The presidential office said Gen. Valery Zaluzhny’s declaration that the war is at a stalemate was helpful to the Russians.
Day: November 5, 2023
U.S. reaction: Diplomatic officials traveling the Middle East Saturday say headway has been made on pushing Israel toward a humanitarian pause in fighting, but there is still work to be done. A senior U.S. official said pressuring Hamas to release hostages is a central issue in talks with Israel that could be tied to a longer-term cease-fire.
Aid: United Nations officials are increasing pressure on Israel to temporarily halt its assault on the Gaza Strip as the largest humanitarian assistance organization in the enclave is on the verge of collapse.
Cease-fire calls: Tens of thousands of protesters gathered Saturday in Washington, D.C., adding to international pressure for a break in the fighting. Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has said the strikes on Gaza will continue until Hamas releases all hostages taken in the Oct. 7 attacks.
Casualties: Israel said 24 soldiers have been killed in Gaza and elsewhere since the start of ground operations in the enclave. The Hamas-controlled Gaza health authorities said more than 9,400 people had been killed, most of them women and children. They don’t distinguish between militants and civilians. More than 1,400 people in Israel died in the attacks that sparked the war, including over 300 Israel Defense Forces soldiers, Israeli officials said.
You can read our main news article here and follow live updates below.
A Ukrainian missile strike hit a shipyard over the weekend in Crimea, dealing a blow to at least one of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s warships, the Kremlin claimed late Saturday.
Some 15 cruise missiles rained down at the Saliva shipyard in Kerch, which is fixated about 600 miles south of Kyiv and is fixated in the eastern part of the Crimean Peninsula, per the Kremlin.
Moscow says its air defense systems managed to counter 13 missiles, but acknowledged that some got through and dealt a blow to a ship, but didn’t specify how much damage was done.
“On November 4, the Ukrainian army launched 15 cruise missiles at the B.E. Butoma (Zaliv) shipyard in the city of Kerch, Russia’s defense ministry said, per a translation.
“Air defense systems shot down 13 of the cruise missiles. As a result of being hit by an enemy cruise missile, a ship located at the plant was damaged.”
Sergei Aksyonov Russia’s implanted governor of Crimea also confirmed there was an attack.
Moscow claims that it’s air defense system countered 13 of the 15 missiles from Ukraine.Telegram
“Fragments of downed missiles fell onto territory of one of the dry docks,” Aksyonov wrote in a Telegram post. “There were no casualties.”
Ukraine acknowledged the strike as well.
Ukrainian Air Force commander, Mykola Oleshchuk said the navy yard hit by the strike was home “one of the most modern ships of Russia’s Black Sea fleet was at the shipyard — carrier of the Kalibr cruise missiles.”
Based on Oleshchuk’s statement, it’s not clear if that specific ship was actually damaged in the operation.
One observer — military analyst Andriy Tsaplienko — speculated in a Telegram post that based on preliminary information, the strike hit Russia’s Askold missile ship, which was launched in 2021.
The dock that was targeted by Ukraine was home to one of the most modern ships in Russia’s Black Sea fleet.Planet Labs
The operation took place not far from a major bridge between Crimea and Russia.
It illustrates Ukraine’s ability to potential hit targets in Russia’s Black Sea fleet.
Moscow annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 and Russian settlers flocked to the peninsula even as Ukraine sought to limit water supplies and insisted Crimea was theirs.
Since Russia’s 2022 invasion, Kyiv has taken occasional strikes on the peninsula, including at a somewhat more frequent pace as of late.
In September, a Ukrainian strike damaged two Russian ships in the port city of Sevastopol.
The Russian headquarters for its navy in Sevastopol was also hit by a strike later that same month.
Recently, the US agreed to dispatch ATACMS — Army Tactical Missile Systems — long-range weapons that President Biden had long resisted sending to the war-torn nation.
Ukraine used those ATACMS in a strike last month and the weapons have the potential to force Russia air power further back on the battlefield, alleviating some pressure on Ukrainian positions.
Behind the scenes US and European officials have quietly floated the prospect of negotiating a peace agreement to end the 20 months of bitter fighting, NBC reported.
Biden is seeking to pressure Congress into delivering a sprawling $106 billion supplemental aid package that would allocate about $61.4 billion to Ukraine.
But that measure has hit stiff resistance from House Republicans who want to “bifurcate” Israel and Ukraine aid.
Newly crowned House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has indicated openness to taking up a separate package featuring both Ukraine aid and border security.
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15:08
Пресс-секретарь президента России Дмитрий Песков раскрыл подробности совещания Владимира Путина по случившейся в аэропорту Дагестана ситуации. Информацию в телеграм-канале опубликовал журналист Павел Зарубин.
Совещание, уточнил официальный представитель Кремля, стало прямым следствием беспорядков, произошедших в аэропорту Махачкалы.
По словам Пескова, Путина интересовали меры, призванные не допустить подобные ситуации в будущем. Ранее глава государства подтвердил, что события в Дагестане должны были раскачать Россию изнутри.
«Мы должны воспринимать все события с трезвой головой, это вбрасывали живущие за границей, в том числе на Украине», — сказал президент.
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Встреча лидеров России и США возможна при обоюдном желании и готовности. Об этом заявил пресс-секретарь главы государства Дмитрий Песков телеведущему Павлу Зарубину.
Он добавил, что должны «вызреть определенные условия». В том числе для организации саммита лидер США Джо Байден должен поменять свое мнение по украинскому кризису.
При этом Владимир Путин уже готов к любым контактам, добавил Песков.
Он подчеркнул, что «сворачивание всего базиса» двусторонних отношений двух стран произошло по инициативе США. «Поэтому как минимум глава США должен будет в какое-то время поменять свою позицию, занять более конструктивную позицию», — отметил пресс-секретарь президент, добавив, что тогда будут вызревать условия для встречи.
Песков также отметил, что отношения Москвы и Вашингтона находятся «на нуле» или даже «ниже нуля». Однако так или иначе со временем «придется возобновить этот разговор», поскольку Россия и США несут особую ответственность за мировую и стратегическую стабильность, подчеркнул Песков.
Он добавил, что отношение Москвы поменялось — «то, к чему ранее РФ не проявляла должного внимания, сейчас на это реагирует непримиримо абсолютно».
Напомним, первая встреча в качестве президентов России и США Путина и Байдена прошла в июне 2021 года на фоне данных о скоплении войск РФ близ границы с Украиной. После начала СВО на Украине Байден не исключал встречи с Путиным, если беседа станет «основанием для возможности завершить эту конфликт».