Sunday November 19th, 2023 The British Ministry of Defence announced that major changes on the frontline are “unlikely in the near future” as we enter the second winter of the war in Ukraine. The UK has announced that Russian Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) have targeted Kiev. Russia has used 20 Iranian-made Shahid UAVs to target the Ukrainian capital Kiev, as well as the Cherkasy and Poltava regions. Ukrainian Air Defense Systems have shot down 15 of these UAVs. [1]
Ukrainian Army Spokesman Serhii Popko said that this attack on Kiev was the second attack in the last 48 hours. Preliminary reports indicate that there were no casualties or critical damage. The British Ministry of Defense has said that “major changes are unlikely in the near future” on the front line in a situation where both Russia and Ukraine have not made meaningful progress on the front line. [2]
It was stated that the violent clashes concentrated near Kupiansk in the Kharkiv region, in Avdiivka in the Dontesk region, and on the left bank of the Dnieper River, where Ukrainian forces established a bridgehead. Meanwhile, civilians were injured in the attacks on the Russian city of Kherson. [3] The head of the Kherson region administration, Aleksandr Prokudin, said that a residential apartment building was damaged in the attack. Russian air defense shot down a Ukrainian UAV over the Moscow region on November 19, 2023. According to the statement of Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin, he reported that the wreckage fell in the Bogorodskiy area and there were no casualties. [4]
The Russian UAV attacks in question, especially the second attack on Kiev, show that the tension on the front line continues. Ukraine’s air defense systems successfully neutralize most of Russian UAVs. This shows that defense systems are still useful.
The UK Ministry of Defense emphasizes that no major changes are expected on the front line. This situation shows that the military conflict between the parties is long-term and at a dead end. On the other hand, it is stated that civilian casualties occurred and a residential building was damaged in the Russian attack on the city of Kherson. This reveals that attacks on civilian settlements continue and that these attacks cause serious damage to human life and infrastructure.
Russia’s downing of a Ukrainian UAV near the capital Moscow shows that the conflict has now gained a regional and international dimension, not only within the borders of Ukraine. This could raise concerns that the conflict could expand and more countries could be affected.
Moreover, both parties appear to be making statements as part of their information dissemination and perception management efforts. This shows that the conflict has not only military but also information warfare dimensions.
Attacks on civilian settlements and the incident in Kherson highlight the negative effects of the conflict on civilians. Human rights violations reveal an alarming situation.
It can be concluded that the Ukraine-Russia conflict continues to be seriously harsh, there are serious problems at the military and civilian levels, and the conflict has significant effects on regional and international security.
[1] “Russian Drones Target Kyiv as UK Defense Ministry Says Little Chance of Front-Line Change”, Associated Press News, https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-drone-attack-kyiv-85438cbc0828ca1898106cfc9847028e, (Date Accession: 20.11.2023).
[2] Ibıd.
[3] Ibıd.
[4] Ibıd.
