Assassination of Pro-Russian Official and Black Sea Clashes: What You Need to Know about Ukraine's Recent Developments

This week witnessed an ongoing battle for supremacy in the Black Sea between Ukraine and Russia, while both sides persistently fought for control in eastern Ukraine with the approaching winter.

In its endeavor to maintain striking Russian positions deep within occupied Crimea, Ukraine asserted that it successfully targeted small Russian naval vessels using sea drones.

This week in Ukraine, a pro-Moscow official was killed in a blast in Luhansk, eastern Ukraine, which is under Russian occupation. The responsibility for the assassination was claimed by a Ukrainian intelligence agency. Here is an update on the recent developments.

The Black Sea front

Ukrainian Defense Intelligence (GUR) reportedly attacked two Russian naval vessels in the Black Sea on Friday, showcasing once again Ukraine's capability to target Russian installations in occupied Crimea.

Defence Intelligence has released a blurry, black-and-white video that purportedly captures the exact moment of the attacks.

Ukraine Defence Intelligence released grainy, grayscale video showing what it claims is the moment of its srikes on Russian navy vessels in the Black sea.

The video's authenticity, date, and location cannot be independently confirmed by CNN. The footage, captured from dash cameras on two unmanned surface drones, shows the drones approaching what seems to be landing craft at a dock. The first drone records the moment it strikes what appears to be a Russian landing craft, while the second drone captures heavy equipment on board the Russian vessel as it approaches its target.

Russia has not officially commented on the incident. But Russian military bloggers said unmanned boats had targeted Russias Black Sea fleet vessels.

CNN

Exclusive: Rare access to Ukraines sea drones, part of Ukraines fightback in the Black Sea

Ukraine has taken aggressive actions to target locations in occupied Crimea as part of a larger strategy to disrupt Russia's logistics, fuel supply, maintenance, and command centers, with the goal of impacting their ability to support the front lines. Additionally, Kyiv has made a concentrated effort to challenge Russia's control over Ukraine's Black Sea waters.

In an attempt to impede Ukraine's ability to maintain a shipping route from its Black Sea ports, Moscow has launched a higher volume of missiles and deployed attack drones on Odesa in the past week, according to Ukraine's military.

A civilian vessel, flying the Liberian flag, was struck on Wednesday as it neared the port in the Odesa region. The incident resulted in the death of the ship's pilot and injuries to four others, as reported by Ukraine's Operational Command South. This event is believed to be the first instance of a civilian ship being hit since Ukraine created a shipping route, referred to as a humanitarian corridor, to the Black Sea after the failure of a UN-brokered agreement for safe passage.

Ukrainian authorities have said the corridor remains open despite the attacks this week.

Fight for Avdiivka

Avdiivka, an eastern town, is surrounded by Russian forces on three sides. Over the past month, these forces have been repeatedly launching assaults in an attempt to fully siege the town. However, despite this, Ukrainian soldiers have remained steadfast, inflicting significant losses on the occupiers, as reported by Ukraine's military.

Due to unfavorable weather conditions for Russian assaults involving tracked vehicles, the Russian forces have adapted their tactics. The Ukrainian military has observed an increase in the use of drones by the Russian forces to target well-defended Ukrainian positions. Additionally, there has been a rise in the number of infantry assaults conducted by the Russian forces on foot.

Police conduct evacuation work in Avdiivka, Ukraine, on October 30. Fighting has escalated in the eastern town following Russia's major offensive earlier this month.

Ukrainian forces have established strong defensive fortifications in the town. Since 2014, when pro-Moscow separatists took control of a significant part of the Donbas region, including the neighboring city of Donetsk, Ukraine has been reinforcing its defensive positions. Avdiivka has been continuously targeted since Russia initiated its full-scale invasion in February 2022.

The current defensive positions of the Ukrainian military are enabling them to withstand consecutive Russian attacks. Any loss of territory at this stage would greatly demoralize Ukraine, especially since their highly anticipated counteroffensive during the summer failed to yield significant gains.

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The potential connection between the Israel-Hamas War and Russia's war campaign in Ukraine was discussed by Oleksandr Tarnavskyi, the commander of the Tavria Joint Forces Operation, in a Telegram post. Tarnavskyi emphasized the resilient nature of the Ukrainian people, stating that Avdiivka holds great significance as it represents not only a geographical area but also symbolizes the essence of Ukraine and the Ukrainian Donbas region.

Assassination claimed

In occupied Luhansk, a car explosion killed a pro-Moscow former head of police on Wednesday.

The blast was claimed by Ukraine's Defense Intelligence, stating that it was a collaborative operation with pro-Ukrainian partisans. Following the explosion that resulted in the death of Mikhail Filiponenko, the former leader of the self-proclaimed Peoples Militia of the Russian-backed Luhansk Peoples Republic (LPR), Russian authorities initiated an investigation. The separatists supported by Moscow declared a breakaway republic in Luhansk back in 2014.

Defense Intelligence has warned pro-Russian officials in occupied areas, informing them that the addresses and locations of traitors serving terrorist Russia in Ukraine's temporarily occupied territories are fully documented. The Defense Intelligence of Ukraine asserts that war criminals and collaborators will face just retribution.

Multiple assassination attempts have been made against Russian-backed officials in occupied Ukraine. One notable incident occurred in May, where Igor Kornet, the acting interior minister of the LPR, sustained severe injuries due to an explosion.

President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen has said that Ukraine has "already completed way over 90%" of the blocs demands.

John Thys/AFP/Getty Images

European dream advances

Ukraine has reached a significant milestone in its arduous journey towards joining the European Union, as the bloc's executive arm has indicated its political readiness to initiate formal accession talks. After almost 18 months of being granted conditional candidate status, the European Union's executive body has declared that Ukraine is prepared for thorough discussions regarding its accession.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who submitted an application for EU membership in February 2022 following the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, expressed his approval of the announcement. He stated, "Today marks a significant milestone in the history of Ukraine and Europe."

Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission, hailed it as "a momentous occasion." During her address to the Ukrainian parliament last weekend, she emphasized that Ukraine had already fulfilled "over 90% of the bloc's requirements."

However, there are several important considerations to keep in mind. The ongoing war is a significant hurdle that Ukraine must overcome. Typically, it takes almost ten years to attain EU membership. In order to move forward, Ukraine must continue to take steps towards tackling corruption, reducing the power of oligarchs, and enhancing transparency.

For over a decade, Ukraine has nurtured aspirations of becoming an EU member. The country's constitution has officially included the goal of joining the bloc and NATO since 2019.