Stillwater Townie
Ranger
I agree. There are many variables that can work against BRICS that people who are worried to death about BRICS and the dollar aren't smart enough to see.
Ukraine. Ukraine. Ukraine.
- Thread starter Llcoolw
- Start date
It is a target rich environment for those that like to mess with foreign governments.
Actual infrastructure.
Market manipulation.
Disinformation.
Cyberspace.
Resource competition.
Business espionage.
Actual espionage.
There are stories of race horse trading to offset the sanctions. I think either that’s been a wealth washing sport all along or they’ve been working with Mexican cartels.
Ukraine Launched the largest drone strike yet against Moscow..with debris of one drone crashing into an apartment complex
BREAKING NEWS: 12:29
Ukraine to receive permission for long-range ATACMS strikes against Russia.
House Foreign Affairs Chairman Michael McCaul has said that U.S. Secretary of State is travelling to Kyiv to tell Zelensky that Ukraine will receive permission to start striking deep into Russia with ATACMS and Storm Shadows.
abcnews.go.com
Ukraine to receive permission for long-range ATACMS strikes against Russia.
House Foreign Affairs Chairman Michael McCaul has said that U.S. Secretary of State is travelling to Kyiv to tell Zelensky that Ukraine will receive permission to start striking deep into Russia with ATACMS and Storm Shadows.
US likely to send long-range ATACMS missiles to Ukraine for the first time: Officials
The United States is likely to send long-range ATACMS missiles to help Ukraine defend itself, officials tell ABC News.
China Pulled their entire Currency and now this
How is it that the ENTIRE WORLD sees Putin and the Crap he caused and his holding him responsible for it....except for Donald Trump and the GOP in America ???
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who in the past has been called a "dear friend" by Vladimir Putin, dealt a blow to the Russian leader when he advocated the return of annexed Crimea to Ukraine.
"Our support for Ukraine's territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence is unwavering," Erdoğan said in a video message to the Fourth Crimea Platform Leaders Summit on Wednesday, Turkey's state-run Anadolu Agency reported. "The return of Crimea to Ukraine is a requirement of international law."
Turkey, a NATO nation since 1952, has maintained cordial relations with Russia throughout Putin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, opposing Western sanctions placed on the country. At the same time, Ankara has sent Kyiv armed drones and condemned Russia's decision to invade its neighbor.
Erdoğan's remarks are likely to displease Putin, who annexed the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 and held referendums widely seen by the international community as illegal.
Kyiv has said that any peace deal with Russia in the ongoing war must invalidate the September 2022 annexations of its territory—the Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions—and that the Crimean Peninsula must once again be considered part of Ukraine.
Erdoğan said in his video address that Turkey has always been opposed to Russia's annexation of Crimea. He decried the persecution of Crimea's ethnic Tatars since 2014.
"I believe that additional steps will continue to be taken to strengthen the rights of the Crimean Tatar Turks in the upcoming period," he said.
Crimean Tatar Turks should be able to live "freely, securely, and peacefully in their own homeland."
Erdoğan added: "Our sincere wish is for the war to end with a fair and lasting peace based on Ukraine's territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence."
Newsweek contacted the Russian foreign ministry for comment by email.
In October 2020, the Turkish leader said during a joint press briefing with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that his country would never recognize the annexation of Crimea.
"We have and always will support Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, including over Crimea," he said. "Turkey sees Ukraine as a key country for ensuring stability, security, peace and prosperity in our region."
Putin has said that Ukraine must accept the annexation of Crimea as well as of the Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions, should the war-torn country wish to begin peace talks.
How is it that the ENTIRE WORLD sees Putin and the Crap he caused and his holding him responsible for it....except for Donald Trump and the GOP in America ???
Turkey's Erdogan Says Russia Must Return Crimea to Ukraine
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who in the past has been called a "dear friend" by Vladimir Putin, dealt a blow to the Russian leader when he advocated the return of annexed Crimea to Ukraine.
"Our support for Ukraine's territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence is unwavering," Erdoğan said in a video message to the Fourth Crimea Platform Leaders Summit on Wednesday, Turkey's state-run Anadolu Agency reported. "The return of Crimea to Ukraine is a requirement of international law."
Turkey, a NATO nation since 1952, has maintained cordial relations with Russia throughout Putin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, opposing Western sanctions placed on the country. At the same time, Ankara has sent Kyiv armed drones and condemned Russia's decision to invade its neighbor.
Erdoğan's remarks are likely to displease Putin, who annexed the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 and held referendums widely seen by the international community as illegal.
Kyiv has said that any peace deal with Russia in the ongoing war must invalidate the September 2022 annexations of its territory—the Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions—and that the Crimean Peninsula must once again be considered part of Ukraine.
Erdoğan said in his video address that Turkey has always been opposed to Russia's annexation of Crimea. He decried the persecution of Crimea's ethnic Tatars since 2014.
"I believe that additional steps will continue to be taken to strengthen the rights of the Crimean Tatar Turks in the upcoming period," he said.
Crimean Tatar Turks should be able to live "freely, securely, and peacefully in their own homeland."
Erdoğan added: "Our sincere wish is for the war to end with a fair and lasting peace based on Ukraine's territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence."
Newsweek contacted the Russian foreign ministry for comment by email.
In October 2020, the Turkish leader said during a joint press briefing with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that his country would never recognize the annexation of Crimea.
"We have and always will support Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, including over Crimea," he said. "Turkey sees Ukraine as a key country for ensuring stability, security, peace and prosperity in our region."
Putin has said that Ukraine must accept the annexation of Crimea as well as of the Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions, should the war-torn country wish to begin peace talks.
I guess we now know why ATACMS approval was provided by the US for Ukraine.BREAKING NEWS: 12:29
Ukraine to receive permission for long-range ATACMS strikes against Russia.
House Foreign Affairs Chairman Michael McCaul has said that U.S. Secretary of State is travelling to Kyiv to tell Zelensky that Ukraine will receive permission to start striking deep into Russia with ATACMS and Storm Shadows.
US likely to send long-range ATACMS missiles to Ukraine for the first time: Officials
The United States is likely to send long-range ATACMS missiles to help Ukraine defend itself, officials tell ABC News.
Rumors have been swirling for months that Iran had provided Ballistic Missiles to Russia...US has finally revealed that is true
Russia now has Iran's Fath-360 ballistic missile — here's what it means for Ukraine
After months of contradictory reports, the U.S. on Sept. 10 confirmed that Iran had delivered ballistic missiles to Russia in what could prove a dramatic development for Ukraine.
"We've warned Tehran publicly, we've warned Tehran privately, that taking this step would be a dangerous escalation," U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said during a press conference in the U.K.
"Russia has now received shipments of these missiles."
Military cooperation between Moscow and Tehran has deepened since the launch of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, with Iran already having sent extensive supplies of Shahed kamikaze drones, which are regularly used to target Ukrainian cities and infrastructure.
To date, no Iranian ballistic missiles are known to have been fired at Ukraine by Russia, but with larger warheads and being far more difficult to intercept, they pose a much greater threat than Shaheds.
In a statement on Sept. 7, Ukraine's Foreign Ministry said the move "will have devastating consequences for Ukrainian-Iranian bilateral relations."
How certain are we that Russia now has Iranian ballistic missiles?
Reports of Iran supplying ballistic missiles to Russia have been circulating for a while, stretching as far back as October 2022, and they haven't always agreed on some important points.Some reports mentioned the deliveries had already happened, others that shipments were being prepared, and the exact type of missile has also varied.
"I would say we can be quite certain now because when you have the U.S. government going out on a limb to say these things, it's usually a sign that they have very solid intelligence," Fabian Hinz, a research fellow for defense and military analysis at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, told the Kyiv Independent.
Washington's confirmation also came a day after EU spokesperson Peter Stano said that Brussels has "credible" information that the shipments took place.
What type of ballistic missiles has Iran supplied?
Over the preceding months, reports mentioned four different types of missile that Iran could supply to Russia – two types of close-range missiles, the Ababil and the Fath-360, and two short-range types, the Fateh-110 and Zolfaghar.Blinken confirmed it was the Fath-360 that Iran had delivered to Russia.
The Fath-360 is a close-range ballistic missile with a 150-kilogram warhead.
As with all ballistic missiles, they are rocket-powered and are launched high into the atmosphere before arcing back down onto their target.
They're only guided during the initial stages of launch, so they can be less accurate than cruise missiles, but have the advantage of reaching incredibly high speeds – sometimes more than 3,200 kilometers per hour – as they approach their targets.
How will Russia use them?
The range of the Fath-360 – 75 miles (120 kilometers) – reveals Russia’s likely plans for these weapons.Since it’s a tactical system, Moscow will likely use it to strike critical assets in the Ukrainian rear areas, according to Hinz.
"For example, if they've identified a logistics base, or a depot, air assets, or an air defense system within 120 kilometers from the front line, and you want to strike immediately, then these types of systems are very useful,” Hinz said.
"They have a very short reaction time. If you have the launcher in place and you see a high-value asset pop up on a reconnaissance feed, then you can react very, very quickly, much quicker than UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles)."
According to Hinz, obtaining Fath-360 means Russia is now free to save its own more expensive and further reaching missiles such as the Iskander, for longer-range strikes into Ukraine.
But it's not only Ukrainian military targets that are in range of the Fath-360 – cities such as Kharkiv and Sumy, both located just 30 kilometers from the Russian border, are also in their crosshairs.
What can Ukraine do to counter them?
More ballistic missiles in the hands of Russian forces presents a sizable problem for Ukraine.Due to their high speed, only the most advanced air defense systems are capable of shooting them down, the U.S.-made Patriot system being one of them.
Protecting Ukrainian cities from short-range ballistic missile strikes means only a relatively small area needs to be covered, but an increase in such attacks along the 1,200 front line will stretch already strained air defenses.
Ukraine currently has at least four Patriots, while President Volodymyr Zelensky said it needs 25 to protect the skies over the entire country.
This is a very expensive challenge – one Patriot interceptor missile can cost from $2 million to $4 million, according to reports, roughly the same price as some of the Russian ballistic missiles they shoot down.
Why has Iran supplied the weapons and why did it take so long?
Iran will pay a heavy cost for the move, with the U.S., U.K., France, and Germany already announcing further sanctions in a joint statement on Sept. 10.The three countries said that they have "privately and publicly been clear that we would take new and significant measures against Iran if the transfers took place."
According to the joint statement, they will now "be taking immediate steps to cancel bilateral air services agreements with Iran," and work towards sanctioning Iran Air, the country's flag carrier.
"Entities and individuals involved with Iran's ballistic missile program and the transfer of ballistic missiles and other weapons to Russia" will also face sanctions.
"This act is an escalation by both Iran and Russia, and is a direct threat to European security," the joint statement said. According to Hinz, Iran's calculation was that sanctions are worth enduring in order to obtain two things it desperately needs – money, and military technology.
This act is an escalation by both Iran and Russia, and is a direct threat to European security.
"The Iranian regime is in dire financial straits, and they can get quite a bit of money," he said.
"And if you look at the leaked documents about the prices of (Shahed kamikaze), they were demanding very steep prices for those, so I would guess we're talking about quite a bit of money."
On the military technology side, Iran has long sought Su-35 fighter aircraft and S-400 air defense missile systems from Russia, though it is yet to receive any from Moscow.
"So there's a lot they can gain," Hinz said.
Wix website builder to Block ALL Russian Users, Take Down Their Sites in Wake of US Sanctions
Website builder and hosting platform Wix will begin blocking all Russia-based users and shut down their websites regardless of whether they are free or paid users, the Israel-based company announced this week."Due to new regulations, Wix will no longer be able to support services for residents in Russia," the company said in a support page published Tuesday. "We are required to restrict access to Wix services for Russian residents."
The ban will come into effect on Thursday. Any Wix websites based in Russia will be taken down on that date. If a user's account or website is removed in error, however, it's possible to contact Wix's customer support to remediate the issue. But you'll need proof—like utility bills or residency visa documents with an address in another country—that shows you have been living outside of Russia for at least the past three months.
It's currently unclear whether Wix will be refunding impacted customers. PCMag has reached out to Wix for comment.
Wix is introducing these web restrictions for Russian users after the US Treasury Department announced it would require US companies to stop offering IT consultancy, design, cloud services, or IT support to anyone based in Russia. The new rules were declared back in June, and are set to take effect the same day Wix will enact its ban on Sept. 12. There are only very limited exceptions to these rules, meaning most impacted firms will have to either stop serving customers in Russia, or stop doing business in the US. The restrictions are due to Russia's continued attacks on Ukraine, which began in 2022.
Other tech firms, like cloud productivity platform Notion, have previously made similar announcements declaring a stoppage of services for Russia-based users. Wix is a global tech firm with over 5,000 employees and three offices in Israel, six US offices, and three office locations in Ukraine. It also has other bases in Europe, Asia, and the Americas, but none in Russia, China, or any US-sanctioned countries.
The US has continued to sanction Russian companies and entities as well, impacting parts of the tech industry. In June, the White House banned antivirus company Kaspersky from selling to US customers, citing national security concerns over Kaspersky's Russian origins.
Wix blocking Russia comes as Russian authorities continue to ramp up censorship efforts for its increasingly closed-off internet users. YouTube was effectively blocked in Russia last month. The country also considers Meta to be a "terrorist organization," meaning Facebook and Instagram are also blocked and can't be accessed without a VPN.
Trump goads his fans in Georgia into booing Zelenskyy
www.threads.net
Aaron Rupar (@aaron.rupar) on Threads
Trump goads his fans in Georgia into booing Zelenskyy
www.threads.net
Russia has installed Elon Musk's Starlink on Shahed kamikaze military drones debris from one shot down reveals.
Russia has equipped the Shahed kamikaze drones with Starlink satellite communication. This will allow Russia to use the drones for reconnaissance as well, according to Defense Express and Andrii Kovalensky, the head of the Center for Countering Disinformation, on Telegram.
The news agency claims that one of the drones launched by the Russian forces at Ukraine last night was equipped with Starlink. It was shot down by Ukrainian defenders.
Journalists showcased relevant photos showing the satellite antenna, which still bears a serial number that will help trace how the terminal ended up in Russia.
Russia installs Starlink on Shahed drones: Defense Express named purpose of upgrade© RBC-Ukraine
Photo: Debris of the Starlink that was installed on the Shahed (defence-ua.com)
Russia installs Starlink on Shahed drones: Defense Express named purpose of upgrade© RBC-Ukraine
Photo: Debris of the Starlink that was installed on the Shahed (defence-ua.com)
Russia installs Starlink on Shahed drones: Defense Express named purpose of upgrade© RBC-Ukraine
Photo: Debris of the Starlink that was installed on the Shahed (defence-ua.com)
According to Defense Express, the Russian forces have gained a wide and powerful feedback channel with the drone, allowing them to transmit information from it and change its flight task at any distance. Thus, the Shahed has transformed into a reconnaissance tool.
In particular, Russia will be able to relay information about the positions of Ukrainian air defense systems. If the drone is also equipped with cameras, it will be able to strike moving targets.
The source also explained that the Russian army decided to place Starlink specifically on the Shaheds because the drone can fly at a distance of about 2,000 kilometers and has ample space inside the fuselage.
Response from the Center for Countering Disinformation (CCD)
The head of the CCD, Kovalenko, noted that the information about the Shaheds confirms that the Russian forces are using them as reconnaissance drones for long distances.
"They are used for strikes as well, but individual incursions of the Shaheds are primarily conducted for reconnaissance purposes," he clarified.
What preceded this
On the night of September 25, Russian forces launched 32 Shahed drones at Ukraine.
Ukrainian defenders managed to shoot down 28 of the enemy's strike drones. Four more drones were locationally lost in several regions of Ukraine.
Gee thanks Elon. Is the enemy of my enemies your friend? Get out of politics and the military.Russia has installed Elon Musk's Starlink on Shahed kamikaze military drones debris from one shot down reveals.
Russia has equipped the Shahed kamikaze drones with Starlink satellite communication. This will allow Russia to use the drones for reconnaissance as well, according to Defense Express and Andrii Kovalensky, the head of the Center for Countering Disinformation, on Telegram.
The news agency claims that one of the drones launched by the Russian forces at Ukraine last night was equipped with Starlink. It was shot down by Ukrainian defenders.
Journalists showcased relevant photos showing the satellite antenna, which still bears a serial number that will help trace how the terminal ended up in Russia.
Russia installs Starlink on Shahed drones: Defense Express named purpose of upgrade© RBC-Ukraine
Photo: Debris of the Starlink that was installed on the Shahed (defence-ua.com)
Russia installs Starlink on Shahed drones: Defense Express named purpose of upgrade© RBC-Ukraine
Photo: Debris of the Starlink that was installed on the Shahed (defence-ua.com)
Russia installs Starlink on Shahed drones: Defense Express named purpose of upgrade© RBC-Ukraine
Photo: Debris of the Starlink that was installed on the Shahed (defence-ua.com)
According to Defense Express, the Russian forces have gained a wide and powerful feedback channel with the drone, allowing them to transmit information from it and change its flight task at any distance. Thus, the Shahed has transformed into a reconnaissance tool.
In particular, Russia will be able to relay information about the positions of Ukrainian air defense systems. If the drone is also equipped with cameras, it will be able to strike moving targets.
The source also explained that the Russian army decided to place Starlink specifically on the Shaheds because the drone can fly at a distance of about 2,000 kilometers and has ample space inside the fuselage.
Response from the Center for Countering Disinformation (CCD)
The head of the CCD, Kovalenko, noted that the information about the Shaheds confirms that the Russian forces are using them as reconnaissance drones for long distances.
"They are used for strikes as well, but individual incursions of the Shaheds are primarily conducted for reconnaissance purposes," he clarified.
What preceded this
On the night of September 25, Russian forces launched 32 Shahed drones at Ukraine.
Ukrainian defenders managed to shoot down 28 of the enemy's strike drones. Four more drones were locationally lost in several regions of Ukraine.
Chechen Warlords Say They'll Use Tesla Cybertrucks In Russia’s Invasion Of Ukraine
Tesla Cybertrucks are headed to war. No, this isn’t a joke. A handful of Chechen soldiers are supposed to ride into battle in Ukraine with Cybertrucks. Ramzan Kadyrov, a Chechen warlord and the leader of the region, posted two green CTs armed with Soviet-era DShK 12.7 x 108 mm heavy machine guns. They’re meant to further Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine as they fight alongside Russian forces.
Footage shows the two Cybertrucks driving down a dirt road as part of a four-vehicle platoon. You could see soldiers standing in the beds of the two trucks, manning those aforementioned machine guns and shooting down airborne targets, according to Wired. Wired says the warlord captioned the Telegram post with a glowing review of the Cybertruck’s benefits on the battlefield, writing “Mobility, convenience, maneuverability: such qualities of an electric vehicle are in great demand here.”
Here’s more, from Wired:
Kadyrov responded to the action, saying “This is not manly,” on Telegram, according to Wired.
Putting machine guns on the back of pickup trucks isn’t exactly a new concept.
This all begs the question, though: will the Cybertruck actually be a good vehicle on the battlefield? I’m not so sure, and no one else really is either. Here’s what Wired has to say about the situation:
Mark Cancian, a retired Marine colonel and a senior advisor at the Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank, isn’t exactly convinced the Cybertruck will work on the battlefield. He said the trucks are “totally cool and totally useless.” So, he’s half right, I guess. Cancian said they were cool because they “look like something out of a video game and portray Kadyrov as a sort of futuristic warlord,” but they are useless because they “don’t provide a new capability, except perhaps a bit of stealth.” He’s not wrong about that. I’d also really like to know how charging will work on the battlefield. Cancian said a fleet of Cybertrucks would “likely be impossible to support.”
mugatu
Ranger
Not Ukraine but Russia is full of A-holes both on the ground and in the air. Maybe they shpuld stop trying to push the boundaries with us and focus on fighting their war. It's one thing to crash a couple drones, they collide with a fighter and stuff might turn out differently... and NO ONE wants that.
apnews.com
Startling video shows Russian fighter jet flying within feet of US F-16 near Alaska
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Military officials have released new video of a startling encounter between a Russian fighter jet flying near Alaska and a U.S.
apnews.com
Russia suspends Su-57 fighter jets production: Cites Western Sanctions as reason
Russia has suspended production of Su-57 Felon fighter jets, with Western sanctions being the primary reason, despite Russia's attempts to circumvent them, citing The Telegraph.
"It’s clear that Russia’s military industry heavily depends on Western components, particularly in electronics," explained the Ukrainian analytical group Frontelligence Insight.
According to the report, sanctions imposed by the West have throttled the supply of this critical hardware, placing the production of the Su-57 at risk, Frontelligence Insight concluded.
After reviewing Russian documents, Frontelligence Insight identified several key bottlenecks, including the WA36 attenuator (an electronic device that reduces signal amplitude or power without significantly distorting its shape, - ed.) and power supplies. These components are part of the MPPU-50, a German device used to calibrate the communication system of the Su-57.
Previously, Sukhoi could legally import the MPPU-50 and its parts, but now they are forced to illegally acquire them from third-party sources.
"Considering that Russian military production continued to expand in 2023 and 2024, it’s clear that they find ways to smuggle key components or purchase Chinese replacements to maintain production," Frontelligence Insight said.
However, illegal imports require time, effort, and money, which has slowed the pace of new Su-57 production and likely increased the cost of the aircraft.
"In addition, the MiG-35 has become more economical, which is also of great importance," a source from The Telegraph added.
Arguments against the Su-57 and the revival of older, simpler jet types are "growing stronger now, as Russian industry struggles to source critical foreign components."
Decline in Su-57 deliveries
According to the authors of the article, Russia has just over 30 Su-57s in service, a third of which are test models, potentially missing some planned electronics. This is "a paltry force for an air arm that deploys around a thousand front-line fighters – and which has lost a hundred of them in action over Ukraine since February 2022."
"Strikingly, the delivery rate for new Su-57s seems to have dropped – a lot – between 2023 and 2024. Normally, delivery rates for new fighter types increase year on year for a given multi-year order, as workers gain experience and economies of scale kick in," the report says.
Journalists emphasize that the Su-57 is an exception to this rule.
"It’s apparent that, with targeted sanctions, the United States and its allies have blunted the Russian air force’s modernization," the article concludes.
About Su-57
The Su-57 made its first flight in 2010. Over the following decade, employees of the manufacturer, Sukhoi, hand-built 10 test models. In 2019, the Kremlin signed a contract for 76 serial production jets, reportedly at around $50 million each.
The Russian firm Sukhoid delivered the first 10 serial Su-57s to the Russian Air Force in 2022, and 11 more in 2023. Only a few additional jets were delivered in 2024.
Russia's losses of Su-57s
At the same time, Russia's air force lost two Su-57s — one test model and one serial production model — in crashes.
Additionally, a strike on the Russian airfield Akhtubinsk destroyed at least one Su-57 in June.
North Korea has officially joined the war in Ukraine. Kim Jong Un has sent a full battalion of North Korean Troops to help Russia protect the occupied Kursk Region.
The troops were deployed in Russia's Kursk and Bryansk oblasts, about four miles from the border with Ukraine, when they deserted, the public broadcasting company of Ukraine, Suspilne, reported.
Intelligence officials cited by the broadcaster said the Russian military is searching for the North Korean soldiers, while commanders are trying to conceal the desertion from their higher-ups.
It comes after reports that Moscow was planning to assemble a battalion of troops sent over by Kim Jong Un to help push Ukraine's forces out of Kursk.
Ukrainian outlet LIGA reported on Tuesday that the soldiers would be involved in combat missions in the country's Southwestern regions, where Russia is still battling Ukraine's incursion.
North Korean soldiers were set to form a "special Buryat battalion," named after the Mongolic ethnic group indigenous to the region spanning Siberia as well as northern Mongolia and China, sources quoted by LIGA said.
Pyongyang and Moscow have been developing their relationship for some time now, pledging earlier this year to provide aid to one another if attacked.
Russian President Vladimir Putin visited North Korea for the first time in 24 years in June, when he and Kim signed a so-called "comprehensive strategic partnership pact" with a clause similar to Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), which states that an attack one member is an attack on all.
Should either country "get into a state of war due to an armed aggression" the other "shall immediately provide military and other assistance with all the means at its disposal," states the pact, published by North Korean state media.
Last week, South Korea's Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun said: "As Russia and North Korea have signed a mutual treaty akin to a military alliance, the possibility of such a deployment is highly likely."
He said recent reports about North Korean troop casualties, reported by Ukrainian media the week before, were likely to be true, while speaking to lawmakers during a parliamentary audit, according to South Korea's Yonhap News Agency.
The Kyiv Post and Interfax-Ukraine quoted intelligence sources saying six North Korean officers were killed on the Russian frontline near the Donetsk region in Ukraine on October 3.
Three more officers from North Korea were injured in the strike and were sent to Moscow to be treated, according to Russian Telegram channel Kremlin Snuffbox.
Last year, Ukraine's Main Intelligence Directorate, Kyiv's military intelligence arm, reported the arrival of some North Korean servicepeople, including engineering personnel, to the Russian-occupied territory near Donetsk.
Meanwhile, the Center of National Resistance—created by the Special Operations Forces of the Ukrainian military—reported in September 2023 that Russian President Vladimir Putin persuaded North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un to send North Korean citizens to the Russian-occupied territories of Donetsk and Luhansk for construction work.
North Korea has been a major ally of Russia in its ongoing war with Ukraine, which began when Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Kyiv in February 2022. The United States has accused North Korea of sending artillery to Russia throughout the war, which Moscow and Pyongyang have denied.
Newsweek has contacted the Russian Ministry of Defense and North Korea's Mission of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea to the United Nations Office, via email, for comment.
North Korean Troops Deserting Ukraine Frontline Days After Arrival
Some 18 North Korean soldiers are believed to have deserted the Russian frontline, with Kremlin fighters reportedly searching for them.The troops were deployed in Russia's Kursk and Bryansk oblasts, about four miles from the border with Ukraine, when they deserted, the public broadcasting company of Ukraine, Suspilne, reported.
Intelligence officials cited by the broadcaster said the Russian military is searching for the North Korean soldiers, while commanders are trying to conceal the desertion from their higher-ups.
It comes after reports that Moscow was planning to assemble a battalion of troops sent over by Kim Jong Un to help push Ukraine's forces out of Kursk.
Ukrainian outlet LIGA reported on Tuesday that the soldiers would be involved in combat missions in the country's Southwestern regions, where Russia is still battling Ukraine's incursion.
North Korean soldiers were set to form a "special Buryat battalion," named after the Mongolic ethnic group indigenous to the region spanning Siberia as well as northern Mongolia and China, sources quoted by LIGA said.
Pyongyang and Moscow have been developing their relationship for some time now, pledging earlier this year to provide aid to one another if attacked.
Russian President Vladimir Putin visited North Korea for the first time in 24 years in June, when he and Kim signed a so-called "comprehensive strategic partnership pact" with a clause similar to Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), which states that an attack one member is an attack on all.
Should either country "get into a state of war due to an armed aggression" the other "shall immediately provide military and other assistance with all the means at its disposal," states the pact, published by North Korean state media.
Last week, South Korea's Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun said: "As Russia and North Korea have signed a mutual treaty akin to a military alliance, the possibility of such a deployment is highly likely."
He said recent reports about North Korean troop casualties, reported by Ukrainian media the week before, were likely to be true, while speaking to lawmakers during a parliamentary audit, according to South Korea's Yonhap News Agency.
The Kyiv Post and Interfax-Ukraine quoted intelligence sources saying six North Korean officers were killed on the Russian frontline near the Donetsk region in Ukraine on October 3.
Three more officers from North Korea were injured in the strike and were sent to Moscow to be treated, according to Russian Telegram channel Kremlin Snuffbox.
Last year, Ukraine's Main Intelligence Directorate, Kyiv's military intelligence arm, reported the arrival of some North Korean servicepeople, including engineering personnel, to the Russian-occupied territory near Donetsk.
Meanwhile, the Center of National Resistance—created by the Special Operations Forces of the Ukrainian military—reported in September 2023 that Russian President Vladimir Putin persuaded North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un to send North Korean citizens to the Russian-occupied territories of Donetsk and Luhansk for construction work.
North Korea has been a major ally of Russia in its ongoing war with Ukraine, which began when Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Kyiv in February 2022. The United States has accused North Korea of sending artillery to Russia throughout the war, which Moscow and Pyongyang have denied.
Newsweek has contacted the Russian Ministry of Defense and North Korea's Mission of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea to the United Nations Office, via email, for comment.
Russian general threatens invasion of NATO countries and 'restoration' of Soviet Union
A senior Vladimir Putin ally has warned NATO that Russia's conquest of Ukraine is just the first step in its goal to reassert control over its former empire and reconstitute the Soviet Union.
Moscow appears to be increasingly confident of victory in Ukraine, as Kyiv's forces struggle to contain Russian advances.
Outnumbered and outgunned, Ukraine's forces are conceding territory in the east at an alarming rate, allowing Putin's army to close in on the strategically vital city of Pokrovsk.
Pokrovsk is an important logistical and transport hub and its capture would be a massive blow for Ukraine's army.
Western military experts fear it is only a matter of time before the city falls, a scenario that could lead to the entire collapse of Ukraine's eastern frontlines.
And in a sign that the Kremlin is increasingly bullish about victory, a former Russian commander hinted that Putin's goals may be much more ambitious than capturing Ukraine.
Lieutenant General Andrei Gurulev is a Russian MP and a former Southern Military District (SMD) Commander.
Appearing recently on a discussion programme hosted by Vladimir Solovyov on state TV, the retired general suggested that only the complete restoration of Russia's historic lands would now satisfy Putin.
He hinted that this would involve reconquering Finland and the Baltic states - all of which are NATO countries.
"Still what is victory for us," he said. "For me as a military man, it's undoubtedly denazification and demilitarisation.
"Only it applies to when the war started. And now for us it has practically become another patriotic war.
"This is the liberation of our historically Russian territory. This is the liberation of our historically Russian cities. This is the fulfilment of those tasks that the president set in December 2021. Now how to accomplish it?
"100 percent this means getting to the western borders of Ukraine. But there also must be a grey zone there. That is NATO must roll back on its own. But what if it doesn't want to roll back on its own?"
He continued: "Well, let's look at things realistically as they really are. So what do we have to do to have the grey zone? We have to create it.
"But the problems are broader. Do all of you remember the map of the Soviet Union? Do we all remember the border alongside the Arctic, how it used to be? It was going from the North Pole and also down. And today?
"This is the second most serious problem that exists today. The border needs to be restored.
"And when I am told that the next provocations will be from Finland and the Baltics - it is possible."
The Baltic states and Finland were historically part of the Russian empire under the Romanovs.
While the Baltics enjoyed a brief period of independence following the Russian Revolution, they were eventually consumed by the Soviet Union. Finland was able to achieve and subsequently retain its independence in 1917, although it had to cede 11 percent of its territory following the winter war in 1939-40.
North Korea Has Joined War Against Ukraine with up to 10,000 troops to be sent to Russia
President of the Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky said in a press conference at the EU leaders summit in Brussels on Thursday that North Korea has joined war against Ukraine, according to Ukrainian National News (UNN).
"I know that there is an intention to train 10,000 soldiers from different branches of the (Korean) military: ground forces, air forces, that is, an entire brigade" he is reported to have said.
"That is, he (Putin) wants to involve not only infantry, but also specialists from various branches of the military" he continued. "What we know is that North Korea is already preparing a contingent to fight against Ukraine."
According to the report Zelenskyy added that he had talked to the United States about what he described as a very urgent matter "I have already spoken with a number of leaders that it is an officially confirmed fact that the second country is getting involved in the war and will fight against Ukraine as a contingent alongside Russia."
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