Volodymyr Zelenskyy has raised concerns about North Korea’s deepening involvement in the war, accusing the country of sending military personnel to support Russia’s forces. In his nightly address, Zelenskyy emphasized that the alliance between Russia and North Korea has gone beyond weapons transfers and now includes the deployment of North Korean troops to the Russian military.
He urged Ukraine’s allies to strengthen their support, particularly by providing more advanced long-range capabilities and continuous military supplies to ensure Ukraine can hold the front line.
This week, US President Joe Biden is expected to visit Germany for high-level talks with Chancellor Olaf Scholz and President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. The discussions are likely to focus on both the ongoing war in Ukraine and developments in the Middle East.
Originally scheduled for a longer visit, Biden’s trip was delayed due to Hurricane Milton. In the meantime, Zelenskyy has been visiting various European capitals, rallying for continued assistance from Ukraine’s key partners.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has voiced support for Russia’s updated nuclear weapons policy, which broadens the conditions under which Russia might use nuclear force. Lukashenko, a close ally of Vladimir Putin, believes the changes are necessary to send a strong deterrent signal to western countries.
North Korean Troops Allegedly Deployed to Support Russia, Zelenskyy Urges Enhanced Military Aid for Ukraine
According to Lukashenko, these nuclear warnings have already been understood by western “hotheads” even before Putin officially announced the new policies, which further solidify Russia’s strategic posture.
Allegations of war crimes have resurfaced, with Ukraine’s human rights ombudsman, Dmytro Lubinets, calling for international organizations to investigate claims that several Ukrainian prisoners of war were executed in Russia’s Kursk region.
Reports suggest that on October 10, Russian forces shot and killed nine Ukrainian drone operators and contractors after they surrendered. This follows earlier reports from the Ukrainian Prosecutor-General’s Office that 16 captured Ukrainian soldiers were killed by Russian troops in the Donetsk region.
The military situation remains tense, with both sides engaging in active combat. Russia’s defense ministry announced that its forces had captured the village of Mykhailivka in eastern Ukraine, an important step towards reaching the logistics hub of Pokrovsk.
Additionally, Russia launched a series of drone and missile strikes on Ukrainian territory, with Ukraine’s air force successfully intercepting many of them. However, some drones and missiles managed to hit targets in the Poltava, Odesa, Chernihiv, and Sumy regions, highlighting the ongoing intensity of the conflict.
