2 North Korean soldiers captured — Kyiv – DW – 01/11/2025

Ukraine launched drone attacks on several regions of Russia overnight, Russian authorities said.

The head of the Tambov region, Evgeny Pervyshov, said that two residential houses in the region were hit and at least three were injured.

He said that the buildings were only lightly damaged and that those injured were being treated for cuts from shards of broken windows.

Russia’s Defense Ministry said in a separate statement that it had downed 85 Ukrainian drones overnight.

Russian aviation monitor Rosaviatsia said airports in the cities of Kazan, Kizhnekamsk and Ulyanovsk in the Volga region had temporarily suspended flights.

On Friday, Russia accused Ukraine of carrying out a missile strike on a supermarket in the Russian-controlled city of Donetsk in eastern Ukraine.

Donetsk has been controlled by pro-Russian forces since 2014.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukrainian forces had captured two wounded North Korean soldiers in the Russian border region of Kursk.

“Our soldiers captured North Korean soldiers in the Kursk region. These are two soldiers who, although wounded, survived and were brought to Kyiv, and are talking to SBU investigators,” Zelenskyy said in a social media post, referring to the Ukrainian intelligence service (SBU).

“As with all prisoners of war, these two North Korean soldiers are receiving the necessary medical assistance,” he said.

Zelenskyy said Ukrainian authorities would provide media with access to the prisoners of war.

In a post on the platform X, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga said that the two prisoners of war were “regular [North Korean] troops, not mercenaries.”

North Korea has deployed thousands of troops to assist Moscow in the war with Ukraine. Last month, South Korea said that there had been 1,000 North Korean casualties in the war.

Ukraine launched an incursion into Russia’s Kursk region in August 2024.

Russia’s Defense Ministry said that its forces had captured the village of Shevchenko in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region.

It said that Russia had launched strikes on Ukraine’s military airfield and energy infrastructure that services the Ukrainian military.

Russian forces have made several advances in the Donetsk region in recent months. The region has seen some of the fiercest fighting in the war.

Russia launched dozens of drones at Ukraine overnight, the Ukrainian air force said.

It said that it had downed 47 out of the 74 Russian drones, while 27 disappeared from radars without reaching their targets.

The Ukrainian air force said that buildings and vehicles had been damaged by debris from intercepted drones. There were no reports of casualties from the barrage.

sdi/lo (AFP, AP, dpa, Reuters)