Ukraine-Russia warfare newest: Putin accused of ‘violating rules’ as two Russian oil tankers wrecked close to Crimea
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Russian soldiers have been killed by North Korean troops in friendly fire while fighting in Kursk, Ukraine’s military intelligence agency said.
The HUR said a group of North Korean soldiers opened fire on and killed eight members of the Chechen Akhmat unit fighting for Russia.
The attack was the result of the language barrier between Russian and North Korean troops, which continues to be a “difficult obstacle” on the battlefield, according to the HUR.
It comes after Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky warned a “significant number” of North Korean soldiers had joined forces with Russian troops to attack Ukrainian soldiers in Kursk.
“Today, we already have preliminary data that the Russians have begun to use North Korean soldiers in their assaults,” he said. “We have information suggesting their use could extend to other parts of the frontline.”
Ukrainian and Western officials warned earlier this year that over 10,000 North Korean troops had amassed in Kursk, ready to aid Russia’s attempt to oust Ukrainian forces in the region.
The first direct clashes between North Korean and Ukrainian troops in Kursk Oblast were reported in early November.
What will it cost to defend Britain from a growing Russian threat?
The Russian glide bombs changing the face of the war in Ukraine
The Russian glide bombs changing the face of the war in Ukraine
Winged explosives weighing up to 1,500 kilograms – and nicknamed the ‘building destroyer’ – have had a devastating impact wherever they have been used, writes Tom Watling. Kyiv is battling them as best it can but needs Western allies to step up and provide more weapons, air defences and ammunition
Recap: Watch as Zelensky says Ukraine could temporarily cede territory in exchange for Nato membership
Mapped: Where Russian forces are making gains in eastern Ukraine
Ukrainian military chief Oleksandr Syrskyi described the fighting as “extremely tough” as he was pictured visiting the Pokrovsk area in Donetsk on Wednesday, where Russian forces have advanced to within just a few miles of the city’s outskirts.
The area is a linchpin of the wider region’s defence and war trackers have expressed concern that should it fall, it could pave the way for Russia to seize swathes of more territory.
My colleague Tom Watling looks at the flashpoints of the frontline:
Russia launched hundreds of bombs, drones and missiles at Ukraine over past week, says Zelensky
Russia has launched hundreds of bombs, drones and missiles at Ukraine over the past week, according to President President Volodymyr Zelensky.
In a post on X this morning, he said: “This week alone, Russia has used nearly 630 guided aerial bombs, around 550 strike drones, and over 100 missiles of various types against Ukraine.
“I am grateful to the warriors defending Ukraine and to our partners who understand our need to bolster Ukraine’s air defenses to save the lives of our people.
“Now, the world must be united and stronger than ever. Only through strength can we together force Russia and its allies to give up terror and achieve a just peace.”
Sir Richard Shirreff: ‘The time has come for the UK to start gearing up to be ready for war in every respect’
Last week, the UK chief of defence, Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, warned us that we are at the dawn of a third nuclear age. He misses the point. The nuclear threat is deadly, but it is our conventional weakness which will invite attack by Russia. We must recognise that Russia’s war in Ukraine is more than a cynical and genocidal assault against a democratic neighbour by a permanent member of the UN Security Council, a signatory of the UN Charter prohibiting the use of force in international relations.
It is a war against the West and all that brings. It is also a war against Ukraine joining the West and it started, not with the full-scale invasion in February 2022, but in 2014 with the annexation of Crimea. As Dmitri Trenin, former head of the Carnegie Moscow Centre and an ex-senior Soviet Army officer, wrote in 2016: “The Kremlin has been at war with Nato since 2014.”
Richard Shirreff writes:
Full story: Russia has begun using North Korean troops in significant numbers in Ukraine, Zelensky says
The Ukrainian president said North Korean troops are reportedly being used in assaults on Ukrainian forces defending an enclave in Russia’s Kursk region.
“Today, we already have preliminary data that the Russians have begun to use North Korean soldiers in their assaults. A significant number of them,” Mr Zelensky said during his nightly wartime address.
My colleague Namita Singh has the full story:
Russian forces take two villages in Ukraine’s Donetsk region, says defence ministry
Russian forces took control of the villages of Veselyi Hai and Pushkino in Ukraine’s Donetsk region, Russia’s defence ministry said on Sunday.
The ministry also said Russian forces had hit and destroyed four Patriot air defence systems.
The battlefield reports could not be immediately verified.
Russian soldiers killed by North Korean troops, Kyiv says
Russian soldiers have been killed by North Korean troops in friendly fire while fighting in Kursk, Ukraine’s military intelligence agency said.
The HUR said a group of North Korean soldiers opened fire on and killed eight members of the Chechen Akhmat unit fighting for Russia.
The attack was the result of the language barrier between Russian and North Korean troops, which continues to be a “difficult obstacle” on the battlefield, according to the HUR.
Source: independent.co.uk
