Vladimir Putin meets North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, November 4, 2024

Monday’s Coverage: Moldova’s Pro-Europe President Sandu Re-Elected

Map: Institute for the Study of War

UPDATE 1805 GMT:

The first clashes between the Ukrainian Armed Forces and North Korean soldiers have occurred in the Kursk region in western Russia, says Ukraine Defense Minister Rustem Umerov.

Andrii Kovalenko, a senior official with the National Security and Defense Council, said on Monday that the first North Korean soldiers stationed in the region had come under fire.

Ukraine has controlled part of Kursk since a cross-border incursion on August 6. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Monday night that 11,000 North Korean troops have been deployed in the area.

Foreign Ministers of the G7 nations — the US, Japan, Italy, the UK, Germany, France, and Canada — and those of South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand, and the High Representative of the European Union expressed “grave concerns” over North Korea’s military deployment in Russia and are working on a “coordinated response”.

Several thousands of DPRK troops have been deployed to Russia. The DPRK’s direct support for Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, besides showing Russia’s desperate efforts to compensate its losses, would mark a dangerous expansion of the conflict, with serious consequences for European and Indo-Pacific peace and security.

It would be a further breach of international law, including the most fundamental principles of the UN Charter.

The ministers condemned in “the strongest possible terms” the deepening of military cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang, including Russia’s “unlawful procurement” of North Korean ballistic missiles.

They also expressed concern over potential transfers of nuclear or ballistic missile-related technology from Russia to North Korea.

We reaffirm our unwavering commitment to support Ukraine as it defends its freedom, sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity. We are working with our international partners for a coordinated response to this new development.

UPDATE 1749 GMT:

Russia has suffered its greatest loss of military equipment in Ukraine since October 2022, reports the open-source research project Oryx.

The analysts concluded that 695 Russian pieces of equipment were destroyed, damaged, abandoned, or captured by Ukrainian forces during the month. The losses include 253 infantry fighting vehicles, 103 tanks, 41 armored personnel carriers, four fighter jets, and one Mi-28 helicopter.

Ukrainian forces lost 276 pieces of equipment in the same period, including 47 armored personnel carriers, 28 infantry fighting vehicles, 21 tanks, and one Su-24M warplane.

The losses compare with 434 pieces in August. They come amid Russia’s offensive in eastern Ukraine, which has accelerated its gradual advance.

See also Ukraine War, Day 980: Russia Breaches Defenses in Donetsk in East

UPDATE 1318 GMT:

Air defenses downed 48 of 79 attack drones launched by Russia overnight. Another 30 drones were lost to electronic warfare and one flew back to Russia.

Defenses also intercepted both Kh-59/69 missiles fired by Russia.

UPDATE 1131 GMT:

Six people have been killed and 23 injured by a Russian missile strike on Zaporizhzhia city in southern Ukraine.

The head of the regional military administration, Ivan Fedorov, said strike hit an “infrastructure facility”, starting a fire.

“Zaporizhzhia. Another attack by the Russians, dead and wounded. Violence must be stopped by strong actions. A stronger position of the allies is needed,” said Presidential Chief of Staff Andrii Yermak.

UPDATE 1123 GMT:

The European Union’s anti-fraud office OLAF has opened an investigation into a loophole allowing countries such as Turkey to export sanctioned Russian oil to the bloc, according to “two people familiar with the matter”.

The probe follows revelations, on the Politico site, that millions of barrels of Moscow’s fuel were likely arriving in EU states after being rebranded in Turkey. The scheme exploits a provision that allows “blended” fuels into the EU if they’re labeled as non-Russian.

The loophole generated up to €3 billion ($3.27 billion) for Moscow from three Turkish ports in the 12 months after the EU sanctioned Russian oil imports in February 2023.

UPDATE 1113 GMT:

The US Justice Department has charged two senior managers of the American company Eleview International with export of $6.4 million in sanctioned technologies to Russia.

Oleg Nayandin, 54, and Vitaly Borisenko, 39, were arraigned in the Eastern District of Virginia Court. They face up to 20 years in prison.

Assistant Attorney General Matthew Olsen said Nayandin and Borisenko pursued three schemes to ship American goods and technology through Kazakhstan, Turkey, and Finland. The defendants operated an online retail website between March 2022 and June 2023, allowing Russian customers to order products directly from American suppliers.

Among the exports were $1.48 million of telecommunications equipment for the Russian State security service FSB.

UPDATE 1004 GMT:

A “Western intelligence source” says Russia may have been plotting to set fires aboard cargo and passenger planes bound for the US and Canada.

The official noted devices caught fire at DHL distribution warehouses in Birmingham, England and Leipzig Airport in Germany in July.

Western intelligence officials assess that the detonations were organized by the Russian military intelligence service GRU of the Russian Defense Ministry. They were testing whether it was possible to start fires on board planes flying to North America.

two other incendiary devices found in Poland, one at a warehouse in Warsaw and one that was intercepted. Four people have been arrested, and two others are wanted.

The Polish National Prosecutor’s Office said Russian intelligence services were checking channels for transmitting such packages to the US and Canada.

Last month, the head of the UK domestic intelligence service MI5, Ken McCallum, warned that the GRU appeared to be on “a sustained mission to generate mayhem on British and European streets: we’ve seen arson, sabotage and more”.

UPDATE 0750 GMT:

In an escalating spat between Warsaw and Kyiv, Polish Deputy Prime Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski has declared that Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy “wants to drag Poland into the war with Russia”.

The row started over a request by Zelenskiy for Poland to shoot down Russian missiles over Ukraine.

Gawkowski told Radio ZET, “Zelenskiy wants Poland to shoot missiles over Ukraine, which means he wants Poland to enter the war, which means he wants Poland to be at war with Russia.”

Zelenskiy has criticized Poland for not yet providing MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine despite an agreemnt to do so.

The President added that he has “constantly asked” Poland to shoot down Russian missiles flying in its direction, particularly to protect gas storage in the town of Stryi. The facility in the Lviv region in western Ukraine, almost 100 km (62 miles) east of the Ukrainian-Polish border.

Gawkowski reacted:

I feel that the last words that came from President Zelensky are unworthy of a politician who owes Poland a lot.

The equipment that was transferred, the citizens who were taken care of….Poland is a great friend of Ukraine, a transport hub. It seemed to me that in such situations, you say, “Thank you.”

UPDATE 0726 GMT:

Germany’s Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock visited Ukraine on Monday to proclaim “rock-solid” support.

Germany is second to the US in military assistance to Kyiv. However, Chancellor Olaf Scholz has refused to supply long-range Taurus missiles and is blocking Ukraine’s request for an invitation to join NATO.

Zelenskiy posted, “We are counting on Germany to further strengthen its defense support for Ukraine in the coming year, as this is critically important for our victory.”

ORIGINAL ENTRY: As 11,000 North Korean troops reportedly deploy in support of Russia’s 32-month invasion of Ukraine, Pyongyang’s Foreign Minister has met Vladimir Putin in Moscow.

On the fourth day of her state visit, Choe Son Hui conveyed to Putin “sincere, warm, comradely greetings” from North Korean leader Kim Jung-un.

No details were given of the discussion.

Last Friday, Choe proclaimed to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov that North Korea will back Russia until it conquers Ukraine. She said there was no doubt that, under Putin’s “wise leadership”, Russia will “achieve a great victory in their sacred struggle to protect the sovereign rights and security interests”.

Lavrov hailed “very close contacts” between Russian and North Korean militaries. He was “deeply grateful to our Korean friends for their principled position regarding the events that have now unfolded in Ukraine”.

See also Ukraine War, Day 983: North Korea Gives Full Support To Russia’s Invasion

In his nightly video address to the nation, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said there are now 11,000 North Korean troops in the Kursk region in western Russia. Ukrainian forces control part of the area after a cross-border incursion on August 6.

US Pentagon spokesman Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder echoed, “We think that the total number of DPRK, forces in Russia…could be closer to around 11 to 12,000” with “at least 10,000 right now in the Kursk oblast”.

Zelenskiy again challenged allies over their response, “We see an increase in North Koreans and no increase in the reaction of our partners, unfortunately.”

Presidential Chief of Staff Andriy Yermak said that like the Russian army, the North Koreans “pose a threat to Ukraine. They are present there and, of course, they will die.”