By This was CNBC’s live blog tracking developments on the war in Ukraine on November 20, 2023.
The Ukrainian capital Kyiv endured a second successive night of drone attacks on Sunday, local officials said, while its forces claimed to have gained ground in the ongoing battle with Russian troops on the banks of the Dnieper River.
Serhiy Popko, the head of Kyiv’s military administration, said on Telegram that a barrage of ammunition was fired by Shahed drones over the capital.
“The enemy’s UAVs were launched by many groups and came to attack Kyiv in waves, from different directions, while constantly changing the vectors of movement along the route,” Popko said.
Air raid sirens were sounded several times in Kyiv, and no casualties or critical damage were recorded in the city according to currently available information, he added.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian army spokeswoman Natalia Humeniuk told Ukrainian television, according to multiple local media reports, that forces on the Russian-controlled bank of the Dnieper River in the southern region of Kherson had been pushed back by between 3 kilometers (1.86 miles) and 8 kilometers.
Fierce fighting has erupted over the past week after Ukrainian forces crossed the vast river into the Russian-occupied eastern bank.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin arrived in Kyiv on Monday for a surprise visit. He is expected to hold a series of meetings with senior leaders.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry said on Monday that it had spoken to Finland’s ambassador to Russia and protested Finland’s decision to close its borders to Russia over the weekend.
Finland’s actions would impact tens of thousands of people in both countries, the ministry said in a Google-translated statement released on its website.
“The decision was made hastily, without any consultations with the Russian side, which had previously been an integral part of cooperation in ensuring the effective functioning of the joint border,” the statement said.
It comes after Finland closed crossing points on its border to Russia to limit an influx of asylum seekers, which it has suggested were assisted by Russian authorities.
— Sophie Kiderlin
U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen told CNBC on Monday that passing legislation to provide further military aid to Ukraine is a “critical priority” for U.S. President Joe Biden and for national security.
The Biden administration is seeking Congressional approval for a $105 billion security aid package, but faces opposition from some Republican lawmakers. The bill remains in limbo while Congress is in recess over the next two weeks.
“We can’t allow Ukraine to lose a battle on the home front because it lacks enough money to keep schoolteachers in the classroom and first responders on the job, when it’s fighting valiantly on the battlefield, so Ukraine is utterly dependent on this aid,” Yellen told CNBC’s “Squawk Box.”
She added that the U.S. needs to do its part alongside the European Parliament’s 50 billion euro aid package approved to Ukraine over the next four years and the $15.6 billion funding facility supplied by the IMF.
“This aid is critical to the national security of America. If Putin were to win this brutal war in Ukraine, next we might see an attack in a NATO ally of ours. We need to stop this,” Yellen said.
– Elliot Smith
U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin on Monday reaffirmed Washington’s “steadfast support for Ukraine,” as he made a surprise visit to Kyiv, meeting with President Volodymy Zelenskyy and other senior officials.
“We, along with our allies and partners, will continue to support Ukraine’s urgent battlefield needs and long-term defense requirements,” Austin wrote on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.
– Elliot Smith
Russian President Vladimir Putin will deliver remarks at a virtual G20 summit on Wednesday, Russian state TV reported, citing Putin’s weekly schedule.
In a Telegram post, Rossiya state TV presenter Pavel Zarubin said that this would be the “first event in recent months” that will include both the Russian president and Western leaders.
Putin did not attend the last two G20 meetings in India in September and in Indonesia last year, with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov travelling in his place.
The Indian government confirmed in a statement on Sunday that Prime Minister Narenda Modi would chair a virtual summit on Wednesday in order to “take forward key, select outcomes / action points from the New Delhi Summit as well as review developments since then.”
“The Virtual G20 Summit is also expected to push for effective implementation of various G20 decisions, including through relevant national and international platforms,” it added.
India holds the G20 presidency until Nov. 30, after which it passes onto Brazil.
– Elliot Smith
Russian shelling killed two people in the southern Ukrainian region of Kherson on Monday morning, according to local officials.
Sharing images of damaged vehicles on Telegram, Kherson Governor Oleksandr Prokudin said Russian forces shelled the parking lot of a private transport company in Kherson, killing two drivers and injuring another person.
“Over the past day, the enemy launched 51 shellings, firing 323 shells from mortars, artillery, ‘Grads’, tanks, S-60, RPG, UAVs and aviation,” Prokudin said in a separate post, adding that 30 shells had been fired into the city of Kherson overnight.
“The Russian military took aim at the residential quarters of the populated areas of the region. As a result of Russian aggression, 6 people were injured, including 1 child,” he said.
CNBC could not verify reports on the ground.
– Elliot Smith
The Russian ruble hovered around a four-month high against the U.S. dollar on Monday, buoyed by higher oil prices and interest rates, along with the prospect of higher foreign currency sales by exporters.
As if 9:20 a.m. London time, the ruble was up 1.4% against to trade at 88.44 to the dollar, a level not seen since late July.
– Elliot Smith
U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin arrived in Kyiv on Monday for a surprise visit, in which he will hold a series of meetings with senior leaders, the Department of Defense confirmed.
The visit is Austin’s second since Russia invaded Ukraine in Feb. 2022.
U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration is seeking Congressional approval for a fresh aid package to Ukraine, but the funding is currently in limbo as Congress is on recess and the bill has been held up by opposition from some Republican lawmakers.
– Elliot Smith
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on Sunday that he had replaced the commander of the military’s medical forces, and called for operational changes.
In a nightly video address and accompanying post on Telegram, Zelenskyy said he had replaced Major General Tetiana Ostaschenko with Major General Anatoliy Kazmirchuk, on the recommendation of Minister of Defense Rustem Umerov.
“The task is obvious – and this has been repeatedly discussed in society, in particular in the community of our combat medics – a fundamentally new level of medical support for our military is needed,” Zelenskyy said on Telegram, according to a translation.
“From high-quality tourniquets to full digitalization and transparency in supply, from high-quality training to sincere communication with combat medics in those units where medical care is organized truly properly and truly effectively. The experience of the effectiveness of specific units should be extended to the entire defense forces.”
– Elliot Smith
Ukrainian army spokeswoman Natalia Humeniuk told Ukrainian television, according to multiple local media reports, that forces on the Russian-controlled bank of the Dnieper River in the southern region of Kherson had been pushed back by between 3 kilometers (1.86 miles) and 8 kilometers.
Fierce fighting has erupted over the past week after Ukrainian forces crossed the vast river into the Russian-occupied eastern bank.
Ukrainian forces on Friday claimed to have secured multiple bridgeheads on the eastern side of the river, which divides the partially occupied region.
– Elliot Smith
Serhiy Popko, the head of Kyiv’s military administration, said on Telegram that a barrage of ammunition was fired by Shahed drones on the capital overnight.
“The enemy’s UAVs were launched by many groups and came to attack Kyiv in waves, from different directions, while constantly changing the vectors of movement along the route,” Popko said.
Air raid sirens were sounded several times in Kyiv, and no casualties or critical damage were recorded in the city according to currently available information, he added.
– Elliot Smith
Kremlin Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov said on Friday that Finland had chosen a path of confrontation and that Russia saw this as a mistake, state media outlet TASS reported.
One can “only express deep regret that the Finnish authorities have taken the path of destroying bilateral relations,” Peskov told reporters, according to a Google translation of his quotes.
“Russia has never in modern history threatened Finland, we had no reason for any confrontation. Now they have chosen this path,” he said, adding that this was a “big mistake” in the Kremlin’s view.
Finland is set to close its border with Russia and erect barriers at midnight local time on Friday, the Finnish Border Guard said.
— Sophie Kiderlin
Russian shelling kills six in Kherson; Finland to blockade Russian borders
