties for those dodging the draft.
The parliament voted to remove provisions on demobilization, which previously foresaw soldiers having the right to leave the military after 36 months of service, from the bill so that they could be considered separately.
The parliament obliged the Defense Ministry to develop a relevant draft law within eight months.
Russia's ambassador to the United Nations says he is ready to dialog with Trump on Ukraine. The talks should take into account “realities on the ground” and russia's current successes.
russia is open to negotiations on ending the war in Ukraine if initiated by U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, but any negotiations should be based on the realities of russian successes. Moscow's ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva told reporters on Thursday, reports UNN.
The publication notes that Trump has repeatedly criticized the scale of Western aid to Kiev and promised to quickly end the conflict without explaining exactly how. His victory in the Nov. 5 presidential election raised concerns in Kiev and other European capitals about the extent of future U.S. commitment to help Ukraine.
“Trump promised to resolve the Ukrainian crisis overnight. OK, let him try. But we realists, of course, realize that this will never happen,” said Gennady Gatilov, Russia's ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva.
“But if he starts or proposes something to start a political process, that's welcome.
He added that any such talks should be based on what he called “the realities on the ground”, describing Ukraine as lagging behind in more than two years of conflict. Russian forces are advancing in Ukraine at the fastest pace in at least a year and now control about one-fifth of the country, the media outlet said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly said that peace cannot be established until all Russian troops are expelled and all territories seized by moscow, including Crimea, are returned. The “Victory Plan” he laid out last month maintained that position, as well as Ukraine's invitation to join NATO, long denounced by russia.
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Zelensky told European leaders in Budapest last week that concessions to russia would be “unacceptable for Ukraine and suicidal for all of Europe.
Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022 triggered the biggest confrontation between moscow and the West since the Cold War, when President Joe Biden led efforts to isolate russia.
gatilov indicated that Trump's election represents a new opportunity for dialog with the United States, but questioned a broader reset of relations, echoing the Kremlin's earlier warning.
“The U.S. political elite, regardless of domestic political shifts, (Washington) has consistently maintained a position of containing Moscow, and this orientation is unfortunately deeply entrenched, and a change of administration can do little to change that,” he said.
“The only shift (that) may be possible is a dialog between our countries, something that has been lacking for the last few years,” he added.
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Ukraine’s sovereign bonds rose in price after Donald Trump’s win in the U.S. presidential elections as investors expect a quicker end to the war, the Financial Times reported on Nov. 14.
Over the past month, the country's dollar-dominated bonds have risen 12%, FT reported, as investors anticipate Trump will push for a ceasefire that could jumpstart Ukraine's recovery and ability to repay its creditors.
The outlet pointed out that the jump in Ukrainian bonds began in mid-October when markets began to believe in a Trump victory.
Trump has pledged to end the war within "24 hours," sparking fears he might push Ukraine toward painful territorial concessions to achieve a quick peace deal.
The rise in price follows an agreement reached in September between Ukraine and its creditors to restructure more than $20 billion in international debt. The deal shrank Ukraine's state debt by $9 billion, allowing it to avert default and helped its economy stay afloat amid Russia's full-scale war.
The country's bond maturing in 2036 rose from 44 to 49 cents on the dollar in the past month, FT reported. GDP-warrants, a growth-related fixed-income instrument, also jumped to a record high following Trump’s election since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in February 2022.
The FT also reported that a bond owned by Ukraine's state-owned grid operator Ukrenergo rallied more than 160% to 67 cents on the dollar. Bloomberg reported last week that Ukrenergo announced it would suspend bond payments on its dollar-denominated notes that mature in 2028 and would seek a restructuring agreement with creditors.
Not all investors are so bullish about Ukraine's recovery prospects. Portfolio Manager at Federated Hermes Mohammed Elmi told the FT that "There is still a significant amount of unanswered questions” about the country's future after any potential negotiated settlement.
More than 40 residents of the village of Olgovka, Kursk region, recorded a video message to Putin calling for an end to the war. The refugees lost their homes due to the Ukrainian army offensive and complain about insufficient payments to rent a new place.
Refugees from the village of olgovka in the Kursk region have appealed to Russian dictator Vladimir Putin to “end this damn war.” Residents of the village complain that the war has left them homeless, and that they have been evacuated and do not have enough money from the authorities to rent a house.
This was reported by the Russian media, UNNreported.
Details
We have been in hell for three months, where do we turn, where do we find salvation? We are asking you to end this damn war that has claimed many innocent lives. We want our children to see a peaceful sky, not to listen to the missile warning. Please understand this situation and listen to the residents of the border area. We do not tolerate all this by choice
– the residents asked.
More than 40 people took part in the video message. In the video, residents of Olgovka also say that they lost everything and were left homeless when the Ukrainian army began its offensive. In the evacuation, they do not have enough payments from the authorities to rent housing, and many are not ready to hire refugees.
The IDPs also said that some of their fellow villagers who did not evacuate were killed or went missing.
Addendum Addendum
On August 6, the Ukrainian Armed Forces launched an offensive in the Kursk region, including the Defense Forces entering the village of Olgovka, but later the Russian military regained control of it.
Recall
South Korea's intelligence agency confirms that North Korean soldiers are already participating in combat operations against the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Kursk region alongside Russian soldiers.
Before the election, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson said he had "little appetite" for further military aid to Ukraine. While the sentiment is somewhat understandable, it misses a critical point: the nature of warfare has fundamentally changed over the past year, and Ukraine’s aid no longer needs to be a one-way street. Ukraine can now offer its expertise and technology to the U.S. in return.
Ukraine possesses the world’s most advanced tactical unmanned and autonomous weaponry, along with the hard-won experience to deploy it in the world’s most sophisticated battle space. The technology and training Ukraine can offer far outweigh the value of the aid Johnson is hesitant to provide. He may be missing the deal of the century.
"The technology and training Ukraine can offer far outweigh the value of the aid Johnson is hesitant to provide. He may be missing the deal of the century."
It is becoming increasingly clear to the American defense establishment just how dramatically unmanned and autonomous systems (UAS) warfare has shifted the battlefield — and how precarious the U.S. security posture is as a result.
Former U.S. General David Petraeus and former U.S. Army special-operations commander Andy Yakulis note that the pace of drone operations in Ukraine "highlights the urgency with which the U.S. must overhaul its defense system, from operational concepts, structures, and training to weapons systems, procurement, and manufacturing." Recognition of the problem is widespread, but systematic solutions to address the problem are slow in coming.
Matthew Rose and Kathryn Levantovscaia of the Atlantic Council say that "Despite the rapid evolution of drone technology over the last two decades, the United States military did not release its first Counter-Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems Strategy until 2021, and it’s vastly insufficient to address the new security challenges afoot."
Opinion on Capitol Hill is much the same — staffers warn that the U.S. has a serious problem on its hands and is “way behind the curve” in addressing the unmanned threat.
Meanwhile, Ukraine is leading the charge. By necessity, it has become the world’s preeminent developer in this new battle space, only whiskers ahead in a breakneck race with Russia. Both sides have adapted unmanned systems in ways thought inconceivable just a few short years ago.
Ukraine is on track to produce 1.2 million drones this year, with plans to grow toward 4 million annually. Although security restrictions make it difficult to say for certain, this likely surpasses U.S. Defense Department acquisitions by orders of magnitude. The number of drone manufacturers in Ukraine has increased from seven in 2022 to over 100 in 2024.
Ukraine’s rapid research and development cycle, built upon a decentralized “levée en masse” production system, allows it to lead the global UAS market and deliver innovative solutions to the battlefield at an astonishing rate.
Ukrainian reconnaissance drones are seen during test flights prior to being sent to the front line in Kyiv Oblast, Ukraine, on Aug. 2, 2022, amid Russia's war against Ukraine. (Sergei Supinsky/AFP via Getty Images)
The pace of this development is only accelerating. Ukraine is rapidly advancing artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and sensor technologies, swarm technology, and the integration of computer vision and real-time data processing, as well as diversifying its UAS portfolio with specialized developments drones for carriers, targets, electronic warfare, and kamikaze attacks.
In short, Ukraine has earned its fearsome reputation for multi-domain drone operations, and it’s time for the U.S. to fully embrace this fact. Ukrainian technical creativity has reshaped modern warfare, and the U.S. defense establishment should be eager to exchange some of its war materiel for the tactical lessons Ukraine has learned.
Other global actors have already recognized the strategic potential of partnering with Ukraine’s defense sector. Prominent players like U.S.-based Skydio, Germany’s Quantum-Systems, and Turkey’s Baykar have quickly set up offices or drone manufacturing plants in Ukraine. They understand, as American politicians do not, that Ukraine is the new global center for technical innovation.
Vast, well-funded military-industrial complexes like in the U.S. are predictably slow to adapt to new realities. Russia, China, and the U.S. must now reckon with the fact that their expensive, high-tech weapons systems — the result of decades of acquisition — are vulnerable to relatively inexpensive systems.
Ukraine’s naval drones, which cost just $200,000 each, have already destroyed two dozen Russian warships in the Black Sea, forcing Russia to retreat from the Crimean coast. Estimates suggest the Russian Army has lost approximately 9,000 tanks, 18,000 armored vehicles, 20,000 artillery systems, 369 aircraft, 329 helicopters, and over 700,000 personnel — many of these losses due to drone attacks. In October alone, Ukraine’s UAS "destroyed or damaged" over 52,000 Russian targets, including 129 artillery systems, 221 pieces of radio equipment, and more than 4,000 Russian troops.
Ukrainian drone strikes have also targeted over 30 oil refineries, reducing Russian crude processing capacity by as much as 14.5%. Ukrainian drone swarms have played key roles not only in standoff attacks on oil refineries and military bases but also in Ukraine’s successful incursion into the Kursk oblast. It has become a joke among Ukrainians that while Russia “shoots down all incoming drones,” the "falling debris" is bleeding its war machine dry.
But if U.S. defense planners believe Russia will remain passive or static in its response, they are in for a rude awakening. Russia has been investing in domestic drone production since 2008 and announced plans this year to ramp up production by nearly tenfold to 1.4 million units.
While Russia’s reliance on foreign components and its failure to implement decentralized production models give Ukraine an advantage, it remains a formidable competitor in the drone space. Its partnerships with Iran, North Korea, and possibly China mean there’s no time to waste for the U.S.
"While Russia’s reliance on foreign components and its failure to implement decentralized production models give Ukraine an advantage, it remains a formidable competitor in the drone space."
The pace of technological development on the Ukrainian battlefield is pushing both sides to innovate rapidly. Russians continue to try to replicate Ukraine’s drone technologies and tactics, motivating Ukrainians to develop even more sophisticated innovations. This accelerated arms race demands that the U.S. stay updated on developments such as "dragon drones" that release molten thermite on enemy positions and the Palianytsia, a hybrid rocket-drone with a long-range strike capability of 435 miles (700 km).
Ukraine still desperately needs key investments in its defense sector and continued military aid, while the U.S. must learn to operate effectively in the newest battle domain. As Ukraine seeks foreign capital for its military-defense complex, Russia’s attacks persist, fueled by fresh transfers from North Korea and Iran. As these autocratic nations push the world toward potential conflict, it’s vital for the U.S. and Ukraine to work out bilateral defense arrangements that serve both countries' vital interests.
This two-way partnership would be relatively simple to establish: Ukraine can already supply tens of thousands of the most advanced First-Person-View (FPV) attack drones to the U.S. Defense Department, along with training from some of the world’s most skilled drone pilots. Many of these courses can be taught virtually, allowing Ukrainian instructors to continue fighting while sharing tactical and technical updates with their American counterparts.
The initiative has strong political backing. Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks’ Replicator Initiative aims to equip operational units with "tens of thousands" of drones by next year. Outsourcing this monumental acquisition to Ukraine would be a straightforward proposition, provided red tape is eliminated in the national interest. After all, Ukraine is the best place to buy drones right now — not only are they the most advanced, but they’re also comparatively cheap.
Allied weapons have given Ukraine the time to build its defense frameworks, and it is now developing new technologies and tactics at a rapid pace. Ukraine can now offer the U.S. a tremendous asset in exchange for the aid it has received: deep, relevant experience in the world’s most advanced battle space. Now that the election is over, sending Ukraine the weapons and funds it needs in exchange for cutting-edge technology, tactics, and training is a bargain Speaker Johnson would be foolish to ignore.
Editor’s Note: The opinions expressed in the op-ed section are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Kyiv Independent.
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The advisor to the head of the OP criticizes the Western media for publications about forcing Ukraine to unfavorable negotiations with russia. Podolyak believes this is an incentive for the aggressor and a humiliation of international law.
Mykhailo Podolyak, advisor to the head of the Presidential Office, noted that Western media often publish stories about scenarios where the Ukrainian side is forced to negotiate peace with russia on terms unfavorable to Ukraine. He called it an incentive for russia to continue its aggression. UNN writes about this with a link to the advisor's post on the X network.
Forcing Ukraine to negotiate on any unfavorable terms (as the Western media constantly report) looks extremely strange
– the post says.
In his opinion, in this way they are trying to force Ukraine to give up resistance and do not discuss real scenarios for forcing russia, which is the aggressor, to stop this aggression and pay the maximum financial and legal price for the aggression.
What kind of absurd "moral imperative" is this – peace only at the expense of the victim, the country that was attacked. And at the expense of openly encouraging the aggressor to continue aggression, because there will be no cost for aggression? Where does this come from? And why should this strange construction lead to peace, and not to increased aggression and the ultimate humiliation of international law?
– He added.
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President Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine is ready to consider real peace proposals from other countries. He called on Western officials to openly discuss the idea of exchanging territory for NATO membership.
As reported by The Telegraph, Donald Trump may call on European and British troops to provide an 800-mile (1,200-kilometer) buffer zone between the russian and Ukrainian armies as part of a plan to freeze the war between the two countries.
Ukraine expects further US leadership in achieving a just peace – SibigaNov 9 2024, 04:15 PM • 21401 view
Russia has lost 716,070 troops in Ukraine since the beginning of its full-scale invasion on Feb. 24, 2022, the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces reported on Nov. 14.
This number includes 1,690 casualties Russian forces suffered just over the past day.
According to the report, Russia has also lost 9,319 tanks, 18,947 armored fighting vehicles, 29,090 vehicles and fuel tanks, 20,472 artillery systems, 1,252 multiple launch rocket systems, 997 air defense systems, 369 airplanes, 329 helicopters, 18,852 drones, 28 ships and boats, and one submarine.
Enemy forces shelled 19 settlements in Kherson region, including the regional center. As a result of the attacks, residential buildings and cars were damaged, and 15 people were injured.
Yesterday, a number of settlements in the Kherson region came under fire as a result of enemy air strikes and shelling. This was reported by the head of the Kherson RMA Oleksandr Prokudin, according to UNN.
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According to the information, Beryslav, Poniativka, Stanislav, Tyahyntsi, Odradokamyanka, Antonivka, Vesele, Kozatske, Mylove, Kachkarivka, Komyshany, Sadove, Tomyna Balka, Novovorontsovka, Tomaryne, Bilozerka, Zelenivka, Inzhenerne and the city of Kherson were hit.
Terrorists struck residential areas, utility companies and the local fire department.
The shelling damaged a multi-storey building, seven private houses, outbuildings and vehicles, including an ambulance and private cars. As a result of the aggression, 15 people sustained injuries of varying severity.
Russians attack ambulance with drone during evacuation of wounded in Kherson regionNov 13 2024, 01:39 PM • 13657 views
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