Ukraine updates: South Korea mulls sending team to Ukraine

According to estimates, more than 10,000 North Korean soldiers have been sent to Russia.

Meanwhile, North Korea's top diplomat is in Moscow today for "strategic talks" with his Russian counterpart.

Russia has also claimed it has captured another village in eastern Ukraine.

Here is a roundup of developments regarding Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Tuesday, October 30:

10/30/2024October 30, 2024

Kyiv, Moscow, negotiate pause on targeting energy facilities, reports

Ukraine and Russia are in the early stages of negotiating a potential agreement to halt airstrikes on energy facilities in both countries as we approach a third winter of war in Ukraine, the British newspaper Financial Times reported, citing unnamed sources.

The talks had been derailed by Ukraine's incursion into Kursk in the summer, the unnamed sources told FT.

"There are very early talks about potentially restarting something," the FT cited a diplomat who the newspaper said was briefed on the negotiations as saying. "There's now talks on the energy facilities."

However, the newspaper also cited Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying there was a lot of fake news, even in the most reputable media, that "has nothing to do with reality," when asked about the reports.

10/30/2024October 30, 2024

China, Russia discuss Ukraine

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi hosted Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko in Beijing on Wednesday, with Ukraine on the agenda.

Wang described China's relationship with Russia as "inevitable and strong," emphasizing that it is "not affected by the changing international situation and is not directed at or influenced by third parties."

China regards both Russia and North Korea, which has recently faced criticism for reportedly sending troops to support Russia in Ukraine, as close allies.

10/30/2024October 30, 2024

South Korea wants to send team to monitor North Korean troops in Russia

South Korea aims to send a team to Ukraine to monitor and analyze the activities of the North Korean soldiers that have been deployed in Russia, a presidential official said on Wednesday.

This comes after NATO and Washington said that some high-ranking North Korean military officials and troops have been sent to Russia.

The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said Seoul and its allies estimated at least 11,000 North Korean troops have been sent to Russia with more than 3,000 of them now deployed close to the front lines in Ukraine.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has described this military cooperation between Russia and North Korea as "illegal" and a "significant security threat to the international community."

10/30/2024October 30, 2024

North Korea, Russia, hold 'strategic' talks in Moscow

North Korea's and Russia's top diplomats were engaged in "strategic" talks in Moscow on Wednesday, Russian authorities said.

North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui was on an official visit to Moscow to hold "strategic consultations" with her Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.

"We will inform you additionally about the details," Zakharova said.

The visit comes amid growing Western concern over North Korea's support for Russia in Ukraine, with the US on Monday saying that 10,000 North Korean troops were training in Russia and could be deployed to Ukraine within weeks.

mfi/lo (AFP, AP, dpa, Reuters)