Ukraine Daily

Thursday, November 10

Russia’s war against Ukraine

Ukrainian artillery fires at Russian troops in Kherson Oblast on Nov. 05, 2022. (Getty Images)

Russian troops ordered to leave Kherson. Moscow announced on Nov. 9 the withdrawal of its forces from the right bank of the Dnipro River, including the city of Kherson. Upon the recommendation of Sergei Surovikin, commander of Russian forces in Ukraine, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu ordered the retreat of all remaining troops to the left bank of the Dnipro. The possible loss of Kherson is a major blow to Russian war aims in Ukraine.

Zelensky: Liberation of Kherson will be result of Ukraine’s efforts, not Russia’s gifts. In a video address on Nov. 9, President Volodymyr Zelensky commented on Russia’s announcement that it is withdrawing from Kherson. “No one withdraws from anywhere unless they encounter (their opponent’s) strength,” Zelensky said. “The enemy doesn’t give us gifts or gestures of goodwill. We get all of this by fighting for it.”

Ukraine liberates two villages in Kherson Oblast. Videos of Ukrainian troops raising Ukrainian flags in Pravdyne and Kalynivske, Kherson Oblast, have been published online. Pravdyne is located 45 kilometers west of the regional capital Kherson, while Kalynivske is located 70 kilometers north of the city.

Top Russian collaborator in Kherson Oblast reportedly dead. Kirill Stremousov, deputy head of Russia’s illegal occupation government in Kherson Oblast, died in a car accident on Nov. 9, according to Ukrainian and Russian media, as well as another Kherson collaborator. Stremousov, a local Ukrainian politician and blogger, welcomed the Russian occupation of Kherson and became a key pro-Russian voice in the region.

ISW: Battle of Kherson not over as Russian forces enter new phase. Russian forces are withdrawing their forces across the Dnipro River in order to delay Ukrainian forces, rather than attempting to halt Ukraine’s counteroffensive entirely, the Institute for the Study of War said in its latest update. The withdrawal will take time, however, and it remains to be seen if Russia can conduct it in “relatively good order under Ukrainian pressure,” the ISW said.

Bloomberg: Putin to skip G-20 summit to avoid potential confrontation with world leaders. Russian dictator Vladimir Putin will not attend the next Group of 20 summit in Indonesia as the Kremlin aims to protect him from possible high-level tensions over its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Bloomberg reported, citing its sources. This decision will allow Putin to avoid potential conflicts with U.S. President Joe Biden, who previously called him “a war criminal,” and some European leaders.

Foreign ministry: Russia ready for negotiations with Ukraine given current realities. Maria Zakharova, a spokeswoman for Russia’s Foreign Ministry, also accused the U.S. of pressuring Moscow and being involved in the war in Ukraine, Russian state-controlled news outlet RIA Novosti reported. The statement on Russia’s readiness for negotiations comes amid its announcement that it is withdrawing from northern Kherson Oblast, including the city of Kherson, because it is impossible to defend the territory.

Ukraine says Russia’s negotiation offers are ‘another smokescreen.’ While imitating its readiness for dialogue, Russia is trying to buy time, change the situation on the front in its favor and launch a new stage of aggression, according to Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Oleh Nikolenko. “Russian officials are beginning to mention talks every time their troops are defeated on the battlefield…We already went through this in 2014-2015,” he said.

UK intelligence: Crimean Bridge unlikely to be fully operational until next September. Russian efforts to repair the Crimean Bridge continue but it is unlikely to be fully operational until the beginning of the next autumn, according to the U.K. Defense Ministry. Repair works would cause disruption to road traffic until March 2023, while replacement of the damaged rail bridge has been contracted for completion by September 2023, it wrote.

Israeli military analyst: 70% of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet is incapacitated. “This does not mean that they are drowned, just incapacitated, meaning they can’t carry out any offensive actions,” Yigal Levin, a military expert and former officer of the Israel Defense Forces, told Radio NV.

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Read the testimonies of four soldiers, officers, and enlisted men, about their day-to-day experiences during the battle for the South.

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The human cost of Russia’s war

Governor: Russian troops strike Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, killing 1. Russian forces attacked the Marhanets community with Grad multiple rocket launchers on Nov. 9, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Governor Valentyn Reznichenko reported. A projectile flew directly into a residential building, Reznichenko added.

Russia’s attacks kill 1 in Kherson Oblast, wound 4 in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast. Overnight on Nov. 9, Russian troops shelled the village of Novovoskresenske in Kherson Oblast, killing one civilian and injuring one, according to Deputy Head of the President’s Office Kyrylo Tymoshenko. In Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, Russian drones targeted a logistics enterprise, wounding four people, the regional administration reported.

General Staff: Russia has lost 77,950 troops in Ukraine since Feb. 24. Ukraine’s General Staff reported on Nov. 9 that Russia had also lost 2,801 tanks, 5,666 armored fighting vehicles, 1,802 artillery systems, 393 multiple launch rocket systems, 205 air defense systems, 260 helicopters, 278 airplanes, 1,483 drones, and 16 boats.

International response

PM Shmyhal: EU proposes 18 billion euros aid plan for Ukraine in 2023. The European Commission proposed on Nov. 9 a new mechanism to provide 18 billion euros in financial aid to Ukraine to help cover the country’s needs in 2023, according to Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal. “It is a very important initiative that will support the economic stability of our country and strengthen the foundation of our future victory,” Shmyhal said.

Reuters: Eastern European countries preparing for new Ukrainian refugee wave in winter. Eastern European countries are getting ready to reopen reception centers and are restocking food supplies in anticipation of a possible new Ukrainian refugee wave amid Russian attacks on Ukraine’s power grid and heating plants, Reuters reported on Nov. 9.

UK to provide Armed Forces with 25,000 sets of extreme cold weather clothing by mid-December. The U.K. will also send a further 12,000 extreme cold weather sleeping kits and 150 heated tents, “ensuring troops are able to operate and survive the plunging temperatures in Ukraine,” British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said on Nov. 9. “We must continue backing the Ukrainian people in their resistance to (Russian President Vladimir) Putin’s brutality,” Sunak said.

Germany gives Ukraine IRIS-T missiles, Dingo armored vehicles. The German government said it had provided 30 Dingo armored vehicles, missiles for IRIS-T air defense systems previously provided to Ukraine, four more anti-drone sensors and jammers, five heavy-duty M1070 Oshkosh semi-trailers and one forklift. On Oct. 25, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier said his country would provide Ukraine with two additional MARS II multiple-launch rocket systems and four howitzers.

UK to provide 1,000 additional surface-to-air missiles to Ukraine. Defense Secretary Ben Wallace announced on Nov. 9 that the U.K. will soon complete the delivery of approximately 1,000 additional surface-to-air missiles to Ukraine’s Armed Forces. The equipment includes launchers and missiles and is capable of shooting down air targets, including Russian drones and cruise missiles, a U.K. Defense Ministry statement said.

Wall Street Journal: US refuses to provide Ukraine with advanced drones. The Biden administration will not provide Ukraine with Gray Eagle MQ-1C drones over concerns the drones could escalate the war by providing Ukraine with weapons that could hit targets in Russia, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing unnamed U.S. officials and other people familiar with the matter.

Reuters: Pope Francis condemns use of mercenaries in Ukraine. Pope Francis on Nov. 9 condemned the use of mercenaries in Russia’s war against Ukraine. “Let us ask the Lord for peace for these people who are so troubled and who suffer so much cruelty… by the mercenaries who are making war,” he said, as quoted by Reuters. He didn’t address his speech to Russia or its president Vladimir Putin specifically.

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Today’s Ukraine Daily was brought to you by Denys Krasnikov, Thaisa Semenova, Oleg Sukhov, Dinara Khalilova, and Lili Bivings.

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