The Pentagon is easing restrictions to allow a small number of private U.S. defense contractors to work inside Ukraine, according to reports in U.S. media on November 8. The contractors will help repair and maintain equipment far away from the front lines and will not be taking part in combat, U.S. officials quoted in the reports said. Ukraine has received a number of sophisticated weapons systems as part of the U.S. military assistance provided to the country over the past two years. The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the Pentagon was allowing the contractors to go because some equipment -- including F-16 fighter jets and air-defense systems -- requires high-tech expertise to repair. Using the contractors, they said, will ensure the weapons are fixed quickly so Ukrainian forces can continue to use them in combat. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service, click here.

Elon Musk was present during a phone conversation between U.S. President-elect Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, according to media reports citing sources. A senior Ukrainian official who asked to remain anonymous told AFP on November 8 that the information first reported by Axios about the November 7 call was accurate. The billionaire founder of SpaceX and Tesla said during the call that he would continue to support Ukraine through his Starlink satellites. Zelenskiy thanked Musk for the satellite Internet devices, which are used by Ukrainian troops. The Ukrainian president also congratulated Trump on his victory, and Trump said he would support Ukraine but did not go into details. Musk gave millions of dollars to support Trump's presidential campaign and made public appearances with him, but some of his statements about U.S. military support for Ukraine have angered Kyiv.

In a move that extends Russia's crackdown on dissent, the Justice Ministry on November 8 added several high-profile journalists and entities to its controversial registry of "foreign agents."

The new entries include journalist Dmitry Treshchanin from the independent outlet Mediazona, Chechen opposition blogger Tumso Abdurahmanov, and stand-up comedian Denis Alesin (aka Denis Chuzhoi), as well as the online news platform Govorit neMoskva.

The "foreign agent" label, introduced by Russian authorities in 2012 and expanded in 2020, has been widely criticized for targeting independent journalists, activists, and media outlets. The designation requires those on the list to register with the government, report their activities, and disclose funding sources.

Treshchanin has long been known for his independent reporting on Russian political affairs, including the war in Ukraine. Prior to joining Mediazona, Treshchanin worked for the independent television channels Dozhd and Current Time, outlets that have faced increasing pressure from the Russian government.

His reporting on sensitive issues, including state corruption and human rights violations, has led to consistent harassment and threats.

Abdurahmanov, a prominent opposition figure and vocal critic of the authoritarian leader of Russia's North Caucasus region of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, gained international attention through YouTube videos in which he exposed human rights abuses and corruption in Chechnya.

A native of Chechnya, Abdurahmanov fled the region in the mid-2010s after a conflict with Kadyrov's family and eventually sought asylum in Sweden in 2021.

His reporting on the authoritarian practices of Chechen officials has made him a target of harassment, including a 2020 assassination attempt in his Swedish apartment. Abdurahmanov managed to subdue his attackers, later identifying them as Russian nationals, though the perpetrators' direct ties to the Chechen leadership were not conclusively proven.

Alesin is a popular Russian stand-up comedian, writer, and blogger known for his participation in Russia's Open Mic comedy shows and his satirical YouTube projects. His comedy series, including Klass Naroda (The People’s Class) and Neuverennaya Rossia (Uncertain Russia), have garnered millions of views.

Alesin became a public figure in Russia for his outspoken opposition to the war in Ukraine, issuing an open letter to President Vladimir Putin in 2022 denouncing the invasion. Following the letter, he received threats and ultimately left Russia.

Govorit neMoskva, an online publication focused on regional news from across Russia, provides in-depth coverage of lesser-known stories from the Russian provinces, a source of independent reporting that has increasingly drawn the ire of the Russian authorities.

The inclusion of these individuals and organizations highlights the Kremlin's ongoing efforts to suppress critical voices and curb dissent, particularly as it faces increasing international scrutiny over its actions in Ukraine and the repression of domestic opposition.

Critics of the law argue that it is a thinly veiled attempt to intimidate and silence independent media and activists who challenge the government's narrative.

The U.S. Justice Department on November 8 unsealed criminal charges that include details of a plot allegedly backed by Iran to kill President-elect Donald Trump before the November 5 election.

A criminal complaint filed in federal court in New York City alleges that an unnamed official in Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) instructed a contact to develop a plan to surveil and ultimately kill Trump, the Justice Department said in a news release.

Three men, including an Iranian national, were charged in the criminal complaint in connection with their alleged involvement in a separate plot to murder a U.S. citizen of Iranian origin.

Two of the three men -- Carlisle Rivera, 49, and Jonathon Loadholt, 36, both of New York City -- made an initial appearance in court on November 7 and were ordered detained pending trial, the department said.

The third man, identified as Farjad Shakeri, remains at large and is believed to be in Iran.

"The charges announced today expose Iran's continued brazen attempts to target U.S. citizens, including President-elect Donald Trump, other government leaders, and dissidents who criticize the regime in Tehran," FBI Director Christopher Wray said in the news release.

The IRGC "has been conspiring with criminals and hitmen to target and gun down Americans on U.S. soil and that simply won't be tolerated," he added.

Shakeri allegedly recruited Rivera and Loadhold to follow and kill a prominent Iranian-American. The target was not named in the news release or in court documents but appears to be dissident journalist Masih Alinejad.

Alinejad said on X that she was shocked to have learned of the plot from the FBI.

"I also learned that the person assigned to assassinate @realDonaldTrump was also assigned to kill me on U.S. soil," she said on X, calling on Trump to be tough on terrorism. "The Islamic Republic understands only one language: the language of pressure," she said.

Alinejad, who has criticized Iran's laws requiring women to wear a hijab, was the target of a kidnapping plot in 2021, and in 2022 a man was arrested with a rifle outside her home.

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The Justice Department said Shakeri was an IRGC "asset" who immigrated to the United States as a child and was deported around 2008 after serving 14 years in prison for robbery.

According to the criminal complaint, Shakeri allegedly disclosed the plot to assassinate Trump in telephone conversations with FBI agents in recent months.

Shakeri spoke with FBI agents because he was hoping to obtain a sentence reduction for a person who is imprisoned in the United States, the court document said.

Shakeri told the FBI he was approached by an IRGC official about organizing the assassination of Trump. He planned to use a network of criminal associates he met in prison, including Loadholt and Rivera, to supply the IRGC with operatives to conduct surveillance and assassinations of IRGC targets, the Justice Department said.

Shakeri promised to pay $100,000 in the murder-for-hire plot described in the document in which Alinejad appears to be the target.

The IRGC also tasked Shakeri with carrying out other assassinations of U.S. and Israeli citizens located in the United States, according to the press release.

"In particular, Shakeri has informed law enforcement that he was tasked on October 7, 2024, with providing a plan to kill President-elect Donald J. Trump," the Justice Department said.

Shakeri was unable to draft a plan within the time span requested by the IRGC official, and the official then told him Iran would pause its plan until after the presidential election because the official believed Trump would lose and it would be easier to assassinate him afterward, the criminal complaint said.

The United States has repeatedly accused Iran of seeking to assassinate U.S. officials in retaliation for the killing of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani, who died in a U.S. military drone strike in Iraq in 2020.

In his first term as president, Trump withdrew the United States from an international nuclear agreement negotiated between Iran and nuclear powers, imposed new sanctions on the country, and classified the IRGC as a terrorist organization.

Shakeri, Rivera, and Loadholt have all been charged with murder-for-hire, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison; conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison; and money-laundering conspiracy, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.

Shakeri faces additional charges related to terrorism.

With reporting by AP, Reuters, AFP, and dpa

Moscow summoned a Canadian diplomat on November 8 to rebut Western allegations that Russia's secret services had orchestrated a campaign to mail explosive packages to addresses in NATO countries, including Canada.

After a series of fires at DHL depots in Britain and Germany during the summer, Russia was accused of being behind a brazen plot to ship explosive parcels via commercial airliners.

Ottawa expressed its concern earlier this week to Russian officials after Poland and Lithuania announced several arrests as a result of a probe into attempts to send parcels packaged with explosives on cargo flights to the United States and Canada.

"The deputy head of the Canadian diplomatic mission in Moscow was summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry, where he was handed a note in connection with false accusations of allegedly planned 'Russian sabotage' against NATO countries," Russia's Foreign Ministry said in post on Telegram.

Moscow said the Canadian diplomat "was told that these speculations" were being spread in a "coordinated manner, in the context of the hybrid war" being waged against Russia by the West.

Russia blasted the allegations as "false," "unacceptable," and part of a "provocation" being led by the United States, the ministry said.

Canada's Public Safety Ministry said Ottawa was "aware of and deeply concerned with Russia's intensifying campaign, from cyber-incidents and disinformation operations to sabotage activities."

It confirmed the Canadian government had "expressed this concern directly to Russian officials and unequivocally stated that any threat to the safety and security of Canadians is unacceptable."

The ministry added there was "no imminent threat" to the public but said Canada "will continue to monitor the situation very closely."

Canadian Transport Minister Anita Anand told reporters on November 6 that she required "more information" on the alleged plot but said she would taking "additional steps" to ensure the safety of passengers and packages but provided no details.

Many Western intelligence agencies have accused Moscow of involvement in sabotage acts in Europe as well, which they have said are targeted at destabilizing allies of Ukraine.

With reporting by AFP

The prosecution has requested a six-year prison sentence for 68-year-old Russian pediatrician Nadezhda Buyanova on charges related to the dissemination of so-called "fake news" about the Russian military.

Buyanova, who has been in pretrial detention since her arrest in February, is accused of making defamatory statements about the Russian Army during a medical appointment.

The case against Buyanova was initiated after a complaint from Anastasia Akinshina, a Moscow mother who brought her 7-year-old son to the pediatrician for a checkup. During the appointment, Buyanova allegedly noticed that the child was acting nervous.

When Akinshina explained that her son was struggling with the trauma of losing his father, a Russian soldier killed in the war in Ukraine, Buyanova is said to have referred to the deceased father as a "legitimate military target" in front of the child.

This remark, according to Akinshina, prompted her to file a complaint with law enforcement.

Buyanova denies making any such statement and insists that she did not discuss the military or the boy's father with Akinshina during the visit. The pediatrician maintains that she is the victim of a false accusation.

Buyanova's defense attorney, Oskar Cherdzhiyev, argued during hearing on November 8, that the pediatrician had committed no crime and that the case was based on slander and a deliberate fabrication.

Cherdzhiyev pointed out that he had been denied access to a search that was conducted at Buyanova's home during which law enforcement officials allegedly committed several procedural violations.

Cherdzhiyev also highlighted contradictions in the child's testimony. The defense attorney pointed out that he was too young to understand or articulate terms like "aggressor country," "legitimate target," or "special military operation" (the official Russian term for the invasion of Ukraine).

The defense also raised questions about the credibility of the child's testimony, suggesting that it may have been influenced by external parties.

Buyanova was dismissed from her job following the complaint filed by Akinshina. She has consistently denied the allegations and has called for her reinstatement. A court ruled in her favor in July, demanding that she be reinstated to her position at the medical clinic.

The case has drawn attention from human rights groups and the media, particularly due to the growing number of legal actions under Russia's "fake news" law, which has been increasingly used to silence critics of the government and its military actions, especially those related to the war in Ukraine.

Critics argue that the law is part of a broader pattern of repression designed to stifle dissent and control public discourse regarding Russia's actions in Ukraine.

Buyanova's case has also sparked concerns about the politicization of health-care professionals, as the law appears to be increasingly weaponized against those who speak out against government policies or make statements deemed contrary to the state's official narrative.

The last known time Oleh Tatarov flew to Moscow was on April 22, 2019, a day after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy won his first term in office.

A little over one year later, Tatarov was a controversial high-ranking member of Zelenskiy's administration in Kyiv.

Tatarov's appointment to serve as deputy head of the presidential office in August 2020 raised eyebrows, with critics pointing out that he was a key police official under former pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych, has been accused of representing pro-Russian figures as a lawyer in Ukraine, and was himself once named as a suspect in a corruption investigation.

Now, a new investigation by the Schemes investigation unit of RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service has uncovered that Tatarov traveled to Russia from Ukraine at least nine times from 2017 to 2019.

The investigation suggests that shortly before his appointment to work in the presidential office, Tatarov, while working as a lawyer, was traveling to an avowed enemy of Ukraine.

The investigation also reveals that Tatarov's trips to Russia came three years after Russia's illegal invasion and annexation of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula and support for anti-Kyiv separatists in eastern Ukraine in February 2014.

Zelenskiy has been in office the entirety of the current war that began with Russia's all-out invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Tatarov, was a deputy head of the Main Investigation Department of the Interior Ministry who was dismissed following the pro-Western Euromaidan protests of November 2013 to February 2014, which he had worked to suppress.

Amid the protests, Schemes later reported, Tatarov was awarded as an "honored lawyer of Ukraine" by former pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych, who fled to Russia in February 2014 after being ousted from power by the Euromaidan protests.

Shortly afterward, Russia occupied Crimea and backed pro-Moscow separatists in eastern Ukraine fighting against Kyiv.

In the ensuing years, Tatarov went on to become a high-profile lawyer who has been accused of representing Vadym Novinskiy, a Russian-born tycoon who made his fortune in Ukraine and was involved with the pro-Russian opposition, and Andriy Portnov, a former deputy head of Yanukovych's office.

As a lawyer, Tatarov also headed the legal department of the Ukrbud construction company.

Three months after becoming deputy head of Zelenskiy's administration in 2020, which drew fierce criticism from Euromaidan activists, the president's office was notified that a deputy head of the office was among three suspects, along with the owner of Ukrbud, in a case looking into allegations of corruption.

Tatarov denied any wrongdoing or involvement in the alleged crimes, and highlighted his role as the head of the anti-corruption body within the president's office. The case was eventually transferred to Ukraine's Security Service and dropped in April 2022.

Tatarov’s position in the presidential administration nevertheless continued to attract scrutiny, and the latest Schemes investigation has raised new questions after it found that Tatarov traveled nine times to Russia from Ukraine after 2014.

The investigation, published on November 7, determined that Tatarov traveled to Russia three times in 2017, four times in 2018, and twice in 2019 -- once just two weeks before the first round of Ukraine's presidential election, and the second a day after Zelenskiy won the runoff.

Direct air travel between Ukraine and Russia was suspended by Kyiv in 2014, requiring Tatarov to reach Moscow from Kyiv via Belarus. Schemes came to its conclusions based on its analysis of border-crossing data from three countries -- Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia.

The data from Russia and Belarus, a key Moscow ally in the full-scale invasion Russia launched against Ukraine in February 2022, was based on leaked databases obtained by Schemes.

There is no evidence that Tatarov, who was working as a lawyer at the time, broke any laws.

Schemes sent questions to Zelenskiy's office requesting comment on the investigation's findings and asking what the purposes of Tatarov's trips to Russia were and with whom he met.

Neither the president's office nor Tatarov has responded to the requests. However, in comments to BBC Ukraine on November 7, Tatarov denied traveling to Russia or communicating with representatives of Russia.

"It is absolutely unacceptable to spread unreliable data and even hints about the alleged existence of my communication with someone from Russia or trips to its territory. Especially with reference to enemy-controlled sources," Tatarov told BBC Ukraine in written comments.

An Almaty regional court in Kazakhstan upheld the seven-year prison sentence handed to journalist Duman Mukhammedkarim for allegedly "financing an extremist group" and "participating in a banned group's activities," charges he rejects as politically motivated. Mukhammedkarim's lawyer, Ghalym Nurpeiisov, told RFE/RL in an interview on November 8, that the court decision was a violation of the journalist's rights and alleged the case had political motives. Mukhammedkarim's arrest in June 2023 followed an interview he did with exiled opposition politician Mukhtar Ablyazov, whose Democratic Choice of Kazakhstan movement is banned in the country. The closed appeal session prevented supporters from attending, but activists gathered outside the courthouse chanting, “Free Duman!” Mukhammedkarim's defense plans to appeal the ruling further. Human rights groups in Kazakhstan have recognized Mukhammedkarim as a political prisoner. Kazakh authorities insist that there are no political prisoners in the tightly controlled former Soviet republic. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Kazakh Service, click here.

The Ukrainian Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War reported that the bodies of 563 servicemen have been returned to Ukraine, of whom 320 were killed in Donetsk, 89 in Bakhmut, and another 154 had been in morgues on Russian territory. At the same time, the bodies of 37 Russian servicemen have been returned to Russia. The International Committee of the Red Cross, the Security Service of Ukraine, Ukraine's Interior Ministry, and other representatives of security and defense institutions assisted in the exchange, the Coordination Headquarters reported. To read the original story by Current Time, click here.

Dozens more dead seals have been found on the Kazakh shores of the Caspian Sea, adding to the hundreds already discovered to have died with no clear cause identified. According to Nurlybek Ghaisin, head of the Ural-Caspian fisheries inspection, another 79 dead seals were found on November 7, adding to the more than 500 dead seals found over the past two weeks. Caspian seals, the only marine mammals in the Caspian Sea, have seen their population decline from over a million in the early 20th century to around 70,000 due to pollution and overhunting. Samples from seal carcasses and sea water have been sent to multiple laboratories for analysis, including tests for potential infectious diseases. Preliminary findings reveal that most of the dead seals were young and pregnant, suggesting an early and sudden death. Local residents also reported dead birds and sturgeons along the shore. Results from further testing are expected by the end of November. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Kazakh Service, click here.

Bulgaria’s interior minister has accused the theater director behind Hollywood A-lister John Malkovich’s production of a 19th-century comedy in Sofia of wrongdoing amid a crush of nationalist backlash that doomed the play’s opening night on November 7.

Protesters from nationalist groups and Bulgaria’s oldest writers’ union have demanded the expulsion of Malkovich and a ban on the play, which they call "bullshit" and "anti-Bulgarian."

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American Actor Malkovich's Premiere Blocked By Nationalist Protesters In Bulgaria

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Police made no arrests after hundreds of picketers surrounded the Ivan Vazov National Theater to block public access to the opening night of Arms And The Man, the late Nobel Prize-winning Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw’s breakout work set during the Serbo-Bulgarian War.

But a day later, on November 8, the Sofia district prosecutor’s office announced it was launching a hooliganism case over the disturbances and the city’s mayor, Vasit Terziev, said the picket’s organizers will be fined for failing to stick to the “conditions” of a peaceful protest.

Caretaker Prime Minister Dimitar Glavchev said he had ordered the Interior Ministry to provide a “detailed description of the event and how who handled their duties and powers, especially the management staff.”

He added that “fists cannot be an argument in either politics or art.”

Waving Bulgarian flags and displaying banners like “Malkovich…, go home,” members of the unruly crowd shouted “Traitors!” as they jostled and intimidated ticketholders, including physically cornering and assailing veteran actor Vladimir Penev.

Filmmaker Theodore Ushev alleged that he was kicked, punched, doused, and spat on as police declined to provide protection.

On November 8, Interior Minister Atanas Ilkov blamed the theater’s general manager, Vasil Vasilev, for the disturbance, saying he had acted “inappropriately” and “escalated” tensions by emerging from the theater to try to talk to the protesters before Vasilev himself was attacked.

Video showed Vasilev being grabbed and struck multiple times as police tried to escort him into the venue.

There were no indications that the widely awarded stage and screen star Malkovich, 70, who has acted in and staged previous theater productions in Bulgaria, was caught up in the melee outside.

Vasilev cited “unacceptable” and “enormous pressure” to censor the play before the premiere, and stated bluntly, “This was not a peaceful protest.”

The play was eventually performed in front of journalists but no spectators, and it was broadcast live by Bulgarian private television station bTV.

Afterward, bTV quoted Malkovich as saying he had suggested Arms And The Man after being approached to direct another play in Bulgaria. “I think it’s a charming and funny play,” he said.

Minister Ilkov said he “hopes” an audience will get to see the play on November 8.

The production’s critics have included the Union of Bulgarian Writers (SBP), and a handful of right-wing groups. Representatives of at least two political parties, the conservative VMRO-Bulgarian National Movement and the ultranationalist Revival (Vazrazhdane), were among the demonstrators. They demanded Vasilev’s resignation.

Atanas said 60 police officers had been deployed to the premiere in anticipation of possible confrontations, and reinforcements were sent as tensions rose.

The interior minister said there had been no arrests because there was no “data on persons who were presented as violators of public order.”

Ushev and others, including some politicians, have called for Atanas’s resignation in the wake of the failure to maintain order outside the theater.

Defenders including from the center-right We Continue The Change-Democratic Bulgaria coalition called the actions of the crowd “an attack against freedom of speech, art, and free creative spirit.”

At a press conference in late October, Malkovich said the outcry and public attacks on the production were not “a very smart idea.” He dismissed the notion that he had come to Bulgaria to mock the country.

Caretaker Culture Minister Nayden Todorov told bTV he “suspect[s] political interference” in the protest and said there was no place for censorship in art.

Set in wartime Bulgaria in 1885 with a sometimes buffoonish cast of Bulgarian, Swiss, Serbian, and Russian characters, Shaw’s play is widely regarded as a humorous but stinging critique of war and perceived hypocrisy.

Shaw suggested the story was nearly complete before he decided on Bulgaria as the setting.

Tajik opposition activist Dilmurod Ergashev was reportedly taken into custody by authorities as he disembarked a plane in Dushanbe after being deported by Germany hours earlier.

Sharofiddin Gadoev, leader of the opposition Movement for Reform and Development of Tajikistan, told RFE/RL that Ergashev was met by Tajik security officials, who declined to comment on the situation.

His case has raised concerns among human rights advocates and international observers, given the serious allegations of potential torture and the lack of transparency regarding Ergashev’s condition following his deportation.

Ergashev reportedly attempted to harm himself by slitting his wrists and legs as German police were preparing to escort him to the airport on November 6.

The Insider investigative group reported that Ergashev was hospitalized after the incident, but that the deportation proceeded regardless.

Gadoev said Ergashev’s health condition during the deportation was poor, and that since his arrival in Tajikistan, no further information has been available about his whereabouts or well-being.

RFE/RL's efforts to obtain an official statement from Tajik authorities have been unsuccessful with representatives of the Prosecutor-General's Office and the Interior Ministry failing to respond to inquiries.

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Leila Nazgul Seiitbek, head of the Vienna-based organization Freedom for Eurasia, informed RFE/RL on November 7 that her organization has appealed to the European Court of Human Rights, seeking intervention in Ergashev’s case and advocating for his safe return from Tajikistan.

Seiitbek noted that her organization had called on German authorities to halt the deportation, arguing that Ergashev faces a high risk of torture in Tajikistan.

The deportation order was issued by the Administrative Court of the German town of Kleve on October 28, immediately following Ergashev’s detention.

His associates argued that the court disregarded Ergashev’s pending asylum application in another German court, which is still under consideration.

Ergashev is a prominent member of the Group 24 movement.

Group 24 was founded by businessman Umarali Quvatov, who was assassinated in Turkey in 2015. The group has been a vocal critic of the Tajik government and advocates for democratic reforms. Tajik authorities have labeled it "extremist."

In 2024, Ergashev joined the Movement for Reform and Development of Tajikistan movement.

Ergashev had been living in Germany for the past 13 years as his cases wound through German courts.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said Donald Trump's reelection as U.S. president has created a "new situation" for Europe as he wrapped up an informal summit in Budapest on November 8, telling his EU counterparts that the continent cannot finance the war in Ukraine alone.

European Union leaders wrapped up the two-day summit, which was held to discuss the continent's security and Russia's unprovoked war on Ukraine after Trump's reelection cast doubts on Washington's continued support for the embattled country and his commitment to NATO's collective defense.

The summit kicked off as Russia launched a third day of unusually intense attacks on Ukraine's cities that left more deaths and damage at the onset of a third winter for weary Ukrainian civilians and for outmanned and outgunned troops struggling to stave off a grinding Russian offensive in the east.

The United States is Ukraine's main military and economic backer, with the EU also among the largest donors. Most EU leaders have expressed continued strong backing for Ukraine.

Ahead of the summit, Orban, who has maintained friendly ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Trump, told Hungarian state radio that the EU must rethink its position on helping Ukraine, calling the conflict a "lost war."

"The Americans will quit this war, first of all they will not encourage the war," said Orban, who has obstructed the bloc's sanctions regime against Moscow.

"Europe cannot finance this war alone.... Some still want to continue sending enormous amounts of money into this lost war but the number of those who remain silent...and those who cautiously argue that we should adjust to the new situation, is growing," he added.

But German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, whose country is the main European backer of Ukraine, was quick to reaffirm the bloc's unchanged position. "Russia has invaded Ukraine and is continuing this war with unchanged brutality," he said.

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"One question is quite clear: Together as the European Union, as Europeans, we must do what is necessary for our security. This will be particularly successful if everyone makes their contribution."

Upon arriving for the summit in Budapest, European Council President Charles Michel also reaffirmed the bloc's strong support for Ukraine.

“We have to strengthen Ukraine, to support Ukraine, because if we do not support Ukraine, this is the wrong signal that we send to Putin, but also to some other authoritarian regimes across the world,” Michel said.

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who was in Budapest on November 7 for a gathering of European leaders that preceded the EU summit, urged Ukraine's allies to provide more arms to help Kyiv defend its land and skies.

"There has been much talk about the need to yield to Putin, to back down, to make some concessions. It's unacceptable for Ukraine and suicidal for all Europe," Zelenskiy said in his speech.

He also said talk of introducing a cease-fire without first agreeing security guarantees for Ukraine was "very dangerous."

"A cease-fire when there are no security guarantees...is a preparation for the continuation of the occupation," he said.

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As the summit closed on November 8, NATO issued a statement in response to Russia's deployment of North Korean troops, condemning it as a "dangerous expansion" of the war.

The statement said North Korea is already providing "substantive support to Russia’s war effort" by supplying ammunition and ballistic missiles.

"The deepening military cooperation between Russia and the [North Korea] deeply impacts Euro-Atlantic security, with implications also for the Indo-Pacific," the statement said, adding that the military cooperation violates multiple UN Security Council resolutions.

"We urge all countries not to provide any kind of assistance to Russia’s aggression, and condemn all those who are facilitating and thereby prolonging Russia’s illegal war against Ukraine," the NATO allies said.

SEE ALSO:

Ukraine's Forces Are Dangerously Stretched. Will North Korean Troops Break Them?

Russia on November 8 kept up the pressure on Ukraine's cities, striking the southern region of Odesa and Kharkiv, the country's second-largest city.

At least one person was killed, and at least 38 people, including a baby, were wounded, according to regional officials.

A massive drone attack overnight on Odesa left one person dead and nine others wounded, Ukraine's Emergency Situations Service reported, adding that residential buildings, businesses, warehouses, and a school were also damaged.

Kharkiv was struck for the second day in a row on November 8, Mayor Ihor Terekhov reported.

A Russian missile hit a high-rise apartment building in the city's Saltiv district, wounding at least 25 people, including a 3-month-old baby, Terekhov said. Residential and historic buildings in the center of the city were also damaged, he added.

In the Kyiv region, falling debris from a Russian rocket injured four people, two of them seriously, regional Governor Ruslan Kravchenko said.

Separately, the Ukrainian Air Force said its air defenses shot down 62 out of the 92 drones launched by Russia at 12 of its regions -- Odesa, Mykolayiv, Kyiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, Poltava, Kirovohrad, Zhytomyr, Chernihiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Khmelnytskiy, and Ivano-Frankivsk.

Israel sent several chartered planes to Amsterdam to bring back Israeli soccer fans after they were attacked following a match on November 7 by what Mayor Femke Halsema described as "anti-Semitic hit-and-run squads."

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the incidents "anti-Semitic attacks" as his office announced that the Israeli airlines El Al and Israir have set up special flights for free on November 8 and 9 to do the job.

El Al said it was sending six planes to bring the fans home, and Israeli airport authorities said later on November 8 that the first plane had landed.

Amsterdam police said that 62 people were detained following the violence, with 10 in custody on November 8 in connection with the clashes -- which left five people hospitalized -- in the center of Amsterdam between young locals and Israeli supporters who had come to watch Maccabi Tel Aviv's game against Ajax Amsterdam in the Europa League competition.

"This is a very dark moment for the city, for which I am deeply ashamed," Halsema told a news conference. "Anti-Semitic criminals attacked and assaulted visitors to our city, in hit-and-run actions," she said.

Dutch authorities said there was no concrete threat to Israeli soccer fans before the game and that it was not clear how or precisely when the violence began.

Peter Holla, the city's acting police chief, told a news conference that the Israeli fans were "willfully attacked."

U.S. President Joe Biden condemned "anti-Semitic" violence against Israeli soccer fans in Amsterdam, calling the attacks "despicable" throwbacks to dark moments in history.

"The anti-Semitic attacks on Israeli soccer fans in Amsterdam are despicable and echo dark moments in history when Jews were persecuted," Biden said on X.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, and other world leader joined Biden in condemning the violence.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen condemned the attacks as "vile" and said she discussed them with Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof.

"Outraged by last night's vile attacks targeting Israeli citizens in Amsterdam," von der Leyen said in a post on X. "I strongly condemn these unacceptable acts. Antisemitism has absolutely no place in Europe. And we are determined to fight all forms of hatred."

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar flew to Amsterdam for impromptu meetings with the Dutch government and far-right leader Geert Wilders, and Amsterdam banned demonstrations for three days.

Police said fans had left the stadium on November 7 without incident after the game was won 5-0 by Ajax, but various clashes in the city center were reported during the night.

Video posted online also purported to show Israeli fans chanting anti-Arab slogans in the streets ahead of the game.

Maccabi fans are known to have used similar chants in Israel at recent matches there.

Earlier, a pro-Palestinian protest against Maccabi's visit scheduled to take place near the stadium was banned by Dutch authorities for security reasons amid rising tensions in the Middle East.

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Israel's Wars In Gaza And Lebanon Fray Relations With Europe

Anti-Israeli protests have been held in various parts of the world, including in Western Europe amid Israel's war in the Gaza Strip against Iran-backed Hamas, which has been designated a terrorist group by the United States and the EU, following the group's October 7, 2023, attack on Israel that killed some 1,200 people.

The conflict has spilled outside of Gaza and into southern Lebanon against Iran-backed Hezbollah -- designated as a terrorist organization by the United States, while the European Union blacklists its armed wing but not its political party. Hezbollah’s political party has seats in the Lebanese parliament.

Schoof said he was "horrified" by the incidents. which he called "completely unacceptable." He said he told Netanyahu that those who are guilty would be "identified and prosecuted."

Netanyahu told Schoof that he "views the premeditated anti-Semitic attack against Israeli citizens with the utmost seriousness and requested increased security for the Jewish community in the Netherlands," the Israeli prime minister's office said.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog said he had talked to Dutch King Willem-Alexander on the phone, who had voiced "deep horror and shock over the criminal acts committed."

The Israeli Embassy in the United States said on X that "hundreds" of Maccabi fans were "ambushed and attacked in Amsterdam tonight as they left the stadium following a game against Ajax."

"The mob who targeted these innocent Israelis has proudly shared their violent acts on social media," the embassy said in its message accompanied by a video of violent clashes in the city.

Israel also said it had banned members of its military from traveling to the Netherlands.

A Baku court has sentenced Azerbaijani political commentator Nazakat Mammadova to 13 years in prison on charges of spying for Russia, RFE/RL's Azerbaijani Service reports. Mammadova, who appeared in the media as a commentator and hosted Alfa TV on YouTube was arrested in October last year and sentenced on November 5. She was accused by Azerbaijan's State Security Service of using her journalist credentials to collaborate with Russian intelligence services. Azerbaijani authorities alleged that her YouTube channel was broadcasting "openly pro-Russian materials" and interviews for which she received money during regular trips to Moscow, where she allegedly held secret meetings with Russian intelligence officers. Mammadova has rejected all the charges, saying she traveled to Russia for conferences and the money she received was for travel expenses. Azerbaijani authorities have imprisoned several journalists in recent years. The Committee to Protect Journalists has called charges against journalists "fabricated" and "politicized." To read the original story by RFE/RL's Azerbaijani Service, click here.

Russian attacks on the southeastern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhya on November 7 have killed four and wounded 40, Internal Affairs Minister Ihor Klymenko said.

The State Service for Emergency Situations said Russian troops carried out five air strikes on the city, hitting a residential building and a hospital.

Klymenko said rescuers pulled two injured children and an injured woman from under the rubble of the residential building. The woman lived on the third floor but ended up on the second floor after the attack caused the building to partially collapse. Rescuers were still searching for people who may be trapped under the rubble, he said on Telegram.

Officials said earlier a hospital had been damaged by an air strike.

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Regional Governor Ivan Fedorov said on social media that the wounded include four children -- boys aged 1, 5, and 15, and a 4-month-old girl. Two people were in severe condition, he added.

According to Fedorov, all of the Russian strikes hit civilian infrastructure, including houses and an apartment building.

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who is attending a summit of European leaders in Budapest, urged Ukraine's allies to provide more arms to help Kyiv defend the skies.

"They take pleasure in killing people," Zelenskiy said on X, referring to Russian forces.

He again called for more air defenses for Ukraine and permission to use Western-supplied weapons to carry out long-range strikes against Russian military targets.

With reporting by Reuters and AFP

A major general of the Russian Army died in Ukraine on November 7. Pavel Klimenko's death was confirmed by his sisters to the publication Important Stories on Telegram. Pro-war publics and bloggers were the first to report the death of the 47-year-old. The circumstances of his death are still unknown. Klimenko was accused of organizing a torture camp and taking money from his subordinates in exchange for moving them off the front lines. An investigation by the online publication Astra in August said the torture camp organized by Klimenko was for Russian soldiers on the territory of an abandoned mine in Donetsk. The Russian soldiers sent there were forced to agree to participate in assault groups and had money extorted from them by the officers in charge of the camp, including Klimenko, Astra reported. Klimenko is the eighth Russian general killed in the war in Ukraine whose death has been confirmed by independent researchers or journalists.

Belarusian authoritarian leader Alyaksandr Lukashenka has pardoned 31 people convicted under the country’s "extremism" law.

Two women and 29 men were pardoned, Lukashenka's press service said on November 7. The press service said 17 of the people released have chronic illnesses, three are disabled, and 27 have children.

Though they will be released, their criminal records will not be expunged and the Internal Affairs Ministry will "ensure control over their law-abiding behavior," the press service said. Lukashenka has pardoned 115 political prisoners this year.

Despite the pardons, Belarus remains home to a significant number of political prisoners. Approximately 1,287 political prisoners recognized by the human rights community remain behind bars in Belarus, according to the human rights center Vyasna.

The political climate in Belarus remains tense, and human rights defenders have reported mass detentions across the country since the announcement of the next presidential elections to be held on January 26, 2025, with both administrative and criminal trials ongoing.

Since the crackdown on dissent that followed the disputed 2020 presidential election, the human rights community has recognized almost 3,600 people as political prisoners, and detentions, arrests, and trials on politically motivated charges continue in Belarus.

The pardons announced on November 7 mark the fifth wave of pardons in recent months. Previous pardons took place on September 4, August 16, and July 3, releasing individuals associated with "political" and "protest" crimes, including some with serious health issues, like opposition figure Ryhor Kastusyou, who was suffering from cancer.

A Chinese-owned electronics plant in Russia's Leningrad region has ceased operations, highlighting the growing impact of Western sanctions on Moscow over its war against Ukraine and the shifting dynamics of foreign business in Russia.

According to a report by the Kommersant newspaper on November 7, TPV Technology, a Hong Kong-based company known as the world's largest manufacturer of computer monitors, halted production at its Shushary facility, which had been assembling TV sets for major brands like Philips, Sony, and Sharp.

The plant in western Russia, operational since 2011, is now in the process of selling off components and equipment.

The closure comes amid increasing concerns over secondary sanctions from the United States and European Union, which have targeted companies -- in particular those from China -- doing business with Russia.

While TPV Technology's Russian branch called the move a "strategic" decision to scale down its operations in the country, Kommersant quoted sources as saying the threat of secondary sanctions was likely a key driver behind the decision.

Last month, Washington imposed its latest sanctions, targeting Chinese companies involved in producing complex weapons systems in collaboration with Russian firms.

That marked a new phase in the U.S.-China sanctions relationship, with ripple effects reaching beyond traditional sectors like energy and technology.

Further complicating the situation, Kommersant reported that Chinese banks have increasingly refused to engage in financial transactions with Russia, fearing secondary sanctions.

Around 80 percent of payments from Russia to China in yuan are being returned, signaling the growing reluctance of Chinese financial institutions to take on the risk of U.S. and EU sanctions.

Sergei Markelov, a Russian journalist living in the United States, said he is wanted in Russia, where a criminal case has been opened against him. Markelov shared the news on his Facebook page but did not provide further details. According to the Mediazona website, his name has not yet appeared on the Interior Ministry's official wanted list, though there are often delays between when a person is notified and they actually appear on the list. Markelov, who has worked with RFE/RL's North.Realities, the 7x7 website, and the Novaya gazeta newspaper, is accused of failing to comply with the duties of a "foreign agent" under Russian law. He was added to the "foreign agents" list in December 2020, alongside other journalists and activists. In November 2021, Markelov's appeal against his inclusion in the register was rejected by the Moscow City Court. In November 2023, Markelov and other "foreign agents" filed a complaint with the UN Human Rights Committee, saying they were being persecuted. To read the original story by Current Time, click here.

Britain on November 7 announced its largest package of Russia sanctions in one year and a half, slapping punitive measures on 56 people and entities linked to Moscow's war machine, including mercenary groups active in Africa and an individual accused of involvement in a 2018 Novichok attack.

The announcement comes as British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is preparing to discuss moves to counter Russian malign activities in Europe with other European leaders at a summit in Budapest on November 7 and reaffirm London's ironclad support for Ukraine, the Foreign Office said in a statement.

"Today's action disrupts the supply of vital equipment for [Russian President Vladimir] Putin's war machine and bears down on Russian malign activity globally, exposing the corrupt activities of Russian proxy military groups in Africa," the statement said.

Three mercenary groups with links to the Kremlin -- Africa Corps, Bears Brigade, and PMC Espanola -- have been placed under sanctions.

Africa Corps is the successor to the notorious mercenary group Wagner, which under late Putin associate Yevgeny Prigozhin took part in the invasion of Ukraine.

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After Prigozhin's death following the group's short-lived mutiny last year, the newly renamed Africa Corps expanded Wagner's operations in Africa, in countries such as Libya, Central African Republic (C.A.R.), Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, where its fighters helped prop up military dictatorships.

"These sanctions will bear down on Russian malign activity in Libya, Mali, and C.A.R., exposing and combatting Russia's illicit activity in Africa, as it attempts to exploit the fragile security environments and natural resources in these countries for its gain and expand the Kremlin’s sphere of influence," the statement said.

Russian military intelligence officer Denis Sergeyev, one of the three Russian operatives British police have charged over the attempted murder of former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal in Salisbury, England, using the nerve agent Novichok, was also placed on the sanctions list.

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Britain Authorizes Charges Against Third Russian In Connection With Skripal Poisoning

Skripal and his daughter, Yulia, were found unconscious on a bench in a park in the southern English city in March 2018.

British authorities have established that the Skripals had been the targets of an attack by Russia's military intelligence in which Novichok had been applied to the door handle of their home.

The Skripals both survived, but a woman died after coming accidentally into contact with the poisonous agent.

"Sergeyev provided support in the preparation and use of the chemical weapon Novichok in Salisbury...and provided a coordinating role in London on the weekend of the attack," the statement said.

The list also includes 28 entities based in China, Turkey, and Central Asia accused of supplying machinery, microelectronics for drones, and components for the Russian military's war in Ukraine.

"Today’s measures will continue to push back on the Kremlin's corrosive foreign policy, undermining Russia's attempts to foster instability across Africa and disrupting the supply of vital equipment for Putin's war machine," Foreign Secretary David Lammy said.

"Putin is nearly 1,000 days into a war he thought would only take a few. He will fail and I will continue to bear down on the Kremlin and support the Ukrainian people in their fight for freedom," Lammy concluded.

Uzbekistan's State Security Service (DXX) announced on November 7 that a court in the city of Qoqon sentenced 11 individuals to prison terms ranging from six to 12 years for terrorism-related offenses. They were convicted on charges including financing terrorism, plotting to change the constitutional system, and possessing materials threatening public safety. The individuals were accused of promoting extremist ideologies between 2021 and 2023 at regular gatherings disguised as social events, called "Saturday dinners," at local teahouses. The discussions reportedly focused on jihad and the creation of an Islamic state. The case is part of government efforts to combat religious extremism, particularly in Qoqon, located in the ethnically diverse and historically volatile Ferghana Valley. The region has been a hot spot of both domestic and transnational Islamist groups, raising concerns about local instability and the spread of extremist ideologies. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Uzbek Service, click here.

Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated Donald Trump on winning the U.S. presidential election and said Moscow is open to talks with the Republican president-elect.

"I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate him on his election as president of the United States of America," Putin said after speaking to an international conference in the Black Sea resort of Sochi.

Trump said during the campaign that he could quickly end the war in Ukraine if he was elected but gave few details. Putin said those comments deserved attention, adding that if Trump wanted to resume contacts, Russia was ready for discussion.

Putin also said he was impressed with how Trump, who decisively defeated Vice President Kamala Harris in the November 5 election, handled himself in the moments after an assassination attempt in July, describing Trump as a brave man.

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Trump said he was also prepared for a conversation with Putin.

"I think we'll speak," he said in an interview with NBC News. He said that he had spoke to "probably" 70 world leaders since the morning of November 6 but that Putin was not among them.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said earlier on November 7 that he could not rule out the possibility of talks between Putin and Trump before the his inauguration in January.

When asked by journalists whether such communication was off the table, Peskov responded: "Why? It is not ruled out. [Trump] said that he would call Putin before the inauguration. Those are his words."

He was referring to previous statements made by Trump about reaching out to Putin ahead of taking office.

Peskov also addressed questions regarding any official contact between the Russian authorities and Trump's campaign following the U.S. election.

"No. Why should we contact them?" he replied, further clarifying that the Russian administration had not made any direct outreach.

With reporting by NBC News, Reuters, AP, and AFP

The leaders of three European Union member states -- France, Germany, and Poland -- on November 7 urged Georgia to investigate allegations of widespread voting irregularities during last month's parliamentary elections and called on Tbilisi to reverse Russian-inspired legislation.

Georgia's pro-European opposition, which has refused to recognize the result of the elections, has been holding large daily protests in Tbilisi after the Moscow-friendly Georgian Dream party, which has been in power for the past 12 years, claimed victory with 54 percent of the vote.

Georgia's pro-European president, Salome Zurabishvili, also refused to recognize the validity of the results, alleging massive fraud and Russian interference.

French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said in a joint statement that they were "deeply concerned by the numerous irregularities and voter intimidation" reported during the vote.

Georgia has been a candidate for EU membership since last year, but moves by Georgian Dream to adopt legislation to curb foreign funding of NGOs mirroring Moscow's "foreign agents" law and anti-LGBT measures have sparked criticism from Brussels and Washington that the Caucasus country was backsliding on democracy.

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Macron, Scholz, and Tusk, in a statement under the so-called Weimar Triangle format, warned that the steps taken recently by the Georgian government were threatening Tbilisi's progress toward eventual membership in the bloc.

"Unless Georgia reverses its current course of action and demonstrates tangible reform efforts, in particular by repealing recent legislation that runs counter to European values and principles, we will not be in a position to support the opening of accession negotiations with Georgia," the three leaders said as they gathered in Budapest for a meeting of the European Political Community, as well as an informal EU summit.

The statement came as Georgia's Appeals Court continued deliberations through the night on complaints filed by two observer groups -- the Young Lawyers' Association and My Voice -- against irregularities in district election commissions during the October 26 vote.

My Voice has said its observers from 1,131 precincts reported more than 900 cases of violations of election procedures.

Nika Melia, one of the leaders of Coalition for Change, has said demonstrations will continue for new elections.

"In the coming days and weeks, our task is to fill Tbilisi with people. All major squares, streets, avenues should be full of people," Melia told RFE/RL.

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has warned European leaders that capitulation to Russia after it invaded Ukraine would be "suicidal" for Europe, just hours after Kyiv and the Black Sea port of Odesa were rocked by an unusually intense wave of air strikes.

Speaking at a meeting of the European Political Community in Budapest on November 7, Zelenskiy renewed his appeals for more support for his war-torn country ahead of an informal EU summit the next day to be hosted by Hungary, which currently holds the 27-member bloc's rotating presidency.

He also said he has already spoken with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump about how both the United States and Europe need to be strong for each other's benefit amid the "many challenges" facing the world.

"There has been much talk about the need to yield to [Russian President Vladimir] Putin, to back down, to make some concessions. It's unacceptable for Ukraine and suicidal for all Europe," Zelenskiy said in his speech, which came two days after Trump won the U.S. presidential election.

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Speaking later at a news conference, he said he was not aware of any details of Trump's plan to end the war quickly and that he had not discussed it with him. He said he believed Trump wanted to end the war quickly, but this did not necessarily mean it would happen.

He also said talk of introducing a cease-fire without first agreeing security guarantees for Ukraine was "very dangerous."

"A cease-fire when there are no security guarantees...is a preparation for the continuation of the occupation," he said.

Trepidation has swept across Europe since the victory given Trump's oft-stated skepticism over U.S. military support for Ukraine.

"The concept of 'peace through strength' has proven itself and is needed now. Showing weakness or selling out Europe's positions won't buy a just peace. Peace is the reward only for the strong," Zelenskiy added.

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Zelenskiy was welcomed to the meeting by right-wing Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who has maintained close ties with Putin and has spoken against EU sanctions on Moscow. Orban also has close relations with Trump.

NATO chief Mark Rutte, in a pitch to secure Trump's support for Ukraine, told journalists upon arrival in Budapest that the sending troops by North Korea to aid Russia in Ukraine posed a direct threat to the United States.

"What we see more and more is that North Korea, Iran, China, and of course Russia are working together, working together against Ukraine," Rutte said.

"At the same time, Russia has to pay for this, and one of the things they are doing is delivering technology to North Korea, which is now threatening in future the mainland of the U.S., continental Europe," he warned.

"I look forward to sit down with Donald Trump to discuss how we can face these threats collectively," Rutte said.

North Korean troops are already fighting for Russia, according to Zelenskiy, who told reporters during the news conference that they already had sustained "losses" on the battlefield.

The gathering in Budapest came as Ukraine shot down 74 of the 106 drones that Russia launched early on November 7 at targets in nine Ukrainian regions -- Odesa, Mykolayiv, Kherson, Kyiv, Sumy, Poltava, Kharkiv, Kirovohrad, Zhytomyr, Cherkasy and Chernihiv -- while 22 others were lost after being jammed by Ukrainian electronic warfare systems.

Russian strikes early on November 7 sparked fires and caused damage in five districts of Kyiv, which was under Russian attack for eight hours, Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported on Telegram.

Drone debris fell in the the districts of Pechersk, Holosiyivskiy, Solomyansk, Obolonsk, and Podilsk, Klitschko said, adding that two people were injured by falling drone debris.

Klitschko reported that the upper floors of a multistory building in Pechersk were burning and residents were being evacuated.

In Odesa, a high-rise apartment building was damaged and one man was injured by falling debris after Ukrainian air defenses shot down Russian drones over the Black Sea port, regional Governor Oleh Kiper reported.

Telegram channels published a video of a fire on the first floor of a nine-story building in Odesa.