Ukraine-Russia war latest: Warning over North Korea missile strikes as French jets arrive to bolster Kyiv

North Korean ballistic missiles fired at Ukraine by Russian forces have become far more precise over time, according to senior Ukrainian military officials.

Vladimir Putin's invading forces have been using imported North Korean projectiles since the end of 2023, and their accuracy and performance have changed drastically since then, military sources told Reuters.

All the more than 20 ballistic missiles that hit Ukraine over the past several weeks landed within 50-100m of their intended target, the sources said.

This is not only helping Russia in its war effort but also improving North Korea's military capabilities, they warned.

ADVERTISEMENT

Meanwhile, the first batch of French Mirage 2000 fighter jets arrived in Ukraine, the French armed forces minister Sebastien Lecornu announced this morning.

“With Ukrainian pilots on board who have been trained for several months in France, they will now participate in defending the skies of Ukraine,” he wrote.

The fourth-generation jets have been modified to focus on air-to-ground combat, reportedly so they can fire French and British long-range missiles at Russian targets.

Key Points

  • North Korean missiles used by Russia are getting more accurate, Ukraine warns

  • French fighter jets arrive in Ukraine

  • Trump may unveil plan for Ukraine peace deal next week at security summit

  • Bomber dies in attack on Ukrainian army recruitment centre

  • Zelensky says US military aid not cut – but no talks on new packages

Britain to expel Russian diplomat in tit-for-tat move

16:00 , Tom Watling

ADVERTISEMENT

Britain said on Thursday it would revoke the accreditation of a Russian diplomat, in retaliation to a similar move made by Moscow last year.

Russia said in November that it was expelling a British diplomat for spying. The accusation was denied by London.

Britain's Foreign Office said in a statement on Thursday that it had summoned the Russian ambassador to announce its decision, saying it was in response to “Russia's unprovoked and baseless decision to strip the accreditation of a British diplomat in Moscow in November”.

“Any further action taken by Russia will be considered an escalation and responded to accordingly,” the statement added.

The statement, which did not name the British diplomat or the Russian official whose accreditation is due to be revoked, said Britain "will not stand for intimidation of our staff in this way," calling its decision a reciprocal action.

ADVERTISEMENT

The Russian embassy in London did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Relations between Britain and Russia have plunged to post-Cold War lows since the start of the Ukraine war. Britain has joined successive waves of sanctions against Russia and provided arms to Ukraine.

Ukraine receives F-16 jets from Netherlands, defence minister says

15:28 , Tom Watling

Ukraine's defence minister Rustem Umerov has announced that the Netherlands has delivered US-made F-16 fighters to Ukraine.

The aircraft, along with French Mirage jets also delivered today, “will soon begin carrying out combat missions, strengthening our defence”, Mr Umerov said on Facebook.

The exact number of F-16 and Mirage jets delivered was not revealed.

The Dutch defence ministry said that for security reasons it would not comment on the timing of deliveries, nor on the amount supplied at any given time.

ADVERTISEMENT

The Netherlands has promised to deliver Ukraine a total of 24 F-16s, next to the fighter jets it supplies to a training centre for Ukrainian pilots and crew in Romania.

 (AFP via Getty Images)
(AFP via Getty Images)

Russia says US needs to formulate a Ukraine conflict resolution policy

15:00 , Tom Watling

The United States needs to formulate a policy on how to end the conflict in Ukraine and what role it will play and Moscow will then base its own position on specific steps and US action, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Thursday.

Zakharova said that Russia has heard many words and statements from Washington on the subject, but that for now there was no clarity on what exactly the US envisaged when ot came to trying to strike a deal to end the war in Ukraine.

Russia's RIA state news agency earlier on Thursday quoted a senior lawmaker as saying that preparations for a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump were at an “advanced stage”.

Trump and Putin have not spoken by phone since Trump's inauguration, according to public statements from officials on both sides.

In pictures: Ukrainian soldiers on the frontline in Donetsk

14:29 , Tom Watling

A Ukrainian serviceman of the 5th Separate Heavy Mechanised Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces stands near a Leopard 1A5 tank in Donetsk, eastern Ukraine (via REUTERS)
A Ukrainian serviceman of the 5th Separate Heavy Mechanised Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces stands near a Leopard 1A5 tank in Donetsk, eastern Ukraine (via REUTERS)
 (via REUTERS)
(via REUTERS)

As the Russians bombard the key Ukraine stronghold of Zaporizhzhia – this school offers hope underground

14:00 , Tom Watling

As the Russians bombard key Ukraine stronghold – hope remains underground

In pictures: Ukrainians train on German tanks

13:27 , Tom Watling

A serviceman of the 44th Separate Mechanised Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine directs the Leopard 1A5 tank during a training in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine (REUTERS)
A serviceman of the 44th Separate Mechanised Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine directs the Leopard 1A5 tank during a training in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine (REUTERS)
 (REUTERS)
(REUTERS)
 (REUTERS)
(REUTERS)

Human shields: The horrors those with disabilities face in Putin’s war

13:00 , Tom Watling

Used as human shields and starved: The horrors Ukrainians with disabilities face

The Baltics count down the final hours of relying on Russia

12:28 , Tom Watling

The Baltics count down the final hours of relying on Russia

Russia ejects Le Monde's Moscow correspondent in 'retaliatory' mov

12:00 , Tom Watling

Russia said on Thursday that it had withdrawn accreditation from French paper Le Monde's Moscow correspondent Benjamin Quenelle due to Paris's refusal to issue a visa to a Russian reporter, leaving the paper without a presence in Moscow for the first time since the 1950s.

Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that Moscow had repeatedly warned that it would retaliate over France's refusal to accredit a journalist from Komsomolskaya Pravda newspaper.

She said Quenelle had been the casualty not because of any “political sub-text” but because his accreditation had required a “technical extension”.

Le Monde criticised what it said was the “covert expulsion of our journalist”.

“For the first time since 1957, Le Monde is prevented from having a correspondent based in Moscow,” Jerome Fenoglio, its director, wrote in an article in the paper.

“Le Monde condemns this disguised expulsion of our journalist, who has spent more than 20 years in Russia without interruption,” Fenoglio said.

Ben Stiller denies USAID funded Ukraine trip: ‘These are lies coming from Russian media’

11:28 , Tom Watling

Ben Stiller denies USAID funded Ukraine trip: ‘Lies coming from Russian media’

Mapped: Russia's war in Ukraine

11:00 , Tom Watling

Kremlin fires boss of Russia's space agency

10:32

The Kremlin on Thursday removed the head of Russia's space agency after a tenure of less than three years that was scarred by the spectacular failure of Russia's first mission to the moon in 47 years.

In a statement, the Kremlin said Yuri Borisov, who had headed Roscosmos since July 2022, had been relieved of his post. It did not state a reason.

He was replaced by deputy transport minister Dmitry Bakanov, who before joining the government had been in charge of a satellite company.

Ever since Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first man to go into space in 1961, Russia has prided itself as a leading power in space exploration. But its ambitions suffered a massive blow in August 2023 when its uncrewed Luna-25 mission smashed into the surface of the moon while attempting to land.

Borisov, despite that failure, had laid out ambitious plans for the coming years as Russia prepares to launch its own orbital space station. The new project will replace the ageing International Space Station (ISS) where Russia has collaborated closely with the United States even after relations were plunged into crisis because of the war in Ukraine.

Last year Borisov approved a schedule under which the first two modules of the new Russian station would launch in 2027. Russia has said it plans to maintain a continuous crewed presence in space and conduct scientific, economic and security-related projects that were not possible in the Russian segment of the ISS.

General Director of the Russian state space corporation Roscosmos Yuri Borisov looks on at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan (Reuters)
General Director of the Russian state space corporation Roscosmos Yuri Borisov looks on at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan (Reuters)

French fighter jets arrive in Ukraine

09:57 , Tom Watling

The first batch of French Mirage 2000 fighter jets has arrived in Ukraine half a year after president Emmanuel Macron announced the plan to send them.

French armed forces minister Sebastien Lecornu announced the jets arrived in Ukraine this morning.

“With Ukrainian pilots on board who have been trained for several months in France, they will now participate in defending the skies of Ukraine,” he wrote.

Last December, a group of Ukrainian pilots finished a six-month training programme to operate the Mirage 2000s at a base in Nancy, north-west France.

The French, meanwhile, tweaked the jets to make them more suitable for war in Ukraine. The jets were designed to focus on air-to-air combat but Mr Lecornu said they had to be modified to be more focused on air-to-ground warfare. Their electronic warfare systems were also reinforced.

A picture shows French Mirage 2000 fighter jets flying over Estonia (AFP via Getty Images)
A picture shows French Mirage 2000 fighter jets flying over Estonia (AFP via Getty Images)

Kharkiv shopping centre destroyed by Russian drone attack

09:46 , Tom Watling

A shopping centre in Ukraine’s second-largest city has been destroyed following a Russian drone attack overnight.

Local officials said the Barabashovo market in northeast Ukraine’s Kharkiv, home to around 1.2 million people, was hit by the debris of a downed Russian drone.

Governor Oleh Syniehubov said roughly 100 kiosks had been destroyed. No casualties were reported.

It is at least the third time Russian aerial attacks have hit the market. In March 2022, as Russian forces began occupying Kharkiv (it was liberated in September that year), a double-tap strike on the market killed one emergency worker and injured a second.

In July, as Ukraine was preparing Kharkiv’s liberation, a Russian cluster munition attack killed two men and wounded 21 more.

An employee sorts clothes at a market which was hit by a Russian drone strike in Kharkiv (REUTERS)
An employee sorts clothes at a market which was hit by a Russian drone strike in Kharkiv (REUTERS)
 (REUTERS)
(REUTERS)

Mapped: Russia's advance in eastern Ukraine

09:33 , Tom Watling

Inside Kyiv’s nightly battle against Putin’s drone bombardment

09:03 , Tom Watling

The defenders of Kyiv using World War Two-style machine guns on farm trailers

Russian forces fire at Ukrainian positions in Kursk - picture

08:47 , Tom Watling

A Russian self-propelled multiple rocket launcher Uragan (Hurricane) is fired toward Ukrainian position at an undisclosed location in the Kursk region border area (AP)
A Russian self-propelled multiple rocket launcher Uragan (Hurricane) is fired toward Ukrainian position at an undisclosed location in the Kursk region border area (AP)

Ukraine sees marked improvement in accuracy of Russia's North Korean missiles

08:22 , Tom Watling

North Korean ballistic missiles fired at Ukraine by Russian forces since late December have been far more precise than salvos of the weapons launched over the past year, two senior Ukrainian sources told Reuters.

At a time when Moscow's burgeoning ties with Pyongyang are causing alarm from Washington to Seoul, the increase in accuracy - to within 50-100m of the intended target - suggests North Korea is successfully using the battlefield to test its missile technology, the sources said.

A military source, who requested anonymity to discuss sensitive information, described a marked improvement in the precision in all the more than 20 North Korean ballistic missiles that hit Ukraine over the past several weeks. A second source, a senior government official familiar with the issue, confirmed the findings when asked by Reuters.

Yang Uk, a weapons expert at Seoul's Asan Institute for Policy Studies, said such improvements in North Korean missile capabilities have troubling implications for its potential to threaten South Korea, Japan and the United States or sell upgraded weapons to "failed" states or armed groups.

"That can have a major impact on stability in the region and the world," he said, in response to questions for this story.

North Korea's military programmes have developed rapidly in recent years, including short- and intermediate-range missiles that Pyongyang says can be tipped with nuclear warheads. However, until its involvement in Ukraine, the long-isolated nation had never tested the new weapons in combat.

Mapped: Where are Ukraine's rare earth mineral resources and why does Trump want them?

07:38 , Arpan Rai

US president Donald Trump has announced he wants Ukraine to pay for financial and military support by affording Washington access to the country’s vast but untapped rare earth minerals.

He said on Monday he wants “equalisation” from Ukraine for the US’ “close to $300 billion” in support.

“We're telling Ukraine they have very valuable rare earths,” Mr Trump said. “We're looking to do a deal with Ukraine where they're going to secure what we're giving them with their rare earths and other things.”

Below, we look at where these resources are in Ukraine, and why Kyiv has struggled to mine these minerals.

Mapped: Where are Ukraine's mineral resources and why does Trump want them?

Ukraine shoots down 56 drones launched by Russia overnight

07:35 , Arpan Rai

Russia launched 77 drones and two ballistic Iskander-M missiles to attack Ukraine overnight, Ukraine's military said this morning.

Ukraine's air force shot down 56 drones and 18 more did not reach their targets, likely due to electronic warfare, it added in a statement on Telegram channel.

Ukraine attacks Russian airfield in Krasnodar

06:56 , Arpan Rai

The Ukrainian military launched an attack on an airfield in Russia's Krasnodar region overnight, resulting in explosions and a fire, its military official said.

Russian forces use the airfield to store and launch drones to attack Ukraine and maintain aircraft carrying out missions in Ukraine's southern regions, the military added.

Trump may unveil plan for Ukraine peace deal next week at security summit

06:07 , Arpan Rai

The Trump administration is reportedly set to present its peace plan aimed at ending the Russian invasion of Ukraine at a security conference in Munich next week.

Keith Kellogg, the US special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, will present president Donald Trump's plan at the conference, reported Bloomberg, citing sources who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

The format of the peace plan was not immediately clear.

Mr Kellogg has already confirmed his participation in the conference. "As the US president's special envoy for Russia and Ukraine, I look forward to speaking about Donald Trump's goal to end the bloody and costly war in Ukraine,” he wrote on X.

"I'll meet with America's allies who are ready to work with us," he added.

Ukraine says its long-range drones hit a Russian airfield as France delivers Mirage fighter jets

15:49 , Tom Watling

Ukraine says its long-range drones hit a Russian airfield as France delivers Mirage fighter jets

North Korean troops pulled from Ukraine war front line – what happened?

05:36 , Arpan Rai

North Korean troops have been pulled back from the frontline amid devastating losses, according to Ukrainian and American officials.

Kim Jong Un’s forces have not been seen on the battlefield for around three weeks, Ukrainian special forces said, according to the New York Times.

Pyongyang sent roughly 11,000 soldiers to help with Vladimir Putin’s war effort in November last year, four months after Kyiv’s troops seized Russian territory in Kursk.

What happened to the North Korean troops fighting Ukraine on the frontline?

Ukraine hits Russian oil depot in drone strike as 300 prisoners of war exchanged

05:24

A Ukrainian drone attack sparked a large fire at an oil depot in Russia's southern region of Krasnodar as Kyiv continues its campaign of long-range attacks on things that help drive Vladimir Putin’s war machine.

It came as Russia and Ukraine swapped 150 prisoners of war each and UK foreign secretary David Lammy met with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv.

A series of drone attacks by Ukraine on Russia's energy facilities have sparked fires in recent days at a major oil refinery in the Volgograd region, as well as at the Astrakhan gas processing plant.

Ukraine hits Russian oil depot in drone strike as 300 prisoners of war exchanged

North Korean missiles used by Russia are getting more accurate, Ukraine warns

05:10 , Arpan Rai

North Korean ballistic missiles fired at Ukraine by Russian forces since late December have become far more precise over time, two senior Ukrainian sources told Reuters.

There is a marked improvement in the precision in all the more than 20 North Korean ballistic missiles that hit Ukraine over the past several weeks, said a military source, who requested anonymity to discuss sensitive information.

A second source, a senior government official familiar with the issue, confirmed the findings when asked by Reuters.

The increase in accuracy, estimated to be within 50-100m of the intended target, suggests North Korea is successfully using the battlefield to test its missile technology, the sources said.

This comes at a time when Moscow's burgeoning ties with Pyongyang are causing alarm from Washington to Seoul, with concerns of impact on regional and global stability.

Robotic vehicles to be rolled out to bolster Ukrainian front line

16:04 , Tom Watling

Robotic vehicles to be rolled out to bolster Ukrainian front line

EU must improve capacity to move troops fast amid growing threats, says watchdog

04:40 , Arpan Rai

The European Union needs to raise its game to be better prepared for a military emergency, a watchdog agency monitoring the 27-nation bloc has cautioned.

A European Union programme to make it easier to shift troops and weapons across the continent quickly - by upgrading transport links - has been undermined by a lack of strategic thinking, the EU Court of Auditors said yesterday.

The issue of "military mobility" has risen up Europe's political agenda since Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, with governments anxious to revamp transport networks so they can move soldiers and kit quickly in the event of a crisis.

The agency, which scrutinises EU spending, suggests the bloc needs to raise its game to be better prepared for a military emergency.

"Now more than ever, the EU seeks to future-proof itself efficiently against aggression. Consequently, military mobility has become a crucial priority of the EU’s defence capabilities," said Court of Auditors president Tony Murphy.

"There is clearly a real need for speed. However, we found that there are some bottlenecks along the way."

The watchdog said a €1.7bn euro (£1.3bn) EU action plan lacked focus, with not enough thought given during funding decisions to which projects would be most valuable.

Russia and Ukraine exchange 150 prisoners of war with help from UAE

04:25 , Arpan Rai

Russia and Ukraine exchanged 150 prisoners of war on each side after mediation by the United Arab Emirates, the Russian defence ministry said yesterday.

It said all of the freed Russians were currently in Belarus, where they were receiving psychological and medical assistance.

Lammy in Kyiv as UK announces £55m to boost Ukraine's resilience

04:00 , Alexander Butler

Foreign secretary David Lammy has announced a £55m package of support aimed at bolstering Ukraine’s resilience, during a visit to Kyiv amid uncertainty about the future of the war.

The UK will commit £17m to support sustainable energy projects within the country, as part of efforts to help it recover from the damage wrought by Russia’s attacks on its key infrastructure.

A further £3m is being provided for deliveries of Ukrainian grain and other food produce to Syria, as it grapples with the upheaval following the collapse of the Assad regime.

Bomber dies in attack on Ukrainian army recruitment centre

03:24 , Arpan Rai

At least one person died while setting up an attack on a Ukrainian army recruitment centre in western Ukraine, officials said.

The war-hit nation is witnessing a string of attacks against its mobilisation effort. This is the ninth such attack this year targeting a Ukrainian recruitment centre.

The explosion took place at the Kamianets-Podilsky recruitment centre and wounded four other people, said Sergiy Tyurin, the regional administrator.

Ukraine's military shoots down 57 out of 104 drones launched by Russia overnight

03:15 , Alexander Butler

The Ukrainian military said that Russia launched 104 drones and two Iskander-M ballistic missiles at Ukraine in the early hours of Wednesday.

Of that number, the Ukrainian air force shot down 57 and 42 drones did not reach their targets likely due to electronic warfare, the military said.

Zelensky says US military aid not cut – but no talks on new packages

03:01 , Arpan Rai

Volodymyr Zelensky has said Ukraine continues to receive military aid from the US, but there's no discussion currently about any prospective packages.

"There's no reduction in US support today. It is not stopped, it continues," he told reporters in Kyiv after a meeting with British foreign secretary David Lammy.

Mr Zelensky said it was "too early" for discussions regarding new batches of military assistance.

Asked about Ukraine's ability to fight without American aid, he said cutting supplies would hit the country's defence capabilities.

"We will be weaker, and whether we would hold (the land) – I'm not sure," he added.

Mapped: Russia's advances in Donetsk

16:00 , Tom Watling

Ukraine hits Russian oil depot in drone strike as 300 PoWs exchanged

15:48 , Tom Watling

Ukraine hits Russian oil depot in drone strike as 300 prisoners of war exchanged