Sean Savett, spokesperson for the White House National Council, said on October 15 that Washington was “concerned by recent reports” that Pyongyang sent its soldiers to join Russian occupier forces in Ukraine.
Savett said that such a move would also show a new level desperation on the part of Russia, which continues to suffer significant losses in its brutal war with Ukraine.
The Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky recently accused North Korea sending personnel to Russia to support the war and said that Moscow planned to “actually” involve Pyongyang in this war in the coming month.
While the Kremlin denied the reports, it is becoming increasingly clear that the Russian-North Korean cooperation has reached an entirely new level. According to a Western diplomat who is familiar with the issue, the Kyiv Independent reported on October 15 that Pyongyang had sent 10,000 soldiers to Russia. However, it’s unclear what type of soldiers these are.
The two countries have strengthened their military ties throughout the war. In June, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a strategic partnership with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
North Korea has supplied Russian forces in the past with artillery and ballistic missiles that were extensively used against Ukrainian troops and cities.
Savett said that the transfer would be a significant change in the defense ties between Russia and North Korea.
According to the statement, 60 drones “were lost” in electronic warfare across a number regions, and 20 drones flew over Ukraine as of the date of publication. Two more drones flew toward Russia.
“Such a step would also show a new level desperation on the part of Russia, as it continues to suffer significant losses in its brutal war with Ukraine,” White House National Council spokeswoman Sean Savett stated.
This includes 1,450 casualties that Russian forces have suffered in the last day.
On October 15, Kharkiv Oblast Governor Oleh Syniehubov declared that local authorities will conduct mandatory evacuations for residents of the city of Kupiansk and three adjacent communities due to ongoing Russian advances.
The Spanish police seized 13 tons of prohibited chemical substances, including “possibles” chemical weapons precursors, bound to Russia on October 15, according to the national police.
A poll conducted by the Kyiv Institute of Sociology (KIIS), released in recent months, found that President Volodymyr Zelensky continues to enjoy the trust of six out of ten Ukrainians.
After Russia’s full scale invasion of Ukraine, 81% young German respondents expressed concerns about the possibility of war on European soil, a sharp increase from 46% in 2019
Charles Michel, President of the European Council, announced on October 15 that he invited President Volodymyr Zelensky to present his plan for defeating Russia during a summit this week of EU leaders.
On Oct. 15, former President Donald Trump declined to confirm whether he had spoken to Russian President Vladimir Putin after leaving office in 2021, but said: “If I did it, it was a smart thing.”
According to Suspilne, the sources claim that the North Korean soldiers left around 7 kilometers (4miles) from the border of Ukraine.
Join our monthly KI Insights briefing to gain valuable insights on Ukraine’s economic issues.
Serhii Lehchenko, advisor to the Presidential Office, reported that unnamed U.S. legislators cited America’s Vietnam War experience, where men aged 18-26 years old were drafted into combat.
Western diplomats and analysts say that the growing military ties between Russia and North Korea show Moscow’s increasing dependence on resources to continue its costly war in Ukraine.
Interfax reported that Roskomnadzor, the federal censorship authority, confirmed that Steam, with its online catalog of over 100,000 games, and the use by more than 130 million people around the world including about 10 million in Russia has agreed to comply to the law.
David Arakhamia is the leader of Zelensky’s Servant of the People, a parliamentary group. He made comments to the Kyiv Independent.
Financial Times (FT), Oct. 15, reported that Elina Valtonen, Finnish Foreign Minister, warned that Western countries are becoming tired of their support for Ukraine and called for a stronger commitment to backing Kyiv.
According to a Harvard CAPS/Harris survey, 48% of voters in swing states who said they’d vote early supported Trump while 47% sided Harris. Another 5% of voters said they had voted or chose another candidate.
Mark Rutte stated in an interview with Reuters on October 13 and German radio Hessischer Rundfunk that “the message (to Russian president Vladimir Putin) is that he won’t get his way. Ukraine will prevail.”
On Oct. 14, hundreds of Ukrainian schools, businesses and media outlets including the Kyiv Independent received bomb threats by email. This prompted the evacuation of state institutions.
In an interview with Kremlin’s RIA Novosti, published on October 15, Peter Szijjarto, Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs, said that Budapest and Russia’s state-owned Gazprom are in discussions on additional gas purchases next year.
The Air Force reported that Ukrainian forces shot down 12 of the 17 drones of the type Shahed launched by Russia over night. Overnight, seven S-300/400 and two Kh 59 missiles were fired at Mykolaiv Oblast.
“With the beginning of the “heating season,” we can expect massive Russian attacks on the energy sector,” Oleksandrlytvynenko said, National Security and Defense Council Sec.
Read More @ kyivindependent.com