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Ukraine updates: Russia says dozens of drones target Moscow

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Sunday's attack was the biggest Ukrainian drone strike on the capital to date © Tatyana Makeyeva/AFP/Getty Images
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The Kremlin said 70 Ukrainian drones were intercepted by Russian air defense in six regions. Meanwhile, the EU’s top diplomat vowed “unwavering” support for Kyiv after Donald Trump’s reelection.

 

Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin said Russia’s air defense destroyed dozens of Ukrainian drones heading for the capital region.

Three of Moscow’s airports, including Sheremetyevo International Airport, temporarily suspended operations amid the assault.

It was the largest attack on the capital since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

The Russian Defense Ministry said it had downed 70 drones across six regions overnight.

Meanwhile, Ukraine’s military said its air defense downed 62 out of 145 Russian drones launched on its territory overnight — the most by Moscow in any nighttime attack.

Ukraine’s top military commander, Oleksandr Syrskyi, said reports suggest North Korean troops were preparing for combat alongside Russian forces in Ukraine.

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell made his first visit to Kyiv since Donald Trump’s US presidential election victory, promising Brussels’ “unwavering” support to Ukraine.

Here are the latest developments in Russia’s war in Ukraine on Sunday, November 10:

Russia, Ukraine step up drone warfare

Russia and Ukraine have intensified drone attacks against each other, sending out unprecedented numbers of the uncrewed aircraft.

The Ukrainian port city of Odesa was the main target of Russia’s attacks.

Watch DW’s full report here:

Biden to lobby Trump administration to support Ukraine

US President Joe Biden will lobby the incoming Trump administration to continue supporting Ukraine against Russia, the White House’s national security adviser said on Sunday.

Biden and Trump will meet at the Oval Office next Wednesday to discuss the transition process.

“The President will have the chance to explain to [President-elect] Trump how he sees things, where they stand,” and talk to Trump about how he would take on these issues once in office, Jake Sullivan said in an interview on CBS show Face the Nation.

A key topic will likely be Russia’s war in Ukraine.

“President Biden will have the opportunity over the next 70 days to make the case to the Congress and to the incoming administration that the United States should not walk away from Ukraine, that walking away from Ukraine means more instability in Europe,” Sullivan said.

Sullivan also said the White House plans to spend its remaining $6 billion (€5.6 billion) of Ukraine funding before the end of Biden’s term in January.

The Biden administration’s prime goal was “to put Ukraine in the strongest possible position on the battlefield so that it is ultimately in the strongest possible position at the negotiating table,” Sullivan said.
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Kremlin sees ‘positive signals’ from Trump’s election

The Kremlin said it sees “positive signals” from the election of Donald Trump as US president.

“During his campaign, Trump spoke of achieving things through deals, that he could make a deal that would lead to peace,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said.

“At least he is talking about peace. He’s not talking about confrontation, he’s not talking about wanting to deal Russia a strategic defeat. And that distinguishes him in a favorable way from the current administration.”

However, Peskov said that it is nevertheless hard to predict “to what extent he’s going to stick to statements that he made on the campaign trail.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin previously said he was “ready” to hold talks with Trump.

Putin finalizes North Korea defense deal

Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed off on a landmark defense pact with North Korea, as reports suggest that Pyongyang has sent thousands of troops to fight against Ukraine.

The Kremlin published the signed law ratifying the treaty on its website on Saturday evening.

Putin struck the deal during a visit to North Korea in June, which the Russian leader hailed as a “breakthrough document.”

The pact obliges both states to provide military assistance “without delay” in the case of an attack on the other.

It also commits them to cooperate to oppose Western sanctions and coordinate positions at the United Nations.

South Korea, Ukraine and the West have said that North Korea has deployed around 10,000 troops to Russia.

Ukraine’s top military commander Oleksandr Syrskyi said Sunday that the North Korean soldiers were currently being readied for the front line, citing intelligence reports.

Zelenskyy says Russia carried out largest overnight drone attack since war began

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia fired 145 drones at Ukraine overnight, the most in any single night-time attack of the war so far.

“Last night, Russia launched a record 145 Shaheds and other strike drones against Ukraine,” Zelenskyy said on social media.

He then noted how Russian forces had used more than 800 guided aerial bombs, around 600 strike drones, and nearly 20 missiles of various types on Ukraine over the past week.

He then called for Kyiv’s allies to increase supplies to help protect the country’s skies, in an apparent message to US President-elect Donald Trump who has vowed to reduce support to Ukraine and negotiate a speedy end to the war once he takes office in January.

“Such terror cannot be stopped with words, and the killing of children and the loss of loved ones cannot simply be forgotten,.” Zelenskyy said. “Security from terror is impossible without bold decisions — this is clear for every country. Without justice, there is no lasting peace, and it is quite realistic for Ukraine to achieve it.”

Russia claims control of eastern Ukraine’s Vovchenko

Russian forces captured the Ukrainian village of Vovchenko, the Defense Ministry in Moscow claimed.

“Units of the Centre armed group have liberated the town of Voltchenka,” the ministry said, using the Russian spelling of the Ukraine village Vovchenko.

It is not possible to verify the claim. Ukraine rarely admits any loss of territory until weeks afterward.

Vovchenko is located in the eastern Donetsk region, on the Vovcha River, around five kilometers (three miles) from the industrial city of Kurakhove.

Kurakhove has become the new Bakhmut, which Russia captured in May 2023 following a monthslong war of attrition.

Russia says it shot down 70 Ukrainian drones over 6 regions

Russia said it had downed 70 Ukrainian drones over six regions, including 34 around the Russian capital Moscow.

The Russian Defense Ministry said on Telegram that the attack had occurred between 7 am and 10 am local time on Sunday (0400 and 0700 GMT/UTC).

The other regions targeted were Tula, Bryansk, Kaluga, Oryol and Kursk regions, the ministry said.

The Moscow attack was the largest in the region since Russia began its offensive in Ukraine in 2022.

The drone strikes forced the temporary closure of three Moscow airports, injured a 52-year-old woman and set two homes on fire in a village in the Moscow region, officials said.

UK: Russia suffered 1,500 casualties a day in October

The United Kingdom’s chief of defense Admiral Tony Radakin said Russia was paying an “extraordinary price” for President Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine.

Radakin said Moscow’s forces suffered an average of around 1,500 dead and injured per day in Ukraine during October, telling the BBC that it was the worst month for losses since the conflict began.

“Russia is about to suffer 700,000 people killed or wounded — the enormous pain and suffering that the Russian nation is having to bear because of Putin’s ambition,” he said.

Radakin said that while Russia was making gains and putting pressure on Ukraine, the losses were “for tiny increments of land,” while the country’s huge increased defense spending was “an enormous drain” on the economy.

Ukraine says it downed 62 out of record 145 Russian drones

Ukraine’s air defense downed 62 out of the record 145 Russian drones launched overnight, the Ukrainian military said.

The air force said it lost track of 67 drones, adding that 10 drones left Ukraine’s airspace in the direction of Russia, Moldova and Belarus.

Russia shoots down several drones heading for Moscow, says mayor

Ukraine launched at least 34 drones targeting Moscow early on Sunday, forcing the temporary closure of the capital’s airports, Russian officials said.

Mayor Sergey Sobyanin said 12 of the drones were destroyed in the Ramenskoye and Kolomensky districts of the Moscow region, as well as in Domodedovo city, southwest of Moscow.

“At the moment, 32 drones flying to Moscow have been destroyed,” Sobyanin added, before another Russian official increased the number to 34.

“According to preliminary information, there is no damage or casualties at the site of the fall of the debris,” Sobyanin said on the Telegram messaging app. “Emergency services are on the sites.”

Ramenskoye, some 45 kilometers (30 miles) southeast of the Kremlin, was last targeted in Ukraine’s biggest attack on Moscow in September, when Russia destroyed 20 drones.

Rosaviatsia, Russia’s federal air transport agency, said on Telegram that temporary restrictions were introduced at Domodedovo and Zhukovo airports to protect civilian aircraft. Later, Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport also said it had temporarily stopped taking flights.

Russia’s Bryansk, Kaluga regions hit by Ukrainian drones

Several buildings caught fire in Russia’s Kaluga and Bryansk regions after overnight drone attacks by Kyiv’s forces, Russian regional governors said.

“Emergency services and firefighters are on the site,” Alexander Bogomaz, governor of the Russian border region of Bryansk, wrote on the Telegram messaging app.

Russia’s Defense Ministry said its air defense units had destroyed 23 Ukrainian drones overnight, including 17 over Bryansk.

Ukraine’s military wrote on Telegram that the drone strike caused a large fire and at least eight explosions.

Vladislav Shapsha, governor of the Kaluga region, which borders the Moscow region, said a non-residential building in the region was on fire following the drone strikes.

Ukraine has often said its drone attacks on Russian territory are aimed at infrastructure key to Moscow’s war efforts.

Two hurt in Russian air attack on Odesa, Kyiv says

At least two people were injured and buildings were damaged in an overnight Russian drone attack on Ukraine’s southern region of Odesa, Ukrainian officials said.

“The enemy has once again launched a massive attack on our region,” the State Emergency Service of Ukraine in the Odesa region said on its social media account.

The agency said garages with cars and property were on fire and that residential buildings and shops were damaged.

Oleh Kiper, governor of the region on the Black Sea coast, said, without providing further detail, that the attack caused some fires.

Video footage posted by the emergency services showed residents gathered in front of a building watching as firefighters combed through a pile of building debris.

Ukraine commander: North Korean troops nearing combat readiness

Reports suggest North Korean troops are preparing for combat alongside Russian forces in Ukraine, Kyiv’s top military commander said.

“We have numerous reports of North Korean soldiers preparing to participate in combat operations alongside Russian Forces,” Oleksandr Syrskyi wrote on Facebook.

He was speaking after a conversation with Christopher Cavoli, a senior US general who heads the US European Command.

Syrskyi said the situation in frontline sectors in the war against Russia remained “difficult and show signs of escalation.”

EU’s Borrell reaffirms support for Ukraine after Trump win

The European Union’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell pledged “unwavering” support for Ukraine, on the first visit by a top Brussels official to Kyiv after Donald Trump’s win.

“The clear purpose of this visit is to express European Union support to Ukraine — this support remains unwavering,” Borrell told journalists.

“This support is absolutely needed for you to continue defending yourself against Russian aggression.”

During the US presidential election campaign, Trump cast doubt on maintaining US military and financial aid to Ukraine and said he could pressure both sides to cut a quick deal to end the war.

“Nobody knows exactly what the new administration is going to do,” Borrell said, pointing out that incumbent Joe Biden still has two months in the White House to make decisions.

The EU diplomat, who himself leaves office next month, called for additional weapons, training and more speedy deliveries to Ukraine from its allies.

Europe together has spent around $125 billion (€117 billion) on supporting Ukraine since Russia’s 2022 invasion, while the United States alone has delivered more than $90 billion, according to a tracker from the Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW-Kiel).

mm/wmr (AFP, AP, dpa, Reuters)

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Constituents push for Senator’s recall over alleged involvement in banditry

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Senator Shehu Umar Buba represents Bauchi South Senatorial District under the All Progressives Congress (APC). [Facebook] ©(c) provided by Pulse Nigeria © Pulse Nigeria
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The Senator’s recent appointment as Chairman of the Senate Committee on National Security and Intelligence has attracted fierce criticism.

Senator Shehu Buba, representing Bauchi State’s South Senatorial District, is facing intense scrutiny and backlash following allegations linking him to terror suspects in Northern Nigeria.

The Department of State Services (DSS) is investigating his potential involvement with wanted terrorists, while his constituents are mobilising for a historic recall.

Buba, once a respected figure in Bauchi politics, is under fire after being connected to Abubakar Idris, a known terrorist arrested in August 2024.

Idris’s arrest reportedly implicated Buba, sparking outrage among his constituents, who are demanding accountability and the senator’s removal.

READ ALSO: US told to issue visa ban to Nigerian Senator linked to terror suspect

A formal recall process has been initiated, with registered voters in his district pushing for a referendum to remove him from office.

“This is a matter of national security. We cannot have someone with such affiliations in office,” one constituent declared, according to reports.

The recall movement is gaining momentum as more people sign a petition to trigger the process. If successful, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will be required to conduct a referendum, potentially marking the first time a sitting senator is removed by his constituents.

Buba’s woes deepened with revelations about his origins. Despite claiming to represent Bauchi, investigations show he hails from Plateau State, raising questions about his legitimacy.

An anonymous community leader expressed frustration, stating, “We thought he was one of us, but he’s not even a Bauchi indigene.”

READ ALSO: Senator Buba fires back at Bauchi Gov over banditry allegation

Buba’s political rise has been controversial. After moving to Bauchi in 2001, he built connections through family ties and political maneuvering, eventually securing a position as the Caretaker Chairman of Toro Local Government.

His success in politics, including his controversial senatorial nomination in 2022, has raised doubts about his integrity. Critics argue that his rise was influenced by powerful figures, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Bauchi Governor Isa Yuguda.

Buba’s recent appointment as Chairman of the Senate Committee on National Security and Intelligence has attracted fierce criticism. Political analysts argue that it is dangerous to have someone with such alleged links to terrorism overseeing national security matters.

“This is a grave error,” one analyst stated. “It’s a dangerous gamble to have him in charge of national security.”

With growing discontent, Buba has been noticeably absent from public events, fueling speculation that he is avoiding the backlash from his constituents. His dwindling visibility only adds to the tension, as many believe he is distancing himself from the growing outrage.

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Europe wants to strike Russia

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Europe wants to strike Russia © Pixabay
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The European Union should directly use $300 billion of frozen Russian assets to finance the recovery of war-torn Ukraine, according to Kaja Kallas, the candidate for the EU’s top foreign policy post.

Ms. Kallas, the former Estonian prime minister nominated for the post of EU high representative, said member states should abandon any doubts about the direct use of these assets, citing Kiev’s “legitimate claims” on these funds, following Russia’s invasion.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine knew how to use Russia’s frozen assets. He proposed transferring the entire $300 billion to Kiev. “Frankly, these are Ukrainian funds,” he said.

According to World Bank estimates, by the end of 2023, Ukraine’s total economic, social and financial losses due to the war will amount to $499 billion.

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Surge in Russian drone strikes test Ukrainian defences and devastate families

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Maria was just 14 years old when she was killed by a Russian drone © Facebook/Maria Troyanivska
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Maria Troyanivska had come home early the night a Russian drone hit her bedroom.

“It flew in through the window, right into her room,” her mother Viktoria tells the BBC. After the explosion, she and her husband Volodymyr ran from the next room to find their daughter’s room on fire.

“We tried to put it out, but everything was burning so strongly,” she says through tears. “It was impossible to breathe – we had to leave.”

The Russian Shahed drone killed the 14-year-old in her bed, in her suburban apartment in Kyiv, last month.

“She died immediately, and then burned,” her mother said. “We had to bury her in a closed coffin. She had no chance of surviving.”

A Russian drone flew through Maria’s window, killing her instantly and incinerating the room
© BBC/Kamil Dayan Khan

 

Russia is massively increasing drone strikes on Ukraine. More than 2,000 were launched in October, according to Ukraine’s general staff – a record number in this war.

The same report says Russia fired 1,410 drones in September, and 818 in August – compared with around 1,100 for the entire three-month period before that.

It’s part of a wider resurgence for Russian forces. The invaders are advancing all along the front lines. North Korean troops have joined the war on Moscow’s side. And with the election of Donald Trump for a second term as US president, Ukraine’s depleted and war-weary forces are facing uncertain support from their biggest military donor.

The majority of the Russian drones raining down on Ukraine are Iranian-designed Shaheds: propeller-driven, with a distinctive wing shape and a deadly warhead packed into the nose cone.

Russia has also started to launch fake drones, without any explosives, to confuse Ukraine’s air defence units and force them to waste ammunition.

Compared to missiles they are much cheaper to build, easier to fire, and designed to sap morale.

Every night, Ukrainians go to sleep to notifications pinging on their phones, as inbound drones crisscross the country, setting sirens blaring.

And every morning, they wake to news of yet another strike. Just since the start of November, drones have hit Kyiv, Kharkiv, Odesa, Mykolaiv and Zaporizhzhia.

On Sunday, Russia launched 145 drones at Ukraine, according to President Volodymyr Zelensky – a record number for a single day since the start of the full-scale invasion.

Kyiv said that day it had managed to shoot down 62 drones, and that a further 67 were “lost” – meaning they were either downed by electronic warfare, or disappeared from radar screens.

Ukrainian air defences are struggling to cope with the surging numbers.

Surge in Russian drone strikes test Ukrainian defences and devastate families

 

“So far we have been intercepting them. I hope we will keep intercepting them,” Sgt Mykhailo Shamanov, a spokesperson for Kyiv city military administration, told the BBC.

While he says Russia tries to hit military installations, the “general aim is terrorising civilians”.

They know the Russians will continue to ramp up these attacks, he said – it’s why his government is constantly asking for more air defence from Western allies.

It’s also why Ukraine is nervously waiting to see how US President-elect Trump will approach the war when he re-enters office.

“Even if air defence works well, drone or missile debris falls on the city. It causes fires, damage and unfortunately sometimes victims,” he explained.

“Every night it’s a lottery – where it hits, where it’s shot down, where it falls and what happens.”

Vitaliy’s mobile defence unit defends the skies around Kyiv
© BBC/Kamil Dayan Khan

 

Vitaliy and his men have no fixed post – their weaponry for shooting down the Shaheds is carried on the back of a flatbed truck, allowing them to manoeuvre quickly.

“We try to monitor, move, outpace the drone, destroy it,” he said.

It’s clear the job is taking its toll.

“Half a year ago, it was 50 drones a month. Now the number has risen to 100 drones, every night,” he said.

Their days are getting longer too. When the Russians used mainly missiles to bomb Ukraine, the unit commander said, the air alerts would last about six hours. “Now, it’s around 12 or 13 hours,” he said.

Vitaliy is confident in front of his men, declaring that they can handle all that the Russians can fire at them if they get weapons from Western allies. “Our guys could even deal with 250 drones [in a night],” he said.

But air defence can only do so much. Ukrainians will continue to suffer until Russia stops its invasion and its air assaults on cities.

Viktoria says their lives are now divided into before and after their daughter’s death. They are staying with a friend after the destruction of their flat; she said they sleep in the corridor at night to shelter from the constant drone attacks.

Viktoria says her life is now divided into before and after her daughter’s death
© BBC/Kamil Dayan Khan

 

“Of course it’s exhausting,” she said. “But it seems to me it makes people even more angry, irritates and outrages them. Because people really cannot understand, especially lately, those attacks that hit peaceful houses.”

“I don’t understand at all why this war started and for what,” Maria’s father, Volodymyr, told the BBC. “What sense does it make? Not from an economic perspective, nor human, territorial – people just die.”

“It’s just some ambitions of sick people.”

Additional reporting by Hanna Chornous and Anastasiia Levchenko

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