Victory Chronicles-DAY 1002

On November 21, Russian forces launched a Rubizhne intercontinental ballistic missile at the Ukrainian city of Dnipro, marking the first use of this potential nuclear warhead. 

The attack also involved missiles of various types, including an X-47M2 Kinzhal aeroballistic missile from a MiG-31K fighter jet and seven X-101 cruise missiles from Tu-95MS strategic bombers. Aerial and anti-aircraft defenses were deployed, destroying six X-101 missiles, while the rest were eliminated without significant consequences. Fortunately, there have been no reports of casualties or injuries so far. The Ukrainian Air Force has called on the media and bloggers to responsibly share information regarding the country’s Armed Forces and any threats to Ukraine. According to sources, the missile used in this attack is the RS-26 “Rubezh,” classified as a medium-range missile.

The Biden administration has submitted a statement to Congress indicating its intent to cancel half of Ukraine’s economic aid debt, which amounts to around $4.65 billion. This action would give President Joe Biden the authority to forgive 50% of the loan granted to Kyiv in April 2024. The loan, totaling about $61 billion, included additional appropriations for Ukraine’s security, with $10 billion being a repayable loan. According to the document, the current president can forgive up to 50% of the loan starting from November 15, 2024, while the next president can forgive the remaining 50% on January 1, 2026. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller expressed confidence that Congress would not object to this cancellation once notified by the White House.

On November 20, Russian occupants targeted the town of Kostiantynivka in the Donetsk region with two FAB-250 bombs. One of the bombs hit a residential area, injuring six civilians. The victims, which included five women aged 18 to 75 and a 56-year-old man, suffered from injuries such as mine-blast injuries, shrapnel wounds, contusions, and concussion. They have received medical treatment for their injuries. The attack also damaged ten facades of apartment buildings, a shop, a garage, and a car. 

The Communications Department of the Support Forces Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine released a video of the Sivalka-VM8 flamethrower system, which was used to fire enemy forces with unique thermobaric shells.

Ukraine conducted a successful combined strike against military assets in the Russian rear on the night of November 19 to 20 using drones and Western-provided long-range weapons. The Guardian and Bloomberg both reported on November 20, citing anonymous sources, that Ukrainian forces have conducted the first strikes against military targets within Russia using UK-provided Storm Shadow missiles.

Geolocated footage published on November 20 shows the aftermath of a likely Storm Shadow strike near Marino, Kursk Oblast. Several Russian milbloggers claimed that Ukrainian forces launched up to 12 Storm Shadow missiles at Kursk Oblast, fragments of which struck Marino. The geolocated footage of the strike suggests that the Ukrainian target may have been the Baryatinsky Estate in Marino, which the Ukrainian defense-focused outlet Defense Express suggested was housing a command post for Russian and North Korean troops operating in Kursk Oblast. ISW cannot confirm this claim at this time, but Marino is about 30km from the current Kursk Oblast salient, which would be an appropriate distance for an operational headquarters for troops conducting offensives along the salient.

Ukrainian forces also conducted a large-scale drone strike against the Russian rear on the night of November 19 to 20, particularly targeting military and defense industrial assets in Voronezh, Belgorod, and Novgorod oblasts. The Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) claimed that Russian air defense systems destroyed or intercepted a total of 44 Ukrainian drones as of the morning of November 20, including 20 over Novgorod Oblast; five over Kursk Oblast; four over Oryol Oblast; three each over Belgorod, Tula, and Tver oblasts; and two each over Bryansk, Moscow, and Smolensk oblasts.

Head of Ukraine’s Center for Combatting Disinformation Lieutenant Andriy Kovalenko stated on November 20 that Ukrainian drones struck the 13th Main Missile and Artillery Directorate (GRAU) arsenal near Kotovo, Novgorod Oblast, at which Russian forces were reportedly storing ammunition for tube artillery; mortar mines; “Grad,” “Smerch,” and “Uragan” multi-launch rocket systems (MLRS) missiles; Iskander ballistic missiles; S-300 and S-400 surface-to-air missiles; North Korean provided KN-23 ballistic missiles; and Tor surface-to-air system missiles. 

Ukraine’s Main Military Intelligence Directorate (GUR) reported that Ukrainian forces also struck a command post of the Russian “Sever” (Nothern) Grouping of Forces in Gubkin, Belgorod Oblast. Ukrainian and Russian sources additionally posted footage of the aftermath of a reported Ukrainian drone strike against the EFKO Factory in Alekseyevka, Belgorod Oblast, which Kovalenko stated produces cargo drones for the Russian military. Russian sources reported that Ukrainian drones also hit an unspecified industrial enterprise in Voronezh Oblast and targeted an oil depot in Sosnovka, Samara Oblast.

Ukrainian defender Bohdan “Kenny” Tsymbaliuk died on 12 June 2024 while performing a combat mission near the village of Novooleksandrivka, Donetsk region. The defender was 23 years old.

Bohdan was born in the city of Lysychansk, Luhansk region. He graduated from school №18. He mastered the specialty of electric and gas welding at the Lysychansk Vocational and Technical Mining Lyceum. He also studied at the Lysychansk Pedagogical College of Luhansk Taras Shevchenko National University but completed only three courses. He was fond of sports and went in for athletics, boxing, and kickboxing.

On the second day of the full-scale war, 25 February 2022, he and his friend went to defend their country in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He qualified as a communications specialist and, a year and a half later, changed his profession to an anti-tank platoon operator in a fire support company.

‘My son has always been optimistic, incredibly generous, kind, loyal and loving,’ said Iryna Zolenko. It has not yet been possible to bury the soldier, as his body remained on the battlefield due to heavy shelling. Bohdan is survived by his parents, sister, brother and girlfriend.

*Bohdan’s story on the Heroes Memorial – a platform for stories about the fallen defenders of Ukraine.

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