Ukraine-Russia live: North Koreans in Putin’s ‘meat grinder’ war legitimate military target, says Blinken
Around 8,000 North Korean troops expected to enter battlefield in coming days, says US
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Your support makes all the difference.North Korea’s soldiers fighting on behalf of Russia inside Vladimir Putin’s ‘meat grinder’ war will be a legitimate military target, US secretary of state Antony Blinken said.
The top US diplomat said that the North Korean soldiers will enter the war in Ukraine “in coming days” as he confirmed there are 10,000 North Korean troops in Russia, including as many as 8,000 in the Kursk region.
The US and South Korea have ramped up their pitch calling on North Korea to withdraw their troops already inside Ukraine and fighting alongside Russia.
“Should DPRK’s troops enter Ukraine in support of Russia, they will surely return in body bags. So I would advise Chairman Kim to think twice about engaging in such reckless and dangerous behaviour,” Robert Wood, US envoy to the UN, said.
On the war front, at least three, including a 12-year-old boy and a teenager, were killed in a Russian-guided bomb strike on Kharkiv. A child aged 12 was among the dead in the Wednesday evening strike, and thirty-six people were injured.
Watch: Putin avoids denying reports of North Korean troops in Russia
Ukraine military says Russia attacked key bridge in Odesa region
Russian troops attacked a strategic bridge across the Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi Estuary in Ukraine’s southern Odesa region overnight, launching two ballistic Iskander missiles and eight guided missiles, said the Ukrainian military on Thursday.
The bridge has been a target several times over the past two years, and is an important railway and car connection in the region.
The Ukrainian military added that Russia used two ballistic missiles to attack the eastern town of Kramatorsk.
The air force shot down 17 out of 43 drones and two guided missiles launched by Russia overnight, it said, adding that 23 drones were “locationally lost”, likely due to electronic warfare and three more left Ukraine-controlled airspace.
All drones threatening the capital Kyiv were disabled by air defence.
Russian bomb hits residential building in Ukraine's 2nd largest city, killing 12-year-old boy
Russian forces struck a residential building in Ukraine’s second-largest city of Kharkiv early Thursday, killing a 12-year-old boy and injuring scores of others.
Regional head Oleh Syniehubov said the boy was fatally injured when the building was hit by a Russian 500-kilogram (1,100-pound) glide bomb.
Read the full story below:
Russian bomb hits residential building in Ukraine's 2nd largest city, killing 12-year-old boy
Russian forces have struck a residential building in Ukraine’s second-largest city of Kharkiv, killing a 12-year-old boy and injuring scores of others
Pictured: Three killed after missile attack in Kharkiv
China sanctioning US drone company
US drone builders Skydio are struggling to deliver drones to the Ukrainian frontlines amid Beijing imposed sanctions on the company.
“This is a clarifying moment for the drone industry,” Chief executive Adam Bry wrote in a note to customers obtained by the Financial Times.
“If there was ever any doubt, this action makes clear that the Chinese government will use supply chains as a weapon to advance their interests over ours.
“This is an attempt to eliminate the leading American drone company and deepen the world’s dependence on Chinese drone suppliers,” he added.
Russians struggling to cross channel in Chasiv Yar
Russian forces are making fresh attempts to cross a canal in Chasiv Yar as they look to consolidate their advances into Ukraine.
Anastasiia Bobovnikova, a spokeswoman for the Luhansk Operational and Tactical Group, said on national television:“The Russians are trying to gain a foothold.
“They are trying to cross the channel in Chasiv Yar. Two or three people are running across the canal and sitting in a house. Accordingly, we are cutting off their logistical routes and driving them out.
“As for the consolidation from the north, the enemy is trying to accumulate equipment, but so far we have not seen any assaults with equipment, and I can say that it will be very difficult for them [to cross the canal with equipment],” said Bobovnikova.
“The enemy is trying to advance, but the contact line has not been moving for a long time thanks to the actions of our units standing there. They managed to stop the enemy, the situation remains unchanged. They have not been advancing for a month now.”
She added that the Russians have more artillery, shells, drones, and manpower, but they managed to stop repel them so far using Ukrainian drones and infantry.
Russia boosts its military budget
The Russian government is seeking to reallocate $72 billion in its three-year budget draft, with a significant portion of the funds directed towards the military, Finance Minister Anton Siluanov.
The draft allocates 13.5 trillion roubles to the military in 2025, accounting for a third of total expenditure or 6.3% of GDP the highest level since the Cold War.
For the first time, the share of spending on defence will be double that of social spending.
“A significant part of the amendments is aimed at ensuring the defence and security of the country, including the conduct of the special military operation,” Siluanov said during a cabinet meeting, referring to Russia’s military action in Ukraine.
US says 8,000 North Korean troops stationed in Kursk
The United States has received information that indicates that “right now” there are 8,000 North Korean troops in Russia’s Kursk region, deputy US Ambassador to the United Nations Robert Wood told the Security Council on Thursday.
“I have a very respectful question for my Russian colleague: does Russia still maintain that there are no DPRK troops in Russia?” Wood said, referring to North Korea’s formal name - the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
The Russian representative in the 15-member Security Council did not respond.
Zelensky insists Russia wants North Korean civilians to produce weapons for his forces
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Russia was in the process of agreeing with North Korea to deploy a “large number of civilians” to work at Russian weapons production plants.
Zelenskiy said Moscow confirmed North Korean troops involvement in the war to Kyiv’s Western allies via intelligence channels and said that Russia was testing Western reaction and would involve more troops if that was weak.
Zelensky asks West for more long range weapons as two teenagers among dead in Russian glide bomb attack
Russian forces struck a residential building in Ukraine’s second-largest city of Kharkiv on Thursday, killing three, including two teenage boys, and injuring scores of others
Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said at least 35 people were injured in the attack and others could still be trapped under the rubble.
President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly urged the United States to allow Ukraine to use long-range American missiles to strike air bases deeper in Russia that are used by warplanes carrying glide bombs. Washington so far has only allowed some strikes close to the border.
“Partners see what is happening every day,” Zelensky wrote on Telegram.
“And under these conditions, each of their delayed decisions means at least dozens, if not hundreds of such Russian bombs against Ukraine. Their decisions are the lives of our people. Therefore, we must together stop Russia and do it with all possible force.”
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