Ukraine-Russia war latest: Russian soldiers killed by North Korean troops in friendly fire, Kyiv says

Russian troopers have been killed by North Korean troops in pleasant hearth whereas combating in Kursk, Ukraine’s navy intelligence company mentioned.

The HUR mentioned a gaggle of North Korean troopers opened hearth on and killed eight members of the Chechen Akhmat unit combating for Russia.

The assault was the results of the language barrier between Russian and North Korean troops, which continues to be a “tough impediment” on the battlefield, in keeping with the HUR.

Ukraine has slammed Fifa for an “unacceptable error” after a map displayed throughout the 2026 World Cup draw appeared to exclude Crimea from the nation’s territory.

The map, used to point out nations that can’t be drawn to play in opposition to one another for geopolitical causes, highlighted Ukraine however excluded Crimea, which is internationally recognised as a part of its territory.

Crimea has been underneath Russian occupation since 2014, although only some international locations recognise it as Russian territory.

“FIFA has not solely acted in opposition to worldwide legislation however has additionally supported Russian propaganda, struggle crimes, and the crime of aggression in opposition to Ukraine,” Ukraine’s overseas ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi mentioned.

Moscow’s overseas intelligence chief mentioned he has not been in touch with the CIA over Kyiv’s strikes with Western long-range weapons into Russia and Moscow’s use of its new missile in response, Russia’s RIA company reported on Sunday.

“No, I’ve not been in touch,” Sergei Naryshkin advised RIA in an interview when requested if he had talked to CIA Director William Burns in relation to Kyiv’s strikes into Russia or Russia firing its new intermediate-range hypersonic ballistic missile often known as “Oreshnik” into Ukraine.

Russia’s air defence programs destroyed 15 Ukrainian drones in a single day, claimed Moscow this morning.

13 of the drones have been downed over the Black Sea and one every over the Russian border areas of Kursk and Belgorod, the defence ministry mentioned in a put up on its Telegram messaging channel.

Ukrainian air defences destroyed 56 out of 108 drones launched by Russia throughout its newest in a single day strike, Kyiv’s navy mentioned on Sunday.

It added that one other 49 have been “locationally misplaced”, usually a results of digital jamming.

Particles from the destroyed drones broken an unspecified piece of infrastructure in addition to residence buildings and houses, the air power mentioned.

Ukraine has changed the commander overseeing its japanese Donetsk forces following important Russian advances close to the strategically essential metropolis of Pokrovsk, a navy official introduced on Saturday.

Normal Oleksandr Tarnavskiy has been appointed to guide the operational and tactical group, succeeding Normal Oleksandr Lutsenko. The management change follows mounting criticism of Normal Lutsenko for failing to stop current Russian progress within the area.

Russian troops have been reported inside 3km of Pokrovsk, in keeping with the Ukrainian mapping service DeepState. Town, situated roughly 17km from the border between Donetsk and Dnipropetrovsk areas, has been the scene of a few of the most intense combating on Ukraine’s japanese entrance in current months.

Pokrovsk holds important strategic worth for Moscow. Its seize would mark a serious setback for Ukraine, representing essentially the most substantial territorial loss in months. The autumn of the town would additionally escalate the challenges for Ukrainian forces, that are already struggling underneath immense strain on the japanese entrance traces.

The heightened tensions come as Ukraine faces extra uncertainty over its future navy help from the US. Issues have grown with the potential return of Donald Trump to the presidency, elevating fears that Kyiv’s largest supply of help might scale back or withdraw help fully because the battle nears its fourth 12 months.

The fall of the Assad regime in Syria has led to questions over Russia’s means to maintain its navy adventures overseas. Russia had supported Assad militarily for over a decade, constructing on longstanding ties between Moscow and Damascus.

However the fast advance of anti-government forces this month noticed Russia apparently powerless to affect the state of affairs past numerous airstrikes (as at all times, apparently largely delivered on civilian targets) in help of presidency forces.

That has inevitably led folks to attract conclusions about Russia’s means to mission energy abroad, and what it could imply for the course of the struggle in Ukraine.

Donald Trump’s particular envoy for Ukraine and Russia mentioned the continuing struggle between the 2 international locations might be “resolved within the subsequent few months” as quickly because the Republican takes workplace.

A retired US Military Lieutenant Normal, Keith Kellog advised Fox Enterprise: “The one one who can do that is President Donald Trump, and he’ll do it. They’re bored with killing one another on the market. That is time.”

His remarks come as Russia prepares for Mr Trump to imagine workplace.

“Russia is able to examine Trump’s proposals on Ukraine, however learning doesn’t imply agreeing,” state information company RIA Novosti posted to Telegram.

Final week, in a press release on Fact Social, Mr Trump wrote that “Zelensky and Ukraine want to make a deal and cease the insanity”.

Ukraine has sharply criticised Fifa for excluding Crimea from its territory on a map displayed throughout the 2026 World Cup draw, calling the error “unacceptable” and demanding accountability.

The map was used for instance nations prohibited from being drawn collectively within the event on account of geopolitical tensions. Whereas Ukraine was highlighted on the map, Crimea—internationally recognised as a part of its territory—was noticeably absent. Crimea has been underneath Russian occupation since 2014, however the annexation is recognised by only some nations.

Heorhii Tykhyi, spokesperson for Ukraine’s overseas ministry, condemned the omission, asserting that it violated worldwide legislation. “Fifa has not solely acted in opposition to worldwide legislation however has additionally supported Russian propaganda, struggle crimes, and the crime of aggression in opposition to Ukraine,” he wrote on X, sharing a corrected model of the map that included Crimea. Mr Tykhyi additionally demanded a public apology from the worldwide soccer governing physique.

Fifa has since responded, stating it was “conscious of a difficulty” and had eliminated the map. Nonetheless, the Ukrainian Soccer Affiliation has escalated the matter by formally addressing Fifa secretary-general Mathias Grafström and Uefa secretary-general Theodore Theodoridis in a letter.

The letter voiced “deep concern” over the incident, pointing to the consistency of Fifa and Uefa’s previous selections that upheld Ukraine’s territorial integrity. It additional said: “The cartographic picture of Ukraine displayed on December 13, 2024, is totally unacceptable and appears like an inconsistent place of Fifa and Uefa.”

The incident has intensified scrutiny over Fifa’s dealing with of politically delicate points, with Ukraine persevering with to push for stronger measures to stop such errors sooner or later.