Russia attacks Ukraine again with missiles and drones. As a result, at least four people died in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv.
Mayor Ihor Terekhov said on Telegram that rescuers found them among the rubble of the destroyed house. He spoke of four destroyed buildings and 19 damaged buildings.
The city, close to the Russian border, had been targeted by Russian glide bombs on Monday night. The historically important Derzhprom Building, the first high-rise building in the Soviet Union, was damaged. Nine people were injured. The building is a candidate for UNESCO World Heritage List.
Russia has been waging war against neighboring Ukraine for more than two and a half years. The wreckage of a downed fighter jet sparked a small fire in the Ukrainian capital of Kiev on Monday night. Five people were injured, according to authorities. A rocket attack occurred in the industrial city of Krivoy Rog in southern Ukraine, killing one person and injuring 14 others.
These are the latest developments.
Pentagon talks about 10,000 North Korean soldiers in Russia
The U.S. Department of Defense estimates that North Korea has sent approximately 10,000 soldiers to Russia. “We assume that North Korea has sent a total of approximately 10,000 troops to eastern Russia for training, and that these troops may be used to reinforce Russian forces near Ukraine in the coming weeks,” said Sabrina Singer, a deputy Pentagon spokesperson. Some of the North Korean troops have been sent to eastern Russia for training. Soldiers are approaching Ukraine. There are fears of military action in Russia's Kursk region, close to the Ukrainian border.
If North Korean soldiers are indeed deployed to the battlefield, it will mean a further escalation of the war and will also show Russian President Vladimir Putin's “increasing desperation” and his armed forces suffering “extraordinary losses” on the battlefield. Singer said. This “suggests that Putin may be in more serious trouble than people realize.” Singer warned that using the North Koreans in Russia's war of aggression would also have “serious implications for the security of Europe and the Indo-Pacific region.”
North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui is expected to return to Moscow after a three-day visit to the Russian capital in January, according to Russian sources. Putin himself did not deny the presence of North Korean soldiers and noted that Ukraine also relied on personnel from NATO countries.
Zelensky urges Nordic Council to be invited to join NATO
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has warned for days that the war would escalate further if Russia used the North Koreans to fight. The arrival of North Korean soldiers was also a topic of conversation when he attended the Nordic Council meeting in Iceland, where he renewed his call for more military aid and, above all, an invitation to join NATO before the heads of government of Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Norway and Iceland .
In his speech in Reykjavik, Zelensky said that Ukraine was not expected to join NATO during Russia's ongoing war of aggression, but was invited to join NATO as a concrete sign.
“A protective wall against Russia’s imperial ambitions”
Zelensky asked the heads of government of the Nordic Council to also put pressure on Germany. He predicted “a political decision that will bring geopolitical clarity to Ukraine and Europe as a whole and strengthen our diplomacy with Russia.” “If Ukraine receives an invitation to join NATO, it will become an insurmountable protective barrier against Russia's imperial ambitions.” His country deserves an honest answer. “Please work with partners across Europe, especially in Berlin, so that together we can achieve geopolitical clarity.”
Selensky also met this month with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) and other European heads of state and government to push for a fast-track invitation to NATO. This demand is at the heart of what he calls his “Victory Plan” in the war against Russian aggression, which has lasted nearly 1,000 days. Chief of Staff to the President Andrij Jermak is expected to meet with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Washington today (7:30 pm local time; Wednesday morning German time).
President calls for arms purchases, investments
Zelensky thanked Denmark and other countries for the military aid and weapons production investments they have provided Ukraine so far. Regardless of delivery bottlenecks or changing political sentiments, his country needs artillery shells and drones.
“We see that Putin is increasing weapons production and rogue regimes like Pyongyang are supporting him. Putin wants to produce the same amount of ammunition as the EU next year. We must act now to prevent this,” Zelensky said . That’s why he pushed for increased investment in weapons production, especially the production of long-range weapons and drones, “key tools to limit Russia’s capabilities.”
He called on members of the Nordic Council to purchase artillery shells from third countries to help Ukrainian soldiers on the front lines. “Our team will provide you with all the necessary information about countries that can supply these munitions.” At the same time, he called on countries to further develop their defense industries. “Europe needs industrial strength and independence from the rest of the world,” Zelensky stressed. (Olympic Organizing Committee/Syrian Development Bureau/Political Department)
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Thousands of North Korean soldiers are on their way to fight in Ukraine. Watson talks to military expert Marcel Berni about what Putin's purpose is and what unexpected help Ukraine may now receive.
Mr. Berni, North Korean troops support Russia in the war in Ukraine. Why would Putin prefer to let others fight for him instead of mobilizing more Russians?
Marcel Berni: Since the war began, Putin has relied on mercenaries and foreign fighters. This could mean that Russia has a recruitment problem, or that Putin has been silent on mobilizing Russian conscripts. North Korean soldiers have made it possible for him to fight a longer war. Putin certainly wants to use this to solve Russia's personnel shortage problem and reduce his own losses.
