Russian troops reached the outskirts of Kupiansk, Kharkiv region, while the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) began to leave the city, Ukrainian media reported.
Media reports are ambiguous, but sources agree that Russian troops started to break through the Ukrainian defences shortly before. The Russians reportedly attacked in two columns from the Lyman Pershyi area to Kupiansk, advancing about 9 kilometres.
Meanwhile, Russian troops are also advancing in eastern Ukraine, pushing the AFU out of the eastern bank of the Siversky Donets – Donbas canal. In the Pokrovsk area, Russian forces captured Voznesenka. As for Kurakhove, the troops pushed north of Maksymivka, almost reaching Sukhi Yaly. Ukrainian media are reporting a rapid withdrawal of the AFU from the alleged encirclement.
North Korea gets dragged into war
It is reported that Russian troops have started to deploy North Korean M1989 Koksan Self-propelled artillery vehicles in the war in Ukraine. Their running gear features a base from the North Korean version of the Chinese-made Type-59 tank, based on the Soviet T-54 tank. The M1989 is a 170mm self-propelled howitzer mounted in an open turret on a tank chassis.
Military experts claim that such vehicles will reinforce the offensive capabilities of the Russian army. Recently, Principal Deputy Spokesperson for the US Department of State, Vedant Patel, said at a briefing that North Korean soldiers had already started participating in hostilities against the AFU in Russia’s Kursk region.
According to him, more than 10,000 soldiers from North Korea were allegedly transferred to Russia as part of the comprehensive co-operation agreement. However, analysts stress that the DPRK servicemen can be deployed only to dislodge the AFU from Kursk region, a commonly recognised territory of Russia.
The co-operation between the two countries is confirmed by the fact that North Korea announced the launch of kamikaze drone production, attended by the country’s leader Kim Jong Un. However, blurred footage from the North Korean media reveals that the demonstrated UAVs are Russian Lancet drones.
Ambiguous outcome
Ukrainian officials express concern amid Donald Trump’s recent victory in the US presidential election. Ukraine’s National Security and Defence Council (NSDC) removed posts accusing Tulsi Gabbard, nominated by Trump to head the US intelligence agency, of working for Russia. According to Ukrainian media, the NSDC deleted four posts criticising the US for ties with Moscow on Thursday.
Not only Ukraine is concerned about Trump’s victory, actively changing the stance. Polish media reported that Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk appeared at the centre of a scandal over his words about Trump, whom he previously called “an agent of the Russian security services.” Shortly after the fuss, Tusk denied those speculations.
European leaders, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, fear that assistance from the United States, the largest donor of military aid to Kyiv, could end. Meanwhile, reports of North Korean military equipment and soldiers in Russia only introduce more uncertainty about the implications for Ukraine and its allies.
