Update 34: Russia's war with Ukraine

Ukrainian forces recaptured the southern city of Kherson, just north of Crimea, after Russia confirmed its withdrawal from the city on 11 November. A Ukrainian defence ministry spokesperson told the BBC that Ukraine’s forces are almost in full control of Kherson, while President Volodymyr Zelensky declared the city to be “ours” and that it was a “historic” day for the country. The city's change of control followed a rapid Ukrainian counter-offensive in recent months, which Zelensky said involved the recapture of 60 settlements in the Kherson region—one of four regions in Ukraine that Moscow recently claimed to have annexed. Russia said more than 30,000 troops had been withdrawn to the eastern bank of the Dnieper River. Ukraine accused Russian troops of looting homes during its withdrawal from the city. In recent weeks, millions of Ukrainians have intermittently been left without electricity and water as Russian airstrikes continued to target vital infrastructure.

Read more in the attached pdf on: the continuing attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure; Russia’s troop mobilisation; opportunities for diplomacy; the Ukraine war and COP27; Western military and financial assistance to Ukraine, and Iranian and North Korean military support to Russia; the humanitarian consequences of the armed conflict; continuing concerns about the safety of nuclear facilities; the risk of nuclear weapon use; investigations into alleged war crimes; sanctions against Russia; international food security and Ukrainian grain exports; energy security in Europe; and developments within NATO