Ukraine-Russia latest: North Korea vows to back Putin’s war as US claims thousands of troops prepare for battle
Comes as Russia unleashes overnight drone attack on Kyiv, say officials
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.North Korea has vowed to back Russia until it achieves victory in its war against Ukraine.
“Our traditional, historically friendly relations, which have travelled the tested path of history, today ... are rising to a new level of relations of invincible military comradeship,” Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui said on Friday at talks in Moscow with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, as she praised Vladimir Putin’s “wise leadership” in the invasion.
It came as US secretary of state Antony Blinken warned North Korean troops fighting inside the Russian President’s “meat grinder” war would be a legitimate military target.
The top US diplomat claimed that the North Korean soldiers will enter the war in Ukraine in the “coming days” as he confirmed there are 10,000 already in Russia, including as many as 8,000 in the Kursk region.
Meanwhile, Russia unleashed an overnight drone attack on the Ukrainian capital Kyiv that lasted into late morning and wounded at least one person, city officials said on Saturday.
Debris from downed drones struck six city districts, wounding a police officer, damaging residential buildings and starting fires, according to city military administrator Serhiy Popko.
Why are North Koreans troops in Ukraine? Everything we know about Kim Jong-un’s soldiers joining Putin’s war
‘Growing alliance of aggression’ as North Korea sends troops to help Russia
North Korea satellite images show mystery trenches dug at border
Former North Korean soldiers on why troops will volunteer to fight in Ukraine
Russia fines Google $2.5 decillion (that’s 2.5 trillion trillion trillion dollars)
Ukrainian air force downs 39 out of 71 Russian drones
Ukrainian air defences downed 39 out of 71 Russian drones during Moscow’s latest overnight air strike on Ukraine, according to Kyiv’s air force.
It said that 21 of the Russian drones were “locationally lost” while five turned back to Russia.
Ukrainian capital Kyiv was the target of airstrikes last night.
Russian forces claim capture of two villages in eastern Ukraine
The Russian Defence Ministry claims to have captured the villages of Kurakhove and Kvartsytne.
It would be a significant step for Russian forces as they continue to advance on eastern territory in Ukraine. Russian forces appear to have accelerated in their offensive on the eastern front.
Kvartsytne was formerly called Pershotravneve, until it was renamed in September 2024 by the Ukrainian parliament.
Russian president Vladimir Putin has made no secret of his desire to control the entire Donbas region.
As the main point of assault towards Pokrovsk stalled, the Russian military widened across the eastern front, including towards Kurakove to the south.
Report: Japan and EU announce a security and defense partnership as regional tensions rise
Japan and the European Union announced a security and defense partnership on Friday as they seek to step up military ties, including joint exercises and exchanges between their defense industries, amid growing tensions with China, North Korea and Russia.
It is the first security partnership that the EU has concluded with an Indo-Pacific country, Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya and EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell told reporters.
Japan and EU announce a security and defense partnership as regional tensions rise
Japan and the European Union have announced a security and defense partnership as they seek to step up military ties, including joint exercises and exchanges between their defense industries, amid growing tensions with China, North Korea and Russia
Kim Jong Un ‘taking a big gamble’, analyst says
Large North Korean troop casualties in Ukraine or Russia would be a major political blow for the country’s 40-year-old ruler, Kim Jong Un.
But experts say Mr Kim may see this as a way to get much needed foreign currency and security support from Russia in return for joining the war.
“Kim Jong Un is taking a big gamble. If there are no large casualty numbers, he will get what he wants to some extent. But things will change a lot if many of his soldiers die in battle,” Ahn Chan-il, a former North Korean army first lieutenant who leads the World Institute for North Korean Studies, told the Associated Press.
In pictures: Kyiv reels from drone strike
UPDATE: Russia targets Kyiv in hours-long drone attack
Russia unleashed an overnight drone attack on the Ukrainian capital Kyiv that lasted into late morning and wounded at least one person, city officials said on Saturday.
Debris from downed drones struck six city districts, wounding a police officer, damaging residential buildings and starting fires, according to city military administrator Serhiy Popko.
Mayor Vitalii Klitschko had earlier reported that two people had been injured.
"Another night. Another air-raid alert. Another drone attack. The armed forces of the Russian Federation attacked Kyiv again according to their old and familiar tactics," Popko wrote on social media.
He said all the drones aimed at Kyiv had been shot down, but warned that others currently located in airspace outside the city could turn toward the capital.
Reuters correspondents reported hearing explosions in and around the city during an air-raid alert that lasted more than five hours.
Russia has carried out regular airstrikes on Ukrainian towns and cities behind the front lines of the war which began when Russia invaded its neighbour in February 2022.
Kyiv's military said on Friday that Moscow's forces had launched more than 2,000 drones at civilian and military targets across Ukraine in October alone.
Russia has denied aiming at civilians and said power facilities are legitimate targets when they are part of Ukrainian military infrastructure.
Fires break out in several districts in Kyiv amid Russian drone attack, says Ukrainian official
Fires have broken out in several districts in Kyiv as the Ukrainian capital was attacked with Russian drones, the advisor to Ukraine’s internal affairs minister has said.
Anton Gerashchenko said in a post on X on Saturday morning: “Kyiv is under a Russian drone attack this morning.
“Explosions heard in the city. Fires in several districts.”
Anti-aircraft fire, explosions and buzzing of kamikaze drones heard in Kyiv
Anti-aircraft fire, explosions and the buzzing of kamikaze drones have been heard in Kyiv.
A journalist from the Kyiv Independent reported a “pretty loud Saturday morning” in the Ukrainian capital.
At least two injured as Russian drone attack launched on Kyiv
At least two people were wounded in an overnight Russian drone strike on the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, city officials said on Saturday.
Debris from downed drones struck three city districts, damaging residential buildings and starting fires, according to military administrator Serhiy Popko.
The attack was still ongoing on Saturday morning, authorities said, with Reuters correspondents reporting hearing explosions in and around the city.
Russia has carried out regular airstrikes on Ukrainian towns and cities behind the front lines of the war which began when Russia invaded its neighbour in February 2022.
Kyiv's military said on Friday that Moscow's forces had launched more than 2,000 drones at civilian and military targets across Ukraine in October alone.
Russia has denied aiming at civilians and said power facilities are legitimate targets when they are part of Ukrainian military infrastructure.
Uncertainty in Kyiv over possible Trump re-election
A senior European diplomat based in Kyiv has told Reuters that Ukrainian officials are less worried about Donald Trump potentially re-entering the White House than some might expect, in part because Ukraine was losing territory even with the military and economic support it receives.
“At least Trump might shake things up a bit,” the diplomat said.
But the uncertainty over what Trump would do to try to end the war is causing considerable unease, with Kyiv-based political analyst Volodymyr Fesenko saying: “The main problem is that Trump promises to initiate negotiations on ending the war in Ukraine immediately after his victory, but we do not know on what terms.”
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments