The “Dove of Peace” Sent Us Yet Another Barrage of “Kinzhal” and “Kalibr” Missiles; That’s His Diplomacy – Address by the President

17 November 2024 – 22:25

Dear Ukrainians!

Today marked one of the largest and most dangerous Russian attacks in the entire war. Two hundred and ten drones and missiles launched simultaneously – including hypersonic and aeroballistic ones. Fortunately, most of the targets were intercepted. Russia aimed for energy and critical infrastructure. And this is the answer to all those who wanted to achieve something with Putin through conversations, phone calls, hugs – appeasement. Today, this “dove of peace” sent us yet another barrage of “Kinzhal” and “Kalibr” missiles. That’s his diplomacy. His language is treachery. For nearly a thousand days now, Russia has been doing the same thing. And we must defend ourselves against it. We need to be strong. Time should be invested not in talking to someone in Moscow, but in really forcing Russia to end the war. I am grateful to all our air defense forces, the Air Force, mobile fire groups, and everyone who makes it possible for Ukraine to shoot down all this Russian evil. Once again, Patriot systems performed brilliantly today. The F16s also showed their worth intercepting missiles. Special thanks to all our partners who help us with air defense systems and missiles. This is truly a global effort. Every time such Russian strikes take place, we see how important it is that our partners do not leave Patriots and other systems in warehouses somewhere, but transfer them to exactly those people who can protect lives and need them. We still haven’t received all the systems we need from our partners. But we’re continuing to work on that. Once we have what’s needed, repelling these attacks will be even more comprehensive. Restoration work is underway in four regions. This morning, over a million households were without electricity. That number is now significantly lower. Thank you to all the repair crews. The work will continue around the clock. Unfortunately, today’s Russian attack caused injuries in the Lviv region, in Kyiv, in the Poltava, Dnipropetrovsk, Odesa, and Zaporizhzhia regions. Everyone has received the necessary assistance. Tragically, there are also fatalities. My condolences to all the families and loved ones.

We will definitely respond to the occupier. And we must withstand the pressure now. Any pressure. Any strikes. So that next year, we can achieve our goal. So that we achieve peace.

And one more thing.

The plan to strengthen Ukraine is the Victory Plan, which I presented to our partners. One of its key points is long-range capabilities for  our army. Today, there’s a lot of talk in the media about us receiving permission for respective actions. But strikes are not carried out with words. Such things are not announced. Missiles will speak for themselves. They certainly will.

Glory to Ukraine!

President Zelensky reported on his Telegram that F-16 jets were used to repel today’s mass attack against civilians in Ukraine:

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— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) November 17, 2024 at 6:18 AM

The US:

U.S. President Joe Biden has authorized Ukraine to use U.S.-supplied long-range ATACMS missiles for strikes inside Russia, marking a significant shift in U.S. policy, the New York Times reported on Nov. 17.

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— The Kyiv Independent (@kyivindependent.com) November 17, 2024 at 1:56 PM

U.S. President Joe Biden has authorized Ukraine to use U.S.-supplied long-range ATACMS missiles for strikes inside Russia, marking a significant shift in U.S. policy, the New York Times reported on Nov. 17.

Ukraine will likely initially use the missiles against Russian and North Korean forces in Kursk Oblast but Washington could also authorize their use elsewhere, undisclosed official sources told the news outlet.

The decision comes as Russia, with the support of North Korean troops, prepares a large-scale assault on Ukrainian forces in the embattled Russian region.

While the U.S. officials do not expect this move to “change the overall course of the war”, Biden aims to help Ukraine target critical Russian and North Korean military assets and send a deterrent message to Pyongyang.

The policy change follows Biden’s previous hesitance to provide such weapons, out of concern for escalating tensions with Russia.

Proponents of the decision have long argued that this authorization would significantly enhance Ukraine’s defense capabilities, especially with Russia increasing military offensives on many fronts, and intensifying drone and missile attacks in recent months.

The talks on loosening U.S. restrictions reportedly began after Defense Minister Rustem Umerov on Aug. 30 visited Washington and presented senior officials with a list of high-value targets in Russia that Ukraine wants to hit with Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS).

It is still limited use:

Here we go again

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— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) November 17, 2024 at 3:13 PM

We are now allowed to use ATACMS to strike in Kursk.🥳Great!

Can we also strike the stupid airbases in Belgorod anytime soon?

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— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) November 17, 2024 at 1:46 PM

This is spot on from @ioponomarenko.bsky.social Not only has the Biden administration’s ‘escalation terror’ prolonged this war, and given Putin time to mobilise, it has emboldened others like Iran & China who now perceive the U.S. & the West now have little stomach to defend the post-WW2 order.

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— Mick Ryan (@warinthefuture.bsky.social) November 17, 2024 at 4:11 PM

Permission to strike with ATACMS came as timely as it did in October 2023, when the counteroffensive was essentially over.

Don’t expect a major shift on the battlefield, as the nature of the setbacks for a Ukrainian army comes from different issues, especially if it’s limited to a Kursk only

— Tatarigami (@tatarigami.bsky.social) November 17, 2024 at 2:32 PM

Here’s Tatarigami’s full take:

Early reports suggest that Ukraine’s use of ATACMS missiles may come with specific geographic limitations.
This nuance might significantly influence the outcomes of their use. Here’s a breakdown of what we can expect, given that the information about limitations is correct🧵:

2/ As reported before by our team Frontelligence Insight, Russian forces have moved many key air assets beyond ATACMS range, leaving mainly helicopters and close-support jets at the Kursk airfield within striking distance, reducing the number of high-value targets

bsky.app/profile/tata…

Tatarigami8d

One point of tension between Zelensky and the Biden admins was the issue of allowing ATACMS strikes inside Russia. Frontelligence Insight conducted geospatial analysis and spoke with former U.S. officials and experts from leading US think tanks. Summary of our report🧵:

3/ Russia has a vast network of makeshift ammo depots, command posts, rail stations, and other tactical sites in Kursk oblast. However, their sheer number far outstrips the limited missiles available to Ukraine.

4/ Ukraine faces difficulties with limited salvo sizes and significant ATACMS interception rates, reducing the odds of consistently successful strikes. Our team has detailed these dynamics in a dedicated report before, and they should be factored into expectations.

5/ ATACMS variants differ in range and warhead type: some with unitary warheads, others with submunitions. Not all can reach 300 kilometers or target fortified structures, limiting the options further

6/ Quite serious doubts remain over whether Ukraine will be allowed to target Russian oil refineries or energy infrastructure, as the U.S. has opposed similar operations before. While this remains speculative, there is a good chance that critical infrastructure might be excluded

7/ ATACMS will aid Ukraine on the battlefield without a doubt, but expectations should be tempered. Their use is unlikely to dramatically impact Russian or North Korean-linked forces in Kursk, delivering incremental tactical gains rather than immediate and decisive outcomes.

8/ The goal is not to discourage public sentiment but to set realistic expectations, to avoid future speculation about why ATACMS didn’t shift the war’s tide or destroy the Russo-Korean forces in Kursk Oblast.

And a few of my personal comments:

– I won’t believe it until I see it.

-Once again, US officials are leaking information to journalists, the premature publication of which could cause damage. (Russians will have time to prepare).

-What the hell prevented them from doing this in mid-summer 2022.

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— 🦋Special Kherson Cat🐈🇺🇦 (@specialkhersoncat.bsky.social) November 17, 2024 at 1:26 PM

You know the only thing that’s changed between last month when President Biden and his natsec team said no and today? The Democrats lost the presidential election, lost the Senate, and failed to retake the House. That’s it. Not a damn thing in Ukraine has changed. Putin actually issued a new set of red line threats. This decision demonstrates what I’ve been saying all along, there was no strategy here. No plan. Just fear and strategic malpractice. And since this is going to be limited to targets in Kursk, it’s really not much of a change at all.

Poland:

⚡ Polish and allied jets were scrambled over Polish airspace following a Russian missile attack on Ukraine, according to the Polish Armed Forces Operational Command.

💬 “The steps taken are aimed at ensuring security in the areas bordering the threatened areas.”

— UNITED24 Media (@united24media.com) November 17, 2024 at 1:28 AM

💯 Calls will not stop Putin, next weeks will be decisive – Polish PM

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— Ukrainska Pravda 🇺🇦 (@pravda.ua) November 17, 2024 at 10:24 AM

From Ukrainska Pravda:

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said that Russia’s latest attack against Ukraine proved the ineffectiveness of telephone diplomacy.

Source: Donald Tusk on Twitter (X), as reported by European Pravda

Details: The Prime Minister of Poland claims that telephone diplomacy will not replace the real support of Ukraine from the whole West.

Quote: “No-one will stop Putin with phone calls. The attack last night, one of the biggest in this war, has proved that telephone diplomacy cannot replace real support from the whole West for Ukraine.

The next weeks will be decisive, not only for the war itself, but also for our future,” Tusk said.

On the night of 16-17 November, Russian forces launched a combined missile and drone attack on Ukraine’s energy sector facilities with 210 missiles and UAVs on the night of 16-17 November. Ukrainian air defence units have destroyed 144 of them.

Moldovan President Maia Sandu also strongly condemned Russia’s latest large-scale attack on Ukrainian energy infrastructure.

Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha stressed that Russia’s latest large-scale missile attack on Ukraine is war criminal Vladimir Putin’s response to those who have called or visited him recently.

On the afternoon of 15 November, it was reported that Scholz had spoken to Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin for the first time in two years. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy labelled the call a “Pandora’s box”.

Moldova:

Deputy Prime Minister of Moldova, Mihail Popșoi, states that Russian missiles and drones violated Moldova airspace during today’s massive missile attack on Ukraine.

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— 🦋Special Kherson Cat🐈🇺🇦 (@specialkhersoncat.bsky.social) November 17, 2024 at 1:00 PM

/2. Also earlier today a video appeared which claims to show Russian cruise missiles flying over Moldova

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— 🦋Special Kherson Cat🐈🇺🇦 (@specialkhersoncat.bsky.social) November 17, 2024 at 1:01 PM

I’ve written it here before and I’m sure I’m going to have to write it here again: Putin follows Lenin’s (perhaps apocryphal) adage: “Probe with bayonets. Where you find mush, advance. Where you find steel, withdraw.”

As I & others have been trying to tell Western officials & political leaders for years, Putin is provoked by weakness, not strength. Scholz’s phone call to Putin & his refusal to let Ukraine have Taurus & Trump’s criticism of Zelenskyy for not ceding territory all show weakness.

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— Ian Bond (@cerianbond.bsky.social) November 17, 2024 at 4:12 AM

Here’s Russia’s butcher’s bill from last night/this morning:

Russia launched a large-scale missile and drone attack on Ukraine overnight on Nov. 17; Russia recently began producing thermobaric drones to be used alongside decoy drones in Ukraine; and more.

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— The Kyiv Independent (@kyivindependent.com) November 17, 2024 at 2:15 PM

/2. According to preliminary data Russians used — 120 missiles and 90 UAVs. 210 in total.

By types:
– 1 3M22 “Zircon”;
– 8 Kh-47M2 “Kinzhal”;
– 101 Kh-101 Kalibr;
– 1 “Iskander-M”;
– 4 Kh-22/Kh-31P;
– 5 Kh-59/Kh-69;
– 90 kamikaze drones.

— 🦋Special Kherson Cat🐈🇺🇦 (@specialkhersoncat.bsky.social) November 17, 2024 at 5:37 AM

/3. Preliminary 144 air targets — 102 missiles and 42 UAVs were shot down:

– 1 M22 “Zircon”;
– 7 Kh-47M2 “Kinzhal”;
– 85 Kh-101 Kalibr
– 4 Kh-22/Kh-31P;
– 5 Kh-59/69;
– 42 attack drones/drones of unknown type

— 🦋Special Kherson Cat🐈🇺🇦 (@specialkhersoncat.bsky.social) November 17, 2024 at 5:38 AM

From The Kyiv Independent:

Russia launched a large-scale missile and drone attack on Ukraine overnight on Nov. 17, leaving at least seven civilians dead and at least 19 injured across multiple regions.

Multiple loud explosions were reported in the capital, Kyiv, between 6:30 and 7:15 a.m. local time, according to a Kyiv Independent journalist on the ground.

Russia’s latest barrage of missile strikes marks the first mass missile attack on Kyiv in over 2 months, with Russia instead utilizing more frequent drone strikes in recent months to attack the capital.

Further explosions were also heard in the cities of Kropyvnytskyi, Rivne, Ivano-Frankivsk, Cherkasy, Dnipro, Vinnytsia, Kryvyi Rih, Odesa, Zaporizhzhia, as well as in the Khmelnytskyi and Volyn oblasts.

Russia targeted “power generation and transmission facilities throughout Ukraine,” according to Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko.

“The transmission system operator has urgently introduced emergency shutdowns,” Halushchenko said. Officials have been warning that Russia may resume strikes on the energy grid as temperatures drop, mirroring the strategy used in the spring and summer of this year and in the autumn-winter season of 2022-2023.

Kyiv Mayor Vitalii Klitschko said that as a result of falling drone debris, an apartment on the fourth floor of a five-story residential building caught fire in the Pechersk neighborhood of the city. One person was hospitalized as a result of the attack, while one other person received medical treatment on-site.

Debris was also reported in the Holosiivskyi and Dniprovskyi districts of the capital, according to the Kyiv City Military Administration.

Several residential and commercial buildings, a club building, and a library were damaged in the capital.

A 45-year-old woman was injured in Kyiv Oblast, suffering a head wound, Governor Ruslan Kravchenko reported. Fallen debris damaged industrial facilities, 21 houses, and other buildings across the region.

In addition to the attack on Kyiv, at least two people were killed and seven injured, including two children, in the city of Mykolaiv amid Russia’s mass drone and missile attack, regional governor Vitalii Kim reported.

In the city of Dnipro, a 42-year-old man suffered shrapnel wounds as a result of the attack. High-rise buildings, an educational institution, and a car were damaged, Governor Serhii Lysak reported.

Russia also struck a railway depot in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, killing two railway workers and injuring three, Ukrainian Railways (Ukrzaliznytsia) said on its Telegram channel. It is not immediately clear whether the number of injured includes the 42-year-old man reported previously by the governor.

Critical infrastructure facilities were hit in the Vinnytsia, Odesa, and Volyn oblasts, leading to power outages and emergency shutdowns, regional authorities said. Odesa also faced problems with the water supply.

Infrastructure facilities were also targeted in Zaporizhzhia Oblast. Two people were reported injured in the regional center, the city of Zaporizhzhia. A 59-year-old man was hospitalized, and an 18-year-old man received medical assistance on the spot, Governor Ivan Fedorov said.

In Lviv Oblast, 12 garages caught fire due to fallen missile debris. A 66-year-old woman was killed in her car by the debris in the Sheptytskyi (formerly Chervonohrad) district, Governor Maksym Kozytskyi reported. Two more people were injured.

Two people were killed, and a 17-year-old boy was injured in Odesa Oblast, Governor Oleh Kiper reported. One civilian was reportedly hospitalized with serious injuries in Poltava Oblast.

An outbuilding and a house were damaged in Zhytomyr Oblast. Regional authorities also reported that a critical infrastructure site was damaged in Rivne Oblast, and a house was damaged by fallen debris in Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast.

“Cruise, ballistic, and air-launched ballistic missiles, Zirkons, Iskanders, Kinzhals. In total, around 120 missiles and 90 drones (were launched by Russia),” President Volodymyr Zelensky said following the attack.

This makes it one of the most massive strikes launched at Ukraine throughout the full-scale war.

“Our air defenses destroyed more than 140 aerial targets… We are grateful to our air defense forces involved in the attack, our aviation – F-16, Sukhoi, and MiG pilots – mobile fire groups, electronic warfare units, everybody worked in an organized manner,” Zelensky said.

In response to the mass attack, the Operational Command of the Polish Armed Forces scrambled fighter jets to protect the country’s own airspace. “Ground-based air defense and radar reconnaissance systems have reached the highest state of readiness,” the Operational Command added.

Ukraine’s Air Force issued air raid alerts across all regions of the country around 6 a.m. local time, warning of the attack. The alert ended in much of Ukraine at around 9:30 a.m.

Ukraine’s Air Force reported earlier in the night that Tu-95 strategic bombers took off from the Russian airfields of Olenya in Murmansk Oblast. Later in the night, the War Monitor Telegram channel reported that a total of 17 Tu-95 strategic bombers were in flight, with seven taking off at the Engels airbase in Saratov Oblast.

In recent months, Russia has primarily focused on large-scale drone attacks to overwhelm Ukrainian air defenses in cities across the country. The Ukrainian Air Force previously said that Russia launched at least 4,300 Shahed-type attack drones and similar UAVs imitating Shaheds against Ukraine between August and October 2024.

While missile attacks are a common occurrence in Ukraine’s eastern oblasts, most Ukrainian cities, including Kyiv, have largely been spared from large-scale Russian missile attacks on infrastructure in recent months — with the last large-scale missile attack occurring in late August.

Witness several Russian missiles flying one after another to strike Ukrainian civilian infrastructure.

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— UNITED24 Media (@united24media.com) November 17, 2024 at 12:59 PM

Ukrainian air defense at work:

⚡ Soldier Natalia Hrabarchuk destroyed a Russian missile with an Igla MANPADS during a massive Russian attack today.

Remarkably, this was her first combat launch, and it resulted in a direct hit. Before joining the military, Natalia worked as a kindergarten teacher.

📹: The Air Force of the AFU

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— UNITED24 Media (@united24media.com) November 17, 2024 at 6:43 AM

From Ukrainska Pravda:

During a large-scale Russian attack on 17 November, Ukrainian soldier Nataliia Hrabarchuk downed a Russian cruise missile on her first attempt, using a 9K38 Igla portable anti-aircraft missile system. This was her first combat launch, and it proved successful.

Source: Ukraine’s Air Force on Facebook

Details: Until 2021, Nataliia Hrabarchuk worked as a teacher in a preschool educational institution, but she changed her profession and joined the Armed Forces.

Now she serves as an anti-aircraft gunner of the missile unit of the 1st Halychyna and Volhynia Radio Technical Brigade of the Air Command Zakhid (West).

Ukraine’s Air Force shared a video in which Nataliia makes a launch, which destroys a potential threat to Ukrainian cities.

“Natasha, got it!”, one of her comrades-in-arms  exclaims joyfully in the background.

At this moment, the serviceman gets down on her knees and covers her face with her hands in awe.

“When the enemy missile was in front of me, I suppressed my emotions and exhilaration. I conducted hundreds of training launches on simulators. And here it is: the first combat launch, on target!”, Natalia shared her impression.

The woman noted that MANPADS were hefty not only in weight (18 kilogrammes), but also in responsibility. As a result, the defender displayed genuine happiness at her first accomplishment.

“I am overjoyed that I succeeded. After combat, I let out some of my feelings. Our mobile fire department involves female service members. We offer everything we’ve got to get the job done,” she said.

Sumy:

A 9-year-old boy and a 14-year-old girl were among those killed in a russian missile strike on Sumy tonight.

9 and 14‼️

The Sumy Regional Military Administration has reported 52 injured and 10 dead so far.

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— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) November 17, 2024 at 4:50 PM

Russians have just launched a missile strike on a multi-story residential building in Sumy. At the moment, 8 people are known to have been killed, including children, and 10 wounded.

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— 🦋Special Kherson Cat🐈🇺🇦 (@specialkhersoncat.bsky.social) November 17, 2024 at 3:34 PM

/2. In Sumy, 49 people were injured, 8 killed, including two children, more than 400 people were evacuated

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— 🦋Special Kherson Cat🐈🇺🇦 (@specialkhersoncat.bsky.social) November 17, 2024 at 4:04 PM

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— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) November 17, 2024 at 4:24 PM

Odesa:

Five Kalibr cruise missiles over the sky of Odesa during today’s mass strike by Russian armed formations. The noise brings you back to Feb 2022.

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— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) November 17, 2024 at 4:41 AM

The State Emergency Service has published photographs of the aftermath of the Russian attack on the Odesa region.

Fires erupted in three private homes, and four other houses were partially destroyed.

(1/5)

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— UNITED24 Media (@united24media.com) November 17, 2024 at 7:39 AM

(2/5)

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— UNITED24 Media (@united24media.com) November 17, 2024 at 7:39 AM

(3/5)

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— UNITED24 Media (@united24media.com) November 17, 2024 at 7:39 AM

(4/5)

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— UNITED24 Media (@united24media.com) November 17, 2024 at 7:39 AM

(5/5)

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— UNITED24 Media (@united24media.com) November 17, 2024 at 7:39 AM

Kyiv:

Detailed photos in high resolution of a Russian 3M22 Zirkon missile debris which hit residential building in Kyiv today.
t.me/dsns_telegra…

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— 🦋Special Kherson Cat🐈🇺🇦 (@specialkhersoncat.bsky.social) November 17, 2024 at 7:18 AM

Kherson:

#Kherson

Today, in addition to a mass missile strike on Ukraine, #Russians hit Kherson with multiple drone strikes and artillery attacks. 3 reported killed, multiple injured; exact numbers later.

I went to report on the artillery shelling and had to hide from drones downtown.

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— Zarina Zabrisky (@zarinazabrisky.bsky.social) November 17, 2024 at 1:27 PM

#Kherson region, #Ukraine

Yesterday:
💔7 injured
🔴13 settlements attacked
🔴1 critical infrastructure object
🔴1 educational institution, 1
high-rise
🔴1 private houses damaged

Today, drones

💔1 killed
💔At least 2 injured

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— Zarina Zabrisky (@zarinazabrisky.bsky.social) November 17, 2024 at 9:42 AM

Rivne:

At dawn, 120 russian missiles and 80 drones rained down on Ukraine, targeting not for victory but for deprivation – aiming to plunge the nation into darkness and cold. In Rivne, video captured three missile strikes on critical infrastructure.

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— Iryna Voichuk (@irynavoichuk.bsky.social) November 17, 2024 at 5:23 AM

That’s enough for tonight.

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