South Korea is weighing the possibility of directly supplying weapons to Ukraine as mounting evidence suggests that North Korean soldiers are preparing to assist Russia in its war.
South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) recently revealed that North Korea had deployed 1,500 soldiers to Russia’s far east for training, with plans to send a total of 12,000 troops to support Russia’s war in Ukraine.
In response, a senior official from President Yoon Suk Yeol’s office said on Tuesday that Seoul could provide defensive—and potentially offensive—arms to Ukraine, depending on how the situation unfolds. This marks South Korea’s most significant move toward arming Ukraine, indicating a major policy shift as regional tensions rise.
In an emergency National Security Council meeting, top South Korean officials condemned North Korea‘s alleged dispatch of troops as “a grave security threat” to South Korea and the international community.
North Korea and Russia have denied the North Korean troop deployment as well as the purported weapons transfer.
Key Points
- Ukraine slams UN chief for 'accepting Russia summit invite'
- UK says 'highly likely' that North Korea sending troops to help Russia
- Senior Russian air force commander hammered to death, says Ukraine
- India ‘ready to’ do ‘whatever’ is required for ‘peace'
- Ukraine videos shows North Korean soldiers in Russia
Russian strategic bombers patrol over neutral waters of Sea of Japan
15:46
Rachel Hagan
Russia’s defence ministry said that two Tu-95MS strategic bombers performed a scheduled flight over the neutral waters of the Sea of Japan, Interfax news agency reported on Tuesday.
The Tu-95s flew for about 10 hours, escorted by SU-30SM fighter jets, the ministry said.
Ukraine's prosecutor general Andriy Kostin resigns
15:23
Rachel Hagan
Ukraine‘s prosecutor general, Andriy Kostin, said on Tuesday he had resigned.
The resignation follows the meeting of the national security and defence council, where officials discussed how to crack down on corruption and loopholes to get deferrals from mobilisation.
North Korean troops in Ukraine are a ‘shocking’ and ‘desperate’ development
14:28
Rachel Hagan
North Korean troops supporting Russia on the ground in Ukraine is a "shocking" and "desperate" new development in the war, Defence Secretary John Healey has said.
Mr Healey gave a statement to the Commons where he updated MPs as to a £2.26 billion loan to help Ukraine that will be funded by profits on frozen Russian assets.
Mr Healey told MPs: "North Korean soldiers supporting Russia's war of aggression on European soil, it is as shocking as it is desperate.
"North Korea already sends significant munitions and arms to Russia in direct violation of multiple UN resolutions.
"This developing military co-operation between Russia and the DPRK has serious security implications for Europe and for the Indo-Pacific.
"It represents a wider, growing alliance of aggression which Nato and the G7 nations must confront.
"Despite this dangerous development, Ukraine remains determined to fight on their front line in the east and in the territory in Kursk."
He added: "This conflict is now at a really critical moment, and that is why the UK continues to step up support for Ukraine.
"Ukrainians are fighting to regain their sovereign territory, but they are also fighting to protect the peace, the democracy and the security for the rest of us in Europe.”
North Korea dismisses reports of troops in Ukraine as ‘groundless rumors’
13:24
Rachel Hagan
North Korea has claimed reports it has sent soldiers to fight with Russia against Ukraine are “groundless rumors,” the South Korean Yonhap news agency has reported, citing a North Korean representative to the United Nations.
The statement is Pyongyang’s first public reaction to multiple reports of such a deployment from Kyiv and Seoul.
The representative said during a session of the U.N. General Assembly First Committee on disarmament and international security: “As for the so-called military cooperation with Russia, my delegation does not feel any need for comment on such groundless stereotyped rumors aimed at smearing the image of the DPRK and undermining the legitimate, friendly and cooperative relations between two sovereign states.”
UK says 'highly likely' that North Korea sending troops to help Russia
13:01
Rachel Hagan
British defence minister John Healey said on Tuesday it was now highly likely that North Korea had begun sending hundreds of troops to help Russia in the Ukraine conflict.
“In a concerning new development, it is now highly likely that the transfer of hundreds of combat troops from North Korea to Russia has begun,” Healey told parliament.
“North Korean soldiers supporting Russia’s war of aggression on European soil - it is as shocking as it is desperate.”
British government urged to declare North Korea a combatant in Ukraine war
12:22
Rachel Hagan
The British government has been urged to declare North Korea a combatant in the Ukraine war over allegations troops are supporting Russia.
Shadow foreign office minister Alicia Kearns told the Commons during oral questions: “In the last week, troops have arrived from North Korea in Russia. They are training in Russian fatigues based on videos we have seen.
“In addition, we know that Russia has procured multiple weapons to aid the murder of Ukrainians from North Korea. (Vladimir) Putin has seized the escalation ladder, so will the minister now not declare North Korea a combatant in the renewed illegal invasion of Ukraine...and confirm what unilateral, multilateral action he will be taking in response to this?”
Foreign Office Minister Stephen Doughty replied: “We absolutely condemn what North Korea is reported to have been doing, and indeed, of course, you’ll have seen in the response to the Iranian transfer of ballistic missiles to Russia that we acted strongly, swiftly and firmly.
“And we are very closely monitoring what Russia is providing to the DPRK in return for its provision of arms and military personnel and we are deeply concerned about the potential for further transfers, including of ballistic missile related technology that would obviously jeopardise peace and stability, not only in Ukraine, but indeed across the world.”
India ‘ready to’ do ‘whatever’ is required for ‘peace'
11:54
Rachel Hagan
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi told President Vladimir Putin at the BRICS summit in Russia’s Kazan on Tuesday that his nation stands ready to play “whatever role is required for peace.”
Putin believes the pair have a strategic partnership.
Russian reports say Kremlin has taken control of Novosadove in Donetsk region
11:31
Rachel Hagan
Russia’s defence ministry said its forces had taken control of the Novosadove settlement in eastern Ukraine, the state-run news agency TASS reported on Tuesday.
Ex-CIA chief calls for expanded tactical missile support for Ukraine
10:46
Rachel Hagan
A former CIA chief has said that the US government’s latest package in support of Ukraine is not enough to prevent Russia from making advances.
The package, announced by US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin during his visit to Kyiv on 21 October 2024, includes armoured vehicles and anti-tank weapons for Ukrainian forces on the front lines.
General David Petraeus said on CNN: “It comes on top of tens of billions of dollars, of course, from the U.S. and from various European and other Western countries. Is it enough? I fear not.”
Petraeus recommended easing restrictions on tactical missile systems for Ukraine, which would enable strikes deeper into Russian territory. He also advocated for increased international attention to the Black Sea, citing Ukraine’s naval limitations.
He continued: “What we need to be doing, all of us together, is to try to enable Ukraine to stop the Russian advances on the front lines. They’re holding back very effectively, but the Russians are achieving incremental gains on a daily basis. And over time, that does accumulate.
“We have to help Ukraine change that dynamic and show Putin that he cannot continue to make advances and make gains and accept the costs because only when you change that dynamic will we see an opportunity for real, meaningful discussions about a ceasefire.
“Until then, Putin has every incentive to continue.”
Overnight: Ukraine drones hit Russian alcohol plants
09:53
Rachel Hagan
Overnight drone attacks by Ukraine caused an explosion and a fire at an ethanol manufacturing plant and damaged two other alcohol-producing enterprises in Russia, the authorities said.
One explosion shook the Bio-Khim biochemical plant in Russia’s Tambov region, sparking a short-lived fire, Tambov Governor Maxim Yegorov said on Telegram.
Meanwhile, the governor of the Tula region, which borders Moscow to its north, said Ukrainian drones damaged two distilleries, in the town of Yefremov and the village of Luzhkovskyi. There were no reports of casualties.
Russia’s defence ministry said that its air defence units destroyed a total of 18 Ukrainian drones, but it did not mention Tambov in its tally.
South Korea may consider supplying weapons to Ukraine
09:34
Rachel Hagan
South Korea may consider supplying weapons directly to Ukraine in response to growing military ties between North Korea and Russia, officials stated on Tuesday.
This follows ongoing accusations that Pyongyang has deployed troops to fight alongside Russia in Ukraine.
A senior official from President Yoon Suk Yeol’s office said the government is preparing diplomatic, economic, and military responses to various scenarios of North Korea-Russia military cooperation. These responses could include providing Ukraine with lethal weapons if the situation escalates.
“We are considering supplying defensive weapons as part of a phased approach, and if necessary, we may also consider offensive measures,” the official told reporters.
The remarks followed an emergency meeting of South Korea’s National Security Council (NSC) to discuss North Korea’s increasing military cooperation with Russia. The NSC condemned Pyongyang for sending troops to fight as “Russia’s mercenaries,” accusing the regime of neglecting its people’s well-being and human rights.
The senior official also mentioned that a team of intelligence and defence officials would visit NATO headquarters “within the coming days” after NATO chief Mark Rutte urged President Yoon in a Monday phone call to send a delegation to strengthen information-sharing efforts.
Both Russia and North Korea have denied any arms transfers but have committed to deepening military cooperation.
Three killed, including child, in Russian strike on Sumy
09:02
Rachel Hagan
Three people including a child were killed in a Russian drone strike on the northeastern Ukrainian city of Sumy, officials said on Tuesday.
The attack targeted a residential neighbourhood and critical infrastructure, regional governor Ihor Kalchenko said on the Telegram messaging app.
In a statement, the Ukrainian military said air defences had destroyed 42 out of 60 drones launched by Russia overnight across various parts of Ukraine.
Pictures from the strike are yet to emerge but we will share them as they come in.
Rachel Reeves and John Healey pictured at training ground announcing Ukraine loan
08:40
Rachel Hagan
Ukraine destroys 42 Russian drones in overnight attack
07:55
Arpan Rai
Ukrainian air defences destroyed 42 out of 60 drones launched by Russia during an overnight strike, Kyiv’s Air Force said this morning.
The drones were downed over parts of central, southern and eastern Ukraine, it said.
Russia’s overnight drone attack killed three civilians, including a child, in a residential area in eastern Ukraine’s Sumy region, the regional governor said.
“Three people, including a child, died as a result of a nighttime attack by enemy drones on residential buildings,” Ihor Kalchenko, the governor, said.
In pics: Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin in Kyiv
07:45
Arpan Rai
US defence secretary Lloyd Austin arrived in Kyiv on an unannounced visit yesterday, hours after a Russian drone attack on the Ukrainian capital. Mr Austin said his fourth visit shows “that the United States, alongside the international community, continues to stand by Ukraine.”
“We should all understand that Putin’s assault is a warning. It is a sneak preview of a world built by tyrants and thugs; a chaotic, violent world carved into spheres of influence,” he said in a speech.
Ukraine is having difficulty holding back a ferocious Russian campaign along the eastern front that is gradually compelling Kyiv’s forces to give up a series of towns, villages and hamlets.
South Korea vows countermeasures over North Korean troops in Russia
07:13
Arpan Rai
South Korea will gradually take countermeasures in line with the level of military cooperation between Russia and North Korea, deputy national security adviser Kim Tae-hyo told a briefing today.
His comments came as South Korea’s presidential office urged Pyongyang to immediately withdraw North Korean troops that Seoul says have been dispatched to Russia for the war with Ukraine.
Mr Kim made the comments in a televised briefing after a meeting hosted by National Security Adviser Shin Won-sik on the dispatch of North Koreans troops earlier today.
Mr Kim accused Pyongyang of acting like a “criminal organisation” by sending young North Koreans to fight in Russia and vowed to cooperate with allies in ensuring countermeasures against North Korea-Russia military cooperation.
It remained a possibility that South Korea could supply offensive weapons to Ukraine, the Yonhap news agency reported, citing the presidential office.
UK announces £2.26bn loan for Ukraine using frozen Russian asset funds
06:31
Arpan Rai
The UK is using profits on frozen Russian assets to loan £2.26bn to Ukraine to aid with its fight against Russia’s invasion, it has been announced.
The funds represent the UK’s share of a $50bn (£38.39bn) loan package agreed upon by the G7 nations, financed through interest generated from sanctioned Russian sovereign assets.
The money could be used to fund air defence, artillery or other military equipment and comes on top of the UK’s existing £3bn-a-year support for Ukraine.
Ukraine drones target Russian alcohol plants, says official
06:26
Arpan Rai
Overnight drone attacks by Ukraine caused an explosion and a fire at an ethanol manufacturing plant and damaged two other alcohol producing enterprises in Russia, Russian officials said this morning.
A blast shook the Biokhim biochemical plant in Russia’s Tambov region, sparking a short-lived fire, Tambov governor Maxim Yegorov said. “According to preliminary information, there are no casualties,” Yegorov said.
Biokhim in the Tambov region, some 450km (280 miles) southeast of Moscow, is one of Russia’s oldest manufacturers of “products of strategic importance for the state”, chiefly ethanol, according to the company’s website.
The governor of the Tula region, which borders Moscow to its north, said that a Ukraine drone attack damaged two distilleries in the town of Yefremov and the village of Luzhkovskyi this morning.
There were no injuries, Tula governor Dmitry Miliayev said, adding the situation was “under control”. It was not immediately clear how big the attacks were and Miliayev did not give any further details.
Child among three killed in Russia’s overnight attack on Sumy
06:18
Arpan Rai
Russia’s overnight drone attack killed three civilians, including a child, in a residential area in eastern Ukraine’s Sumy region, the regional governor said.
“Three people, including a child, died as a result of a nighttime attack by enemy drones on residential buildings,” Ihor Kalchenko, the governor, said.
Russia says it downs 18 Ukrainian drones overnight
06:18
Arpan Rai
Russia’s air defence units destroyed 18 Ukrainian drones over several Russian regions overnight, Russia’s defence ministry said today.
Of these, 11 drones were downed over the territory of the Bryansk region, three over the Belgorod region, and the rest over the Kursk, Tula and Oryol regions, the ministry said.
South Korea calls for immediate withdrawal of North Korean troops in Russia
06:13
Arpan Rai
South Korea on Monday demanded the immediate pullout of North Korean troops allegedly deployed in Russia as it summoned the Russian ambassador to protest deepening military cooperation between Pyongyang and Moscow.
South Korea’s spy agency said Friday it had confirmed that North Korea sent 1,500 special operation forces to Russia earlier this month to support Moscow’s war against Ukraine.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky earlier said his government had intelligence that 10,000 North Korean soldiers were being prepared to join invading Russian forces.
North Korean troops in Ukraine: Everything we know about Kim Jong-un’s army joining Russian invasion
06:11
Arpan Rai
The US and its allies have raised the alarm after Volodymyr Zelensky claimed that North Korea was sending thousands of soldiers to help Russia in its war in Ukraine.
The Ukrainian president claimed last week, without providing any details, that his government had intelligence that nearly 10,000 soldiers from North Korea were being prepared to join the Russian forces fighting in his country.
“They are preparing on their land 10,000 soldiers but they didn’t move them already to Ukraine or to Russia,” he told reporters at the Nato headquarters in Brussels.
Tech firms remove social media posts from a Russian drone factory after an AP investigation
06:00
Rachel Hagan
Google, Meta and TikTok have removed social media posts from a industrial plant in Russia’s Tatarstan region aimed at recruiting young foreign women to make drones for Moscow’s war in Ukraine.
Accounts on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok were taken down following an investigation by The Associated Press published Oct. 10 that detailed working conditions in the drone factory in the Alabuga Special Economic Zone, which is under U.S. and British sanctions.
Videos and other posts on the social media platforms promised the young women, who are largely from Africa, a free plane ticket to Russia and a salary of more than $500 a month following their recruitment via the program called “Alabuga Start.”
But instead of a work-study program in areas like hospitality and catering, some of them said they learned only arriving in the Tatarstan region that they would be toiling in a factory to make weapons of war, assembling thousands of Iranian-designed attack drones to be launched into Ukraine.
In interviews with AP, some of the women who worked in the complex complained of long hours under constant surveillance, of broken promises about wages and areas of study, and of working with caustic chemicals that left their skin pockmarked and itching. AP did not identify them by name or nationality out of concern for their safety.
In pics: Bread, water and bombed houses in Donetsk under Russian siege
05:57
Arpan Rai
UAE tells Putin it is ‘ready to help resolve Ukraine crisis’
05:18
Arpan Rai
United Arab Emirates is ready to support efforts to find peace in Ukraine, president Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan told Russian president Vladimir Putin yesterday.
The two met for informal talks on Sunday that went on until midnight at his residence outside Moscow.
“We continue to make efforts to mediate the exchange of prisoners,” Sheikh Mohammed told Putin in the Kremlin, through a translator. “And I assure you that we will continue to work in this direction. We are ready to make any efforts to resolve crises and in the interests of peace, in the interests of both sides.”
The Russian president has previously praised both Sheikh Mohammed and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for their mediation efforts over Ukraine.
Senior Russian air force commander hammered to death, says Ukraine
05:10
Arpan Rai
A senior Russian air force commander who is believed to have been behind an attack on a Ukrainian shopping centre has been killed, Ukraine’s military intelligence agency said.
Col Dmitry Golenkov, a senior officer in Russia’s 52nd heavy bomber regiment, was beaten to death with a hammer in an unspecified location inside Russia, the intelligence body said.
Photos published by the agency showed a man with a head injury lying on ground. The agency said it was Golenkov, though this could not be independently verified.
“A Russian Tu-22M3 pilot has been liquidated on the territory of the Russian Federation. His head was smashed with a hammer,” the post said. The Tupolev Tu-22M3 jet is a modernised version of a Soviet-era long-range strategic bomber.
Ukraine said Golenkov was behind one of the most lethal airstrikes on Ukraine, one which targeted a shopping centre with rocket.
France vows support for Ukraine's plan to end Russian invasion
05:00
Rachel Hagan
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot pledged his support for Ukraine’s plan for ending the 2 1/2-year war with Russia, telling reporters in Kyiv on Saturday that he will work with Ukrainian officials to secure other nations’ backing for the proposal.
Unveiled by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy earlier this week, Kyiv’s so-called “victory plan” hopes to compel Russia to end its invasion of Ukraine through negotiations.
The proposal is being considered by Ukraine’s Western partners, whose help is vital for Kyiv to resist its bigger neighbor. A key element would be a formal invitation into NATO, which Western backers have been reluctant to consider until after the war ends.
Ukraine slams UN chief for 'accepting Russia summit invite'
04:18
Arpan Rai
Ukraine’s foreign ministry has criticised the UN secretary general Antonio Guterres for what it said was his acceptance of an invitation from Vladimir Putin to the Russia-hosted Brics summit this week.
The UN has neither confirmed nor denied whether Mr Guterres will be attending the summit in Kazan,
“The UN secretary general declined Ukraine’s invitation to the first Global Peace Summit in Switzerland,” the ministry said.“He did, however, accept the invitation to Kazan from war criminal Putin. This is a wrong choice that does not advance the cause of peace. It only damages the UN’s reputation,” the ministry said.
Putin hosts a summit of Brics nations in the central Russian city of Kazan from Tuesday, aimed at showcasing the clout of non-Western countries. Leaders attending include Chinese president Xi Jinping and Indian prime minister Narendra Modi.
According to Russian officials, Mr Guterres had told minister Sergei Lavrov at the UN general assembly last month that he intended to go to Kazan.
It is not clear if the UN chief is visiting Kazan. “Announcements on his future travels will be later on down the line,” said deputy UN spokesperson Farham Haq.
US ‘will get Ukraine what it needs’ to fight Putin, says defence chief
04:05
Arpan Rai
The US “will get Ukraine what it needs” to fight its war with Russia and “to fight for its survival and security”, US defence secretary Lloyd Austin said in his Kyiv visit.
Speaking at the Diplomatic Academy of Ukraine, the Pentagon chief noted that the US has delivered more than $58bn in security assistance for Ukraine since Russia’s February 2022 full-scale invasion, making it Kyiv’s main backer.
Mr Austin said “there is no silver bullet. No single capability will turn the tide. No one system will end Putin’s assault.” He added: “Make no mistake. The United States does not seek war with Russia.”
“What matters is the way that Ukraine fights back,” Mr Austin told the assembled diplomatic and military personnel at the academy. “What matters is the combined effects of your military capabilities. And what matters is staying focused on what works.”
However, he gave no indication of whether Washington would endorse the key planks of Volodymyr Zelensky’s five-point “victory plan”.
Pentagon chief visits Ukraine in show of support ahead of US election
04:00
Phil Stewart
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced $400 million in new arms for Ukraine on Monday during a visit to Kyiv, in a show of solidarity just two weeks before a U.S. presidential election that is casting uncertainty over the future of Western support.
Austin's trip, his fourth and likely final visit as President Joe Biden's Pentagon chief, focused on U.S. efforts to help Kyiv shore up its defences as Russian forces slowly but steadily gain ground in eastern Ukraine.
Austin cast Ukraine's fight against Russian President Vladimir Putin's 2-1/2-year-old invasion as critical to the West's own security, saying failure to continue supporting Kyiv would result in "Putin's shadow" falling over all Europe.
"We should all understand that Putin's assault is a warning. It is a sneak preview of a world built by tyrants and thugs, a chaotic, violent world carved into spheres of influence," he said in a speech.
As Austin stepped off the train in Kyiv after an overnight journey from Poland, Ukrainian officials reported new Russian attacks overnight on the capital that damaged residential buildings and injured at least one civilian.
Ukraine drones hit distilleries in Russia’s Tula region
03:55
Arpan Rai
A Ukrainian drone attack damaged two distilleries in Russia’s Tula region south of Moscow, its governor said this morning.
“According to preliminary information, there are no casualties,” Tula governor Dmitry Miliayev said. “Emergency services specialists are working at the scene. The situation is under control.”
The Russian officials did not disclose the scale of the attack and the damage to the distilleries in the town of Yefremov and the village of Luzhkovskyi.
Another drone attack in Bryansk region this morning also damaged a boiler house and a non-residential building in Russia’s west. There were no injuries as a result of the attack, Bryansk governor Alexander Bogomaz said.
He added that Russian air defence units destroyed at least six Ukrainian drones over the territory of the region.
Navalny’s prison diaries to be released this week
02:00
Rachel Hagan
Alexei Navalny’s memoir Patriot compiled from his prison diaries is set to be published tomorrow.
The Russian opposition leader’s memoir has been edited by his widow Yulia Navalnaya and will be released in 22 languages, including Russian.
Navalny, the most prominent critic of Vladimir Putin until his death earlier this year, wrote that he expected to die in prison. “I knew from the outset that I would be imprisoned for life – either the rest of my life or until the end of the life of this regime,” he wrote in a diary entry in March 2022. “I will spend the rest of my life in prison and die here,” he said.
His widow has said she “wants his voice to be heard loudly even after his death”. Navalny died under unknown circumstances inside a Russian prison facility on 16 February 2024.
Ukrainian military denies Russian advances in Chasiv Yar
01:00
Rachel Hagan
Putin’s forces have not “managed to gain a foothold” in the war-town city of Chasiv Yar despite claims of Russian advances.
Anastasia Bobovnikova, a spokesperson of the operational tactical group Luhansk, told the Kyiv Independent: “I do not confirm the fact that Russian troops have managed to gain a foothold in the canal ... or anywhere in the direction of Chasiv Yar.
“The overall strategic position of the city remains under the control of Ukraine.”
It comes after the crowd-sourced war-monitoring website DeepState reported on October 17 that Russian forces had made advances.
Bobovnikova explained that groups of Russian soldiers had occasionally crossed the canal and carried out assaults on Ukrainian positions, adding: “However, such manoeuvres are accompanied by significant losses for the Russians. Ukrainian forces quickly repel such attacks, pushing Russian units back.”
UK announces £2.26 billion loan to Ukraine
Tuesday 22 October 2024 00:01
Rachel Hagan
The UK is using profits on frozen Russian assets to loan £2.26 billion to Ukraine to aid with its fight against Russia’s invasion, it has been announced.
The funds represent the UK’s share of a $50 billion (£38.39 billion) loan package agreed upon by the G7 nations, financed through interest generated from sanctioned Russian sovereign assets.
The money could be used to fund air defence, artillery or other military equipment and comes on top of the UK’s existing £3 billion-a-year support for Ukraine.
Announcing the package, Chancellor Rachel Reeves said: “Our support for Ukraine and her men and women in their fight for freedom from Putin’s aggression is unwavering and will remain so for as long as it takes.
“This new money is in Britain’s national interest because the front line of our defence - the defence of our democracy and shared values - is in the Ukrainian trenches. A safe and secure Ukraine is a safe and secure United Kingdom.”
Ukraine publishes video showing North Korean soldiers in Russia
Monday 21 October 2024 23:00
Rachel Hagan
Ukrainian officials have released a video purporting to show dozens of North Korean recruits lining up to collect Russian military fatigues.
The video confirms Russia’s deployment of troops sent by Pyongyang into the conflict, they claimed. In the video, North Korean soldiers are seen standing in line to pick up bags, clothes and other apparel from Russian servicemen.
“We received this video from our own sources. We cannot provide additional verification from the sources who provided it to us due to security concerns,” said Ihor Solovey, the head of Ukraine’s Centre for Strategic Communications and Information Security.
“The video clearly shows North Korean citizens being given Russian uniforms under the direction of the Russian military,” he said.
“For Ukraine, this video is important because it is the first video evidence that shows North Korea participating in the war on the side of Russia. Now not only with weapons and shells but also with personnel.”
The centre claims the footage was shot by a Russian soldier in recent days. It didn’t say how the footage was obtained. The location is unknown.
Russia attacks Kyiv with drones for second night in a row
Monday 21 October 2024 22:00
Rachel Hagan
Russia launched several waves of drones targeting Kyiv for the second night in a row, damaging residential buildings and injuring at least one civilian, Ukrainian officials said early today.
“Another night, another worry,” Serhiy Popko, head of Kyiv’s military administration said. “The enemy does not reduce the intensity of air attacks on Ukraine and Kyiv.”
About 10 drones targeting the city in several waves and from different directions were destroyed, Mr Popko said. While none of the weapons hit their target, falling debris injured at least one man, he added.
Debris fell onto three of Kyiv’s major districts, causing some damage to roofs and the facades of several residential buildings and power cables, mayor Vitali Klitschko said.
ICYMI: Ukrainian drone attack wounds four firefighters in Russia’s Dzerzhinsk
Monday 21 October 2024 21:00
Rachel Hagan
Four firefighters in an industrial zone in Dzerzhinsk in Russia’s Nizhny Novgorod region received minor shrapnel wounds from a Ukrainian drone attack, the region’s governor said on Sunday.
“They were given the necessary medical care, everyone was sent home,” Gleb Nikitin said on the Telegram messaging app.
The Russian RIA agency reported that Russian air defence systems destroyed 110 Ukrainian drones over Russian regions, including eight over Nizhny Novgorod region, some 400 km east of Moscow.
France converts €300 million of frozen Russian assets into artillery weapons for Ukraine
Monday 21 October 2024 19:00
Rachel Hagan
France is set to use €300 million of frozen Russian assets to purchase military equipment for Ukraine, BFMTV has reported.
Part of the package includes 12 new Caesar self-propelled howitzers, which is a highly capable artillery system, known for its precision and versatility on the battlefield.
Defence minister Sébastien Lecornu said to the French channel that the funds, which will be recovered by the end of the year, will finance not only the Caesar howitzers but also shells, missiles and guided bombs.
Lecornu stressed the importance of strengthening Ukraine’s negotiating position, saying that “Russia will only respect a favorable balance of power.”
Russian commander blamed for Ukraine attack bludgeoned with hammer
Monday 21 October 2024 18:00
Rachel Hagan
A Russian air force commander blamed for a lethal attack on a shopping centre in Ukraine has been found dead.
Col Dmitry Golenkov, a senior officer in Russia’s 52nd heavy bomber regiment, was assassinated by Ukraine’s military intelligence said that it had done the deed with the “hammer of justice”.
They said: “A Russian Tu-22M3 pilot has been liquidated on the territory of the Russian Federation. His head was smashed with a hammer.”
His body was found outside the village of Suponevo in the Bryansk region of Russia.
He was thought to be the mastermind of one of the worst attacks on a civilian target of the war.
Ukraine’s president, Volodoymyr Zelensky, said more than 1,000 people were inside the shopping centre in the central Ukrainian city of Kremenchuk when it was struck. A fire broke out and the attack killed at least 20 people and injured at least 59.
Ukraine’s foreign minister meets with his Turkish counterpart
Monday 21 October 2024 17:30
Rachel Hagan
Ukraine‘s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha met with his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan in Ankara on Monday to discuss cooperation between their countries.According to Ukraine‘s Foreign Ministry, the meeting focused on strengthening strategic relations, defence cooperation and addressing global food security through Black Sea grain shipments from Ukraine that pass through Turkey’s Bosphorus Strait.
“We welcome with great appreciation the contributions of Turkish companies to the reconstruction of Ukraine. We eagerly anticipate even greater involvement from them in the future,” Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said.
Five injured in Zelensky’s home town
Monday 21 October 2024 17:10
Rachel Hagan
Russia conducted a ballistic missile strike at Zelenskyy’s hometown, Kryvyi Rih, injuring five people, city administration head Oleksandr Vilkul wrote on social media.
According to Vilkul, Russia has conducted ballistic missile attacks on Kryvyi Rih for three consecutive days, injuring a total of 21 people and damaging dozens of residential buildings and civilian infrastructure.Machine gunfire and the noise of drones’ engines were also heard in Kyiv’s centre throughout the night. Authorities reported minor damages to civilian infrastructure caused by falling drone debris in three districts.
Kremlin aide says Putin and UAE president discussed Ukraine crisis in detail
Monday 21 October 2024 16:39
Rachel Hagan
Russian President Vladimir Putin and United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan discussed the situation in Ukraine at length during a dinner on Sunday.
Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov said on Monday: “The Ukrainian crisis was discussed quite thoroughly during an informal dinner between President Putin and the President of the UAE in the Novo-Ogaryovo residence yesterday.”
He added that the situation in the Middle East was discussed during formal talks on Monday in an expanded format, where the foreign ministers of both countries took part.
Zelensky says he discussed deep strikes into Russia with Pentagon chief
Monday 21 October 2024 15:50
Yuliia Dysa
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Monday he had discussed air defences and the topic of striking deep into Russia with the US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin during his visit to Kyiv.
“Additionally we focused on efforts to increase the production of strike drones, cruise missiles, artillery shells, and air defence systems,” Zelenskiy wrote on X.
He added that Austin shared plans with him about convening the next Ramstein meeting after one scheduled for October was postponed.
Attack in Zaporizhzhia, reportedly at a nursery, kills 2
Monday 21 October 2024 14:44
Rachel Hagan
A Russian strike against the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia on Monday morning has killed two people and injured 15, Governor Ivan Fedorov reported.
“The body of a dead man was taken out of the rubble in Zaporizhzhia. Fourteen injured, three of them in serious condition, and one dead man - these are the consequences of an enemy attack on the regional center,” Fedorov wrote on the Telegram messaging app.
Some reports say a nursery was hit, it is not know whether it was in this attack or another one.
