September 13, 2023 at 1:51 a.m. EDT
In this photograph distributed by the Russian state-owned news agency Sputnik, Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visit the Vostochny Cosmodrome in Russia’s Amur region Wednesday. (Vladimir Smirnov/Sputnik/Pool/AFP/Getty Images)
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un stepped off his armored train near a space center in Russia’s Far East on Wednesday, kicking off a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The two will likely discuss a potential arms deal aimed at restocking Russia’s military arsenal, which has been depleted in Ukraine, according to U.S. officials.
Ukrainian forces launched cruise missiles and unmanned boats at a ship repair plant in Sevastopol, a city in Russian-occupied Crimea, according to a statement by the Russian Defense Ministry. A Kremlin-appointed official in the region confirmed that at least two dozen people were injured.
Here’s the latest on the war and its global impact:
Putin said he would discuss “all topics” with Kim, including “military-technical cooperation,” according to Russian media cited by Reuters. The United States and its Asian allies are concerned that Putin could assist in building North Korea’s nuclear arsenal and modernizing its outdated conventional military.
A Pentagon press secretary reiterated U.S. concerns that the Putin-Kim summit would focus on arms negotiations. The United States suspects that Moscow and Pyongyang will seek to strike a deal to resupply Russia’s military, which has used up most of its munitions in Ukraine. “We urge North Korea to honor its public commitments not to supply weapons to Russia, as this will only prolong the unnecessary war in Ukraine,” said Air Force Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder on Tuesday.
The Russian Defense Ministry said that the attack on the ships undergoing repairs in Sevastopol was carried out by Ukraine. It claimed that seven cruise missiles were shot down by air defense systems, and all enemy unmanned boats were destroyed by a Russian patrol ship. At least 24 people were injured in the early Wednesday attack, which caused a fire, according to Kremlin-appointed official Mikhail Razvozhaev.
The United States could complete F-16 training for a group of Ukrainian pilots by the end of the year, although it will take longer for them to fly combat missions, according to Lt. Gen. Michael Loh, the head of Air National Guard, as reported by the Associated Press. Loh stated on Tuesday that Ukraine’s most experienced fighter pilots could complete training in Arizona in as little as three months, followed by additional training in Europe.
The Odessa region in Ukraine was attacked by drones, damaging port facilities and civil infrastructure, and injuring at least six people, with three in serious condition, Ukrainian governor Oleh Kiper said on Wednesday.
Ukraine’s military intelligence agency announced that its forces had recaptured a strategic group of oil and gas drilling platforms off the coast of Crimea, the peninsula seized by Russia in 2015. A video posted on the agency’s Telegram channel, verified by The Washington Post, showed Ukrainian soldiers removing a radar system from a drilling platform.
Denmark will donate a military defense package worth approximately $833 million to Ukraine, according to an announcement by the Ukrainian ministry of defense. The package, which includes tanks, ammunition, vehicles, and antiaircraft weapons, is the largest financial donation to Ukraine since the Russian invasion, the ministry said. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed gratitude for the support in his nightly address on Tuesday.
Zelensky is scheduled to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the United Nations General Assembly in New York next week. Both Israeli and Ukrainian officials have confirmed the meeting, although the date has not been specified. Zelensky is expected to be in New York City for the high-level U.N. meetings and is scheduled to deliver a speech to the General Assembly on Monday. Tensions between the two nations have been high due to Israel’s ongoing relationship with Russia and a planned visit by Israeli pilgrims to Uman in Ukraine for Rosh Hashanah.
Russia has increased its drone and guided bomb attacks to counter the Ukrainian offensive, targeting Ukrainian forces in southern Ukraine. Exploiting Ukraine’s limited air defense systems and shortage of fighter jets, the Russian forces are utilizing attack drones and guided bombs, according to soldiers and analysts. “It’s important to know that it’s relatively cheap stuff, and Russia has almost unlimited stocks,” said one military expert.
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