Sunday, November 24

Russia’s war against Ukraine

A woman lights candles in tribute to the victims of the famine of 1932-1933 at the National Museum of the Holodomor-Genocide in Kyiv, on Nov. 23, 2024, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Ukraine marked 91 years since the Stalin-era Holodomor famine, one of the darkest moments in its history that left millions dead. (Roman Pilipey / AFP via Getty Images)

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Zelensky criticizes Brazil, G20 leaders for showing ‘weak position on war.’ President Volodymyr Zelensky criticized Group of 20 (G20) leaders on Nov. 23 following the most recent summit in Brazil, adding that Brazilian President Lula da Silva, the current holder of the G20 Presidency, showed a “weak position” on Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Russian forces reportedly advance near 5 settlements in Donetsk Oblast. In addition to Velyka Novosilka and Rozdolne, Russian forces are advancing near Maksymivka, Pustynka, and Toretsk, Deep State wrote.

Ukraine has lost over 40% of territory previously gained in Kursk incursion, Reuters reports. Ukraine has lost over 40 per cent of the territory it previously gained in Russia’s Kursk Oblast due to Russian counterattacks, Reuters reported on Nov. 23, citing a source in Ukraine’s General Staff.

Russia’s Oreshnik missile likely had no explosives and didn’t cause much damage, Bild analyst claims. The Oreshnik nuclear-capable intermediate-range ballistic missile was likely a modification of Russia’s RS-26 Rubezh missile, he said.

Nearly 22,000 civilians have been evacuated from Kharkiv Oblast in 6 months, governor says. “We are continuing evacuation efforts, bringing both children and adults to safety,” Kharkiv Oblast Governor Oleh Syniehubov said on air.

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Russia damaged over 300 port facilities, 20 foreign vessels in the past year, Zelensky says. Russia has damaged 321 port infrastructure facilities, as well as 20 foreign merchant vessels since July 2023, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Nov. 23 at the International Conference on Food Security in Kyiv.

Zaluzhnyi: Use of technological advancements will prevent ‘serious’ front line breakthrough until 2027. “When robots began to appear massively on the battlefield, they made any movement of soldiers impossible. The inability to fight robots led to a standstill. We couldn’t move forward towards the Russians, and the Russians, accordingly, couldn’t move forward either,” Zaluzhnyi said.

North Korean missiles with Western parts fuel Russian attacks on Ukraine, CNN reports. In 2024, Russia launched around 60 North Korean KN-23 missiles, accounting for nearly one-third of the 194 ballistic missile strikes tracked by Ukraine’s Air Force.

Human cost of war

Mediazona confirms identities of almost 80,000 Russian soldiers killed in Ukraine. As Vladimir Putin boasted the new Oreshnik nuclear-capable intermediate-range ballistic missile, sparking renewed fears of nuclear escalation, an independent Russian outlet, Mediazona, reported nearly 2,700 additional Russian military deaths in Ukraine over the past two weeks.

General Staff: Russia has lost 729,720 troops in Ukraine since Feb 24, 2022. Russia has lost 729,720 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. 23. This number includes 1,420 casualties Russian forces suffered just over the past day.

Video: Muslim activist who fled Russia on his new life in Ukraine

International response

West should ‘not set red lines’ on providing military support for Ukraine, French foreign minister says. France’s Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot told the BBC in an excerpt of an interview published on Nov. 23 that Western allies should “not set and express red lines” on providing Ukraine with military support against Russian aggression.

Taiwan’s former president urges US to prioritize aiding Ukraine over Taiwan, Politico reports. “A Ukrainian victory will serve as the most effective deterrent to future aggression,” former Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen said during the Halifax International Security Forum on Nov. 23.

Lithuania to fund production of Ukrainian long-range drones. The long-term agreement between Ukraine and Lithuania includes an initial tranche of 10 million euros which has already been agreed upon and focuses particularly on Ukraine’s Palianytsia missile-like drones.

Media: EU parliament speaker calls for sending Taurus missiles to Ukraine. “Yes, that is also the position of the EU Parliament,” Metsola said, as quoted by FAZ. “There is broad support for this demand. We will see whether there will be a corresponding change of course after the (German) federal election.”

In other news

NATO Secretary General Rutte meets with Trump. Rutte and Trump discussed a range of security issues facing NATO, according to the military alliance’s press release.

Polish farmers block Ukrainian border crossing, media reports. The protest is expected to last 48 hours, but if their concerns are not met, they are reportedly ready to protest “around the clock” until the end of the year, RMF24 wrote.

Zelensky marks Holodomor Remembrance Day. “They wanted to destroy us. To kill us. To subjugate us. They failed. They wanted to hide the truth and silence the terrible crimes forever. They failed,” Zelensky wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Bloomberg: Declassified US intelligence memorandum details Russia’s suspected targeting of political adversaries abroad. A declassified U.S. intelligence memorandum sheds light on Russia’s suspected assassination attempts of political adversaries abroad, Bloomberg reported on Nov. 23.

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