The Group of Seven has branded Russia’s deployment of thousands of North Korean troops into its fight with Ukraine as a “desperate effort” to replenish Moscow’s own losses as Kyiv reports the first combat clashes with Pyongyang’s soldiers.
Kyiv confirmed on Monday that they had fired at North Korean soldiers in the Russian region of Kursk, which has been partly occupied by Ukraine since August.
Foreign ministers from the G7 described the deployment as a “dangerous expansion of the conflict”, with Monday’s clashes marking the first time a sovereign nation has officially engaged its forces in the conflict.
“The DPRK’s (North Korea) direct support for Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, besides showing Russia’s desperate efforts to compensate its losses, would mark a dangerous expansion of the conflict,” the ministers said in a statement, which was also signed by South Korea, Australia and New Zealand.
The ministers said they condemned “in the strongest possible terms” increased military cooperation between North Korea and Russia, including Russia’s “unlawful procurement” of North Korean ballistic missiles.
They added they were deeply concerned about the potential for any transfer of nuclear or ballistic missile-related technology to North Korea.
Key Points
- More than 10,000 North Korean troops in Russia for Ukraine war, says South Korea
- Putin issuing Russian uniforms to North Korean troops, says Pentagon
- Ukraine repels second overnight drone attack
- First European nation discusses response to North Korean troops in Russia
- Russian governor of region battered by drone strikes resigns
Ukrainian and North Korean troops clash for first time in war
03:22
Arpan Rai
Ukrainian forces have engaged in “small-scale” clashes with North Korean troops in Kursk, Ukraine’s defence minister Rustem Umerov said.
“Yes, I think so. It is (an) engagement,” Mr Umerov told South Korea’s KBS television in an interview broadcast yesterday, when asked if a clash had occurred.
The report quoted Mr Umerov as saying that the engagement was small for now, but more are expected as the number of North Koreans deployed grows.
“(There are) already contacts, but after a couple of weeks, we would see a more significant number and upon this, we will review it and analyse it,” he said.
Mr Umerov said the Russian military was trying to pass off the North Korean soldiers as Buryats, a Mongolian ethnic group from Siberia, making their identification more challenging for Kyiv.
Moldova’s pro-EU president Maia Sandu wins close run-off election
03:00
Tom Watling
UN chief ‘very concerned’ about North Korean troops in Russia
02:00
Tom Watling
South Korea and EU condemn North Korea's reported troop dispatch to Russia
01:00
Tom Watling
Germany's top diplomat in Kyiv as Ukraine girds for impact of US election on the war
00:00
Tom Watling
What we know about North Korean troops joining Russia’s war in Ukraine
Tuesday 5 November 2024 23:00
Tom Watling
Russian rocket launches Iranian satellites into orbit as Moscow and Tehran expand ties
Tuesday 5 November 2024 22:00
Tom Watling
American convicted on drug-related charges in Russia loses appeal
Tuesday 5 November 2024 21:00
Tom Watling
Edwina Currie on selling her antiques to raise money for Ukraine
Tuesday 5 November 2024 20:00
Tom Watling
US and Ukranian flags fly together in Kyiv
Tuesday 5 November 2024 19:00
Tom Watling
Lithuania and Ukraine sign new defence agreement
Tuesday 5 November 2024 18:00
Tom Watling
Lithuania and Ukraine have just signed a new major defence cooperation agreement to co-produce arms, drones and advanced technologies. Lithuania pledges full support to strengthen Ukraine’s defence industry and ensure victory.#StandWithUkraine pic.twitter.com/7uOmkJXjKS
— Lithuanian MOD (@Lithuanian_MoD) November 5, 2024
North Korea's top diplomat is in Moscow as Pyongyang sent troops to help the war on Ukraine
Tuesday 5 November 2024 16:58
Tom Watling
Russian tank factory employee jailed for 16 years in Ukraine treason case
Tuesday 5 November 2024 16:02
Tom Watling
An engineer at a factory that makes tanks for Russia’s war in Ukraine was jailed for 16 years on Tuesday after being convicted of committing state treason by passing military secrets to Kyiv, weeks after his wife received a similar sentence.
The court in Sverdlovsk region said Danil Mukhametov, who worked at the Uralvagonzavod tank factory, had partially admitted his guilt after being accused of passing unspecified technical military information to Ukraine‘s intelligence services.
The court released a photograph of Mukhametov, 32, listening in a glass courtroom cage as the judge read out his sentence, which he will serve in a maximum-security penal colony.
His wife Viktoria, who worked at the same tank factory, Russia’s largest, was handed a 12-1/2 year sentence last month after being convicted of selling technical blueprints to Ukrainian officials for 100,000 roubles or just over $1,000.
She and her husband were arrested in March 2023 by the FSB security service, which published a video of the arrest. It showed her being asked what they planned to do with the money, to which she replied: “Just to live.”
Located in the city of Nizhny Tagil around 1,400 km (870 miles) east of Moscow, the Uralvagonzavod factory has been sanctioned by the West.
Apartment block in Belgorod, Russia, hit by drone - report
Tuesday 5 November 2024 15:34
Tom Watling
Zelenska says women’s potential in Ukraine is growing
Tuesday 5 November 2024 15:10
Tom Watling
Despite the war, women's potential is growing steadily: Ukrainian women are increasingly starting their own businesses, volunteering for the army, and finding new roles. We had the opportunity to discuss these achievements and prospects at the Eighth Women's Congress. I am proud… pic.twitter.com/SL2PaNd58A
— Olena Zelenska / Олена Зеленська (@ZelenskaUA) November 5, 2024
Poland indicts two men in connection with spying for Belarus
Tuesday 5 November 2024 14:43
Tom Watling
Polish prosecutors have indicted two men in a case concerning cooperation with Belarusian intelligence services, they said on Tuesday, one of a string of espionage cases in the Nato member state.
Warsaw says its role as a hub for supplies to Ukraine has made it a target for spies working for Russia and its ally Belarus, as well as for acts of sabotage. Minsk and Moscow have dismissed accusations that they are behind acts of sabotage.
A spokesperson for prosecutors in the southern Polish city of Lublin said in a statement an indictment had been filed against a 53-year-old Belarusian citizen named as Nikolay M. due to privacy laws, as well as a 59-year-old Polish citizen named as Bernard S.
In a separate statement Poland’s Internal Security Agency (ABW) said it had detained the men in March 2023.
Nikolay M. has been charged with carrying out reconnaissance of a military airport in Biala Podlaska in eastern Poland, as well as collecting information on rail infrastructure, the movement of military equipment and the activities of Polish special services.
Bernard S. was charged with assisting the Belarusian by giving him a place of residence and organising his stay in Poland.
If found guilty they could face up to 10 years in prison.
The Belarusiaan embassy in Warsaw did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
UN chief ‘very concerned’ about North Korean troops in Russia
Tuesday 5 November 2024 14:13
Tom Watling
Lithuania says Russia responsible for exploding parcels that caused fires
Tuesday 5 November 2024 13:44
Tom Watling
Russia is behind explosive parcels sent from Lithuania to European countries, a Lithuanian presidential adviser said on Tuesday, amid alarm amongst Nato countries that sabotage organised by Moscow nearly caused an air disaster.
Western governments and intelligence agencies in Europe have previously pointed to Moscow as being the source of a series of fires and acts of sabotage in Europe aimed at destabilising allies of Ukraine.
Polish daily Gazeta Wyborcza reported in October that explosive parcels that caused fires in courier depots in Britain, Germany and Poland in July originated in Lithuania.
Britain and Germany have been investigating packages that burst into flames at depots in Birmingham and Leipzig, with Berlin saying a plane crash had been narrowly avoided when an air freight parcel caught fire.
“We are telling our allies that it’s not random, it’s part of military operations,” Kestutis Budrys, an advisor to Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda, told Ziniu radio on Tuesday.
“We need to neutralise and stop it at the source, and the source is Russia’s military intelligence,” he said.
Budrys’ comments were the first time a Lithuanian official has pointed the finger at Russian military intelligence for a specific act of sabotage.
Zelensky calls for more air defences
Tuesday 5 November 2024 13:14
Tom Watling
Day and night, our defenders of the sky do their best to protect the state. All our warriors of mobile fire groups, aviation, and air defense unites focus their precision on defeating Russian terror, knowing how crucial their effectiveness is to Ukraine’s survival. I am deeply… pic.twitter.com/mnUuzLUl5X
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) November 5, 2024
Edwina Currie on selling her antiques to raise money for Ukraine
Tuesday 5 November 2024 12:44
Tom Watling
G7 and allies warn Russia over use of North Korean troops in Ukraine
Tuesday 5 November 2024 12:13
Tom Watling
Foreign ministers from the Group of Seven democracies and three key allies said on Tuesday they were gravely concerned by the deployment of North Korean troops to Russia and the possibility they may be used in the war against Ukraine.
“The DPRK’s (North Korea) direct support for Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, besides showing Russia’s desperate efforts to compensate its losses, would mark a dangerous expansion of the conflict,” the ministers said in a statement.
Besides G7 members the United States, Japan, Italy, Britain, Germany, France and Canada, the statement was also signed by South Korea, Australia and New Zealand.
The ministers said they condemned “in the strongest possible terms” increased military cooperation between North Korea and Russia, including Russia’s “unlawful procurement” of North Korean ballistic missiles.
They said they were deeply concerned about the potential for any transfer of nuclear or ballistic missile-related technology to North Korea, and would work with international partners “for a coordinated response to this new development”.
UPD: Russian missile kills six, injures 20 in Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia
Tuesday 5 November 2024 11:51
Tom Watling
A Russian missile attack on Ukraine‘s southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia on Tuesday killed six people, injured at least 20 more and destroyed a critical infrastructure facility, Ukrainian officials said.
Ivan Fedorov, the regional governor, said in a statement on the Telegram messaging app that a fire broke out as a result of the strike. Authorities did not say what the facility was.
Before the attack, Fedorov and Ukraine‘s Air Force announced a ballistic missile alert for the region.
Russia has recently stepped up attacks on Zaporizhzhia, using highly destructive guided bombs, which Ukrainian forces find hard to shoot down.
The city is an important logistical and industrial hub located about 40 km (25 miles) from the frontline. Moscow’s troops partially occupy the Zaporizhzhia region, which is also home to Europe’s largest nuclear power plant.
The Ukrainian president’s chief of staff urged allies to give more support to counter Russian attacks.
“Violence must be stopped by strong actions,” Andriy Yermak said on Telegram.
❗️Russian strike on an infrastructure object in Zaporizhzhia.
— Anton Gerashchenko (@Gerashchenko_en) November 5, 2024
Six people dead, nine more injured. A fire started after the strike - head of local military administration.
Russian terror of Ukraine continues. pic.twitter.com/tBPAvNCr1e
American convicted on drug-related charges in Russia loses appeal
Tuesday 5 November 2024 11:28
Tom Watling
In pictures: Ukrainian soldiers have blessing before first mission
Tuesday 5 November 2024 11:01
Tom Watling
Russian rocket launches Iranian satellites into orbit as Moscow and Tehran expand ties
Tuesday 5 November 2024 10:41
Tom Watling
Ukrainian medics tend to the wounded near the frontline - pictured
Tuesday 5 November 2024 10:21
Tom Watling
Russian attack on Zaporizhzhia kills six, injures nine, governor says
Tuesday 5 November 2024 10:00
Tom Watling
A Russian attack on Ukraine‘s southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia killed six people and injured nine more, regional governor Ivan Fedorov said in a statement on the Telegram messaging app on Tuesday.
He said earlier that the Russian forces had attacked an infrastructure facility in the city.
Poland to spend £577m to boost ammunition production
Tuesday 5 November 2024 09:36
Tom Watling
Poland plans to invest 3 billion zlotys (£577 million) to boost ammunition production, according to a bill published late on Monday, aiming to ensure it has sufficient supplies in the event of an attack from Russia.
Since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Poland has become Nato’s biggest spender on defence in relation to the size of its economy, with the 2025 budget allocating 4.7 per cent of gross domestic product for the purpose.
“The draft act aims to create opportunities to provide financing for activities aimed at increasing the capacity for ammunition production,” the bill says, with a particular need to expand large-caliber production to bolster the potential of the Polish Armed Forces.
The government aims to adopt the bill during the fourth quarter, according to its website.
Some Nato officials have said the Kremlin might be ready militarily to attack Nato countries in five to eight years’ time, once it has rebuilt its forces after the war in Ukraine. Moscow has regularly dismissed Western suggestions that it might consider an attack on Nato.
In September Maciej Idzik, a board member of the state-owned Polish Armaments Group (PGZ), told Reuters that Warsaw aimed to ramp up its production of 155 mm artillery rounds.
In pictures: Residents lives continue in frontline town in eastern Ukraine
Tuesday 5 November 2024 09:15
Tom Watling
Photos have dropped on the wires from the eastern Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk in Donetsk region.
Russian forces are only several miles away from the city, a linchpin of the wider region’s defences.
Ukraine shoots down 48 drones and two missiles overnight
Tuesday 5 November 2024 08:58
Arpan Rai
The Ukrainian air force shot down 48 out of 79 drones and two missiles launched by Russia overnight. The air force said the location of 30 other drones had been lost, while another had returned to Russia.
An overnight attack using guided aerial bombs on the eastern city of Kharkiv also injured two people and damaged windows in three apartment buildings, regional governor Oleh Syniehubov said.
A drone attack on the northeastern region of Sumy damaged a gas station, regional authorities added.
Germany's foreign minister pledges 200 million euros in winter aid for Ukraine
Tuesday 5 November 2024 07:00
Rachel Hagan
Germany will give Ukraine another 200 million euros ($218 million) in aid to support the country during its third winter at war with Russia, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said during a visit to Kyiv on Monday.
Baerbock has stressed Germany’s continued backing for Ukraine during the trip, which comes amid growing nerves over the impact Tuesday’s election in the United States will have on military support for the country.
Putin greets North Korean foreign minister with long handshake in Kremlin
Tuesday 5 November 2024 06:00
Rachel Hagan
Russian President Vladimir Putin held a meeting in Moscow on Monday with North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui, at a time of mounting concern in the West about growing military ties between the two countries.
Video of the meeting showed the pair shaking hands for a full minute as Putin greeted Choe in the Kremlin.
Putin noted that they were meeting on Russia’s National Unity Day, a public holiday, and Choe conveyed “sincere, warm, comradely greetings” from North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
Ukraine repels second overnight drone attack
Tuesday 5 November 2024 05:12
Arpan Rai
Ukraine’s air defence units were trying to repel a second wave of overnight drone attacks by Russia on Kyiv, mayor Vitali Klitschko said this morning.
Air defence systems were engaged in repelling an attack in Kyiv’s Obolonskyi district, Klitschko wrote on his Telegram messaging channel.
Earlier, air defence units were trying to repel an attack on the city’s Holosiisvskyi district.
South Korea and EU worry about Russia's technology transfer in return for North Korea troops
Tuesday 5 November 2024 05:00
Rachel Hagan
outh Korean and the European Union on Monday strongly condemned North Korea’s reported dispatch of troops to aid Russia’s war against Ukraine and expressed concerns that Russia could reward North Korea with transfers of sensitive technology to enhance its nuclear and missile programs.North Korea’s troop deployment, which was confirmed by the U.S. and NATO, threatens to expand the almost 3-year-long war and is causing security jitters in South Korea and elsewhere about what Russia could give North Korea in return.
After a meeting in Seoul, South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul and EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell issued a joint statement condemning in the “strongest possible terms” North Korea’s deployment and voicing worries about Russia’s possible provision of materials and technology to North Korea in support of its military objectives.“We are also deeply concerned about the possibility for any transfer of nuclear- or ballistic missile-related technology to the DPRK, which would jeopardize the international non-proliferation efforts and threaten peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and across the globe,” the statement said. DPRK stands for the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, North Korea’s official name.
PHOTOS: Germany’s top diplomat in Kyiv as Ukraine braces for US election impact
Tuesday 5 November 2024 04:54
Arpan Rai
First European nation discusses response to North Korean troops in Russia
Tuesday 5 November 2024 04:17
Arpan Rai
Germany is the first nation to discuss its response to North Korea’s military involvement in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Ukrainian foreign minister Andrii Sybiha said he had discussed with his German counterpart Annalena Baerbock the “need for decisive action” in response to North Korean involvement in the war with Russia.
“We urge Europe to realise that the DPRK [North Korea’s official name Democratic People’s Republic of Korea] troops are now carrying an aggressive war in Europe against a sovereign European state,” he told a briefing after meeting Ms Baerbock in Kyiv.
Volodymyr Zelensky, speaking later during his nightly video address, said a meeting of top commanders had considered a report by Ukrainian intelligence on the presence of North Korean troops in Russia. He repeated his call for greater action from Ukraine’s Western allies.
“There are already 11,000 in the Kursk region,” Mr Zelensky said, referring to the southern Russian region where Ukrainian troops have seized chunks of land since an incursion there in August.
“We see an increase in North Koreans, but we don’t see any increase in the reaction from our partners.”
UK becomes president of the UN Security Council
Tuesday 5 November 2024 04:00
Rachel Hagan
UK is now president of the UN Security Council
The UK has become the president of the UN’s Security Council.
It is a rotating position that the UK will hold until the end of November. It was held by Denmark in October and will be taken over by the United States in December.
The UK’s permanent ambassador to the UN, Barbara Woodward, spoke on the role of president.
“Putin will not stop at Ukraine. We can be sure that Iran and North Korea are exacting a heavy price from Russia for their support.
“Where there is death and chaos, President Putin’s hand is rarely far behind.”
Putin issuing Russian uniforms to North Korean troops, says Pentagon
Tuesday 5 November 2024 03:55
Arpan Rai
Russia is handing out military kits to North Korean soldiers, including Russian uniforms, the Pentagon has said, confirming that these soldiers will fight in Kursk.
“My understanding is that all of these forces are being issued Russian uniforms and Russian equipment,” Pentagon press secretary Major General Pat Ryder said in a press briefing last night.
The North Korean soldiers will be legitimate military targets, he said. “...we fully expect, just based on what we’re seeing, that these forces will go to the Kursk region, that they will provide some kind of capability. All indications are that they will provide some type of combat or combat support capability. Again, remains to be seen exactly how they will be employed,” Gen Ryder said.
“...Should they be employed in combat, they will become legitimate military targets and we would fully expect that the Ukrainians would do what they need to do to defend themselves and their personnel,” he said.
Germany pledges €200m in winter aid for Ukraine
Tuesday 5 November 2024 03:18
Arpan Rai
Germany will give Ukraine another €200 m (£167m) in aid to support the country during its third winter at war with Russia, German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock said during a visit to Kyiv yesterday.
Ms Baerbock has stressed Germany’s continued backing for Ukraine during the trip, which comes amid growing nerves over the impact today’s election in the United States will have on military support for the country.
Putin meets North Korean foreign minister in Moscow
Tuesday 5 November 2024 03:00
Rachel Hagan
Russian president Vladimir Putin reportedly held a meeting in Russia’s capital with North Korean foreign minister Choe Son Hui, the state news agency TASS reported.
Another agency, Interfax, said the meeting in Moscow took place on Monday.
Choe travelled to Russia last week for her second trip in six weeks, at a time of mounting alarm in the West over military cooperation between the two countries.
Russian governor of region battered by drone strikes resigns
Tuesday 5 November 2024 02:58
Arpan Rai
The governor of Rostov region, one of the southern Russian cities battered by massive Ukrainian drone strikes, has resigned “at his own request”, the Kremlin said.
Vasily Golubev’s resignation, termed sudden, was accepted by president Vladimir Putin on Monday.
He is one of Russia’s longest serving governors who headed the Rostov region that has been plagued by Ukrainian drones and where the Wagner Group forces started a short-lived mutiny. Mr Golubev said he decided to resign “due to a transfer to another job”, in a post on his Telegram channel.
The Rostov region, about 1,000km (622 miles) south of Moscow, borders Ukraine. Kyiv, which has launched a series of drone attacks on oil depots there, says Rostov is key in storing petroleum products for Russian forces fighting in Ukraine.
More than 10,000 North Korean troops in Russia for Ukraine war, says South Korea
Tuesday 5 November 2024 02:50
Arpan Rai
More than 10,000 North Korean troops have arrived in Russia to support its war against Ukraine, with a “significant number” in the frontline areas including Kursk, South Korea’s defence ministry said today.
“We understand that more than 10,000 North Korean troops are currently in Russia, and a significant number of them have moved to the frontline areas including Kursk,” Jeon Ha-kyou, a spokesperson for Seoul’s defence ministry, told a briefing, citing intelligence authorities.
But Mr Jeon said he had no information when asked whether the North Koreans were engaged in combat, and about a South Korean media report citing an unnamed government official that as many as 40 North Korean troops had been killed on the battlefield.
The estimates from South Korea come just hours after the Pentagon said that there were at least 10,000 North Korean soldiers in Kursk, near the Ukraine border, but could not corroborate reports that they were engaged in combat.
US sanctions 398 firms in more than a dozen countries, accusing them of helping Russia's war effort
Tuesday 5 November 2024 02:00
Rachel Hagan
The U.S. on Wednesday imposed sanctions on 398 firms across Russia, India, China, and more than a dozen other nations — accusing them of providing products and services that enable Russia’s war effort and aid its ability to evade sanctions.
The effort spearheaded by the Treasury and State Departments is aimed at punishing “third party countries” that are accused of providing material assistance to the Kremlin or assisting Russia in evading the thousands of sanctions that have been imposed on the country since its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Among those sanctioned by the Treasury Department are 274 companies accused of supplying Russia with advanced technology, as well as Russia-based defense and manufacturing firms that produce or finish military products that maintain the weaponry used against Ukraine.
Zelensky voices solidarity with Moldova’s Sandu after her election win
Tuesday 5 November 2024 00:30
Rachel Hagan
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky congratulated Moldova's Maia Sandu on her presidential election victory and reaffirmed Kyiv's commitment to jointly work on a common goal towards European Union membership.
Sandu, the pro-Western incumbent who has accelerated Moldova's push to leave Moscow's orbit, claimed victory in Sunday's closely-fought runoff, defeating Alexandr Stoianoglo, who was backed by the traditionally pro-Russian Socialist Party.
"On behalf of the Ukrainian people I expressed our solidarity with the European choice of the Moldovan people," Zelenskiy said on the social media platform X following a phone conversation with Sandu.
Zelenskiy said he had coordinated the "next steps" on the EU accession path with Sandu.
US conducts long-range bomber exercise with South Korea and Japan
Monday 4 November 2024 23:30
Rachel Hagan
The United States flew a long-range bomber in a trilateral drill with South Korea and Japan on Sunday in response to North Korea’s recent test-firing of a new intercontinental ballistic missile designed to strike the US mainland, South Korea’s military said.
North Korea on Thursday tested the newly developed Hwasong-19 ICBM, which flew higher and stayed in the air longer than any other missile it has fired. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un called it “an appropriate military action” to cope with external security threats posed by its rivals.
It comes as North Korean troops fight on the Ukrainian front line.
Zelensky urges allies to take steps before North Korean troops reach the front
Monday 4 November 2024 23:00
Rachel Hagan
Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky urged its allies to stop “watching” and take steps before North Korean troops deployed in Russia reach the battlefield.
Mr Zelensky raised the prospect of a preemptive Ukrainian strike on camps where the North Korean troops are being trained, and said Kyiv knows their location. But he said Ukraine can’t do it without permission from allies to use Western-made long-range weapons to hit targets deep inside Russia.
“But instead … America is watching, Britain is watching, Germany is watching. Everyone is just waiting for the North Korean military to start attacking Ukrainians as well,” Mr Zelensky said.
Ukraine, Germany discuss need for 'decisive response' to N. Korean involvement in war
Monday 4 November 2024 22:30
Rachel Hagan
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said he had discussed the “need for decisive action” in response to North Korean involvement in the war in Ukraine with his German counterpart Annalena Baerbock.
“We urge Europe to realize that the DPRK troops are now carrying an aggressive war in Europe against a sovereign European state,” he told a briefing after meeting with Baerbock in Kyiv.
The United States says North Korea has sent thousands of troops to Russia and is poised to join the war in Ukraine on Moscow’s side. Russia has neither confirmed nor denied their presence.
Army chief says Ukraine facing ‘one of the most powerful’ Russian offensives
Monday 4 November 2024 21:50
Rachel Hagan
Ukraine is currently facing “one of the most powerful Russian offensives” since the beginning of the war in February 2022, its army chief has warned.
Russia has been steadily making gains in the Donbas region and capturing villages amid reports that North Korea has deployed about 10,000 troops to join Vladimir Putin’s war.
Oleksandr Syrskyi, Ukraine’s commander-in-chief, said the situation on the front line “remains difficult” and certain areas “require constant renewal of resources of Ukrainian units”.
“The Armed Forces of Ukraine are holding back one of the most powerful Russian offensives from launching a full-scale invasion,” the top commander said over the weekend.
The war is entering what Russian analysts say is its most dangerous phase as Moscow’s forces advance, North Korea sends troops to Russia and the West ponders how the conflict will end.
Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky has been traveling the world lobbying Nato countries to allow Kyiv the use of the long-range missiles they have provided to strike targets deep inside Russia.
In pics: Russia bombs Ukraine’s capital and Kharkiv
Monday 4 November 2024 21:15
Rachel Hagan
