Up to date September 5, 2023 at 8:29 a.m. EDT|Printed September 5, 2023 at 2:12 a.m. EDT
Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean chief Kim Jong Un in 2019 earlier than talks in Vladivostok, Russia. (Yuri Kadobnov/AFP/Getty Pictures)
The Kremlin declined to remark Tuesday on studies that North Korean chief Kim Jong Un may go to Russia this month, after U.S. officers instructed The Washington Publish that Kim plans to satisfy Russian President Vladimir Putin for doable arms negotiations as Moscow seeks to spice up its arsenal for the Ukraine conflict. “We’ve nothing to say on this matter,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov instructed reporters.
Russian authorities mentioned air protection methods shot down three Ukrainian drones early Tuesday close to Moscow and a fourth over the illegally annexed Crimean Peninsula. Moscow’s mayor mentioned one of many drones was destroyed in Zavidovo, a village north of the capital that’s dwelling to an official presidential residence. There was no rapid remark from Kyiv, and the Russian Protection Ministry reported no injury.
Right here’s the most recent on the conflict and its ripple results throughout the globe.
Russia’s Protection Ministry mentioned air defenses intercepted two drones over the Kaluga and Tver areas outdoors Moscow and one other over the Istra district, nearer to the town. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin mentioned the drones had been flying towards the capital and that there was no injury from the drone downed over Zavidovo within the Tver area. The Publish couldn’t independently confirm the claims. Moscow blames Kyiv for a current uptick in tried drone assaults. Officers in Kyiv haven’t confirmed Ukraine’s involvement in particular person drone assaults concentrating on Moscow, however they’ve asserted that they see targets in Russia as a part of the conflict.
Arms negotiations between Russia and North Korea “are actively advancing,” in keeping with Adrienne Watson, a Nationwide Safety Council spokeswoman. U.S. officers, who spoke on the situation of anonymity due to the difficulty’s sensitivity, mentioned Putin and Kim would most likely meet within the port metropolis of Vladivostok in japanese Russia. White Home officers didn’t publicly verify {that a} assembly is predicted to happen however expressed rising concern over relations between Moscow and Pyongyang. The White Home mentioned final week that Putin and Kim have swapped letters, The Publish reported.
The Ukrainian parliament voted Tuesday to formally dismiss Protection Minister Oleksii Reznikov, who took the function in November 2021, state information company Ukrinform reported. The parliamentary vote formalizes Reznikov’s resignation, who stepped down this week after President Volodymyr Zelensky introduced plans to switch him because the ministry grapples with corruption accusations.
Putin didn’t rejoin the Black Sea Grain Initiative after assembly with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday to debate grain exports. Putin reiterated that his nation would rejoin the grain deal when restrictions on Russian exports are lifted. Moscow withdrew in July from the settlement, which was brokered by Ankara and the United Nations to get grain exports to international locations combating meals insecurity. Ukrainian International Minister Dmytro Kuleba described Moscow’s insistence on assembly its phrases as “blackmail.”
Ukrainian first girl Olena Zelenska mentioned her household has been pressured to reside individually as a result of conflict, in an interview in regards to the private toll of the battle printed Tuesday. “We’ve the chance to see one another however not as typically as we wish. My son misses his father,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s spouse instructed the BBC. “This can be a bit egocentric, however I would like my husband, not a historic determine, by my facet,” she added.
Practically 300 individuals had been killed and 600 injured by cluster bombs in Ukraine final yr, making it the nation with the best casualty toll from the extensively banned munitions in 2022, the Cluster Munition Coalition mentioned Tuesday. The watchdog mentioned practically all victims had been civilians and lots of had been kids.
Romania’s Protection Ministry dismissed claims that Russian drones entered the nation throughout an assault on Ukrainian ports on the Danube River. “The drone assaults carried out by the Russian Federation didn’t pose any direct navy threats towards our nationwide territory or Romania’s territorial waters,” it mentioned. The assertion got here after Ukrainian International Ministry spokesman Oleg Nikolenko wrote that drones “fell and detonated” on Romanian territory.
Cuba mentioned it has recognized a human trafficking scheme that coerced Cuban residents into combating for Russia and towards Ukraine. The human trafficking community was working in Cuba and Russia, and authorities had been working to “neutralize and dismantle” it, in keeping with Cuba’s International Ministry
Russia is discussing the prospect of holding a joint naval train with North Korea, Russian Protection Minister Sergei Shoigu instructed reporters Monday. “Why not? They’re our neighbors,” Shoigu was quoted as saying.
Who’s Rustem Umerov, Zelensky’s decide for Ukrainian protection minister? The Ukrainian president has named a brand new protection minister a yr and a half into the conflict: Rustem Umerov, a Crimean Tatar who rose by way of the personal sector and has performed a key function in high-stakes negotiations, Miriam Berger and Serhiy Morgunov report.
“The cupboard-level shake-up comes amid a wide-ranging crackdown on graft as Ukraine seeks to venture to its Western backers a tough line on the difficulty,” they write.
David L. Stern, Lyric Li, Jennifer Hassan, Dan Rosenzweig-Ziff, Natalia Abbakumova and Ellen Nakashima contributed to this report.