Russian Defense Minister Andrey Belousov and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un embrace during a meeting in Pyongyang, April 27, 2026

EA-Times Radio VideoCast: The Kremlin’s Lies About Cost of Its Ukraine Invasion

Sunday’s Coverage: Russia Murders 10, Injures 67 with 666 Missiles and Drones

UPDATE 0741 GMT:

The independent outlet Mediazona has detailed the Russian torture of nine detainees, killing one of them, in Kherson in southern Ukraine in summer 2022.

The “Kherson Nine” were charged with plotting assassinations of collaborationist officials in the city. In January 2026, a Russian court sentenced them to between 14 and 20 years in prison.

The case is a textbook example of Russian tactics: abductions with bags over the suspects’ heads; staged operational footage; confessions as the primary evidence of guilt; and severe torture.

UPDATE 0643 GMT:

Ukraine’s air defenses downed 74 of 94 drones launched by Russia overnight, but the other 20 hit 15 locations.

At least 10 civilians, including two children, were injured in Odesa city in the south.

Explosions were heard around 1:30 a.m. Residential buildings, a hotel, and homes were struck and fires were set.

ORIGINAL ENTRY: During a meeting in Pyongyang, Russia and North Korea have declared “long-term” military cooperation.

During its 50-month full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Moscow has relied on North Korean support. Pyongyang has provided missiles and up to 11 million artillery shells. In autumn 2024, North Korea dispatched around 12,000 troops to Russia, which was facing a cross-border Ukrainian incursion into the Kursk region in the west of the country.

In return, North Korea has received financial aid, military technology, food, and energy from Russia.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un told the visiting Russian delegation on Monday that his regime “will continue to fully support Russia’s policies of defending its sovereignty, territorial integrity and security interests”.

Russian Defense Minister Andrey Belousov, leading Moscow’s delegation, said. “We agreed with the DPRK Defense Ministry to place our military cooperation on a stable, long-term footing.” He said the initial agreement will last to 2031.

In a handwritten message at a memorial for North Korean troops who fought for Russia, Kim said, “The souls of the fallen will live forever with the great honor they defended.”