Victory Chronicles-DAY 1366

A joint US-Russian proposal to end the Russian instigated war in Ukraine would demand that Ukraine surrender territory, drastically cut the size of its military and give up key weapons, according to The New York Times. 

The 28-point plan, drafted without Kyiv’s involvement, mirrors long-standing Kremlin demands that Ukrainian leaders have repeatedly rejected as capitulation.

The document, reportedly discussed by the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff and Russian negotiator Kirill Dmitriev, was later shown to Ukrainian officials. It would require Ukraine to cede all of the two easternmost regions of Luhansk and Donetsk, including areas still under Ukrainian control,  recognize Russia’s hold over the Crimean Peninsula and other occupied regions, and slash its armed forces to a level far below its current strength. It also reportedly calls for banning foreign troops in Ukraine after a cease-fire and restricting long-range weapons that Kyiv uses to strike deep inside Russia.

Ukrainian officials privately called the plan “unacceptable,” saying it tracks closely with Moscow’s maximalist goals at a moment when Ukraine is under battlefield pressure and confronting political turmoil at home. Analysts noted Russia is pressing its slow advances near the Donetsk regional town of Pokrovsk, hoping to weaken Kyiv’s negotiating position.

Norway commits more than $45 million in new humanitarian aid for Ukraine. Norway has pledged an additional 465 million kroner ($45.7 million) in humanitarian support for Ukraine, bringing its 2025 aid commitments for relief efforts and refugee support to 3 billion kroner, the government in Oslo said on Nov. 19.

The new funding supplements an earlier 120-million-kroner allocation for food security and will be distributed through UN agencies, the Red Cross and Red Crescent movement, and Norwegian humanitarian groups.

Oslo said the priority is to help the most vulnerable communities along the front line by supporting evacuations, assisting people displaced by fighting and providing shelter for families who have lost their homes in Russian attacks.

Search continues in Ternopil after Russian strike as crews clear 700 square meters of debris. Search-and-rescue crews in Ternopil worked through the night to clear rubble from a residential building that was destroyed in a Russian strike that killed 26 civilians, including three children, Ukraine’s State Emergency Service said on Nov. 20. As of 7 a.m. local time, the death toll and number of injured had not changed. Authorities are still searching for residents who remain unaccounted for. Emergency teams have cleared more than 700 square meters (7,500 square feet) of debris and removed 230 cubic meters (over 8,000 cubic feet) of shattered concrete and twisted metal.

The agency said the work is slowed by the building’s extensive fragmentation and the need to dig manually in several sections to avoid injuring people who may still be trapped. More than 230 responders and 50 vehicles are operating at the site.

The Nov. 19 strike hit the building without warning, killing dozens and injuring 93 people, including 18 children. Officials say 46 residents have been rescued so far, as teams continue to sift through the wreckage in one of the deadliest attacks on a western Ukrainian city since the start of Russia’s invasion in February 2022.

Ukraine’s 44th Artillery Brigade wipes out Russian guns with counterfire and strike drones. Ukrainian gunners from the 44th Separate Artillery Brigade say they have destroyed several Russian howitzers and an ammunition site in a rapid counterbattery operation aimed at slowing a new Russian advance.

According to the brigade, drone operators first located enemy artillery positions and a storage point for ammunition. Moments later, Ukrainian military units launched precision counterbattery fire and strike drones, hitting every identified target.

Soldiers said the goal was simple: to stop the Russian advance and protect Ukrainian infantry under pressure along the line.

Key Takeaways

1.  Russia killed at least 26 Ukrainian civilians and injured at least 139 on the night of Nov. 18-19 during its combined missile and drone strikes that disproportionately affected civilian areas.
2. U.S. and Russian officials reportedly drafted a 28-point peace plan that amounts to Ukraine’s full capitulation and would set conditions for renewed Russian aggression against Ukraine.
3. The reported proposed peace plan would deprive Ukraine of critical defensive positions and capabilities necessary to defend against future Russian aggression, apparently in exchange for nothing.
4. This reported peace plan is fundamentally the same as Russia’s 2022 Istanbul demands, which Russia presented to Ukraine when the circumstances on the battlefield appeared to favor Russia more heavily.
5. Russia’s long-held demands are dependent on the false premise that a Russian battlefield victory is inevitable.
6. Ukraine’s interdiction efforts are preventing Russian forces from using vehicles and concentrating manpower in Pokrovsk and are likely slowing down Russia’s rate of advance within the town.
7. Russian forces recently advanced near Borova and Hulyaipole.

• US secretary of state says both sides must make “necessary concessions” for peace in Ukraine
• Germany was not informed about the new “peace plan” the US was preparing in consultations with Russia
• NBC News: Trump approves 28-point peace plan to resolve Russia’s war against Ukraine
• UK on US peace plan: Russia can end war by withdrawing its troops
• UN Secretary-General condemns Russian attack on Ukraine and highlights urgency of ceasefire
• Trump adviser: Ending Russia’s war against Ukraine is US foreign policy priority
• The Telegraph: Ukraine told to accept cash-for-land deal with Putin