Not a day goes by when Volodymyr Zelensky and his government do not publicly and privately pressure Joe Biden to approve Ukraine attacking targets on Russian soil with long-range missiles supplied by NATO. While the Ukrainian leader is trying to get the US president to agree to cross this red line, Moscow has reinforced its offensive with weapons supplied by North Korea and Iran.
Kirilo Budanov, the head of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry’s intelligence services, said Saturday that new North Korean deliveries of artillery ammunition for Russian troops are helping the invader’s advance on multiple fronts in Donetsk province. “North Korea is providing huge amounts of artillery shells, which are critical for Russia,” Budanov said during a conference in Kiev. “Unfortunately, we cannot do anything at the moment.”
North Korea has vast quantities of Soviet-made artillery ammunition, such as that used by Russia. Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un have stepped up trade and military ties in 2024. Sergei Shoigu, head of Russia's Security Council, visited Kim in Pyongyang last week, and on Tuesday Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met with his visiting North Korean counterpart, Choe Son-hui.
Budanov was also referring to North Korean Hwasong-11 rockets identified in the Russian arsenal. Four of these missiles were identified in a bombing raid on the capital on August 18. The Hwasong-11 is a long-range missile with a flight capacity of 700 kilometers. Shorter-range missiles of 120 kilometers are the Fath-360, ballistic missiles of Iranian production that the United States, the United Kingdom and the European Commission assume Tehran delivered to Moscow this September. The report said Russia may have received more than 200 Fath-360s. Both the Kremlin and the regime of the Ayatollahs have denied this.
Zelensky warned on Sunday that Ukraine is facing new challenges with the supply of Western weapons. He revealed on CNN that they were expecting supplies to rearm 14 brigades, but they have barely been able to prepare four of them. Zelensky emphasized the urgency of obtaining NATO long-range missiles to strike military targets inside Russia, stating that every attack by Russia underscores the necessity for such capabilities. The British government has indicated support for allowing strikes on Russian targets with Storm Shadow missiles, while Germany remains opposed to any such actions.
In a significant development, explosions rocked the Russian military airfield Engels-2, where strategic bombers are stationed. Ukraine considers these bases legitimate targets and aims to destroy long-range missiles that could be used against them. The recent explosion at the Engels-2 base is part of Ukraine's ongoing efforts to neutralize threats from Russian military capabilities.
Meanwhile, the situation in Kursk remains fluid, with Ukraine on the offensive. The Institute for the Study of War reported that Ukraine has advanced into the Glushkovo district, signifying a potential turning point in the conflict. Russian forces have launched a counter-offensive in the region, but have not yet made significant progress. Ukraine's strategy aims to compel Russian troops to withdraw from the front lines, and the ongoing developments in Kursk could be pivotal for both sides.
