Following the Thanksgiving holiday break, this post provides a snapshot of Russia-Ukraine war news from the previous two weeks.
Source: Ukraine Ministry of DefensePolitical Developments
Ukrainian Chief of Staff Andriy Yermak resigned after an anti-corruption raid targeted his home. Yermak had been a powerful figure in President Volodymyr Zelensky’s government, but began to face significant domestic pressure in wake of several corruption scandals affecting top officials in the government.
European leaders chastised a U.S. 28-point released by the Trump administration November 21 that they said was strongly favorable to Russia. The U.K., France, and Germany subsequently released a European counter-proposal that would recognized Ukraine’s sovereignty and provide robust security guarantees.
U.S. lawmakers were also disappointed with the original plan drafted by the Trump administration. The lawmakers were drafting a bill to impose sanctions on Russia that could weaken Moscow’s negotiating power.
However, the U.S. has worked on its own revised peace plan negotiated by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Ukrainian officials that addresses issues Kyiv had with the original 28-point proposal. The new plan eliminates a proposed cap on Ukraine’s military size while addressing Kyiv’s core security concerns. The updated 19-point proposal is viewed as more favorable to Ukraine than previous drafts, but the demand for territorial concessions remains a significant sticking point.
On December 2, Russian President Vladimir Putin met with a U.S. delegation of President Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner. A Kremlin official said the meeting was “constructive,” but it didn’t result in any breakthroughs. Shortly before the meeting, Putin claimed Europe was undermining peace negotiations. He also warned he was ready to fight if Europe started a war with Russia.
The European Union approved a $1.7 billion program aimed at strengthening its defense industrial base. The effort includes a $345 million allocation to support Ukraine’s defense industry.
The European Union agreed this week to phase out Russian gas imports by the end of 2027, reflecting an effort to move away from long-running dependence on Russian energy.
Ukraine Military Assistance and Acquisition
The European Union remains on the fence about issuing a loan to Ukraine based on frozen Russian state assets. Belgium, which has physical custody of much of the frozen securities, has thus far refused to agree to the loan’s issuance, prompting criticism from other E.U. states. This week, the European Central Bank stated that it would not act as a backstop for the scheme.
Google was awarded a contract to provide cloud services and AI capabilities for NATO’s Joint Analysis, Training and Education Centre (JATEC), a collaborative effort between NATO and Ukraine to study lessons learned from the war in Ukraine.
Ukrainian Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal stated on November 30 that Norway and Ukraine will jointly produce drones beginning in 2026. The minister noted that Ukraine will contribute its experience and technical innovations, while Norway offers a “strong production base, as well as research and development cooperation.”
Australia and New Zealand are joining the Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List initiative, through which Ukraine’s partners are purchasing American weapons for delivery to Kyiv.
Battlefield Updates
A U.K. warship intercepted a Russian corvette and tanker in the English channel. Officials say Russian activity in the waters around the U.K. have increased by 30 percent over the past two years. A separate incident saw a Russian ship aim lasers at a surveillance aircraft off the coast of Scotland.
A Ukrainian strike took out a Russian A-60 aircraft that was being utilized as a laser testbed.
A Russian oil tanker, the Midvolga-2, was damaged in a drone attack while operating in the Black Sea 80 miles from the Turkish city of Sinop. Kyiv denied involvement in the attack.
Industry sources told Reuters this week that Kazakhstan is diverting crude oil to the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline after Ukrainian drone strikes on infrastructure connected to the Caspian Pipeline Consortium, which carries 80 percent of Kazakh oil exports.
A Russian drone recovered by the Ukrainian military was outfitted with a Starlink satellite terminal.
Russia appears to be arming some of its Shahed-136 attack drones with R-60 air-to-air missiles.
Shaun's deep-rooted interest in military equipment continues in his role as a senior defense analyst with a focus on the United States. He played an integral role in the development of Forecast International's U.S. Defense Budget Forecast, an interactive online product that tracks Pentagon acquisition programs throughout the congressional budget process. As editor of International Military Markets – North America, Shaun has cultivated a deep understanding of the vast defense markets in the United States and Canada. He is a regular contributor to Forecast International's Defense & Security Monitor blog and has co-authored white papers on global defense spending and various military programs.
image sources
- Ukraine_APC: Ukraine Ministry of Defense
