Russian invasion of Ukraine: Day 638

At-a-glance Summary for Thursday, 23rd November 2023 - DAY 638

Ukrainian authorities have said the country cannot produce enough electricity to meet growing demand for heating

• Ukrainian authorities have said the country cannot produce enough electricity to meet growing demand for heating and is turning to neighbouring EU countries for help, amid fears of Russian strikes on production facilities.
  
  
• Russia is throwing “waves” of soldiers towards the embattled Ukrainian city of Avdiivka, suffering massive losses in their attempt to capture strategically important territory on the eastern frontlines, Ukrainian soldiers say.
  
  
• A leading Russian politician and supporter of the president, Vladimir Putin, has denied a report that he adopted an infant who had been forcibly taken from an orphanage in Ukraine.
  
  
• The UK’s Ministry of Defence reports that a group of former Wagner mercenary soldiers have been recognised officially as Russian military veterans, following speculation over how they would be treated following their mutiny against Russia and death of their leader.
  
  
• Ukraine said that it wants its export routes via Poland unblocked before it holds talks with Warsaw and the European Commission aimed at ending protests by Polish truckers that are reducing Ukrainian exports.
  
  
• A Russian actor has been killed in a Ukrainian attack while performing to Russian troops in a Russian-controlled area of eastern Ukraine, according to her theatre. Ukrainian commanders said their forces had struck what they said was a Russian military award ceremony.
  
  
• Ukraine has not reached a stalemate in its war with Russia because the west can help Kyiv by “dropping five more queens on the board”, according to an influential historian of eastern Europe.
  
  
• Finland said it would close all but one crossing point on its border with Russia in an effort to halt a flow of asylum seekers to the Nordic nation, as Estonia accused Moscow of mounting “a hybrid attack operation” on Europe’s eastern border.
  
  
• Zelenskiy has welcomed the formation by western allies on Thursday of a 20-nation coalition to boost Ukrainian air defences, “enabling our cities and villages to be better protected”.
  
  
• Zelenskiy said the group was formed at a virtual meeting of the Ramstein group examining Ukraine’s military needs. Germany said it and France would be taking on leading roles. “Not everything can be disclosed publicly at this time, but the Ukrainian air shield is becoming stronger every month,” Zelenskiy said.
  
  
• Lithuania said it delivered a new package of military aid to Ukraine comprising three million bullets, remote detonation systems and winter equipment.
  
  
• The Romanian Black Sea port of Constanta shipped a record high 29.4m tonnes of Ukrainian grain between January and October, Reuters reported, citing the port authority.
  
  
• The German chancellor, Olaf Scholz, said he urged Vladimir Putin to end Moscow’s war on Ukraine and withdraw all troops, in the first G20 video call the Russian president participated in since the conflict. Speaking at the virtual G20 meeting, Putin said Russia had always been “ready for talks” to end the “tragedy” of war, but then blamed Kyiv for the lack of such talks.
  
  
• Zelenskiy has said Ukraine’s troops face “difficult” defensive operations on parts of the eastern front as winter cold settles in. Forces in the south were still conducting offensive actions, he said.
  
  
• Hungary’s prime minister, Viktor Orbán, is threatening to block Ukraine’s candidacy for membership of the EU. European leaders will meet on 14 and 15 December to discuss Ukraine’s EU bid.
  
  
• The European Council president, Charles Michel, said he expected a “difficult” meeting next month about Ukraine joining the EU. He promised to do “everything in my power” to bring about a decision in December.
  
  
• The EU has approved a further €1.5bn (£1.3bn) payment in macro financial assistance to Ukraine. It is the 10th payment made as part of an €18bn programme to keep the Ukrainian economy moving.
  
  
• The Kremlin said there were “no revisions” to its policy of pardoning prisoners in exchange for fighting in Ukraine. It followed local media reports of a Russian “satanist” killer who was released.