• Stoltenberg: “Prepare for more fighting in Ukraine.”
• The wife of the head of Ukraine’s 007 and other intelligence officials were poisoned with heavy metals.
7:28 a.m. – Kiev: 21 drones and two Russian missiles destroyed during the night
Kiev said it had destroyed “all” 21 Shahed drones and “two of the three missiles” fired by Russian troops during the night. This is reported by Ukrainska Pravda. “The main target of the attack was the Khmelnitsky region in the south of the country,” the Ukrainian Air Force said on Telegram.
06:50 – Moscow: 4 Ukrainian sites are hit by Kalibr missiles fired from the Black Sea
A frigate from the Russian Black Sea Fleet fired four Kalibr cruise missiles at Ukrainian Armed Forces facilities, the Russian Defense Ministry said today, citing Tass. “During an operation in the Black Sea, the crew of a frigate was given the urgent task of hitting enemy military infrastructure with Kalibr-type cruise missiles in the shortest possible time,” the ministry explained, specifying that the launch of the salvo was “successful” on the intended targets were hit
06:05 a.m. – Moscow: A Ukrainian drone was shot down in the Podolsk district
Russian air defense systems shot down a Ukrainian drone in the Podolsk district of the Moscow region. The press office of the Russian Defense Ministry reported on Wednesday: “On November 29, at 7:30 a.m. Moscow time (5:30 a.m. in Italy), an attempt by the Kiev regime to carry out a terrorist attack with an aircraft was foiled unmanned.” Air defense forces in action destroyed the Ukrainian drone on the territory of the Podolsk urban district of the Moscow region.
5:57 a.m. – “Former US Marine arrested in Moscow, beaten in prison”
Former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan, who was jailed in Russia on espionage charges, was attacked by a cellmate, his family said, adding they feared the man was a target because of his nationality. The 53-year-old has been behind bars since 2018, serving a 16-year prison sentence that the US government considers unjustified. On Tuesday afternoon he was “hit in the face” by a new prisoner who broke his glasses, his brother David Whelan said, explaining that the incident occurred in a clothing workshop in the Mordovia penal colony in central Russia. Guards did not enter that part of the prison and other inmates eventually came to Whelan’s aid, the family member added. “Paul is a target because he is an American and anti-American sentiments are not uncommon among other prisoners,” he said. The U.S. Embassy in Moscow, which was in contact with Whelan by telephone, learned that the former Marine was receiving medical treatment after the accident, a State Department spokesman said, reiterating calls for the Russian government to ensure his safety Whelan’s release. The former Marine was working in security at a U.S. vehicle parts manufacturer when he was arrested in Moscow in 2018 and has consistently maintained that the evidence against him was fabricated.
02:49 – Russia will not take part in Expo 2025 in Osaka
Russia has announced its withdrawal from Expo 2025 in Osaka. The decision was announced by the representative of Moscow during the general assembly of the Bureau international des expositions (Bie) in Paris, explaining that his country had decided to forego participation “due to the lack of adequate communication with the organizing committee,” without providing further details on the reason for the revocation. Last week, the Japanese government mentioned the possibility that Russia would not take part in the expo if the current situation did not change due to the war in Ukraine. The Minister responsible for the Expo, Hanako Jimi, had told local media that the current course of events contradicted the theme of the next Expo: “Shaping the future society for our lives.” Moscow’s announcement follows Mexico and Estonia’s decision to not to take part in the event in 2025 for economic reasons.
02:00 – Kiev Alert: Two Russian missile submarines in the Black Sea
Two Russian submarines capable of firing Kalibr cruise missiles remain in active service in the Black Sea, the Armed Forces of Ukraine said in a Telegram message. Bad weather conditions caused by a winter cyclone have forced Moscow to withdraw some naval units in recent days, Ukrainian media recalls. The Kyiv military says the level of missile threat in the region is still “high.”
00:31 – US sources: Putin will not accept peace before American elections
Russian President Vladimir Putin will not make peace in Ukraine until he knows the results of the 2024 American elections. This was said by a senior US State Department official amid fears that a possible victory by former President Donald Trump could undermine the crisis of Western support in Kiev. Trump, the leading candidate for the Republican presidential nomination, has sharply criticized US support for Kiev. The senior official reporters said after a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Brussels that the alliance reiterated its support for Ukraine, knowing that a peace deal next year was unlikely. “I assume that Putin will not make peace or significant peace until we see the results of our elections,” said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity. Asked whether they were expressing a personal opinion or that of the US government, the official replied that it was a “widely shared premise.”