Sybiha urges NATO invite, Zelensky calls for protection. According to Reuters, a letter from Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha, seen by the news agency, urges NATO members to support inviting Ukraine to join the Alliance during the foreign ministers’ meeting on 3-4 December. The letter acknowledges that Ukraine cannot join until the war ends but stresses that an invitation now would show Russian President Vladimir Putin that he has failed to prevent Ukraine’s NATO membership. “The invitation should not be seen as an escalation. On the contrary, with a clear understanding that Ukraine’s NATO membership is inevitable, Russia will lose one of its main arguments for continuing this unjust war,” Sybiha wrote. He also argued that such a move would be a fitting response to Russia’s ongoing escalation, including the involvement of tens of thousands of North Korean troops and the use of Ukraine as a testing ground for new weapons. Meanwhile, in an interview with Sky News, Volodymyr Zelensky stated that a ceasefire with Russia could be achieved if the territories under Ukrainian control were placed under NATO protection. “If we want to stop the active phase of the war, we need to place the territories under our control under NATO’s umbrella,” he said.
Scholz reaffirms Germany’s support for Ukraine, but rejects sending Taurus missiles. Germany will continue to support Ukraine militarily in close coordination with its European and international partners, former Chancellor Olaf Scholz said after speaking with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on 29 November. On 29 November, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, thanking him for Germany’s leadership in providing air defence systems, including the life-saving Patriots and IRIS-T. Zelensky expressed appreciation for Germany’s ongoing support, especially in Ukraine’s defence against Russian aggression. The two leaders also discussed further bilateral steps and actions by international partners to strengthen Ukraine. Scholz also shared details of his recent conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Despite this, Scholz has refused to send Germany’s long-range Taurus missile system to Ukraine, citing concerns about escalating tensions between NATO and Russia. His decision has sparked debate within his own coalition, which includes the Greens and the liberal Free Democrats.
MI6 chief warns of Russia’s reckless sabotage campaign and nuclear blackmail in Europe. Russia is running a “shockingly reckless campaign” of sabotage in Europe and ramping up nuclear blackmail to undermine Western support for Ukraine, Richard Moore, head of the UK’s Secret Intelligence Service (MI6), said on 29 November, according to Voice of America. He revealed that “recently we uncovered a shockingly reckless campaign of Russian sabotage in Europe,” even as “Putin and his allies resort to nuclear sabre-rattling to sow fear about the consequences of aiding Ukraine.” Moore warned that if Putin succeeds in turning Ukraine into a vassal state, “he will not stop there,” and that the security of the UK, France, Europe, and the transatlantic community would be at risk. His comments came amid rising reports of sabotage, espionage, and other hostile actions in Europe and North America, which law enforcement authorities believe may be linked to Russia.
132 Russian drones targeted Ukraine on November 29. On the night of November 29, Russian forces launched an attack on Ukraine with 132 Shahed drones and other unspecified UAVs. Ukraine’s air defences intercepted and neutralised 88 of these targets. The drones were fired from Russian regions, including Orel, Millerovo, Kursk, and Primorsko-Akhtarsk. By 9:00 AM, Ukraine’s Air Force confirmed the destruction of 88 drones across the Kyiv, Chernihiv, Cherkasy, Sumy, Kharkiv, Poltava, Zhytomyr, Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhia, Odesa, and Mykolaiv regions. Additionally, 41 drones were likely lost due to electronic warfare, while one drone returned to Russia. The shelling damaged infrastructure, vehicles, and both private and multi-storey buildings in several regions of Ukraine. In Kyiv, the debris from a downed drone sparked a fire at a medical facility in the Dnipro district, injuring one person.
Fire hits Atlas oil refinery in Russia’s Rostov region amid drone strike reports. A massive fire has broken out at the Atlas oil refinery in Kamensk-Shakhtinskiy, in Russia’s Rostov region, with reports suggesting the facility was targeted by Ukrainian drones. Russian opposition channel Astra reported the incident, while interim Rostov governor Yuri Slyusar confirmed that firefighters are working to put out the blaze, though he did not specify which facility was affected. Earlier, Slyusar claimed the region is under heavy attack by Ukrainian drones, with Russian air defences reportedly shooting down 30 of them.
