On the 972nd day of the war in Ukraine, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of South Korea has summoned the Russian ambassador in Seoul to protest the alleged deployment of North Korean troops to Russia for their deployment in Ukraine, demanding "immediate withdrawal" and promising a joint international response.
The Kremlin declined to directly respond to a question about whether North Korean troops were going to fight in Ukraine, but stated that Moscow has the sovereign right to develop ties with Pyongyang in all areas.
NATO's Secretary-General, Mark Rutte, warned that the deployment of North Korean soldiers to fight on the Ukrainian front alongside Russian forces would represent "a significant escalation." South Korea stated it would send a delegation to NATO to share more information.
Seoul indicated that, including a group of 1,500 soldiers who have already arrived in Russia, the total number of troops deployed by Pyongyang to support Putin's regime would be around 12,000.
Fourth trip of the US Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin, to Kyiv amid fears that the Republican candidate, former President Donald Trump, may end military aid to Ukraine and try to force territorial concessions to Russia to achieve peace if he wins the presidential elections on November 4. Austin arrived hours after a Russian drone attack on the Ukrainian capital.
Russia launched a new massive drone attack against Ukraine overnight, using up to 116 Iranian Shahed kamikaze drones and other types, of which 59 were shot down by Ukrainian air defenses and 45 lost their course due to Ukrainian Army's radio-electronic warfare measures.
On the other hand, Russian air defense units destroyed 18 Ukrainian drones overnight, with eleven shot down over the Rostov region, while the rest were destroyed over the regions of Bryansk, Kursk, and Oryol.
An early morning attack by Russia on the Ukrainian city of Zaporizhia leaves two dead and 15 injured
An attack by Russia this morning on the Ukrainian city of Zaporizhia in the south killed two people and injured 15 others, said regional governor Ivan Fedorov.
The US Secretary of Defense announces $400 million in weapons for Ukraine
The US Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin, announced during a visit to Kyiv on Monday a new $400 million package for providing additional ammunition, armored vehicles, and anti-tank weapons to Ukraine.
"I am pleased to announce today a commitment of a $400 million package to provide your forces with additional ammunition, armored vehicles, and anti-tank weapons," said Austin, speaking at a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Germany inaugurates a tactical headquarters for its Navy to serve NATO in the Baltic
The German Defense Minister, Boris Pistorius, inaugurated a new tactical headquarters for the German Navy that will serve NATO, particularly in the city of Rostock on the Baltic Sea coast, according to Efe.
This headquarters will play an important role in coordinating NATO's maritime activities in the Baltic Sea and facilitating the integration of its newest members, Finland and Sweden, stated Pistorius during the inaugural speech.
The new command post will be responsible for planning joint maneuvers and will be ready to lead naval operations in times of peace, crisis, and war, according to Pistorius.
Pistorius emphasized that the Baltic Sea is of great geopolitical importance and a "frontline in collective defense against evolving threats," whose security is inseparable from that of the entire continent.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine has further highlighted the region's relevance for Europe, where "Russian aggression manifests itself in different forms, such as cyber and hybrid threats that continue to blur the line between peace and war," Pistorius stated.
Russia launches a new massive attack against Ukraine with 116 drones
Russia launched a new massive drone attack against Ukraine overnight, using up to 116 Iranian Shahed kamikaze drones and other types, of which 59 were shot down by Ukrainian air defenses and 45 lost their course due to the radio-electronic warfare measures adopted by the Ukrainian Army, as reported by Efe.
According to Monday's report from the Ukrainian Air Force, the downed drones were intercepted over the territories of the Ukrainian regions of Odesa, Mykolaiv, Kherson (south), Vinnytsia, Khmelnytskyi (west), Kyiv, Chernihiv (north), Kirovohrad, Zhytomyr, Cherkasy, and Poltava (center), and Sumy (northeast).
Some of the drones that were neither shot down nor neutralized by interference hit civilian infrastructure, as explained by the Ukrainian Air Force.
In addition to the 116 drones, Russia also launched three missiles of different types against Ukraine overnight.
Debate on the G-7's contribution of 35 billion to the plan for Ukraine
The European Parliament is debating and approving the contribution of 35 billion euros to the G-7's plan to provide Ukraine with financial assistance of up to 45 billion, as reported by Efe. The European legislative agenda also includes a debate on the war crimes committed by the Russian Federation in its war in Ukraine.
The EU: If Russia resorts to North Korean troops, it would mark another level of tension and weakness
The European Union (EU) stated on Monday that if Russia resorts to North Korean soldiers to fight in Ukraine, it would mark "another level of escalation" in the conflict and reveal the "weakness" and "growing isolation" of Moscow, as reported by Efe.
If the reports of the transfer of soldiers from North Korea to Russia are confirmed, this would mark another level of escalation and a significant increase in their cooperation there, meaning that North Korea and Russia are further challenging international norms and international law, stated the EU's Foreign Affairs spokesperson Peter Stano during the daily press briefing of the European Commission.
Stano mentioned that they are "aware of reports indicating that North Korea and Russia are increasing their already existing military cooperation, also in the field of the potential transfer of North Korean soldiers to Russia." He emphasized that it must be a very special operation that Russia is carrying out in Ukraine if it needs to recruit soldiers from a marginalized regime that is subject to United Nations sanctions, he commented.
He assured that they are "very concerned" about the growing military cooperation between North Korea and Russia, as well as the arms transfers taking place between these two countries, which "flagrantly violate multiple United Nations Security Council resolutions," he said.
According to the spokesperson, "this only illustrates how Russia is determined to intensify its illegal actions against Ukraine" and that "it is not interested in seeking peaceful solutions." In his opinion, Russia is "really desperate to enlist any kind of help it can get," and he emphasized that North Korea is subject to multiple sanctions by the UN Security Council.
"It is an actor that seriously disrupts stability and peace and security, not only in the region but globally, and relying on countries like North Korea only exposes the weakness of Russia and its growing isolation," he concluded.