In the temporarily occupied territories, Russians are turning children into cheap labor and effectively creating labor camps. This is reported by the National Resistance Center.
At the next plenary session of the Verkhovna Rada this week, the draft law "On the State Budget of Ukraine for 2026" will probably not be adopted. The reason is the absence of a meeting of the VR Committee on Budget, which was supposed to approve the document for the second reading.
The number of children and adolescents with mental disorders in Europe has increased by a third in the last 15 years, according to a WHO analysis. Every fourth girl aged 15-19 reports mental health problems.
The Kremlin stated that discussions about a possible prisoner exchange with Ukraine are ongoing, declining to provide details. Earlier, Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Rustem Umerov reported on agreements regarding the release of 1,200 Ukrainians.
Prosecutors of specialized defense prosecutor's offices have documented dozens of large-scale abuses, detaining 50 individuals and uncovering over UAH 30 million in illicit gains. Systemic schemes of evasion from military service and illegal departure abroad have been exposed in seven regions and Kyiv.
Emmanuel Macron stated that Ukraine will be the first country where the new SAMP/T air defense system with improved capabilities will be deployed. France and Ukraine have launched a ten-year bilateral partnership for the acquisition, development, and production of drones, UAV interceptors, and guided bombs.
Historian Yaroslav Hrytsak named Zaluzhnyi, Biletskyi, and Budanov as possible successors to Zelenskyy. He noted that Ukraine is close to the risk of national collapse due to Russian advances, economic crisis, and a corruption scandal.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy revealed details of the declaration with France, which provides for the acquisition of 100 Rafale F4 aircraft by 2035, SAMP/T air defense systems, radars, air-to-air missiles, and aerial bombs. Joint projects for the production of interceptor drones will also begin this year.
In Odesa region, a border guard inspector has been notified of suspicion for transporting men to the unrecognized Transnistrian Moldovan Republic. He faces 7–9 years in prison.
The vessel caught fire in the port of Izmail, Odesa region, after a Russian attack.
The European Union has offered Ukraine €90 billion in funding in the form of a grant or a loan backed by EU debt. This will happen if countries fail to approve the desired plan to use frozen Russian assets.
EU Defense Commissioner Andrius Kubilius stated in Vilnius that Europe is not ready to detect and destroy Russian drones with economically effective means. He emphasized the need to include Ukraine in the common defense.
In the village of Vynnyky, Lviv region, an Azov veteran and his wife were beaten due to neighbors' complaints about noise. The police opened two criminal proceedings for intentional minor bodily harm.
Ukraine has placed a historic order for 100 Rafale fighter jets. President Zelenskyy announced this after signing the contract at Villacoublay Air Base.
Law enforcement officers served a notice of suspicion to the deputy head of the Kozelets settlement council in Chernihiv region for extorting a bribe. The official promised an entrepreneur to resolve the issue of land lease for a sorting station for UAH 185,000 and USD 20,000.
The Presidents of Ukraine and France signed a declaration of intent on cooperation in the field of Ukraine's acquisition of defense equipment. This agreement is aimed at strengthening Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in France and met with Emmanuel Macron at Villacoublay Air Base. They will sign an arms agreement.
Mike Pompeo, former US Secretary of State, has joined the advisory board of the Ukrainian defense company Fire Point. The company is opening a factory in Denmark, plans to double missile production, and has commissioned an independent audit of prices and production.
The SBU detained a GRU agent in Sumy region who installed repeaters for Russian drones and missiles, providing them with stable communication. The woman also transmitted the coordinates of military units and set up a video trap near an airbase.
Over the past day, 216 combat engagements took place on the front line, which is almost a quarter more than the day before. The largest number of attacks was recorded in the Pokrovsk direction, where the enemy carried out 75 assault operations.
On the night of November 17, Russia attacked Ukraine with two Iskander-M missiles and 128 attack UAVs. Air defense forces shot down or suppressed 91 enemy drones.
On the evening of November 16, explosions were heard in Orel, Russia. According to preliminary data, a local thermal power plant was hit.
A large plume of smoke rose in the Russian village of Grafovka, Shebekinsky district, Belgorod region, due to probable shelling. Additional information about the situation is not yet specified.
Three foreigners were detained in Mohyliv-Podilskyi district while attempting to illegally transfer a Ukrainian conscript to Moldova. They demanded 8,000 US dollars for their "services."
In the Kholodnohirskyi district of Kharkiv, an enemy drone of the "Molniya" type hit a playground. There were no casualties or fatalities, but the blast wave shattered several windows in nearby high-rise buildings.
Ukraine's defense forces struck the facilities of the Novokuibyshevsk oil refinery in Russia's Samara region. The plant has an annual processing volume of almost 9 million tons and produces over 20 types of products, including jet fuel.
Ukrainian forces are gradually pushing Russian units out of the northern districts of Kupyansk. Effective counter-actions by the AFU have led to a decrease in enemy presence, despite complex logistics for both sides.
Investigators of the National Police of Ukraine have initiated 182,796 proceedings regarding crimes committed by Russian servicemen. Among them are 165,957 war crimes and 141 cases of sexual violence.
On the night of November 16, Ukraine repelled an enemy air attack, which included an Iskander-M ballistic missile and 176 attack UAVs. According to preliminary data, 139 enemy drones were destroyed in the north, south, and east of the country.
The occupiers are using foggy weather for attacks along the entire front, particularly in the Pokrovsk, Velykomykhailivka, and Huliaipole directions. Ukraine bases its defense on drones, which cannot operate effectively in poor weather conditions.
