North Korea

The technological warfare called for by Vladimir Putin with Kyiv as a test bed brings new debate regarding Russia’s potential to develop more supersonic missiles and, more importantly, use them against Ukraine.

Online groups linked to North Korea stole around $1.34 billion this year through cryptocurrency hacking. The total value of the thefts in 47 incidents so far in 2024 is more than double the amount stolen last year, according to data from Chainalysis, a blockchain research group.

At least 100 North Koreans deployed to support Russia's war effort in Ukraine have been killed since entering combat in December, South Korean lawmaker Lee Seong-kweun told reporters Thursday.

Pyongyang has sent thousands of troops to reinforce the Russian military, including to the Kursk border region, where Ukrainian forces seized territory earlier this year.

The United States joined nine other countries and the European Union today in condemning the growing military cooperation between North Korea and Russia, the nations said in a joint statement.

Ukraine said on Monday that its troops killed or wounded at least 30 North Korean soldiers who had been deployed by Russia to its western Kursk region, where Ukraine has seized territory.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Dec. 14 that Russia had begun deploying North Korean soldiers to storm Ukrainian positions in the Kursk region.

He spoke after Russian authorities said their firefighters were battling a blaze in the western Oryol region caused by a drone attack, with Ukraine saying it had hit a major oil terminal.

South Korea's swift rebuke of martial law and removal of President Yoon Suk Yeol from office have been hailed in the country as evidence of the strength of its young democratic institutions.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has stated that Russia has begun deploying a significant number of North Korean soldiers in military operations, particularly in the Kursk region. Speaking during his evening address, Zelensky confirmed that these troops are being integrated into mixed combat groups exclusively for offensive maneuvers in the area.

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump announced yesterday, Saturday, his intention to assign another of his loyalists, Richard Grenell, to the nascent post of presidential envoy for “special missions.”

“Rick will work in some of the hottest spots in the world, including Venezuela and North Korea,” Mr. Trump said via Truth Social.

Europe must urgently awaken from its slumber and spend “much more” on its defense, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte warned today, stating that the continent is unprepared for the threat of war with Russia.