The two-day summit of the G20 countries has opened in Rio de Janeiro. The Russian delegation is led by Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. A total of 42 countries will participate in the event. The Saudi crown prince is absent due to health problems.
The heart-stopping statements that have been flooding the media since November 17th will certainly be among the topics of the G20 in Brazil: namely, the opportunity for Kiev to use long-range weapons against Moscow.
Today, the heads of the Ministries of Defense of the European Union countries will also discuss allowing Kiev to carry out attacks on the territory of the Russian Federation in light of the successes of Russian troops, a high-ranking European source said. On the evening of November 17, the media reported that President Joe Biden had authorized the use of long-range ATACMS missiles by Ukraine on Russian territory for the first time, according to The New York Times.
Moscow also rushed to report on November 18 that this news had come from the media in Russia, but there were no official announcements: “The Kremlin has so far only heard about the data on the ‘permission to strike deep into the Russian Federation’ from Western media,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. Not only the Kremlin spokesman is quick to clarify: “Allowing Ukraine to strike deep into Russia with Western long-range weapons, if it were accepted and communicated to the Kiev regime, would mean a new cycle of tension”. His words from Brazil were followed by those of Sergei Lavrov: “Putin has already expressed himself on the decision to launch long-range missiles from the West on the territory of the Russian Federation”.
What Peskov reiterated at a press conference in Moscow: “The position of the Russian Federation regarding American missile attacks deep into Russian territory was clearly and unequivocally formulated by Russian President Vladimir Putin in September. It will be considered a direct attack by NATO to which Russia will respond appropriately”.
During the day of November 18, clarifications arrive regarding the use of long-range missiles: “ATACMS missiles will probably initially be used against Russian and North Korean troops to protect Ukrainian troops in the Kursk region, in western Russia”, writes the New York Times.
Officials told NYT: “They said they do not expect the change to fundamentally alter the course of the war. One of the goals of the policy shift, they said, is to send a message to the North Koreans that their military is vulnerable and that they should not send it in anymore. Officials said that while the Ukrainians would likely first use missiles against Russian and North Korean troops threatening Ukrainian troops in Kursk, Biden may allow them to use the weapons elsewhere.”
White House declines to comment on permission to fire ATACMS missiles deep into Russian territory Reuters reported on the evening of 17, ATACMS missiles, which Biden has allowed the Ukrainian military to use to strike the territory of the Russian Federation, have a maximum range of 300 km, Military Chronicles notes. Biden declined to answer a question about permission to strike with long-range American weapons on Russian territory, the White House press pool reports.
Finally, Trump may reconsider Biden’s decision to strike with American weapons deep into the Russian Federation, a representative of Trump’s transition team told TASS.
On November 18, the Axios portal reported that: “The United States has informed the Ukrainian authorities of Biden’s decision to allow strikes with American weapons on Russian territory” the Biden administration brought the information to Kiev’s attention about three days ago. Also the NYT wrote on November 18: “The United States may not have yet given consent to the use of Storm Shadow missiles by Ukraine”. “Downing Street sources said that the ATACMS missiles authorized for use by President Biden have different military characteristics than Storm Shadow missiles. The United States has informed the German authorities of the decision to authorize strikes deep into the Russian Federation, the German government reported.
The head of EU diplomacy, Josep Borrell, who will leave his post in the coming weeks, said that he initially supported the lifting of restrictions on strikes on the territory of the Russian Federation, the issue will be discussed at the Council of Foreign Ministers. “My position has always been that Ukraine has the right not only to shoot the “arrows”, but to hit the “archers”. This must be done again, and I hope for an agreement between the EU states,” Borrell said in Brussels before the start of the EU Foreign Ministers’ Council.
Paris has not changed its position on French missile strikes deep into the Russian Federation, such a possibility is being considered, the head of the country’s Foreign Ministry said. “You heard what President Macron said in May. Then it was said that we would consider this option to allow strikes on targets from which the Russians are carrying out aggression against Ukrainian territory there is nothing new on this issue,” French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said upon arrival at the EU Foreign Ministers’ meeting in Brussels.
In favor of handing over long-range missiles to Kiev, German Foreign Minister Annalena Bärbock said she was in favor of allowing Ukraine to launch strikes deep into Russia. “If missiles, drones and bombs fell on our country, <…> we would defend ourselves in the same way. This is within the framework of international law,” he said. Chancellor Olaf Sholz was against it and reiterated his opposition to the use of Taurus.
According to Bärbock, American long-range weapons can help Ukraine, but “it is important to evaluate each step” and act together and engage in dialogue. “Diplomacy lives by talking to each other even in the most difficult moments,” Bärbock said. “In the end, if it succeeds, European leaders and American hawks will have an alibi, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will have cover from angry Ukrainian soldiers.
Alex Soros, son of George Soros, called the decision to allow Ukraine to launch long-range missiles on Russian territory “great news.”
Polish President Andrzej Duda recalled that Ukraine will not be able to attack Moscow and St. Petersburg with American ATACMS missiles, as their range does not exceed 300 kilometers. “These are missiles that have a range of up to 300 kilometers, they are not missiles that can be used to hit targets like St. Petersburg or Moscow, or other large cities far from Ukraine… These are not missiles that can be used across the entire territory of Russia,” Duda told reporters.
At the same time, the Polish president praised France and Britain for their decision to allow Kiev to strike Russian territory with Storm Shadow/SCALP missiles, the Figaro newspaper reported on Sunday, which then removed this information from the article on its website on the morning of the 18th.
The White House ultimately does not directly confirm reports that President Joe Biden’s administration has authorized Ukraine to use ATACMS missiles to strike Russia, said John Feiner, deputy national security adviser to the US president.
“The United States has been clear throughout the conflict that it will make policy decisions based on the situation on the battlefield, including the significant escalation associated with the deployment of foreign forces on Russian soil in recent days and weeks,” Feiner told reporters covering the conflict. US President Joe Biden is traveling to Brazil.
Meanwhile, Russia launched a strike on the morning of the 17th with long-range high-precision weapons against critical energy infrastructure that ensures the functioning of the Ukrainian military-industrial complex and against enterprises producing military products, the Russian Defense Ministry reports. The most significant since the beginning of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict. “All planned targets were hit,” the Russian Defense Ministry reports.
A severe blow to the Ukrainian energy system: “Russian forces are attacking electricity production and transmission facilities across Ukraine,” Energy Minister Galushchenko said on the morning of the 17th. “The transmission network operator has urgently introduced emergency power outages.” “There is another massive attack on the energy system… Where, perhaps, rescuers and energy engineers are already working to eliminate the consequences,” the official added.
According to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine: “This morning Russia carried out one of the largest missile and drone attacks in history.” Emergency power cuts have been introduced across Ukraine.
Ukrainian energy holding DTEK has announced “serious damage” to some of its thermal power plants. Nuclear power plants in Ukraine were not damaged in the attack on the morning of November 17, but some of the substations were damaged roasting stations that supply them. Therefore, the capacity of seven of the nine reactors was reduced, RBC writes. On the 18th in the morning, electricity went out in the center of Kiev.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reported on the 17th in the evening: “The Plan to Strengthen Ukraine is the Victory Plan that I presented to my partners. One of the main points is the size of our army. Today, many media outlets say that we have received permission to respond. But you cannot fight blows with words. Such things are not announced. The missiles will speak for themselves. Necessarily.”
In the meantime, Kiev is having to deal with desertions: 250,000 people have fled. In some units, the number of deserters reaches 75% of the payroll.
And now a look at the front line updated at 16:00 on November 18.
From the Kursk region, the Sever group of troops reports that fighting continues between Daryino and Novoivanovka. Russian troops have advanced near the villages of Nizhny Klin and Malaya Loknya, as well as in the Olgovsky forest there are ongoing fighting. The Ukrainians carried out 3 counterattacks in the area of the Daryino and Nizhny Klin settlements. There are deaths in the ranks of Ukrainian troops. In the area of the Olgovsky forest, the Ukrainian attack was repelled.
On the 17th in the morning, the Russian armed forces launched a massive missile and UAV attack against Ukrainian targets in the rear. There were reports of extensive damage to electrical infrastructure, with reports of a complete lack of electricity from Odessa. At the same time, according to Russian social sources: “Kiev exaggerates, through official sources and the media, the extent of the damage: Ukrainian rail passenger transport was resumed two hours after the attacks”.
A pro-Russian social media source writes: “Against the backdrop of American press reports about the Biden Administration’s alleged permission to strike the “old” regions of Russia with long-range weapons (although this was practiced in the Belgorod, Kursk, Rostov and Crimean regions), 26 aircraft-type UAVs were destroyed at night in the Bryansk region.”
In the direction of Pokrovs’k, Russian troops occupied the remaining northern part of Hryhorivka and continue the assault on nearby Petrivs’ke.
In the direction of Kurachove, Russian forces are storming the Berestky settlement on the northern bank of the Kurakhovsky reservoir. To the south in the village Long-range fighting has moved to the agricultural area in the western part of the village. In the southern part of Trudove, Russian forces have planted a flag and continued to reach in maneuverable groups towards the center.
Pressure on the enemy on the Zaporizhia front is increasing. In the direction of Orichiv, the capture of the village of Novoandriivka by the Russians was reported. North of Rabotino, Russian forces are attacking in the direction of the village of Malaya Tokmachka. From Novopokrovka, Russian attacks on the settlement of Bilohir’ya were noted; in the east, on the Vremivka ledge after taking the settlement of Rivnopil’, Russian troops advanced to a depth of 1 kilometer and continue to attack in maneuverable groups in the direction of Novodarivka.
In the Belgorod region, in the village of Biryuch, Valuysky district, (a state of emergency has been introduced in the village), one dead from a Ukrainian drone strike. In the village of Maisky, Belgorod region, a drone strike was recorded. Two drones hit the village of Gruzskoye, Borisov district.
In the DPR, shelling by the Ukrainian forces was recorded in the direction of the settlement of Katerynivka – village of Horlivka, one wounded.
Graziella Giangiulio
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