New foreign secretary David Cameron meets Zelensky
Ukraine’s military says it is inflicting major losses on Russian troops as Vladimir Putin’s forces seek to try and encircle the key strategic city of Avdiivka in the east.
The general staff of Ukraine’s armed forces said soldiers are “standing their ground, inflicting major losses on the enemy” both around Avdiivka and along other areas of the eastern frontlines. “Our defenders are steadfastly holding the defence in the Avdiivka direction,” Commander Oleksandr Tarnavskyi said.
It comes as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukrainian troops face “difficult” defensive operations on parts of the eastern front with bitter winter cold setting in. Images from the frontline in Donbas, as well as in Kyiv, show that snow has already begun to fall.
Russian troops have launched offensives on different sections of the frontline in Ukraine’s east this autumn, trying to advance on the devastated town of Avdiivka and in the northeast between the towns of Lyman and Kupiansk.
“Difficult weather, difficult defence on the Lyman, Bakhmut, Donetsk and Avdiivka fronts. Offensive actions in the south,” Mr Zelensky said.
Ukraine’s defence
Ukraine’s military says it is inflicting major losses on Russian troops as Vladimir Putin’s forces seek to try and encircle the key strategic city of Avdiivka in the east.
Russia has been trying to advance in the area for weeks, with the army saying that Ukrainian troops have repelled more than 30 attacks in the last 24 hours.
Chris Stevenson23 November 2023 10:03
Yale historian says west can help Ukraine break stalemate
A historian urges western countries to continue their aid to Ukraine so they can overcome their ‘deadlock’.
Timothy Snyder insisted Ukraine had not reached a stalemate since the west could ‘drop five more queens on the board’, in conversation with the Guardian.
It comes as Kyiv’s top military commander said the Ukrainian counteroffensive was stalling in an interview with the Economist in November.
Professor Snyder told the Guardian: “I hate the stalemate analogy because war is not a game of chess,.
“In chess, there are only so many pieces on the board, and the reason why you get into stalemate is that your pieces get into a certain arrangement.”
Historian Timothy Snyder has spoken out in support of Ukraine
(Yale University)
Lydia Patrick23 November 2023 10:15
Russia carry out deadly attack on Ukrainian hospital
At least three people were killed and eight others injured after Russian missiles struck a hospital in southern Ukraine, said the country’s emergency services.
Missiles had struck and damaged two buildings of the hospital in Selydove town late on Tuesday, interior minister Ihor Klymenko had said in an earlier statement.
He had warned in his statement that casualties would increase as officials assessed damage from the attack.
Rescue workers finished clearing the rubble after sifting through the remains night and day, 24 hours after the attack, emergency services said on Wednesday. A whole section of the building had totally collapsed, they said.
Lydia Patrick23 November 2023 09:45
Putin ally adopted Ukrainian child, claim BBC
A 10-month-old who was taken from a Kherson children home has been linked to Vladmir Putin’s political ally.
Sirgey Mirnov, aged 70 and leafer of a Russian Political party has been named on the adoption record of a two-year-old who was taken in 2022 by his current wife, found the BBC.
The girl who was orginally named Margarita and 47 other children were taken from the care home when the city was under Russian occupation last year.
A BBC investigation has attempted to trace the missing and to identify a ‘mysterious woman in lilac’ who claimed to be “the head of children’s affairs from Moscow.”
The ‘smiley baby’ was discharged from hospital where she was being treated for bronchitis and returned to the home- where she was then taken, report the BBC.
Some weeks later more children were taken from the home, the BBC believes almost all the children remain in Russian hands, just one child, three-year-old Viktor Puzik has returned.
A view of the courtyard of Kherson regional children’s home in Kherson, southern Ukraine
(Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)
Lydia Patrick23 November 2023 08:38
Ukraine says at least three dead in Russian airstrike on hospital
At least three people were killed and eight others injured after Russian missiles struck a hospital in southern Ukraine, said the country’s emergency services.
Missiles had struck and damaged two buildings of the hospital in Selydove town late on Tuesday, interior minister Ihor Klymenko had said in an earlier statement.
He had warned in his statement that casualties would increase as officials assessed damage from the attack.
Rescue workers finished clearing the rubble after sifting through the remains night and day, 24 hours after the attack, emergency services said on Wednesday. A whole section of the building had totally collapsed, they said.
My colleague Arpan Rai reports:
Andy Gregory23 November 2023 08:16
Sweden’s Nato bid unlikely to be ratified by summit next week, sources say
Turkey has informed Nato that ratification of Sweden’s membership bid will not be completed in time to allow the country’s accession ceremony at a meeting of alliance foreign ministers next week, two sources familiar with the matter have told Reuters.
Last week, the Turkish parliament’s foreign affairs commission delayed a vote on Sweden’s Nato membership bid in order to hold further talks on the subject.
One source said the commission will likely resume its debate on the matter on Tuesday or Wednesday, when Nato foreign ministers will meet in Brussels – a gathering that some had hoped would mark Sweden’s accession.
Andy Gregory23 November 2023 07:52
Finland considering shutting entire Russian border
Finland’s foreign minister has revealed they are considering closing some of the four remaining crossing points – or even the entire border – with Russia.
More than 600 people without valid travel documents to the EU have come to Finland via Russia so far this month, prompting Helsinki to shut several crossings.
Alexander Butler23 November 2023 07:00
Russia claims Ukraine attacked a group of journalists
Moscow has claimed a group of Russian journalists have come under attack from Ukrainian forces.
The Russian Defence Ministry said the incident happened in Ukraine’s southern Zaporizhzhia region, which is partially under Russian occupation.
Russia annexed the region, illegally, in September last year.
Alexander Butler23 November 2023 05:01
The Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban has now written to European Council President Charles Michel arguing EU leaders should not endorse the European Commission’s recommendation that Ukraine be allowed to join the bloc.
“The European Council is not in a position to… agree on the future of the enlargement process unless a consensus on our future strategy towards Ukraine is found,” he said.
The Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban
(Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)
Alexander Butler23 November 2023 03:01
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