Victory Chronicles-DAY 1352

Ukrainian soldiers raised the national flag over the city hall of the Donetsk regional town of Pokrovsk in what was a symbolic breakthrough and of one of the longest and bloodiest urban battles of the Russo-Ukrainian war. 

Troops of the 425th Assault Regiment, known as Skelia (Cliff), said on Nov. 5 that they had cleared Russian forces from the city council building during a nighttime operation. 

The assault, carried out by the regiment’s 201st and 1st assault battalions, pushed through Russian-held streets despite one of their vehicles being hit en route. One soldier was wounded but continued fighting until the mission was complete, the unit reported. 

After the assault, the regiment released a video showing the blue-and-yellow flag flying again over the building. Ukrainian forces said small Russian groups remain active in the area but are being tracked and eliminated.

Latvia to send Ukraine 21 more Patria armored personnel carriers. Latvia will deliver 21 domestically produced Patria six-wheel drive armored personnel carriers to Ukraine, the Latvian Defense Ministry announced on Nov. 5, according to European Pravda.

The transfer was discussed during Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal’s visit to Riga, where he met with Latvian Defense Minister Andris Spruds to expand bilateral defense cooperation. Shmyhal is expected to receive the final batch of the vehicles on Nov. 6 at the Adazi military base.

Russian drone strike ignites fires, injures eight in Kamianske, Dnipropetrovsk region. Russian forces launched a massive drone attack on the city of Kamianske in Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk region overnight, injuring eight people and sparking several fires, local officials said on Nov. 6.

Acting regional governor Vladyslav Haivanenko said the strikes damaged infrastructure, a transport company and multiple cars. The blast also partially destroyed the roof and upper floors of a four-story apartment building. “Several fires broke out across the city after the attack,” he wrote on Facebook.

Ukraine destroys Shahed drone and ammunnition base in occupied Donetsk, video shows. Ukrainian forces destroyed a Russian base used to store, assemble and launch Iranian-made Shahed drones in the area of the former Donetsk airport on Nov. 5, according to Ukrainian commander Robert “Madyar” Brovdi.

Brovdi, who leads Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces, said the strike was carried out jointly by Special Operations Forces, Rocket Forces and Artillery, and his 414th Unmanned Systems Brigade. It was the culmination of a months-long intelligence operation that identified the target  “from small scraps of information.”

Videos posted on social media showed large explosions and fires lighting up the sky over the occupied city. Russian Telegram channels also reported detonations, with some suggesting that an ammunition depot in the same area was also struck, amplifying the scale of the blasts. 

Key Takeaways

1. Kremlin ruler Vladimir Putin continues to try to blame U.S. President Donald Trump for the nuclear arms modernization and buildup program that Russia began years ago.
2. Russia’s grinding advances in the Pokrovsk direction continue to absorb significant Russian losses.
3. North Korea is reportedly deploying additional troops to support roles in the Russian rear.
4. The Kremlin continues to set conditions to deploy active reservists to combat in Ukraine.
5. Russian forces continue to commit war crimes against Ukrainian civilians.
6. Authorities reported unidentified drone incursions near the Brussels and Liege airports in Belgium on the evening of Nov. 4.
7. Russian forces advanced in northern Sumy Oblast, in the Kostyantynivka-Druzhkivka tactical area, and near Vovchansk, Pokrovsk, and Velykomykhailivka. Ukrainian forces advanced in the Dobropillya tactical area.

• Drones strike Kostroma Power Station, one of Russia’s largest energy facilities
• Ukrainian General Staff confirms strikes on Volgograd oil refinery and several other Russian targets
• Ukrainian child forced to sing Russian song Kalinka during music lesson in Finland
• South Africa says 17 of its citizens have become ‘trapped’ in Donbas after joining ‘mercenary forces’
• UK defense secretary believes Trump can still bring Putin to negotiating table
• Trump: Putin has failed to settle war in Ukraine and asked me for help
• Spiegel: Far-right Alternative for Germany suspected of systematically passing military secrets to Russia 
• Russian defense minister urges Putin to prepare for full-scale nuclear tests because of US’