Officials in the Ukrainian capital said Thursday that Russia attacked the region with a dozen aerial drones overnight.
Serhii Popko, head of the Kyiv city military administration, said Ukrainian air defenses had shot down all the drones and no casualties or damage had been reported.
In the Mykolaiv region of southern Ukraine, Governor Vitalii Kim said on Telegram that the army had shot down three Russian drones.
The Russian Defense Ministry said on Thursday it had destroyed seven Ukrainian aerial drones, including four over the Kursk region and three over the Black Sea.
Officials in Russia’s Bryansk region also reported that several drones were shot down there overnight.
North Korean troops
The United States said Wednesday that 3,000 North Korean troops were sent to Russia earlier this month and are being trained there, possibly to fight alongside Moscow’s troops in their war against Ukraine.
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told reporters that what Pyongyang’s soldiers are doing in Russia is “to be seen.” White House national security spokesman John Kirby said the United States is “working closely with our allies and partners to gain a complete understanding of the situation.”
Kirby said North Korean troops traveled by ship between early October and mid-month from its naval port of Wonsan to Vladivostok in Russia. Then, he said, North Korean troops were sent to several military training sites in eastern Russia.
“We don’t know yet whether these soldiers will go into combat alongside the Russian army” in Ukraine, but the possibility is “certainly very concerning,” Kirby said.
“We have informed the Ukrainian government of our understanding of this situation, and we are certainly consulting closely with other allies, partners and countries in the region on the implications of such a dramatic group decision and how we might respond. “Kirby said. said.
“For now, we will continue to monitor the situation closely, but let us be clear: If North Korean soldiers enter combat, it will demonstrate Russia’s growing desperation in its war against Ukraine,” Kirby added.
“Russia is suffering extraordinary losses on the battlefield every day, but President (Vladimir) Putin seems determined to continue this war,” Kirby said.
“If Russia is indeed forced to look to North Korea for manpower, if we attribute it a weakness and not a strength, that would also demonstrate an unprecedented level of direct military cooperation between Russia and North Korea , with security implications in Europe and India. -Pacific,” he said.
Kirby said Russia’s cooperation with the North Korean military would violate several U.N. Security Council resolutions banning the purchase of weapons from North Korea and military weapons training.
China, one of the five permanent members of the Security Council and a close ally of North Korea, was asked by VOA for its views on U.S., South Korean, Ukrainian and NATO intelligence confirming the presence of North Korean troops in eastern Russia and the region. possible implications.
“China’s position on the Ukraine crisis is consistent and clear. We hope that all parties will work towards de-escalation and commit to a political settlement,” Chinese Embassy spokesperson Liu Pengyu said in a statement.
Defense Chief Austin spoke of a “strengthened relationship” between Russia and North Korea, noting that North Korea has supplied weapons to Russia for its war in Ukraine.
“If they are co-belligerents, if their intention is to participate in this war on behalf of Russia, that is a very, very serious problem, and it will have impacts not only in Europe, but also in India. Pacific also,” Austin said.
Austin also highlighted Russian losses in the war he launched with a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, saying developments in North Korea are an indication that Putin “could be in a situation even harder than most people think.”
Austin’s assessment was quickly confirmed by NATO officials, who are awaiting additional information from South Korea, which made public its intelligence on North Korean troop movements last week.
“We are actively consulting the Alliance on this issue,” said Farah Dakhlallah, a NATO spokesperson, adding: “If these troops are intended to fight in Ukraine, this would mark a significant escalation of support for North Korea to Russia’s illegal war and another additional sign. Russia’s significant losses on the front line.
VOA National Security Correspondent Jeff Seldin contributed to this report. Some information was provided by the Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters.
