Wednesday, November 8

Russia’s war against Ukraine

Ukrainian soldier is seen at a trench on the front line as the Russia-Ukraine war continues in Donetsk Oblast’s New York, Ukraine on Nov. 6, 2023. (Diego Herrera Carcedo/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Media: EU believes Ukraine has implemented 4 of 7 steps needed for membership talks. The European Commission believes Ukraine has fully implemented four of the seven steps required to start EU accession talks, according to an internal Commission document obtained by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL).

Zelensky: First Dutch F-16 jets already in Romania. Five Dutch F-16 fighter jets have already arrived at a training center in Romania to help prepare Ukrainian pilots for flying the aircraft, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Nov. 7.

Newly-delivered NASAMS systems enter service in Ukraine. Ukraine’s military is already using additional National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS) recently delivered by Kyiv’s partners, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Nov. 7.

Ukraine’s international reserves fall for third month in a row to $38.9 billion. Ukraine’s international reserves fell by 1.9% in October to $38.9 billion after the government repaid debts on the foreign exchange (FX) market, the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) announced on Nov. 7.

Russian proxies claim Ukrainian rocket strike on Donetsk. Russian proxies in Donetsk Oblast and state media claimed that a Ukrainian rocket strike targeted occupied Donetsk on Nov. 7. The city center was allegedly hit by three strikes from HIMARS launchers, said Denys Pushylin, the Russia-installed proxy head in Donetsk Oblast.

Russian strikes damage infrastructure in Zaporizhzhia, Dnipropetrovsk oblasts. Russian forces launched two missile strikes on the civilian infrastructure of a settlement in the Zaporizhzhia district, the regional governor Yurii Malashko reported on Nov. 7. Earlier the same day, Russian forces hit an infrastructure facility near Kryvyi Rih in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, Governor Serhii Lysak wrote.

Central Election Commission: Elections are not held during wartime. According to Ukraine’s legislation, elections are not held during wartime under martial law, the Central Election Commission’s deputy chair, Serhii Dubovyk, told Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) on Nov. 7.

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Russian-held human rights advocate’s whereabouts unknown since August. Butkevych enlisted in the Ukrainian military following Russia’s full-scale invasion and was captured in Luhansk Oblast in June 2022. Russian occupation authorities “sentenced” him to 13 years on trumped-up charges without any legal grounds, human rights groups said.

Investigation: Russia continues to receive weapons from US, Europe despite sanctions. Russian companies continue to maintain access to purchasing firearms and ammunition from Europe and the United States, despite export restrictions that Western countries initiated against Russia, an investigation conducted by the German project Correctiv revealed.

Latvia says Russian aircraft violated its airspace. The unspecified aircraft was recorded by the air radar of the Latvian military and returned to the Russian side after breaching the Latvian airspace, the Defense Ministry said.

Ukraine sanctions companies linked to Russian oligarch Fridman. President Volodymyr Zelensky implemented on Nov. 7 the decision by the National Security and Defense Council to sanction nine companies linked to Russian oligarch Mikhail Fridman.

Ukraine to open new camp for Russian POWs. Ukraine will soon open a new detention center for Russian prisoners of war due to the rising number of POWs, the state-run “I want to live” project reported on Nov. 7.

Polish official: Ukraine ‘cannot dream’ of EU without resolving Volyn victims’ exhumations. Ukraine “cannot dream of joining the European Union” without resolving the issue of the exhumation of Volyn massacre victims’ remains on Ukrainian territory, Polish Foreign Ministry’s Undersecretary of State Pawel Jablonski said on Nov. 7.

Read our exclusives

Ukraine war latest: US Senate Democrats block bill to aid Israel without Ukraine support

Democrats in the U.S. Senate on Nov. 7 blocked a Republican-sponsored bill to provide emergency aid for Israel without sending any funds to Ukraine. The bill, which was passed last week, came under criticism from Democrats.

Photo: Celal Gunes/Anadolu via Getty Images

How Russia’s homegrown Lancet drone became so feared in Ukraine

In many of the Russian videos, there is one culprit that stands out, responsible for dozens of confirmed hits on Ukrainian equipment: the Lancet kamikaze drone, manufactured by ZALA Aero Group, a subsidiary of Russian arms giant Kalashnikov Concern.

Photo: Zala Aero Group

Video feature: Inside a Russian POW camp in Ukraine

Human cost of war

Governor: Russian attacks on Nikopol district injure woman. Russian troops targeted the Nikopol district in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast on Nov. 7, wounding a 31-year-old woman, Governor Serhii Lysak reported. Russia used artillery and three kamikaze drones to strike the district, causing large-scale damage to people’s homes and civilian infrastructure, according to Lysak.

Mine explosion injures civilian in Kharkiv Oblast. A 42-year-old civilian was wounded after a mine detonated in the village of Rubizhne in Kharkiv Oblast, the regional administration reported on Nov. 7.

International response

Estonia’s parliamentary commission backs using frozen Russian assets to fund Ukraine. The Constitutional Commission of the Estonian parliament supported the government’s bill to use frozen Russian assets for Ukraine funding, the Estonian public broadcaster ERR reported on Nov. 7.

Top US officials ask Congress to back $12 billion in budget support for Ukraine. Top-ranking U.S. officials appealed to Congress to approve $11.8 billion in budget support for Ukraine as part of the White House’s comprehensive package, according to a letter dated Nov. 7.

NATO suspends European Conventional Armed Forces treaty after Russia’s withdrawal. “While recognizing the role of the CFE as a cornerstone of the Euro-Atlantic security architecture, a situation whereby Allied States Parties abide by the Treaty, while Russia does not, would be unsustainable,” NATO’s press service wrote.

US Senate Democrats block bill to aid Israel without Ukraine support. Democrats in the U.S. Senate on Nov. 7 blocked a Republican-sponsored bill to provide emergency aid for Israel without sending any funds to Ukraine, Reuters reported.

In other news

Ambassador: Evacuation of Ukrainians from Gaza begins. The evacuation of Ukrainian citizens from the besieged Gaza Strip began on Nov. 7, Ukraine’s Ambassador to Egypt Mykola Nahornyi told Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.

Case of Zaluzhnyi’s aide death referred to State Bureau of Investigation. The case of the grenade explosion that killed Major Hennadii Chastiakov, an assistant of Ukraine’s Commander-in-Chief Valerii Zaluzhnyi, was referred to the State Bureau of Investigation, the National Police reported on Nov. 7.

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Today’s Ukraine Daily was brought to you by Francis Farrell, Nate Ostiller, Dinara Khalilova, Oleg Sukhov, Martin Fornusek, Olena Goncharova, and Abbey Fenbert.

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