Permission to hit the Russian Federation with long-range missiles, the damaged Kurakhiv Reservoir and massive shelling. The weekly digest

During the past week, according to Western media, Ukraine received permission to fire long-range missiles at the Russian Federation. Various countries provided financial assistance, Ukraine eliminated a Russian war criminal in Crimea, Russia damaged the Kurakhiv Reservoir (Donetsk region), and the German chancellor spoke with Putin for the first time in two years.

Babel has collected the most important news of the week to keep you up to date.

Permission for Ukraine to hit the Russian Federation with long-range missiles

NYT wrote that the US President Joe Biden allowed Ukraine to fire long-range ATACMS missiles on the territory of the Russian Federation. According to the newspaper, the missiles will be used against Russian and North Korean troops to protect Ukrainian forces in the Kursk region.

After that, Le Figaro reported that France and Britain allowed Ukraine to hit the territory of the Russian Federation with SCALP/Storm Shadow long-range missiles.

At the same time, Volodymyr Zelensky said that "such things are not announced, the missiles will speak for themselves".

Massive shelling and energy

During the week, Russia used almost 140 missiles of various types, more than 900 guided aerial bombs and more than 600 attack drones.

During the combined attack of the Russian Federation on the energy industry on November 17, F-16 pilots shot down almost 10 air targets.

Ukraineʼs nuclear power plants reduced electricity production as a precautionary measure. Currently, only two out of nine reactors in Ukraine produce electricity at 100% capacity, another six have reduced production to the level of 40-90%. One was stopped for maintenance.

Monday next week will begin with planned blackouts in all regions of Ukraine.

Kurakhiv Reservoir

The Russians damaged the Kurakhiv Reservoir dam on November 11. As of November 13, 20 million cubic meters of water spilled out of 55.

According to the head of the Donetsk Regional Military Administration Vadym Filashkin, there is no flooding of houses, and there is no threat to the residents of the villages on the Vovcha River. All children from that region were taken out in advance.

Aid to Ukraine

Japan allocated $3 billion as part of the initiative of the G7 countries to provide Ukraine with a loan of up to $50 billion, which will be repaid with the proceeds from the frozen assets of the Russian Federation.

Ukraine and Denmark have concluded a number of agreements on the purchase of weapons from Ukrainian defense companies for a total amount of approximately €535 million. And Norway will participate in the direct financing of the production of weapons and equipment in Ukraine. The amount of the aid is not disclosed.

For the first time in history, the European Union approved the joint purchase of weapons. Ukraine will receive part of it. Estonia will also send Ukraine a new package of military aid.

The European Commission agreed to allocate €4.1 billion to Ukraine within the Ukraine Facility. Now the amount of support within the Ukraine Facility for this year is €16.1 billion.

Ukraine also received a grant from the US for $1.35 billion. As of November 13, international direct financing of the Ukrainian budget exceeded $100 billion (since the beginning of the full-scale war).

The SBU special operation

On November 13, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) liquidated in occupied Sevastopol the chief of staff of the 41st brigade of missile ships and boats of the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Federation Valery Trankovsky. As a result of the explosion, the Russian captainʼs legs were torn off, he died from blood loss.

Trankovsky is a war criminal who ordered the launch of cruise missiles. In particular, he shelled Vinnytsia with “Kalibr” missiles in July 2022, when 29 civilians were killed. He also repeatedly shelled Odesa and other peaceful cities.

Suspicions and court hearings

MP Mykola Tyshchenkoʼs preventive measure was extended — he will remain under 24-hour house arrest until December 23. His bodyguard Konstantin Tsuber admitted his guilt in the attack on a military man in Dnipro and agreed to testify against MP. For this, the court released Tsuber from serving the sentence.

And the suspect in the murder of Iryna Farion will be kept in custody until January 12 without the right to make bail.

MP Nestor Shufrych will remain in the pre-trial detention center until December 5. He is suspected of treason.

Military Vladyslav Sord was informed of suspicion of fraud. Investigators established that he had embezzled money collected for the Armed Forces unit.

MP Yevhen Shevchenko was sent to custody without the right to bail. He is suspected of treason.

The court also remanded the expositor of the Ministry of Defense, suspected of reducing Hrynkevychʼs fine by UAH 93.5 million, into custody.

Important decisions of the Cabinet this week

The government of Ukraine simplified the transfer of soldiers between military units in the army. From November 15, this can be done through the "Army+" application — such a function has already appeared there.

The government made amendments to two resolutions regulating payments to military personnel. The changes provide that during the period of martial law, defenders fighting on the territory of the Russian Federation will be paid an additional remuneration in the amount of 100 000 hryvnias per month (in proportion to the time of participation in hostilities and measures on the territory of the Russian Federation) and a one-time remuneration in the amount of 70 000 hryvnias for every 30 days (totally calculated) of performing such tasks.

The Cabinet of Ministers also adopted the procedure for the implementation of the "Winter eSupport" project and updated the criteria for booking employees from mobilization and the criteria by which enterprises are recognized as critical.

From now on, the families of missing and subsequently declared dead military personnel will be able to receive a one-time cash benefit within three years from the moment the court decision came into force.

Personnel changes

The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine dismissed Yuriy Myronenko from the post of head of the State Service for Special Communications and Information Protection. Oleksandr Potiy, who was previously Myronenkoʼs deputy, was appointed in his place.

International events

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Putin spoke on the phone for the first time in two years. The German politician believes that this was correct, because it was necessary to convey the message to Putin that the partners will not leave Ukraine alone with the aggressor. But Putinʼs position on the war in Ukraine has not changed.

In Germany, the date of early parliamentary elections has been set — they will be held on February 23, 2025.

In Georgia, the results of the parliamentary elections were approved. According to official data, the ruling pro-Russian "Georgian Dream" received 89 parliamentary mandates, four opposition parties received a total of 61 mandates ("Coalition for Changes" — 19, "United National Movement" — 16, "Strong Georgia" — 14, "Gakharia" — for Georgia" — 12). The opposition went to rallies several times.

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