Prepared by Anna Dovha, Sofia Oliynyk, Maryana Zaviyska
Photo: Zelenskyi Official telegram channel
Foreign policy.
NATO Foreign Ministers are meeting in Bucharest on 29-30 November 2022. In the joint statement, the Ministers committed to assist Ukraine as it repairs its energy infrastructure and protects its people from missile attacks, as well as will continue to strengthen partnership with Ukraine as it advances its Euro-Atlantic aspirations. Ukraine’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Dmytro Kuleba underlined that Ukraine needs air defense systems and transformers for energy needs.
On November 28, the European Council unanimously adopted a decision to add the violation of restrictive measures to the list of ‘EU crimes’ envisaged by the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU. The inclusion of the violation of restrictive measures (sanctions) in the list of ‘EU crimes’ is the first of two steps to ensure a similar degree of sanctions enforcement throughout the EU and to dissuade attempts to circumvent or violate EU measures in the context of the Russian war in Ukraine.
Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the 7 Baltic states of Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Sweden, Norway, Finland, and Iceland made a joint statement following the results of their visit to Kyiv on November 28. In particular, they emphasized that Ukrainian air defense should be improved, declared the need to strengthen sanctions against Russia, and confirmed unwavering support for Ukraine’s European integration.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Estonia, Urmas Reinsalu, stated that Europe should apply the same approach to the Wagner organization as it did to the ISIS organization.
Russia postponed nuclear weapons talks with the United States set to take place this week in Cairo, the U.S. State Department said on Monday, with neither side giving a reason for the postponement.
The State Bureau of Investigation of Ukraine has joined the network of European anti-corruption bodies ‘European Partners Against Corruption’.
The Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs Peter Sijarto said that Hungary will block Kyiv’s participation in the official meetings of the Ukraine-NATO Committee until the issue of the rights of the Hungarian minority in Transcarpathia is resolved. Due to the blocking of the meeting of the Ukraine-NATO Commission, the heads of foreign affairs cannot meet officially within the framework of the commission.
Cities under attack.
Kherson region. On November 28, the Russian occupiers shelled the territory of the Kherson region 21 times. In the city of Kherson, the Russian military attacked the residential neighborhoods where private and high story buildings were damaged. Kharkiv region. On November 29, the Russian military shelled Kupiansk district. As a result of the shelling, private houses, garages, cars were damaged, and several fires broke out. In Lypetsk community of Kharkiv district, as a result of shelling by the Russian invaders, a fire also broke out in an household building.Dnipropetrovsk region. At night on November 29, the Russian invaders launched a missile attack on the city of Dnipro. As a result, industrial facilities were destroyed.
War crimes prosecution.
According to official data of the Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine, during the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, more than 47900 war crimes were committed by the Russian military, more than 8400 civilians died, including 440 children. Also, 46000 houses and tens of thousands of civil infrastructure facilities were destroyed. Among others, 1400 institutions for children were destroyed. 11400 young Ukrainians were forcibly taken out of the country by the Russian military or occupational authorities.
Human rights.
During the full-scale war in Ukraine, 101 servicewomen died, more than 100 were wounded and 50 are considered missing. Approximately 5000 Ukrainian women are now directly involved in hostilities, and 10% of them have joined the territorial defense forces.
Forced migration.
More than 4.75 million Ukrainian citizens registered for Temporary Protection or similar national protection schemes in Europe, reports the UNHCR.
Energy security.
As of November 29, electricity producers provide 70% of electricity consumption in Ukraine due to the shortage caused by the shutdown of power units and difficult weather conditions. Thus, the current capacity deficit is 30%. Currently, as a result of the rapid growth of the power deficit, emergency shutdowns are applied throughout the whole territory of Ukraine. Also, 592 heat supply facilities are currently damaged in Ukraine. As of November 28, to support the civilians in Ukraine, 996 ‘points of invincibility’ were deployed in Ukraine, the places where Ukrainians can recharge their phones and keep warm in case of long-term consequences of Russian attacks on the energy sector and, accordingly, long blackouts. In total, 4000 such points are planned to be deployed in Ukraine.
To help Ukraine, Lithuanian energy companies have already allocated €3 million of support for the reconstruction of the energy sector of Ukraine and €2 million more is being sent now. Also, the country sent 6 trucks with 114 transformers to Ukraine. In total the country intends to provide 252 transformers. In addition, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Estonia, Urmas Reinsalu, reported that Estonia also provided generators for Ukraine. He stated that Estonia is also going to hold a discussion during the meeting of NATO foreign ministers on energy security of Ukraine and possibilities to support the country.
The United States announced $53 million to support the purchase of power grid equipment to Ukraine to help Kyiv fight Russian attacks targeting its energy infrastructure that left millions in the dark with no heating.
Director General of the IAEA, Raphael Grossi, after a conversation with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Dmytro Kuleba, announced that the agency will strengthen its presence at all nuclear power plants in Ukraine to protect its energy infrastructure.
The Russian occupiers banned entry to the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant to employees of the plant who refused to sign contracts with Rosatom.
Food security.
More than $180 million have already been collected for the implementation of the Grain from Ukraine international program, the goal of which is to provide grain to poor countries in Asia and Africa. 31 countries have already announced their financial, technical or logistical contribution to the Grain from Ukraine initiative.
Economic security.
The National Bank of Ukraine issued another UAH 15 billion, having purchased the corresponding number of domestic state loan bonds from the government.
Culture.
The Minister of Culture of Ukraine, Oleksandr Tkachenko, announced that Belgium will allocate 150000 euros in aid to cultural field of Ukraine.
Reading corner.
- ‘Russia wins by losing’: Timothy Snyder on raising funds for Ukrainian drone defence | The Guardian – ‘Russia needs to lose its war in order to become a ‘normal’ European country – and stopping destruction of Ukraine’s power grid is essential’.
- Ukraine remembers a famine under Stalin, and points to parallels with Putin | NPR – ‘Ukraine was part of the Soviet Union when Stalin seized private farms and turned them into state-run operations. It was an absolute disaster in this fertile farming region known as the ‘breadbasket of the Soviet Union.’ Other farming regions also suffered famine, including Kazakhstan. But no place was hit as hard as Ukraine. An estimated 4 million Ukrainians died within two years, though there’s no precise figure and some historians say the toll may have been significantly higher. Ukraine calls it a genocide, and nearly 20 other countries now agree — though not Russia.’
Statistics.
- General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine announced the total estimated losses of the Russian military as of 10 a.m., November 30, 2022: personnel – around 88 800, tanks ‒ 2914, APV ‒ 5872, artillery systems – 1902, MLRS – 395, anti-aircraft warfare systems – 210, fixed-wing aircraft – 280, helicopters – 261, operational-tactical level UAV – 1562, cruise missiles – 531, boats and light speed boats – 16, soft-skinned vehicles and fuel tankers – 4429, special equipment – 163.
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