We haven't seen any of these text broadcasts in many months
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
22.57 Since the beginning of this day, 260 combat clashes have taken place on the front. This was reported by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on the evening of November 5. It is noted that today the Russian troops carried out one missile and 43 air strikes, using five missiles and dropping 94 guided aerial bombs. In addition, they involved 2,351 kamikaze drones and carried out 3,177 attacks on the positions of our troops and settlements.
21.51 President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that the Ukrainian military is systematically destroying Russians in Pokrovsk, Donetsk region and in the surrounding areas. All components of the Defense Forces of Ukraine are contributing to the destruction of the occupiers and the defense of the city. He said this in an evening address on November 5.
20.23 In the Rohanska community in the Kharkiv region, more than 3 thousand residents remain without heating after another round of shelling by the Russian Federation. Heating points have been set up to help and hot meals have been organized. This was reported by the head of the Kharkiv regional military administration, Oleg Synegubov.
19.32 In Sumy region, Russians attacked a car delivering bread to residents with a drone. The driver was killed, there are injured. This was reported by the press service of the regional prosecutor's office on November 5. It is noted that the incident occurred today in the Seredino-Budska community of Shostka district. The 34-year-old driver of the car was killed as a result of the strike, and three more civilians were injured.
19.01 About 1,200 civilians remain in Pokrovsk in the Donetsk region. Due to the difficult security situation, evacuation from the community is practically impossible. This was reported by Dmytro Petlin, head of the department of operational-duty service, communications, warning and informing the population of the Department for Civil Protection, Mobilization and Defense Work of the Donetsk OVA, Ukrinform reports .
18.12 President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy had an important telephone conversation with President of Serbia Aleksandar Vučić. The Ukrainian leader reported this on Telegram. There are things in which Ukraine and Serbia can help each other , the president noted, but did not specify what exactly was being discussed.
17.39 The Verkhovna Rada adopted a law that provides for the appointment of a monthly cash payment to family members of deceased (deceased) persons with special merits before the Fatherland. The payment will be increased from one to one and a half times the minimum wage. This is evidenced by the data of the draft law No. 13164.
17.39 In Zaporizhia, a serviceman was exposed who voluntarily left his unit, after which he organized a channel for the illegal transfer of other servicemen abroad. The State Bureau of Investigation reported this on November 5. It is noted that the person involved escaped from his unit several months ago, but had a veteran's certificate for participation in hostilities even before the full-scale invasion. This helped him move freely around the country. The deserter decided to capitalize on the desire of others to evade service and flee abroad. He involved his girlfriend in illegal activities.
17.37 Russian President Vladimir Putin has instructed the Foreign Ministry and security agencies to prepare proposals on the possibility of preparing for nuclear tests - the first after a 35-year hiatus. He said this during an operational meeting with permanent members of the Security Council in the Kremlin.
The Russian Defense Ministry is proposing to "immediately begin preparations" for nuclear tests, but the Kremlin leader has decided to think it over.
17.08 Since the beginning of the current day, 205 combat clashes have taken place on the front. This is a record number of battles recorded as of 16:00 since the start of the full-scale war, according to data from the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the operational summary.
16.53 Two FSB agents who committed arson in Cherkasy region were sentenced to imprisonment with confiscation of property. The SBU reported this on November 5. It is noted that both attackers were detained in August 2024, when they tried to destroy the relay cabinet of the Ukrzaliznytsia signaling installation.
16.33 1,744 children have been returned to Ukraine from Russia and temporarily occupied territories. This was reported by the head of the President's Office, Andriy Yermak, in a column for The Washington Examiner.
15.49 Russian aggressors dropped five guided aerial bombs (GABs) on coal industry enterprises in the Donetsk region. The Ministry of Energy reported this . The boiler house, administrative and warehouse buildings were damaged. The enterprises are currently not operating.
16.42 In Latvia, at the Adaži military base on Thursday, November 6, the Minister of Defense of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal will officially receive the last batch of Latvian-made "Patria" 6x6 armored personnel carriers in the amount of 21 units. This was reported by the Latvian Ministry of Defense.
The Patria 6x6 armored personnel carrier for the Armed Forces of Ukraine is equipped with NATO 12.7 mm support machine guns and ammunition. The AFU will also be sent spare parts, special repair tools and equipment necessary for the maintenance of the armored personnel carriers, as well as a mobile container-type repair workshop and maintenance documentation.
15.53 The Kremlin is preparing a redistribution of power in the temporarily occupied Crimea, and the struggle between Moscow and local elites of collaborators is intensifying. The Center for Countering Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council reported this on November 5.
"The key figure in the confrontation is the so-called "head of the republic" Sergei Aksyonov, who has headed the occupation administration since 2014. Recently, his position has been shaken by a series of media publications that exposed large-scale corruption, close ties with crime, and the "squeezing" of business on the peninsula," the report says.
It is noted that the initiator of the campaign against Aksyonov was collaborator Ruslan Balbek, a former deputy of the Russian State Duma. Later, Balbek himself became a victim of repression: after the intervention of Aksyonov and the Crimean FSB, he was detained for "slander" and "disclosure of confidential information."
15.01 The Ukrainian army continues to hold defense within the Pokrovsko-Myrnograd agglomeration. This was reported by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Work is currently underway to strengthen the defense flanks, provide and protect logistics.
14.36 The National Guard of Ukraine (NGU) conducted practical tests and live firing of the modernized BM-21 Grad multiple launch rocket system on a MAN (6x6) chassis. This was reported by the NGU commander Oleksandr Pivnenko on his Facebook page.
14.06 The first underground school has been put into operation in Sumy. In total, five underground schools have already been built in the region in three territorial communities. This was announced by the head of the President's Office, Andriy Yermak.
13.00 Rosneft's Tuapse Refinery was forced to suspend oil refining on November 3 after a drone attack on the port of Tuapse the day before, Reuters reported, citing two industry sources.
12.37 In January-October of this year, Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets received almost 5 thousand appeals from Ukrainians regarding violations of their rights by employees of the CCK and the Joint Venture during mobilization. This was reported by Ukrainka Pravda.
11.45 Two oil pumping stations (OPS) were damaged in a drone attack in the Yaroslavl region of the Russian Federation , local governor Mikhail Yevraev reported.
10.51 On Wednesday night, Russian aggressors attacked energy facilities in three regions of Ukraine. The Ministry of Energy reported this. Currently, energy teams are working around the clock to restore power supply as soon as possible.
10.35 A Russian FSB agent who was coordinating enemy missile and drone attacks on Kyiv was detained in the Kyiv region, the SBU reported . Among the priority "targets" the agent was looking for were electrical substations that provide electricity to most of the capital.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[NewsFront] 21:46 A Russian soldier survived an attack by 7 Ukrainian drones and remained healthy, video. 21:00 To artillery servicemen of the 36th Guards Combined Arms Army of the East Group of Forces handed over state awards in the rear area of the SVO zone.
21:28 Information about explosions in the Bogodukhov area of Khar'kov region.
20:35 KVN operators burn enemy vehicles, which they carelessly leave without any protection, video.
18:54 The Russian army is working in the Kupyansk direction, video.
18:14 Fighters of the "West" group of forces destroyed FPV drones of the Ukrainian Armed Forces 122mm 2S3 "Akatsiya" howitzer.
18:00 Russian tricolor raised over Vovchansk in the Khar'kov region.
17:02 From 12:00 Moscow time to 17:00 Moscow time by air defense systems on duty intercepted and destroyed five Ukrainian aircraft-type unmanned aerial vehicle:
Three over the territory of the Bryansk region,
One over the territory of the Belgorod region,
One over the territory of the Kursk region.
16:28 Ministry of Defense posted a selection of footage of the work of UAV operators of the Russian Armed Forces in various areas.
15:10 Crews of Severian strike drones destroy mortar positions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, video.
14:59 In the area of the SVO took place awarding of military personnel of the separate reconnaissance battalion of a Guards unit of the Center group of forces.
14:25 Judging by the objective control footage, our fighters are in Vovchansk lead fighting in the Rubezhansky district on the southern outskirts on Proletarskaya Street.
13:43 Military intelligence officers of the Russian Armed Forces celebrated their professional holiday on the front lines, video.
12:42 From 08:00 Moscow time to 12:00 Moscow time by air defense systems on duty intercepted and four Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles of the fixed-wing type were destroyed:
Three over the territory of the Belgorod region and
One over the territory of the Yaroslavl region.
12:31 Russian Armed Forces hit at the temporary deployment point of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in Volchansk, Khar'kov region.
12:16 Summary of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation on the progress of the special military operation as of November 5, 2025:
Units of the North group of forces defeated formations of two mechanized brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and two territorial defense brigades in the areas of the settlements of Pavlovka, Kondratovka, Alekseyevka and Proletarske in the Sumy region.
In the Khar'kov direction, units of the mechanized and motorized infantry brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces were defeated in the area of the village of Volchansk.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces lost up to 285 service members, two armored combat vehicles, nine vehicles, and five field artillery pieces. An electronic intelligence station, an ammunition depot, and five supply depots were destroyed.
Units of the West group of forces have improved their tactical position.
The manpower and equipment of two mechanized brigades, an assault brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, and a National Guard brigade were damaged in the areas of the settlements of Petrovka, Novoplatonovka, Petropavlivka in the Khar'kov region and Novoselivka in the Donetsk People's Republic.
Near the village of Kupyansk in the Khar'kov region, units of the 6th Army continue to destroy the encircled enemy group. Over the past 24 hours, four counterattacks by units of the 92nd Assault and 151st Mechanized brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and the 1st National Guard Brigade have been thwarted near the villages of Monachynivka, Blagodatovka, and Petrovka in the Khar'kov region.
Over the past 24 hours, in the area of the village of Kupyansk in the Khar'kov region, up to 50 Ukrainian servicemen, 26 units of weapons and military equipment were destroyed, including an M-113 armored personnel carrier and a 155mm self-propelled artillery unit "Paladin" made in the USA, seven armored vehicles, two mortars, a truck, and eight pickup trucks.
In total, Ukrainian armed forces lost over 230 servicemen, 11 armored combat vehicles, 22 vehicles, and two field artillery pieces in the "West" group's area of responsibility. Six electronic warfare stations, a counterbattery station, and six ammunition depots were destroyed.
Units of the Southern group of forces occupied more advantageous lines and positions.
They defeated the formations of the mechanized and assault brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, the territorial defense brigade, and the National Guard brigade in the areas of the settlements of Konstantinovka, Seversk, Druzhkovka, and Fedorovka in the Donetsk People's Republic.
The enemy lost up to 160 troops, three armored combat vehicles, 23 vehicles, and three field artillery pieces. Three electronic warfare stations and two ammunition depots were destroyed.
Units of the Center group of forces have improved their position along the forward edge.
The manpower and equipment of three mechanized brigades, an airmobile brigade, an airborne assault brigade, an assault regiment of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, a naval infantry brigade, and a national guard brigade were damaged in the areas of the settlements of Toretskoye, Dobropillya, Rodynskoye, Udachnoye, Kotlino in the Donetsk People's Republic, Petrovpavlivka and Demurino in the Dnipropetrovsk region.
In the village of Krasnoarmeysk in the Donetsk People's Republic, assault groups from the 2nd and 51st Armies continued to destroy encircled Ukrainian Armed Forces units in residential areas of the Prigorodny microdistrict, in the eastern part of the Central District, and in private homes. The offensive continues northward.
In addition, the planned clearing of Ukrainian militants from the settlements of Gnativka and Rog in the Donetsk People's Republic is underway, with 24 buildings liberated. The enemy was prevented from breaking out of the encirclement. Over the past 24 hours, 12 enemy counterattacks were repelled in the northern and northwestern directions from the settlement of Krasnoarmeysk in the Donetsk People's Republic.
Units of the 5th Motorized Rifle Brigade of the 51st Army have liberated 19 buildings in the northern, eastern, and southeastern parts of the village of Dimitrov in the Donetsk People's Republic and are advancing toward the Zapadny microdistrict. The expansion of the control zone and the tightening of the encirclement of the enemy group continue.
Over the past 24 hours, more than 200 Ukrainian servicemen, three armored combat vehicles, and two pickup trucks have been destroyed in this area.
In total, in the area of responsibility of the Center group of forces, the enemy lost up to 470 servicemen, six combat armored vehicles, nine cars and an artillery piece.
Units of the "East" force group advanced deep into the enemy's defenses.
Formations of two mechanized brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and a territorial defense brigade were defeated in the areas of the settlements of Ravnopolye, Uspenovka in the Zaporizhzhia region and Yehorovka in the Dnipropetrovsk region.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces lost over 250 servicemen, two armored combat vehicles, 19 vehicles and an artillery piece.
Units of the Dnepr group of forces inflicted losses on the manpower and equipment of the mechanized brigade and coastal defense brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the areas of the settlements of Nikolskoye, Sadovoe and Antonovka in the Kherson region.
Up to 65 servicemen, an armored combat vehicle, 12 vehicles, two field artillery pieces, five electronic warfare stations, and two supply depots were destroyed.
Operational-tactical aviation, strike unmanned aerial vehicles, missile forces, and artillery of the Russian Armed Forces groupings damaged energy and transport infrastructure facilities supporting the activities of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, an unmanned aerial vehicle assembly plant, ammunition depots, and temporary deployment points for Ukrainian armed forces and foreign mercenaries in 142 districts.
Air defense systems shot down a guided aerial bomb, four rockets from a US-made HIMARS multiple launch rocket system, and 123 aircraft-type unmanned aerial vehicles.
11:41 The Pantsir-S air defense missile and gun system crew is monitoring the airspace in the area of responsibility of the North group of forces, video.
11:35 Published footage of the capture of Ukrainian drone operators in Krasnoarmeysk.
11:18 Assault groups of the Russian Armed Forcesoccupieda stronghold north of Stavki in the Liman direction.
9:59 Over the past 24 hours, Ukrainian military personnel have used drones several times to attack civilians in the Belgorod region. There are wounded. Infrastructure, homes, and vehicles were damaged.
Near the village of Krasivo in the Borisovsky District, a drone struck a GAZelle van, injuring the driver. An ambulance crew transported the man to the Borisovsky Central District Hospital with a penetrating chest wound and a shrapnel wound to the shoulder.
A drone detonated on the road in the village of Gora-Podol in the Graivoron District. A man who suffered barotrauma received emergency medical treatment at the Graivoron Central District Hospital.
In the village of Golovchino, a man was injured when an FPV drone detonated on a commercial property. The head of the Graivoron District took him to the Graivoron Central District Hospital, where he was preliminarily diagnosed with barotrauma.
9:45 Our fighters came in in Drobyshevo on the Limansky front and managed to gain a foothold. The liberation of Stavki also continues.
9:17 A Russian Armed Forces UAV operator diverted the drone from a civilian vehicle, video.
While conducting a reconnaissance and combat flight in "free hunt" mode in the Rubtsovsk direction in the enemy's rear area, the operator of an FPV drone from the Rubicon Center spotted a car and, having identified the vehicle and its occupants, took the drone away.
8:35 Frontline summary on the morning of November 5, 2025
The Zaporizhzhia Front
of the Russian Armed Forces is fighting its way forward along the Stepnogorsk-Primorskoye section toward Zaporizhzhia. The road to Zaporizhzhia is currently under Ukrainian control.
Donetsk Front:
The battle for Uspenovka continues in the southern Donetsk sector. There is progress near Vyshneve.
In the Pokrovsk sector, Russian troops continue their offensive. Russian Armed Forces units are reportedly advancing on the northeastern outskirts of Pokrovsk, as well as along the highway to Grishino. There are gains in Zaporizhzhia, north of the village of Rog. In Myrnograd, fighting is ongoing in the southern part of the city, in an area behind the mine. In the Dobropillya salient, fighting continues in the area of Nikanorovka, Zatyshko, and Sukhetske.
In the Konstantinovka sector, Russian Armed Forces are reporting successes in Pleshcheyeyevka. Russian troops are expanding their zone of control along the railway to Konstantinovka and in the Ivanpol region, but the enemy is stubbornly resisting. Fighting continues in the area of Aleksandro-Kalinovo and Kleban-Byk.
The Russian Armed Forces' offensive is underway in the Krasnolimansk sector. Advances are being made in the forested areas east of Krasny Liman, in the Maslyakovka neighborhoods, and in the Drobyshevo and Yarovaya areas. In the Seversk sector, Russian troops are taking up new positions in Zvanovka and expanding their bridgehead in the southern part of Seversk.
Khar'kov Front
In the Kupyansk sector, Russian Armed Forces are advancing between Kupyansk and Kucherovka. There are gains in Kondrashovka. In the Kupyansk area, Russian forces continue to tighten the encirclement of the Ukrainian Armed Forces group. An enemy attempt to secure an exit for encircled units from the left bank of the Oskol River has been reportedly thwarted.
Sumy Front:
Fighting continues. Enemy counterattacks have been thwarted in the areas of Novokonstantinovka, Andreyevka, Kondratovka, and Varachino.
8:13 During the past night, air defense systems on duty intercepted and destroyed 40 Ukrainian aircraft-type unmanned aerial vehicles:
11 UAVs were flying over the Voronezh region,
Eight UAVs were flying over the Rostov region,
Six UAVs were flying over the Kursk region,
Six UAVs were flying over the Republic of Crimea,
Five UAVs were flying over the Bryansk region,
Two UAVs were flying over the Belgorod region, and
Two UAVs were flying over the Oryol region.
8:01 122mm 2S1 Self-propelled howitzer crews "Gvozdika" of the "North" group of forces destroyed camouflaged positions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Sumy region, -video.
A 122mm BM-21 Grad MLRS crew from the Center group of forces launched an artillery strike on the positions of Ukrainian militants hiding in a forest belt near Krasnoarmeysk in the Donetsk People's Republic.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] Fakes and false information are weapons used by Russia's adversaries, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated on November 5.
"We must understand that this is a weapon that Russia's adversaries are using against us, and they are perfecting it," the head of state emphasized, speaking about fakes and fabrications, on November 5 during a meeting of the Council on Interethnic Relations.
Putin called the fight against fake news, which is used to try to influence society, an important area.
The president also noted at the meeting that Western countries are increasingly trying to inflict a strategic defeat on Russia by talking about the "decolonization" of the country.
Speaking at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova called fake news not just a tool for manipulating public opinion, but a fully-fledged weapon of information warfare.
In her opinion, today it's possible to create a fake story that will cause far more damage than any carefully thought-out or strategically calculated piece of information. Even the lack of a date for a news story can trigger tectonic shifts, including in international relations, the diplomat noted.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. by Viktor Lavrinenko
[REGNUM] Moscow informed Helsinki that it is withdrawing from the Russian-Finnish agreement regarding the energy use of a section of the Vuoksi River. From now on, Russia will no longer supply compensatory energy to the Finns, rightly arguing that Finland itself refused to receive electricity from Russia as of April 4, 2022.
For the Finnish city of Imatra, the loss of compensatory energy from our country was just one of many misfortunes caused by Helsinki's inadequate policies.
A GESTURE OF GOODWILL
The Vuoksa, which flows into Lake Ladoga, is one of the most significant rivers in the Leningrad Region. It is essentially an entire lake-river system, encompassing numerous lakes and tributaries located in both Russia and Finland. The main channel of this system, 156 km long, is the largest river in the Karelian Isthmus.
There are a total of four hydroelectric power plants on the Vuoksi River. Two of them are located in Finland near the city of Imatra, and two are in Russia—the Svetogorsk and Lesogorsk hydroelectric power plants.
In the early 1960s, when relations between the USSR and Finland were friendly and cloudless, an agreement was signed regarding the border water systems of the USSR and Finland. The Soviet Union pledged to annually compensate Finland for electricity losses resulting from flow regulation at the Svetogorsk hydroelectric power station, located on our side of the border.
The agreement signed on this occasion stated that the closure of the Svetogorsk hydroelectric power plant's reservoir would result in a loss of 19,900 MWh of capacity per year at the Imatran hydroelectric power plant. When the Soviet hydroelectric power plant was built, the water level in the reservoir was raised. This resulted in a drop in output at the previously built Finnish hydroelectric power plant. Moscow pledged to compensate for the difference in output with electricity starting in July 1972.
Accordingly, the compensation amounted to approximately 20,000 megawatt-hours per year, which, as a gesture of goodwill, first the USSR and, after its collapse, the Russian Federation supplied free of charge to the Finnish state-owned company Imatran Voima.
However, in the spring of 2022, the Finns decided to join the Western anti-Russian coalition and wage an economic war against Russia. One consequence of this decision was that Finland stopped extracting electricity from the country on April 4, 2022.
On November 2, Russia, for its part, legally terminated Articles 3 and 4 of the agreement, citing Finland's actual failure to comply. Overall, Russia's withdrawal further confirmed the complete cessation of cooperation between the two countries in the energy sector.
The most painful development for the Finns in this regard was the collapse of the Hanhikivi-1 nuclear power plant project, which Rosatom had agreed to build. But Helsinki itself terminated the agreement.
And now, although Suomi desperately needs an additional nuclear power plant, the Finns will definitely not have one in the coming decades: there is no one to build it.
DECLINE ZONE
Regnum news agency regularly informs readers about the crisis in the Finnish economy caused by the break in relations with Russia. Such publications are often met with accusations of propaganda. However, the scale of the problems is such that even the West cannot turn a blind eye to them.
The news of Russia's withdrawal from the energy agreement coincided with the publication of an article in Bloomberg describing the general situation in the city of Imatra—the same city in the vicinity of which the two aforementioned Finnish hydroelectric power plants are located.
Situated on the Vuoksi River, Imatra is the largest city in the Finnish province of South Karelia. The closure of the Finnish border and the entry ban for Russian citizens dealt what Bloomberg calls a "devastating" blow to the region's economy.
It couldn't have been otherwise: tourism was a priority for the region's economic development. Naturally, it was Russians who flocked there; southeastern Finland didn't particularly attract visitors from other countries.
Russian tourists were lured by the local natural beauty, the picturesque lakes, rivers, and islands, as well as historical landmarks. The region's tourism businesses were constantly developing and expanding their services. For example, the city of Lappeenranta focused on family tourism, while Imatra focused on fishing: tourists from St. Petersburg were drawn to the fish-rich waters of the Vuoksi and Saimaa Rivers.
Guests were treated to cruises along the Saimaa River and the Saimaa Canal to Vyborg—all the necessary infrastructure had been built along their banks for this purpose. Tourists were shown the ancient fortress in Lappeenranta and taken to local churches representing various centuries, architectural styles, and religions.
Since the vast majority of tourists came from Russia, they were given detailed accounts of the period in South Karelia's history associated with its time in the Russian Empire: for example, one of the exhibits was dedicated to Catherine II's visit to Imatra in 1772.
And then, suddenly, it all collapsed, and now the leadership of South Karelia can only sadly count the losses. According to regional authorities, the daily losses from the loss of Russian tourism alone amount to approximately 1 million euros. This has led to a sharp rise in unemployment and the closure of numerous local businesses.
Some businesses, however, are still struggling to survive. For example, the Imatran kylpylä spa, once popular with Russian tourists, is on the brink of bankruptcy. Meanwhile, the famous Imatran Valtionhotelli castle hotel has changed hands, and its new owners are hoping to attract tourists from Italy to the region.
Bloomberg journalists spoke with residents of Imatra and the surrounding area. Sixty-four-year-old entrepreneur Sari Tukiainen recalls Russian tourists with genuine nostalgia: "They bought clothes by the stacks, including the latest fashions. Even winter coats were sold out by August."
Now her store, like most others in downtown Imatra, is closing. To avoid even greater losses, Tukiainen will cease operations by the end of the year. She has completely lost hope of somehow "steering the ship."
But the crisis that has deeply entrenched these regions isn't limited to trade and tourism. Local industry has also fallen on hard times. The steel mill in Imatra has significantly reduced its workforce. Three of the largest local forestry companies—UPM-Kymmene Oyj, Stora Enso Oyj, and Metsä Group—have announced significant job cuts in the region.
This was a direct consequence of the loss of Russian raw material supplies and sales markets. Previously, Finnish wood processors purchased birch wood in abundance from Russia and sold finished products back. As industry representatives wistfully recall, trucks once lined up for dozens of kilometers, and Russian buyers asked Finnish traders why they couldn't work 24/7.
"THEY HAVE NIGHTMARES."
Currently, the unemployment rate in Imatra, with a population of 25,000, has reached 15%, significantly exceeding the national average of 9.1%. The outflow of young people to other cities has increased.
As 16-year-old Sara Virtanen, chair of the Imatra Youth Council, explained, many local families have faced financial difficulties and realize they have no prospects left in this city. Furthermore, declining tax revenues have negatively impacted the quality of the city's healthcare services: the municipality no longer has the funds to maintain the high standards of care at its clinics.
Lappeenranta, the second largest city in South Karelia, is experiencing similar problems. Its airport, once very popular with tourists from St. Petersburg, handled its last flight of the year on October 29.
Problems are popping up everywhere, and local residents prefer to solve them on foot. Two years ago, local media reported that all of southeastern Finland was in danger of becoming a haven for the elderly and marginalized. And this grim prediction is gradually coming true.
Regional authorities are trying to find a way out of the crisis by developing a new economic strategy that has no connection to Russia. Specifically, Imatra is applying for special economic zone status with tax incentives.
City authorities hope to attract investment in "green" technologies, such as hydrogen production and solar energy. Local residents and authorities sadly acknowledge that the "easy" money has apparently left Russia forever, and the region faces a long and difficult road to economic restructuring.
However, its implementation is also hampered by purely psychological problems: the residents of Imatra are deeply afraid of war, of which they, due to their region's border location, will be the first victims. The proximity of the Russian border, once seen in Imatra as a blessing, has now become a curse.
Finnish media are contributing to the mass psychosis that has infected the local population, claiming that Moscow's treachery knows no bounds, and that Russians can "test the strength of NATO's defenses" in Suomi.
Sara Virtanen told reporters that she used to frequently travel to St. Petersburg for hockey matches. However, now, as a consumer of the information flow produced by Finnish media, she considers Russia "unpredictable" and capable of any mischief.
And she's far from alone: irrational fears have gripped most Finns, including the very young. She shared, "I know little children who can't sleep: they're afraid of war, they have nightmares."
Older adults, who, based on their life experience, would seem skeptical of state propaganda narratives, are also gripped by fear. Jarmo Ikjavalko, 73, director of the Veterans' House Museum in Imatra, said residents are growing increasingly anxious about the future. "If you had asked me a year ago if I was afraid, I would have said no. But now my knees are shaking," Ikjavalko admitted.
Another Imatran, 50-year-old businessman Toni Kainulainen, believes the world is one step away from World War III.
Economic decline, a sense of hopelessness, and fear of Russia are the three main emotions currently prevailing in South Karelia. And against this backdrop, the loss of compensatory electricity from Russia is perceived as the least of the problems.
#1
They also allied with the Nazis and marched into Russia.
Finns are self-righteous pricks, dealt with enough of them online.
And their stupid Winter War that they lost.
Posted by: Frank G ||
11/06/2025 10:17 Comments ||
Top||
#4
"The Soviet Union pledged to annually compensate Finland for electricity losses resulting from flow regulation at the Svetogorsk hydroelectric power station, located on our side of the border."
Seems more friendly than we usually attribute to Soviets.
As elephants, shall we say, leery
Of tropical mice (well, in theory)
Might trumpet, up there
In the ice, giant bear
Jumps on chair and roars--
[merry Finns: "HIIRI!"
Posted by: Harry Sluter8847 ||
11/06/2025 17:40 Comments ||
Top||
#6
Or bears anr chairs, even. Hey, I can barely manage English, and this shattered screen ain't helping.
Posted by: Harry Sluter8847 ||
11/06/2025 17:44 Comments ||
Top||
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