Hello, this is Tania Myronyshena reporting from Kyiv on day 1,364 of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine*.*
Today’s top story:
Russia has forcibly mobilized 46,327 Ukrainian citizens from Russian-occupied territories and annexed Crimea, Dmytro Usov, secretary of Ukraine’s Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, said at the international Crimea Global conference on Nov. 18.
As of June 1, 2025, Ukrainian authorities established that Russia drafted 5,368 people in occupied Donetsk Oblast, 4,650 in Luhansk Oblast, 560 in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, and 478 in Kherson Oblast. In occupied Crimea, Russia mobilized 35,272 people, and another 5,368 in Sevastopol.
According to Usov, 16% of all prisoners held in Ukraine’s POW camps are Ukrainian citizens, including 6% who are Crimean residents.
“These are our people. We must make the right decisions when there is a request for their exchange. We want to move away from this practice,” he said.
As of October 2025, Russia has mobilized 18,092 foreigners from 128 countries to fight against Ukraine, Usov said.
Spain to allocate additional €615 million in military aid to Ukraine
Last updated 20:44 p.m. Kyiv time.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced on Nov. 18 that Spain will approve an additional €615 million in military assistance to Ukraine within the next month.
European Pravda reported that he made the statement during a joint press conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Madrid.
The new aid package will include €300 million under a bilateral security agreement, €100 million through NATO’s PURL initiative, and €215 million via the EU’s SAFE fund for anti-drone systems, radars, and other equipment — some of it produced by Spanish defense companies.
Zelenskyy said the package will include 40 IRIS-T air defense missiles.
Read also: Ukraine to purchase 100 Rafale jets, Zelensky says after signing defense declaration with Macron
Russian troops spotted north of Pokrovsk, military confirms
Last updated 18:43 p.m. Kyiv time.
Russian troops have been spotted outside the northern outskirts of the Pokrovsk in Donetsk Oblast, the Ukrainian military has reported, as intense battles for the city continue.
The report, published by the 7th Rapid Reaction Corps of Ukraine’s Air Assault Forces on Nov. 18, confirms that Russian troops — initially entering Pokrovsk from the south in October — have now likely penetrated all areas of the city, though actual territorial control remains difficult to discern.
“Several enemy infantrymen tried to penetrate and gain a foothold at one of the agricultural facilities,” the post read. “The enemy was destroyed.”
Consistently one of the main hotspots over the last year of Russia’s full-scale war, the battle of Pokrovsk remains ongoing despite Russian troops infiltrating the city in large numbers over November.
Read also: Russian troops spotted north of Pokrovsk, military confirms
US Congress to move on Russian sanctions bill after Trump’s ‘blessing’
Last updated 14:40 p.m. Kyiv time.
The United States Congress will renew its efforts to move forward in an attempt to pass a Russia sanctions bill into law, U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham announced on Nov. 17.
“I am very pleased that with President Trump’s blessing, Congress will be moving on the overwhelmingly bipartisan Russia sanctions bill that will provide President Trump with more tools to end the bloodbath in Ukraine,” Graham wrote on social media.
The initially proposed bill sought to impose 500% tariffs on imports from countries purchasing Russian oil, gas, uranium, and other products — although it was not immediately clear as to what restrictions would be imposed under the latest version of the bill.
Signed by 84 co-sponsors, Senators Graham and Richard Blumenthal established a revised version of their bill that would impose secondary sanctions on Russian trading partners, while shielding Ukraine’s allies from penalties and making technical adjustments.
Poland in ‘pre-war’ period amid increased Russian sabotage efforts, top Polish general says
Last updated 1:40 p.m. Kyiv time.
Russia has begun preparing for war with Poland as Moscow continues to escalate its cyberattacks and acts of sabotage on Polish soil, the Chief of the General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces Wieslaw Kukula said on Nov. 17.
“(Russia) has begun the period of preparing for war. They are building an environment here intended to create conditions favourable for potential aggression on Polish territory,” Kukula told Polskie Radio, Poland’s public broadcast radio.
Kukula’s comments came just hours before Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced that a railway track between Warsaw and Lublin was blown up in an “unprecedented act of sabotage.” The railway serves as a means to connect Ukraine with vital Western aid shipments.
While Poland has not formally named a suspect in the explosion, Warsaw has been raising alarm over the mounting cases of sabotage and espionage activities targeting Poland in recent years, with numerous incidents linked to Russian or Belarusian intelligence services.
Read also: Poland in ‘pre-war’ period amid increased Russian sabotage efforts, top Polish general says
At least 5 killed, 19 injured in Russian attacks on Ukraine over past day
At least five people have been killed and 19 others injured in Russian attacks against Ukraine over the past day, local authorities reported on Nov. 18.
Overnight Russia attacked Ukraine with four Iskander-M ballistic missiles, 114 Shahed-type attack drones and other UAVs, according to the Air Force.
Ukrainian air defenses intercepted or suppressed 101 drones. Thirteen drone strikes occurred at 15 locations, and four missile strikes occurred at four locations. Debris from downed drones also fell in two locations.
In Kherson Oblast, Russian attacks killed two people, injured 5, including one child, over the past day, Governor Oleksandr Prokudin reported.
In Chernihiv Oblast, two people were killed, according to Governor Viacheslav Chaus.
In Kharkiv Oblast, Russia killed one child and injured 10 people in its overnight attacks on the region, according to Governor Oleh Syniehubov.
In Dnipro Oblast, two people were injured, according to Governor Vladyslav Hayvanenko.
In Donetsk Oblast, Russia injured two people in the overnight attacks, according to Governor Vadym Filashkin.
General Staff: Russia has lost 1,160,380 troops in Ukraine since Feb. 24, 2022
Russia has lost around 1,160,380 troops in Ukraine since the beginning of its full-scale invasion on Feb. 24, 2022, the General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces reported on Nov. 18.
The number includes 960 casualties that Russian forces suffered over the past day.
According to the report, Russia has also lost 23,594 (no change) armored fighting vehicles, 67,579 (+43) vehicles and fuel tanks, 34,499 (+13) artillery systems, 1,247 (+1) anti-aircraft systems, 1,545 (+1) multiple rocket launchers, and 81,793 (+294) drones.
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