At least 20 hours were needed to travel by rail from Pyongyang to Vladivostok. After a long journey, Kim-Jong Un arrived aboard an armored train on Tuesday September 12 in Russia for a meeting with Vladimir Putin.
The North Korean leader arrived at the Vostochny cosmodrome, in eastern Russia, where the Russian president is located, Russian news agencies announced this Wednesday, September 13. According to a Kremlin video, a handshake between Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un was exchanged at the Russian Vostochny cosmodrome.
The Russian president and the North Korean leader first visited a rocket assembly and launch site at the Vostochny cosmodrome this Wednesday before the start of discussions between the two men.
An arms sales agreement between Pyongyang and Moscow to support the Russian offensive?
The meeting between Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un could, according to Washington, lead to an arms sale agreement to support the Russian offensive in Ukraine.
Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un will discuss “all subjects”, “without rushing us”, declared the Russian head of state during their meeting this Wednesday, asked about the possibility that military cooperation would be mentioned there, reported Russian news agencies. The Russian president raised this Wednesday the possibility that Russia would help North Korea build satellites. “That’s why we came here. The leader of North Korea shows great interest in rocket technology. They are trying to develop their space program,” Vladimir Putin was quoted as saying by Russian news agencies.
Washington fears that Russia will obtain weapons for its military operations in Ukraine from North Korea, itself under sanctions because of its nuclear and missile development programs.
“In building our relations with our neighbors, including North Korea, what is important for us is the interest of our countries and not the warnings from Washington,” Dmitri Peskov said on Tuesday. Russia and North Korea have historic ties and Kim Jong Un has repeatedly expressed support for the Russians in their offensive in Ukraine.
Fire in Sevastopol shipyard leaves 24 injured
A Ukrainian attack led to the fire early this Wednesday at a shipyard in Sevastopol on the Crimean peninsula annexed by Moscow, and injured 24 people, the local governor reported.
“I am at the scene of a fire on the southern site of Sevmorzavod (Editor’s note: the Sevastopol shipyard). All operational services are hard at work on site”, indicated the Russian governor of Sevastopol Mikhail Razvojaïev on Telegram this Wednesday morning. “As a result of the attack, according to initial information, a total of 24 people were injured,” added Mikhail Razvozhayev. According to the governor, the fire was the result of a “missile attack” carried out by kyiv against Sevastopol, the home port of the Russian Black Sea Fleet in annexed Crimea.
Since the launch of the offensive against Ukraine in February 2022, Crimea, annexed by Russia in 2014, has been regularly the target of aerial and naval drone attacks. On August 25, Moscow, for example, claimed to have shot down 42 Ukrainian drones in Crimea, describing a massive attack against this annexed peninsula where Kiev had said the day before it had succeeded in a rare commando operation.
Russian drones damage port infrastructure in Odessa region
Russian drones targeted the south of the Ukrainian region of Odessa overnight from Tuesday to Wednesday, damaging port infrastructure in the district of the port city of Izmail and injuring six people, the local governor reported.
“Several groups of attack drones were directed against the Izmail district. […] Damage to port infrastructure and other civilian (infrastructure) was noted,” Oleg Kiper said on Telegram on Wednesday morning. “Six civilians” were injured and taken to hospital, three of whom were in serious condition, added the official. Earlier in the night, Oleg Kiper had called on the population to stay sheltered until the air alert was extinguished.
Romania builds air raid shelters on border with Ukraine
NATO member Romania announced on Tuesday that it had started building air raid shelters in the southeastern region bordering Ukraine, where drone debris was discovered last week. The Eastern European country has decided to step up security measures following repeated Russian attacks on Ukrainian ports and infrastructure on the Danube.
The Romanian army has started work to build two concrete shelters in order to “protect the population” in the town of Plauru, opposite the Ukrainian port of Izmail, the Ministry of Defense wrote in a press release. They will be 9.6 m long, 2 m wide and 1.5 m high inside.
A detachment of around 50 soldiers was deployed to accomplish this task, according to the same source. “Once ready, they will be handed over to local authorities.” This is where soldiers found fragments of drones “similar to those used by the Russian army” on Saturday. In the process, Romanian President Klaus Iohannis protested to Moscow, condemning “strongly a violation of airspace which constitutes a threat to Romanian citizens” living in this region.
Denmark gives additional 777 million euros to Ukraine
Denmark will release an additional 5.8 billion crowns (777 million euros) to Ukraine, mainly intended to finance air defense equipment, munitions and tanks, the Defense Ministry announced on Tuesday.
“For Ukraine to continue to defend itself against Russia’s illegal invasion, it is essential that countries like Denmark maintain their military and economic support […]which we are doing today with the largest Danish financial contribution to date,” said Minister Troels Lund Poulsen, quoted in a press release.
Spread over three years, this donation is the twelfth from the Scandinavian country and concerns tanks, infantry fighting vehicles, tank ammunition and anti-aircraft guns. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky recently visited Denmark where he examined the F-16 fighter jets, two days after Washington approved the transfer of these fighter planes by the Nordic country and the Netherlands. in Kiev.