A Ukrainian missile strike on November 19 hit Russian soldiers gathered in honor of Russia’s Day of Missile Forces. Fighting on the left bank of the Dnipro river in Kherson region will be considered “highly unfortunate by Russian leaders,” UK Defence Intelligence says. Ukraine’s defense intelligence releases footage of the Kerch bridge shot from Crimea.
Ukrainian missile strike hits Russian soldiers gathered in honor of Day of Missile Forces
A Ukrainian missile strike on November 19 landed on a group of Russian soldiers gathered for a concert in the village of Kumachove, in Donetsk region, on Russia’s Day of Missile Forces and Artillery, numerous Ukrainian and Russian media reports suggest.
On November 21, Russian media said actress Polina Menshikh was killed in a strike as she gave a performance to Russian troops in Ukraine’s occupied east. “Russian actress and theatre director Polina Menshikh was killed in a strike in Donbas,” Russia’s RIA Novosti said, citing a theatre where Menshikh staged one of her musicals.
On the evening of November 22, the Ukrainian ground forces released footage that had likely captured the moment a missile strike targeted the hall. In the clip, Russian soldiers watch Menshikh perform onstage before an audible crash.
Meanwhile, Robert Brovdi, commander of the drone reconnaissance unit “Magyar’s Birds” of the 59th brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, said on social media that Ukrainian troops struck a group of Russia’s 810th Marine Brigade when the soldiers had been gathered for an awards ceremony in honor of the Day of Missile Forces and Artillery on November 19.
At least 25 Russian soldiers were killed, and more than 100 injured in the strike, Brovdi said.
Ukraine’s General Staff has not commented on the strike on Russia’s 810th Marine Brigade.
Fighting on left bank of Dnipro in Kherson region will be considered “highly unfortunate by Russian leaders,” UK Defence Intelligence says
While the fighting around Krynky, down the Dnipro river, is on a smaller scale than some major battles of the war, it “will be considered highly unfortunate by Russian leaders,” UK Defence Intelligence said in an update on Wednesday.
In southern Ukraine, fighting has continued around the village of Krynky where Ukrainian marines maintain a bridgehead on the east bank of the Dnipro River.
The ground fighting has been characterised by confused, dismounted infantry combat and artillery exchanges in complex, wooded terrain, British defence intelligence said.
Ukraine has made particularly effective use of small attack uncrewed aerial vehicles, while the Russian Air Force is conducting significant numbers of sorties in support of frontline troops, predominantly launching munitions from beyond the range of Ukraine’s air defences.
The fighting around Krynky is on a smaller scale than some major battles of the war but will be considered highly unfortunate by Russian leaders.
Russia withdrew from the west bank of the Dnipro River a year ago, almost certainly aiming to hold Ukrainian forces west of the river, keep the sector quiet, and free up Russian forces elsewhere, the update reads.
Ukraine’s defense intelligence releases footage of Kerch bridge shot from Crimea
Ukraine’s defense intelligence released a short video of the “redundant” Kerch (Crimean) bridge filmed from occupied Crimea. The clip sends a signal to all Ukrainians and Crimean Tatars on the peninsula waiting for the lawful authorities to come back, a representative of the Main Intelligence Department of Ukraine’s Defense Ministry, Andriy Yusov told The New Voice of Ukraine.
“In this situation we do not hint at anything, we directly say that Crimea is Ukraine,” he said. He added that Ukraine’s defense forces are already in Crimea. Along with operations in the skies, in the water, and at a distance aimed at striking the enemy’s troops and materiel, they also maintain presence in the peninsula.
Ukrainian troops, particularly defense intelligence units, continue operations in Crimea, Yusov said.
The work is comprehensive, he added. Ukrainian troops are striking the enemy, its troops and materiel, and exhausting Russia’s military stocks. Ukrainian troops also maintain visual presence in Crimea, while “the enemy cannot control it or let it pass unnoticed,” Yusov explained.
Can the US and EU block Russian liquefied natural gas? Ukraine in Flames #535
Ukraine has been actively pushing for restrictions on Russian expansion in the Arctic and advocating for sanctions on the export of liquefied natural gas from Russia. Recognizing Moscow’s reliance on energy as a driver for its aggression, Ukraine sees targeting this project as a means for the US to hinder Russian expansion in the Arctic and curb the growth of Russian liquefied natural gas exports. Watch Ukraine in flames #535 to find out about a fresh set of sanctions, specifically targeting the Arctic LNG 2 project, and explore whether these measures can effectively curb the growth of Russian liquefied natural gas exports.
Guests:
- Ahia Zahrebelska, Deputy Head of the Department of Minimization of Corruption Risks in the Sanctions Policy of the National Agency of Ukraine for the Prevention of Corruption
- Svitlana Romanko, Director of Razom We Stand
- Liudmyla Yenina, Director of the Department of Economic Diplomacy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine
