LIVE – War in Ukraine: North Korean engagement “did not have a significant impact”, according to kyiv

On “For the second time, we celebrate Christmas on the same date, like a big family, like a single country,” he congratulates himself on the social network. “For the second time in modern history, Christmas unites all Ukrainians,” underlines the head of state.

At least one person was killed and 14 injured today in a Russian strike on Kryvyi Rig, President Volodymyr Zelensky's hometown in central Ukraine, local authorities said. According to the head of the military administration of Kryvyi Rig, Oleksandr Vilkul, this missile strike hit a residential building in this town which had 600,000 inhabitants before the war.

“While the rest of the world celebrates Christmas, Ukrainians continue to suffer incessant attacks from the Russians,” regretted the Ukrainian human rights commissioner, Dmytro Loubinets, on Telegram. “The number of injured rose to 14, including a child. One person died,” said the national police.

Kryvyi Rig has been a frequent target of Russian air attacks since the start of the 2022 invasion. The town is about 80 kilometers from the front line.

The engagement of North Korean soldiers alongside the Russian army against Ukrainian troops in the Russian region of Kursk “did not have a significant impact” on the course of the fighting, an official assured AFP of Ukrainian military intelligence. According to kyiv, 12,000 North Korean soldiers, including “around 500 officers and three generals”, are engaged in this region bordering Ukraine, of which the Ukrainian army has occupied several hundred square kilometers since August.

Neither Russia nor North Korea have ever confirmed the presence of this contingent alongside the Russian army. “The involvement of the North Koreans in the fighting has not had a significant impact on the situation. It is not a significant number of people,” Iévguen Iérine, spokesperson, told AFP. word of Ukrainian military intelligence (GUR).

According to him, North Korean troops do not have modern combat experience, particularly in the face of drones that have become omnipresent on the battlefield, and use “more primitive tactics, from World War II or after.” -World War II. “But they are also learning. And we cannot underestimate the enemy. And we can see that they are already taking certain things into account in their activities,” the official continued.

Taken by Russia then liberated by the Ukrainian army, the city of Kherson was the target of intense bombing. An upcoming offensive cannot be ruled out, as our reporter on site explains.

Primara is 22 years old. This nurse joined the front nine months ago in Donbass. “When someone comes here with weapons, I have to defend my country, and I have to tell them that they have no right to be here,” the young woman told our special envoys. His testimony can be seen in the video below.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday accused the Slovak Prime Minister, who visited Moscow the day before, of wanting to “help” Vladimir Putin “to make money to finance the war with kyiv”, in the midst of tension over gas transit Russian to the EU.

Faced with the Russian invasion for almost three years, Ukraine announced last summer that it would not renew the contract binding it to Russia until the end of the year to transport Russian gas to Europe via its extensive network of gas pipelines.

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, who remains close to Mr. Putin and whose country is very dependent on this supply, criticizes kyiv for this choice.

Welcome to this live broadcast devoted to the latest news from the war in Ukraine, which began almost three years ago after the invasion of Vladimir Putin's troops. Follow here, throughout the day, the latest information on the conflict.