ISW Key Takeaways
Russian force generation efforts combined with Western sanctions are having long-term damaging effects on the Russian economy, as ISW has previously forecasted.
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s calls for a competitive Russian military industry are divorced from the reality of Russian supply chain and defense industrial base issues.
Russian officials announced that occupation authorities began integrating the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) into Russian jurisdiction.
Russian and Belarusian officials continue to perpetuate the long-standing information operation that Belarus will enter the war in Ukraine on behalf of Russia, but Belarus’ entry into the war remains highly unlikely, as ISW has previously assessed.
Russian sources claimed that Ukrainian forces continued to conduct counteroffensive operations in the directions of Svatove and Kreminna, and Russian forces conducted offensive operations to constrain Ukrainian forces.
Russian forces continued defensive operations along the Dnipro River while Ukrainian forces continued their interdiction campaign.
Russian forces continued to conduct ground assaults near Bakhmut and Donetsk City.
Russian forces continued mobilization efforts and advertising for volunteer battalions while struggling with low morale.
Russian occupation authorities continued to forcibly relocate Kherson Oblast residents, nationalize Ukrainian enterprises in occupied territory, and forcibly deport Ukrainian children to Russia
Note: Russia has likely negotiated the weapon shipments with Iran and North Korea because it has significantly depleted its stock of munitions in air, missile, and artillery strikes over the course of the war in Ukraine and cannot readily restock them. [the huge stocks of shells were something pro-Russia people boasted about, so I'm surprised that they are running out]
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Zelenskyy: Today the Kremlin is saying that they demanded security guarantees from Ukraine. We should think for a moment about their statements.
Two hundred fifty two days ago Russia demanded security guarantees from the United States of America. After eight months of Russia's so-called "special operation," the Kremlin is demanding security guarantees from Ukraine.
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⚡️ 8 journalists killed in Ukraine since Feb. 24.
Spanish minister arrives in Kyiv, donates 30 ambulances to Ukraine.
⚡️ Erdogan: Russia to resume participation in grain deal.
⚡️New York Times: Russian military bloggers criticize Putin for rejoining grain deal.
⚡️ NYT: Russian military leaders reportedly discussed use of tactical nuclear weapons in Ukraine.
Russian military leaders have discussed how and when Moscow might use tactical nuclear weapons in the war in Ukraine, the New York Times reported, citing anonymous U.S. intelligence officials.
"The conversations alarmed the (President Joe) Biden administration because they showed how frustrated Moscow had become over its battlefield setbacks in Ukraine," the NYT wrote. [note they clearly decided not to!]
Ministry: Western allies to allocate over 25 million euros to support Ukraine's energy sector.
⚡️ Medvedev wants to reintroduce capital punishment in Russia, kill 'traitors.'
Dmitry Medvedev, acting deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council, claimed on Nov. 2 that "yellow-blue" saboteurs who oppose Russian state policy on the invasion of Ukraine had begun operating in Russia, carrying out terrorist attacks.
Medvedev said, during WWII, there was only one sentence "for such wretches – execution on the spot, without trial."
⚡️Spain sends air defense systems to Ukraine.
Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba thanked his Spanish counterpart Jose Manuel Albares during his visit to Kyiv on Nov. 2. Ukraine received four Hawk air defense systems, an Aspide air defense battery, anti-tank missiles, guns, and ammunition.
⚡️North Korea accused of hiding ammunition supplies to Russia.
⚡️Official: Ukraine's military hits Russian air defense in Kherson.
Ukraine's Armed Forces struck Russian air defense systems near the "Spartak" stadium in the Russian-occupied city of Kherson on Nov. 2, Serhiy Khlan, an aide to the Ukrainian regional governor, said in a Facebook post. According to Khlan, these systems were also used to shell Mykolaiv.
⚡️Propagandist who called for killing Ukrainian kids back on air.
⚡️Russia bans civilians from crossing Dnieper in Kherson Oblast.
⚡️Ukrainian military: Russia has lost over 1,402 officers in Ukraine since Feb. 24.
⚡️Prosecutors open investigation into embezzlement scheme allegedly linked to governor.
The anti-corruption prosecutor's office is investigating alleged abuse of power and money laundering following an investigation by online newspaper Ukrainska Pravda about Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Governor Valentyn Reznichenko.
A company owned by a friend of Reznichenko has received Hr 1.5 billion ($40.7 million) for road maintenance, according to Ukrainska Pravda. Reznichenko has not publicly commented on the investigation.
⚡️Ukraine's military destroys 4 Russian ammunition depots in south.
⚡️Ukraine repels 12 Russian attacks in Donetsk, Luhansk oblasts over past 24 hours.
⚡️Energoatom: Zaporizhzhia power plant in full blackout mode.
As a result of Russian shelling on Nov. 2, the last two high-voltage communication lines with the Ukrainian power system at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant were damaged, Ukraine’s state nuclear operator Energoatom reported in a Telegram post.
Late in the evening on Nov. 2, the plant went into full blackout mode and all 20 diesel generators were switched on.
According to Energoatom, the diesel generators have enough fuel to last for 15 days.
⚡️According to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), effective Ukrainian guerrilla attacks are forcing the Russian leadership to divert resources from frontline operations to secure the rear areas.
🙃The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine thanked Germany for the supply of Gepard anti-aircraft tanks and Iris-T anti-aircraft missile systems, and also hinted that Ukraine needs Leopard tanks. The video was edited to the song Supergeil ("Super cool" - in English) by the German band Der Tourist and singer Friedrich Lichtenstein - this track is very popular in Germany.
🛢Russia has become India's top oil supplier, edging past the traditionally dominant suppliers Saudi Arabia and Iraq, according to the energy cargo tracker Vortexa.
Record 946,000 barrels of Russian crude oil each day.
📹The Antonovsky Bridge in Kherson was bombed recently by Ukrainian forces.
Blocking Russia's retreat [which indicates they think that trapping the Ru forces is a -good- idea still]
🇺🇳UN Security Council rejects Russia's request to investigate Ukraine's "use of biological weapons"
The UN Security Council overwhelmingly rejected Russia's attempt to set up a commission to investigate allegations that Ukraine and the United States are engaged in "military-biological" activities.
Only Russia and China voted for the resolution.
Appalling video of the ruin of Mariupol
😏The crew of the American military aircraft made a specific route near Russian military base in Syria, which is shaped like a penis.