Fears of a North Korean military axis with authoritarian states like China, Russia and Iran are “overstated” despite Pyongyang’s military support for the war against Ukraine, according to a 2025 study on global arms proliferation, which also estimated that the DPRK’s nuclear arsenal remained around the same size as last year amid a new global arms race.In its 2025 yearbook released on Monday, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) documents how North Korea sent up to 12,000 troops to fight on Russia’s side against Ukraine from last October, emphasizing that “the deployment could further escalate and globalize the conflict.”[1]References^ ...

North Korea has supplied Russia with deadly cluster munitions for weapons like the rare 107mm multiple-launch rocket system and the more widely used 122mm Grad model, according to NK News analysis of images on social media, underscoring Moscow’s increasing reliance on armaments from Pyongyang.After the appearance of the 107mm Type-75 towed multiple launch rocket system (MLRS) on Russian war-focused Telegram channels earlier this month, bloggers circulated images last week of “high-explosive fragmentation shells” and “cluster munitions” for the system.[1][2]References^ appearance (www.nknews.org)^ circulated (t.me)

Europe now partly compensates for the reduction in U.S. aid to Ukraine, with the Nordic countries and the United Kingdom leading the way.This is according to[1] a study by the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, Ukraine Support Tracker, as reported by Ukrinform.The report notes that aid flows to Ukraine changed significantly in March and April 2025. While the United States — previously Ukraine's largest donor — provided no new aid during this period and has not announced any since January, European countries have increased their support. As a result, for the first time since June 2022, Europe surpassed the ...

G7 allies will discuss the prospect of more sanctions on Russia if Vladimir Putin continues to resist calls for an unconditional ceasefire in Ukraine, Sir Keir Starmer has said. The Prime Minister said targeting Moscow with further action would “undoubtedly” form part of talks at the international summit this week unless the Kremlin engages in peace talks.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is expected to attend the conference in Canada, where leaders from the world’s major economies are descending on a luxury mountain lodge in the Rockies for talks on global security.Mr Zelensky has accepted a US-backed ceasefire proposal and offered to ...

Inflation is high and labour is in short supply, but for most Russians the war years are party time, as they have seen the largest growth in real disposable income in a decade. As of August 1, the income they have to spend on themselves, after covering the basics like food and utilities, was up a whopping 9.6% year on year, RosStat reports. This is the first time in a long time that the rise in nominal wages has outstripped inflation by such a wide margin. The last time Russians were so flush with spare cash was in the midst ...

More than 6,000 North Korean soldiers are believed to have been injured or killed while fighting in Russia[1]’s Kursk region in support of Moscow’s war on Ukraine[2], according to estimates by British intelligence.The number amounts to more than half of the 11,000 North Korean troops thought to have been initially deployed to the Kursk region, the UK defence ministry said in a post on social media on Sunday.The estimates underline North Korean leader Kim Jong-un[3]’s role as Russian President Vladimir Putin[4]’s key ally in a war now in its fourth year.“Significant DPRK casualty rates have almost certainly been sustained primarily ...

This month, the Russian mercenary outfit Wagner Group announced its total withdrawal[1] from Mali, claiming it had completed its mission after three and a half years of operations in the West African country.For years, Wagner had been battling rebels and armed groups on behalf of the Malian government, as well as asserting Russia’s interests in the Sahel.But as Wagner leaves, security advisers from the Africa Corps, a Kremlin-controlled paramilitary group, will remain in their place, ensuring a lingering presence of Russian forces.So, what does this change mean for Mali, and is there a difference between the two Russian paramilitary groups ...

China's Xi headed to Central Asia summit in Kazakhstan: state mediaby AFP Staff WritersBeijing (AFP) June 16, 2025 Chinese President Xi Jinping departed Beijing on Monday for Astana, Kazakhstan, where he will attend the second China-Central Asia Summit.Xi will hold bilateral meetings before the summit on Tuesday, Kazakhstan's presidency said. The heads of state of Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan will also attend.The trip is Xi's third overseas this year, following visits to Southeast Asia and Russia.China is in competition with Russia -- the former colonial power in Central Asia -- for influence in the vast region, which is almost ...

Vladimir Putin, the 72-year-old Russian dictator, hates admitting to having any health failings and snapped back when an eye surgeon dared to tell him: "Even the best car needs a technical inspection."Vladimir Putin has trouble reading his war script due to failing eyesight, reveal pictures of the dictator(Image: Smotri/east2west news)Vladimir Putin has brushed off reports about his needing glasses, despite regularly being spotted reviewing oversized text in briefing documents.[1] The 72-year-old autocrat, notorious for denying any health issues[2], brusquely responded to an eye doctor's suggestion: "Even the best car needs a technical inspection."Defending his eyesight during a sparkling toast at ...

An uninsured Russian Aframax-class tanker has been illegally conducting ship-to-ship oil transfers in international waters near Greece and Cyprus since July 2024, Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR) reported on June 16.According to the agency[1], the vessel, operating without Western insurance, is part of Russia's expanding shadow fleet used to bypass G7 and EU sanctions[2] on Russian oil exports. HUR[3] said such transfers "pose an environmental threat, allow the aggressor to conceal the origin of oil, evade international control, and ensure its supply to third countries in circumvention of sanctions." Ukraine[4] has identified the tanker as IMO 9247443 and listed it on ...