15 minutes ago
One dead, four injured by Russian shelling, says the governor of Kherson Oblast
One person died and four others were injured in Russian shelling of the town of Biloserka in Kherson Oblast, local governor Oleksandr Prokudin said on Thursday. This comes as fighting has increased in the Kherson region of southern Ukraine in recent days.
In a post on Telegram translated using Google Translate, he said a man had been pulled out from under the rubble of a house hit by the attacks. The injured were taken to the hospital, Produkin said.
The governor said residential buildings and a grocery store as well as key infrastructure were hit. Bilozerka and the surrounding towns no longer have electricity, he said.
CNBC could not independently verify reports on site.
— Sophie Kiderlin
48 minutes ago
Russia’s relationship with Israel in 60 seconds
Russia is becoming increasingly hostile towards Israel. But what has their relationship been like over the last 75 years and how has it changed?
Watch the video to learn more.
An hour ago
Russian court sentences artist to seven years in prison for anti-war protests
Russian artist Alexandra Skochilenko, 33, is accused of spreading disinformation about the Russian army for changing price tags in supermarkets, with messages criticizing Russia’s military offensive in Ukraine, gestures from a defendant’s cage during her Sentencing hearing in a Saint Petersburg court on November 16th. 2023. (Photo by Olga MALTSEVA / AFP) (Photo by OLGA MALTSEVA/AFP via Getty Images)
Olga Maltseva | Afp | Getty Images
A Russian court found artist and musician Alexandra Skochilenko guilty on Thursday of knowingly spreading fake news about the conduct of the Russian army in Ukraine and sentenced her to seven years in a prison colony.
Skochilenko, 33, replaced price tags with small pieces of paper in a supermarket in her native St. Petersburg on March 31, 2022, calling for an end to the Russian war in Ukraine and criticizing the authorities.
She denied the formal accusation of knowingly spreading false information about the army.
—Portal
An hour ago
Russia’s Black Sea Fleet is forced to withdraw, says Zelensky
Sailors stand at attention on the deck of a Russian Black Sea Fleet warship during Navy Day celebrations in the port city of Novorossiysk, July 30, 2023.
Stringers | Afp | Getty Images
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Thursday that the Russian navy was forced to withdraw from the eastern part of the Black Sea.
“We were able to intercept Russia’s initiative in the Black Sea and create such security conditions that would force the attacker to flee the eastern part of the water area and try to hide warships,” Zelensky said on Telegram.
“One of the main results of our actions is that Russia is unable to use the Black Sea as a springboard to destabilize other regions of the world.”
CNBC could not confirm the report.
Ukraine this year stepped up attacks on Russia’s prized Black Sea Fleet and its headquarters and port infrastructure, essentially forcing much of the fleet to abandon its home base of Sevastopol in Russian-occupied Crimea. Several ships were transferred to Kerch Strait ports in Novorossiysk on the Russian mainland and Feodosia on the Crimean coast.
– Holly Ellyatt
3 hours ago
Russia says it is “destroying” Ukrainian forces that have advanced into occupied territory
Russian forces say they are inflicting heavy casualties on Ukrainian troops who crossed the Dnieper to the Russian-occupied eastern bank.
Russia confirmed that Ukrainian units had crossed the Dnieper and acknowledged that its forces were initially outnumbered. However, it has since warned that it had deployed additional forces and would inflict “hell” on Ukrainian units. Various analyzes suggest that Russia is now attacking units attempting to defend positions along the eastern bank, with the village of Krynky an epicenter of the fighting.
Vladimir Saldo, the Russian-appointed governor of the occupied part of the Kherson region, said Russian forces shelled Ukrainian positions on Thursday.
“In Krynky, our military is now destroying the enemy to the greatest extent,” Saldo said on Telegram on Thursday, saying Russian forces were “surprised by how much the Ukrainian command does not value the lives of its personnel and sends them to their deaths.” in dozens and hundreds.
“Therefore, it is not surprising that the flow of Ukrainian prisoners from the left bank of the Dnieper does not stop,” he said.
Saldo claimed yesterday that Ukrainian troops had been blockaded in the village of Krynky, where “a fiery hell” awaited them. “Bombs, missiles, ammunition from heavy flamethrower systems, artillery shells and drones are flying towards him.” [Ukrainian forces] … In the last two or three days alone, the enemy’s total losses amounted to about a hundred fighters,” Saldo said.
CNBC was unable to verify developments on the battlefield.
4 hours ago
Putin has met business leaders to try to lure investment back to Russia, the Kremlin says
Russian President Vladimir Putin met with the country’s business leaders on Wednesday to encourage them to invest more in Russia, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Thursday.
“The discussion was about possible steps to improve the investment attractiveness of our economy, to create more than competitive conditions for completing the process of transferring companies here,” Peskov said, according to comments reported by the Russian news agency RIA Novosti.
Russian President Vladimir Putin at an awards ceremony at the Novo-Ogaryovo State Residence on November 15, 2023 in Moscow, Russia.
Contributor | Getty Images News | Getty Images
Peskov said Putin was discussing the completion of the business relocation process, claiming that “the vast majority of entrepreneurs who took part experienced, in one way or another, illegal treatment abroad, and that now the process of transferring their companies to the Russian jurisdiction is actively underway.” all available mechanisms.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the subsequent imposition of international sanctions made it difficult for Western companies to continue doing business in Russia, and vice versa. Putin has sought to encourage more domestic investment and has approved takeovers of Russian subsidiaries of international companies including Danone and Carlsberg.
– Holly Ellyatt
6 hours ago
Britain says Russia is likely trying to encircle Avdiivka in a pincer movement
Russia is almost certainly attempting a pincer movement to encircle the city of Avdiivka, a hotspot of fighting in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region, Britain’s Defense Ministry said on Thursday.
“Over the past week, Russian forces have continued to carry out attacks on remote villages of the contested town of Avdiivka,” the ministry said on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Avdiivka is a small town, but of strategic importance for both sides. With fighting between pro-Russian separatists and Ukrainian forces since 2014, it has been controversial for almost a decade and has political significance for Russia due to its proximity to the city of Donetsk.
“Recent advances have likely brought Russian forces close to the Ukrainian-held Avdiivka coking and chemical plant, a sprawling industrial complex that produces coke and a variety of chemicals and occupies an important tactical position north of the city,” the UK noted .
In the background, a view of the Ukrainian city of Avdiivka can be seen as an airstrike on the Metinvest coking plant on October 30, 2023.
Libkos | Getty Images News | Getty Images
“The facility dominates the main road to Avdiivka and if Russian troops secured it, supplying the city would become increasingly difficult for Ukraine.”
However, the ministry noted that the industrial facility gives Ukraine a local defense advantage and Russian forces are likely to suffer significant personnel losses if they attempt to attack the facility.
– Holly Ellyatt
6 hours ago
The new British foreign minister visits Kyiv
New British Foreign Secretary David Cameron is in Kiev on Wednesday, marking his first visit to Ukraine since taking office on Monday.
Announcing the visit, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the pair had “a good meeting discussing weapons for the front line, strengthening air defense and protecting our population and critical infrastructure.”
The UK is one of Ukraine’s staunchest Western allies and, after the US, one of its largest individual benefactors
“As Foreign Secretary, supporting Ukraine against Putin’s aggression is vital, which is why I am pleased to make this my first visit as Foreign Secretary,” Cameron said in a statement released by the British government.
“Russia believes that it can wait out this war and that the West will eventually turn its attention elsewhere. Its partners will continue to support Ukraine and its people until they achieve victory.”
– Holly Ellyatt
6 hours ago
After Ukrainian units crossed the Dnieper River into occupied territory, heavy fighting broke out
A group of Ukrainian Marines on the banks of the Dnieper River on the front line near Kherson, Ukraine, on October 14, 2023.
Alex Babenko | AP
According to analysts, heavy fighting is taking place between Russian forces and Ukrainian units crossing the Dnieper to the Russian-occupied left (or eastern) bank of the river in the southern Kherson region.
The fighting is concentrated in a number of villages on the eastern bank, including Krynky, where Ukraine has managed to gain a foothold, but Russian troops are now believed to have attacked those positions. A Russian official warned on Wednesday that “hellfire” would rain down on Ukrainian forces who crossed the river.
Analysts at the Institute for the Study of War painted a mixed picture of the region’s fortunes, citing Ukrainian officials, Russian military bloggers who closely follow developments in the war and open source evidence.
“Ukrainian forces continued larger-than-usual operations on the eastern (left) bank of Kherson Oblast [region] on November 15th,” the ISW stated in its analysis on Wednesday.
But it added: “Russian mibloggers claimed that Ukrainian forces had carried out unsuccessful attacks from the center of Krynky…” [they] also claimed that Russian forces prevented Ukrainian forces from carrying out the evacuation of casualties and sending additional Ukrainian personnel to the eastern bank near the Antonivsky Street Bridge.”
The ISW also noted that geolocated footage released on November 14 shows that Russian forces have made some forays into Ukrainian-held Krynky, with Russian mibloggers claiming that counterattacks by Russian forces forced Ukrainian forces to withdraw from some areas south of Krynky.
CNBC was unable to verify developments on the ground, and neither Russia nor Ukraine mentioned the fighting taking place in the region in their military updates on Thursday. On Wednesday, Ukraine called for an “informative silence” on its maneuvers so that its “plans are put into action.”
A senior Ukrainian official said on Monday that Ukrainian forces had managed to cross the Dnieper River, which has essentially separated Russian and Ukrainian forces since a successful Ukrainian counteroffensive a year ago. Russia confirmed the development on Wednesday.
If Ukrainian forces manage to advance on the eastern bank, it could herald the start of a southward advance into Russian-occupied Crimea.
– Holly Ellyatt
22 hours ago
Russia’s Putin says any attempts to interfere in the Russian election will be suppressed
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday that all internal and external attempts to interfere in Russia’s 2024 presidential election will be suppressed, state media agency TASS reported.
According to a Google translation of his comments, Putin said all necessary measures would be taken to prevent unlawful obstruction of the election, including any pressure on the electoral process.
Putin has not confirmed whether he will run for re-election next year. However, various news reports have cited sources as saying that he plans to run for re-election. If he is re-elected, his presidency could be extended until 2030.
Russia has long been accused of interfering in other countries’ electoral processes, particularly in the 2016 U.S. election.
Last month, the U.S. released an intelligence assessment sent to more than 100 countries that found Moscow was using spies, social media and Russian state media to undermine public trust in the integrity of democratic elections worldwide, Portal reported. Russia has repeatedly rejected various accusations of interference.
—Sophie Kiderlin, Holly Ellyatt
Wed, November 15, 2023, 9:21 am EST
The West is the biggest obstacle to peace in Ukraine, according to a global survey
The outcome of the war in Ukraine is seen as a “determining and even existential” factor for the future of the West, according to a survey of 21 countries published on Wednesday by the think tank European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) and the University of Oxford.
The majority of respondents outside Europe and the United States said they viewed Western nations as a greater obstacle to peace than Russia, and even more viewed Moscow as the ultimate victor in the conflict.
Nearly three-quarters of non-European respondents who expected Russia to win the war also believed that the European Union could “fall apart” within the next 20 years, while about a third of respondents in the U.S. and Europe shared this view.
For many, the conflict in Ukraine was seen as a “proxy war” between the United States and Russia, with majorities in Russia, China, Saudi Arabia and Turkey saying they believed two Cold War powers were “already at war.” .
—Karen Gilchrist
Wed, November 15, 2023, 9:22 am EST
Russia pours cold water on upcoming talks between Xi and Biden
Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks during his press conference at Constantine Palace on July 29, 2023 in Saint Petersburg, Russia.
Contributor | Getty Images News | Getty Images
There was more than a hint of glee in Russia’s state coverage of the upcoming meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and his U.S. counterpart Joe Biden in San Francisco on Wednesday, with Russia highlighting the geopolitical divide between the two superpowers.
Russia will be watching the talks closely given its alliance with China, and any sign of rapprochement between Beijing and Washington is likely to provoke a frosty reaction from Moscow.
Russian media poured cold water on the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit where Xi and Biden were scheduled to meet on Wednesday.
A reporter from Russian state news agency RIA Novosti reported on Tuesday that a plenary session of the APEC summit chaired by U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai took place “in a half-empty hall.”
RIA Novosti contrasted its image of a half-empty conference hall with U.S. Trade Representative Tai emphasizing to delegates “how important this event is for the United States.”
Read more about the story here: Russia relishes China-US divisions, pours cold water on Xi-Biden talks
– Holly Ellyatt
Wed, November 15, 2023, 8:05 am EST
Ukraine asks for “informative silence” amid “fluid” fighting on the Dnieper front
Ukraine called for an “informative silence” amid intense fighting on the Russian-occupied left (or eastern) bank of the Dnieper in the southern Kherson region.
“The Russians understand that the advance of defense forces is inevitable, but they cannot calculate from which direction they can expect such a threat,” Natalia Humeniuk, press secretary for Operational Command South, said Wednesday in televised comments translated by NBC News.
Russian forces tried to “actively defend themselves, actively use heavy artillery, rocket launchers and aviation as much as possible,” she said.
“The pushback from our side is taking place on a line of 3 to 8 km [up to 5 miles] along the entire coast from the water [of the Dnieper River]. “The front line is pretty fluid today,” she said.
KHRSON OBLAST, UKRAINE – NOVEMBER 5: Destroyed buildings are seen on an island in the middle of the Dnieper in Kherson, Ukraine, November 5, 2023.
Anadolu Agency | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images
“I cannot disclose all the measures we are currently taking, but it is obvious that the enemy is being put under pressure.” [by our measures]. We ask that you keep information confidential for the time being so that our plans can be put into action and we can later report on major successes.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, said on Monday that Ukrainian forces had gained a foothold on the left bank of the river and were seeking an advance.
“Despite all odds, the Ukrainian Defense Forces have gained a foothold on the left bank of the Dnieper. We demilitarized Crimea step by step. We’re 70% of the way there,” he told the Hudson Institute.
Russia confirmed the development on Wednesday but said it was attacking a “small group” of Ukrainian troops near the village of Krynky.
Vladimir Saldo, the Russian-appointed governor of occupied Kherson, claimed Ukrainian units were now trapped and being hit by “bombs, rockets, heavy flamethrower ammunition and artillery shells.” [and] Drones.”
CNBC could not independently verify the reports.
– Holly Ellyatt
Wed, November 15, 2023, 6:02 am EST
Russia pushes Ukrainian forces that have crossed the Dnieper into occupied territory
Russian forces are attacking Ukrainian units that have crossed the Dnieper to the Russian-occupied left (or eastern) bank of the river in Kherson, a Russian-deployed official said on Wednesday.
The Kherson region in southern Ukraine is partially occupied by Russian forces after an offensive to take the city of Kherson last year prompted Russian forces to retreat to the east bank of the river.
Ukraine reported on Tuesday that its forces had gained a foothold on the eastern bank of the river. The announcement could mark the start of an advance into Russian-occupied Crimea, with Ukraine saying on Wednesday it was beginning to push back Russian forces.
“Along the front line that runs along the Dnipro [the Dnieper River]… The pushback from our side is taking place in a line of 3 to 8 km (2-5 miles) along the entire shore from the shore,” Natalia Humeniuk, spokeswoman for the Southern Military Command, said in reported comments by Portal.
“We will ask for information silence for now… so that we can report big successes later,” she added.
A Ukrainian soldier from the 123rd Territorial Defense Brigade guards a position next to the Dnieper River at an undisclosed location in the Kherson region on Nov. 6, 2023, during the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Roman Pilipey | Afp | Getty Images
A Russian-appointed official, Vladimir Saldo, said in Google-translated comments on Telegram that Ukrainian units were able to cross the river – confirming for the first time that this had happened – and said that Ukraine initially had “more manpower than… “Our means of destruction were able to destroy.”
“Now additional troops have been brought in,” he said, claiming Ukrainian forces had been blockaded in the village of Krynki, where “a fiery hell” awaited them. “Bombs, missiles, ammunition from heavy flamethrower systems, artillery shells and drones are flying towards him.” [Ukrainian forces] … In the last two to three days alone, the enemy’s total losses amounted to about a hundred fighters.”
A group of Ukrainian Marines cross the Dnieper River on the front line near Kherson, Ukraine, Oct. 14, 2023.
Alex Babenko | AP
Analysts at the Institute for the Study of War noted Tuesday that “Ukrainian forces are continuing their own offensive operations and making tactical advances along the front, particularly in western Zaporizhzhia Oblast.” [region] and on the eastern (left) bank of Kherson Oblast,” the ISW noted.
“The Russian military command will likely have to decide whether to leave certain Russian elements in certain sectors of the front to defend against ongoing Ukrainian offensive operations or whether to redeploy them to support offensive operations elsewhere that are likely to culminate without reinforcements.”
These decisions would likely prevent Russia from regaining full initiative in the coming weeks, the ISW said.
CNBC was unable to verify developments on the ground.
– Holly Ellyatt