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Zelensky warns Russia’s use of North Korean forces in Kursk will extend to other parts of the war zone
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Russia has begun using North Korean troops in “significant numbers” to attack Ukrainian forces in Kursk region, president Volodymyr Zelensky said.
“Today, we already have preliminary data that the Russians have begun to use North Korean soldiers in their assaults,” he said. “We have information suggesting their use could extend to other parts of the frontline.”
This comes as Russia’s air defence systems destroyed 15 Ukrainian drones overnight, Russian defence ministry said today.
Thirteen of the drones were downed over the Black Sea and one each over the Russian border regions of Kursk and Belgorod, the defence ministry said in a post on its Telegram messaging channel.
Earlier, a major Russian oil depot was set ablaze after Ukrainian troops launched a “massive drone attack” over 100 miles inside Russian territory.
The Stalnoy Kon oil refinery, part of Vladimir Putin’s “military industrial complex” that supplies Russian troops, was struck overnight, Kyiv’s chief of staff said.
The Russian governor of Oryol said on Telegram that fuel had caught fire at “a facility” in the region after the “massive drone attack”.
Donald Trump’s special envoy for Ukraine and Russia said the ongoing war between the two countries will be “resolved in the next few months” as soon as the Republican takes office.
A retired US Army Lieutenant General, Keith Kellog told Fox Business: “The only person who can do this is President Donald Trump, and he will do it. They’re tired of killing each other out there. This is time.”
His remarks come as Russia prepares for Mr Trump to assume office.
“Russia is ready to study Trump’s proposals on Ukraine, but studying does not mean agreeing,” state news agency RIA Novosti posted to Telegram.
Last week, in a statement on Truth Social, Mr Trump wrote that “Zelensky and Ukraine would like to make a deal and stop the madness”.
A man falls to his death from the window of a burning apartment after a Russian air strike
Ukraine has sharply criticised Fifa for excluding Crimea from its territory on a map displayed during the 2026 World Cup draw, calling the mistake “unacceptable” and demanding accountability.
The map was used to illustrate nations prohibited from being drawn together in the tournament due to geopolitical tensions. While Ukraine was highlighted on the map, Crimea—internationally recognised as part of its territory—was noticeably absent. Crimea has been under Russian occupation since 2014, but the annexation is recognised by only a few nations.
Heorhii Tykhyi, spokesperson for Ukraine’s foreign ministry, condemned the omission, asserting that it violated international law. “Fifa has not only acted against international law but has also supported Russian propaganda, war crimes, and the crime of aggression against Ukraine,” he wrote on X, sharing a corrected version of the map that included Crimea. Mr Tykhyi also demanded a public apology from the global football governing body.
Fifa has since responded, stating it was “aware of an issue” and had removed the map. However, the Ukrainian Football Association has escalated the matter by formally addressing Fifa secretary-general Mathias Grafström and Uefa secretary-general Theodore Theodoridis in a letter.
The letter voiced “deep concern” over the incident, pointing to the consistency of Fifa and Uefa’s past decisions that upheld Ukraine’s territorial integrity. It further stated: “The cartographic image of Ukraine displayed on December 13, 2024, is completely unacceptable and looks like an inconsistent position of Fifa and Uefa.”
The incident has intensified scrutiny over Fifa’s handling of politically sensitive issues, with Ukraine continuing to push for stronger measures to prevent such errors in the future.
Winged explosives weighing up to 1,500 kilograms – and nicknamed the ‘building destroyer’ – have had a devastating impact wherever they have been used, writes Tom Watling. Kyiv is battling them as best it can but needs Western allies to step up and provide more weapons, air defences and ammunition
Ukrainian drone strikes on southern Russia killed a 9-year-old boy and set fire to a major oil terminal, officials said yesterday.
The boy died when a drone struck his family’s home outside Belgorod, a Russian city near the border with Ukraine, local governor Vyacheslav Gladkov reported yesterday morning on the Telegram messaging app. His mother and seven-month-old sister were hospitalised with injuries, Mr Gladkov said.
He posted photos of what he said was the aftermath of the attack, showing a low-rise house with gaping holes in its roof and front wall flanked by mounds of rubble.
Elsewhere in southern Russia, Ukrainian drones overnight hit a major oil terminal in the Oryol region, sparking a blaze, Ukraine’s General Staff reported. Photos published by the General Staff and on Russian Telegram news channels showed huge plumes of smoke engulfing the facility, backlit by an orange glow.
Oryol governor Andrey Klychkov confirmed that a Ukrainian drone strike set fire to a fuel depot. He said later the blaze had been contained and that there were no casualties.
Ukrainian military chief Oleksandr Syrskyi says the fight to hold the eastern region of Dontesk has become ‘extremely tough’
Russia has begun using North Korean troops in significant numbers for the first time to conduct assaults on Ukrainian forces battling to hold an enclave in Russia’s Kursk region, president Volodymyr Zelenskiy said yesterday.
The Ukrainian leader said the more active use of the troops was a new escalation in the war and called for a global response, as Donald Trump’s return to the White House next month fuels speculation of a coming push for peace talks.
“Today, we already have preliminary data that the Russians have begun to use North Korean soldiers in their assaults. A significant number of them,” Mr Zelensky told Ukrainians in his daily wartime address.
The North Koreans were being used in combined Russian units and only on the Kursk front for now, he said, adding: “We have information suggesting their use could extend to other parts of the front line.”
Kyiv first said North Korean forces turned up in Russia’s Kursk region in October and later reported unspecified clashes and casualties. It estimates there are 11,000 North Koreans in total, adding to a force of tens of thousands of Russians.
Russia has neither confirmed nor denied the presence of North Koreans on its side.
Britain can hardly afford to spend more on defending itself from Vladimir Putin but, says Sean O’Grady, it may have little practical choice
Ukrainian drones attacked an infrastructure facility storing fuel in central Russia’s Oryol region, sparking a fire and smashing windows in homes, regional governor Andrei Klychkov said early on Saturday.
Mr Klychkov, writing on the Telegram messaging app, said a “mass attack” on an infrastructure site caused fuel to catch fire. Fragments from downed drones smashed windows in homes, he said.
Video posted on Ukrainian military blogs showed a fire blazing at what was described as a fuel storage facility. Reuters could not independently verify reports from either side.
US treasury secretary Janet Yellen told Reuters on Friday that the US is looking at further sanctions on “dark fleet” tankers and will not rule out sanctions on Chinese banks as it seeks to reduce Russia’s oil revenue and access to foreign supplies to fuel its war in Ukraine.
Ms Yellen said in an interview that the US and its allies also could consider lowering their $60-per-barrel oil price cap on Russian oil, which prohibits Western insurance and maritime services on cargoes above that level.
The treasury has already sanctioned individual tankers and their owners for operating above the price cap and can do more in this area, Ms Yellen added, suggesting additional measures in the five weeks before she leaves office.
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