The KYIV INDEPENDENT Wednesday, November 26 ? Olga Rudenko, editor-in-chief at the Kyiv Independent

 The KYIV INDEPENDENT

Wednesday, November 26

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Russia’s war against Ukraine

Protesters gather outside the U.S. Embassy in Prague on Nov. 25 for a demonstration titled “No to Munich 2025. Don’t Sell Ukraine,” opposing the Trump administration’s proposed plan to end the war and what they see as U.S. pressure on Ukraine. (Stringer / Anadolu via Getty Images)

'Donetsk and maybe a land swap' — Witkoff promised Russian aides he could sway Trump, pressure Ukraine into peace deal in secret phone recording. "The president will give me a lot of space and discretion to get to the deal," U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff told top Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov in a recorded phone call obtained by Bloomberg.

Ukraine agrees to cap its army at 800,000 in revised US peace plan, FT reports.

A Ukrainian army of this size would still remain the second-largest European force after Russia and put it close to its current wartime strength of about 900,000 service members.

Built during war, shattered overnight — Kyiv distribution center hit hard by Russian strike. The facility, Ukraine's first green distribution center with freon and ammonia-free refrigeration, opened in 2024.

Witkoff to meet Putin as US sends delegations to Ukraine, Russia in 'hopes of finalizing' peace plan. "The original 28-Point Peace Plan, which was drafted by the United States, has been fine-tuned, with additional input from both sides, and there are only a few remaining points of disagreement," U.S. President Donald Trump said.

HUR exposes foreign-made backbone of Russia’s Shahed-107 drone striking Ukraine’s front line. Ukraine's military intelligence agency has revealed new details of Russia's Shahed-107 attack drone used to strike front-line areas.

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Ukraine plans Zelensky's visit to US in November to finalize peace deal with Trump. 

"We look forward to organizing a visit of Ukraine's president to the U.S. at the earliest suitable date in November to complete final steps and make a deal with President (Donald) Trump," said Rustem Umerov, Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council.

Ukraine rejects using Russian assets as bargaining chip in peace talks.

"Keeping the assets permanently 'on ice' or turning them into a bargaining chip between Russia and another power only prolongs the conflict," Iryna Mudra, deputy head of President Volodymyr Zelensky's office in charge of legal matters, told the Kyiv Independent in an email.

US holding Ukraine-Russia peace talks in Abu Dhabi, media reports. U.S. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll traveled to Abu Dhabi on Nov. 24 for negotiations with Kyrylo Budanov, Ukraine's military intelligence chief, and a Russian delegation, Driscoll's spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Jeff Tolbert, confirmed to Axios.

Drones strike Russia’s Cheboksary, reports say electronic warfare plant hit again. VNIIR-Progress is a Russian state institute involved in designing electronic warfare systems, including the Kometa antenna used to interfere with satellite, radio, and radar signals.

Ukraine reportedly destroys 2 Russian aircraft, including rare A-60 laser platform. Ukrainian forces destroyed a Russian Il-76 heavy transport aircraft as well as an experimental A-60 airborne laser complex, according to Robert "Madyar" Brovdi, commander of Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces, on Nov. 25.

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Ukraine war latest: DeepState reports Russian gains in Siversk, increasing pressure on Donetsk 'fortress belt'

Russian forces have stepped up attacks and made gains in and around the frontline city of Siversk in Donetsk Oblast, the Ukrainian open-source monitoring project DeepState reported on Nov. 25.  

Photo: Wolfgang Schwan / Anadolu via Getty Images

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Trump’s peace plan takes the heat off Zelensky amid major corruption scandal

As Volodymyr Zelensky was hit with a large-scale corruption scandal and a controversial peace plan at the same time earlier this month, his position seemed desperate and vulnerable to many.

Photo: Volodymyr Zelensky / Telegram

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