Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has congratulated Donald Trump, who has returned to the White House, and urged the Republican to keep supporting Kyiv against Vladimir Putin’s invasion.
With concerns rising that support for Ukraine could diminish under a second Trump administration, Mr Zelensky praised Mr Trump's "peace through strength" philosophy, calling it t a just peace for Ukraine. Mr Trump has said he would look to end the Ukraine war as soon as possible, with Kyiv wary that he will push for it to give up territory to Moscow.
Meanwhile, Ukraine has reported “small-scale” clashes with North Korean troops in Kursk, marking their first battlefield confrontation with Kim Jong Un’s soldiers, Ukraine’s defence minister Rustem Umerov said.
Mr Zelensky has said “the first battles with North Korean soldiers open a new page of instability in the world”. US, South Korean and Ukrainian intelligence assessments say up to 12,000 North Korean combat troops are being sent by Pyongyang to Russia for deployment on the frontline in Ukraine under a pact with Moscow.
Key Points
- Zelensky congratulates Trump on US election lead
- North Korea to deploy 10,000 troops to Russia
- Kremlin reacts to expected Trump’s US election victory
- Putin shortening training of North Korean troops for frontline
- Zelensky confirms first battle with North Korean soldiers
PINNED: Zelensky’s statement in full
10:10
Salma Ouaguira
The Ukrainian President said: “Congratulations to Donald Trump on his impressive election victory!
“I recall our great meeting with President Trump back in September, when we discussed in detail the Ukraine-US strategic partnership, the Victory Plan, and ways to put an end to Russian aggression against Ukraine.
“I appreciate President Trump’s commitment to the “peace through strength” approach in global affairs. This is exactly the principle that can practically bring just peace in Ukraine closer. I am hopeful that we will put it into action together.
“We look forward to an era of a strong United States of America under President Trump’s decisive leadership. We rely on continued strong bipartisan support for Ukraine in the United States.
“We are interested in developing mutually beneficial political and economic cooperation that will benefit both of our nations. Ukraine, as one of Europe’s strongest military powers, is committed to ensuring long-term peace and security in Europe and the Transatlantic community with the support of our allies.
“I am looking forward to personally congratulating President Trump and discussing ways to strengthen Ukraine’s strategic partnership with the United States.”
In pictures: Austrian former intelligence official Egisto Ott stands trial over Russian spying links
11:05
Salma Ouaguira
Egisto Ott, a former Austrian intelligence official, has appeared in court for allegedly violating official secrecy laws, the first charges in a high-profile case linked to Russian espionage.
Mr Ott, who was detained for two months earlier this year, faces accusations of passing sensitive information to Russian intelligence services and to Jan Marsalek, a fugitive entrepreneur with alleged ties to the Kremlin.
The trial has drawn significant attention, particularly given its connection to the far-right Freedom Party (FPÖ), which emerged as the top party in Austria's September elections for the first time.
North Korea’s troops heading to Ukraine’s frontline as cannon fodder: ‘They will surely be killed’
10:50
Salma Ouaguira
The G7, involving some of the world’s richest nations, have made clear that they believe the reports of thousands of North Korean troops being used to bolster Russian forces in Ukraine show Vladimir Putin’s “desperation” to compensate for losses on the frontline.
Read the full story below:
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.
Australia ‘profoundly troubled’ by emerging axis of countries supporting Russia
10:25
Salma Ouaguira
The head of Australia‘s national intelligence agency said it was troubling to see an “emerging axis” of countries supporting Russia’s war in Ukraine emerge as allies of the Kremlin mounted a challenge for western countries supporting Kyiv.
Andrew Shearer, who leads the government’s Office of National Intelligence (ONI), said North Korea, Iran, and more significantly China, posed a “strategic challenge” for countries including Canberra as the war dragged on.
He said the emerging axis, which has China and Russia as its main pillars, had been underestimated since the war began as Beijing emboldened Moscow by providing dual-use goods as well as economic and diplomatic support.
Read the full story below:
Russia denies involvement in US bomb hoaxes and plot to target planes
10:02
Salma Ouaguira
Russia has rejected claims that it was behind a series of hoax bomb threats targeting polling stations in the United States on election day, as well as reports suggesting a Russian plot to plant incendiary devices on planes.
Moscow dismissed the accusations after the FBI revealed that multiple bomb threats had been made on Tuesday against voting locations in key battleground states, including Georgia, Michigan, Arizona, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania.
Many of these threats appeared to originate from email domains linked to Russia, raising suspicions of foreign interference, though no bombs were found at the sites.
In addition to the bomb hoaxes, US security officials indicated that parcels which exploded at logistics depots in Europe were allegedly part of a test for a potential Russian plot to place incendiary devices on cargo flights to the US.
Authorities suggested that these incidents could be a precursor to more serious attacks aimed at disrupting US-bound cargo traffic.
However, Russia categorically denied any involvement in these activities, calling the reports unfounded.
Kremlin: US remains ‘unfriendly’ to Russia
09:50
Salma Ouaguira
The Kremlin has said that the United States remains an “unfriendly” country towards Russia.
Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said that there are no plans for President Vladimir Putin to congratulate Donald Trump on any potential election victory.
Mr Peskov’s comments came as he discussed Moscow’s cautious approach to the changing political landscape in the US, noting that Russia is closely monitoring the statements made by American politicians.
“Our relations with the United States are at a historic low,” he told reporters. “It is practically impossible for them to get any worse.”
The spokesperson acknowledged that the US has the capacity to change its foreign policy approach, but he added that Moscow would wait until January, when Trump is set to take office, to see if there would be any shift in direction.
Zelensky ‘looking forward to era of strong US under Trump’
09:45
Salma Ouaguira
Congratulations to @realDonaldTrump on his impressive election victory!
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) November 6, 2024
I recall our great meeting with President Trump back in September, when we discussed in detail the Ukraine-U.S. strategic partnership, the Victory Plan, and ways to put an end to Russian aggression against…
Russia confirms military pact with North Korea and deployment of 10,000 troops
09:35
Salma Ouaguira
Russia's upper house of parliament, the Federation Council, has ratified a military agreement with North Korea that promises mutual assistance in the event of an attack.
The treaty, signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during a visit to Pyongyang in June, states that both countries would provide military support "by all means" if either is attacked.
The deal marks the most significant military partnership between Moscow and Pyongyang since the Cold War.
The treaty had already been ratified by the lower house, the State Duma, on 24 October.
This comes amid growing concerns over North Korean involvement in Russia’s military efforts in Ukraine.
On Monday, US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller confirmed reports that up to 10,000 North Korean troops had been deployed to Russia’s Kursk region.
These troops are reportedly preparing to join Russian forces in Ukraine, marking the first large-scale deployment of North Korean forces in a foreign conflict since the Korean War in 1950.
Russian pro-war Putin critic Igor Girkin loses appeal in court
09:20
Salma Ouaguira
Prominent Russian nationalist and former militia commander Igor Girkin has lost his appeal against a four-year prison sentence, the Supreme Court ruled.
Girkin, who rose to notoriety under the nickname Igor Strelkov during the fighting in eastern Ukraine nearly a decade ago, was convicted in January by a Moscow court for inciting extremism - a charge he has denied.
The former top military commander of the self-proclaimed “Donetsk People’s Republic” became a controversial figure after publicly criticising President Vladimir Putin and the Russian military's handling of the war in Ukraine.
Despite Girkin's appeal, the Supreme Court upheld the sentence.
Badly prepared and unhealthy, North Korean troops are Putin’s cannon fodder
09:00
Salma Ouaguira
The G7, involving some of the world’s richest nations, have made clear that they believe the reports of thousands of North Korean troops being used to bolster Russian forces in Ukraine show Vladimir Putin’s “desperation” to compensate for losses on the frontline.
Putin’s forces are believed to be losing hundreds of troops a day, with Ukrainian estimates going as high as 1,200 to 1,500, so the more than 10,000 troops South Korea believes are in Russia would last two weeks or so at that rate.
“In the big picture, even 12,000 soldiers don’t affect the general situation of the war significantly,” says Emil Kastehelmi, who runs the Black Bird Group, which tracks the war in Ukraine.
The troops are already under fire, being shelled in the Russian border region of Kursk, according to Kyiv. That is the area where Ukrainian troops have held territory, having started a daring raid in August.
What does North Korea stand to gain from sending troops to Russia?
08:43
Salma Ouaguira
It is clear what Vladimir Putin gains from thousands of North Korean troops joining Russia’s prolonged war in Ukraine.
But the motivation behind Kim Jong-un sending young and inexperienced soldiers into a battle that will enter its third winter this year is less apparent.
Read the full analysis below:
Zelensky congratulates Trump on US election lead
08:24
Salma Ouaguira
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has congratulated Donald Trump on his expected victory in the US presidential election, hoping for a “strong bipartisan support” his country in its fight against Russia.
It comes after concerns were voiced among Ukraine’s allies that US support for Ukraine could wane under a Trump presidency.
Mr Zelensky said: “I appreciate president Trump’s commitment to the ‘peace through strength’ approach in global affairs. This is exactly the principle that can practically bring just peace in Ukraine closer. I am hopeful that we will put it into action together.
“We look forward to an era of a strong United States of America under President Trump’s decisive leadership.
“We rely on continued strong bipartisan support for Ukraine in the United States. We are interested in developing mutually beneficial political and economic cooperation that will benefit both of our nations.
“Ukraine, as one of Europe’s strongest military powers, is committed to ensuring long-term peace and security in Europe and the transatlantic community with the support of our allies.
“I am looking forward to personally congratulating President Trump and discussing ways to strengthen Ukraine’s strategic partnership with the United States.”
Russian upper house of parliament ratifies North Korea partnership treaty
08:10
Arpan Rai
The upper house of Russia’s parliament, the Federation Council, has voted in favour of ratifying a treaty of partnership between Russia and North Korea.
Last month, Russian lawmakers in the lower house ratified the treaty of mutual defence with North Korea by voting 397-0 to endorse the “comprehensive strategic partnership” treaty which obliges Russia and North Korea to immediately provide military assistance using “all means” if either is attacked.
Russian president Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un signed the treaty, which includes a mutual defence clause, during Putin’s visit to Pyongyang in June.
Russia and North Korea have deepened cooperation since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, with South Korea, Ukraine and the United States saying North Korean troops are on the ground in Russia and preparing to deploy in support of Russia.
Moscow has neither denied not confirmed that.
Ukraine claims to have shot down 71% of Russian drones
07:30
Barney Davis
Russia has launched 4,300 Shahed-type attack drones and other drones on Ukraine over the past three months, Ukraine has said.
Kyiv claims their air defence destroyed 71% of them but 5% made direct hits.
In addition, the Air Force’s daily reports mark some of them as “disappeared from radar”, which means some of the drones were either subject to countermeasures by electronic warfare units or failed to reach their targets
North Korean troops clashed with Ukrainian forces in Kursk
06:34
Arpan Rai
North Korean troops engaged in clashes against Ukrainian forces that are fighting in the Russian Kursk region, the New York Times reported late last night, citing an unnamed senior US official and an unnamed senior Ukrainian official.
The engagement was limited and likely meant to probe the Ukrainian lines for weaknesses, the Ukrainian official said. The Ukrainian official added that the North Korean troops fought together with Russia’s 810 Separate Naval Infantry Brigade.
The US official told the newspaper that a significant number of North Korean troops were killed.
The office of Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian defence ministry, the Russian defence ministry, the Pentagon and the US Department of State have not issued a comment on the report.
Ukrainian defence minister Rustem Umerov confirmed the first clash, describing it as a “small-scale” skirmish, had taken place between Ukrainian and North Korean troops.
“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. He said the engagement was small for now, but more are expected as the number of North Koreans deployed grows.
Ukrainian troops launched an incursion into Russia’s border Kursk region on 6 August, taking a number of settlements under control in the first such deployment onto the Russian territory since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion on Ukraine in February 2022.
Ukraine destroys 38 Russian drones overnight
06:22
Arpan Rai
Ukraine’s air defence units destroyed 38 Russian drones overnight, its air force said this morning.
Another 22 Russian drones were lost over the Ukrainian territory and its airspace, the air force said on Telegram, without providing further details.
The air force has said before that lost drones are usually intercepted by electronic warfare. The air force also said that Russia launched two missiles on the southern Odesa region late last night.
Who does Putin actually want to win the election? As a Russian American, I know the answer
06:05
Arpan Rai
It’s not only the American public holding its breath in anticipation as the vote projections for the Kamala Harris versus Donald Trump presidential contest roll in. Russian president Vladimir Putin is among those watching closely, with much at stake in the outcome.
The Kremlin seems undecided about whom it would prefer to see as the next US president. Putin clearly understands that, regardless of who occupies the Oval Office, the US stance toward Russia is likely to remain unfriendly. In fact, some animosity between Trump and the Kremlin has been playing out over the past few months.
Regardless of who wins, the Kremlin has reportedly developed two alternative plans for resolving the military conflict with Ukraine — one in the event that Trump wins and another for if Harris becomes president.
Svetlana Satchkova writes:
In pictures: Life in Kyiv, Ukraine
06:00
Tom Watling
Nato chief warns of ‘deeply dangerous’ moment for world
05:21
Arpan Rai
Nato secretary general Mark Rutte has called North Korea’s troops fighting in Europe a “turning point”, warning the world of a “deeply dangerous” moment.
“This dangerous expansion of the conflict escalates the war and demonstrates that our security is not regional, it is global,” he wrote for Politico.
“These deepening military and economic ties between a reckless Russia and an emboldened North Korea don’t just threaten Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific security, they are deeply dangerous for global security,” the Nato chief said.
Calling the Russian invasion ill-judged, Mr Rutte said: “On every front, Putin is failing to achieve his strategic objectives through this illegal and ill-judged war of aggression. While we seek a just and lasting end to the conflict, he’s only prolonging and expanding it.
“President Vladimir Putin’s litany of failures since starting this senseless war has only made Russia more reliant on its authoritarian friends in Asia: China, Iran and North Korea,” he said.
Mapped: Where has Russia made advances on the frontline in Ukraine?
05:00
Tom Watling
North Korea’s troops heading to Ukraine’s frontline as cannon fodder: ‘They will surely be killed’
04:44
Arpan Rai
The G7, involving some of the world’s richest nations, have made clear that they believe the reports of thousands of North Korean troops being used to bolster Russian forces in Ukraine show Vladimir Putin’s “desperation” to compensate for losses on the frontline.
Putin’s forces are believed to be losing hundreds of troops a day, with Ukrainian estimates going as high as 1,200 to 1,500, so the more than 10,000 troops South Korea believes are in Russia would last two weeks or so at that rate.
“In the big picture, even 12,000 soldiers don’t affect the general situation of the war significantly,” says Emil Kastehelmi, who runs the Black Bird Group, which tracks the war in Ukraine.
Putin shortening training of North Korean troops for frontline, says Ukrainian minister
04:16
Arpan Rai
The training period before North Korean soldiers join the fight in Vladimir Putin’s invasion has been cut short, Kyiv says.
North Korean troops were expected to undergo a month’s training, Ukrainian defence minister Rustem Umerov said, but that “is now being shortened to... two weeks or one week so that they could get engagement in the battlefield”.
North Korean personnel will finish deploying within a few weeks once they complete training in the Russian Far East, experts have said.
A total of 15,000 troops could be deployed along northeastern, eastern and southeastern parts of the 1,000km (600-mile) frontline in Ukraine, according to Mr Umerov.
Russia has declined to acknowledge that North Korean troops are operating in its territory, but Putin last week did not deny reports of their presence. He said it was up to Russia how to implement its defence pact with Pyongyang.
US presses China to rein in North Korea and Russia as tensions rise
04:00
Tom Watling
Zelensky confirms first battles with North Korean soldiers
03:49
Arpan Rai
President Volodymyr Zelensky said the first battles between the Ukrainian military and North Korean troops “open a new page in instability in the world” after his defence minister said a “small engagement” had taken place.
Mr Zelensky, in his nightly video address, thanked those in the world who, he said, had reacted to the dispatch of North Korean troops to Russia last month “not just with words ... but who are preparing actions to support our defence”.
“The first battles with North Korean soldiers open a new page of instability in the world,” he said.
He said that Ukraine, acting with the rest of the world, had to “do everything so that this Russian step to expand the war with real escalation fails.”
Ukrainian defence minister Rustem Umerov confirmed in an interview with South Korean television that the first engagement had occurred with North Korean troops, an escalation in a conflict that began when Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.
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
