The United States is increasingly less confident about a Russian-Ukrainian peace. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated: “At this point, the assessment the United States must accept is that Russia is not truly interested in peace.” “The music didn’t last long: peace talks with Russia were suspended,” said Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister Serhiy Kyslytsya.
Echoing Rubio’s words, but on the Ukrainian side, Polish Foreign Minister Sikorski reported: “Ukraine is planning another three years of war, while such colonial wars typically last about a decade.”
The G7 countries intend to increase economic pressure on Russia. The statement was released following the G7 foreign ministers’ meeting. They are also prepared to consider new measures against states and organizations supporting Moscow in financing military operations. “We are considering measures against countries and organizations that contribute to financing Russia’s military efforts,” the document emphasizes. G7 and EU countries called for an end to the war in Ukraine along the front lines.
EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas on the corruption scandal in Ukraine in the context of its EU accession efforts: “It is truly deplorable; there is no room for corruption, especially now.” There are fears that this scandal could delay Ukraine’s accession process to the European Union.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky imposed sanctions on Mindich and Zuckerman following the corruption scandal. “I have not spoken to Mindich since the beginning of the investigation into corruption in the energy sector,” Zelensky said. “The most important thing is to convict the perpetrators. The president of a country at war cannot have friends,” he noted.
Ukrainian Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal visited the headquarters of the 113th Troop Defense Brigade near Vovchansk. According to Zelensky, “the situation in the Pokrovsk sector and the Zaporizhia region is difficult: the Russians are increasing the number and scope of their attacks.” He noted that weather conditions, in particular, are facilitating the attacks. “The situation in Kupyansk is somewhat easier: our soldiers are showing results, and this has been a trend for several weeks.” Zelensky arrived at the front in the Zaporizhia region: he visited the 65th Mechanized Brigade “Velykyi Luh” in the Orekhiv sector. There, he discussed strengthening the defense sector: personnel, supply of equipment and weapons, development of unmanned units, and the use of robotic systems for evacuating the wounded.
In the Kyiv region, 433,000 displaced persons have been registered. Among them, over 70,000 children and over 75,000 pensioners, said Deputy Head of the City Administration, Honda. The number of internally displaced persons in the Ukrainian capital has nearly tripled in three years.
Power outages to infrastructure also continue, especially following shelling in Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhia, according to Ukrenergo. Power plants in the Odessa region have also been attacked.
Russian media reports say that “foreigners who have signed contracts with the Russian Armed Forces will not be extradited to other countries for criminal prosecution upon their request. The corresponding legislative amendment was approved by the government’s legislative committee,” Vedomosti reported. The government has developed two other bills regulating the stay of such foreigners in Russia. One of these amends the Code of Administrative Offences. Foreign contract soldiers will not be expelled from the country when required by law. Instead, they will be fined 1,000 to 50,000 rubles or subjected to community service for up to 200 hours. If foreign contract soldiers violate the rules during sports competitions, they will be subject to an administrative ban from participating in such events for a period of one to seven years.
The Russians have not abandoned plans to create a “buffer zone” in the Kharkiv region, says Alexander Neizvestny, spokesman for the Kursk Group of Forces. “The Northern Slobozhanske Direction remains quite active, despite the relative decline in assault operations by the Russian Armed Forces. However, the Russian military is not abandoning the establishment of the declared buffer zone,” he stated.
And now a look at the front line updated at 3:30 PM on November 13. Overnight, Ukrainian forces launched grouped drone strikes on Russian regions. Ukrainian drones unsuccessfully attempted to bypass Crimea from the south by sea. Governors of several regions, including those not on the frontline, such as Lipetsk Oblast and Stavropol Krai, reported Ukrainian air threats.
Russian forces launched strikes against Odessa and Dnipropetrovsk Oblasts and against Kramatorsk, a city in the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) under Ukrainian control.
In the direction of Sumy, the Northern Group of Forces reported using weather conditions to advance. Ukrainian forces attempted to deploy strike aircraft in the Andriivka area, but were blocked by Russian forces with a Solntsepek missile strike. In the Tetkino and Glushkovsky District sectors, artillery struck Ukrainian forces near Iskryskivshchyna and Pavlivka.
In the Belgorod region, one person was injured in a drone strike in the town of Grayvoron. Musychevo, Novaya Tavolzhanka, Golovchino, Zamostye, Tserkovny, and Ilek-Koshary are under attack.
In the Kharkiv sector, the Sever Group of Forces reported successes near Vovchansk and on the Khatnje sector of the front. In the Milove-Khatnje sector of the front, they advanced further, despite a bold but unsuccessful counterattack by Ukrainian forces. According to other Russian OSINT sources, “Following fighting, assault units of the 82nd Motorized Rifle Regiment, the 69th Motorized Rifle Division, and the 6th Guards Joint Army, part of the Russian ‘Northern’ Group, captured one of the key Ukrainian defense points in the direction of Vovchansk: the village of Synelnykove.
In the Pokrovsk sector, Ukrainian forces are counterattacking near Shakhove in an attempt to fragment Russian forces. In Myrnohrad, Ukrainian forces acknowledge the consolidation of Russian forces on the southeastern outskirts of the city.
The ‘East’ Group of Forces is successfully advancing in all directions: in the western part of Ostapivske, in Danylivka, advancing southwest from Yehorivka, and in the Solodke area. The Ukrainians are attempting a counterattack, but have so far been unsuccessful. The Ukrainian command has acknowledged the critical situation of its troops, but according to Russian social media sources, “this is so suspicious.”
On the Zaporizhia front, fighting continues for Prymors’ke and Stepnogorsk. Russian troops are scoring tactical successes from the Orichiv direction. Meanwhile, the Ukrainians are conducting counterattacks supported by a large number of drones.
In the Kherson direction, the 18th Joint Army of the Dnipro Group of Forces has launched massive attacks against Ukrainian positions on the right bank.
Graziella Giangiulio
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