Overview
Below are the main developments on Friday, November 7 (day 1,352) of Russia’s war on Ukraine.
Fighting
Ukraine launched at least 75 drones in a strike on Russia on Thursday, sparking a fire in an industrial area of Volgograd that killed at least one person and disrupted dozens of flights, Russian officials said. Lukoil’s Volgograd refinery also halted operations after drone strikes; sources told Reuters that the plant’s CDU-5 unit (about 9,100 tonnes per day, reported as roughly 66,700 barrels per day) and another unit of about 11,000 tonnes per day were damaged.
On the front lines in Ukraine, Russia’s Ministry of Defence said its forces advanced in the battered city of Pokrovsk and were conducting house-to-house fighting to dislodge Ukrainian troops. Officials said they captured 64 buildings over 24 hours and repelled attacks from nearby Hryshyne; Moscow said control of Pokrovsk would give it a platform to push north toward Kramatorsk and Sloviansk, the largest remaining Ukrainian-held cities in Donetsk.
South African authorities reported receiving distress calls from 17 citizens, aged 20–39, who joined mercenary forces and are now trapped in Ukraine’s Donbas region; it was not clear which side they were fighting with.
Military aid
Ukraine’s ambassador to Washington, Olha Stefanishyna, said talks with the United States on purchasing Tomahawk long-range missiles and other weapons were “positive.” Sweden and Ukraine signed a letter of intent to establish a joint defence innovation hub in Ukraine, Swedish Defence Minister Pal Jonsson said, and Kyiv has requested that Sweden begin training Ukrainian pilots on Gripen fighter jets as soon as possible, Ukraine’s defence minister Denys Shmyhal added.
Sanctions and energy moves
Swiss trader Gunvor withdrew its bid to buy Lukoil’s foreign assets after the US Treasury criticized the company as a Kremlin “puppet,” signaling Washington’s opposition to the deal. In a message on X, the US Treasury quoted President Donald Trump saying the war must end immediately and that Gunvor would not be licensed while Russian aggression continued.
Reuters sources reported Lukoil has begun diverting Caspian oil flows from Baku to the Russian port of Makhachkala in response to Western sanctions. A tanker, Lady Leila, reportedly arrived in Makhachkala carrying about 5,000 tonnes of crude from Lukoil’s Korchagin field in the Caspian.
Regional security and NATO concerns
Flights resumed at Sweden’s Gothenburg–Landvetter airport after a drone incident prompted a sabotage probe and temporary closure. Belgian Defence Minister Theo Francken said Belgium will boost airspace surveillance after repeated drone sightings over airports and military sites. NATO members have been on heightened alert after drone incursions and airspace incidents in recent weeks, including sightings at Copenhagen and Munich airports and in the Baltic region; Poland reported about 20 Russian drones entered its airspace in September. Moscow has denied involvement in these incidents.
Poland announced a new training programme to begin this month as part of plans to train roughly 400,000 people by 2026; driven by the invasion, Poland now spends a higher share of GDP on defence than any other NATO member.
Russian domestic affairs
The Russian government agreed to phase in planned cuts to value-added tax thresholds for small businesses from 2026 rather than implement them immediately, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said, after business backlash over the measure intended to help fund the war.
Two lawmakers from Germany’s largest opposition party, the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), plan to travel to Russia next week for a BRICS summit. The trip has drawn criticism amid concerns about AfD ties to Moscow and allegations—denied by the party—about sharing sensitive information.
War crimes
A Ukrainian court in Zaporizhzhia sentenced Russian soldier Dmitry Kurashov to life in prison after finding him guilty of killing a surrendered Ukrainian prisoner of war. The court found Kurashov shot Vitalii Hodniuk after Russian forces captured his trench in January 2024, marking the first time Kyiv has jailed a suspect on such charges.
What to watch next
– Progress of talks on long-range weapon transfers to Ukraine, including potential Tomahawk purchases.
– Frontline momentum around Pokrovsk and whether Russian advances open new approaches toward Kramatorsk and Sloviansk.
– Developments around energy flows and sanctioned-asset deals involving Lukoil and responses from Western authorities.
– Additional drone incidents or airspace incursions in Europe and accompanying security measures.
This summary compiles reported developments from November 7 and statements by officials and news agencies.