North Korean Leader Kim Jong-Un and Russia's President Vladimir Putin in 2019
U.S. officials have accused North Korea of secretly supplying shipments of ammunition to Russia. According to newly declassified intelligence, quoted by CNN, the regime in Pyongyang was trying to hide the shipments by making it appear as though the ammunition was being sent to the Middle East or North Africa.
Stay up-to-date with the latest on the Russia-Ukraine war, with our exclusive international coverage.
Sign up to our free daily newsletter.U.S. intelligence had earlier reported that Russia was purchasing rockets and artillery shells from North Korea to use in Ukraine.
“Our information indicates that the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea is covertly supplying Russia’s war in Ukraine with a significant number of artillery shells, while obfuscating the real destination of the arms shipments by trying to make it appear as though they are being sent to countries in the Middle East or North Africa,” John Kirby, the National Security Council coordinator for strategic communications, said in a statement.
The revelation comes as Iran is reportedly preparing to send around 1,000 additional weapons, as well as more attack drones to Russia to help in its war against Ukraine. The last shipment of weapons from Iran to Russia included about 450 drones, which the Russians have already used in Ukraine. Ukrainian officials said last week that they have shot down more than 300 Iranian drones.
Russia’s turning to two regimes that are widely shunned by the international community is a sign both of Moscow’s relative isolation and a possible shortage of arms.
Iran and Russia had both denied the arms exchange, a sign that both are aware of risks in economic and diplomatic terms, particularly with Tehran engaged in negotiations about its nuclear program and Western sanctions. The latest North Korean ties to Moscow come while Pyongyang is engaged in major tasting of its ballistic arsenal.
Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant Disconnected After Shelling
Russian shelling late Wednesday near the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant damaged the connection to the Ukrainian power system, Ukraine’s state nuclear operator Energoatom reported in a post on Telegram.
The plant reportedly went into full blackout mode and all 20 emergency diesel generators were switched on. According to Energoatom, the diesel generators have enough fuel to last for 15 days.
Nikolai Patrushev, Secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, claimed that Kyiv forces were responsible for the attack of Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant: "Ukrainian neo-Nazi troops continue shelling the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant with Western weapons, which could lead to a global catastrophe,” he said.
Russian Missile Strikes Continue To Endanger Grain Shipments
Seven ships left Ukrainian ports Thursday morning following the revival of the Black Sea Grain Deal. Still, uncertainty remains about the viability of the UN-brokered accord to allow exports of Ukrainian grain to avert a deepening of global food shortages.
In his daily evening address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russian missile strikes from the Black Sea continued to endanger grain corridor routes, even as Russia demanded security guarantees from Ukraine to rejoin the Black Sea grain deal.
"This morning a Russian aircraft launched cruise missiles near Snake Island that flew through grain corridor routes. These launches, which are almost daily, directly threaten food exports," Zelensky said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to rejoin the grain deal on Nov. 2, reversing a decision last weekend to pull out of the arrangement.
Hawkish commentators in Russia lashed out at Putin’s decision to rejoin the deal, as a sign of weakness.
Blogger Yuri Podolyaka told his 2.8 million followers on Telegram that “this weakness will have a negative impact on everything: at the front lines, in the rear, in the international arena."
Sergei Markov, a political analyst, added: “Does all this look like a humiliating defeat for Moscow? Yes,” adding that Moscow paid “little attention to its image.”.
Full Steam Ahead For Grain Deal On Spanish Front Page
“Russia reactivates the deal to export grain from Ukraine” — El Periódico de España
New Accusations Of Russian Sexual Crimes As “Weapon Of War” In Kherson Region
Parts of Ukraine’s southern Kherson region were occupied by Russian troops from the start of the war on Feb. 24, to early October. A Ukrainian police officer along with a prosecutor belonging to a specialist unit in Kyiv, traveled to the region to inspect signs of any sexual crimes.
Previously, United Nations investigators said that the Russian army used sexual violence as a “weapon of war” and a deliberate “military strategy in its conquest of Ukraine”.
Within two weeks of going door to door, in the Kherson region, the team from Kyiv has documented six allegations of sexual assault. The real number is almost certainly much higher, they say. Investigations are ongoing.
Georgia Walks The Line Between Russia And Ukraine
Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili declared last week that his nation stands in solidarity with Ukraine in its opposition to Russian aggression, and will not allow its territory to be used to circumvent the sanctions imposed against Russia.
The statement was clear, strong and specific — it was also eight months late.
Unlike other neighbors in the region, leading political figures in Georgia have refrained from officially denouncing Russia's invasion. From Joseph Stalin's birthplace, it's a complicated relationship, explains Ukrainian journalist Anna Akage.
Switzerland’s Aid Action Plan For Upcoming Winter In Ukraine
Switzerland's Federal Council has published a Winter Aid Action Plan to alleviate the impact of the coming winter on Ukrainians; it suggests supplying Ukraine with almost $106 million in aid to fund the rehabilitation of Ukraine's energy infrastructure.
"Around 18 million people in Ukraine – some 40% of the population – are dependent on aid due to the war. With the onset of winter, this number may rise to 24 million," the Federal Council wrote.
Switzerland is already providing aid to Ukrainian energy companies, helping them purchase energy sources and spare parts for repairing rail networks and providing humanitarian support to the worst affected by the war.
“Stripes Of Freedom” Mural Inaugurated In Vienna
A mural called The Stripes of Freedomwas inaugurated Wednesday in Vienna. The authors of the mural, Ukrainian artist Nikita Kravtsov and French comic book artist and director Vincent Parroneau, say the mural is meant to show Ukraine’s place in the European community.
"Artists reinterpreted the famous female portraits of Gustav Klimt to pay tribute to the most outstanding Austrian artist," the message reads. The authors of the mural added Ukrainian and European symbols to the work to emphasize the common past.
This mural is the first of five within the framework of “The Wall” project, which is being implemented by the Ukrainian Institute and the Port Agency with the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine.
“Super Please”: Ukraine Asks Germany For More Tanks In Catchy Video
With its trademark humor and irreverence, the official Twitter account for Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense released a video asking Germany to send more tanks.
The clip is a spoof of German musician Friedrich Liechtenstein’s hit tune "Supergeil." Germany, as daily Die Welt notes, has so far refused to supply Ukraine with Leopard battle tanks and Marder vehicles.
