L to R: Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Elon Musk, and Donald Trump

EA-Times Radio Specials: Putin Wins, Ukraine Loses in US Election

Friday’s Coverage: Putin Seeks Trump’s Support for Russia’s Invasion

Map: Institute for the Study of War

UPDATE 1727 GMT:

Russian forces have suffered their deadliest month in their invasion of Ukraine, says UK Defense Minister John Healey.

Citing British military intelligence, Healey said that Moscow’s troops suffered 41,980 killed and wounded during October.

UK defense intelligence estimates Russia has likely suffered more than 696,000 losses since the launch of the full-scale invasion in Feburary.

Ukraine’s General Staff reported 707,540 Russian losses as of November 9.

UPDATE 1722 GMT:

One person has been killed and 13 injured in an intense Russian drone attack on and near Odesa in southern Ukraine.

Among the wounded are two boys aged 4 and 16.

Multi-story buildings, private houses, warehouses, and cars were damaged.

The Ukraine Air Force said the Odesa region was the “epicenter” of Russia’s attack with 51 drones.

UPDATE 1658 GMT:

The staffs of Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenski
y and Donald Trump are preparing a meeting between the two men, says Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha.

“A dialogue between President Zelenskiy and President-elect Trump has already been established,” Sybiha said in Kyiv alongside the European Union’s foreign policy head Josep Borrell.

Borrell posted:

I am in Kyiv to stress that the EU’s support to Ukraine remains unwavering in the brave fight against the Russian aggressor.

This has been my personal priority since day one of the full-scale invasion.

UPDATE 0835 GMT:

The Ingka Group, the company overseeing most IKEA stores around the world, has sold its last asset in Russia.

The exit was completed with the sale of a warehouse near Moscow. Ingka’s 14 Mega-branded shopping malls in Russia were sold to the Gazprombank Group in September 2023.

UPDATE 0632 GMT:

Russian prosecutors are demanding a six-year prison sentence for a pediatrician accused of criticizing the Ukraine invasion during a private appointment.

Nadezhda Buyanova, 68, was reported to the police by the ex-wife of a soldier missing on the invasion’s frontline in Ukraine. She said the pediatrician called her husband a “legal target”.

Buyanova was arrested in February and has been in pre-trial detention since April.

UPDATE 0605 GMT:

Ukraine officials are expressing dissatisfaction with the UK Government, saying relations “got worse” since the Labour Party took power in July.

The officials cite Britain’s failure to supply additional long-range Storm Shadow missiles for attacks on Russia’s military positions and facilities supporting the 32 1/2-month invasion.

They said a visit by Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who has yet to travel to Ukraine since taking office, would be worthless without a commitment to replenish Storm Shadow stocks.

“There’s no point in his coming as a tourist,” said one senior Government official. “Starmer isn’t giving us long-range weapons. The situation is not the same as when Rishi Sunak was Prime Minister. The relationship has got worse.”

Britain committed to the supply of Storm Shadow missiles last year, but strikes have decreased during 2024. |The last claimed attack was on October 5, targeting Russian command posts.

“You would know if the UK had provided us with new Storm Shadow missiles because we would be using them to hit Russian targets. We are not,” the Ukrainian official said.

The US has banned Kyiv’s use of the Storm Shadows inside Russia, maintaining the position despite months of lobbying by Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.

Starmer met Zelenskyy on Thursday at the European Political Community summit in Budapest. The Prime Minister said UK support for Ukraine was “unwavering” while acknowledging “we need to step up”: “It’s very important that we stand with you.”

Zelenskiy referred to the Storm Shadow issue in his comment on social media:

Officials in Kyiv said the meeting led to “no progress at all”.

ORIGINAL ENTRY: Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy spoke by phone with Donald Trump and entrepreneur Elon Musk on Wednesday, following Trump’s victory in the US Presidential election.

During the 25-minute call, Trump handed Musk the phone. Zelenskiy thanked Musk for the Starlink satellites that he has provided Ukraine. The Tesla and SpaceX executive said he would continue to ensure satellite internet connection.

At the outset of Russia’s 32 1/2-month invasion, Musk gave Kyiv the Starlink satellites for free. But he threatened to cut the supply of terminals in autumn 2022, demanding that the US Defense Department take over the financing. The businessman backed down, as he was criticized for supporting the Kremlin’s lines on a “peace plan” which bolstered its “annexation” of Ukrainian territory.

Ukraine military intelligence head Kyrill Budanov said in February that Russian forces were using thousands of Starlink terminals on the frontline.

Musk and the Kremlin denied “official” supply of any terminals. But Musk refused to activate the satellites over Russian-occupied Crimea in response to an emergency request from Ukraine. Musk said he was did not SpaceX “complicit in a major act of war and conflict escalation”.

Meanwhile, Musk has been in regular contact with Putin. The topics of discussion are unclear, but he entrepreneur backed the cutoff of US aid to Kyiv earlier this year. He told US Senators that there was “no way in hell” Vladimir Putin will lose in his invasion.

“We Agreed to Maintain Close Dialogue”

Trump, who has threatened the halt of American assistance to Ukraine, reportedly told Zelenskiy that he will continue support without going into details.

Zelenskyy praised Trump and his team for a successful campaign.

We agreed to maintain close dialogue and advance our cooperation. Strong and unwavering U.S. leadership is vital for the world and for a just peace.

Zelenskiy reinforced with praise of Trump for speaking of “peace through strength”: “When this principle becomes the policy of the 47th President, both America and the entire world will undoubtedly benefit.”

On Thursday, Vladimir Putin launched his campaign to influence the President-elect. He declared he was “ready for dialogue”, flattering Trump’s remarks on Ukraine: “What was said about the desire to restore relations with Russia, to bring about the end of the Ukrainian crisis in my opinion, this deserves attention at least.”