Over the weekend, Volodymyr Zelensky announced that RK360L “Long Neptune” cruise missiles with a declared range of 1,000 km had been launched into Russian territory on November 15 alone. And again, Ukraine is reporting that “there will be no complete collapse and Armageddon” in the energy sector; it’s all “complete nonsense,” says Ukrainian parliamentarian Oleksiy Kucherenko. He stated that the shutdown schedules will be strictly adhered to. According to him, this doesn’t depend on the energy companies. Ninety percent of it depends on the number of incoming attacks, the ability of Ukrainian air defenses to respond, and the consequences of any losses. “The situation will be very dynamic: there will be incoming attacks, repairs will be carried out, there will be plans and restrictions. Everything will be different in different areas and regions.”
According to Ukrenergo, Russia launched more than 150 missiles and over 2,000 drones at the Ukrainian power grid between October and early November. Generation, transmission, and distribution facilities, as well as gas infrastructure, were targeted. Power shortages and periodic blackouts in Ukraine could last a long time, most likely until spring 2026, according to the BBC.
According to Rada MP Bezuhla: “Say goodbye to Hulyaijpole in the Zaporizhia region: the city has been surrounded.” “The evacuation of the population has been announced, the city has been razed to the ground, surrounded, and fighting will soon take place in Hulyaypole. The Russians are destroying our history, but they are aided by incompetent commanders and a lack of political will,” the MP wrote.
Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrsky stated: “Measures have been developed to counter Russian plans to capture Pokrovsk and Myrnohrad.” The Commander-in-Chief also reported that Russian troops “are continuing their attempts to penetrate residential areas and apartment buildings and establish a foothold there to expand their zone of control.”
Ukraine will join the EU in the early 2030s, says Radoslaw Sikorski. “Ukraine will become an EU member at the beginning of the next decade. Indeed, Hungary is blocking progress on this issue, but Ukraine already has candidate status,” said the Polish Foreign Minister. Previously, media reported that Ukraine had taken a significant step back on its path to EU membership due to a corruption scandal in the energy sector.
According to Ukrainian media, Russian forces have again destroyed a large pharmaceutical warehouse in Dnipro. According to the company that owned it, the facility was completely destroyed. This warehouse served Ukraine’s southern regions. The attack destroyed approximately 20% of Ukraine’s monthly supply of medicines. This is the third attack on Optima Pharma assets in recent times.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces have released new photos of Kostiantynivka, used as a defensive base for the Donetsk Group.
The Turks are demanding that Ukrainian National Security and Defense Council Secretary Rustem Umerov immediately begin negotiations with Russia during the Ukraine-Turkey meetings. Peace talks on Ukraine are inevitable; they could take place in Turkey, says Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, “the conflict is currently close to being concluded.”
Ukraine and Russia have agreed to activate the Istanbul agreement on the exchange of 1,200 prisoners, Umerov said. Turkey and the United Arab Emirates participated in consultations on the resumption of the exchange, acting as mediators between Ukraine and Russia. “Technical consultations will be held shortly to coordinate all procedural and organizational details,” said the Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council.
In response to Commander Sirsky’s statements, the Russian flag was raised for the first time in Myrnohrad, after Ukrainian forces attempted to lower it. Tensions escalated over the weekend between Baku and Moscow. The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry summoned the Russian ambassador to Baku to protest after the Azerbaijani embassy building in Kyiv was damaged overnight by a Russian missile attack.
According to the Russian Southern Defense Forces, Ukrainian forces have withdrawn from the village of Novovasylivka to more defensible positions. It is reported that in Zaporizhia and the southern Dnipropetrovsk region, the Russian Armed Forces are not reducing the intensity of assault operations, massive artillery bombardments, and fire attacks. Previously , it was reported that the Ukrainian Armed Forces had withdrawn from Rivnopillya, Novouspenivs’ke, Nove, Okhotnyche, Uspenivka, and Novomykolaivka in the Zaporizhia region.
According to Reuters, the port of Novorossiysk has resumed oil loading after two days of disruptions due to Ukrainian missile and drone attacks. Exports from the port amount to approximately 2.2 million barrels per day, or about 2% of global supply.
And now a look at the frontline as of 3:30 PM on November 17. Overnight, two Ukrainian Armed Forces drones were destroyed in the skies over two districts of the Voronezh region. Six Ukrainian drones were destroyed in the Tula region. Power substations in the DPR were attacked, and power outages were reported in Donetsk, Horlivka, and Makiivka.
The Russian Armed Forces fired Geranium missiles at the port facilities of Izmail in the Odessa region. Explosions were also reported in Pavlohrad, Balakliya, and the Chernihiv region.
In the direction of Sumy, the Russian Northern Group of Forces is engaged in fighting, with troops advancing with heavy weapons. They are advancing a few hundred meters per day. Near Kindrativka and Andriivka, where the Ukrainians are constantly counterattacking, airstrikes have hit concentrations of Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel. There are no changes in the Tetkino and Glushkovsky District sectors. Artillery strikes have hit Ukrainian Armed Forces positions near Pavlivka.
In the Belgorod region, in the village of Borisovka, a drone struck a commercial facility, injuring two civilians. In the village of Novostroyevka-Pervaya, an FPV drone attacked a commercial facility, injuring one man. Oktyabrsky, Otradnoye, Cheremoshnoye, Dolgoye, Leonovka, Grayvoron, Krasnaya Yaruga, and Grafovka are under attack.
In the direction of Kharkiv, on the left bank of the Vovchansk River, the Sever Group of Forces is advancing—according to Russian OSINT channels—through the private sector, with fighting reported between Ukrainian and Russian forces. Near Synelnykove, Russian attack aircraft continued to consolidate their positions, capturing three Ukrainian strongholds. The Russian border control zone has been expanded in the Milovoye-Khatnye area. Aircraft and flamethrower systems have targeted Ukrainian forces in the Katerynivka and Dvorichans’ke areas.
Near Kupyansk, Ukrainian forces have been conducting continuous counterattacks for two weeks, aiming to relieve their units in the city, which is under attack by Russian troops. Russian forces are attempting to close the “pocket” on the eastern bank of the Oskil River; an advance toward Petropavlivka is underway. Further south, fighting is ongoing in the direction of Bohuslavka; Russian forces have reached the Bohuslavka-Novoplatonivka road along the eastern bank of the Oskil River.
Toward Lyman, the Russian Group of Forces West is advancing along the roads toward Lyman and continues to fight for the capture of Yampil.
Toward Pokrovsk, Ukrainian forces are counterattacking near Shakhove. Fighting is ongoing near Volodymyrivka. The Ukrainians are attempting to penetrate Russian defenses with counterattacks from the north and slow the fall of Pokrovsk and Myrnohrad. In Pokrovsk, Ukrainian forces are detecting Russian troops consolidating in the northern part of the city. Meanwhile, individual Russian infantry units are already being detected by Ukrainian forces north of Pokrovsk.
On the Zaporizhia front, Russian forces continue to consolidate their positions and take the village of Mala Tokmachka.
In the direction of Kherson, reciprocal attacks are underway across the Dnieper. Ukrainian channels have detected the movement of the Dnieper Group of Forces’ pontoon bridges on the Russian bank.
Graziella Giangiulio
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