The Ukrainian president accused, Friday evening, November 1, in a message published on Telegram, the allies of waiting “that the North Korean army begins to attack the Ukrainians ». “We now see all the sites where Russia is gathering these North Korean soldiers on its territory – all their camps”, underlined Volodymyr Zelensky, and “America is watching, Great Britain is watching, Germany is watching”.
“Anyone in the world who really wants to stop this war between Russia and Ukraine from spreading and prevent the war from spreading from Europe to other parts of the world should not just watch. We must act”he added.
Wounded in Sumy
A drone attack injured at least five people, including a pregnant woman, in Sumy, the Ukrainian Interior Ministry announced Friday evening. “A nine-story building was damaged: the facade was broken, windows were broken and cars were damaged”specifies the press release.
In Kharkiv, the number of injured in the attack rose to 40 people, according to kyiv. In addition to a police officer killed, 30 police officers, a rescuer and 9 civilians were injured, the Ukrainian Interior Ministry announced Friday evening.
Russian prisoner died in Belarus
A 22-year-old Russian, Dmitry Shletgauer, convicted of espionage in Belarus and considered by the NGO Viasna as a political prisoner, died in captivity, announced the country's main human rights organization.
Dmitry Shletgauer was convicted of espionage and facilitating extremist activities and sentenced to twelve years in prison. His trial was held behind closed doors, according to Viasna, which added the Russian citizen to its list of political prisoners in Belarus in September.
Moscow and Pyongyang display their unity
North Korea will stand by Russia until its « victoire » in Ukraine, the North Korean Minister of Foreign Affairs warned in Moscow, at a time when the West denounces the deployment of thousands of North Korean soldiers near the front.
“There is no doubt that (…) the Russian army and people will achieve a great victory” in Ukraine, said Choe Son Hui, during a meeting with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov. The latter greeted the “very close contacts (…) established between the military and the security services” of the two countries and expressed the « gratitude » from Moscow “for the principled position” North Korean. “We reaffirm that we will always stand firmly alongside our Russian comrades until Victory Day”added the North Korean minister, according to a Russian translation of her remarks.
Russia and North Korea, who consider the United States an existential enemy, have grown considerably closer since Vladimir Putin launched an attack on Ukraine in February 2022, with the two countries having notably concluded a mutual defense agreement during the Russian president's June visit to Pyongyang.
North Korea has been suspected for many months of supplying large quantities of shells to Russia as well as hundreds of missiles. Now it would also provide thousands of troops to fight in the conflict with Ukraine.
