Ukraine’s military intelligence (HUR) reported that Russia had armed North Korean troops near the border of Ukraine with infantry arms.
According to HUR’s report, North Korean soldiers were equipped with 60-mm mortars and AK-12 rifles. They also received machine guns, sniper weapons, Feniks guided anti-tank missiles, as well as hand-held antitank grenade launches.
The soldiers also received thermal imagers and collimator sights as well as night vision devices.
According to the Financial Times, Ukrainian intelligence officials have doubts about the combat effectiveness of North Korean troops. They cite communication issues with their Russian equivalents as the biggest hurdle Moscow and Pyongyang must overcome.
The agency reported that Russia had deployed more than 7,000 North Korean soldiers from Primorsky Krai in Russia to the Ukrainian border.
These numbers are almost identical to those that Washington announced earlier this week. U.S. Secretary Antony Blinken stated that 8,000 North Korean soldiers are amassed within Russia’s Kursk Oblast. This is where Ukraine began its cross-border incursions in August, and still holds large swathes.
HUR reported that North Korea sent 12,000 troops, including 500 officers, to Russia. Five military camps in Russia’s Far East are currently training soldiers.
North Korea’s entry in the war comes as Russia’s long-running campaign in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk oblast has gained dramatic momentum in recent days. Analysts claim that Russian forces are advancing faster than they have in the past.
According to Ukraine’s intelligence services, North Korean soldiers were equipped with 60-mm mortars and AK-12 rifles. They also received machine guns, sniper weapons, Feniks guided anti-tank missiles, as well as hand-held antitank grenade launches.
This includes 1,270 casualties that Russian forces have suffered in the last day.
Local authorities reported that a Russian drone strike on Kyiv, on Nov. 2, caused a fire to break out in a 16-story building of residential apartments and an office building. At least one person was injured.
Two S-400 missiles struck a police station in the early hours of Nov. 1, killing Andrii Matvienko. According to the Interior Ministry, 36 police officers, 9 civilians and 1 rescuer were injured.
Robert Shonov, an ex-employee of the U.S. Consulate in Vladivostok was arrested in 2023 on charges of passing information to the U.S. about Russia’s war against Ukraine. He was sentenced on Nov. 1 to four years, 10 months and 10 days in prison.
Two U.S.-based pollsters commissioned by Georgian opponents are questioning the results of the October 26 parliamentary elections, in which the ruling Georgian Dream Party was declared victorious.
“This is a key step towards the full launch 5G in Ukraine which we plan to finish by 2030,” Digital Transformation Minister Mykhailo Federorov said on November 1.
Zelensky stated that if Ukraine were granted permission to use long-range Western weapons on Russian soil, it could target “every camp” where North Korean troops gather in Russia.
SPP, the state-run gas importer in Slovakia, said: “We regularly discuss this topic with our partners. However, the information about a gas supply agreement being concluded with SPP’s participation is not true.”
“And we assure you that we will stand firmly alongside our Russian comrades until the day of victory,” said North Korean Foreign Minister Choe son Hui during her talks with Sergey Lavrov, her Russian counterpart.
Sergey Lavrov, Russian Foreign Minister, said that this “cannot help but surprise” given the Turkish leadership’s statements about their willingness to mediate between Ukraine & Russia.
The recent military assistance was provided under the Presidential Drawdown Authority, which removes weapons from U.S. stockpiles.
The Kyiv Independent has joined a unit called the Witches of Bucha. They are named after a suburb of Kyiv Oblast, where they are located. All of these women are volunteers and combine their combat duties with civilian life.
Bloomberg reported that Russia has captured 1,146 sq km (442 sq miles) of Ukraine since Aug. 6. This is about a quarter larger than the first seven months this year.
Estonian intelligence stated that North Korean soldiers are trained to fight in mountainous terrain and are therefore unfamiliar with the climate and geography of Ukraine.
The Main Inspectorate of Defense Ministry audits ministry activities, including monitoring quality of military training, staffing and oversight of military aviation safety. It also conducts technical investigations.
“At this time, they don’t have an advantage in the towns.” The contact line has stabilized,” Anastasia Bobovnikova said, a spokesperson for the Operational Tactical Group Luhansk.
“We are trying to help but we are also a frontline country.” “Russia also threatens us and not everything is feasible,” said Radoslaw Sikorski, the Polish Foreign Minister.
The last time Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov traveled to an EU country was 2021 when he attended the OSCE meeting at Stockholm, Sweden.
The “East Shield Program” aims to strengthen Poland’s border with Belarus and the Russian exclave Kaliningrad.
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