Ukraine-Russia latest: North Korea soldiers in Russia targeted by Ukrainian fire for first time, Kyiv says
US says North Korea has deployed 10,000 troops in Russia, with more than half of them in the Kursk region
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Your support makes all the difference.North Korean troops have been hit by Ukraine’s army for the first time since they entered the war on Russia’s side, Kyiv has said.
Andriy Kovalenko, an official with Ukraine’s national security council, reported that the incident took place in Russia’s western Kursk region. Ukrainian forces have held parts of this area since their unexpected cross-border operation in August.
“The initial North Korean troops have already encountered fire in the Kursk region,” Kovalenko said, though he did not provide additional details.
His remarks are likely to heighten concerns that North Korea’s involvement could draw other nations into the conflict, which has already become Europe’s largest war since 1945.
Pyongyang has vowed to back Russia until it achieves victory over Ukraine. “Our traditional, historically friendly relations, which have traveled the tested path of history, today ... are rising to a new level of relations of invincible military comradeship,” the North’s foreign minister Choe Son Hui said during her trip to Moscow last week.
US secretary of state Antony Blinken confirmed there are 10,000 North Koreans already in Russia, including as many as 8,000 in the Kursk region.
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Zelensky asks for more ‘long-range capabilities’ for Ukraine
Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky has asked his Western allies to provide “long-range capabilities for our security” as Russia continues to rain down missiles in the country’s biggest cities.
Mr Zelensky wrote on social media yesterday that “Russia terrorised Ukraine with over 50 strike drones” and in the past week it dropped “more than 900 bombs, around 30 missiles, and nearly 500 ‘Shaheds’ against various regions of Ukraine”.
“All of these attacks would have been impossible if we had sufficient support from the world in crucial areas,” he added.
He said this would include providing Ukraine long-range missiles and “truly effective” sanctions to prevent Russia from importing critical components for drone and missile production.
“Ukraine deserves the same strong security as all our partners in the free world.”
Moldova’s pro-EU president defeats pro-Russian rival
Moldova’s pro-EU president Maia Sandu secured victory a second time in a pivotal presidential runoff against a Russia-friendly opponent, in a race that was overshadowed by claims of Russian interference.
With nearly 99 per cent of votes counted in the second round of the presidential election held yesterday, Ms Sandu had 55 per cent of the vote, according to the Central Electoral Commission, compared to 45 per cent for Alexandr Stoianoglo, a former prosecutor general backed by pro-Russia Party of Socialists.
The result will be a major relief for the pro-Western government, which strongly backed Ms Sandu’s candidacy, and her push for closer Western ties on Moldova’s path toward the EU.
“Moldova, you are victorious! Today, dear Moldovans, you have given a lesson in democracy, worthy of being written in history books. Today, you have saved Moldova!” Ms Sandu said after claiming victory after midnight.
Russian forces capture third village in two days, its defence ministry claims
Russian forces have taken control of Vyshneve in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region, its defence ministry claimed on Sunday.
This would be the third village they have captured in two days, if Russia’s claims, reported by the RIA state news agency, are correct.
Russia yesterday claimed to have captured the villages of Kurakhove and Kvartsytne - formerly called Pershotravneve - on Saturday.
The reports have not been independently verified. But if true, they represent major steps forward for Russia’s offensive on the eastern front.
US-funded air defences shot down 200 Russian drones, says envoy
American-funded mobile anti-aircraft units have shot down over 200 Russian drones since January this year, US ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink said.
“Mobile Fire Teams are saving lives with their successful work protecting people and critical infrastructure being attacked by Russia,” she said in a post on X.
Zelensky urges allies to take steps before North Korean troops reach the front
Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky urged its allies to stop “watching” and take steps before North Korean troops deployed in Russia reach the battlefield.
Mr Zelensky raised the prospect of a preemptive Ukrainian strike on camps where the North Korean troops are being trained, and said Kyiv knows their location. But he said Ukraine can’t do it without permission from allies to use Western-made long-range weapons to hit targets deep inside Russia.
“But instead … America is watching, Britain is watching, Germany is watching. Everyone is just waiting for the North Korean military to start attacking Ukrainians as well,” Mr Zelensky said.
More here.
Ukraine's Zelenskyy urges allies to take steps before North Korean troops reach the front
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has urged its allies to stop “watching” and take steps before North Koreans troops deployed in Russia reach the battlefield
Russian drone attack sparks fire in Kyiv park
Debris from destroyed Russian drones sparked park and grass fires in Kyiv, the mayor of the Ukrainian capital said today, in what was Moscow’s third drone attack on the city in as many nights.
“Emergency crews have been dispatched,” mayor Vitali Klitschko said on Telegram.
The drone wreckage caused a fire in Muromets park in the Desnianskyi district in Kyiv’s northeast and set some grass ablaze on the embankment of the Dnipro River across from the park.
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