One of the North Korean soldiers fighting with Russian forces against Ukraine self-immolated by detonating a grenade when about to be captured, as reported on Monday on the Ukrainian Army's Special Operations Forces Telegram channel.
The apparent suicide of the Asian soldier comes shortly after South Korea's intelligence stated that Pyongyang has instructed its troops deployed in Russia to take their own lives if at risk of capture by the enemy.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has stated that Kiev is willing to hand over captured North Korean soldiers to their leader, Kim Jong Un, in exchange for Ukrainian captives in Russia. Two were captured last weekend.
Approximately 300 soldiers from North Korea have died in the Russia-Ukraine war, with 2,700 others injured since late 2024 when young North Koreans were sent to the battlefield.
South Korea's National Intelligence Service (NIS) indicated that the North Korean contingent is suffering "massive casualties" due to their "lack of understanding of modern warfare."
On the other hand, Russia accuses Ukraine of drone attacks on a gas distribution station of the TurkStream gas pipeline, the sole route for Russian gas supply to Europe since January 1, following the cessation of transit through Ukrainian territory and the sabotage of the Nord Stream pipeline in 2022.
Kremlin Considers Premature to Discuss Meeting Location Between Putin and Trump
The Kremlin stated on Monday that it is premature to discuss the meeting location between Russian leader Vladimir Putin and U.S. President-elect Donald Trump for a peaceful resolution of the conflict in Ukraine, as reported by Efe.
"Many countries offer their services as potential meeting places, but it is too early to discuss as there are no substantial preparations yet," said the Russian Presidency's spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, during his daily phone press briefing.
He added that at the moment, there is only "political will" from both sides regarding the need for the summit once Trump takes office.
"And then we will see (what happens) after the change of administration in Washington," he noted.
Last week, the Kremlin stated that Russia was not setting any preconditions for a meeting between Putin and Trump.
North Korean Soldier Self-Immolates When About to Be Captured, According to the Ukrainian Army
One of the North Korean soldiers fighting with Russian forces against Ukraine self-immolated by detonating a grenade when about to be captured, as reported on Monday on the Ukrainian Army's Special Operations Forces Telegram channel, according to Efe.
The apparent suicide of the Asian soldier comes shortly after South Korea's intelligence stated that the Pyongyang regime had instructed its deployed military personnel in Russia to take their own lives if at risk of capture by the enemy.
According to the Ukrainian special forces, the North Korean soldier self-immolated after participating in a failed assault where 17 other soldiers sent to Russia by Pyongyang were killed under Ukrainian fire.
The soldier had survived and was found by Ukrainian special forces while clearing the area of enemy forces. The intention of the North Korean soldier in detonating the grenade was to also kill those who were about to capture him, but no Ukrainian soldier was injured, as stated in the Telegram post.
According to South Korean intelligence (NIS), 300 North Korean soldiers have lost their lives in the Kursk region, where - according to estimates from Kiev, Seoul, and Washington - around 11,000 North Korean soldiers are deployed to assist Russian troops in expelling Ukrainian units controlling part of the region's territory.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky recently estimated the number of North Koreans killed and injured in these battles to be around four thousand, while the United States reports a thousand casualties in the Asian country's contingent since their deployment to the Kursk front in November.
Zelensky also reported this past weekend the capture of the first two North Korean prisoners of war.
Russian Army Takes Another Town on the Outskirts of Pokrovsk
The Russian Army claimed today to have taken another town on the outskirts of the Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk, the main target of its current offensive in the Donbas region.
Units of the Central Military District captured the village of Pishchane, located a few kilometers from Pokrovsk, which had a population of around 60,000 before the war, as reported by the Ministry of Defense in its daily briefing, according to Efe.
Pishchane, previously inhabited by about 300 people before the conflict in 2022, joins the capture of Shevchenko on Saturday.
According to the Ukrainian command, Moscow does not intend to launch a direct assault on Pokrovsk but aims to encircle and besiege the city, which hosts significant coke deposits.
Meanwhile, Russian troops began evacuating residents who remain in Kurayove, a southern town captured by the Russians on January 6.
The capture of Pokrovsk by Moscow would not only be a severe blow to Kiev and its supply routes in Donbas but would also pave the way for the Russian advance towards Sloviansk and Kramatorsk, the main strongholds of Ukraine in Donetsk.
Russia Accuses Ukraine of Drone Attack on TurkStream Gas Pipeline
Russia accused Ukraine on Monday of attacking a gas distribution station of the TurkStream gas pipeline with drones, the only route for Russian gas supply to Europe, as reported by Afp.
"The Kiev regime attempted to attack with nine drones" a gas distribution station of the TurkStream gas pipeline in the Krasnodar region in southwestern Russia, "with the aim of suspending gas deliveries to European countries," stated the Russian military in a release, confirming that all drones were shot down and did not affect the station's operation.
TurkStream is the sole route for Russian gas supply to Europe since transit through Ukrainian territory ceased on January 1 and due to the sabotage of the Nord Stream pipeline in 2022.
According to the statement, the attack "caused no injuries" among the personnel at this compressor station, which maintains and regulates the natural gas pressure, located in the town of Gai-Kodzor.
The TurkStream gas pipeline, inaugurated in 2020, has the capacity to transport 31.5 billion cubic meters of gas annually and consists of two parallel pipes about 930 km long connecting Anapa in the Krasnodar region, Russia, to Kiyikoy in northwestern Turkey.
TurkStream runs under the Black Sea and allows Russia to supply Southeast and Southern Europe without passing through Ukraine, which ceased Russian gas deliveries to Europe through its territory on January 1.
Posthumous Diary of a North Korean Soldier Killed on the Frontline
"Even if it costs me my life, I will fulfill the orders of the Supreme Commander without hesitation. I will show the world the courage and sacrifice of Kim Jong-un's special forces." This is how the first page of a diary written by a North Korean soldier embedded with the Russian army who died on December 21 in a shootout in the Kursk region begins.