Ukraine-Russia war latest: North Korea warns US over 'new world war'; Ukraine's EU dream inches closer (2024)

Russia has tried to link Ukraine to deadly attacks that killed at least 19 people in Russia's southern republic of Dagestan.

Dagestan's governor Sergei Melikov claimed in a video statement on Monday, without providing evidence, that the attacks might have been prepared from abroad.

He also referenced what the Kremlin calls "the special military operation" in Ukraine.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attacks, which killed at least 15 police officers and four civilians, including an Orthdox priest.

Gunmen opened fire on two Orthodox churches, a synagogue and a police post in two cities in Dagestan on Sunday.

Russia's National Anti-Terrorist Committee described the attacks - in a predominantly Muslim region with a history of armed insurgency - as terrorist acts.

The committee said five gunmen were "eliminated" while the governor said six "bandits" had been "liquidated".

Mr Melikov vowed that the investigation will continue until "all the sleeping cells" of the militants are uncovered.

In March, gunmen opened fire on a crowd at a concert hall in suburban Moscow, killing 145 people.

An affiliate of the Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack, but Russian officials also sought to link Ukraine to the attack without providing any evidence. Kyiv has vehemently denied any involvement.

Read our reporting on the Dagestan attack below...

New pictures showing the devastation after a Russian attack on Ukraine's southern city of Odesa have been released (see 7.52am post).

At least three people - a19-year-old boy and two middle-aged men - were injured in the attack, regional governor Oleh Kiper said this morning.

Mr Kiper also added that around 5,000sq m had been damaged in the attack and that a fire hadspread over 3,000sq m.

The strike damaged a storage facility where some 50 peoplewere working.

Ukraine's air force said it had prevented one of two cruisemissiles launched by Russia from reaching the target.

VladimirPutin has thanked North Korean leader Kim Jong Un this morning for hishospitality during his visit last week.

Mr Putin sent a similar message of gratitude to theleadership of Vietnam where he also visited last week, theKremlin said.

The Russian president's trip to Pyongyang last week brought bilateral ties to an unprecedented level, the Kremlin said.

Meanwhile, another North Korean military official has criticised the US for sending an aircraft carrier to joinjoint drills with South Korea and Japan, state media reported.

The country's vice minister of defence, Kim Kang Il, saidthe US's actions were a "very dangerous" show of force, leaving doors open for NorthKorea's "overwhelming, new demonstration of deterrence".

Earlier, another top official warned the US that its military assistance to Ukraine may result in a "new world war" (see 7.04am post).

The European Union's foreign policy chiefJosepBorrell has said this morning that he would put forward a proposal that would ensure a member state could not block the use of proceeds from frozenRussian financial funds to support Ukraine.

"We have a legal procedure in order to avoid any kind ofblockage," Mr Borrell said before a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg.

His proposal will be put on the table at today's meeting.

Mr Borrell also added that the decision on funds for Ukraine must be taken immediately.

EU countries also agreed on Monday to anew package of sanctions against Russia over its war in Ukraine.

The bloc's 14th package of sanctions against Russia includes aban on reloading Russian liquefied natural gas in the EU forfurther shipment to third countries.

It also offers the EU more tools to crack down on the circumvention of sanctions, as well as targeting an additional116 individuals and entities for actions against Ukraine.

A Russian attack on Ukraine'ssouthern city of Odesa has struck civilian infrastructureand caused casualties, the region's governor says.

A massive cloud of smoke could be seen rising from the site where emergency services were working to put out a fire in photos published by Ukraine's interior ministry.

The Ukrainian air force had warned the city's residents ofthe threat of incoming missiles before the explosions sounded.

Odesa has been a frequent target of Russian forces, with many attacks aimed at thecity's port facilities.

Russia denies targeting civilians or civilian infrastructure.

Polish President Andrzej Duda is in China, which he says holds the key to peace in Ukraine.

He is scheduled to meet Chinese leader Xi Jinping, whose country claims it is neutral while blaming NATO for Russia's invasion and maintaining robust trade with Moscow.

Conversations will include Belarus exerting migration pressure on the border with Poland as part of a hybrid war that has also seen cyberattacks, he said.

"I am trying to maintain friendly relations with China, Poland has always had decent relations with China and I would like that to be continued," Mr Duda told Radio Zet.

Asked if he believed China was holding a key to peace, he said: "I think that to a large degree, yes."

Trade and immigration between Poland and China will also be subjects of the talks.

The European Union will formally begin Ukrainian accession talks tomorrow, rejecting Russia's attempts to force its former Soviet neighbour not to join Western alliances.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy is expected to give a speech at the launch ceremony, in what Ukraine's top official for Europe, Olga Stefanishyna, described as a "big day".

Despite the war, the country would not be seeking special treatment during negotiations, she said.

"This is the utmost will of the Ukrainian people. And this is the irreversibility. And you've seen Ukrainians stand up for their choice," said Olga Stefanishyna, the deputy prime minister for European and Euro-Atlantic integration.

"It's a big day for everybody," said Stefanishyna, who frequently showed emotion while describing the integration process.

"It has been around two years since Ukraine applied for membership. The war is still raging on, but the accession is starting right now."

While praised for making progress since its application, Ukraine must carry out dozens of institutional and legal reforms required for membership.

A top North Korean militaryofficial has criticised the US over itsexpanding military assistance to Ukraine,according to state media KCNA.

Pak Jong Chon, one of North Korea's leading military officials, said Russia had the "right to opt for any kind of retaliatory strike", adding if Washington kept pushing Ukraine to a "proxy war" against Russia, it could provoke a stronger response from Moscow and a "new world war".

The US and South Korea have been increasingly alarmed bydeepening military cooperation between Russia and the North, andhave accused them of violating international laws by trading arms.

Russia may have received about 1.6 million artillery shells from North Korea from August to January, the Washington Post reported on Saturday.

Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un signed a pact during Mr Putin's visit to Pyongyang last weekcommitting each side to provide immediate military assistance tothe other in the event of armed aggression.

Welcome back to our live coverage of the Ukraine war.

Before we begin, here's a quick rundown of what you need to know as we head into a new week.

Putin's North Korea visit

Last week saw Vladimir Putin make his first visit to North Korea in more than 24 years as the countries deepen their ties under the watchful eye of the West.

Mr Putin and Kim Jong Un signed an agreement vowing to help each other in case of invasion, in what appeared to mark the strongest connection between Moscow and Pyongyang since the end of the Cold War.

Mr Kim said the pact amounted to an "alliance", while Mr Putin hailed it as a "breakthrough document".

During the pomp-filled visit, the two leaders also took turns to drive each other around in aRussian-built Aurus limousine - a vehicle which the Kremlin said the Russian president had gifted Mr Kim.

Mr Putin said in a later news briefing that Moscow was not ruling out the possibility of sending weapons to Pyongyang.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said the Russia-North Korea defence pact pointed to a closer alignment of "authoritarian powers", while the US said Mr Putin's remarks about possible weapons supplies to North Korea were "incredibly concerning".

Meanwhile, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Russia must abide byUN sanctions on North Korea.

Attacks

Russian officials on Sunday accused Ukraine of attacking the major Crimean port city of Sevastopol using five US-supplied ATACMS missiles.

At least five people were killed, including three children, and over 100 more were hurt, officials said.

The Russian defence ministry claimed four of the missiles were shot down by air defences, while a fifth detonated in mid air. It accused Washington of being primarily responsible for the reported attack.

Video shown on Russian state TV captured what sounded like explosions, as people were seen running for cover on a beach in Sevastopol.

Meanwhile, the governor of Russia's Belgorod region, which borders Ukraine, said one person was killed when three Ukrainian drones attacked the city of Grayvoron on Sunday.

On the same day as Russia claimed multiple attacks inside Ukraine, Moscow's latest attack on Ukraine's second-largest city of Kharkiv killed one person and wounded four others.

Mayor Ihor Terekhov said Kharkiv had been attacked by a guided bomb - a day after three people were killed in the city when Russian bombs hit a five-storey residential building.

US aid

The US said it would redirect planned deliveries of Patriot and other missiles intended for its other partner countries towards Kyiv.

White House spokesman John Kirby said the decision was "difficult but necessary" as Ukrainian forces were in "desperate need" of more air defence capabilities in the face of accelerated Russian attacks.

According to Mr Kirby, Kyiv will be handed prioritised shipments as they come off assembly lines over the next 16 months or so.

Trial of jailed journalist

Russia announced last week that the espionage trial of detained US journalist Evan Gershkovich would be held behind closed doors later this month.

The Wall Street Journal reporter, 32, is accused of "gathering secret information" for the CIA about Uralvagonzavod, a facility that produces and repairs military equipment.

The first hearing is scheduled for 26 June.

The Wall Street Journal has denied the charges against Mr Gershkovich and Joe Biden has called his detention "totally illegal".

Vladimir Putin said there had been contact with Washington about a potential prisoner swap involving the reporter, but gave no further detail.

While we haven't been able to bring you our regular live coverage, we have been keeping an eye on today's latest developments.

Here are the key updates:

• The Ukrainian military issued a rare statement confirming it had struck four oil refineries in Russia during an early morning drone attack;
• South Korea summoned the Russian ambassador over the country's new defence pact with North Korea;
  
• A Russian guided bomb killed twopeople and wounded three others in the easternUkrainian town of Selydove, according to regional prosecutors;
  
• European Union countries have formally approved the launch of accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova next week;
  
• Vladimir Putinsaid Russia would keep developing its arsenal ofnuclear weapons to preserve the "balance of power in the world".

Here's a look at the latest situation on the ground: