Overview
- Ukraine’s Air Force said Russia launched two Iskander‑M missiles and 128 drones overnight, with 91 drones downed or suppressed and lethal strikes reported in Balakliya, Kharkiv, and damage to energy facilities in Chernihiv.
- A drone struck the Turkish‑flagged tanker MT Orinda at Izmail, igniting a fire during LPG offloading; all 16 crew evacuated safely as port and energy infrastructure sustained additional damage and Romania ordered precautionary evacuations nearby.
- Kyiv said its forces hit Russia’s Ryazan oil refinery, citing explosions and a large fire, while the regional governor claimed air defenses downed 25 drones and that falling debris caused a blaze at an enterprise.
- Ukraine reported the fiercest ground fighting in the Pokrovsk sector, saying 75 assaults were repelled on Nov. 16 and that troops cleared 26.6 km² in the district the previous day in search‑and‑strike operations.
- President Volodymyr Zelensky and Emmanuel Macron signed a declaration enabling Ukraine to acquire up to 100 Rafale F4 jets by 2035 and new SAMP/T air‑defense systems, with Kyiv seeking to strengthen layered air protection before winter.