Ukraine-Russia latest: Kyiv says North Korean troops using fake IDs have suffered 1,100 casualties in Kursk
South Korea says Kim Jong Un is focused on the production of kamikaze drones
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Your support makes all the difference.North Korean soldiers fighting in Russia are using fake identification documents to hide the fact Moscow is using foreign forces in it’s war against Ukraine, Kyiv has claimed.
Ukrainian special forces said in a statement that they had recovered documents from three North Korean soldiers killed in the Russian border region of Kursk, which they said ID’d them as being Russian.
But the signatures on the documents are in Korean, which “indicates the real origin of these soldiers,” the statement added.
“This case once again confirms that Russia is resorting to any means to hide its losses on the battlefield and conceal foreign presence,” the statement said.
It comes as South Korean military officials alleged that around 1,100 North Korean soldiers had been killed or wounded since deploying to Russia to fight against Ukraine.
In a statement released on Monday, the South’s joint chiefs of staff (JCS) said: “We assess that North Korean troops, who have recently engaged in combat with Ukrainian forces, have suffered around 1,100 casualties.”
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North Korean troops likely to march in 2025 Moscow victory day parade, Kremlin aide says
Kremlin foreign policy advisor Yuri Ushakov said on Monday that he thought it likely that North Korean soldiers would take part in next year’s Moscow’s Red Square parade to commemorate the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two.
Ukraine says North Korean soldiers have fought on Russia’s side against Ukrainian troops trying to hold territory in Russia’s Kursk region. Moscow has neither confirmed nor denied the presence of North Korean troops on its soil.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un signed a “Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty” during Putin’s visit to Pyongyang in June.
The pact includes a mutual defence pact for immediate military assistance if either faces armed aggression.
Ukraine pledges to support Syria's food security
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenski said on Monday that Kyiv will support necessary allied efforts for stabilisation in Syria and had already made decisions to support its food security.
“We believe it is crucial for the security of the Syrian people and the region as a whole to remove any Russian presence from Syria,” he added on X.
Kremlin foreign policy aide says several countries have already offered to host Putin-Trump talks
Kremlin foreign policy advisor Yuri Ushakov said on Monday that several countries had already offered to host talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President-elect Donald Trump, though he declined to say which.
Trump has said he wants to swiftly end the war in Ukraine, though he has yet to set out publicly how he plans to do so. Putin said on Thursday that he was ready to compromise over Ukraine in possible talks with Trump and had no conditions for starting talks with the Ukrainian authorities.
But Putin said any talks should take as their starting point a preliminary agreement reached between Russian and Ukrainian negotiators in the early weeks of the war at talks in Istanbul, which was never implemented.
Many Ukrainian politicians regard that draft deal as akin to a capitulation which would have neutered Ukraine‘s military and political ambitions and say they do not believe Putin is ready to strike a deal that would be acceptable for Kyiv too.
North Korea suffers ‘1,100 casualties’ fighting for Russia
North Korea suffers 1,100 casualties fighting for Russia, South Korea says
South Korea says Pyongyang has expressed intention of providing Russia with suicide drones
Several countries ready to send peacekeeping forces to Ukraine, says Kyiv
Several countries are ready to send their forces to Ukraine in a peacekeeping capacity, Ukraine’s foreign ministry has said.
Only France was named publicly as one of those countries.
The comments come after US president-elect Donald Trump, who has vowed to end the war in Ukraine in a day, said Europe would have to be responsible for such a peacekeeping force between the Russian and Ukrainian forces.
The one battle President Zelensky looks set to win
The one battle President Zelensky looks set to win
For all of Russia’s recent setbacks, it is increasingly unlikely Ukraine will be able to push back invading forces to the border positions when hostilities first broke out – but it may yet force Vladimir Putin into a negotiated peace that would ensure greater security for Europe
Ukraine strikes heart of Russia with attack 1,000km beyond frontline
Ukraine strikes in heart of Russia with drone attack 1,000km beyond frontline
Russian authorities said the attacks damaged residential buildings in the city of Kazan
Switzerland adopts more EU sanctions on Russia and Belarus
Switzerland adopted the latest EU sanctions package on Russia and Belarus, the government said on Monday. The move came one week after the European Union targeted Moscow’s vessels and Chinese entities found to have traded with the Russian military.
The Swiss government listed 54 persons and 30 companies and organisations, freezing their assets as of Dec. 24, and banned 52 ships from providing services.
“These are mainly tankers that are part of Russia’s shadow fleet and are circumventing the price cap on Russian crude oil and petroleum products or transporting military goods for Russia or stolen grain from Ukraine,” the Swiss statement said.
The sanctioned individuals will be barred from entering Switzerland.
In line with EU policy, Switzerland also adopted financial and travel sanctions against 26 individuals and two organisations from Belarus.
British army tests ‘game-changing’ weapon in the war against drones
British army tests ‘game-changing’ weapon in the war against drones
Weapons such as surface-to-air missiles can cost many times more than the drones they are trying to shoot down
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