November 14

On November 13 Putin approved a plan to reduce the compensation soldiers receive for being wounded in the war in Ukraine. Previously, wounded soldiers could receive up to $29,000. The new rules create 3 categories for payment. “Severe” injuries will be compensated with $29,000, “minor injuries” will earn a $10,000 payment, and even less significant injuries will earn a $960 payout. There is no published method for determining which category soldiers will be filtered into. The current sign-up bonus for Russian citizens joining the military is $4,600, and Belgorod offers an additional $31,200 to enlist.

Ukraine has received a total of $100.8 billion in financial aid since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion. The European Union has provided $40.54 billion, the United States provided $28.18 billion, and the International Monetary Fund provided $11.36 billion. Japan, Canada, the UK, the World Bank, and Germany have also provided significant amounts of direct aid.


Ukraine's Ambassador to Israel, Yevhen Korniychuk said that Ukraine has received all the components for an aerial threat warning system being provided by Israel. The system is set to go into active use soon. Some components of the system, such as Israeli-made 3D radars are already operating. Korniychuk pointed out that Ukraine could potentially become a mediator in conflicts between Saudi Arabia and Israel. Israel’s Ambassador to Ukraine Michael Brodsky said that Ukraine and Israel are cooperating to develop technologies to defeat Iranian drones. He said that Ukraine has developed technologies that Israel is interested in and studying, and that Israel has many technologies Ukraine is interested in.


In the first 10 months of 2024, Ukraine’s cargo handling increased to 83.9 million tons, an increase of 78.5% over the same period from the previous year. In October, Ukraine’s seaports handled 8 million tons of cargo, 60% more than it had in October of 2023. Agricultural products and metal ores were the primary goods handled, with the number of grain shipments increasing by 43%. Since Ukraine’s sea route opened up in August 2023, 80 million tons of cargo have been shipped through it.

North Korean M1989 Koksan 170 mm self-propelled howitzers have been spotted being transported by rail in Krasnoyarsk, Russia. The M1989 howitzer uses a unique 170 mm shell with a long barrel for a range of up to 40 km with conventional shells or up to 60 km with specialized shells. 170mm is an unusual caliber that isn't used in most Soviet or Russian artillery systems.

On November 13, a bridge between Dzhankoy and Maslove collapsed, disrupting the supply of cargo between Crimea and Zaporizhzhia Oblast. The bridge collapsed while a truck and a passenger car were on the bridge. 2 people were hospitalized with injuries. Rail service between Crimea and Zaporizhzhia was temporarily suspended. The bridge repair will take 3-4 months, with construction starting in 2025.

On November 14 Ukraine's High Anti-Corruption Court sentenced Andriy Odarchenko, a member of Ukraine’s parliament, to 8 years in prison and asset confiscation. He was sentenced in absentia because he is on the run from the law. He was convicted of trying to bribe a public official with Bitcoins in exchange for post-war reconstruction funds to repair buildings at the university where Odarchenko worked. He was originally charged in November 2023 and was released on bail. In September 2024, it was discovered he had fled the country, and an international arrest warrant was issued. In October, Odarchenko claimed he fled the country for health reasons.

On November 14 Ukraine launched a missile attack on a military facility in Belgorod. Several conscripts were injured. The building had numerous military vehicles outside, mostly Ural-style cargo trucks. The missile struck the roof of a building. Originally, the Russian media published photos of the site then deleted them, then re-uploaded them with the military vehicles cropped out.

Ukraine's Ministry of Defense approved the use of the Pernach remote control turret for use by the military. The system is domestically produced and is armed with a 7.62 mm machine gun. The turret is controlled by an operator using a remote control and FPV glasses from a safe distance away. The system is currently in use by the military.

Russian authorities in occupied Luhansk are running a training ground at the Voin military sports training center to teach young people how to serve in the military, and they will soon begin to train “students” how to operate drones, according to Luhansk Regional Military Administration head Artem Lysohor. Since it opened in 2024, the center has trained over 500 young men and women. There are about 300 more currently enrolled in training. The program covers military training, tactical medicine, and practical drone operation. Ukraine's National Resistance Center reported that Russia planned to incorporate drone-building lessons into classes for children in occupied regions.

On November 14 Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal reported that the European Commission had agreed to allocate $4.3 billion to Ukraine under the Ukraine Facility program. The funding will have to be approved by the European Council first, but there does not seem to be any potential roadblocks there. The funding was approved after the EC performed a review of Ukraine’s efforts at reform and was satisfied with the results. Including this tranche, the total amount of aid provided by the Ukraine Facility in 2024 will be $17 billion.

The European Union is preparing its 15th set of sanctions against Russia. This new set will focus on Russia’s “shadow fleet” of tankers that Russia uses to transport oil and petroleum products in violation of previous sanctions. It will also target individuals involved in this flow of illegal oil. This package is expected to be approved by the end of the year. The EU is also working on another sanctions package slated for early 2025, possibly in time for the anniversary of the start of the full-scale invasion. At that time, Poland will take over the role of president of the EU.

The MK Foundation, founded by Ukrainian investor Maxim Krippa, donated 50 Volkswagen Transporter vans to support the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Maintenance was performed on the vehicles, and they were donated to the 3rd Separate Assault Brigade, the Main Intelligence Directorate, the Kraken special unit, and the Yevhen Konovalets Military School. 20 of these vehicles will be used in the Izyum direction. They’ll be used for transporting supplies and personnel, evacuating the wounded, and training. So far, the MK Foundation has donated over 1,800 vehicles, 30 medical vehicles, firefighting vehicles, and other equipment worth a total of $21 million.

A Russian movie company called Mosfilm donated 50 pieces of military equipment to the Russian army including 28 T-55 tanks, 8 PT-76 amphibious light tanks, 6 armored personnel carriers, and 8 tractors. The equipment was previously used as props for movies and tourist attractions.

Landbridge Petrochemical Co. a privately owned Chinese petroleum refiner, purchased 2 million barrels of crude oil from West Africa. This oil will be delivered in January. This is unusual because these small independent refiners typically prefer the cheaper oil from Iran and Russia which is currently under US sanctions. This oil is not only cheaper but it gets delivered much more quickly. This may be the start of a trend where these “teapots,” the nickname given to independent refiners, look to diversify their oil sources to mitigate the risks of future sanctions and their enforcement. Potential Israeli attacks on Iran’s energy industry also offers a threat to the supply of cheap Iranian crude oil. Iranian light crude oil can be purchased currently for $2 per barrel; last month it was $3.50. ESPO crude from eastern Russia has risen to $1.80, up from $.50 per barrel.

The Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundation donated 500 Kamikaze FPV drones equipped with thermal imaging to the Ukrainian military. The total cost of the donation was more than $360,000. Funds came from individual donors but also Fest Lokal and Uklon as part of the Swarm of Revenge 24/7 fundraising campaign.

A Russian 1L219 "Zoopark-1 counter-battery radar was confirmed to have been destroyed. A published photo shows that it burned beyond any possible attempt at repair.

A Czech company called STV GROUP has donated RPG-7 rocket launchers to Ukraine. The donation is worth $834,000. In 2023, STV GROUP signed a $112 million contract to supply RPG-7 ammunition to Ukraine from 2024 through 2031.

The Biden administration plans to request additional funding from Congress for military aid to Ukraine in 2025. The specifics of the request have not yet been published, but U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan described them as logical and necessary. Sullivan also said that the current administration will fully use the previously allocated funds for Ukraine by the end of Biden’s term. Currently, the U.S. Department of Defense has approximately $9.3 billion left for military assistance to Ukraine, including $7.1 billion from the Presidential Drawdown and $2.2 billion under the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative.

On December 26, 2023, a Ukrainian cruise missile strike destroyed and sunk a large Russian amphibious landing ship named Novocherkassk while it was docked in Feodosia in Crimea. The ship was transporting an explosive cargo of some sort, potentially ammunition. Recently, one of the mothers of a sailor killed on the ship posted images of the memorial plaques honoring the 34 crew members killed in the attack, confirming the attack led to a significant loss of life for the Russian black sea fleet.

The European Union has approved €300 million for five defense procurement projects, each receiving €60 million, under the European Defence Industry Reinforcement through Common Procurement Act. The projects include the joint procurement of Mistral air defense systems, IRIS-T SLM medium-range missiles, Patria 6×6 armored vehicles for Finland, Latvia, Estonia, and Denmark, as well as 155mm artillery ammunition for multiple EU countries. Some of these defense assets are also intended for Ukraine.

Quote of the Day:

“There are many things in the deep waters; and seas and lands may change. And it is not our part here to take thought only for a season, or for a few lives of hedgehogs, or for a passing age of the world. We should seek a final end of this menace, even if we do not hope to make one.”

― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring