The war has progressed into its 623rd day, and here are the main developments as of Wednesday, November 8, 2023.
Fighting
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine has deployed additional Western air defence systems in preparation for expected Russian attacks on key energy infrastructure during the upcoming winter. Russia’s defence ministry reported destroying and intercepting a total of 17 drones launched by Ukraine over the Black Sea and Crimea, but did not mention any casualties. Meanwhile, Ukraine is preparing for a renewed Russian assault on the eastern city of Avdiivka, with the head of the Avdiivka military administration stating that the enemy is regrouping after a second wave of attacks. Fighting continues in the south and east, and Ukrainian football match in Dnipro had to be paused for almost five hours due to repeated air raid warnings.
Politics and diplomacy
As G7 foreign ministers prepared to meet in Tokyo, Japan’s Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa stressed the group’s unwavering support for Ukraine, amid intensifying conflicts in the Middle East. The United States has accused Russia of financing a Latin America-wide disinformation campaign aiming to weaken support for Ukraine and boost anti-US and anti-NATO sentiments. The US also stated that it can no longer stay in the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe after Russia formally withdrew from the agreement. Additionally, Russia has issued an arrest warrant for a judge at the International Criminal Court who had previously issued a warrant for President Vladimir Putin on war crimes charges.
Weapons
The Netherlands has sent its first five F-16 fighter jets to Romania for use in training Ukrainian pilots. It is also reported that they will be providing as many as 18 warplanes for the training center and delivering F-16s to Ukraine for combat use.