Wednesday, November 6

Russia’s war against Ukraine

Military and police members inspect the remains of a Russian drone in the Shevchenkivskyi district after the Nov. 5 attack in Kharkiv. As a result of the strike, two women were injured. (Oleksandr Manchenko/Gwara Media/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)

Umerov confirms first battles between Ukrainian and North Korean soldiers in Kursk Oblast. The clashes were small-scale, according to Ukraine’s Defense Minister Rustem Umerov.

Russia launches record number of drones in October, General Staff reports. Russia launched at least 4,300 Shahed-type attack drones and similar UAVs imitating Shaheds against Ukraine between August and October 2024 — a sharp increase compared to earlier months — according to the Ukrainian Air Force.

Ukrainian Legion in Poland reportedly receives over 500 applications in a month. The recruitment center of the Ukrainian Legion in Poland has received over 500 applications in a month from Ukrainians living in 30 countries, Ukrinform reported on Nov. 5, citing the center’s officials.

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Ukrainian GPS spoofing for repelling drone attacks could indirectly affect smartphone clocks, General Staff says. Users in Ukraine have begun to experience more frequent automatic time changes on their smartphones due to the activation of electronic warfare systems during air raid alarms.

Google responds to claims map images revealed locations of Ukrainian weapons. “These satellite images were taken more than a year ago and come from publicly available sources — we deliberately do not publish the latest images of war zones,” Google said.

Putin appoints Ukraine war veteran as governor of Tambov region. Russian President Vladimir Putin has appointed a Ukraine war veteran to govern one of Russia’s regions, marking the highest position awarded to a participant in the full-scale invasion so far.

The Kyiv International Economic Forum (KIEF) — one of the largest international forums in Eastern Europe — will take place on Nov. 7, with the Kyiv Independent as a media partner.

KIEF brings together representatives of business, government, and society to promote Ukraine’s integration into the global community.

**Register here: **https://forumkyiv.org/en/

Read our exclusives

Zelensky used talk with Trump about nuclear weapons as leverage before crucial US election, analysts say

With Ukraine’s future hanging in the balance ahead of the Nov. 5 U.S. presidential election, Ukraine’s president turned up the heat, invoking the specter of nuclear weapons to nudge whoever lands in the Oval Office toward offering more conventional weaponry to Kyiv.

Photo: Uliana Boichuk/Novyny LIVE/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images

Ukraine war latest: Kyiv confirms first battles between Ukrainian and North Korean soldiers in Kursk Oblast

The first clashes between the Ukrainian Armed Forces and North Korean soldiers have already taken place in Russia’s Kursk Oblast, Ukraine’s Defense Minister Rustem Umerov confirmed on Nov. 5 in an interview with South Korean TV channel KBS.

Photo: Ed Jones / AFP via Getty Images

Ukraine struggles to contain Russian advance in Donetsk Oblast as US elections loom

As U.S. voters head to the polls on Nov. 5 for presidential elections likely to shape the course of Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine, the situation on the battlefield is beginning to unravel for Kyiv.

Photo: Gaelle Girbes/Getty Images

‘Trump wants to do everything he can to help Putin,’ McCain Institute head says

Evelyn Farkas, head of the McCain Institute—a U.S.-based think tank named after the late Republican Senator John McCain—fears that Donald Trump’s return as president would be the worst-case scenario for Ukraine.

Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Harris or Trump — Ukraine braces for best, worst-case scenarios as US elects new president

The two candidates’ pre-election positions on continuing to support Ukraine with weaponry are in such stark contrast that some experts estimate whoever emerges victorious will impact whether Kyiv stays in the fight or is choked of supplies to the point of capitulation.

Photo: Rebecca Noble/Getty Images

Human cost of war

Russian military shoots 6 Ukrainian POWs in Donetsk Oblast, Prosecutor General’s Office says. Russian troops shoot six captured Ukrainian Armed Forces soldiers in the Pokrovsk sector of the front line in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine’s Prosecutor General’s Office reported on Nov. 5.

Russian attack on Zaporizhzhia kills 6, injures 23. Russian forces reportedly targeted an infrastructure facility, starting a fire. The full extent of damage is being determined.

Russia strikes near residential area in Kharkiv, injuring at least 2. Moscow struck the Shevchenskyi district with a Shahed-type drone at nearly 5 p.m. local time, according to the preliminary data.

McFaul on Ukraine’s future with Trump vs. Harris

International response

Sweden unveils new aid package for Ukraine worth over $9 million. Sweden will provide Ukraine with a new aid package valued at nine million euros ($9.8 million), which includes two vessels designed to enhance maritime security. The country will also supply 40,000 protective masks and respirators to Ukraine’s Emergency Service personnel.

Estonia wants to bar Russian, Belarusian citizens from voting in local elections. Estonia aims to narrow voting eligibility in local elections to exclude Russian and Belarusian citizens in order to counter Russian influence, Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal told state broadcaster ERR on Nov. 4.

North Korean military involvement in Russia’s war to be met with ‘coordinated response,’ G7 foreign ministers say. Besides the G7 members, including the U.S., Japan, Italy, the U.K., Germany, France, Canada, and the High Representative of the European Union, the statement was also signed by South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand.

U.S. presidential election

Republicans take back US Senate. The Republican party has won control of the U.S. Senate, according to projected election results on Nov. 5.

Trump wins key US state of North Carolina. With 90% of votes tallied, Trump led Democratic challenger Vice President Kamala Harris 50.8% to 48%. The projection marks the first call of a major swing state in the U.S. presidential election.

Chinese accounts linked to Russian election disinformation. Analysts at the Atlantic Council’s Digital Forensic Research Lab found that accounts originating in China helped amplify Russian disinformation videos targeting U.S. voters.

Russia stepping up election interference as US citizens head to polls, intelligence agencies warn. Russia is expected to intensify attempts to undermine the U.S. vote on election day with a focus on swing states, U.S. intelligence agencies said in a statement on the eve of the election on Nov. 4.

Bomb threats across multiple states traced to Russian email domains, FBI says. As Americans head to the polls on Nov. 5, the FBI has announced that bomb threats targeting polling sites in multiple states appear to have originated from Russian email domains. The agency clarified that none of these threats have been deemed credible.

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