President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has pointed out that the war in Ukraine could escalate into World War III, as Russia is fuelling conflicts around the world and will continue to press until the US and China force it to stop.

Details: Zelenskyy said that the war started by Russia in Ukraine could escalate into World War III.

He stated that the massacre in Israel was a very big desire of Russia and that it helped train Hamas militants. Zelenskyy stressed that Russia and Iran are partners.

He believes that Vladimir Putin is deliberately starting "fires" around the world that risk getting out of control if he is not stopped.

Quote: "China can push Russia more. I don’t see that they [China] are interested in the Middle East, unlike Russia and Iran. I don’t think that China is interested in helping Russia occupy Ukraine.

Everything is not very simple… Ukraine today is in the centre of these global risks of World War III. And I really think that Russia will push until the United States and China together will tell them very, very seriously to get out of the [Ukrainian] territory…

Russia doesn’t feel that the whole world is against it. And we really think that they are preparing now in the Balkans, they are doing new steps. And we think they are trying to train some people. And I think they will not finish.

Their idea is to begin one conflict, burn fires… I think their idea is the destabilisation by using and starting new fires."

Details: Zelenskyy stated that Kyiv is facing many problems right now, including problems with support in the US Congress. He acknowledged that the situation in the Middle East is not helping Ukraine.

Zelenskyy acknowledged that Ukraine would be unable to gain victory without Western assistance, as its own military and financial resources would be insufficient to defend itself.

Zelenskyy said that if Russia defeats Ukraine, NATO countries will be next.

Quote: "We are losing our people – not Europeans or Americans. I don’t wish you, of course, to lose your soldiers...

If they destroy us and kill us, they will occupy NATO countries. Very quickly. Like Baltic states, Poland, or others. And after that, you will move your soldiers, otherwise, there will be no NATO."

Ukrainians advance on Kherson Oblast's left bank, battles near Krynky ongoing.

The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) has reported that the Defence Forces of Ukraine are continuing to make progress on the left bank of the Dnipro River and that battles are ongoing near Krynky.

Details: The ISW states that Ukrainian forces continued operations on the eastern (left) bank of the Dnipro River in Kherson Oblast on 20 November and reportedly made progress.

Russian military bloggers claim that Ukrainian forces have expanded their control zone in the western part of Krynky (30 km northeast of Kherson and 2 km from the Dnipro River) and that battles are ongoing near the settlement.

Geolocation footage posted on 20 November shows that Russian forces continue to strike Ukrainian forces near Krynky with thermobaric munitions from a TOS-1A.

Russian military bloggers also claim that Ukrainian forces attacked in the area of Poima (12 km east of Kherson and 4 km from the Dnipro River) and Pishchanivka (13 km east of Kherson and 3 km from the Dnipro River).

Russian forces continued offensive operations along the Kupiansk-Svatove-Kremenna line on 20 November and made some progress near Kreminna.

Ukrainian military sources reported on 20 November that Ukrainian forces continued successful assault operations to the south of Bakhmut.

Russian forces continued offensive operations on the Bakhmut front on 20 November and reportedly advanced southwest of Bakhmut.

To quote the ISW’s Key Takeaways on 20 November:

• Russia appears to be employing a known hybrid warfare tactic to artificially create a migrant crisis on the Finnish border.

• Russia’s apparent hybrid warfare tactic on the Russian-Finnish border is similar to Russia’s and Belarus’ creation of a migrant crisis on the Polish border in 2021 and is likely similarly aimed at destabilising NATO.

• The Russian Ministry of Defence (MoD) reportedly started public recruitment for the Russian "Africa Corps" aimed at subsuming Wagner Group operations in Africa after alleged failed MoD attempts to directly recruit former Wagner personnel.

• Chechen Republic Head Ramzan Kadyrov continues efforts to distinguish himself in the Russian information space, infringing on the generally accepted boundaries between Russian federal subject (region) heads and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

• The US Department of Defense (DoD) announced a new security assistance package to Ukraine during US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin's visit to Kyiv on 20 November.

• Russian forces conducted offensive operations along the Kupiansk-Svatove-Kreminna line, near Bakhmut, near Avdiivka, west and southwest of Donetsk City, in the Donetsk-Zaporizhia Oblast border area, and in western Zaporizhia Oblast and marginally advanced in some areas.

• A Ukrainian official reported that Ukraine successfully returned 45 Ukrainian children whom Russian authorities forcibly deported to Russia in the past six months.