Friday, November 28, 2025
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Russia’s war against Ukraine
A screenshot of footage that purports to show a drone attack on Saratov, Russia overnight on Nov. 28, 2025. (ExileNova+/Telegram)
Explosions reported in several Russian cities amid Ukrainian drone attack.
Explosions were reported in several Russian cities, including Taganrog, Novorossiysk, and Saratov, overnight on Nov. 28 amid a widespread drone attack.
Amid chaotic Ukrainian withdrawal, Russian forces reportedly execute 5 POWs in Zaporizhzhia Oblast. At least five Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs) were executed by Russian soldiers amid a chaotic withdrawal near Huliaipole, Zaporizhzhia Oblast, it was reported on Nov. 27.
Putin demands Ukrainian troops withdraw before ceasefire, as Witkoff set to visit Moscow. Russian President Vladimir Putin on Nov. 27 reiterated his demand that Ukrainian forces withdraw from their current positions as a condition for a ceasefire, even as the U.S. attempts to reinvigorate peace talks.
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US to discuss Ukraine security guarantees after peace deal signed, Rubio tells allies. Secretary of State Marco Rubio assured allies during a Nov. 25 call that the U.S. plans to address security guarantees once an agreement is reached, Politico reported.
Explosion, possible drone strike reported in Grozny, Chechnya.
An explosion occurred at a military base in Grozny, Chechnya, several Telegram channels reported on Nov. 27.
Occupation authorities to send 400 Ukrainian children to Russia for mandatory ‘exchange’ program. Approximately 400 Ukrainian children will be sent to Russia from occupied Zaporizhzhia Oblast for a mandatory “exchange” program by year’s end, the Center for National Resistance (CNR) reported on Nov. 27.
Read our exclusives
Ukraine war latest live: Russia presses Huliaipole front, DeepState says situation stabilizing
A Ukrainian unit withdrew from its position near Huliaipol in an ‘uncoordinated manner,’ allowing Russian troops to penetrate the flanks of Ukrainian forces, Vladyslav Voloshyn, spokesman for the Southern Defense Forces, said on Nov. 27.
Photo: Oles Kromplias/Global Images Ukraine
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In bomb-shelter classrooms, Ukrainian university students turn to weapons engineering
The needs of the war effort and, particularly, Ukraine’s new defense industry are changing the job market for new graduates in Ukraine. Students of a techie bent are increasingly turning away from software development and toward hard engineering to deliver future weapons.
Photo: Serhii Korovayny / The Kyiv Independent
Russia’s coy game: Why Kremlin won’t commit to Trump’s peace push
Even though the original peace plan unveiled by the U.S. last week was skewed in Russia’s favor, it is not clear if Moscow would have accepted it since it still falls short of its sweeping demands.
Observers note that Moscow has never clearly signaled readiness to accept the proposals.
Photo: Andrew Harnik / Getty Images
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Opinions and insights
The light Ukraine cannot lose: Justice
“Russia’s recent attacks on Ukraine’s power infrastructure have brought rolling blackouts back to Kyiv,” writes Assistant Researcher with Human Rights Watch’s Europe and Central Asia Division, Kseniya Kvitka.
“Our food, our movement, and, more often than not, our mental health are dictated by the schedule of power outages that change depending on the scale of Russia’s latest strikes.”
Photo: Serhii Korovayny / The Kyiv Independent
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The wrong way to peace in Ukraine
“(U.S. President Donald) Trump’s yearning to win a Nobel Peace Prize – one of the most well-known vulnerabilities in the history of international relations – has led to an ill-conceived attempt at a peace settlement that, if implemented, all but ensures future conflict,” writes
American author and historian Timothy Snyder.
“Besides the basic injustice of allowing an aggressor to decide the outcome of the war it started, there are six fundamental problems with this ‘peace’ plan.”
Photo: Graeme Sloan / Bloomberg / Getty Images
International response
‘Historical precedent’ — Ukraine, UK sign license agreement for Octopus interceptor drones. Ukraine and the U.K. have signed a license agreement to produce Octopus interceptor drones, Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal announced on Nov. 27.
In other news
Ukrainian oligarchs fail to pay $3 billion fine in landmark Privatbank case.
Given two weeks to voluntarily pay the sum in a landmark ruling on Nov. 10, notorious Ukrainian oligarchs Ihor Kolomoisky and Hennadiy Boholyubov failed to make any payments before a Nov. 24 deadline, PrivatBank said in a statement.
Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan damaged after Russia’s ‘Soyuz’ launch to the International Space Station. Russia’s Roscosmos space agency reported that the launch pad at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan sustained significant damage during the Soyuz MS-28 launch to the International Space Station, according to multiple Russian media reports published on Nov. 27.
Ukrainian suspect in Nord Stream case extradited to Germany.
A Ukrainian national was extradited to Germany on Nov. 27 over suspected involvement in the 2022 sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipelines, Reuters reported, citing Germany’s federal prosecutor’s office.
Ukraine ex-energy chief saga drags on as political pressure stalls case, critics say. A Kyiv court delayed the appeal of the former head of Ukraine’s state-owned national power company until mid-December, a step that seems aimed at dragging out what is widely considered a politically motivated case.
Company news
The Kyiv Independent introduces a new e-store collection inspired by the history of the Ukrainian Trident. The Kyiv Independent has launched a new collection, “The Ukrainian Trident — Through History and Modernity,” designed to visualize the symbol of Ukrainian sovereignty in its diversity.
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Today’s Ukraine Daily was brought to you by Timothy Snyder, Luca Lery Moffat, Chris York, Kseniya Kvitka, Martin Fornusek, Oleg Sukhov, Yuliia Taradiuk, Dominic Culverwell, Kollen Post, Tim Zadorozhnyy, Volodymyr Ivanyshyn, and Sonya Bandouil.
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