Ukraine Daily Summary - Tuesday, November 7

Russian ship Askold possibly beyond repair following Ukraine's strike -- Russia stockpiling missiles in anticipation of freezing temperatures -- Ukraine Defense Industry confirms mass production of Ukrainian long-range drones -- Russian FSB colonel suspected of torturing Kherson Oblast residents -- and more

Tuesday, November 7

Russia’s war against Ukraine

A goat grazes near the Ingulets river in the village of Afanasiivka, Mykolaiv Oblast, Ukraine on Nov. 2, 2023. (Viacheslav Ratynski/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Deputy PM: Ukraine expects positive report on EU membership progress. Ukraine is expecting a positive assessment by the European Commission on Kyiv’s path toward membership, Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration Olha Stefanishyna said in an interview with Reuters on Nov. 6.

Military: Russian ship Askold possibly beyond repair following Ukraine’s strike.

The Russian Askold cruise missile carrier has suffered significant damage following Ukraine’s strike on Crimea on Nov 4., possibly rendering it beyond repair, the Ukrainian military’s Office of Strategic Communications (StratCom) said on Nov. 6.

Prosecutor’s Office: 5 more riot police officers to be tried for EuroMaidan killings. Five more former Berkut riot police officers are to be tried for shooting protesters during the EuroMaidan revolution, the Prosecutor General’s Office Office announced on Nov. 6.

UK Defense Ministry: Russian war-oriented economy is ‘at risk of overheating’.

Due to rising demand, partially caused by large increases in military spending and ongoing pressure of a shrinking labor market, the Russian economy is “likely at risk of overheating,” the U.K. Defense Ministry wrote on Nov. 6.

Military Intelligence: Russia stockpiling missiles in anticipation of freezing temperatures. Russia is “waiting for the temperature to drop below zero” before launching mass strikes on Ukraine’s energy system, Vadym Skibitskyi, a representative of Ukraine’s Military Intelligence (HUR), said in an interview with RBC Ukraine on Nov. 6.

Ukraine Defense Industry confirms mass production of Ukrainian long-range drones. Ukraine has launched mass production of kamikaze drones with a maximum range of 1,000 kilometers, Herman Smetanin, the head of Ukraine’s state-owned defense company Ukroboronprom, told Ukrainska Pravda media outlet.

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Environment Ministry: Russian invasion affects over 20% of Ukraine’s conservation areas. The Russian invasion has impacted more than 20% of Ukraine’s nature conservation areas, the Environment Ministry reported on Nov. 6. In total, 812 sites listed by Ukraine’s Nature Reserve Fund have been affected, while 514 sites are still occupied.

Media: Trump declines Zelensky’s invite to Ukraine over ‘conflict of interests’.

Former U.S. President Donald Trump declined Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s invitation to visit Ukraine, citing a “conflict of interests,” the U.S. news channel Newsmax reported on Nov. 5.

Zaluzhnyi’s aide killed in explosion at home near Kyiv. Major Hennadii Chastiakov, an assistant of Ukraine’s Commander-in-Chief Valerii Zaluzhnyi, was killed by an explosive device in his home, Zaluzhnyi announced on Nov. 6.

Russian FSB colonel suspected of torturing Kherson Oblast residents. A Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) colonel is suspected of torturing Ukrainian civilians, the Kherson Regional Prosecutor’s Office announced on Nov. 6.

MP investigated over illegal border crossing scheme put under house arrest.

The Kyiv Pechersk District Court put lawmaker Oleksandr Dubinskyi, investigated for organizing an illegal border crossing, under round-the-clock house arrest, Ukrinform reported on Nov. 6, citing the State Bureau for Investigation (DBR).

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Ukraine war latest: 128th brigade says Russian strike killed 19 of its soldiers; Attack on Odesa injures 8

Ukraine’s 128th Separate Mountain Assault Brigade said on Nov. 6 that 19 of its soldiers were killed in a Russian missile attack. Russian troops also attacked Odesa with drones and missiles overnight on Nov. 6, damaging port infrastructure and the Odesa Fine Arts Museum, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Photo: Oleksandr Gimanov/AFP via Getty Images

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Video feature: Inside a Russian POW camp in Ukraine

Interviewing Russian soldiers in POW camp in Ukraine

Human cost of war

Military: Russia loses almost 7,000 soldiers killed or wounded near Avdiivka.

Russian losses near Avdiivka in Donetsk Oblast have included almost 7,000 soldiers killed or wounded, 100 tanks, and 250 other armored vehicles in the past three weeks, the 47th Mechanized Brigade said on Nov. 6.

Russian shelling hits car in Donetsk Oblast, kills driver. Russian forces shelled a road in Donetsk Oblast’s Krasnohorivka on Nov. 6, killing a 32-year-old man in his car, Susiplne Donbas reported, citing the spokesperson of the regional prosecutor’s office.

Judge injured in Ternopil Oblast car accident dies in hospital. Judge Lidiia Kviatkovska, wounded in a fatal car accident in Ternopil Oblast on Oct. 29, died in the hospital due to her injuries, local judicial administration authorities announced on Nov. 6.

Russian attack on Sumy Oblast kills 1. A Russian attack on a village in Sumy Oblast killed a 63-year-old woman, Sumy Regional Prosecutor’s Office reported on Nov. 6.

Ukraine’s 128th brigade confirms 19 of its soldiers were killed in Russian strike. Ukraine’s 128th Mountain Assault Brigade reported on Nov. 6 that a Russian missile attack had killed 19 of their soldiers, likely referring to the Nov. 3 strike on a front-line village during a military award ceremony.

Russian attack on Kherson Oblast village injures 3. One of the victims, a 44-year-old man, lost part of his leg while another man aged 74 received a mine-explosive injury, the Kherson Oblast authorities said on Telegram.

Update: 8 injured in Russian overnight attack on Odesa. The number of people wounded in Russia’s overnight drone and missile attack against Odesa has risen to eight, Odesa Oblast Governor Oleh Kiper reported on Nov. 6.

Russian attacks kill 1, injure 19 in Ukraine. Russian attacks against Ukraine killed one civilian and wounded 19 over the past 24 hours, regional authorities reported on Nov. 6.

Russian attack on Kherson Oblast village injures 3. One of the victims, a 44-year-old man, lost part of his leg while another man aged 74 received a mine-explosive injury, the Kherson Oblast authorities said on Telegram.

International response

French arms manufacturer signs $38 million deal to supply Ukrainian military.

France’s oldest arms manufacturer Verney-Carron has signed a $38 million contract to supply Ukraine with 10,000 assault rifles, 2,000 sniper rifles, and 400 grenade launchers, its parent company CYBERGUN Group announced on Nov. 6.

Borrell admits conflict in Israel affecting policy towards Ukraine.

In a speech delivered at the 2023 EU Ambassadors’ Conference, the EU’s top diplomat, Josep Borrell, admitted that the conflict in the Middle East is affecting aid policies towards Ukraine.

FT: 127 UK companies admit breaching Russia sanctions. The firms voluntarily disclosed their breaches against the sanction regime in a freedom of information request submitted to the Treasury and seen by the Financial Times.

Fico says he won’t hinder arms sales from Slovak companies to Ukraine. Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico said his government will not prevent arms sales from Slovak companies to Ukraine, the Slovak news outlet Dennik N reported on Nov. 6.

In other news

Georgian officials: Russian troops kill Georgian man near occupied South Ossetia boundary. Russian soldiers shot a Georgian man to death in Georgia near the illegal boundary with Russian-occupied South Ossetia, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported on Nov. 6, citing Georgia’s State Security Service (SUS).

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