Ukraine-Russia war latest: Zelensky and Macron discuss French troops as Kim ‘oversees’ North Korean training
Zelensky seeks support from international community to force Putin to sit down at the negotiating table
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Your support makes all the difference.Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky and French leader Emmanuel Macron have discussed the possibility of France sending troops to Ukraine.
Mr Macron became the first European leader to discuss the possibility of sending troops to Ukraine earlier this year.
“We continued working on President Macron’s initiative regarding the presence of forces in Ukraine that could contribute to stabilising the path to peace,” Mr Zelensky said.
It comes as South Korea suggested there were indications that North Korea is preparing to send more troops to Russia. Around 1,00 have been killed while fighting in Russia, according to South Korean intelligence, with roughly 1,000 more injured.
Member of the South Korean parliament Lee Seong-kweun said there was also intelligence that North Korea’s dictator Kim Jong Un was overseeing the training.
Ukraine and its allies estimate that North Korea has deployed between 10,000 and 12,000 troops so far to aid Russia’s war effort. The Pentagon said the soldiers were largely deployed to Russia’s Kursk region, where Moscow’s forces were battling a Ukrainian ground incursion since August.
UK announces new funding for Ukraine amid ‘critical’ situation
Suspected assassin of Russian general Igor Kirillov arrested, Moscow says
Behind enemy lines: Ukraine’s deadly assassins have terrorised Russia with nuclear general their latest victim
What's known about the brazen bombing that killed a top Russian general in Moscow
Distrust means arms control is ‘thing of past’, Russian general says
Russia’s top general has said that arms control is now a “thing of the past”, due to the lack of trust between Russia and the West.
Russian Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov made the comments on Wednesday, adding that Russia had seeen increased activity led by NATO near Russia’s borders.
He said that after Ukraine struck Russian territory with long-range missiles, the United States had become a direct participant of the conflict in Ukraine.
Behind enemy lines: Ukraine’s deadly assassins have terrorised Russia
Behind enemy lines: Ukraine’s deadly assassins have terrorised Russia
Ukraine’s security service spy chief says they have killed ‘very many’ Russian conspirators
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
Russia captures two Ukrainian settlements, state news reports
Russian forces have claim to have taken control of two villages in eastern Ukraine.
Citing the defence ministry, Russian state news agency RIA reported on Wednesday that forces were now in control of Trudove and Stari Terny.
Reuters could not independently confirm the battlefield reports.
Ukraine's only coking coal mine continues to operate despite Russian troop offensive, sources say
Ukraine‘s only coking coal mine - key for its steel industry - is operating at 50 per cent capacity as of Wednesday morning despite the proximity of advancing Russian forces, two Ukrainian industry sources said.
Ukrainian military analyst DeepState said Russian troops were less than 5 km (3.1 miles) from the Pokrovsk mine. The mine owner, Ukrainian steelmaker Metinvest BV, said last week it had halted some operations at the mine.
“With two facilities of three (shafts) remaining, work continues,” one of the sources said.
The mine lies 10 km (6.2 miles) west of Pokrovsk, a strategic supply hub and DeepState said Russian troops were around 3 km (1.9 miles) from Pokrovsk’s outskirts.
It’s unclear at what point Metinvest might be forced to halt all operations and evacuate staff.
Ukraine‘s steelmakers’ union said in October the potential closure of the Pokrovsk mine could cause steel production to slump to 2-3 million metric tons next year from the 7.5 million expected in 2024.
Producers hope to find alternative sources of coking coal from elsewhere in Ukraine should the Pokrovsk mine be seized by Russian troops, but imports would inevitably be needed - hiking costs.
Ukrainian steel producers union said last week the country had increased its steel production so far in 2024 by 23.1 per cent to 7 million tons.
Slovak PM Fico to meet EU's Von der Leyen on Ukraine gas transit
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico will meet European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Thursday to discuss continuation of gas transit through Ukraine, Fico said on Wednesday.
Fico told a parliamentary committee that while the Ukrainian government rejected extending a transit contract with Russia’s Gazprom, alternative solutions were possible to keep the transit next year.
Russian general killed in Moscow scooter blast by Ukrainian agents
Russian general killed in Moscow scooter blast by Ukrainian agents
Ukrainian security services sources say Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov was a completely legitimate target as the head of Russia’s nuclear, biological and chemical defence forces
Russia will respond to new EU sanctions, foreign ministry says
Russia will respond to a new set of European Union sanctions which Moscow considers a danger to global energy security, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Wednesday.
The European Union imposed a 15th package of sanctions against Russia on Monday, including tougher measures against Chinese entities and more vessels from Moscow’s so-called shadow fleet on Monday.
Ukraine's air force says it shot down 51 Russian drones launched overnight
The Ukrainian air force said on Wednesday that Russia launched 81 drones to attack Ukraineovernight of which 30 “imitator drones” did not reach their targets and 51 were shot down.
Russia to raise Ukraine’s killing of top general in Moscow at UN meeting
Russia will raise the asssassination in Moscow of top Russian general Igor Kirillov by Ukraine at the UN security council on Friday, its foreign ministry said.
Angered by the killing, Russia will find everyone involved in the killing and punish them, Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said.
Lieutenant general Kirillov, who was the chief of Russia’s Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Protection Troops, was killed in Moscow yesterday.
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