Author: dmitriy.vasyura@gmail.com

NATO allies believe that Russian President Vladimir Putin is aiming to recapture territory lost to Ukraine in the Kursk region before Donald Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20.

A British defense intelligence assessment, seen by The Telegraph, warns that Russia is likely to intensify kamikaze drone attacks on Ukrainian positions, using new launch sites near the border.

In a bid to regain control, Russia has deployed 50,000 troops, including soldiers from North Korea, to the Kursk region. Ukraine's Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said that as"tens of thousands of enemy soldiers from the best Russian shock units" are aiming to push Ukrainian forces out of the Russian enclave, raising concerns of a significant escalation in the war.

U.S. media reports suggest that Trump spoke with Putin after the presidential election, cautioning the Russian leader against escalating the war, particularly with the addition of North Korean troops and supplies to the Russian military effort.

The Kremlin’s actions may also signal an attempt to build momentum for a larger offensive into Ukraine’s northeastern Sumy Oblast. Ukrainian analysts noted that Russia has already reclaimed roughly half of the territory it lost in its Kursk incursion which began in early August.

In a show of solidarity, U.K. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer met with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris to discuss Ukraine’s defense strategy. Downing Street confirmed that both nations are working to position Ukraine strongly as it faces the challenges of winter.

Western diplomats are cautioning that Putin may be acting swiftly to capture territory before Trump assumes office, hoping to gain leverage in future peace negotiations. While the Kremlin has denied reports of a conversation between Trump and Putin, U.S. media outlets have confirmed that the two leaders spoke, with Putin congratulating Trump on his election win and calling him "courageous."

President Volodymyr Zelensky has cautiously welcomed Trump’s victory, urging the incoming president to maintain military support for Ukraine in the coming months.

Opinion: Trump holds all the cards in Ukraine’s peace gamble — will he use them?It’s extraordinary how the fortunes of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin have changed since they last met in 2019. Back then, at the G20 summit in Canada, Trump was embroiled in domestic legal issues, the Mueller report, and accusations of being Moscow’s candida…The Kyiv IndependentTimothy Ash

A rocket attack on a five-story building in Kryvyi Rih killed four people, including three children. The youngest victim was less than a year old, and the search and rescue operation is complete.

Under the rubble of a five-story building in Kryvyi Rih, the body of a third child, who was less than a year old, was found after a missile attack by Russian troops. Four people were killed in the Russian attack, and the search and rescue operation is over. This was reported on Tuesday by the head of the Dnipropetrovs'k RMA Serhiy Lysak in Telegram, UNN reports.

The body of the third child was found under the rubble of a five-story building. She was less than a year old… In total, the Russians killed four people during yesterday's attack on Kryvyi Rih. A terrible tragedy. Our sincere condolences to the families of the victims. The search and rescue operation is over

– Lysak wrote.

Russian strike on Kryvyi Rih: bodies of 2 children pulled out of rubbleNovember 12 2024, 05:52 AM • 5818 views

North Korea has formalized a mutual defense treaty with Russia, according to state media reports on Nov. 12. The agreement commits both nations to come to each other's aid in the event of an armed attack.

The announcement follows reports of first clashes between the Ukrainian Armed Forces and North Korean soldiers stationed in Russia’s border region of Kursk.

North Korea’s KCNA news agency confirmed that Kim Jong Un ratified the treaty as a decree. “The treaty will take effect from the day when both sides exchanged the ratification instruments,” KCNA reported.

Russian lawmakers unanimously approved the treaty last week, and President Vladimir Putin signed it into law. The agreement, signed in June during Putin’s visit to Pyongyang, mandates immediate military assistance by either nation in the event of an attack.

North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui, during her recent visit to Moscow, expressed solidarity with Russia, saying that Pyongyang would stand with Russia "until the day of victory."

South Korea, Ukraine, and Western nations have accused North Korea of deploying approximately 10,000 troops to support Russia’s war effort. Western governments have also alleged that Pyongyang has supplied Moscow with artillery shells and missiles for use in Ukraine.

The G7 nations last week denounced the increasing military cooperation between North Korea and Russia. They voiced concerns that North Korean soldiers might receive training in the use of ballistic missiles, which would violate UN Security Council resolutions.

NATO chief Rutte wants to discuss Russia-North Korea threat with Trump“We have to work together. So I look forward to sitting down with Donald Trump to discuss how we can face these threats collectively, what we need to do,” NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said.The Kyiv IndependentKateryna Denisova

Ukrainian troops repelled five attempts by Russian troops to seize the village of Novoivanivka in the Kursk region. 18 pieces of enemy equipment were destroyed, and enemy losses may reach 300 people.

Ukrainian military repelled 5 enemy attacks on Novoivanivka in the Kursk region of Russia over the past day. This is stated in the report of DeepStat, UNN writes.

The day was extremely difficult near the village of Novoivanivka, where the enemy tried to enter the village and its surroundings 5 times,

– the statement said.

Details

It is noted that a total of 29 weapons were involved. The first three rolls were 7 weapons each, the remaining two were 4 weapons each.

It is also reported that Ukrainian defenders destroyed at least 18 out of 29 weapons and military equipment. The number of killed and wounded Russians during the fighting could reach up to 300 people.

Putin wants Kursk region back before Trump's inauguration – The TelegraphNovember 11 2024, 11:55 PM • 7823 views