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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Shweta Sharma

North Korea to deploy 50,000 soldiers to support Russia in war against Ukraine

  • Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky claimed that North Korea plans to deploy between 30,000 and 50,000 soldiers to support Russia's war effort, seeking "experience in modern warfare" and advanced Russian technology. Zelensky appealed to South Korea for support, specifically requesting air defence systems.
  • It comes as a World Health Organisation (WHO) warehouse in Dnipro, Ukraine, was struck and destroyed by a Russian attack, resulting in the loss of over 170 pallets of essential medical supplies. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus condemned the attack, stating that "attacks on health care MUST STOP."
  • Both sides reported significant drone activity; Russia's defence ministry stated it intercepted 285 Ukrainian drones over a 12-hour period across central and western regions, including Moscow. Conversely, Ukrainian drones conducted deadly attacks on industrial and civilian targets in Russia's Tatarstan and Belgorod regions, causing multiple fatalities and injuries.
  • Russia's defence ministry claimed its forces had taken control of two villages, Vasyutinske and Toretsk, in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region, though Ukrainian forces did not acknowledge these changes. Military analyst Michael Clarke described the conflict as entering a "new phase" with "snail's pace" advances, suggesting both sides are "hurting each other" to a critical degree.
  • Ukraine's foreign minister criticised Unicef for failing to explicitly condemn Russia for the deaths of Ukrainian children in recent attacks, arguing the statement created a "false equivalence" by not acknowledging Russia's responsibility for the war and its casualties.

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