City and administrative center of Kursk Oblast, Russia, with a long history dating to 1032
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.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said Russian forces have used ballistic missiles supplied by North Korea in strikes that hit the Zaporizhstal steel plant and other Ukrainian cities, killing at least seven workers and wounding others. Kyiv has also said Moscow is receiving more North Korean missiles and preparing to deploy more North Korean personnel on Russian territory. Allies are being urged to send more air-defence systems.
The Tumen River bridge linking Russia and North Korea has opened to traffic, with officials saying up to 300 vehicles can cross daily as both sides push cross-border cooperation amid broader geopolitical shifts. The project, begun in 2025, sits near the long-standing Friendship Bridge and signals stronger alignment between Moscow and Pyongyang since 2022.