Ukraine, “North Korean soldiers in Russia will soon fight against Kiev forces”
The United States predicts that thousands of North Korean soldiers stationed in Russia will “soon” fight against Ukrainian forces. Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin declared it. The US Defense Secretary estimates that around 10,000 North Korean army personnel are in Russia’s Kursk region.which borders Ukraine and is partly occupied by Kiev’s forces, and are “integrated into Russian formations”.
“Based on what they have been trained” to do and “how they have been integrated into Russian formations, I expect to see them engaged in combat soon,” Austin told reporters from Fiji, where he is visiting, specifying that he did not have knowledge of “no significant information” of North Korean soldiers “actively engaged in combat” to date.
Puting: “We will test other missiles in war”
“No one has the weapons we have, no one can intercept the Oreshnik missile,” says Russian President Vladimir Putin. “The Russian Federation will continue to test the most modern missiles, including in combat conditions, based on the threats posed to its security”, he adds, specifying that “the Oreshnik missile is not an update of old systems. It is a totally new project and it is a valid guarantee to defend Russia’s territorial integrity”, he adds, proudly announcing the start of mass production of the new missile which “is a high precision weapon, not a weapon of mass destruction”.
Ukraine: Medvedev, “Conflict will end if NATO stops fueling it”
The conflict in Ukraine can end without further costs in terms of human lives if NATO stops fueling it. This was underlined by the deputy head of the Russian Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev, in an interview with the Al Arabiya television channel.
“If the NATO bloc stops fanning the flames of war in Ukraine, this conflict can end without any further cost to humanity,” Medvedev said. Commenting on the possibility of Russia using nuclear weapons, as threatened by President Vladimir Putin, Medvedev noted that this is an “extreme option.”
Zelensky calls for new air defense systems
Ukraine is asking its Western partners for upgraded air defense systems after Russia launched a hypersonic ballistic missile over the city of Dnipr, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
“The Ukrainian Defense Minister is already holding meetings with our partners on new air defense systems, exactly the kind of systems that can protect against new risks,” Zelensky said in a video message posted on social media.
Ukraine: Tajani, “I don’t think Putin’s nuclear threat is true”
“Putin should never be underestimated, but I don’t think the nuclear threat is true. It would be madness. I think it’s a way to put pressure in view of a possible negotiation: he wants to conquer as much territory as possible and then defend the status quo.” Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani declared this to Repubblica, answering the question whether he is worried about the escalation of the Russian leader, who uses intercontinental missiles and threatens a world atomic war.
Italy, Tajani continued, will continue to arm Kiev. “Of course, absolutely. And we will continue to support Ukraine. Just peace cannot coincide with defeat”, he assured, underlining that Donald Trump’s arrival in the White House will not lead to changes of line.
