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North Korea is gaining priceless battlefield experience by taking part in Vladimir Putin’s war on Ukraine
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North Korean ballistic missiles fired at Ukraine by Russian forces have become far more precise over time, according to senior Ukrainian military officials.
Vladimir Putin‘s invading forces have been using imported North Korean projectiles since the end of 2023, and their accuracy and performance has changed drastically since then, military sources told Reuters.
All the more than 20 ballistic missiles that hit Ukraine over the past several weeks landed within 50-100m of their intended target, the sources said.
This is not only helping Russia in its war effort but also improving North Korea‘s military capabilities, they warned.
This comes amid reports that the Trump administration is set to present its peace plan for Ukraine at a security conference in Munich next week.
Keith Kellogg, the US special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, will present president Donald Trump‘s plan at the conference, reported Bloomberg, citing sources who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
Earlier, at least one Russian bomber died while setting up an attack on a Ukrainian army recruitment centre in western Ukraine, officials said.
Ukraine is witnessing a string of attacks against its mobilisation effort. This is the ninth such attack this year targeting a Ukrainian recruitment centre.
The Ukrainian military launched an attack on an airfield in Russia’s Krasnodar region overnight, resulting in explosions and a fire, its military official said.
Russian forces use the airfield to store and launch drones to attack Ukraine and maintain aircraft carrying out missions in Ukraine’s southern regions, the military added.
The Trump administration is reportedly set to present its peace plan aimed at ending the Russian invasion of Ukraine at a security conference in Munich next week.
Keith Kellogg, the US special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, will present president Donald Trump’s plan at the conference, reported Bloomberg, citing sources who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
The format of the peace plan was not immediately clear.
Mr Kellogg has already confirmed his participation in the conference. “As the US president’s special envoy for Russia and Ukraine, I look forward to speaking about Donald Trump’s goal to end the bloody and costly war in Ukraine,” he wrote on X.
“I’ll meet with America’s allies who are ready to work with us,” he added.
North Korean troops have been pulled back from the frontline amid devastating losses, according to Ukrainian and American officials.
Kim Jong Un’s forces have not been seen on the battlefield for around three weeks, Ukrainian special forces said, according to the New York Times.
Pyongyang sent roughly 11,000 soldiers to help with Vladimir Putin’s war effort in November last year, four months after Kyiv’s troops seized Russian territory in Kursk.
Kim Jong Un sent roughly 11,000 soldiers to join Vladimir Putin’s troops in November last year
A Ukrainian drone attack sparked a large fire at an oil depot in Russia‘s southern region of Krasnodar as Kyiv continues its campaign of long-range attacks on things that help drive Vladimir Putin’s war machine.
It came as Russia and Ukraine swapped 150 prisoners of war each and UK foreign secretary David Lammy met with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv.
A series of drone attacks by Ukraine on Russia’s energy facilities have sparked fires in recent days at a major oil refinery in the Volgograd region, as well as at the Astrakhan gas processing plant.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky describes the return of 150 more prisoners as ‘true happiness’
North Korean ballistic missiles fired at Ukraine by Russian forces since late December have become far more precise over time, two senior Ukrainian sources told Reuters.
There is a marked improvement in the precision in all the more than 20 North Korean ballistic missiles that hit Ukraine over the past several weeks, said a military source, who requested anonymity to discuss sensitive information.
A second source, a senior government official familiar with the issue, confirmed the findings when asked by Reuters.
The increase in accuracy, estimated to be within 50-100m of the intended target, suggests North Korea is successfully using the battlefield to test its missile technology, the sources said.
This comes at a time when Moscow’s burgeoning ties with Pyongyang are causing alarm from Washington to Seoul, with concerns of impact on regional and global stability.
The European Union needs to raise its game to be better prepared for a military emergency, a watchdog agency monitoring the 27-nation bloc has cautioned.
A European Union programme to make it easier to shift troops and weapons across the continent quickly – by upgrading transport links – has been undermined by a lack of strategic thinking, the EU Court of Auditors said yesterday.
The issue of “military mobility” has risen up Europe’s political agenda since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, with governments anxious to revamp transport networks so they can move soldiers and kit quickly in the event of a crisis.
The agency, which scrutinises EU spending, suggests the bloc needs to raise its game to be better prepared for a military emergency.
“Now more than ever, the EU seeks to future-proof itself efficiently against aggression. Consequently, military mobility has become a crucial priority of the EU’s defence capabilities,” said Court of Auditors president Tony Murphy.
“There is clearly a real need for speed. However, we found that there are some bottlenecks along the way.”
The watchdog said a €1.7bn euro (£1.3bn) EU action plan lacked focus, with not enough thought given during funding decisions to which projects would be most valuable.
Russia and Ukraine exchanged 150 prisoners of war on each side after mediation by the United Arab Emirates, the Russian defence ministry said yesterday.
It said all of the freed Russians were currently in Belarus, where they were receiving psychological and medical assistance.
Foreign secretary David Lammy has announced a £55m package of support aimed at bolstering Ukraine’s resilience, during a visit to Kyiv amid uncertainty about the future of the war.
The UK will commit £17m to support sustainable energy projects within the country, as part of efforts to help it recover from the damage wrought by Russia’s attacks on its key infrastructure.
A further £3m is being provided for deliveries of Ukrainian grain and other food produce to Syria, as it grapples with the upheaval following the collapse of the Assad regime.
At least one person died while setting up an attack on a Ukrainian army recruitment centre in western Ukraine, officials said.
The war-hit nation is witnessing a string of attacks against its mobilisation effort. This is the ninth such attack this year targeting a Ukrainian recruitment centre.
The explosion took place at the Kamianets-Podilsky recruitment centre and wounded four other people, said Sergiy Tyurin, the regional administrator.
The Ukrainian military said that Russia launched 104 drones and two Iskander-M ballistic missiles at Ukraine in the early hours of Wednesday.
Of that number, the Ukrainian air force shot down 57 and 42 drones did not reach their targets likely due to electronic warfare, the military said.
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