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Russian President Vladimir Putin has decided to increase the size of the country’s armed forces. Under the new regulation, the total personnel strength of the military has reached 2,441,630.
Operative Information Center-OMM reports that the relevant decree has been signed.
Under the decree, the number of active-duty service members has increased by 15,500 to 1.55 million.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that more than 8,000 North Korean troops are in Russia. According to him, preparations are under way to deploy another 10,000 soldiers.
Zelenskyy said North Korean troops are initially selected for training and are then sent to Russia. Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un have confirmed that Pyongyang sent troops to support Russia and have described the personnel as heroes.
According to assessments by Ukraine and South Korea, North Korea has sent approximately 14,000-15,000 troops to support Russia’s war in Ukraine since 2024. Most of them are reportedly deployed in the Kursk region to help counter Ukraine’s cross-border operation.
Explosions were heard in Kyiv early Tuesday amid Russia’s ongoing attacks on Ukraine.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said missile debris fell into the courtyard of a residential building, while a non-residential building caught fire in another part of the city.
Zelenskyy said nine people had been killed and more than 80 injured in Russian drone attacks across Ukraine and in Kyiv.
Pope Leo XIV has called on Russia and Ukraine to sit at the negotiating table to end the war. He stressed the importance of the leaders meeting and establishing dialogue.
General Alexus Grynkewich, NATO’s senior military commander, said possible Russian acts of sabotage in Europe could not prevent the allies from supporting Ukraine. He said such actions were intended to spread fear and undermine allied unity, but had failed to achieve that goal.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Serhii Koretskyi said some spending commitments, including reconstruction costs, would be postponed because of delays in foreign assistance. According to him, the projects would be completed later, while all available resources should currently be directed to critical areas.
Putin has ordered the assets of German retailer Metro AG in Russia to be placed under temporary administration. The decision was made amid growing tensions between Russia and Germany over the war in Ukraine.
A Russian jet-powered unmanned aerial vehicle struck a Ukrainian village near the Polish border early the previous day. The attack reportedly damaged a border crossing. Increased attacks on areas near the Polish border in recent weeks have prompted concern in Warsaw and among its European allies.
