Ukraine war latest: Putin sends message to North Koreans ahead of rare Pyongyang visit (2024)

Vladimir Putin has thanked North Korea for supporting his actions in Ukraine and said their countries will cooperate closely to overcome US led sanctions.

The Russian president will be in Pyongyang today for a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un - his first visit to the country in 24 years.

Mr Putin's comments appeared in an op-ed in North Korean state media hours before he was expected to arrive in the North for a two-day visit.

He said he appreciates North Korea's support of Russia in their invasion of Ukraine, adding that the two countries would continue to "resolutely oppose" what he described as Western ambitions to "to hinder the establishment of a multipolarized world order based on mutual respect for justice."

There wads also a reference to the two nations developing unspecified trade and payment systems "that are not controlled by the West."

Mr Putin said the countries will also expand cooperation in tourism, culture and education.

Ukraine's air force said today that its air defence systems destroyed all ten drones that Russia launched overnight.

The drones were destroyed over Dnipropetrovs and to the south, in Zaporizhzhia, the air force said on Telegram.

Welcome back to our live coverage of the war in Ukraine.

We reported yesterday that fighting in the Kharkiv region escalated over the weekend, with heavy combat under way at an aggregate plant on the northern edge of Vovchansk.

Kharkiv has become a focus after Russia opened up a second front in the northeastern region last month.

Ukrainian soldiers are now looking to isolate Russian troops advancing across the nearby border.

Meanwhile, a large explosion was reported in the Rostov-on-Don region of southern Russia.

Eyewitness reports said a large flash was spotted before apartments nearby lost power.

Before we bring you today's news, here is more of what happened over the last 24 hours...

• Vladimir Putin reportedly sacked four of his deputy defence ministers
• More than 20 people were injured in a Russian missile attack on the Poltava region
• The US said it was troubled by the "deepening relationship" between Russia and North Korea
• The Kremlin said peace talks in Switzerland were futile without Russia and the results of it were "close to zero".

That's all of our live coverage on the conflict for now.

We'll bring you any major developments overnight, and we'll be back with our regular updates in the morning.

Earlier today we told you about a Russian missile attack on Ukraine's east central Poltava region.

Initially, reports had suggested nine people were injured in the strike, but the regional governor has now confirmed 22 people suffered injuries.

Three children were among the wounded, Filip Pronin said.

Houses and power lines were also damaged, causing electricity to be knocked out for more than 55,000 customers.

Ukraine's prosecutor general's office said the attack was carried out with an X-59 cruisemissile.

The US has expressed concern over the "deepening relationship" between Russia and North Korea, the White House has said.

Spokesman John Kirby said the US was "troubled" by the ties between the two countries.

It comes after both nations confirmed Russian President Vladimir Putin will visit North Korea for the first time in 24 years tomorrow.

Mr Kirby said the visit appeared to be part of a post-election"charm offensive" by Mr Putin.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un extended an invitation to Mr Putin during a visit to Russia's Far East last September.

Russia's foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov said the two leaders may sign a partnership agreementduring the visit that would include security issues.

Canada has decided to hold off on sending military trainers to Ukraine, its defence minister has said.

Speaking to reporters after a NATO summit, Bill Blair said the circ*mstances for such a move were "not right" at the moment.

"There was discussion of a NATO mission to enhance the training. At the present time, the circ*mstances are not right to deploy - in my view - the Canadian trainers in Ukraine," he said.

"There is, I think, quite an understandable concern about expanding a training mission into Ukraine at the current time."

Canada has helped prepare more than 40,000 Ukrainian soldiers since 2015, but decided to pull its training contingent out of western Ukraine just before the war started.

The White House has also said it was not planning to send US military trainers to Ukraine.

Ukrainian police officers, from a unit known as "white angels", have rescued six people from two villages today.

The country's national police force said four civilians were evacuated from Vozdvizhenka, near Bakhmut, and two were rescued from Vovche, in Lviv.

"The front approached these villages almost at close range. The enemy is shooting at the houses," it said in a statement.

"While the evacuation continued, the Russians covered the surroundings with fire, so the crew overcame especially dangerous sections of the road at maximum speed."

It said the people evacuated from Vozdvizhenka were a family who had found "three shells were fired at their garden" overnight.

"The policemen helped the man and three women to leave, the oldest of whom is 75 years old and has limited mobility," it added.

"There was also room in the armoured car for all domestic animals - chickens, ducks and rabbits."

In Vovche, it said a man and a woman called for help after a Russian bomb hit their house.

It said some residents remain in both villages, and urged them to evacuate.

A record number of NATO countries are expected to hit the military alliance's defence spending target this year, its secretary general has said.

In total, more than 20 NATO allies will spend at least 2% of their GDP on defence, Jens Stoltenberg said.

The estimated figure marks a near-fourfold increase from 2021 among the 32 members.

Only six nations were meeting the goal that year, before the war in Ukraine started.

The surge in spending reflects the worries of Western allies about the conflict.

Mr Stoltenberg made the comment during a visit to Washington, where he is laying the groundwork for what is expected to be a pivotal summit of NATO next month.

The mutual defence alliance has grown in strength and size since Russia's invasion of Ukraine two years ago, with both Sweden and Finland joining.

It comes after US President Joe Biden and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a 10-yearbilateral security agreement, seen as "supporting a bridge to Ukraine's eventual membership in the NATO alliance" last week.

Away from the fighting, Ukraine has played Romania today in their first game of the Euros 2024.

Fans packed out the stadium in Munich, Germany, to watch the match and soldiers managed to tune in as well - although they were likely disappointed by the 3-0 loss.

Reuters captured these photos of Ukrainian servicemen watching the game near the frontline in the eastern Donetsk region.