After the Armed Forces of Ukraine occupied Kherson, Russia launched a massive missile attack on the territory of Ukraine, launching 90 missiles. Maps published by OSINT investigators confirm that Russian troops have occupied the village of Mayorsk on the outskirts of Gorlovka in the Donetsk region. According to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), the increased frequency of statements by the Russian Defense Ministry about the occupied territories in the Donetsk region may indicate that Russia is becoming more active in this direction after the withdrawal of troops from the right bank of the Dnieper in the Kherson region.
Large-scale missile attack on Ukraine
On the afternoon of November 15, Russia shelled Kiev and a dozen other Ukrainian cities and regions. Rocket strikes were carried out on Kharkov, Kirovograd, Vinnitsa, Volyn, Poltava, Sumy, Khmelnytsky, Dnepropetrovsk, Rivne, Lvov, Ternopil and Chernihiv regions. Most of the missiles shot down air defense, but there are hits on residential buildings and critical infrastructure, some districts and regions remain without electricity.
The head of the Kharkiv OVA, Oleg Sinegubov, said that the region was almost completely de-energized. A total of 15 energy infrastructure facilities were damaged, said Kyrylo Tymoshenko, Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine.
Most of the strikes of the Russian Federation fall on critical infrastructure facilities, there are hits on residential facilities. According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, at least 85 missiles were launched, with another 20 expected to be launched at the time of his video message. Ukrainian Air Force speaker Yuriy Ignat said on the air of the telethon that November 15 was the most massive shelling since the beginning of the war; On October 10, the Russian Federation launched 84 missiles, and now there are about 100. "Caliber" were launched from the Black Sea, X-101, X-555 – from the Caspian Sea, as well as from the Rostov region. According to the Ukrainian Air Force, 73 out of 90 launched missiles and 10 Shahed-136 kamikaze drones were shot down. For strikes, the Russian Federation attracted 14 Tu-95 strategic missile carriers, ships of the Black Sea Fleet and Iranian drones.
The Minister of Energy of Ukraine called the shelling of the country's energy system the largest since the beginning of the war:
“This attack can affect not only the energy system of Ukraine, but also the energy systems of some of our neighbors. Strikes occur throughout the energy sector of Ukraine: both on generation facilities and on the electricity transmission system.”
After the shelling, Moldova stopped receiving electricity from Romania.
Russian propaganda military correspondents published a map showing all the cities that were hit.
In Kyiv, two rockets hit residential buildings, said Kyrylo Tymoshenko, deputy head of the Office of the President of Ukraine. Pro-Russian military commander Yuriy Kotenok, in turn, claims that the Russian Federation "hit objects" in the Kiev, Odessa and Cherkasy regions of Ukraine.
After Russian shelling of Ukrainian territories, the SBU, under the leadership of the Kiev city prosecutor's office, launched a pre-trial investigation into violations of the laws and customs of war involving premeditated murder (part 2 of article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine), reports the Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine. According to the investigation, on November 15, the RF Armed Forces, disregarding the norms of international law, carried out a rocket attack on the civilian infrastructure of Kyiv, as a result of which one person died and several residential high-rise buildings were damaged.
Missiles fell on the territory of Poland
According to preliminary data, two rockets fell on the territory of Poland during rocket attacks on Ukraine. Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki called an urgent meeting of the Committee of the Council of Ministers for National Security and Defense. According to the Polish Radio ZET, rockets fell in the village of Przewodow in the Lubelskie Voivodship, as a result of which two people were killed.
At the same time, Radio Lublin, citing the local police, reports that the incident in Przevodov occurred at about 15:40 on the reloading scales, where tractors with loads drive in. According to preliminary findings, the tractor that drove onto the scale suddenly exploded. The Associated Press, in turn, claims , citing intelligence, that Russian missiles crossed the territory of Poland. The Pentagon said it could not confirm these reports.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban is also convening an emergency meeting of the Security Council due to rockets hitting Poland and amid reports that Ukraine has suspended oil pumping through the Druzhba pipeline towards Hungary. The Estonian Foreign Ministry, against the backdrop of reports of missiles falling in Poland, said they were ready to defend every inch of NATO land.
“The latest news from Poland is of the greatest concern. We are consulting closely with Poland and other allies. Estonia is ready to defend every inch of NATO territory. We stand in full solidarity with our close ally Poland.”
Russian group in a "trap" on the Kinburn Spit
The Kinburn Spit in the Nikolaev region is still occupied by Russian troops. According to the Operational Command "South", from the side of the spit, Russia strikes with multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS) "Grad" at Ochakovo, as well as at the water area and piers. The day before, the pro-Russian Telegram channel Romanov live reported that the spit had come under the control of Ukraine. However, the Russian propaganda channel Russia Today claimed that the spit was still under Russian control.
Military expert, retired Colonel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Roman Svitan told The Insider that from the Kinburn Spit (located at the exit of the Dnieper to the Black Sea opposite the city of Ochakov) to Ochakov is a little more than one kilometer, the city is easy to shell with any artillery. To ensure the safety of the city, tactical groups of the Armed Forces of Ukraine are sent there, which, when they reach the spit, destroy Russian weapons capable of delivering strikes.
“Kinburn Spit is located on the left bank of the Dnieper. The tactical groups of the Armed Forces of Ukraine go there, destroy the Russians and go back to Ochakov. This kind of movement is perceived as an offensive, a transition to the left bank and its liberation, but if you look at the map, this spit is almost carried out into the sea and cannot serve as a springboard for the offensive. This is just a single action of our tactical groups to destroy the enemy. Moreover, the exit of the Russians to this particular spit makes them an excellent target, because it is impossible to hide or gain a foothold there, and we practice strikes mainly on armored boats.
The city of Alyoshka will be liberated and the entire left bank from the Antonovsky bridge too. There is only the sea on the spit on the other side, and we take advantage of the fact that the Russians go there with their Grads and electronic warfare equipment, and ours simply destroy them. Most of our units were previously occupied by other sectors of the front, but now units that can perform these tasks have been vacated. Previously, the Russians did not work from this point, since there was no point in coming out under a direct blow, it was possible to work from Kherson, and from there they hit Nikolaev. Now we have liberated Kherson, and they have no other point, except for the Kinburn Spit, to work along Nikolaev and Ochakov, so they trodden a path there, and our forces began to destroy them there, since they themselves climb into such a trap.
According to him, now two groups are enough in that direction. One enters and does not allow the Russians to leave the spit, and the second destroys the group and weapons. Or there is another option, in which the group, which does not allow to retreat from the spit, covers the military personnel with artillery from Ochakov, but the Russian troops go anyway, since they "have the task of shelling Nikolaev and Ochakov."
“There are hundreds of such “Chernobaevka” along the entire front. They do it with some kind of frenzied hatred – they will climb, but we will still destroy. They will die, fulfilling the task set and painted by someone. That is why so many Russians are dying. There is such a thing – a targeted area, that is, a point where you have already shot once, and you know where to point the gun. And now the Kinburn Spit is a targeted area. But you can’t understand Russia with your mind, they have a completely illogical approach to completing tasks here.”
According to Svitan, battles are expected in the near future, almost 80% of the potential of the Ukrainian right-bank group remained unused – these are millions of shells, dozens of barrels, including HIMARS. So, the Armed Forces of Ukraine will start fighting in the Donetsk region or will liberate the left bank from the Orekhovo side to Melitopol.
“Most likely, this unused potential will pour out on the left-bank grouping. There are almost three points of entry there – from Orekhov to Tokmak and Melitopol, Kakhovka and Alyoshki. If a decision is made by our command to develop a bridgehead, then these three points – Orekhov, Kakhovka and Alyoshki – will be used for a further offensive and de-occupation of the left bank.
What is happening in the Kherson direction?
According to military analysts, in the Skadovsky and Genichesk districts of the Kherson region, individual Russian units leave settlements and go towards the Crimea occupied by the Russian Federation. The operational command "South" of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reports that Russia is completing the regrouping of troops on the left bank of the Dnieper, and also continues to equip the defense borders and conducts rocket and artillery fire on the positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and settlements.
The Ukrainian Defense Forces, in turn, are attacking the positions of Russian troops on the captured left bank of the Dnieper, said the representative of the Operational Command South Natalya Gumenyuk on Espresso TV . As a result, Russian military personnel are forced to move inland 15-20 kilometers from defensive structures, the Armed Forces of Ukraine establish fire control over logistics, it will be difficult for Russian troops to supply their group, Gumenyuk notes.
"There is a certain activity of enemy troops on the left bank of the Dnieper relative to (movement) inland from the coast by 15-20 km."
According to her, Russia may threaten the liberated Kherson with shelling, now the Armed Forces of Ukraine are using counter-battery means to push enemy units away.
During the retreat from Kherson, the Russian military released everyone who was in the local pre-trial detention center, a correspondent of the Ukrainian edition of Hromadske reported. The "administration" of the pre-trial detention center, which was urgently evacuated, opened the exit for the prisoners. The Ukrainian military found cases of 457 convicts in the detention center, 15 of them to life imprisonment. After the Russians fled, all the convicts fled, and so far only one life-sentenced prisoner has been returned.
The occupation "administration" of Nova Kakhovka in the Kherson region, as well as employees of "state and municipal institutions" left the city after the retreat of the Russian army from Kherson. The press service of the administration said in a statement that all employees "were relocated to safe places in the region." The city was “under fire from large-caliber artillery and mortars of the Armed Forces of Ukraine”, life in Nova Kakhovka became “unsafe”, the “authorities” say. Also, the pro-Russian administration said that thousands of residents of the city had left their homes.
On the evening of November 14, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky visited the liberated Kherson and spoke to the Ukrainian security forces. The Kremlin declined to comment on the Ukrainian president's visit to the territory that Russia annexed in late September, claimed as its own, and included in the Constitution.
Russian losses
According to the Armed Forces of Ukraine, 82,080 Russian servicemen have died since the beginning of the war. Since February 24, the Armed Forces of Ukraine have also destroyed 2,861 tanks, 5,773 armored combat vehicles, 1,850 artillery systems, 393 MLRS, 208 air defense systems, 278 aircraft and 261 helicopters. In addition, the Russian Federation lost during the invasion 1,511 UAVs of the operational-tactical level, 399 cruise missiles, 16 ships, 4,351 vehicles and tankers, and another 160 units of special equipment.
On October 12, Important Stories, citing an FSB officer and a source from the Russian special services, reported that Russia's irretrievable losses in the war with Ukraine could be more than 90,000 people. Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, the Ministry of Defense has reported three times on the deaths of Russian servicemen. For the last time, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, on the day the “partial” mobilization was announced in the country, September 21, said that 5,937 Russian soldiers had died since the beginning of the “special operation”.
See also The Insider’s military report for November 14: “The abandoned bodies of Chechen fighters, the capture of Pavlovka at the cost of the lives of 500 Russian soldiers, Zelensky in Kherson. What's happening on the front line .