The 268th day of the Ukrainian war. Latest information [papildināts 18:00]

Live broadcast text – short and concise about the most important thing in the Russian war in Ukraine on November 18th. Ukraine heroically defended its land from the invasion of the aggressor for nine months

18.00. According to Meduza media interlocutors, the withdrawal from Kherson has become a “very painful event” for the Russian elite. A source close to businessmen from Vladimir Putin’s “inner circle” said the following: “Understanding has come: we have lost the real war. People are starting to think about how to continue to live, what place they would like to take in future, what to bet on, what to play on. On the one hand there will be revanchist attitudes. On the other there will be a request for normalization and stabilization”.

17.22. On November 23, the European Parliament will vote on recognizing Russia as a sponsor of terrorism.

16.46. About 30 percent of the country’s territory has been mined in Ukraine, Serhiys Kruks, head of Ukraine’s state emergency service, announced on Friday on television.

14.26. Russian President Vladimir Putin personally attended a Security Council meeting for the first time during the war. According to “the Agency”, the previous face-to-face meeting of the Security Council with the participation of Putin was on February 21 – then the “recognition of independence” of the pseudo-republics “LPR” and ” DNR”.

13.00.Russian troop losses in Ukraine reached 83,460 troops on Friday morning, according to the Ukrainian Army General Staff. 350 invaders were destroyed during the day.

Since the beginning of the re-invasion on February 24, Russia has lost 2,879 tanks, 5,808 armored vehicles, 1,865 guns, 393 multi-charge rocket launchers, 209 anti-aircraft artillery installations, 278 aircraft, 261 helicopters, 1,536 unmanned aerial vehicles, 480 cruise missiles , 4,366 vehicles and 16 tankers and vessels. , as well as 160 units of specialized equipment.

12.24. The leaders of the Lviv, Poltava and Kirovohrad districts inform residents that on November 18, pyrotechnicians will neutralize explosive objects, while military personnel will conduct practice firing, informs the Pravda.com.ua portal.

11.31. The Vatican has reiterated that it is ready to do everything possible to mediate and end Russia’s war against Ukraine, reports the Italian newspaper.

10.55. One of these two cruise missiles, which was shot down over Kiev on November 17, was equipped with a nuclear warhead simulator, writes “Defense Express”.

09.44. Former Bundestag president and former German finance minister Wolfgang Schäuble has admitted past mistakes in relations with Russia. Speaking of former chancellor Angela Merkel, Schäuble noted: “It is significant that even now as far as Russia is concerned, I cannot say that we were wrong.”

09.06. More than ten million people are currently without electricity in Ukraine, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskiy announced on Thursday evening.

“There are again emergency shutdowns in addition to the planned ones (..). Currently, more than ten million Ukrainians are without electricity,” Zelensky said in a video message.

The largest disruptions in energy supply are recorded in the regions of Vinnytsia, Odessa and Sumy and in Kiev.

07.56. A group of congressmen from the Trumpist wing of the US House of Representatives has introduced a bill that would require a review of aid to Ukraine in its conflict with Russia.

Among the drafters of the bill are Trumpists such as Marjorie Taylor Green, who has promised not to give Ukraine “a dime” in the midterm election campaign for Congress, and Paul Goussar, who has called Ukrainians “flesh for slaughter” and proposed holding talks between Volodymyr Zelensky and Vladimir Putin at his home.

05.34. Demining of Kherson and Mykolaiv regions in southern Ukraine will take several months, Serhiy Kruks, head of Ukraine’s state emergency service, estimated on Thursday.

He said that currently more than 450 rescue workers, mostly from western regions of Ukraine, are working in the regions that the Ukrainian army entered just a few days ago. Their duties include mine clearance as well as engineering work and the provision of medical assistance.

16.03. The Swedish Riksdag (parliament) on Thursday agreed to the government’s proposed state budget changes, which include a record 3,007.8 million SEK (€273.67 million) military aid to Ukraine, according to a statement on the website of the parliament.

00.10. The Finnish government has proposed to allocate 139 million euros for the phased construction of a fence on the border with Russia in 2023. The funding would go to the Border Guard. Finland has the longest border with Russia in the European Union – 1340 kilometres. The fence should be built in the sections which, according to Finland, are exposed to the greatest risks from hybrid threats and illegal immigration.