Ukraine-Russia war latest: North Korean forces kill Russian troops as Putin loses ‘1,000 soldiers’ in past day
Ukrainian intelligence claimed a language barrier between Russians and North Koreans led to friendly fire
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Your support makes all the difference.Russian soldiers have been killed by North Korean troops in friendly fire while fighting in Kursk, Ukraine’s military intelligence agency said.
The HUR said a group of North Korean soldiers opened fire on and killed eight members of the Chechen Akhmat unit fighting for Russia.
The attack was the result of the language barrier between Russian and North Korean troops, which continues to be a “difficult obstacle” on the battlefield, according to the HUR.
Ukrainian and Western officials warned earlier this year that over 10,000 North Korean troops had amassed in Kursk Oblast, ready to aid Russia’s attempt to oust Ukrainian forces in the region.
It comes as Kyiv’s armed forces claimed Vladimir Putin lost over 1,000 soldiers in the past day as Russia pushes forwards to capture ground in eastern Ukraine.
The Russian defence ministry claimed its troops took control of the villages of Veselyi Hai and Pushkino in Ukraine’s Donetsk region.
Meanwhile, two Russian oil tankers split in half in the Black Sea, as Ukraine accused Vladimir Putin of “violating operating rules” for sending old vessels out into the water during bad weather.
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Ukraine condemns Fifa over map omitting Crimea
Ukraine has sharply criticised Fifa for excluding Crimea from its territory on a map displayed during the 2026 World Cup draw, calling the mistake “unacceptable” and demanding accountability.
The map was used to illustrate nations prohibited from being drawn together in the tournament due to geopolitical tensions. While Ukraine was highlighted on the map, Crimea—internationally recognised as part of its territory—was noticeably absent. Crimea has been under Russian occupation since 2014, but the annexation is recognised by only a few nations.
Heorhii Tykhyi, spokesperson for Ukraine’s foreign ministry, condemned the omission, asserting that it violated international law. “Fifa has not only acted against international law but has also supported Russian propaganda, war crimes, and the crime of aggression against Ukraine,” he wrote on X, sharing a corrected version of the map that included Crimea. Mr Tykhyi also demanded a public apology from the global football governing body.
Fifa has since responded, stating it was “aware of an issue” and had removed the map. However, the Ukrainian Football Association has escalated the matter by formally addressing Fifa secretary-general Mathias Grafström and Uefa secretary-general Theodore Theodoridis in a letter.
The letter voiced “deep concern” over the incident, pointing to the consistency of Fifa and Uefa’s past decisions that upheld Ukraine’s territorial integrity. It further stated: “The cartographic image of Ukraine displayed on December 13, 2024, is completely unacceptable and looks like an inconsistent position of Fifa and Uefa.”
The incident has intensified scrutiny over Fifa’s handling of politically sensitive issues, with Ukraine continuing to push for stronger measures to prevent such errors in the future.
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Nine-year-old Russian boy dies in Ukrainian strike
Ukrainian drone strikes on southern Russia killed a 9-year-old boy and set fire to a major oil terminal, officials said yesterday.
The boy died when a drone struck his family’s home outside Belgorod, a Russian city near the border with Ukraine, local governor Vyacheslav Gladkov reported yesterday morning on the Telegram messaging app. His mother and seven-month-old sister were hospitalised with injuries, Mr Gladkov said.
He posted photos of what he said was the aftermath of the attack, showing a low-rise house with gaping holes in its roof and front wall flanked by mounds of rubble.
Elsewhere in southern Russia, Ukrainian drones overnight hit a major oil terminal in the Oryol region, sparking a blaze, Ukraine’s General Staff reported. Photos published by the General Staff and on Russian Telegram news channels showed huge plumes of smoke engulfing the facility, backlit by an orange glow.
Oryol governor Andrey Klychkov confirmed that a Ukrainian drone strike set fire to a fuel depot. He said later the blaze had been contained and that there were no casualties.
Where Putin’s forces are making gains in eastern Ukraine
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Ukrainian military chief Oleksandr Syrskyi says the fight to hold the eastern region of Dontesk has become ‘extremely tough’
North Korean troops join Russian assaults in significant numbers, Kyiv says
Russia has begun using North Korean troops in significant numbers for the first time to conduct assaults on Ukrainian forces battling to hold an enclave in Russia’s Kursk region, president Volodymyr Zelenskiy said yesterday.
The Ukrainian leader said the more active use of the troops was a new escalation in the war and called for a global response, as Donald Trump’s return to the White House next month fuels speculation of a coming push for peace talks.
“Today, we already have preliminary data that the Russians have begun to use North Korean soldiers in their assaults. A significant number of them,” Mr Zelensky told Ukrainians in his daily wartime address.
The North Koreans were being used in combined Russian units and only on the Kursk front for now, he said, adding: “We have information suggesting their use could extend to other parts of the front line.”
Kyiv first said North Korean forces turned up in Russia’s Kursk region in October and later reported unspecified clashes and casualties. It estimates there are 11,000 North Koreans in total, adding to a force of tens of thousands of Russians.
Russia has neither confirmed nor denied the presence of North Koreans on its side.
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Ukrainian drones hit fuel storage area in central Russia
Ukrainian drones attacked an infrastructure facility storing fuel in central Russia’s Oryol region, sparking a fire and smashing windows in homes, regional governor Andrei Klychkov said early on Saturday.
Mr Klychkov, writing on the Telegram messaging app, said a “mass attack” on an infrastructure site caused fuel to catch fire. Fragments from downed drones smashed windows in homes, he said.
Video posted on Ukrainian military blogs showed a fire blazing at what was described as a fuel storage facility. Reuters could not independently verify reports from either side.
Yellen won't rule out sanctions on Chinese banks, curbs on 'dark fleet' oil tankers
US treasury secretary Janet Yellen told Reuters on Friday that the US is looking at further sanctions on “dark fleet” tankers and will not rule out sanctions on Chinese banks as it seeks to reduce Russia’s oil revenue and access to foreign supplies to fuel its war in Ukraine.
Ms Yellen said in an interview that the US and its allies also could consider lowering their $60-per-barrel oil price cap on Russian oil, which prohibits Western insurance and maritime services on cargoes above that level.
The treasury has already sanctioned individual tankers and their owners for operating above the price cap and can do more in this area, Ms Yellen added, suggesting additional measures in the five weeks before she leaves office.
EU to enforce first-ever sanctions on Russian intelligence over disinformation operations
The European Union is preparing to impose its first sanctions against Russian intelligence for orchestrating disinformation and hybrid activities, Bloomberg reported. The proposed sanctions will target over a dozen individuals and three entities, including Russian intelligence officials and media entrepreneurs.
This move aims to counteract global destabilising operations attributed to Moscow.
Additionally, the EU intends to impose sanctions on approximately two dozen Belarusian individuals for alleged human rights abuses or connections to president Alexander Lukashenko’s regime.
This is part of a comprehensive sanctions package set to be ratified by EU foreign ministers on 16 December in Brussels.
The latest proposals align with the EU ambassadors’ recent endorsement of a 15th sanctions package against Russia. Announced by the Hungarian Presidency of the EU Council on 11 December, this package targets Russia’s “shadow fleet” of older tankers used to circumvent oil export restrictions.
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