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Vladimir Putin has not denied the presence of North Korean troops in Ukraine as he wrapped up the Brics summit in Kazan, heavily overshadowed by Ukraine war talks.
“Images are a serious thing, if there are images, then they reflect something,” Mr Putin said on being asked about satellite photos of North Korean troops.
Mr Putin noted that lawmakers in Moscow earlier in the day ratified a pact with North Korea on mutual military assistance as part of a “strategic partnership” with Pyongyang.
The US on Wednesday said that 3,000 North Korean troops have been deployed to Russia and are training at several locations.
It comes as Ukraine’s military intelligence agency said the first North Korean units trained in Russia had been deployed in the Kursk region, which was stormed by Ukraine for major incursion in August.
It said a total of around 12,000 North Korean troops, including 500 officers and three generals, were already in Russia, and training was taking place on five military bases.
Mr Putin has also welcomed Donald Trump’s comments offering to end the war in Ukraine. “It seems to me that he said it sincerely,” he said, welcoming the offer.
Zelensky taunts Putin by wearing ‘make russia small again’ T-shirt in video address to nation
Officials say North Korea has sent troops to Russia. What would that mean for the war with Ukraine?
Who is going to Putin-hosted Brics summit in Russia – and why has Brazil’s Lula dropped out?
Mapped: Where has Russia made advances on the frontline in Ukraine?
North Korean troops in Ukraine: Everything we know about Kim Jong-un’s army joining Russian invasion
Russian parliament votes to ratify North Korea partnership treaty
The lower house of Russia’s parliament, the State Duma, voted on Thursday to ratify a treaty of partnership between Russia and North Korea.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un signed the mutual defence pact 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 and Ukraine saying North Korean troops are preparing to deploy in support of Russia.
A Russian strike on the frontline town of Kupiansk in northeastern Ukraine killed two people and wounded three others, Kharkiv region governor Oleh Synehubov has reported.
“The enemy struck near a shop and the town market,” Synehubov said.
South Korea's Yoon, Poland's Duda condemn N.Korea troop dispatch to Russia
South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol and Polish president Andrzej Duda have jointly condemned North Korea’s dispatch of troops to Russia for its war against Ukraine as a global security threat, Yoon’s office has said.
The two leaders held a summit and agreed to push to finalise a new contract to export South Korean K-2 tanks to Poland by the end of the year, Yoon told a joint news conference with Duda.
“We agreed that North Korea’s dispatch of troops to Russia is a direct violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions and the UN Charter and is a provocation that goes beyond the Korean Peninsula and Europe to threaten global security,” Yoon said.
North Korea has sent 3,000 troops to Russia to support its war against Ukraine, South Korean lawmakers said on Wednesday after being briefed by the national intelligence agency, an estimate that is twice the previous figure.
The South Korean and Polish governments will actively lend support to seal a deal before the end of the year for South Korea’s Hyundai Rotem to supply K-2 tanks to Poland, Yoon said.
Yoon said South Korea and Poland will establish a new forum for defence dialogue and cooperate closely on security matters that affect the two countries.
US says North Korean troops ‘fair game’ if sent to fight in Ukraine
US says North Korean troops ‘fair game’ if deployed to fight in Ukraine
White House spokesperson John Kirby says North Korean troops were transported to Russia by ship
US finalizes £15 billion share of G7 loan to Ukraine
The US has finalised its $20 billion (£15.4 bn) portion of a long-awaited $50 billion loan to Ukraine backed by frozen Russian assets, announcing plans to start making funds available by year-end for economic and military aid.
US treasury secretary Janet Yellen and Ukrainian finance minister Serhiy Marchenko signed an agreement for a US loan commitment of $20 billion, which would be placed alongside a separate $20 billion European Union commitment and $10 billion to be split by G7 allies Britain, Japan and Canada.
The loan will be repaid with the earnings from the over $300 billion in sovereign Russian assets that have been immobilized since Moscow’s armies invaded Ukraine in February 2022. The funds are mostly held in Europe.
“In other words, Ukraine can receive the assistance it needs now, without burdening taxpayers,” President Joe Biden said in a statement.
The Biden administration wants to make $10 billion of the loan funds available for military aid, a plan that would require the approval of the U.S. Congress, White House National Security Council officials told reporters.
It does not need Congress’ approval to make available the remaining $10 billion by December, an NSC official said, adding: “Either way, the U.S. will provide $20 billion in support to Ukraine through this effort, whether it’s split between economic and military support or provided entirely via economic assistance.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, in his nightly address, thanked Mr Biden and Ms Yellen for making the US loan happen, calling it a “significant step towards supporting Ukraine‘s fight for freedom and holding Russia accountable”.
He wore a t-shirt with the words “Make Russia small again” written on the front, a reference to the Donald Trump slogan “Make American Great Again”.
In pictures: Ukrainian soldiers fly drones near the frontline in Donetsk region
G7 allies are moving ahead with a $50 billion loan for Ukraine backed by frozen Russian funds
The White House said Wednesday that Group of Seven allies are moving forward with providing Ukraine with $50 billion in loans for Ukraine backed by frozen Russian assets.
Leaders of the wealthy democracies agreed earlier this year to engineer the mammoth loan to help Ukraine in its fight for survival after Russia’s invasion. Interest earned on profits from Russia’s frozen central bank assets would be used as collateral.
Daleep Singh, the White House deputy national security adviser on international economics, said the United States plans to provide a loan of $20 billion. The additional $30 billion will come from the European Union, the United Kingdom, Canada and Japan. among others.
“To be clear, nothing like this has ever been done before,” Singh said.
G7 allies are moving ahead with a $50 billion loan for Ukraine backed by frozen Russian funds
The White House says Group of Seven allies are moving forward with providing Ukraine with $50 billion in loans for Ukraine backed by frozen Russian assets
Officials say North Korea has sent troops to Russia. What would that mean for the war with Ukraine?
US and South Korean officials said Wednesday that there’s evidence North Korea has dispatched troops to Russia in a potential escalation of the nearly 3-year-old war with Ukraine.
If the soldiers’ goal is fighting with Russia in Ukraine, it would be the first time a third country puts boots on the ground in the war. Other countries on both sides of the divide have sent military aid, including weapons and training: Iran has supplied Russia with drones, and Western nations have provided Ukraine with modern weapons and financial and humanitarian assistance.
Officials say North Korea has sent troops to Russia. What would that mean for the war with Ukraine?
U.S. and South Korean officials say there's evidence that North Korea has dispatched troops to Russia in a potential escalation of a nearly 3-year-old war with Ukraine
Ukraine says it shot down 40 Russian drones launched overnight
Ukraine said it shot down 40 of 50 Russian drones launched in an overnight attack, while another seven had disappeared from radars.
Kyiv said one drone was still in Ukrainian airspace while two others had turned back towards Russia and Belarus.
Ukraine uses electronic warfare systems to confuse drones’ navigation systems, which often leads them to disappear from radars or change course.
South Korea warns it could arm Ukraine amid fears of Putin Kim Jong Un weapon swap
South Korea has warned that it could consider supplying weapons to Ukraine in response to North Korea allegedly dispatching troops to Russia.
The South Korean statement is apparently meant to pressure Russia not to bring in North Korean troops in its war against Ukraine. South Korean officials worry that Russia may reward North Korea by giving it sophisticated weapons technologies that can boost the North’s nuclear and missile programs that target South Korea.
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. They described North Korea as “a criminal group” that forces its youths to serve as Russian mercenaries for an unjustifiable war, the South Korean presidential office said in a statement.
Read the full report:
South Korea warns it could arm Ukraine amid fears of Putin Kim Jong Un weapon swap
South Korea claimed North Korea sent 1,500 special operation forces to Russia this month
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