Here are the key developments from Sunday, November 16, as Russia’s war on Ukraine reached day 1,361. Ukraine’s military said it struck the Ryazan oil refinery, located about 200km (125 miles) southeast of Moscow, describing the operation as part of efforts to weaken Russia’s ability to carry out missile and aerial bombardments. The strike reportedly caused several explosions and ignited a large fire at the facility. At the same time, Russia’s Ministry of Defence announced that its forces had captured the village of Yablukove in the Zaporizhia region. Ukrainian commanders also confirmed that their troops had withdrawn from the nearby village of Novovasylivske, saying the pullback was necessary to regroup in “more favourable defensive positions.”
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said recent Russian attacks on Kyiv had killed several civilians, including the widow of the first victim of the 1986 Chornobyl disaster. He described her death as “a new tragedy caused once again by the Kremlin.” Meanwhile, Russia’s RIA Novosti reported that conditions at the Moscow-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant remained stable after an external power line was switched off on Friday as a precaution. In southern Russia, the TASS news agency said Ukrainian drones struck residential buildings in Volgograd, damaging façades and windows, while the Russian Defence Ministry claimed to have shot down eight Ukrainian drones over Belgorod, Bryansk, Kursk and occupied Crimea during a four-hour period.
Diplomatic and political developments also moved forward. A Ukrainian official said Russia and Ukraine agreed to proceed with a prisoner exchange that would see the release of about 1,200 Ukrainians. The agreement followed several days of negotiations mediated by Türkiye and the United Arab Emirates, reviving commitments made in earlier talks in Istanbul. Zelenskyy also announced plans to overhaul state-owned energy companies in an effort to combat corruption, following an investigation alleging that $100m had been embezzled from power firms.
In Poland, President Karol Nawrocki signed a bill extending social assistance for Ukrainian refugees but warned it would be the “last time” he approved such a measure without new long-term solutions. He argued that the current structure of aid for the roughly one million Ukrainians living in Poland had become “unfair to Poles.” In Serbia, officials said the United States would not consider lifting sanctions on the Serbian oil company NIS unless its majority-Russian ownership is reduced, giving Belgrade until February 13 to find a solution.
Following a wave of deadly Russian air strikes on Kyiv that killed at least seven people and wounded dozens more, Zelenskyy urged Ukraine’s partners to supply additional air defence systems. He said the attacks underscored the need for stronger international support and “greater resolve” from allies as the war continues.
Source: Aljazeera
