(KYIV, UKRAINE) – Ukraine has secured several significant military and energy commitments from European partners following a weekend of diplomatic activity by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The progress comes as Russian attacks continue across multiple regions, alongside renewed concerns about sabotage operations and allegations of war crimes. The developments arise during a period of uncertainty over future Western assistance and shifting battlefield conditions.
Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk condemned what he described as an unprecedented act of sabotage after an explosion damaged a railway line between Warsaw and Lublin, a route that is essential for supplying Ukraine. Authorities have begun an investigation to identify those responsible. A report by Polish radio RMF24, citing a senior Polish General, suggested that Russian drones that breached Polish airspace in early September carried explosives, contradicting earlier assessments.
In the Donbas, analysts say Russian forces appear to have returned to small infiltration units of two or three personnel near Pokrovsk after recent unsuccessful attempts to advance using mechanised formations in dense urban terrain. The Institute for the Study of War, a United States based research group, reported that the pace of Russian advances had slowed around Pokrovsk and the neighbouring settlement of Minad. The organisation added that this gradual and costly strategy could restrict the Russian military’s ability to capture the area.
Further south in the Zaporizhzhia and Dnipropetrovsk regions, Russian troops have made limited progress westwards, placing additional pressure on the town of Huliaipole. Analysts warn this could affect access to major supply routes, including the T0401 highway, though the town itself remains outside direct Russian fire control.
Ukrainian forces have reported progress near Kupiansk in the northeast. According to Ukrainian sources, Russian troops in the area have had their ground based supply routes cut, forcing some resupply to be conducted through drone drops to isolated units.
On Friday, a large fire broke out at the Chemical Automatics Design Bureau in the Russian city of Voronezh, a key facility for rocket development. The cause has not yet been identified.
Later in the weekend, the maritime security firm Ambrey Intelligence confirmed that multiple merchant vessels were damaged during a Russian drone strike on the port of Izmail in the southwest of Ukraine. At least two ships, including a bulk carrier and a gas tanker, were hit. One crew member was reported killed. Authorities in Romania evacuated residents from the village of Plauru on the opposite bank of the Danube because of the fire risk from the damaged tanker.
Ukrainian air defence units reported that they intercepted 93 out of 138 Russian targets on Friday night, including two Kinzhal ballistic missiles. Russia launched 128 drones the following night, with Ukrainian forces reporting that 91 were brought down.
Two ballistic missiles also struck a residential district in Balakliia in the Kharkiv region overnight on Sunday, resulting in three deaths and 13 injuries.
The prosecutor’s office in Zaporizhzhia region has opened an investigation into the alleged execution of three Ukrainian prisoners of war near Huliaipole. Separate video footage, reportedly obtained by Ukrainian military intelligence, appeared to show Russian troops killing two surrendering Ukrainian prisoners near Zatishshia.
Alexey Milchakov, the leader of the far right Russian paramilitary group Rusich and a prominent blogger, reportedly circulated footage of executions and suggested financial rewards for images showing executed prisoners. Analysts at the Institute for the Study of War state that such comments appear consistent with a broader culture of accepting or normalising war crimes within Russian units.
The United Nations Secretary General, António Guterres, condemned what he described as a massive aerial assault by Russia that involved an estimated 528 aerial munitions. He called for an immediate ceasefire that respects Ukraine’s territorial integrity. He did not call for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council.
President Zelenskyy secured several important agreements during his diplomatic engagements across Europe. In France, he signed an order alongside President Emmanuel Macron for Ukraine to purchase 100 Rafale fighter aircraft by 2035. The package also includes air defence systems, radar equipment and additional Aster 30 missiles. The deal is intended to strengthen long term defence cooperation, though questions remain regarding how the aircraft will integrate with Ukraine’s existing commitments, including Swedish Gripen aircraft.
In Greece, the government confirmed that natural gas deliveries to Ukraine will begin in January. The supplies will include energy supplied through Greek channels from the United States, which Ukraine considers essential for protecting its energy system during the winter period.
Zelenskyy is also expected in Spain for meetings with Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and King Felipe VI. Ukraine hopes to secure additional air defence equipment. Spain has been granted permission to postpone meeting NATO’s minimum defence spending target, making it one of the alliance’s lower contributors.
Western support for Ukraine faces several challenges. Ukrainian intelligence services believe Russia intends to produce up to 120,000 glide bombs this year. They also report that North Korean ammunition deliveries, which had supported Russia’s operations earlier in the conflict, have reduced by more than half over the past year. Deliveries reportedly halted entirely in September, although some resumed in October. Many of the shells supplied were said to be of such age that they required refurbishment in Russia.
Kyiv’s intelligence agencies also say Russia plans to bring in up to 12,000 North Korean workers to support domestic drone production. The Kremlin has acknowledged that North Korean personnel are already assisting with mine clearing operations in the Kursk region and in areas north of Kharkiv. The Finnish President, Alexander Stubb, described Russia’s willingness to deploy foreign troops while criticising Western assistance to Ukraine as an “extraordinary” example of double standards.
There is further uncertainty in Europe following the election of Czech political figure Andrej Babis, who campaigned on halting the Czech led ammunition initiative for Ukraine. Outgoing Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský warned that such a move would damage the Czech Republic’s international reputation, though direct ammunition sales would likely continue.
In Slovakia, Prime Minister Robert Fico criticised European support for Ukraine, prompting students to walk out of a meeting after he suggested they should travel to Ukraine if they supported its cause. In Hungary, Prime Minister Viktor Orban is preparing legal action against the European Union’s decision to ban Russian gas imports. Hungary has pledged 1.64 million South Sudanese Pounds (1.5 million Euros or approximately 1.6 million US Dollars) to Lebanon instead of contributing to the European Peace Facility’s support for Ukraine, citing national interests.
A decision by the EU on the use of frozen Russian assets has been delayed until mid December.
Russian officials continue to focus on the United Kingdom in their information campaigns, accusing it of involvement in drone strikes, sabotage operations, and even the Islamic State attack in Moscow earlier in the year. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov alleged that British intelligence attempted to lure a Russian pilot to defect to Romania, where his aircraft would be intercepted by NATO forces. He used a Russian phrase implying the UK always remains “spotless” despite what he claimed were its “actions”.
The article also includes details from an interview with Vladimir Kara Murza, a Russian British journalist and democracy advocate who was sentenced to 25 years in prison for criticising Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Kara Murza, who survived two poisoning attempts, was released in a prisoner exchange in August 2024. He described his lengthy sentence as recognition of the threat his work posed to the Russian dictator’s administration.
He outlined the harsh conditions he faced in prison, including long periods of solitary confinement in a small, windowless cell. Officials restricted his ability to write and warned that he would influence other prisoners if allowed into the general population. Kara Murza said he believed he would die in custody and called his release a “miracle”. He urged continued international efforts to secure the release of other political prisoners, stating that many remain at serious risk for publicly opposing the war.