Nov 13, 2026, 02:30 AM UTC

Intense ground fighting persists across Eastern Ukraine, with the Ukrainian General Staff reporting over 150 daily combat engagements, primarily concentrated on the Pokrovsk and Kostiantynivka axes. Independent analysts note that Russian advances toward Sloviansk and Kupyansk have slowed due to Ukrainian counterattacks, though Russian forces expanded their presence south of Dobropillia and claimed the capture of a settlement in Zaporizhzhia Oblast.

Concurrently, Russian strikes targeting Ukrainian energy infrastructure triggered widespread power outages. Ukrainian authorities reported over 600,000 residents without electricity in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast and 250,000 in Kharkiv Oblast, alongside heating disruptions in Kyiv and Zhytomyr Oblast.

Inside Russia, regional fuel sales restrictions emerged following a series of Ukrainian drone strikes hitting eight major oil refineries within a two-week period.

Sources: Belsat, NEXTA, The Insider, Радіо Свобода, Українська правда.

American envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner traveled to Moscow on Thursday for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, ahead of a scheduled meeting in Dublin with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The diplomacy follows trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi involving Ukraine, Russia, and the United States.

While negotiators reported positive dynamics and outlined a potential major prisoner exchange involving over 2,000 war captives, core territorial disputes and security guarantees remain unresolved. Ukrainian representatives signaled hope that a peace resolution could be reached by the end of the year. However, fundamental disagreements persist regarding Moscow's territorial demands and Kyiv's insistence on robust security frameworks to prevent future aggression.

Sources: Seznam Zprávy, Ekonomický deník, Český rozhlas Plus, Deník N, iROZHLAS

An Israeli overnight airstrike targeted the surgery department of Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, killing at least six people and injuring 20 others. According to Gaza civil defence officials and medical staff, the deceased included a surgeon and a teenage boy, while the attack caused extensive structural damage to southern Gaza's primary medical facility.

The Israel Defense Forces stated the strike targeted a senior Hamas militant and other operational members using the hospital as a command hub. The military action coincides with worsening winter conditions across the enclave, where emergency workers reported that a nine-month-old infant died from severe cold exposure amidst widespread flooding in displaced persons' camps.

Sources: BBC News, Bloomberg, Cyprus Mail, France24, Sweden Herald.

Bulgaria’s government has announced a national day of mourning on 11 November following a series of severe multi-vehicle collisions on the Trakia motorway. Prime Minister Rumen Radev, who visited the scene alongside senior cabinet ministers, expressed condolences to the victims' families and announced that state financial compensation is being prepared for those affected.

While initial statements from the Prime Minister and early health officials indicated 12 fatalities, the Ministry of Health subsequently revised the official death toll downward to 11. Dozens of injured individuals remain hospitalized across facilities in Burgas, Sliven, and Yambol as authorities continue their investigation into the cause of the disaster.

Sources: Mediapool, Nova TV

Josef Mašín, a prominent member of the legendary Czech anti-communist armed resistance group, has died at the age of 94. Alongside his late brother Ctirad, Mašín made a famous escape to West Berlin during the Cold War despite facing overwhelming communist police opposition.

Separately, public figures in the Czech Republic noted the passing of Ivan Bican, the second son of legendary footballer Josef Bican, who died in June aged 80.

In political developments, Prime Minister Andrej Babiš reaffirmed his refusal to participate in the European Union's €45 billion loan guarantee package for Ukraine. Government coalition politicians have supported Babiš's stance, even as critics warn the move risks straining diplomatic ties with key European allies.

Sources: Český rozhlas Plus, Seznam Zprávy, Hospodářské noviny, Respect, Ekonomický deník