Thursday, November 13, 2025
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The Kyiv Independent [unofficial]
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Russia’s war against Ukraine
A drone attack on Russian Stavrolen petrochemical enterprise, Nov. 12, 2025. (Exilenova+/Telegram)
Ukraine withdraws from positions near another settlement in Zaporizhzhia Oblast amid ongoing Russian offensive. Ukrainian forces withdrew from the village of Rivnopillia in northeastern Zaporizhzhia Oblast late on Nov. 11, Ukraine’s Southern Defense Forces reported.
Russia establishes Unmanned Systems Forces, Ukraine says it’s just ‘copying our successful approaches.’ A separate branch of Ukraine’s Armed Forces dedicated to unmanned systems was formed in 2024.
SBU exposes Russian agent from Crimea planning terrorist attacks on Kyiv metro and malls. A 55-year-old resident of Crimea, the alleged organizer of terrorist attacks, has been charged in absentia.
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UK backchannel contacts failed to develop, Kremlin says. The comments follow reporting by the Financial Times (FT) that British national security advisor Jonathan Powell tried to open a backchannel with Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov earlier this year.
Ukraine’s foreign minister meets Rubio, other G7 partners to push for defense, energy support. After talking to Rubio at the G7 meeting in Canada, Sybiha praised Trump’s “peace efforts and very effective energy sanctions against Russia.”
Ukraine’s Special Forces confirm ‘successful fire attack‘ on Russia’s Stavrolen petrochemical plant. Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces confirmed its “successful fire attack” on Stavrolen petrochemical enterprise, a Lukoil-owned petrochemical complex in Budyonnovsk, southern Russia, overnight on Nov. 12.
Read our exclusives
Biggest corruption scandal of Zelensky’s presidency is in his own ranks
During his presidential campaign, Volodymyr Zelensky highlighted two key failings of then-President Petro Poroshenko: corruption and nepotism.
Six years into his own presidency, Zelensky has found himself on the receiving end of the exact same criticism.
Photo: Celestino Arce/NurPhoto via Getty Images
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Analysis: With all eyes on Pokrovsk, Russia drives forward in Zaporizhzhia Oblast
On November 11th, the same day that Russia’s wretched Mad Max–style convoy of troops was filmed entering Pokrovsk through the fog, the Ukrainian military announced its withdrawal from five villages north of the small city of Huliaipole in Zaporizhzhia Oblast.
Photo: NurPhoto via Getty Images
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An investor’s guide to Ukraine
As it became clear that the war would not end any time soon, the hype around reconstruction quickly evaporated. Since then, many foreign investors have preferred to stay on the sidelines, attending conferences while waiting to come after the war ends.
But there are those who have invested and found success, undeterred by the risks and idiosyncrasies of doing business in wartime Ukraine.
Photo: Mykhaylo Palinchak / SOPA Images / LightRocket via Getty Images
Learn more
Ukraine war latest: Recent Russian assault on light equipment in direction of Pokrovsk was ‘partially successful,’ Ukraine’s military says
A large-scale assault by Russian troops in light vehicles on the city of Pokrovsk in Donetsk Oblast was “partially successful,” the 7th Corps of Ukraine’s Air Assault Forces reported on Nov. 12.
Photo: Taras Ibragimov/Suspilne Ukraine/JSC “UA:PBC”/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images
Opinions and insights
Today we start a new chapter
Our fourth year was a challenging one. The
exhaustion of the war builds up, making every next year a harder one. But also, the news cycle was…something else.
Who helped us through it? Our community.
Never have we gotten so much support and
appreciation from our readers and members as during this tumultuous year. On behalf of the whole team — thank you all so much.
Photo: Kyiv Independent
Brazilian fighter on South American crime links to foreign volunteers in Ukraine
In other news
Zelensky to impose sanctions against close associate following large-scale corruption probe, source says. The two are implicated in the $100 million corruption scandal centered on the state-owned nuclear power company Energoatom, which has rocked the country since Monday.
Prosecutors describe influence-peddling network in Ukraine’s biggest graft case. Specifically, suspects in the Energoatom corruption case have discussed who should be appointed to Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko’s Cabinet and whether Justice Minister Halushchenko should be appointed as ambassador to the U.S.
Two Ukrainian ministers implicated in major corruption scandal step down. Halushchenko is being investigated by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) as part of a large-scale corruption case into Energoatom involving Timur Mindich, a close associate of President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Energoatom corruption scheme suspects funded luxury houses for top officials, journalists say. Ex-Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Chernyshov was financing a construction of high-end houses near Kyiv. The money he spent was obtained through the energy corruption scheme now rocking Ukraine, the Bihus.info investigative journalism project reported on Nov. 12.
Congress votes to reopen government after longest shutdown in US history.
The U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation on Nov. 12 to reopen the federal government and end a 43-day shutdown, the longest in U.S. history, multiple outlets reported.
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Today’s Ukraine Daily was brought to you by Olena Goncharova, Sonya Bandouil, Oleg Sukhov, Martin Fornusek, Oleksiy Sorokin, Yuliia Taradiuk, and Kateryna Denisova.
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