City of Kursk Oblast, Russia — cradle of a pivotal WWII battle and regional capital since 1779.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has carried out a surprise cabinet reshuffle that has removed defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov, nominated Serhii Koretskyi as prime minister and named SBU head Yevhenii Khmara as acting defence minister. The moves have provoked mass protests in Kyiv and other cities, prompted at least one senior military resignation and raised questions about unity in Kyiv’s war effort.
Ukraine has reported that North Korea has deployed missile personnel and thousands of troops to western Russia and the Kursk region and that Moscow has used North Korean KN-23/KN-24 missiles in recent strikes. Kyiv, Western analysts and local officials say the transfers increase Russia's ballistic missile capacity at a time when Ukraine lacks high-end air defences.
Russia and North Korea have opened a one-kilometre, two-lane road bridge across the Tumen River, creating the first direct road link between the countries. Trucks have begun crossing and Russian officials say the bridge will handle up to 300 vehicles daily and connect to Russia’s federal road network; passenger traffic will start when the crossing is fully operational later this year.
Amnesty International has found that migrants from Brazil, Colombia, Sri Lanka and South Africa were lured by fake civilian jobs to Russia and then conscripted into the Russian army. The group says coercion, passport seizure and false promises amount to trafficking in many cases. Ukraine and Russia have long recruited foreigners for their wars, with thousands serving on both sides.
Zelensky has told the UN that Ukraine has transferred two North Korean prisoners of war to South Korea. He says North Korea is using soldiers as currency to support Russia, while Kyiv seeks humanitarian and legal pathways amid international scrutiny.
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has demanded an apology after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy publicly said Kyiv transferred two captured North Korean soldiers to South Korea. Seoul says the transfer was meant to be confidential and accuses Ukraine of breaching an agreement; Kyiv denies any nondisclosure pact and calls the matter a diplomatic misunderstanding.
South Korea has demanded an apology and recalled its ambassador after Ukraine’s president revealed Kyiv transferred two captured North Korean soldiers to South Korea in January 2025. Seoul says the disclosure violated a confidentiality agreement and risks Pyongyang retaliation; Ukraine says the matter is a diplomatic misunderstanding.