Russia-Ukraine war updates

The Pentagon believes the 10,000 North Korean soldiers sent to Russia are likely poised to fight against Ukraine in the coming weeks.
This escalation shows “President Putin’s increasing desperation,” said Pentagon Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh on Monday, explaining it’s “an indication that Putin may be in more trouble than people realize.”
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said Monday he could confirm North Korean troops were deployed to the Kursk region — a border area in eastern Russia where Ukrainian forces launched an offensive attack this summer.
Calling it “a dangerous expansion of Russia’s war,” Rutte said the cooperation between North Korea and Russia threatens Indo-Pacific and Euro-Atlantic security. He said it was also a sign of “Putin’s growing desperation.”
“Over 600,000 Russian soldiers have been killed or wounded in Putin’s war, and he is unable to sustain his assault to Ukraine without foreign support,” said Rutte. “This is because the Ukrainians are fighting back with courage, resilience and ingenuity.”
U.S. President Joe Biden said on Tuesday he was concerned about North Korean troops in Kursk. If the troops cross into Ukraine, Biden said Ukraine should strike back.
Two and a half years have passed since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and Singh said “Putin has failed to meet his strategic objectives.” In addition to sending soldiers to Russia, Singh said North Korea continues to send arms that are used on the battlefield.
If North Korea soldiers do join Russian troops, Singh said there will be no limits on what U.S. weapons can be used.
If North Korean troops are fighting on the front lines, they are fighting against Ukrainians who are defending their sovereign territory, said Singh, later adding the U.S. has committed to Ukraine to support them “with whatever it takes.”
Ukrainian officials said four people were killed and six injured in Russia’s overnight attacks on the country’s major cities Kharkiv and Kyiv, Reuters reported.
“Russia forces have been attacking Ukrainian regions almost every night with drones, and the Ukrainian military reported that overnight they had shot down 26 out of 48 drones launched,” the news outlet said.
Also on Tuesday, The New York Times reported Putin oversaw a nuclear training exercise. The country’s defense ministry reportedly said “it launched ballistic missiles from a military base on the Kamchatka Peninsula near Alaska and from Naval ships in the Arctic Ocean.”
According to The Times article, Putin said it would maintain and upgrade its nuclear forces. Military analysts reportedly have said Putin’s focus on nuclear weapons “is aimed at offering reassurances to a domestic audience amid the uneven performance of Russian troops in Ukraine, and at deterring Western nations from providing more advanced weapons to Ukraine.”