A snapshot of recent news from sources around the world on the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.
Source: Ukraine Ministry of DefensePolitical Developments
Ukraine’s anti-corruption agency (NABU) has launched an investigation into an alleged $100 million kickback scheme involving Energoatom, the state-run nuclear power company. The probe targets a purported “high-level criminal organisation,” including a former energy minister adviser and Energoatom’s security head, accused of controlling company purchases and forcing contractors to pay illegal benefits during work on defensive structures last October.
The scandal has prompted a public backlash and put pressure on President Volodymyr Zelensky’s administration. Both the justice and energy ministers submitted their resignations in wake of the investigation being made public.
Military Assistance to Ukraine
The United Kingdom will provide £5.2 million to fund the reconstruction of critical infrastructure in Ukraine, including two hospitals and a major road project, as part of its long-term strategic partnership.
Denmark announced a new DKK1.4 billion ($218 million) aid package to Ukraine, of which around DKK372.2 million will be reserved for weapons purchases through the Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) initiative. European countries are purchasing American weapons for delivery to Ukraine through PURL.
Also this week, Denmark joined Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Sweden, and Iceland in pledging a joint $500 million contribution to PURL.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine wants to order 25 Patriot air defense systems from the United States to defend against relentless Russian aerial attacks on its power grid.
Battlefield Updates
Friday morning, Russia launched a heavy drone and missile attack on Ukraine, killing eight people—six in Kyiv and two in the south—and striking critical energy facilities, apartment buildings, and infrastructure. This massive assault, which involved 430 drones and 18 missiles, caused power cuts and widespread damage, prompting Ukraine to respond with its own long-range strikes against Russian oil facilities.
Thick fog has enabled Russian troops to intensify their assault and advance deeper into the key strategic city of Pokrovsk in eastern Ukraine. According to Ukrainian military sources, the poor visibility severely hindered aerial reconnaissance, allowing Russian forces to use columns of vehicles for assaults that would typically have been destroyed by drones.
Ukraine’s air defense network is seeing a decline in its interception rate. Ukrainian air defenses are dealing with heavy attacks by Russia using drones and missiles. Over the last month, Russia launched 5,312 drones. Ukrainian air defenders intercepted 4,242 of these aerial threats or just under 80 percent. The October drone interception rate was the lowest of 2025 to date.
Russia has used anti-radiation missiles (ARMs) in its attacks on Ukraine’s air defense network. In the past, Russia depended on Su-34 fighters to perform suppression of enemy air defense (SEAD) missions. Now, Moscow has modified its Su-35S multirole fighters to carry a pair of Kh-31PM anti-radiation missiles.
Russia launched another missile attack on Ukraine during the night of November 10-11. This attack included two Kh-47M2 Kinzhal and five S-300/S-400 missiles.
A Russian Su-30SM performing a training flight crashed in Karelia this week, killing both its pilots, the Russian Ministry of Defense said.
Romania’s Ministry of Defense announced Tuesday that possible drone fragments were discovered inside the country’s southeastern border region. The discovery, found about 5 kilometers (3 miles) inland, followed Russian strikes on Ukrainian ports on the Danube River.
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image sources
- Ukraine_UAS: Ukraine Ministry of Defense
