Russia continued its deadly air strikes on Ukrainian cities, killing at least three people in the Kharkiv region overnight, local officials said. Meanwhile, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy prepared for the next stop on his tour of European capitals to shore up support.
A Ukrainian military official early on November 17 reported that three people were killed and at least 10 injured in a Russian strike on the eastern city of Balakliya, an important railroad junction in the Kharkiv region. Vitaliy Karabanov, head of Balakliya’s military administration, said the attack struck the city center and injured at least three children. Nine people were hospitalized, while emergency crews remained at the site.
The details could not be immediately confirmed, and it was unclear which specific sites were hit. Balakliya was occupied by Russian forces shortly after Moscow’s full-scale invasion in February 2022 but was retaken by Ukraine months later.
Russia has intensified strikes on Ukrainian energy facilities as winter approaches, raising fears of power shortages amid likely freezing cold weather. Moscow has also regularly targeted Ukrainian civilian areas, though it denies aiming at such sites.
Meanwhile, Zelenskyy has begun a tour of key European capitals to strengthen Ukraine’s energy supplies and secure additional weapons deliveries as the country continues to fend off Russian air and ground offensives.
### Heading for France, Then Spain
On November 17, Zelenskyy is scheduled to travel to Paris to meet with French President and strong Ukraine supporter Emmanuel Macron. Their first meeting will take place at Villacoublay Air Base, located outside the French capital. Zelenskyy has indicated that “a major deal with France” is in the works, although it remains unclear if a significant announcement will emerge from the trip.
The Ukrainian leader has urgently pleaded with Western partners for additional long-range missiles to target Russian missile-launching sites deep inside Russia. France has previously pledged to send Aster medium-range missiles to support Ukraine’s defense.
Zelenskyy’s next stop is Spain, where he is scheduled to travel on November 18.
### Energy Deal and Anti-Corruption Efforts
In an effort to mitigate the energy crisis caused by Russian missile strikes, Zelenskyy traveled to Athens on November 16. There, he signed a deal to import U.S.-supplied liquefied natural gas (LNG) starting next month through March 2026.
This move came as Zelenskyy vowed to overhaul Ukraine’s scandal-ridden energy sector to stem public outrage following widespread accusations of corruption. On November 10, Ukraine’s anti-corruption watchdog announced a “large-scale operation” exposing tens of millions of dollars of graft in the energy sector.
On November 16, Zelenskyy declared that the leadership of at least three state-run energy companies would be dismissed and replaced promptly. He also indicated that further reforms are underway.
It remains to be seen whether these changes will be sufficient to ease pressure on Zelenskyy and satisfy Kyiv’s Western allies, who have repeatedly urged the Ukrainian leader to do more to combat endemic corruption as the country continues its struggle against Russia’s full-scale invasion.
*With reporting by RFE/RL’s Ukrainian Service and Reuters.*
https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-kharkiv-balakliya-zelenskyy-energy-macron/33593567.html