North Korea’s military is suffering heavy losses in Russia’s Kursk region after being deployed alongside Russian troops, according to Ukraine and the US. The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said that Russian forces are leaving their North Korean comrades unguarded, putting them at risk of capture or death.
US National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby described the situation as a “human wave” of North Korean soldiers being sent into battle without protection, with generals viewing them as expendable. He estimated that more than 1,000 North Koreans were killed or wounded in just one week.
The Biden administration has pledged to provide fresh military aid to Ukraine, including air defense systems, which is expected to be announced in the coming days. Meanwhile, Slovakia has offered to host peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, despite concerns from Kyiv that Moscow may use the talks to impose favorable terms on the conflict.
In other news, Ukraine has received its first batch of liquefied natural gas from the US, while a Russian court has sentenced a singer who protested against the Ukraine war to five-and-a-half years in prison. Russia’s state security agency claimed to have foiled a plot by Ukraine to kill a high-ranking Russian officer and a pro-Russian war blogger with a bomb hidden in a portable music speaker.
The situation on the ground remains tense, with ongoing fighting between Ukrainian forces and Russian-backed separatists. The international community continues to watch developments closely as the conflict enters its second year.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/dec/28/ukraine-war-briefing-human-wave-of-north-korean-troops-being-sent-to-their-deaths-says-us