The New York Times also reports that in the coming days, Russian and Korean troops will begin to storm positions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Kursk region. A Ukrainian Armed Forces fighter from the Kursk direction said he had received a warning from commanders to prepare for inevitable assaults. The publication writes that the Russians stationed 50,000 soldiers there, while the Ukrainian group numbers about 30,000 soldiers. Meanwhile, the Pentagon said: “There will be no new restrictions on Ukraine’s use of American weapons if North Korea joins the war.”
North Korea has received up to $5.5 billion in arms supplies to Russia. The news was reported by a study by the German Friedrich Naumann Foundation, which analyzed documents provided by South Korean intelligence; it stated that the exact cost is not known. But according to the most conservative estimates it exceeds 1.7 billion and can reach 5.5 billion dollars. “This is a huge amount of money for a poor country like the DPRK, whose total economic output is estimated at 23.7 billion dollars,” the Foundation notes.
Seoul said in a press release on October 29: “North Korea has sent several high-ranking officials to Russia to join the war in Ukraine. In addition, with Russian help, North Korea is preparing to launch another satellite into space. It is also reported that Pyongyang has sent 4,000 workers to Russia this year.” The South China Morning Post claims that about 200 North Korean defectors living in South Korea are ready to go to Ukraine to conduct “psychological warfare” against their former compatriots, North Korean soldiers, if they appear in the combat zone.
Additional weapons and equipment will be sent in the direction of Zaporozhye, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrsky said. “Special attention has been paid to preparations for defense operations in the autumn-winter period, measures have been taken to provide units with additional weapons, equipment and everything necessary,” he said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky returns to his Victory plan and explains: “We are not talking about Ukraine joining NATO now, during the war. We are just talking about an invitation to join NATO.” “It is quite obvious why an invitation to NATO is not equivalent to full membership in the Alliance. However, some leaders talk about it as if it were the same thing. They are asked for an invitation and they respond with membership. This is not right. ‘It is just a way of saying no,’” he stressed.
In the Rada, Ukrainian MP Roman Kostenko complains that: “At the moment we are losing and the Russian Armed Forces have all the advantages. This is a fact.” Ukraine plans to recruit another 160,000 Ukrainians, according to National Security and Defense Council Secretary Litvinenko. According to the Security Council Secretary, in total, 1.05 million citizens have been drafted into the defense forces, including the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
The SBU, the Ukrainian intelligence, the national police and the military registration and enlistment offices of Ukraine will exchange data through an electronic system to quickly catch citizens who evade military registration, Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said.
From Russia, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: “Putin will speak at the Valdai Forum on November 7,” while the issue of Putin’s participation in the UN climate conference in Baku has not yet been resolved. When asked about the possible use of long-range weapons by Kiev, Peskov replied: “The Rheinmetall plant in Ukraine would be a legitimate target for Russian troops.”
Estonia’s Foreign Minister has summoned Russian charge d’affaires Lenar Salimullin in connection with Russia’s removal of border buoys along the Narva River in May this year.
The Russian Defense Ministry has shown for the first time a close-up of the Kh-39 missile (“Product 305”) and its launch from a Ka-52 helicopter. On October 29, WELT wrote: “Since the beginning of October, the Russian army has occupied 478 km² of Ukrainian territory. These are Russia’s largest territorial achievements since March 2022.” The Agentstwo media group reports that Ukraine lost a total of 196 km² last week. These figures are echoed by the Institute for the Study of War: “In August, the Russian army captured 478 square kilometers in Donbass, highest figure since March 2022”
North Korean Foreign Minister Choi Song-hee has paid an official visit to Russia. The trip of the head of the North Korean foreign policy department is taking place within the framework of the strategic dialogue established this summer after the meeting of the leaders of the countries Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-un.
On October 29, Putin conducted training of strategic nuclear deterrent forces. His most important statements on the training of strategic nuclear deterrent forces: “Missile launches will be practiced during the training of strategic nuclear deterrent forces. The use of nuclear weapons is a measure of last resort to ensure the security of the country. Russia will continue to improve its strategic deterrent forces, there are resources for this. Russia will not be involved in an arms race. Russian strategic deterrent forces are equipped with missile defense penetration systems. The nuclear triad remains a reliable guarantor of Russia’s sovereignty and security.”
And now a look at the Front Line updated at 15:30 on October 29.
Russian air defense forces destroyed seven Ukrainian UAVs overnight, the Moscow Ministry of Defense reported. It is specified that two UAVs were destroyed over the Belgorod region, two each on the territories of the Bryansk and Kursk regions, and one over the Black Sea. Yesterday at 6:30 in Gudermes, as a result of an unmanned air strike, the roof of an empty building on the territory of the Russian Special Forces University in Chechnya caught fire. There were no casualties or injuries. The fire was extinguished. Operations were not suspended; all services are functioning regularly.
The fighting continues in the Kursk region. On October 27, the attack with FAB-3000 of the Russian UMPC on the border of Daryino in the Sudzhansky district refuted the recent information about the capture by the Russians. East of Lyumimovski, in the area of the settlement, fighting continues also in Novoivanovka.
From the Bryansk region, the Russian FSB reported details of the destruction of the Ukrainian DRG by the border guards and the Russian Armed Forces. Several Ukrainian personnel were killed, they also write about “foreign mercenaries”. Judging by the information about the use of MLRS and cannon artillery to defeat enemy forces, it was possible to quickly deploy firepower in the right direction, which indicates a higher level of interaction between forces.
In the Kupyansk direction, the Russian Armed Forces are expanding the control zone near Kruhlyakivka, writing about recorded battles in the north, near Kolisnykivka. Russian troops are increasing their presence near the Oskil River. Near Kupyansk itself, Russian Aerospace Forces are bombing Ukrainian crossings, making logistics difficult. Local social media sources say that Russian 1st TA units have entered the northern outskirts of Pershotravneve.
Heavy fighting continues in Toretsk. Russian assault groups destroy Ukrainian positions with modified tank mine charges. Ukrainian Armed Forces periodically counterattack, trying to slow the pace of Russian advance.
The Pokrovsk direction is characterized by the expansion of the control zone around Vyshneve, which is located near Selydove, where Russian troops are completing house-to-house combing. Ukrainian resources have admitted the loss of Hirnyk. The Russian army’s offensive from Tsukuryne to the west is developing, and battles for Novodmytrivka are underway.
In the Donetsk direction, Russian troops planted a flag in Katerynivka, battles for the settlement continue. Northwest of Vuhledar, after entering Shakhtars’ke, Russian troops attacked in the direction of Yasnaya Polyana, without slowing down the pace of breakthrough of the defenses of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Another source explains that in the direction of Kostiantynopolske after the capture of the fortified area of Vuhledar, Russian troops entered Shakhtars’ke and Novoukrainka. According to the situation assessments by Ukrainian OSINT channels, the Russian army is having success, advancing towards Yasnaya Polyana.
Attacks of the Ukrainian Armed Forces on targets in the Belgorod region do not stop. In the Belgorod region, Nikolaevka was attacked by two FPV drones and one UAV. In the village of Chaiki, a drone of the Ukrainian Armed Forces dropped an explosive device. In the village of Voznesenovka, Shebekinsky municipal district, a car caught fire following a kamikaze drone attack. Rzhevka and Stadnikov are under attack.
Ukrainian armed forces attempted to fire at Lugansk with missiles of an unknown type, the air defense attack was repelled, several missiles exploded in the industrial zone of the city, the LPR government said in a statement.
Russian armed forces on the 29th carried out a missile attack in Kryvyi Rih and a multiple launch attack in the Odessa region.
Graziella Giangiulio
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