"For the Republic of Korea, these actions pose a serious threat, as North Korean troops are gaining combat experience, which could present additional security challenges in the region in the future," Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said following his visit to South Korea.
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol met a Ukrainian delegation led by Defense Minister Rustem Umerov in Seoul on Nov. 27 to discuss the deepening military ties between Russia and North Korea, the Yonhap news agency reported.
The EU's 15th sanctions package will include 30 legal entities from eight countries and 50 individuals, the Ukrainian president’s commissioner for sanctions, Vladyslav Vlasiuk, said on Nov. 26.
Since the West imposed unprecedented economic pressure on Russia following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the country’s trade practices have undergone a dramatic transformation, with Russian international trade increasingly occurring in the shadows. Access to the goods it needs now depends on constant scheming. Given that Russia operates under
"What we're seeing is that (North Korean troops are) positioned around the Kursk region, not moving into Ukraine at the moment," Pentagon Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh said on Nov. 25 during a press briefing.
North Korea is expanding a key weapons production complex that assembles KN-23 short-range ballistic missiles used by Russia against Ukraine, Reuters reported on Nov.25.
Russia has recruited hundreds of mercenaries from Yemen to fight in its war against Ukraine, the Financial Times (FT) reported on Nov. 24.
In 2024, Russia launched around 60 North Korean KN-23 missiles, accounting for nearly one-third of the 194 ballistic missile strikes tracked by Ukraine’s Air Force.
Key developments on Nov. 22: * Russia likely used ballistic missile from 'Kedr' complex to strike Dnipro, intelligence says * Russia plans to launch mass production of Oreshnik missile, Putin says * North Korea received anti-aircraft missiles, oil from Russia in exchange for troops, reports say * Russia has deployed nearly 60,000 troops
South Korea's national security advisor Shin Won-sik on Nov. 22 said Moscow had provided Pyongyang with economic and military technology in exchange for the troops.
The comments came on the same day that Russian President Vladimir Putin said his country had launched its "newest missile," an IRBM called "Oreshnik," in an attack on Dnipro, eastern Ukraine.
"What we've expected for so long has started. But I want to say that God Himself is giving a chance, not only to Ukraine but to the whole world, to have time to draw the correct conclusions now," Zaluzhnyi said.
A high-ranking North Korean general was wounded in a recent Ukrainian missile strike on Russia’s Kursk Oblast, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on Nov. 21, citing undisclosed sources.
Russia’s state-owned TASS news agency reported that the two countries had agreed to boost charter flights. The agreement was confirmed by Russia’s Ministry of Natural Resources, which noted that between January and September, over 5,000 tourists traveled between the two countries.
Key developments on Nov. 20: * Ukraine strikes Russia with Storm Shadows for the first time, Bloomberg reports * Biden approves delivery of anti-personnel mines to Ukraine in light of Russian gains in east * Ukrainian drones allegedly strike Russian factories, weapons arsenal * North Korean troops in Russia to be led by secrecy-shrouded
According to the source, the strikes were approved as a response to the presence of North Korean troops in Russia’s Kursk Oblast, a sign of escalation by Russia.
Kim Yong Bok, officially the Deputy Chief of the Army General Staff, is expected to oversee the integration of North Korean troops into Russian forces, gain combat experience, and establish a framework for future deployments, the Wall Street Journal reports.
"President Biden condemned the deployment of thousands of (North Korean) troops to Russia, a dangerous expansion of Russia’s unlawful war against Ukraine with serious consequences for both European and Indo-Pacific peace and security," the White House statement read.
North Korea has provided Russia with 50 domestically produced self-propelled howitzers and 20 multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS), the Financial Times (FT) reported on Nov. 16, citing a Ukrainian intelligence assessment.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Chinese President Xi Jinping plan discuss the war in Ukraine and involvement of North Korean troops in the fighting during the upcoming G20 Summit in Brazil next week, German media reported on Nov. 15.
Outgoing U.S. President Joe Biden is expected to voice his "deep concern" regarding China's "support for Russia's war against Ukraine" and North Korea's participation in combat operations.
"Today I can confirm that over 10,000 (North Korean) soldiers have been sent to eastern Russia, and most of them have moved to the far western Kursk Oblast, where they have begun engaging in combat operations with Russian forces," spokesperson Vedant Patel said.
North Korea has formalized a mutual defense treaty with Russia, according to state media reports on Nov. 12. The agreement commits both nations to come to each other's aid in the event of an armed attack.
Russia has amassed the 50,000 troops without pulling its soldiers out of the eastern front, according to a new U.S. assessment.
Kursk Oblast has seen heavy battles since Ukraine launched a cross-border offensive in early August.
"We have to work together. So I look forward to sitting down with Donald Trump to discuss how we can face these threats collectively, what we need to do," NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said.
"Now, depending on the level of North Korean involvement, we will gradually adjust our support strategy in phases," South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol told the media. "This means we are not ruling out the possibility of providing weapons."
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol held a phone call on Nov. 7 after the former won the U.S. presidential election, discussing future cooperation.
Key developments on Nov. 5: * Umerov confirms first battles between Ukrainian and North Korean soldiers in Kursk Oblast * Ukrainian Legion in Poland reportedly receives over 500 applications in a month * North Korean military involvement in Russia's war to be met with 'coordinated response,' G7 foreign ministers say * 'Zelensky wants
Evelyn Farkas, head of the McCain Institute — a U.S.-based think tank named after the late Republican Senator John McCain — fears the return of Donald Trump as president of the U.S. would be the worst-case scenario for Ukraine. The best-case scenario for Ukraine would be a full sweep
Besides the G7 members, including the U.S., Japan, Italy, the U.K., Germany, France, Canada, and the High Representative of the European Union, the statement was also signed by South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand.
The clashes were small-scale, according to Ukraine's Defense Minister Rustem Umerov.
