Day 636 of the invasion of Ukraine. Summary of key events in the last 24 hours:

• The Pentagon has announced what the new US defense assistance package for Ukraine includes
• Charles Michel reported that he had arrived in Kyiv
• The German Minister of Defense arrived in Kyiv
• Conflicting reports from Ukraine and Russia about the fighting around the Dnieper River
• Zelensky made a speech on the occasion of the Ukrainian Day of Dignity and Freedom
• British Intelligence: Russia has fired 50 Shahed drones towards Kyiv in 2 days
• More than 40,000 women serve in the Ukrainian army, of which over 5,000 are in direct combat

The Pentagon has announced what the new US defense assistance package for Ukraine includes

The new US defense assistance package for Ukraine includes an additional HIMARS system, anti-aircraft missiles and anti-tank systems, artillery shells of various calibers, small arms ammunition and other equipment. This was announced by the Pentagon.

In an interview with the British tabloid "The Sun", Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky commented that the provision of high-quality air defense would return millions of refugees to their native Ukraine.

Zelensky categorically rejected the idea of starting peace negotiations with Russia, despite the rough conditions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, TASS informed.

November 21 is the Day of Dignity and Freedom in Ukraine, Ukrinform informs. It commemorates two significant events in modern Ukrainian history: the Orange Revolution of 2004 and the Revolution of Dignity of 2013. A series of events will be held in Kyiv, including a commemoration of the fallen and a prayer for Ukraine.

Charles Michel reported that he had arrived in Kyiv

The President of the European Council, Charles Michel, arrived today on a visit to Kyiv, Reuters reported.

Michel arrived in the Ukrainian capital in a show of support for Ukraine, which today marks 10 years since the mass protests that ousted Moscow-backed President Viktor Yanukovych.

"I'm glad to be back in Kyiv - among friends," Michele wrote on the social platform "X" (formerly known as "Twitter").

The German Minister of Defense arrived in Kyiv

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius arrived on a visit to Ukraine. This was announced on the "X" social network by the department he manages, as quoted by Ukrinform.

The ministry indicated that Pistorius' desire during his visit was "to personally familiarize himself with the situation on the ground and with the effectiveness of German military aid".

In the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, Pistorius laid flowers in front of the Heroes of the Maidan monument.

Yesterday in Ukraine were his American counterpart Lloyd Austin and US Army General Christopher Cavoli, who is the supreme commander of NATO forces in Europe.

Conflicting reports from Ukraine and Russia about the fighting around the Dnieper River

Conflicting reports coming from Moscow and Kyiv. Russia claims it is preventing attempts by the Ukrainian army to cross the Dnieper River in the southern Kherson region. However, Ukraine previously announced that its forces were holding the positions they captured in recent days on the left bank of the river.

Meanwhile, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin visited Kyiv and announced new military aid to Ukraine in the amount of 100 million dollars. Japan, on the other hand, donated tens of cars and demining devices to Kyiv.

Zelensky made a speech on the occasion of the Ukrainian Day of Dignity and Freedom

The President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky made an address on the occasion of the Day of Dignity and Freedom, Ukrinform reported, referring to the office of the head of state of Ukraine.

Zelensky pointed out that the day is "an official holiday established in honor of the beginning of two revolutions - the Revolution of 2004 and the Revolution of Dignity 10 years ago."

According to him, 10 years ago, Ukrainians opened a new page in the fight against lawlessness, "against the attempt to deprive us of our European future, against our enslavement".

10 years ago, Ukrainians "united not only against something, but above all for themselves," says the president. According to his assessment, then the first victory was achieved - over indifference, "the victory of courage, the victory of the Revolution of Dignity, the victory of the popular resistance, of civil society, of the feat ... of all those who fought for freedom in the capital and in other regions".

Zelensky pointed out that as a result of what was done, Ukrainians today have the right to say that the fact that the flags of the EU and Ukraine are flying behind the president "is not just a decoration of the square, a decoration, a fiction, but a real symbol of the inseparability of Ukraine from Europe , a right that the Ukrainian people and the Ukrainian state have been proving all along".

President Zelensky already sees the star of Ukraine joined in the constellation decorating the EU flag, which symbolizes the unity of the peoples of Europe.

The head of state expresses his confidence that his country's status as a candidate for EU membership and the upcoming negotiations will certainly lead to Ukraine's EU membership. He explicitly emphasizes that the Ukrainians achieved all this "despite the war".

According to Zelensky, today Ukraine is writing a new round of its history and "today our generation must determine the direction it will take. What will be written about us in the history books. What will our descendants say about us. ‘They fought, but failed’ or ‘They fought and won’"?

Like any country, ours has dark and light pages in its history, says Zelensky, and reviews the changing of the names of the central square in Kyiv depending on the orbit in which Ukraine moves at a given stage.

In this regard, Zelensky expresses his confidence in the strength of spirit of Ukrainians to build their future, "when the central squares of our cities will receive new and forever unchanged names. In honor of the heroes. In honor of the liberators. To Mariupol, Berdiansk, Melitopol. In honor of the liberation of Donbass and Crimea. In honor of the unification of Ukraine within its borders. When in the history books, after years and centuries, the period of independence since 1991 will finally be described as continuous."

British Intelligence: Russia has fired 50 Shahed drones towards Kyiv in 2 days

Between November 18 and 19, 2023, Russia launched about 50 Iranian-designed Shahed one-way attack drones, mostly toward Kyiv. They were launched in waves along two axes - from Kursk to the east and from Krasnodar to the southeast, British military intelligence reported in its briefing today.

One of Russia's goals may have been to degrade Ukraine's air defenses to shape the battlespace ahead of a possible concerted winter campaign to strike Ukraine's energy infrastructure, intelligence said.

For nearly two months now, Russia has refrained from firing its world-class cruise missiles from its fleet of heavy bombers, which has likely allowed it to build up a significant stockpile of these weapons. Russia is very likely to use these missiles if it repeats last year's efforts to destroy Ukraine's critical national infrastructure, the analysis said.

More than 40,000 women serve in the Ukrainian army, of which over 5,000 are in direct combat

More than 40,000 women are serving in the Ukrainian army in its fight against Russian forces, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry said in a statement quoted by DPA. They make up just over 5 percent of the total strength of the Ukrainian armed forces. About 5,000 of them are directly involved in combat operations.

The department's report said that so far more than 13,400 women have received the status of participants in combat operations. The announcement revealed that 41 percent of female service members have children, and more than 2,500 of them are single mothers.

In 2014, women in the Ukrainian army numbered just over 16,500, but according to the ministry, Kiev has since lifted all restrictions on them to serve in the army, DPA noted.

Novinite is still the only Bulgarian media that publishes a summary of events and highlights related to the conflict, every single day. Our coverage began on day one - 24.02.2022 and will not stop until the war has concluded. Despite the pressure, our independent media will continue to provide its readers with accurate and up-to-date information. Thank you for your support! #stayinformed

Follow Novinite.com on Twitter and Facebook

Write to us at editors@novinite.com

Информирайте се на Български - Novinite.bg

We need your support so Novinite.com can keep delivering news and information about Bulgaria! Thank you!