Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky greets European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Kyiv, November 4, 2023

Monday’s Coverage: Kyiv Strikes Oil Refinery and Drone Plant Inside Russia

UPDATE 1458 GMT:

At least six civilians were murdered and 59 injured by Russian across Ukraine over the past day.

In the Dnipropetrovsk region in south-central Ukraine, three people were killed and 12 injured amid almost 70 Russian attacks.

In the Zaporizhzhia region in the south, two civilians were slain and 10 injured.

In the neighboring Kherson region, one person was killed, and five injured.

Casualties were also reported in the Sumy and Kharkiv regions.

UPDATE 1454 GMT:

Ukrainian drones struck the Samara oil distribution station in southwest Russia overnight.

An official of Ukraine’s State security service SBU said a “massive fire” was set. Five crude oil tanks, each with a capacity of 20,000 cubic meters, were damaged.

Samara Governor Vyacheslav Fedorishchev, said “enemy Ukrainian armed forces launched yet another attempt to attack an industrial facility.”

UPDATE 0820 GMT:

Germany and France have called on the European Union to grant “symbolic” benefits to Ukraine in a pre-accession phase.

The benefits would exclude EU farming subsidies and voting rights.

In separate documents, the German and French proposals pushed back Ukraine’s hopes for fast-track accession.

Germany offers “associate membership” status with Ukraine observing ministerial and leaders’ meetings. France proposes “integrated state status”, under which access to the “Common Agricultural Policy and European funding such as cohesion policy…should be postponed to a post-accession phase”.

Taras Kachka, Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister for European integration, said, “We are in contact with [Paris and Berlin] and other capitals as well — everything is evolving. There are other papers as well.”

However, another Ukrainian official said Kyiv is wary of the status, “We call it ‘shadow membership’”. A third chided, “Those guys…have to understand that they need Ukraine, too. If they want real security, they have to give [a] fair offer.”

UPDATE 0737 GMT:

Ukraine’s air defenses downed 116 of 143 drones launched by Russia overnight. Twenty-two UAVs hit 17 locations.

At least 15 civilians were injured, including three children, Sumy city in northern Ukraine. Residential buildings, cars, and a medical facility were damaged.

UPDATE 0652 GMT:

The German Foreign Ministry summoned the Russian Ambassador on Monday over “direct threats from Russia” against “targets in Germany”.

The Ministry said:

[The threats] are an attempt to undermine our support for Ukraine and test our unity. Our response is clear: we will not be intimidated. Such threats and all forms of espionage in Germany are completely unacceptable.

Russia’s Defense Ministry suggested last week that at least three German firms could be targeted for supplying drones to Ukraine:

The European public should not only clearly understand the underlying causes of the threats to their safety, but also know the addresses, as well as the location of ‘Ukrainian’ and ‘joint’ companies producing UAVs and their components for Ukraine in their countries.

On Monday morning, Russian authorities said they arrested a German woman, claiming she is part of an Ukrainian-backed plot to blow up a services facility. The State security service FSB said she was detained in the Caucasus city of Pyatigorsk, claiming she had an explosive device in her backpack.

ORIGINAL ENTRY: The European Union will unblock a €90 billion loan to Ukraine on Wednesday.

In December the EU approved the loan, meeting Kyiv’s militarym and financial needs through 2027. However, Hungary and its pro-Kremlin Prime Minister Viktor Orbán held up implementation.

The barrier was removed on April 12 when Hungarian elections ended Orbán’s 16-year rule. Incoming Prime Minister Péter Magyar said Budapest would lift its objection.

Orbán confirmed on Sunday that Hungary will end its blockade. He tried to save face, saying Budapest had “received an indication from Ukraine” over resumption of oil deliveries to Hungary via the damaged Druzhba pipeline.

The pipeline, from Russia to Hungary and Slovakia, was struck by Moscow’s drones in attacks on western Ukraine in late January.

After the Hungarian elections, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky said the Druzhba infrastructure will be repaired by the end of April.

French President Emmanuel Macron assured, “We can be reasonably optimistic about the sound progress and implementation” of the funding.