Former Chancellor Scholz to testify at Nord Stream inquiry – DW – 11/21/2025

Russia’s Defense Ministry said 33 drones deployed by Ukraine were shot down in five regions overnight.

There were reports that operations at eight Russian airports were affected.

Two people were injured in the city of Slavyansk-on-Kuban in southern Russia’s Krasnodar region, local emergency services said.

While in the Rostov region, local governor Yuri Slyusar wrote on Telegram that seven drones had been downed and a power pole had been damaged, leaving hundreds of homes without electricity.

Drone strikes between Russia and Ukraine have been occurring every night, with the latest deadly incident occurring on Wednesday in Ukraine’s western city of Ternopil, killing at least 25 people, including children.

Former German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will be questioned this morning by a parliamentary committee investigating the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline.

The pipeline, along with the previously built Nord Stream 1, was meant to deliver cheap Russian gas to Germany, but certification by Scholz was held up after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Both pipelines were hit by an explosion in September 2022 and currently lie damaged and unused beneath the Baltic Sea.

Nord Stream 2 was built during Scholz’s tenure as finance minister and chancellor under Angela Merkel, amid strong opposition from Ukraine, Poland and the US, among others.

Germany’s dependence on Russian energy was brought into sharp focus and became a foreign policy nightmare as Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine intensified.

The inquiry is being conducted by the northern state of Mecklenburg-West Pomerania in its capital Schwerin.

Good morning and welcome to our coverage of the ongoing war in Ukraine.

This morning, former German Chancellor Olaf Scholz faced questioning by the investigative committee of the state parliament of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, which is investigating the Nord Stream 2 pipeline.

We are also following developments related to the peace plan negotiated between the US and Russia for Ukraine.

Kiev has signaled it is ready to engage with “draft” proposals prepared by Washington and Moscow.

This blog will bring you the latest news, videos and analysis on the war in Ukraine.