THE BRIEFING 

Here’s what’s happening in geopolitics today.

It’s been a packed 24 hours on the global stage - from a dramatic cargo ship inferno in Los Angeles to yet another mass kidnapping shaking Nigeria’s school system.

Diplomacy is in equally tense form, with Ukraine heading to Switzerland for quiet talks with Washington and COP30 grinding to a halt over fossil-fuel fights, while an unexpectedly friendly Trump–Mamdani meeting added a dose of political theatre.

Today we’re providing an update for some of the key frontline settlements that are at the forefront of the Ukraine-Russia war.

THE LAST 24 HOURS IN GEOPOLITICS 

1. Inferno engulfs cargo ship and sparks explosion at LA port
Dozens of firefighters responded to a massive blaze on the ONE Henry Hudson, a 1,102-foot container ship docked at the Port of Los Angeles, declaring a “major emergency” late on Friday. The fire, believed to have started from an electrical fault below deck, spread across multiple decks and triggered a mid-deck explosion. Hazardous materials onboard have drawn in specialized hazmat crews, while over 100 responders are monitoring air quality and suppressing the fire.
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2. Over 200 students kidnapped from Nigerian school
Gunmen stormed St. Mary’s Catholic School in Papiri, Niger State (Nigeria), abducting 215 students and 12 teachers in the early hours of 21 November, according to the Christian Association of Nigeria. The attackers reportedly fired on a security guard during the raid; the Catholic Diocese of Kontagora has condemned the kidnapping and confirmed a coordinated rescue effort involving security forces. The incident occurred despite prior intelligence warnings about increased threats to schools in the area, raising serious concerns about student safety and preventive measures.
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3. Ukraine to meet US in Switzerland to discuss ending war
Ukraine will hold high-level consultations with the U.S. in Switzerland to explore possible terms for a future peace agreement aimed at ending the war with Russia. Rustem Umerov, secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defence Council, said Kyiv appreciates Washington’s “readiness for substantive dialogue.” President Zelenskyy has approved a delegation that will defend Ukraine’s interests and European security foundations in the talks.
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4. Cop30 Climate Summit stalls over fossil fuel disputes
Negotiations at the COP30 climate summit in Belém, Brazil, have hit a major snag after the EU rejected a draft agreement, calling it too weak on emission cuts and lacking a credible roadmap to phase out fossil fuels. The draft text, released by Brazil, notably omitted any reference to a fossil-fuel transition, sparking frustration from over 30 nations pushing for stronger commitments. With the climate talks now running past their scheduled end, some EU delegates have even threatened to walk away unless the language is significantly strengthened.
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5. Trump meets with NYC Mayer-Elect Zohran Mamdani
Trump met with Zohran Mamdani, the incoming mayor of New York City, at the White House on 21 November 2025 in a display of unexpected cordiality following months of sharp public criticism between them. During the meeting, both leaders emphasised shared priorities despite their divergent political backgrounds. Trump praised Mamdani’s election victory, saying “we agree on a lot more than I would have thought” and pledged “to be helping him, not hurting him.”
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DAILY DEEP DIVE

Russians In Vovchansk and Siversk

The Situation of Pokrovsk City
There have been several comments circulating about the actual level of consolidation in Pokrovsk. I would strongly recommend not relying on DeepState or ISW — especially after the recent controversy. Pro-Ukrainian mappers themselves have been saying for weeks that Pokrovsk is largely a grey zone. In reality, this is not the case. Russian presence has been visually confirmed in multiple areas north and north-west of the city,  and these confirmations comes from a Ukrainian source. A recent video also showed relaxed Russian soldiers walking through central Pokrovsk, which provides additional visual evidence of the situation in the city centre. A persistent fog has also set in and has not eased, further complicating matters, as drones are struggling to operate effectively.

Myrnohrad
In southern Myrnohrad, Russia continued pushing forward after Ukrainian units pulled out of the lower part of the pocket. Russian assault groups moved northwest through the low-rise neighbourhoods, reaching the cemetery and absorbing most of the remaining residential blocks into their control. Further east, in the Zapadny high-rise district, Russian units also widened their foothold. They secured several additional apartment towers, at least seven by current counts and took over School No. 8 as well as the nearby kindergarten, gradually tightening their hold over the southern half of the city. Main sources here were AMK_Mapping and Suriyak. 

Siversk:
After years of setbacks, Russian forces are finally inside the strategic fortress town of Siversk. Thousands of Russian soldiers have been lost over the years attempting to break through this front. Earlier in the year, however, Russian units made gains in the northern forests, which sit on tactically advantageous high ground compared with Siversk. Combined with Russia’s wider push along the front, extending all the way to the Lyman sector, this has complicated Ukrainian logistics and support for the town. Russian forces have now penetrated the south-eastern section of Siversk, while Ukrainian counterattacks continue further south in an effort to cut off the small but important salient leading into the town.

Vovschank
Another settlement that had long been a nuisance to the Russian advance is now also seeing traction. Russian forces have made major gains in Vovchansk, taking most of the area north of the Vovcha River. In the west, they advanced through the ruined residential district, capturing the remains of School No. 2 and nearby commercial buildings before moving into the Vovchansk Aggregate Plant, which collapsed quickly due to extensive destruction. In the east, they finished securing the “citadel” block, taking the rubble of two former high-rises and consolidating new positions in former residential dugouts along Hoholia and Zernova Streets, where Ukrainian defences were unable to hold. What helped break this deadlock? Firstly, the strain caused by pulling elements out of multiple brigades to reinforce the Dobropillya salient likely had a ripple effect across several sectors. Secondly, Russian forces had already made substantial progress in the western forests of the city over the past couple of months, which enabled them to apply pressure from the west and launch effective flanking moves.

Sources:
News/Journal sources available upon request, not shown to maintain visual integrity of page.

TWEET OF THE DAY

This isn’t geopolitics-related but let’s have a moment of appreciation for Valve… Any CounterStrike-playing readers? 😂 

TODAY IN HISTORY

(November 22, 1963): U.S. President John F. Kennedy assassinated

John F. Kennedy, the 35th president of the United States (1961–63), was shot and killed in Dallas, Texas, on this day in 1963.