Russo-Ukrainian War Update - November 27, 2023

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Replying to:

Activities in Russian-occupied areas (Russian objective: Consolidate administrative control of annexed areas; forcibly integrate Ukrainian citizens into Russian sociocultural, economic, military, and governance systems)

Likely Ukrainian partisans continue to target Russian occupation elements throughout occupied Ukraine.

Ukrainian Melitopol Mayor Ivan Fedorov stated on November 27 that local residents in Melitopol reported that Ukrainian partisans exchanged small arms fire with Chechen forces near occupied Myrne, Zaporizhia Oblast over the weekend of November 25-26.[92] twitter.com/FAB87F/status/1729863158632960231?s=20

Fedorov reported that Ukrainian partisans also blew up a car belonging to Chechen forces.[93] twitter.com/FAB87F/status/1729863158632960231?s=20

Russian state media additionally reported on November 27 that unspecified actors (likely Ukrainian partisans) attempted to assassinate Kharkiv Oblast occupation deputy head Alexander Slisarenko, who is now recovering in the hospital.[94] twitter.com/FAB87F/status/1729887369921487192?s=20

Qatar continues efforts to mediate the return of deported Ukrainian children from Russian back to Ukraine.

In an interview with CBS on November 26, Qatari Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sheik Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, stated that Qatar hopes to mediate the repatriation of another group of Ukrainian children before the holidays.[95] twitter.com/FAB87F/status/1729889622459908201?s=20

Qatar previously facilitated the return of four Ukrainian children to Ukraine, as well as the return of Bohdan Yermokhin, a deported Ukrainian teenager who Russian authorities tried to forcibly conscript.[96] twitter.com/FAB87F/status/1714221357574005109?s=20

Russian occupation administrations are struggling to deal with the impacts of inclement weather conditions throughout occupied Ukraine.

Ukrainian Kherson Oblast Regional Council First Deputy Yuriy Sobolevskyi noted November 27 that the Russian occupation administration of east (left) bank Kherson Oblast have serious issues with critical infrastructure and logistics due to a cyclone covering southern Ukraine.[97] twitter.com/FAB87F/status/1729890409567195182?s=20

Donetsk People's Republic Head Denis Pushilin stated that a significant number of residents of occupied Donetsk Oblast do not have electricity due to the storm, and Ukrainian Luhansk Oblast Head Artem Lysohor reported mobile communications outages in occupied Luhansk Oblast.[98] twitter.com/FAB87F/status/1729892133933388141?s=20

Russian sources claimed that over 500,000 people in occupied Crimea are currently without electricity due to stormy weather.[99] twitter.com/FAB87F/status/1729893354333258209?s=20

Russian Information Operations and Narratives

The Russian government continues efforts to discredit Western media platforms.

Russian outlet Interfax reported on November 27 that a Russian court arrested Meta Spokesperson Andy Stone in absentia for “promoting terrorist activities.”[100] twitter.com/FAB87F/status/1729893648626561033?s=20

Russia designated Meta as an extremist organization in March 2022 and banned its Facebook and Instagram services in Russia.[101] twitter.com/FAB87F/status/1729894047387455884?s=20

Significant activity in Belarus (Russian efforts to increase its military presence in Belarus and further integrate Belarus into Russian-favorable frameworks and Wagner Group activity in Belarus)

Belarusian Minister of Defense Viktor Khrenin stated on November 27 that S-400 air defense systems entered service within the Union State’s combined Russian-Belarusian air defense framework in an unspecified area of Belarus.[102] twitter.com/FAB87F/status/1729894447117201759?s=20

These S-400 systems are likely in service with a Belarusian air defense unit, as opposed to a Russian air defense unit deployed in Belarus.[103] twitter.com/FAB87F/status/1729894810679447871?s=20

ISW reported that Russia deployed at least a battery of S-400 air defense systems to Belarus on May 28, 2023.[104] twitter.com/UkraineWarVid/status/1663611761772175360?s=20

Note: ISW receives no classified material, uses only publicly available information, and draws extensively on Russian, Ukrainian, and Western reporting and social media as well as commercially available satellite imagery and other geospatial data as the basis for these reports.

References to all sources used are provided in the endnotes of each update.