Ukraine Daily

Monday, November 21

Russia’s war against Ukraine

This photograph taken on Nov. 20, shows damaged planes at the International Airport of Kherson in the village of Chornobaivka, outskirts of Kherson, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (Photo by BULENT KILIC / AFP) (Photo by BULENT KILIC/AFP via Getty Images)

Ukraine to investigate alleged war crimes against Russian soldiers. According to Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Olga Stefanishyna, it is “highly unlikely” that the short redacted excerpts of a viral video alleging that Ukrainians shot Russian prisoners of war show what Moscow claims.

Zelensky: Fierce battles continue in Donetsk Oblast with fewer attacks due to bad weather. President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a video address that Ukrainian troops are slowly advancing in Luhansk Oblast.

WSJ: Russia to intensify attacks in eastern Ukraine after withdrawal from Kherson. According to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), Russia’s retreat from Kherson, a “major blow for Moscow,” has freed around 20,000 troops to be redeployed to eastern Ukraine. Russian military leaders will be “under pressure to deliver results in Donbas after giving up Kherson,” WSJ reported, citing military analysts. Ukraine’s General Staff said Russian forces have been on the offensive near the cities of Bakhmut and Avdiivka in Donetsk Oblast.

Governor: Ukraine restores cellular service in Kherson Oblast. Kherson Oblast Governor Yaroslav Yanushevych said on Nov. 20 that 52 cellular base stations and three cellular communication towers have been restored in liberated parts of Kherson Oblast. Yanushevych added that gas supply has been restored to over 6,300 consumers across 13 communities in the region. Water supply has also reportedly been restored to five communities.

IAEA: Over a dozen explosions reported near Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant. International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) experts stationed at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant reported “powerful explosions” overnight on Nov. 19 and on the morning of Nov. 20. Some non-critical buildings, systems, and equipment were damaged, the IAEA said, citing the plant’s manager. While the origin of the explosions is unconfirmed, Ukraine’s nuclear operator Energoatom said Russian forces shelled the area on the morning of Nov. 20, hitting 12 sites. No casualties were reported.

Media: Video shows arrest of 2 Russian soldiers refusing to fight against Ukraine. Meduza, an independent Russian media outlet, reported that the video had been allegedly filmed in Russia’s Belgorod Oblast.

Russia has lost over 8,000 units of military equipment since Feb. 24. The Russian military has lost at least 8,044 units of equipment since the start of the invasion, according to the Oryx analytical project. Of those, at least 4,927 have been destroyed, 198 damaged, and 300 abandoned. Another 2,619 units were captured by Ukrainian forces. The information is collected using photos, videos and other publicly available data.

ISW: Russian military correspondents emerging as group with distinct voice within Russia. The Institute for the Study of War said in its latest assessment that the Kremlin has allowed the ever-growing informal military blogger community (which mainly consists of military correspondents or voenkors) to gain a quasi-official but independent position despite otherwise increasing domestic censorship.

Zelensky: Russia has launched more than 4,700 missiles at Ukraine since Feb. 24. President Volodymyr Zelensky also said that a recent Russian attack on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure left 20 million people without power.

Shmyhal: Ukraine imports about 8,500 generators per day. Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal announced the temporary suspension of customs duties and VAT on generators and charging stations to allow Ukrainians to buy them at an affordable price and survive the winter despite Russia’s attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.

Economy Ministry: At least 5 million people lost their jobs in Ukraine due to Russia’s war. “The war is destroying the Ukrainian labor market,” said Deputy Economy Minister Tetyana Berezhna.

Read our exclusives

Ukraine war latest: Kremlin accuses Ukraine of executing POWs

Ukraine denies Russian accusations of committing war crimes after a video surfaced online alleging the death of over 10 Russian soldiers as they were apparently about to surrender.

Photo: Getty Images

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What it’s like to know your loved ones are in Russian captivity

Over 1,000 Ukrainians have been returned from Russian captivity since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion, according to the Defense Ministry’s Intelligence Directorate.

Photo: Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

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The human cost of Russia’s war

General Staff: Russia has lost 84,210 troops in Ukraine since Feb. 24. Ukraine’s General Staff reported on Nov. 20 that Russia had also lost 2,886 tanks, 5,817 armored fighting vehicles, 4,371 vehicles and fuel tanks, 1,868 artillery systems, 393 multiple launch rocket systems, 209 air defense systems, 278 airplanes, 261 helicopters, 1,537 drones, 480 cruise missiles, and 16 boats.

International response

Polish, Finnish PMs back confiscating Russian assets to fund Ukraine. Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki proposed the idea during his visit to Finland on Nov. 20. Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin said she hoped that the European Commission would find a judicial solution for confiscating Russian assets.

Austin: Russia’s war could trigger nuclear proliferation. Autocrats worldwide may race to acquire nuclear weapons if Russia isn’t successfully repelled, said U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.

France sends Crotale air defense systems, MLRS to Ukraine. France sent two Crotale air defense systems and two Multiple Launch Rocket Systems to Ukraine, French Defense Minister Sebastian Lecornu told Le Journal du Dimanche. Lecornu said France has already supplied Ukraine with 18 Caesar howitzers and 550 million euros ($569 million) worth of military aid, making France the fifth-biggest contributor to Ukraine.

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Today’s Ukraine Daily was brought to you by Teah Pelechaty, Alexander Query, Toma Istomina, Oleksiy Sorokin, Oleg Sukhov, Natalia Datskevych, and Olena Goncharova.

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