In a week marked by escalation, misinformation, and fraught diplomacy, the war in Ukraine continues to reverberate far beyond its borders, with new attacks, international maneuvering, and deepening suspicion among neighboring states. The events of mid-November 2025 paint a picture of a conflict that is not only grinding on without end but also morphing into new forms of hybrid warfare, regional instability, and political intrigue.
On November 19, 2025, Russia’s Ministry of Defense once again found itself under scrutiny for spreading misinformation regarding its military operations in Ukraine. According to RBC-Ukraine, the ministry claimed to have intercepted American ATACMS missiles over Voronezh and destroyed their launch sites near Voloska Balakliya in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region. To bolster its assertion, Russia published a video purporting to show the destruction of a Ukrainian M270 MLRS system. However, analysts and even pro-government Russian commentators quickly exposed the footage as recycled from September 2024, when Russia had previously claimed a strike near Rudnivka in the Sumy region. The video, slightly edited, failed to provide any clear evidence of a successful attack, leading many to suspect that Russian forces had located the launch site but failed to strike it, resorting instead to old visuals to support their narrative.
This incident came on the heels of a reported missile attack on Voronezh by US-supplied ATACMS missiles on November 18. Russia claimed to have shot down all four missiles, a statement that was swiftly debunked by independent experts who examined photos released by Russian authorities. The ongoing information war underscores the difficulty of verifying battlefield claims and the extent to which both sides leverage media and propaganda.
Meanwhile, the violence on the ground has shown no signs of abating. On November 17, a Russian drone strike hit the Turkish-flagged tanker MT Orinda in southern Ukraine’s Odesa region during the offloading of liquefied petroleum gas at Izmail port. As reported by Turkey’s Directorate for Maritime Affairs and Euronews, all sixteen crew members evacuated safely, though the tanker was set ablaze. The attack, which occurred just a day after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a deal to import US liquefied natural gas through the area, prompted Romanian authorities to evacuate villages near the border due to the risk of explosion from repeated drone wreckage believed to be launched by Russia.
Since the full-scale invasion began nearly four years ago, Russia has repeatedly targeted Odesa and its Black Sea ports with drones, missiles, and artillery, aiming to disrupt Ukraine’s vital energy and grain exports. The attacks have not only threatened Ukrainian infrastructure but have also spilled over into neighboring NATO and EU countries, raising alarm in the region and prompting calls for enhanced drone defense systems across Europe.
The hybrid nature of the conflict was further highlighted by events off the British coast, where tensions flared between the UK and Russia. British Defense Minister John Healey issued a stern warning to Moscow after the Russian spy ship "Jantar" was sighted near British waters and lasers were reportedly aimed at British reconnaissance pilots monitoring the vessel. "We see you. We know what you are doing," Healey declared at a press conference in London, according to dpa. He emphasized that the UK was ready to respond to any violation of its sovereignty, pointing to the ship’s suspected role in threatening underwater infrastructure such as pipelines and cables—a reference to previous attacks in the Baltic Sea.
Diplomatic fallout from the conflict also deepened in Poland, where authorities closed the Russian consulate in Gdansk on November 19 in response to a suspected Russian sabotage attack on a railroad line used for aid deliveries to Ukraine. Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski cited repeated warnings to Moscow about its hostile actions, noting that the attack had targeted a strategically important route between Warsaw and Lublin. The incident, which involved two Ukrainian citizens allegedly acting on behalf of Russian intelligence, was described by Sikorski as a significant escalation: "Sabotage is when property is damaged. If the intention is to kill people, it is no longer sabotage, but state terrorism." Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov expressed regret over the closure, calling it a "complete deterioration" in relations with Poland.
Elsewhere in Europe, Italy’s highest court approved the extradition of a Ukrainian suspect involved in the 2022 Nord Stream gas pipeline attacks to Germany, a move that could have ramifications for ongoing investigations into sabotage and covert operations linked to the war.
Amid these developments, diplomatic efforts to end the conflict have taken on renewed urgency. Reports emerged on November 20 that the US administration under President Donald Trump had secretly negotiated a draft framework for ending the war with Moscow. According to the Financial Times and Axios, the plan would require Ukraine to make major concessions, including the military surrender of additional territories and the acceptance of restrictions on its armaments. Ukrainian officials confirmed receipt of the proposal, which aligns closely with Russia’s longstanding demands, including ceding control of regions such as Donetsk, Luhansk, and Crimea, and a significant reduction in the size of the Ukrainian army.
A US military delegation led by Undersecretary of Defense for the Army Daniel Driscoll visited Kiev for talks with Ukrainian officials on November 19 and 20, with discussions reportedly focused on military aid and the new peace plan. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, fresh from a European tour to secure military and energy support, stated unequivocally on social media: "Only President Trump and the USA have enough power to bring this war to an end." He also expressed gratitude to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for hosting talks in Ankara aimed at finding a durable peace. "We are ready to work in any meaningful format that brings results," Zelenskyy said, underlining the importance of strong US involvement in any settlement.
Yet the prospect of peace remains elusive. Finnish President Alexander Stubb, in an interview with the Associated Press, expressed skepticism that a ceasefire could be reached before the following spring, citing unresolved issues over security guarantees, economic reconstruction, and territorial claims. In the meantime, the fighting continues unabated. The Ukrainian General Staff reported 160 combat operations in a single day, with fierce fighting especially in Pokrovsk and ongoing Russian attacks in Kharkiv and Ternopil, resulting in dozens of civilian casualties and significant infrastructural damage.
As the war grinds on, the ripple effects are being felt across Europe and beyond. From drone strikes on civilian tankers and sabotage of railways to diplomatic expulsions and secret peace negotiations, the conflict’s complexity—and its capacity for escalation—remains undiminished. The coming weeks may reveal whether the flurry of diplomatic activity can yield a path to peace, or if the war will continue to expand its reach, both on the battlefield and in the halls of power.
