Ukraine’s Zelenskyy says war with Russia is being pushed ‘beyond borders’ as North Korea joins in

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Tuesday that nan thousands of North Korean soldiers expected to reenforce Russian troops connected nan beforehand statement successful Ukraine are pushing nan almost three-year war beyond nan borders of nan warring parties.

Western leaders opportunity North Korea has sent immoderate 10,000 soldiers to thief Russia’s subject run and warn that its engagement successful a European warfare could besides unsettle relations successful nan Indo-Pacific region, including Japan and Australia.

Zelenskyy said he said to South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and told him that 3,000 North Korean soldiers are already astatine subject bases adjacent to nan Ukrainian beforehand statement and that he expects that deployment to summation to 12,000.

At nan Pentagon connected Tuesday, spokesperson Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said a “relatively mini number” of North Korean troops are now successful Russia’s Kursk region, wherever Russian troops person been struggling to push backmost a Ukrainian incursion, and a mates 1000 much are heading successful that direction.

South Korea, which has been successful adjacent interaction pinch NATO, nan U.S. and nan European Union astir nan latest developments, warned past week that it could nonstop arms to Ukraine successful retaliation for nan North’s involvement.

“There is only 1 conclusion — this warfare is internationalized and goes beyond nan borders” of Ukraine and Russia, Zelenskyy wrote connected Telegram.

The Ukrainian president besides said he and Yoon agreed to measurement up their countries’ practice and speech much intelligence, arsenic good arsenic create actual responses to Pyongyang’s involvement.

In Washington, White House nationalist information advisor Jake Sullivan met Tuesday pinch Zelenskyy’s apical advisor to talk nan North Korean troops arsenic good arsenic a coming surge of weaponry that nan U.S. is delivering to Kyiv to thief nan Ukrainians harden protection of their power infrastructure, according to White House officials acquainted pinch their backstage talks.

Sullivan and Andriy Yermak, caput of nan Ukrainian president’s office, shared concerns that North Korean troops could beryllium deployed to Russia’s Kursk region and what specified a improvement could mean for nan conflict.

The officials, who were not authorized to remark publicly, said during nan two-hour gathering astatine nan White House, Sullivan besides briefed Yermak connected President Joe Biden’s plans to push additional artillery systems, ammunition, hundreds of armored vehicles and much to Ukraine earlier he leaves agency successful January.

Sullivan told Yermak that by year’s end, nan U.S. management plans to supply Ukraine pinch 500 further Patriot and ARAAM missiles to thief bolster aerial defenses, according to nan officials.

Meanwhile, North Korea said its apical diplomat is visiting Russia successful different motion of their deepening relationship.

Tensions connected nan Korean Peninsula are astatine their highest constituent successful years, pinch North Korea continuing a tally of provocative weapons tests and South Korea and nan U.S. expanding their subject drills.

Russian drones, missiles and bombs smashed into Kyiv and Kharkiv, Ukraine’s biggest cities, successful nighttime attacks, sidesplitting 4 group and wounding 15 successful a continuing aerial onslaught, authorities said Tuesday.

Russia has bombarded civilian areas of Ukraine almost regular since its full-scale penetration of its neighbor, causing thousands of casualties.

The Russian service is besides pushing difficult against front-line defenses successful nan eastbound Donetsk region of Ukraine. The Russian Defense Ministry claimed Tuesday that Russian troops captured nan Donetsk municipality of Hirnyk and nan villages of Katerynivka, and Bohoiavlenka.

Zelenskyy besides said astir nan warfare astatine a gathering Tuesday successful Reykjavik pinch nan leaders of Denmark, Iceland, Finland, Norway and Sweden. He said a convention will statesman successful Canada connected Wednesday to reside nan abduction of what he said were tens of thousands of children by Russia from Ukraine’s occupied territories.

A Russian aerial onslaught struck Kharkiv, successful Ukraine’s northeast, astatine astir 3 a.m., hitting a location and sidesplitting 4 people, location Gov. Oleh Syniehubov said. Nearly 20 houses were damaged successful nan attack, he said.

Several hours earlier, Russia dropped a glide explosive connected nan landmark Derzhprom building successful nan Kharkiv metropolis center, injuring 7 people, Mayor Ihor Terekhov said. Derzhprom, besides known arsenic nan Palace of Industry, is being considered for inclusion connected UNESCO’s World Heritage List.

Terekhov said Russia has concentrated attacks connected Kharkiv successful caller days. He urged group not to disregard aerial ambush warnings.

Authorities successful Kyiv said debris from intercepted Russian drones fell connected 2 metropolis districts, injuring six people.

Ukraine has besides utilized long-range drones to disrupt Russia’s warfare instrumentality and embarrass nan Kremlin by striking targets connected Russian soil.

A typical forces academy successful nan Russian state of Chechnya was deed by drones, causing a occurrence that was quickly extinguished, according to Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, who is adjacent state of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

It was nan first drone onslaught of nan warfare connected Chechnya, which lies astir 800 kilometers (500 miles) eastbound of Ukraine.

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Associated Press writers Aamer Madhani and Lolita C. Baldor successful Washington and Jill Lawless successful London contributed to this report.

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Follow AP’s sum of nan warfare successful Ukraine astatine https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine