Operations Carthage: security service senior officials dismissed after anti-graft agencies probe possible role in high-profile case
Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) announced on November 4 that they have exposed a criminal group accused of systematically bribing senior law enforcement officials to protect scam call centers and other illegal businesses. The investigation, part of Operation Carthage conducted by NABU and SAPO, involves alleged participation by senior officials from the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), the National Police, and the Prosecutor General’s Office, as well as members of criminal groups.
Earlier that day, NABU conducted searches at the premises of SBU officials under a warrant from the High Anti-Corruption Court. The anti-corruption agency reported that a senior SBU official obstructed the searches and even threatened to use a firearm. SBU special forces also arrived at the scene, a step NABU described as unacceptable. Media reports identified the official involved in the confrontation as Major General Serhii Duka.
The SBU stated that the investigative actions form part of several criminal proceedings and that it supports an objective investigation while cooperating with procedural measures. The case continues a broader probe into networks protecting scam call centers that previously led to the resignation of former Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko. Tensions between NABU/SAPO and the SBU remain high amid ongoing institutional conflicts.
Death toll from Russian attack on Komyshuvakha village rises to 40 as search operation enters 3rd day
The death toll from the Russian airstrike on the village of Komyshuvakha in Zaporizhzhia Oblast has risen to 40, local officials reported on November 4, as search-and-rescue operations enter a third day. Russian forces struck the settlement with aerial bombs on November 2, hitting a school building used as a humanitarian aid distribution center. Among the weapons used was a 3-ton FAB-3000 bomb containing more than 1,000 kilograms of explosives with a blast radius of up to 250 meters.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said that while 40 people are confirmed dead, some bodies have not yet been identified, and more than 30 people may still be trapped under the rubble. Rescue teams, including canine units and specialists from the State Mining Rescue Service, continue working at the site despite the ongoing threat of further strikes. Two rescue workers, Denys Konovalenko and Oleksii Sushchevskyi, both 44, were among those killed after arriving at the scene following the initial attack.
Zelensky described the strike as “exceptionally horrific,” noting that Russian forces first hit the school where residents regularly gathered for aid and then dropped another nine bombs on a shelter. He criticized the limited international response and called for increased air defense support for Ukraine. Regional Governor Mykhailo Semikin said the scale of the tragedy is horrific, with every number representing a family that has lost loved ones or is still waiting for news.
New Jersey governor warned that importing Russian diesel 'will be met with harsh penalties'
New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill has warned ports and terminal operators in the state that importing Russian diesel still violates federal law, despite President Donald Trump’s recent agreement with Moscow. In a November 2 letter, she stated that any effort to profit from the illegal trade in Russian fuel would face harsh penalties and urged operators to turn away any tanker seeking to use their facilities for such activity.
Sherrill noted that importing Russian diesel would help finance Russia’s war against Ukraine and would not lower fuel costs in the United States. She also criticized the deal in light of Russia’s alliance with Iran, pointing out that the U.S. is currently engaged in hostilities with Tehran. On October 9, Trump announced that Russia had agreed to supply large volumes of diesel to U.S. and global markets following a call with Vladimir Putin.
The governor stressed that Trump lacks the authority to waive sanctions under the Russian Oil Act, enacted after Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, unless he certifies that Moscow has withdrawn its forces from Ukraine—a step that has not been taken. Sherrill said New Jersey would use every available legal and regulatory tool to prevent its ports and infrastructure from being used against U.S. and state interests.
Kremlin's Kirill Dmitriev could travel to the US for a meeting with Melania Trump
Russia could be represented at a meeting with U.S. First Lady Melania Trump at the White House by Kirill Dmitriev, the Russian leader’s special representative for investment and economic cooperation, and Human Rights Commissioner Yana Lantratova.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that if the logistics work out, the Russian side would be represented by Lantratova and Dmitriev. He added that it remains unclear whether Lantratova will be able to attend, noting that as of a few hours earlier, not everyone traveling with her had obtained visas.
The potential meeting follows the White House announcement that Melania Trump would personally bring Russian and Ukrainian representatives together at the White House, with a related statement on the Oleshky humanitarian operation expected on November 5.