Narratives in Media Coverage of Ukraine

Claims of Possible Future Peace Negotiations

• According to NBC, U.S. and European officials have begun speaking with Ukraine about outlines for future peace negotiations with Russia.  The conversations have included discussions of what Ukraine may need to give up in a peace deal.  The talks took place during a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, made up of over 50 countries, last month. (NBC News; see also Reuters)
• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy denied the report that EU and U.S. officials have been speaking with Kyiv about possible peace talks with Russia.  Zelenskyy said that “no leader of the United States or European Union, our partners—nobody puts pressure on us for us sitting at the negotiation table with Russia and give something away.” (Politico)

North Korean Missiles in Russia

• South Korea has said that North Korea has likely sent several types of missiles to Russia to be used in its war against Ukraine.  South Korea’s military said that North Korea has likely sent “an unspecified number of short-range ballistic missiles, anti-tank missiles, and portable anti-air missiles to Russia, in addition to rifles, rocket launchers, mortars, and shells.” (NBC News; see also AP News)  
• Despite European Union promises to Ukraine to supply a million rounds of ammunition within a year, EU weapons manufacturers are nowhere near the goal.  By contrast, North Korea is estimated to have already sent a million shells to Russia. (Politico)
• South Korea, the United States, and Japan have condemned North Korea’s actions in supplying weapons to Ukraine, saying that North Korea’s weapons supplied to Russia will sharply increase the toll of Russia’s war in Ukraine. (AP News)

Ukraine’s EU Accession

• During a visit to Ukraine, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that the EU will continue its support of Ukraine.  Von der Leyen’s assurance comes amid concerns that the Israel-Hamas conflict will shift attention from Ukraine.  Von der Leyen hinted that Brussels will recommend that accession negotiations open soon and applauded Kyiv’s “excellent process” on working towards conditions laid out by the Commission for accession. (Politico; see also Reuters, Euractiv)

Prank Call in Italy

• Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said that European leaders are “tired” of the war in Ukraine during a hoax call by Russian pranksters.  Meloni was under the impression that she was speaking with officials of the African Union.  The Russian callers, Vladimir Kyznetsov and Alexei Stolyarov, have been accused of acting as a “pro-Kremlin tool of information warfare.” (Politico; see also Politico)
• Ukraine told Europe after the prank call was released that Europe should not abandon Ukraine.  Chairman of the Ukrainian parliamentary committee on foreign policy Oleksandr Merezhko said that abandoning Ukraine “would cost Europe and the world very dearly…throwing Europe and the world security system back to the 19th century.” (Politico)

New U.S. Sanctions

• The United States announced nearly 100 new sanctions against Russia “targeting Russian energy production and revenue, the metals and mining sectors, defense procurement, and those involved in supporting Moscow’s war effort.”  Moscow dismissed the new sanctions, saying Washington “shouldn’t hold its breath” that the sanctions will pressure the Kremlin to halt the offensive. (Politico; see also Euractiv)
• U.S. sanctions also targeted 130 firms and people from Turkey, China, and the United Arab Emirates in an effort to “choke off Russia’s access to tools and equipment that support its invasion of Ukraine.” (AP News)

Massive Russian Drone Attack on Ukrainian Infrastructure

• A Russian drone attack damaged critical Ukrainian infrastructure on 3 November.  The attack targeted several regions including Kharkiv, Odessa, Kherson, and Lviv.  The Ukrainian military said that they shot down several drones.  There were no casualties reported, but critical infrastructure and civilian and commercial buildings were damaged. (Politico)
• Zelenskyy said that Ukraine has to be prepared for infrastructure attacks as winter approaches.  Attacks against infrastructure, especially in the southern Kherson region, have increased. (AP News)

A Stalemate

• Ukraine’s Army Commander-in-Chief Valery Zaluzkny said that the war has reached a stalemate.  He said that to break through the deadlock, Ukraine would need a technological leap.  Right now, he said, “there will most likely be no deep and beautiful breakthrough.” (Economist; see also Politico)
• Zelenskyy denied that the war had reached a stalemate after the comments by Zaluzkny, instead calling attention to the need to strengthen Ukrainian air defenses.  He said that “today time has passed and people are tired.  But this is not a stalemate.” (Reuters)
• Ukrainians are battling with exhaustion during the relentless battles against Russian forces.  Ukrainian soldier Istoryk said that soldiers are facing “non-stop fighting, assaults, evacuations.” (Reuters)  
• A Russian attack on Kherson killed one person and damaged the city’s center, in what was described as “again an apocalyptic scene.” (AP News)

International Support for Ukraine

• European politicians will head to the United States to reinforce support for Ukraine after some Republican Party lawmakers seek to cut U.S. aid and funds to Ukraine.  Lithuanian Foreign Minister Bagrielius Landsbergis said, “we need to find ways to reach out to [the public] on both sides of the Atlantic—not to forget that there are actual electorates that see their problems in a certain way.”  Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas said that Estonia was also reaching out to Americans to gather support for Ukraine.  U.S. President Biden has also changed his messaging around Ukraine to argue that supporting Ukraine creates jobs and supports businesses in the United States. (Politico)
• Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has received backlash from his handshake with Russian President Vladimir Putin.  Luxembourg’s outgoing Prime Minister Xavier Bettel called the handshake the equivalent of giving “a middle finger to all soldiers, all Ukrainians that are dying every day” and Lithuanian President Gitanas Nuseda called Orbán a Russian “flirt.” (Politico; see also EU Observer)
• The White House said that it will be providing Ukraine with smaller military packages while a stalemate in Congress over funding for Ukraine stalls larger U.S. support. (Reuters)

Russia Executing Its Soldiers

• According to the United States, Moscow has been executing Russian soldiers who disobey orders in Ukraine.  The Russian military has also been threatening to execute entire units who try to retreat from Ukrainian artillery fire. (Politico; see also AP News, Euractiv)

Effects of Israel-Hamas War

• Zelenskyy has suggested that Russia is benefiting from war in the Middle East.  He said that “the sooner security prevails in the Middle East, the sooner we will restore security here—in Europe.” (Politico)

Investigations into Attacks

• An investigation into an alleged Russian ballistic missile attack on a Ukrainian assault brigade killing over 20 soldiers during an awards ceremony has been launched. (Reuters)
• A United Nations report urged Russia to take responsibility for a missile strike on a Ukrainian village that killed 59 civilians.  It was one of the deadliest strikes on Ukraine, and the U.N. Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine said that it has “reasonable grounds to believe” that a Russian Iskander missile caused the blast. (AP News)

Ukraine as a Production Hub for the West

• Ukraine’s new head of defense industry, Oleksandr Kamysyhin, said that he wants to “[make] Ukraine the arsenal of the free world.”  Ukraine has about 500 companies in its defense industry contributing to efforts to increase weapons production, including 70 state-owned factories, more than 200 private factories, and over 200 private sector companies. (AP News)

Humanitarian Aid for Ukraine

• The United Nations said that Russian strikes are causing unimaginable suffering to Ukrainians and that 40% of them need humanitarian assistance.  Civilians are suffering “horrendous humanitarian consequences” and “unimaginable levels of suffering” from Russian strikes.  The need for humanitarian aid is especially important as winter approaches and as Russia attacks critical infrastructure. (AP News)

Race Commemorating Ukrainians Killed in War

• In a one-kilometer race in Kyiv, around 2,000 Ukrainians ran to commemorate Ukrainians killed in the war.  Each runner wore the name of a person rather than a number.  Organisers called the run the “World’s Longest Marathon” because “no race has lasted as long as Ukraine has been fighting for its freedom.” (AP News)

Polish Truckers Block Border with Ukraine

• Polish truckers will block several border crossings with Ukraine starting on 6 November in protest of “Ukrainian haulers’ free rein in Poland that is hurting [Polish] business.” (Euractiv)

Attacks on Black Sea Shipping Lanes

• Ukraine said that Russian warplanes dropped “explosive objects” into the likely paths of civilian vessels in the Black Sea multiple times.  Russia said that it would consider vessels military targets as Ukraine tries to build up a shipping lane via Romanian and Bulgarian territorial waters. (Euractiv)

Putin Blames West for Mob in Airport

• Putin blamed Ukraine and the West for causing unrest in Russia after rioters in the predominantly Muslim Dagestan region stormed an airport to “catch” Jewish passengers.  Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak said that Kyiv had “nothing to do” with the violence. (Euractiv)

Ukraine Peace Talks in Malta

• More than 50 countries met for talks on the 28 and 29 of October to discuss Zelenskyy’s 10-point blueprint for a potential peace settlement.  Zelenskyy’s “Ukraine Peace Formula” includes the preservation of Ukraine’s territorial integrity, protection of food and energy supplies, the withdrawal of all Russian troops, and more. (Euractiv)

Author: Sophie Adams-Smith, Media Analyst, Promote Ukraine