Category: War in Ukraine

President-elect Donald Trump may "soon" appoint a Ukrainian peace envoy to lead negotiations on ending Russia's war, Fox News reported on Nov. 13, citing its multiple undisclosed sources.

"You're going to see a very senior special envoy, someone with a lot of credibility, who will be given a task to find a resolution, to get to a peace settlement," one of the sources said, adding that the appointment will happen "in short order."

Kurt Volker held a similar position and served as the U.S. Special Representative for Ukraine on a volunteer basis from 2017 to 2019. The post of Ukrainian peace envoy is also expected to be unpaid.

Over the past few days, Trump has announced new members of his future administration. Meanwhile, some of Trump's picks have made controversial statements about the war in Ukraine and opposed further provision of military aid for Kyiv.

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Nov. 12 selected Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy to lead the "Department of Government Efficiency," a new body designed to "drive large-scale structural reform."

Ramaswamy, a wealthy entrepreneur, and Musk, one of the world's richest people and owner of SpaceX, Tesla, and X (formerly known as Twitter), have no background in politics apart from Ramaswamy’s brief running for the Republican presidential nomination.

While Musk has repeatedly echoed pro-Russian talking points on Ukraine, including proposals to cede territory to Moscow, Ramaswamy was among the most vocal opponents of military aid for Kyiv.

Trump also named South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem as the leader of Homeland Security, who earlier called Russia's invasion of Ukraine "Europe's fight, not ours."

Earlier, Trump named Michael Waltz his national security advisor. Waltz's views on Ukraine evolved from an ardent supporter of U.S. military aid to questioning it and advocating for relocating these resources against China.

Trump's defense secretary is confirmed to be Pete Hegseth, an army veteran and current Fox News host. His secretary of state, overseeing U.S. diplomacy, is reported to be Marco Rubio.

Marco Rubio’s stance on Russia’s war in Ukraine — what we knowRepublican Senator Marco Rubio is likely to be the next U.S. secretary of state, according to reports on Nov. 12 that mark the latest insight into how President-elect Donald Trump’s White House will approach Russia’s war in Ukraine. Trump, leader of the Republican party who was elected president onThe Kyiv IndependentChris York

The occupants attempted to break through the defense in the Kupyansk sector in four waves using 15 pieces of equipment. Some of the Russian soldiers were disguised in Ukrainian Armed Forces uniforms, and all attacks were repelled.

Russian occupants attempted to break through our defense in the Kupyansk sector. Some of the Russian soldiers were dressed in uniforms of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. This was reported by the General Staff and added that Ukrainian defenders stopped the enemy, UNN reports.

"Today, starting at 2:30 p.m., Russian occupants attempted to break through our defense in the Kupyansk sector. Enemy assault groups attacked the positions of Ukrainian defenders in four waves. In total, the enemy used about 15 pieces of equipment. In particular, tanks, armored combat vehicles and an UR-77 demining unit," the statement said.

The General Staff emphasized that some of the Russian soldiers were dressed in uniforms of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. This violates the laws and rules of warfare and is a war crime.

"With skillful and decisive actions, our defenders stopped the enemy, destroyed all their armored vehicles and eliminated a significant part of their manpower," the statement said.

In addition, the General Staff noted the professionalism and cohesion of our infantrymen, tankers, artillerymen and UAV operators.

156 combat engagements in the frontline: where is the hottest spot and what is happening – General StaffNov 13 2024, 12:20 AM • 57838 views

Military donations in Ukraine have fallen sharply amid rising financial pressures and war weariness, with major charities reporting drops by 20% or more in 2024, Bloomberg reported on Nov. 13.

Prominent organizations such as Come Back Alive and the Serhiy Prytula Foundation, headed by the well-known Ukrainian TV personality of the same name, have seen contributions decrease by approximately one-fifth in 2024, Bloomberg reports.

Other groups supporting the Armed Forces report even steeper declines.

While these charities provide essential support, they cover only a fraction of Ukraine’s total military needs. In 2024, Prytula’s foundation raised Hr 1.4 billion ($34 million), a figure that pales in comparison to Ukraine’s $50 billion military budget.

Come Back Alive, one of Ukraine's largest charitable foundations, reported a 15% drop in donations in the same year, based on its reports on the receipt of donations.

Meanwhile, Reactive Post, another non-governmental organization, told Bloomberg that its contributions have decreased by over 40% this year compared to the same period in 2023.

Prytula cited economic challenges and the hardships brought on by power outages as likely reasons for the downturn.

In an interview with Ukrainska Pravda, Taras Chmut, the head of Come Back Alive, expressed concern over 2024’s fundraising efforts, saying they "have not started as well as we would like."

Chmut explained that as more Ukrainians leave the country, incomes decline, and living costs rise, donations are inevitably impacted.

Oleh Karpenko, the head of partnerships at Come Back Alive, told the BBC that donation patterns vary based on events such as shelling in Ukraine, drone strikes in Russia, power outages, battlefield developments, and military successes or setbacks.

On Oct. 25, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced a new eSupport initiative scheduled to launch on Dec. 1.

Under this program, each Ukrainian will receive Hr 1,000 ($24) in aid, which can be used for specific expenses. Deputy Economy Minister Oleksii Soboliev clarified that these funds could be redirected to the military through donations, even if foreign aid itself cannot be directly allocated for military purposes, as reported by the NV news outlet.

Kyiv Independent is 3 years old. Here’s a list of our consequential stories throughout the yearsOn Nov. 11, 2021, a group of young journalists in Ukraine fired for defending their editorial independence decided to launch a new publication that would stand by those principles. This new publication, without a name at its start, would later become known as the Kyiv Independent. Three years in,…The Kyiv IndependentThe Kyiv Independent

Over 50% of all combat engagements took place in the Kurakhove and Pokrovske sectors over the last day. The most intense fighting continues in the areas of Antonivka and Novoselidivka.

More than half of the 97 battles on the frontline today took place in the Pokrovske and Kurakhove directions, with the occupants making the main efforts in the areas of Antonivka and Novoselidivka, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported at 16:00 on November 13, UNN reports.

Since the beginning of the day, the enemy has continued its offensive, the number of combat engagements along the entire frontline has increased to 97. The enemy is most active in the Pokrovske and Kurakhove sectors

– reported the General Staff.

The situation is reportedly as follows:

In the Kharkiv sector, one enemy attack was repelled near Vovchansk.

In the Kupyansk sector, the enemy started storming the positions of our units near Lozova and Pershotravneve five times. Two firefights are ongoing. Pishchane, Kivrashivka, Zahryzove and Bohuslavka were attacked by UAVs.

On the Liman direction, the invading army conducted five attacks on Ukrainian positions in the direction of Cherneshchyna, Terny and Zarichne during the day. Three engagements ended, two are ongoing. The enemy actively used aviation in this area, Yampolivka and Terny came under attack from anti-aircraft gunships, and the enemy attacked Serhiivka and Novoyehorivka with aerial tanks.

In the Kramatorsk sector, one firefight took place in the vicinity of Stupochki.

In the Toretsk sector, the enemy tried three times to improve its position in the Toretsk area. Ukrainian soldiers gave a worthy rebuff. The occupier dropped eight bombs in the area of Dachne.

Since the beginning of the day, the occupants have already made 24 attempts to push our defenders from their positions in the Pokrovske sector. Fighting continues near Sukhoi Balka, Promen, Lysivka, Krutyi Yar, Hryhorivka, Dachenske, Petrivka, Novooleksiyivka, and Pustynka. Pushkine was hit by UAVs.

The situation is the hottest in the Kurakhove sector, where 32 hostile attacks have already been registered in the areas of Berestky, Illinka, Novoselydivka, Voznesenka, Novodmitrivka, Maksymilianivka, Dalne, Antonivka and Katerynivka. In the areas of Antonivka and Novoselydivka, the occupants are making the main efforts – they conducted 16 assaults, ten of which are ongoing. At the same time, the enemy dropped two combat vehicles in the vicinity of Kurakhove.

In the Vremivsk sector, eight firefights took place near the towns of Rivne, Novopil, Trudove, Kostiantynopolske and Makarivka. Six attacks are still being repelled by Ukrainian defenders. Velyka Novosilka, Zelene Pole, and Novopil were hit by air strikes.

On the Gulyaypil direction, the enemy attacked Belogorye with rocket-propelled grenades.

On the Orikhivsk direction, the occupiers attacked three times in the directions of Novodanilivka and Novoandriivka. The enemy dropped four guided aerial bombs near Zaporizhzhia and Natalivka.

Four enemy assaults were successfully repelled in the Prydniprovsky sector. At the same time, the enemy launched an air strike with NARs on Kozatske.

There were no major changes in other areas.

Sumy, Chernihiv and Kharkiv regions, as indicated, continue to suffer from artillery shelling from the territory of the Russian Federation. Thus, the areas of Pavlivka, Oleksandrivka, Zhuravka, Dibrova, Novenke, Basivka, and Ryasne came under hostile fire. Basivka, Zhuravka and Yunakivka were hit by air strikes.

Almost half of the fighting took place in the Kurakhove and Pokrovsk sectors: situation on the frontlineNov 13 2024, 06:40 AM • 17036 views

Editor's note: The story is being updated.

A Russian drone hit an apartment building in the northeastern part of Kharkiv, injuring at least two people, officials reported on Nov. 13.

Two residents previously reported as injured received medical assistance in connection to the attack but did not suffer physical injuries, according to authorities.

The drone struck the building in the city's Saltivskyi district near a shopping center at around 11:30 a.m. Several cars, public transport infrastructure equipment, and facades of nearby buildings were damaged, but no fire was reported.

None of the victims suffered serious injuries, Governor Oleh Syniehubov said. A 74-year-old woman and a 74-year-old man were hospitalized with shrapnel wounds.

An 84-year-old woman was hospitalized with a hypertensive crisis, and a 53-year-old woman suffered shock.

Located less than 30 kilometers from the Russian border, the northeastern city of Kharkiv has suffered relentless Russian attacks over the past two years of Russia's full-scale war. Recently, aerial strikes have been intensifying.

Moscow often targets densely populatedneighborhoods in the city with drones, missiles, and glide bombs.

Russian attack on Kharkiv injures 25At least 25 people were injured and more may be trapped under the rubble, local authorities said. Search and rescue operations are ongoing at the building.The Kyiv IndependentAbbey Fenbert

US Secretary of State Blinken announced that the aid would be adapted to Ukraine's needs on the battlefield. The United States is ready to use every dollar of the $61 billion package and expects increased support from its allies.

The United States and its partners are meeting many of the needs outlined in President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's "victory plan," and this was the subject of discussions with allies and partners on November 13 at NATO headquarters. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said this during a visit to Brussels, answering a question about the possibility of easing restrictions on long-range weapons strikes deep into Russia, UNN reports citing Voice of America.

Details

"The criterion for our assistance to Ukraine, starting in February 2022 and continuing until today, is to make sure that we adapt to Ukraine's needs as the battlefield changes, as what Russia is doing changes, where the front is, how the war is going, how the aggression is going. I am convinced that we will continue to adapt and adjust (the aid – ed.) as needed," Blinken said.

The U.S. Secretary of State did not specifically answer questions about long-range weapons, but assured that the current administration is committed to further assistance to Ukraine.

"The President [Biden] is committed to making sure that we put every dollar at our disposal, including the $61 billion package… And we are on our way to doing that. So the withdrawals that we can make from our military equipment will happen, and that's how the funds will move forward. This should ensure that Ukraine continues to get what it needs from us," Blinken emphasized.

The US Secretary of State emphasized that support from allies and partners is equally important.

"I am convinced, based on the conversations we have today and almost every day, that this support will continue, and not only that, I expect it to grow," Blinken summarized.

The U.S. Secretary of State is in Brussels to discuss support for Ukraine in meetings with his NATO and EU counterparts.

After meeting with NATO Secretary General Blinken met with Sibiga one-on-one in Brussels: what statements the US Secretary of State has already madeNov 13 2024, 12:35 PM • 4289 views

In particular, at a meeting with Rutte, he said that the involvement of North Korean troops in the war in Ukraine requires a tough response and will be met with one.

"Today we had a very productive discussion about our continued support for Ukraine in the face of Russia's ongoing aggression. In addition, [there was a conversation] about this additional element of the DPRK, North Korean forces engaged in war and now literally in combat, which requires and will receive a tough response," Blinken said.

The car bombing that killed Russian Navy officer Valery Trankovsky in occupied Sevastopol on Nov. 13 was an operation carried out by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), a source in the agency told the Kyiv Independent.

The statement came shortly after Russian authorities in occupied Crimea reported on a military service member dying following the blast.

Trankovsky was chief of staff of the 41st Missile Boat Brigade and a "war criminal who has ordered cruise missile launches from the Black Sea against civilian sites in Ukraine," the source said.

The officer was allegedly responsible for the Kalibr missile strike against the city of Vinnytsia in July 2022 that killed 29 people and injured over 200 more. He also oversaw strikes against Odesa and other cities, leaving many civilians dead, the source said.

According to Russian Telegram channels, Trankovsky held the rank of captain of 1st class.

Russian media outlet Mash claims that Trankovsky had been under surveillance for roughly a week and that an improvised explosive device (IED) was placed under the driver's side of his car and allegedly detonated remotely.

Several Russian officers involved in the war against Ukraine have been found killed in Russia or Russian-occupied territories throughout the full-scale war. Most recently, Major Dmitry Pervukha was killed in the center of Russian-occupied Luhansk after his car exploded on Oct. 18.

Pervukha was allegedly involved in war crimes against Ukraine. He served in the 273rd Intelligence Center of the Russian Armed Forces.

Russia preparing a 50,000-people-strong offensive in latest attempt to push Ukrainian army out of Kursk OblastOver the past week, Russia had been gathering forces in what appears to be preparations for a decisive push in the country’s Kursk Oblast. “The situation is changing every day. Not long ago, we were on the offensive, and now we are on the defensive,” a 35-year-old artilleryman with theThe Kyiv IndependentKateryna Hodunova

A Russian drone hits a multi-story building in the Saltivsky district of Kharkiv. The number of victims of the attack increased to four.

In Kharkiv, as a result of a Russian drone attack on an apartment building, the number of victims has increased to four, Mayor Igor Terekhov said on Telegram, UNN reports .

The number of victims increased to four

– said Terekhov.

Previously

The mayor reportedthat an enemy UAV hit an apartment building in the Saltiv district of Kharkiv. There was no fire. It was immediately known about 2 victims.

North Korea has dispatched 10,000 troops to Russia, with most of them deployed in the western Kursk Oblast and taking part in combat, a Pentagon spokesperson said during a press briefing on Nov. 12.

Washington is echoing earlier warnings from Kyiv that Pyongyang's troops have been deployed in the warzone in an unprecedented escalation of Russia's war against Ukraine.

"Today I can confirm that over 10,000 (North Korean) soldiers have been sent to eastern Russia, and most of them have moved to the far western Kursk Oblast, where they have begun engaging in combat operations with Russian forces," spokesperson Vedant Patel said.

"Russian forces have trained the (North Korean) soldiers in artillery, in UAV and basic infantry operations, including trench clearing, which are critical skills for front-line operations."

According to Patel, the effectiveness of North Korean soldiers will "in large part be dictated by how well the Russians can integrate them into their military."

Russia is mustering a force of 50,000 soldiers, including North Korean troops, to launch a counter-offensive against a Ukrainian salient in Russia's Kursk Oblast, the New York Times reported on Nov. 10.

The new force comes as Russia saw its heaviest losses last month, and the North Korean troops could be replacing injured and killed Russian soldiers, according to some experts.

Clashes between the Ukrainian and North Korean soldiers are currently underway, Ukraine's Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said on Nov. 5. North Korean troops have already suffered casualties, President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed on Nov. 7, without specifying the number.

Russia preparing a 50,000-people-strong offensive in latest attempt to push Ukrainian army out of Kursk OblastOver the past week, Russia had been gathering forces in what appears to be preparations for a decisive push in the country’s Kursk Oblast. “The situation is changing every day. Not long ago, we were on the offensive, and now we are on the defensive,” a 35-year-old artilleryman with theThe Kyiv IndependentKateryna Hodunova

The President of Ukraine commented on the massive Russian attack. Zelensky thanked partners for their help with air defense and electronic warfare systems.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy responded to Russia's massive attack by emphasizing the importance of timely deliveries of anti-missile and defense systems, UNN reports .

Details

“This morning there was another combined Russian attack on our cities, and there was an effective response from our air defense. We shot down Russian missiles, including ballistic missiles, cruise missiles that attacked Kyiv, as well as drones. In total, about 90 attack drones attacked Ukraine,” the President said on social media.

Russian Federation massively attacked Ukraine with 96 missiles and drones: two X-101s, two ballistic missiles and 37 drones were shot downNov 13 2024, 08:15 AM • 2109 views

“And it is important that our forces have the means to defend the country from Russian terror. I am grateful to each of the partners who help. Delivering anti-missiles for our air defense system on time, fulfilling agreements on defense systems, on the production and supply of electronic warfare means, without exaggeration, being a savior of people. Each such manifestation of the effectiveness of our air defense means saved lives and protected infrastructure. And the more results our soldiers achieve, the closer the end of the war will be. This is how peace is achieved through strength,” Zelensky commented on the night attack.