Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky with African journalists, Kyiv, November 23, 2024

Friday’s Coverage: Zelensky — “World Must React Firmly and Decisively” to Putin’s Missiles

Map: Institute for the Study of War

UPDATE 1714 GMT:

Two women have been killed and a man injured in a mass shooting by Russian troops in Toretsk in the Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine.

At around 6 p.m. on Thursday, Russian soldiers entered an apartment in a residential area and opened fire with automatic weapons on the civilians.

UPDATE 1346 GMT:

Banks in at least 20 countries have blocked the UnionPay cards of Russia’s Gazprombank after the US tightened sanctions last week.

Customer can no longer make cash withdrawals in Argentina, Hungary, Vietnam, Greece, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Cambodia, Qatar, Morocco, Mexico, the UAE, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey, Uzbekistan, South Africa, South Korea, Japan, and Uruguay.

Chinese institutions have also stopped acceptance of the UnionPay cards.

On Thursday, the US imposed sanctions on Gazprombank and six of its foreign subsidiaries in Africa, Hong Kong, Luxembourg, and Cyprus. The Office of Foreign Assets Control said the bank is an active participant in the financing of the invasion of Ukraine, enabling transactions for the purchase of military equipment and payments of soldiers.

UPDATE 1315 GMT:

Russia has recruited hundreds of mercenaries from Yemen to enable the invasion of Ukraine.

Recruits told the Financial Times that they had been promised high salaries and Russian citizenship. However, after arriving in Russia via company linked to Yemen’s Houthi insurgents, they were “forcibly inducted into the Russian army and sent to the front lines in Ukraine”.

The Russians have reportedly lured and deceived men from countries such as Cuba and India into combat to cover for heavy casualties during the 33-month invasion.

UPDATE 1109 GMT:

Ukraine’s air defenses downed 50 of 73 Iran-type attack drones launched overnight. Another 19 were lost to electronic counter-measures, and four were still in the air, said the Ukrainian military.

More than 10 drones targeting Kyiv were destroyed during an alert of more than three hours. There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties.

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky posted:

ORIGINAL ENTRY: Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky has called on countries in Africa to stand with Kyiv, not only against Russia’s 33-month invasion but against Moscow’s efforts for economic, political, and military dominance.

Speaking with journalists from the continent on Friday, Zelenskiy said:

If Russia escapes this war without fair and just consequences, it will embolden them to repeat their actions elsewhere. The weak response to Crimea’s occupation in 2014 paved the way for Donbas and today’s full-scale war. The pattern is clear.

He then discussed Moscow’s operations beyond the invasion:

Africa, with its vast resources and strategic importance, remains a key target for Russian exploitation. Whether through natural resources, financial gain, or political influence, the continent’s size and numerous nations make it a critical focus of Russia’s destabilizing agenda.

The Ukrainian leader cited the Kremlin’s use of Wagner Group mercenaries in countries such as Mali for military support of juntas and exploitation of precious minerals and other resources.

“Their goal? To erode the independence of nations across the continent and destabilize entire regions,” he said.

See also Why France Failed in Mali — and How Russia Took Advantage

Setting out the objective of “a future of shared success and resilience against global th

The President proposed a Ukraine-Africa Summit as “a transformative step forward”. He concluded:

The outcome of Russia’s war against Ukraine will shape global norms. This war is not just about Ukraine—it is a test of whether any nation can occupy another, impose its will, and violate international law and territorial sovereignty without consequence.

Earlier in the day, Zelensky criticized the final statement of last week’s G20 summit in Brazil, calling out its failure to condemn the Russian invasion.

If we want good, normal relations between our nations, between our peoples, then, we should probably support people first, not aggressors, leaders of aggression in the world, like Putin, like today’s modern Russia….

Without a clear stance from major countries – the United States, Brazil, Asian and African states – agreements with Putin will amount to mere stalling tactics and further intimidation by Russia,.