North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un with troops during an inspection at a military training base at an undisclosed location in North Korea, October 2, 2024

Tuesday’s Coverage: As 11,000 Troops Deploy, North Korea’s Foreign Minister Meets Putin

Map: Institute for the Study of War

UPDATE 1448 GMT:

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has congratulated Donald Trump on the latter’s victory in the US Presidential election.

We look forward to an era of a strong United States of America under President Trump’s decisive leadership. We rely on continued strong bipartisan support for Ukraine in the United States.

We are interested in developing mutually beneficial political and economic cooperation that will benefit both of our nations. Ukraine, as one of Europe’s strongest military powers, is committed to ensuring long-term peace and security in Europe and the Transatlantic community with the support of our allies.

UPDATE 0434 GMT:

In the latest execution of prisoners of war, Russian troops shot dead six Ukrainian soldiers near Pokrovsk in the Donetsk region.

The Ukrainian Prosecutor General’s Office reported the killings in eastern Ukraine on Tuesday.

The Office says it has confirmed the execution of more than 100 Ukrainian POWs during Russia’s invasion.

The latest incident took place on the frontline of Russia’s offensive in Donetsk.

UPDATE 0403 GMT:

Sweden is providing Ukraine with a military aid package of €9 million ($9.8 million), including two vessels enhancing maritime security.

Alongside Ukraine Internal Affairs Minister Ihor Klymenko, Sweden’s Civil Defense Minister Carl-Oskar Bohlin announced the transfer of the two ships to the Ukrainian State Border Guard Service. Sweden will also supply 40,000 protective masks and respirators to support Kyiv’s State Emergency Service personnel.

“We are observing the situation and recognize that Ukraine is fighting for the entire civilized world. And we will continue to support you fully, because the security of the whole of Europe depends on you,” Bohlin said.

ORIGINAL ENTRY: Ukraine’s forces have clashed for the first time with North Koreans fighting alongside Moscow’s military in the Kursk region in western Russia.

On Tuesday, Ukraine Defense Minister Rustem Umerov announced the “first small engagement”. That followed the statement of Andrii Kovalenko, a senior official with the National Security and Defense Council: “The first North Korean troops have already been shelled, in the Kursk region.”

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.

In his nightly address to the nation on Tuesday, Zelenskiy said:

The first battles with North Korean soldiers mark a new chapter of global instability. Together with the world, we must do everything to ensure that this Russian step toward expanding the war — this true escalation — becomes a loss. A loss for Russia and North Korea alike.

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”.

The ministers condemned “in the strongest possible terms” increased military cooperation between North Korea and Russia, including Moscow’s “unlawful procurement” of North Korean ballistic missiles. They declared concern about the potential for transfer of nuclear or ballistic missile-related technology to North Korea.