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Lee Jae Myung at a news conference in Seoul, South Korea, on Sept. 18, 2026.
Politics

'Blown out of proportion' — Domestic politics at the core of South Korea's rift with Ukraine

by Karol Luczka

Seoul's diplomatic spat with Kyiv continues to deepen, but experts say it is less about Ukraine than about South Korea's own politics. The East Asian country, traditionally counted among Ukraine's partners in the region, announced on Oct. 8 that it is recalling its ambassador from Kyiv amid a dispute over North Korean prisoners of war (POWs). The rift started on Sept. 23 with President Volodymyr Zelensky telling the U.N. General Assembly that Kyiv had transferred two North Korean POWs, capture

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Thursday, October 15

'Intense' Russian assault on Kropyvnytskyi kills 3, injures 6

The city and surrounding region were targeted in an "intense" Russian attack that began late on Oct. 14, Governor Andrii Raikovych reported. The strike targeted local logisitcs, transportation, and industrial enterprises.

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UK sanctions Dutch businessman exposed by Kyiv Independent for shipping EU machinery to Russian missile suppliers

UK sanctions Dutch businessman exposed by Kyiv Independent for shipping EU machinery to Russian missile suppliers

The U.K. has sanctioned Alexander Tattersall, a Dutch national, and Redwing Metal, the Turkish company he co-owns, nearly four months after a Kyiv Independent investigation revealed the firm had funneled EU-made industrial machinery to Russian metallurgical plants that supply the country's missile and fighter jet manufacturers. Tattersall and Redwing Metal were blacklisted as part of a package of 38 designations announced by the U.K. Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) on Oct. 8

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