September 13, 2023 Russia-Ukraine news

Our live coverage for the day has ended. Follow the latest Ukraine news here or read through the updates below.

The European Parliament called Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko “an accomplice” in the war crimes committed by Russia in Ukraine in a resolution adopted Wednesday.  

The European Parliament urged European Union institutions and members “to enable the criminal prosecution of Belarusian officials who are complicit in the crime of aggression, war crimes, crimes against humanity and crimes of genocide committed against Ukraine.” 

It called for the establishment of an International Criminal Court country office in Ukraine and “to find legal pathways for seizing assets of the Belarusian leadership and related Belarusian entities involved in the Russian war effort” in order to support the reconstruction of Ukraine. 

The European Parliament also called on EU member states to “broaden and strengthen the scope of their sanctions” against Russia. It suggested applying the same sanctions against Belarus as it currently does against Russia. 

The parliament also called on Russia and Belarus to be put on “the EU’s high-risk third-country list with regard to combating money laundering and the financing of terrorism.” 

The resolution urged the International Olympic Committee and other international sports federations “not to allow athletes from Belarus and Russia to compete in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games or any other international sports events.” 

It also labeled Belarus a “satellite state of Russia” and condemned “the deployment of Russian tactical nuclear weapons under Russian command on Belarusian territory,” which it said was made in violation of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and may trigger further nuclear redeployments in the region. 

The Pentagon is establishing a new team in Ukraine to monitor US security assistance to Kyiv, as a growing number of Republican lawmakers are calling for more oversight into how the money is being used. 

The Defense Department Inspector General said a senior US representative began work in Ukraine in late August, and additional personnel are expected to arrive by the end of September. The personnel, based at the US embassy in Kyiv, will monitor US aid, which has totaled more than $43.7 billion since the start of the Biden administration. 

It marks the first time the inspector general will have personnel based in Ukraine since Russia’s invasion in February 2022, said spokesperson Megan Reed.

Some background: The establishment of the new team comes at a critical time for Ukraine aid. The Biden administration recently asked Congress for $24 billion more in assistance, including $13 billion in security assistance, as the president and other senior administration officials have vowed to continue US aid for “as long as it takes.”

But some increasingly skeptical Republicans have raised questions about how much bipartisan support there is for such substantial sums of aid. A growing number of Republicans have begun questioning the wisdom of spending billions of dollars in Ukraine and have called for greater oversight.

Republican calls for more oversight are not unanimous. GOP Senate leader Mitch McConnell said Tuesday that there was already “unprecedented insight into how nearly 30 types of Western weapons systems and vehicles are being used by Ukraine, often down to the serial number.”

The Pentagon has improved its ability to monitor transfers of weapons and equipment to Ukraine through the defense attache in Kyiv and the establishment of the Security Assistance Group-Ukraine, but the military struggled to effectively oversee the shipments when the war began.

A Defense Department inspector general report obtained by CNN warned that the ability of the US to monitor billions of dollars in aid flowing into Ukraine faced “challenges” because of the limited US presence. During the first six months of the war, the Office of Defense Cooperation-Kyiv “was unable to conduct required [end-use monitoring]” of military equipment provided to Ukraine. 

The report, dated October 2022, underscored how difficult it was for the US to track the vast quantities of weapons, ammunition and equipment during the early months of the war. Criminals, volunteer fighters and arms traffickers in Ukraine attempted to steal some of the Western-provided weapons and equipment before it was recovered by Ukrainian intelligence, the report found.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un meets Russia's President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday, September 13, in this image released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin met at a space center in Russia’s Far East on Wednesday.

The pair spent around five hours together, according to Russian state news agency TASS. Putin described the talks as “highly productive,” involving a “candid exchange of views” on both regional matters and bilateral relations.

The leaders met at the Vostochny Cosmodrome, as both countries face international isolation over Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine and Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons and ballistic missile program.

Putin was asked if he discussed military-technical cooperation with Kim. In his response, Putin acknowledged the certain restrictions in place, which he said Moscow fully complies with, but admitted there are areas open for discussion and consideration, suggesting the presence of potential prospects for cooperation.

Later, North Korea’s state media KCNA reported that Kim invited Putin to visit Pyongyang at a “convenient time,” and that the Russian leader happily accepted the invite.

Meanwhile, the United States said it “will not hesitate to impose sanctions” if the meeting results in weapons transfers between the two countries. The US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield said Moscow’s engagement with North Korea “shows how desperate Russia is.” 

Here are other headlines you should know:

Ukraine is claiming that North Korea is already supplying Russia with ammunition. 

“We can say that cooperation continues between North Korea and Russia,” Andrii Yusov, representative of the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine, said in an interview with Ukrainian state media on Wednesday. He added that such intel between the countries is being intercepted and recorded. 

Russian requests are mainly for projectiles for artillery and MLRS, Yusov said, referring to rocket launchers.

“This is an important factor that will be felt on the battlefield, unfortunately,” he said, adding that Ukraine is working on a proper reaction to such cooperation. 

Yusof did not provide any evidence that North Korea is already supplying weapons to Russia nor has CNN verified any such supplies.

The comments come after United States officials warned that Russia and North Korea could make a potential arms deal that could see Pyongyang provide weapons for Moscow.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and President Vladimir Putin met on Wednesday in Russia’s Far East.

Afterward, Putin was asked if he discussed military-technical cooperation with Kim.

The Russian leader acknowledged certain restrictions in place, which he said Moscow fully complies with, but admitted there are areas open for discussion and consideration. 

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has invited President Vladimir Putin to visit Pyongyang at a “convenient time,” state media KCNA reported, adding that the Russian leader has happily accepted the invite. 

Kim bid Putin farewell and has left for his “next destination,” KCNA said, without providing details of where he is going next.

The leaders met at the Vostochny Cosmodrome in Russia’s Far East on Wednesday.

The meeting was held after US officials warned that Russia and North Korea are “actively advancing” in a potential arms deal that could see Pyongyang provide weapons for Moscow to use in its faltering Ukraine war in exchange for sanctioned ballistic missile technology.

Moscow is in need of fresh supplies of ammunition and shells after more than 18 months of war has left its military battered, while Pyongyang, which has faced years of international sanctions over its nuclear weapons program, is short of everything from hard cash and food to missile technology.

Oleksandr Pishchyk, a school director, stands in front of the school library that was destroyed by shelling in Kupiansk, Ukraine, on Wednesday, August 23.

More than 2,000 people have left the Kupiansk district as of Wednesday, after a mandatory evacuation was ordered for 56 settlements on August 9, according to Kharkiv regional authorities.

Oleh Syniehubov, the head of the Kharkiv region military administration, said on Telegram that 2,339 people have evacuated so far, including 350 children. He said that another 1,438 evacuated on their own as well, including 164 children.

Syniehubov said 12,000 people were still living in the community as of Sunday, as opposed to the 57,000 people who lived there before Russia’s war on Ukraine.

Syniehubov added that the situation on the frontline in the Kupiansk sector remains “difficult.”

A video posted by Ukraine’s Offensive Guard on Wednesday appears to show an enemy position hit by an intense explosion in the distance. According to the caption, the Ukrainian border guard “used an automatic grenade launcher MK19 to hit the occupiers’ minefields.”

The Russian defense ministry said it destroyed three Ukrainian unmanned boats in the Black Sea on Wednesday. 

The news comes after Ukraine launched an extensive missile attack on the Sevastopol shipyard in occupied Crimea in the early hours of Wednesday. 

The ministry claimed air defense forces shot down seven cruise missiles, and that the patrol ship Vasily Bykov destroyed all the unmanned boats. But the ministry acknowledged that “two ships under repair were damaged by enemy cruise missiles.” 

The vessels will be fully repaired, the ministry added.

The United States “will not hesitate to impose sanctions” if the meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un results in weapons transfers between the two countries, the US State Department said.

Ahead of the Putin-Kim summit, US officials warned that Russia and North Korea are “actively advancing” in a potential arms deal that could see Pyongyang provide weapons for Moscow to use in its faltering Ukraine war in exchange for sanctioned ballistic missile technology.

Miller said that the US has not raised the issue of Russia potentially providing nuclear technology to North Korea with China, but that he anticipated they would.

“Secretary Blinken raised North Korea’s nuclear program and North Korea’s ballistic missile program in his engagements with Chinese officials when we were in Beijing, and we’ve regularly raised that in our conversations with Chinese officials,” Miller said.

Miller also condemned North Korea’s overnight ballistic missile launches.

Russia's President Vladimir Putin and North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un visit the Vostochny Сosmodrome in the far eastern Amur region, Russia, September 13, 2023.

Vladimir Putin has said Russia is considering and discussing some military cooperation with North Korea, following a summit at which that country’s leader Kim Jong Un appeared to endorse Moscow’s war on Ukraine.

The leaders met at the Vostochny Cosmodrome in Russia’s far east, as both countries face international isolation.

Moscow is in need of fresh supplies of ammunition and shells after more than 18 months of war in Ukraine has left its military battered, while North Korea, which has faced years of international sanctions over its nuclear weapons program, is short of everything from hard cash and food to missile technology.

Here’s what happened at the summit:

Kim signaled support for Russia’s invasion: Without naming Ukraine, Kim said the “Russian military and its people will inherit the shining tradition of victory” and demonstrate their reputation on the frontline of “military operation,” the euphemistic phrasing Moscow uses to describe its illegal invasion of Ukraine.

“I will always be standing with Russia,” Kim said, praising Moscow for having “stood up against the hegemonic forces” to defend its sovereignty and security, a veiled reference to the United States and the West.

What North Korea wants in return: Putin signaled a willingness to assist North Korea in developing its space and satellite program. North Korea has made space technology a priority — but has some ways to go, having tried and failed twice this year to launch a spy satellite into orbit.

Kim has also stressed the role of military satellites as a means to protect national safety and territorial stability and has spoken of their strategic value when deploying military force preemptively, North Korean state media reported in April.

Providing this technology to North Korea would be in violation of international sanctions, aimed at hampering Pyongyang’s ability to build a fully functioning nuclear weapons and ballistic missile force.

The meeting was at a space center: During the tour, the two leaders inspected the complex where Russia plans to launch its next generation of spacecraft. The facilities were built to receive launch vehicles, conduct pre-launch preparations, launches, and post-launch operations, state news agency TASS reported.

North Korea fires ballistic missiles: Hours before the summit, North Korea launched two short-range ballistic missiles into the waters off the east coast of the Korean Peninsula, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said.

Analysts say it’s unusual for Pyongyang to conduct a launch while Kim is out of the country. North Korea may be intending “to show that the military maintains readiness with uninterrupted command and control,” Easley, the professor of international studies, said.

US representative to the United Nations and president of the UN Security Council for the month of August Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield speaks during a press conference after a meeting of the UN Security Council on maintenance of peace and security of Ukraine at the United Nations Security headquarters on August 24, 2023 in New York City.

The US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield said on Wednesday that Moscow’s engagement with North Korea “shows how desperate Russia is.”  

Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un sat down for talks on Wednesday at Russia’s Vostochny Cosmodrome space center. 

Putin signaled willingness to assist North Korea in developing its space and satellite program Wednesday, as he gave Kim Jong Un a tour of Russia’s vast Vostochny space launch site ahead of their expected arms talks. When asked by a reporter whether Russia would help North Korea launch its own satellites and rockets, Putin responded: “That’s exactly why we came here.”

Remember: US officials have warned North Korea it will “pay a price” if it strikes an arms deal with Russia, after saying that negotiations were “advancing” between the two nations.

If Pyongyang provides weapons to Moscow to use in the war against Ukraine, it is “not going to reflect well on North Korea and they will pay a price for this in the international community,” White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan told a news briefing on Tuesday.

Ukraine said that sanctions against Russia must be tougher and more sophisticated, after new reporting that Russia is evading international restrictions and increasing its missile production.

Yermak was responding to a New York Times report that Russia has managed to overcome sanctions and export controls imposed by the West to expand its missile production beyond pre-war levels, citing US, European and Ukrainian officials. 

The NYT reported that “Russia subverted American export controls using its intelligence services and ministry of defense to run illicit networks of people who smuggle key components by exporting them to other countries from which they can be shipped to Russia more easily.”

Yermak said that a special group appointed by the Ukrainian government had “provided detailed proposals to our partners, as well as evidence of foreign components in Russian weapons. The enemy’s military-industrial complex cannot produce missiles without these components.”

“We are working with the governments of our partners. We need to actively cut off oxygen to the Russians,” he added.

The Yermak-McFaul International Working Group last month made recommendations to tighten control over foreign-made components used by Russia in its unmanned aerial vehicle program.

China is the main supplier of critical components for Russian drones, accounting for 67% of shipments, with 17% of them going through Hong Kong, the group reported.

The group called for better international harmonization of sanctions lists and the unification of data on dual-use goods that can be used in both military and civilian applications.

Ukraine’s air force commander, Mykola Oleshchuk, said more than three dozen Russian attack drones were shot down in the country on Tuesday night.

Oleshchuk said that the accuracy and percentage success of mobile fire groups was constantly improving, meaning that the Ukrainian air force was not wasting scarce anti-aircraft guided missiles on “Shaheds” but saving them for Russian airplanes, helicopters and cruise missiles.

Earlier Tuesday, the head of Odesa region military administration said at least seven people were injured in a Russian drone attack on the Ukrainian regions of Odesa and Sumy overnight into Wednesday.

The Ukrainian Air Force said out of a total of 44 Shahed-136/131 drones launched towards Ukraine, 32 were destroyed. The Air Force said the attacks were launched from the Russian town Primorsko-Akhtarsk and Kursk and Chauda in Russian-occupied Crimea.

US journalist Evan Gershkovich stands inside a defendants' cage before a hearing to consider an appeal on his extended detention at The Moscow City Court in Moscow, Russia, on June 22.

Russia’s Moscow City Court will consider an appeal against the decision to extend the arrest of The Wall Street Journal reporter, Evan Gershkovich, next Tuesday, Russian state media reported on Wednesday. 

The hearing will be held behind closed doors, as the case contains classified materials, according to TASS.

In August, a Moscow court extended the pre-trial detention of Gershkovich, who had been arrested on espionage charges, by three months until November 30 – a decision which the defense filed an appeal against.

More about the case: Gershkovich has been detained in Russia since March following his arrest on charges that he, the WSJ, and the US government vehemently deny.

His arrest was the first detention of an American reporter in Russia on allegations of spying since the Cold War, rattling White House officials and further straining ties between Moscow and Washington.

The US State Department has officially designated Gershkovich as wrongfully detained in Russia. US President Joe Biden has also been blunt about Gershkovich’s arrest, urging Russia to “let him go.”

The two naval vessels which were damaged by a Ukrainian missile attack on a Sevastopol shipyard in the early hours of Wednesday, will be fully restored, the Russian Defense Ministry said on its Telegram channel.

The ministry did not name the vessels, but said that the ships that were undergoing scheduled repairs at the shipyard, “will be fully restored and will continue their combat service as part of their fleets.”

Remember: A prominent Russian military blogger had said that the attack on the Sevastopol shipyard overnight was carried out by the Ukrainian Air Force, which launched 10 Storm Shadow cruise missiles at the facility. 

The blogger, Rybar, said the missiles were launched from Su-24M aircraft over the Black Sea. Rybar said air defenses, including a Pantsir-S1, had brought down seven missiles, but added that “unfortunately, three Storm Shadow missiles reached their target: the landing ship Minsk and the submarine Rostov-on-Don, which were in dry dock, received varying degrees of damage.”

The Rostov-on-Don is a relatively modern Kilo-class submarine capable of carrying Kalibr cruise missiles. CNN could not independently verify the extent of damage done to any vessel.

“After a long break, cruise missile attacks on Crimea have resumed,” Rybar said. “With a very high degree of probability, raids will continue in the coming days (and not only in Sevastopol)

CNN’s Tim Lister, Josh Pennington and Christian Edwards contributed reporting to this post.

Russia's President Vladimir Putin talks to North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un as they visit the Vostochny Сosmodrome in the far eastern Amur region, Russia, on September 13.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said his first day of talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was “highly productive,” involving a “candid exchange of views” on both regional matters and bilateral relations.

The pair spent around five hours together on Wednesday, according to according to Russian state news agency TASS.

Putin went on to confirm that Kim is set to fly to Komsomolsk-on-Amur and then Vladivostok as part of his extensive program during his stay in Russia. He will visit factories involved in the production of both civilian and military equipment. Following that, the North Korean delegation will get a demonstration of the military capabilities of Russia’s Pacific Fleet, he told state news agency Russia 1 after concluding the summit Wednesday.

Kim Jong Un’s program in Russia will also encompass environmental and educational issues, with visits to the Eastern Federal University and the Russian Academy of Sciences, including a marine biology laboratory, Putin said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said the country is considering and discussing some military cooperation with North Korea, according to Russia state news agency Russia 1. 

Asked whether he discussed military cooperation with Kim Jong Un during their meeting on Wednesday, Putin noted “certain restrictions” on sending military aid to North Korea.

But the Russian President admitted that there are areas open for discussion and consideration, suggesting that the topic will be a feature of the North Korean leader’s visit to Russia. 

Some context: Kim has previously stressed the role of military satellites as a means to protect national safety and territorial stability and has spoken of their strategic value when deploying military force preemptively, North Korean state media reported in April.

Providing this technology to North Korea would be in violation of international sanctions, which have been imposed to hamper Pyongyang’s ability to build a fully functioning nuclear weapons and ballistic missile force.

US officials have warned the summit could result in Pyongyang supplying weapons for Moscow’s use in its faltering Ukraine war in exchange for sanctioned ballistic missile technology.

Russia's President Vladimir Putin, second right, meets with North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un, second left, at the Vostochny Сosmodrome in the far eastern Amur region, Russia, on September 13.

Talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un were “very substantive,” Russian state media reported on Wednesday, citing Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov.

The pair spent around five hours together on Wednesday, according to according to Russian state news agency TASS.

According to TASS, the leaders met at Vostochny Cosmodrome 7:09 a.m. Moscow time where the North Korean leader arrived on his train and the two inspected the Vostochny facilities. Negotiations began at 8:25 a.m., and lasted “more than an hour,” according to TASS. The summit then continued with a “one-on-one conversation between Putin and Kim Jong Un,” TASS said.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has made his strongest endorsement of Moscow’s war on Ukraine since his summit in Russia began, telling Vladimir Putin that “Russia will emerge victorious in the fight to punish the evil forces.”

Kim said before a toast at a state dinner with Putin that he is “certain that the Russian people and its military will emerge victorious in the fight to punish the evil forces that ambitiously pursues hegemony and expansion.” 

He did not name Ukraine but referred to Russia’s “military operation,” the euphemistic phrasing Moscow uses to describe its illegal invasion of Ukraine.

Kim said the “Russian military and its people will inherit the shining tradition of victory” and demonstrate their reputation on the front line of the “military operation.”

The North Korean leader added that he and Putin had an “in-depth discussion” with Putin on the “political and military landscape of Korean Peninsula and Europe.”

Kim vowed to establish “a new era of 100-year friendship” between two countries, and proposed a toast to “the great Russia’s new victory” and Putin’s health.

Western countries have warned that Putin will seek an arms deal with Kim to bolster his war, which has stretched for 18 months and left Moscow’s army short of supplies and manpower.

Kim’s full-throated support of the war at the dinner will only bolster those fears. North Korea, which has faced years of international sanctions over its nuclear weapons program, is meanwhile short of everything from hard cash and food to missile technology.

A prominent Russian military blogger says that the attack on the Sevastopol shipyard overnight was carried out by the Ukrainian Air Force, which launched 10 Storm Shadow cruise missiles at the facility. 

The blogger, Rybar, said that the missiles were launched from Su-24M aircraft over the Black Sea. Rybar said air defenses, including a Pantsir-S1, had brought down seven missiles, but added that “unfortunately, three Storm Shadow missiles reached their target: the landing ship Minsk and the submarine Rostov-on-Don, which were in dry dock, received varying degrees of damage.”

The Rostov-on-Don is a relatively modern Kilo-class submarine capable of carrying Kalibr cruise missiles. There is no independent confirmation of the extent of damage done to any vessel.

What Ukraine is saying: In an apparent reference to the overnight attack, the head of the Ukrainian President’s Office, Andriy Yermak, said that “in addition to sanctions pressure and depriving the Russian military-industrial complex of the ability to produce weapons, we need to deprive the Russian army of logistics. Without it, they will not be able to hold our territory.” 

“The way to victory on the battlefield is to knock out the logistics of the Russians.”

Fire has been extinguished: The attack damaged eight houses and caused a fire at the shipyard which has now been extinguides, the official Russian news agency TASS reported.

North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un has met with Russian President Vladimir Putin, in a closely watched summit that the West has warned could result in an arms deal to bolster Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.

A state dinner held in Kim’s honor has just begun, after initial talks and a tour of an eastern Russian spaceport.

Here’s what we know so far about the summit:

Russia hosts a state dinner for North Korean president Kim Jong Un on September 13.

Russia’s state dinner for North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has begun. 

The event is being held at the Vostochny Cosmodrome, according to the menu released by Russian state news. 

Russian President Vladimir Putin began the reception, saying “Your current visit is taking place in a truly comradely, friendly, benevolent atmosphere.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin, second right, and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, second left, visit a construction site of the Angara rocket launch complex on September 13, in Tsiolkovsky, Russia.

Russian President Vladimir Putin showed North Korean leader Kim Jong Un a presidential limousine manufactured by the Russian luxury automobile maker Aurus while visiting the Vostochny Cosmodrome on Wednesday.

Putin told Kim: “The car is called Aurus, this is what we started producing in Russia,” according to video released by state news Russia 1 and the Russian state military TV channel Zvezda.

Aurus Motors was founded in 2018, originally to produce Russia’s official state cars, according to Russian media. According to the company’s website, the Aurus Senat Limousine is the official presidential vehicle and offers “ballistic protection.”

It’s unknown whether Kim was shown the vehicle before or after talks with Putin. 

Former US President Donald Trump also gave North Korean leader a viewing of the presidential Cadillac limousine nicknamed “the Beast” during their talks in Singapore in 2018.

During his opening remarks after Kim’s arrival, Putin told the North Korean leader: “We, of course, need to talk about issues of economic cooperation, issues of a humanitarian nature, and the situation in the region,” according to a Kremlin readout.

Russia will host a lavish official state dinner on Wednesday in honor of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s visit, according to Russian state news agency TASS. 

The dinner comes after Kim held talks for more than an hour with President Vladimir Putin and Kim at the Vostochny Cosmodrome in Russia’s Amur province, in the Far East region.

The menu, shared by state news agency Russia 1, features dishes including:

This is the second state dinner Russia has held for Kim; a state reception was held in his honor during Kim’s 2019 visit to Vladivostok.

Smoke rises from the shipyard that was reportedly hit by Ukrainian missile attack in Sevastopol, Crimea, in this still image from video taken on September 13.

Ukrainian forces launched an extensive attack on a ship repair facility in the Crimean port of Sevastopol overnight, according to both the Russian Defense Ministry and Ukrainian accounts.

It claimed that air defense forces shot down seven cruise missiles, and a patrol ship destroyed all the uncrewed boats — but acknowledged that “two ships under repair were damaged by enemy cruise missiles.”

Fire breaks out: The Russian-appointed governor of Sevastopol, Mikhail Razvozhaev, also confirmed a substantial attack in messages overnight, saying missile strikes caused a fire.

He said 24 people were injured, with four in “moderate condition.”

Videos and images purportedly from the area, some posted by Razvozhaev, show a large plume of smoke and a fire raging. 

In this handout photo released by the Governor of Sevastopol Mikhail Razvozhaev on September 13, Razvozhaev speaks on the mobile phone as smoke and flame rise from a burning Sevastopol shipyard in Crimea.

One unofficial Russian military blogger also said that two ships were damaged: a diesel-electric submarine, Rostov-on-Don, and the large landing ship Minsk, which caught fire. Both vessels were undergoing repairs in dry docks.

It’s not possible to independently verify the account. Another unofficial account claimed that Ukraine had used British-made Storm Shadow missiles.

Ukrainian message: The commander of Ukraine’s air force, Lieutenant General Mykola Oleshchuk, thanked the Ukrainian Air Force pilots “for their excellent combat work” on Wednesday, adding that “the occupiers are still recovering from the night-time bombardment in Sevastopol.”

The attack appears to have been the most ambitious yet launched on the port by Ukrainian forces. There have been previous drone attacks on Sevastopol, as well as attempts to penetrate the harbor with maritime drones.  

Dmitry Peskov speaks before a press conference in Saint Petersburg, Russia, on July 29. Sergei Bobylyov

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters there are no plans for Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to sign documents regarding their Wednesday meeting at the Russian space center, according to state media.

The two leaders met and held closed-door talks for more than an hour at the Vostochny Cosmodrome, Russia’s space rocket launch site, in Amur province in the Far East region.

“All other issues concern only our two sovereign countries,” he added. “And they should not be a subject of concern to any third state. Our cooperation is carried out for the benefit of the peoples of our two countries, but not against anyone.”

“North Korea is our close neighbor. And despite any comments from the outside, we will build relationships with our neighbors in a way that is beneficial to us and our neighbors.”

Seven people were injured in a Russian drone attack on the Ukrainian regions of Odesa and Sumy, the head of Odesa region military administration Oleh Kiper said on Wednesday morning.

“A total of seven civilians were injured as a result of Russian attack drones at the Izmail district. Six people in Reni and one in Izmail,” Kiper wrote on Telegram. “Two men from Reni are in serious condition, in the intensive care unit, today they will be transported to Odesa.”

He added that four others are in a “moderate condition” and will be treated in the city of Reni.

Drones struck down: The Ukrainian Air Force said out of a total of 44 Shahed-136/131 drones launched towards Ukraine, 32 were destroyed. The Air Force said the attacks were launched from the Russian town Primorsko-Akhtarsk and Kursk and Chauda in Russian-occupied Crimea.

Talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un have ended on Wednesday after more than an hour, according to state media Russia 1.

Vladimir Putin gestures as he talks with Kim Jong Un at the Vostochny Cosmodrome, Amur region, Russia, on September 13.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un sat down for talks on Wednesday at Russia’s Vostochny Cosmodrome space center, where Putin told reporters the two “have a lot” to discuss.

Kim thanked Putin for his invite to the country and said the two countries have “many issues” that they can cooperate on. 

The North Korean leader went on tell Putin it was an honor the meeting was being held “at this special place, a space launch site which is like the heart of the space power, which your country has the status of, and giving this opportunity for us to have a deeper understanding of space power’s today and tomorrow.”

Kim also praised Russia for having “stood up against the hegemonic forces” to defend its sovereignty and security, a veiled reference to the US and the West, and said he has expressed “the full and unconditional support to all that Russia does in response.”

Ahead of the meeting, US officials warned that a potential arms deal could see Pyongyang provide weapons for Moscow to use in the war against Ukraine.

Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un met Wednesday at the Vostochny Cosmodrome — the space rocket launch site in Amur province, in Russia’s remote Far East.

Construction on the space center began in 2012, with the first phase completed by 2016, according to Russian state media TASS.

It included a launch complex for Soyuz-2 spacecrafts, TASS reported. Russia’s Soyuz program is one of the longest operational human spacecraft programs in history; Soyuz spacecrafts were created by the Soviet Union in 1960 and are still in use today.

Last month, Russia successfully launched Luna 25, the country’s first lunar lander in 47 years, on a Soyuz-2 Fregat rocket from the Vostochny Cosmodrome.

The second phase of construction at the space center will include launch pads for Angara vehicles, Russia’s next-generation space rockets, TASS reported.

Kim Jong Un and Vladimir Putin shake hands as they begin their talks at the Vostochny Cosmodrome, Amur region, Russia, on September 13.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin have officially begun their talks, sitting beside each other in front of flags from both countries at the Vostochny Cosmodrome. 

US officials have warned the talks could include a potential arms deal which could see Pyongyang provide weapons for Moscow to use against Ukraine.

Kim Jong Un and Vladimir Putin inspect the launch complex inside the Vostochny Cosmodrome.

Kim Jong Un was the picture of a curious student as he toured the Russian space rocket launch site on Wednesday alongside Vladimir Putin.

When examining Russia’s Angara rocket complex, Kim asked: “Is it eight meters (in diameter), including the parts?”

At another point, he asked: “What’s the thrust of the largest rocket that can be launched from this space port?”

Even a Russian state media journalist, reporting from inside the space center, commented on the leader’s inquisitiveness, saying Kim was asking “a lot of very detailed questions.”

Why this matters to Pyongyang: There’s good reason Kim is so interested. North Korea has made space technology a priority – but has some ways to go, having tried and failed twice this year to launch a spy satellite into orbit.

Kim has also stressed the role of military satellites as a means to protect national safety and territorial stability and has spoken of their strategic value when deploying military force preemptively, KCNA said in April.

Meanwhile, Russia has been a world leader in nuclear missile forces for decades.

“Russia has the military technology that Kim wants for his illegal satellite launch and nuclear weapons delivery programs,” said Leif-Eric Easley, professor of international studies at Ewha Womans University in Seoul, ahead of the meeting.

Providing this technology to North Korea would be in violation of international sanctions, aimed at hampering Pyongyang’s ability to build a fully functioning nuclear weapons and ballistic missile force.

Spacecraft launch pad: During the tour, the two leaders also inspected the launch complex where Russia plans to launch its Soyuz-2 spacecrafts, according to state media. 

Russia’s Soyuz programme is one of the longest operational human spacecraft programs in the history of space exploration. The Soyuz, meaning “union”, spacecrafts were created by the Soviet Union in the 1960 and are still in use today.

Last month, Russia successfully launched Luna 25, the country’s first lunar lander in 47 years, on a Soyuz-2 Fregat rocket from the Vostochny Cosmodrome.

Kim Jong Un’s sister stands alongside the North Korean leader at the Vostochny Сosmodrome in the Amur region, Russia, on September 13.

Footage from Russia shows Kim Jong Un’s sister Kim Yo Jong standing alongside him at the Vostochny Cosmodrome space center in Russia. 

Kim Yo Jong can be seen looking over her brother’s shoulder while he signs a guest book inside the space center. His message, in slanting Korean script, reads:

Kim Yo Jong is one of the country’s most important political figures and a key adviser to her brother. In 2021 she was promoted to the nation’s top decision-making body, the State Affairs Commission (SAC), headed by her brother.

Ahead of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s arrival, Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke to reporters at the Vostochny Cosmodrome, Russia’s space rocket launch site in the country’s Far East region.

Putin also told reporters, “We’ll talk about all the issues without haste, there is time.” He referenced Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu’s recent visit to North Korea, saying Shoigu and his North Korean counterparts “talked a lot, he was well received, we have a lot of questions.”

Shoigu is among the Russian officials accompanying Putin on Kim’s visit. 

Space center tour: Kim and Putin are currently touring the space center, according to state news Russia 1. The two leaders have inspected the Angara space rocket complex, and toured the building where the launch vehicle is assembled and tested, Russia 1 reported.

John Bolton speaks at a panel in Washington, DC on August 17, 2022.

Former US National Security Adviser John Bolton warned Tuesday that the meeting between Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un is “quite significant,” and “goes well beyond a potential arms deal.”

The two leaders are currently meeting at Russia’s space rocket launch site, with US officials warning that any potential arms deal could see Pyongyang provide weapons for Moscow to use on the battlefield against Ukraine.

Some context: Military cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang has a history going back to Stalin’s support of Kim’s grandfather at the start of the Korean War in 1950. But it has waned in more recent years, especially when Russia, with veto power in the UN Security Council, supported the implementation of sanctions on North Korea.

Power play: The meeting and potential deal between Kim and Putin “gives North Korea, going forward, the potential to play Russia off to get oil and gas directly from Russia, to get high technology in exchange for these weapons,” Bolton said. “I think the big winner here is Kim Jong Un.”

However, he added, stronger relations between the two would also “increase Russian influence in Korea and the Peninsula and the whole geographic area, at a time when I think the Russians are worried about being the junior partner in the Beijing-Moscow axis.”

Russia has become increasingly dependent on China since the invasion of Ukraine set off a flurry of international sanctions against Moscow. However, China — which never condemned the invasion — has provided an economic lifeline, softening the impact of Russia’s banishment from the global financial system.

Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un visit the Vostochny Сosmodrome in the far eastern Amur region, Russia, on September 13.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin are touring the Vostochny Cosmodrome, according to a state media Russia 1 journalist reporting from inside the space center on Wednesday. 

The cosmodrome is the site of Russia’s space rocket launches. The leaders will visit all the “key objects,” said the state media journalist, adding that Kim is asking “a lot of very detailed questions” on how the cosmodrome works, and which rockets are launched from the center.

The two leaders are expected to hold arms talks, with US officials warning a deal could see Pyongyang provide weapons for Moscow to use on the battlefield against Ukraine.

Kim Jong Un meets with Vladimir Putin in Amur province, Russia on September 13.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un are meeting at a remote space center in Russia’s Far East, where they’re expected to discuss a potential arms deal that could see Pyongyang supply weapons for Moscow’s use in the Ukraine war.

Both leaders arrived at the Vostochny Cosmodrome, Russia’s space rocket launch site, on Wednesday afternoon, shaking hands and speaking briefly before disappearing into the building.

The location itself is significant, said Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul.

What’s on the table: Moscow is in need of fresh supplies of ammunition and shells after more than 18 months of war in Ukraine has left its military battered, while North Korea, which has faced years of international sanctions over its nuclear weapons program, is short of everything from hard cash and food to missile technology.

Space technology is also a priority for North Korea, which has tried and failed to launch a spy satellite into orbit.

Kim has also stressed the role of military satellites as a means to protect national safety and territorial stability and has spoken of their strategic value when deploying military force preemptively, KCNA said in April.

Missile fired: Shortly before their meeting, North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles, according to South Korean authorities.

Experts told CNN it was highly unusual for North Korea to launch missiles with Kim out of the country – though Easley said Pyongyang could be trying to show “that the military maintains readiness with uninterrupted command and control.”

“Beginning in 2019, Kim started to generally grow more hands-off on testing and exercises, with many launches taking place without his apparent presence. This launch could have been carried out under standing orders,” said Ankit Panda, a senior fellow with the Nuclear Policy Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

Kim Jong Un arrives at the Russia’s space rocket launch site, the Vostochny Cosmodrome, Russia

Footage from Russia shows North Korean leader Kim Jong Un arriving at the remote Vostochny Cosmodrome space center and stepping off the famed green train that carried him from the North Korean capital Pyongyang.

The heavily armored, slow-moving green train is believed to have carried generations of the Kim family.

The broadcast shows Kim emerging from the train and shaking hands with several Russian officials on the platform; it later shows Kim stepping out of a black car and shaking hands with the waiting Russian president.

The two men then enter the space center. They are expected to hold arms talks that could see Pyongyang provide weapons for Moscow to use against Ukraine.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin have both arrived at Russia’s remote space rocket launch site, the Vostochny Cosmodrome, according to Russian state media RIA Novosti and TASS.

The two leaders are expected to hold arms talks that could see Pyongyang provide weapons for Moscow to use against Ukraine.

Images of the remote space center, in Russia’s Far East region, show both the Russian and North Korean flags flying outside the building.

Kim arrived in Russia on Tuesday after traveling from Pyongyang on his private train; on Wednesday morning, ahead of the leader’s arrival at the space center, North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles, according to South Korean authorities.

Vladimir Putin arrived at the Russia’s space rocket launch site, the Vostochny Cosmodrome in Amur region, Russia.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has arrived at the country’s remote space rocket launch site, the Vostochny Cosmodrome, Russian state media TASS reported. 

Russian state television journalist Pavel Zarubin posted several videos purportedly showing Putin at the site, in the country’s far east.

This comes amid speculation the space center is where Putin may meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who arrived in Russia on Tuesday.

US officials have warned the two leaders may hold arms talks that could see Pyongyang provide weapons for Moscow to use in its war against Ukraine.

North Korea launched two short-range ballistic missiles on Wednesday morning, ahead of an expected meeting between Kim Jong Un and Vladimir Putin in Russia, according to South Korean authorities.

The two missiles were launched from North Korea’s Sunan area into waters off the east coast of the Korean Peninsula, between 11:43 a.m. and 11:53 a.m. local time, according to South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS).

The South Korean military has strengthened surveillance and vigilance, while maintaining full readiness posture under close cooperation with the United States, the JCS added.

Both missiles have already fallen, said the Japanese Coast Guard, citing the Japanese Ministry of Defence, though it did not specify where exactly the projectiles fell.

Possible weapons talks: Kim and Putin could meet as early as Wednesday morning local time, according to the host of one of the most popular programs on Russian state television.

US officials have warned that arms negotiations could be on the table during their talks, which could see North Korea provide weapons for Russia to use on the battlefield against Ukraine.

Vladimir Putin gestures during the plenary session of the Eastern Econimic Forum, in Vladivostok, Russia on September 12.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday he has plans to visit the Vostochny Cosmodrome, in the Amur province of Russia’s Far East, amid speculation this is where he may meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

Putin said neither when he would visit nor what he would do while there.

This comes after South Korean news agency Yonhap reported Tuesday that the train believed to be carrying Kim appears to be moving in a more northerly direction beyond Vladivostok, and towards Khabarovsk province bordering China instead, citing multiple local sources in Vladivostok.

Amur province, where Vostochny Cosmodrome is located, lies just northwest of Khabarovsk province. 

North Korea and Russia have both confirmed Kim Jong Un has entered Russia on his heavily armored private green train.

Possible arms talks: US officials have repeatedly warned that North Korean and Russia are “actively advancing” arms negotiations, which could lead to Pyongyang selling weapons to Russia in exchange for sanctioned ballistic missile technology. 

Analysts also warn that North Korea could seek improved launch capabilities for submarine-launched ballistic missiles, satellite reconnaissance capabilities, and even help with launching satellites. 

North Korea has attempted two satellite launches this year; both ended in failure.

Were Kim to get his hands on technology from Russia, a world leader in nuclear missile forces for decades, it would be a great boost for his programs and a great concern for leaders in the West, analysts say.

Moscow, in turn, badly needs fresh supplies of ammunition and small arms on the front lines in Ukraine, after more than 18 months of war have left its military battered. These are areas where analysts say North Korea has strong production capabilities.

A missile strike on a shipyard in the Crimean city of Sevastopol early Wednesday morning has wounded 24 people, according to the Russian-backed governor Mikhail Razvozhaev. 

Razvozhaev posted an update shortly after arriving at the scene of the strike, saying four people were “in moderate condition” due to the attack.

In an earlier statement, he said the attack had caused a fire, and that the location was “not a civilian facility.”

Some background: Crimea was illegally annexed by Russia in 2014, and is internationally recognized as being part of Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has vowed to “liberate” all of the country’s territory including the occupied peninsula.

An important port and a major naval base for Russia’s Black Sea Fleet, Sevastopol has been the site of multiple suspected Ukrainian attacks.

Ukraine launched a missile attack on the Crimean city of Sevastopol in the early hours of Wednesday, the city’s Russian-backed governor said.

He added that the missile attack caused a fire, “according to preliminary information.”

The fire broke out at what Razvozhaev described as “not a civilian facility” in the Kilen-Balka area of Sevastopol.  

Some background: Crimea was illegally annexed by Russia in 2014, and is internationally recognized as being part of Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has vowed to “liberate” all of the country’s territory including the occupied peninsula.

An important port and a major naval base for Russia’s Black Sea Fleet, Sevastopol has been the site of multiple suspected Ukrainian attacks.

Mitch McConnell speaks to reporters at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, U.S., on September 12.

A top oversight official is expected to address the Senate Republican conference on Wednesday, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell announced. The lawmaker is pushing back on arguments against Ukraine aid, focusing on the “misconception” that there is a lack of oversight into how American resources are used in the war.

He argued that “Ukraine is not Iraq or Afghanistan. It is a modern democracy firmly committed to integration with the West,” and that government corruption in Ukraine has plummeted during the conflict.

McConnell added that American officials like diplomats and military officers have returned to Kyiv and “their presence allows for more oversight and accountability of our systems.” 

“Through these coalition efforts, we have unprecedented insight into how nearly 30 types of Western weapons systems and vehicles are being used by Ukraine, often down to the serial number,” he said.

Kim Jong Un is in Russia as the North Korean leader is expected to participate in a summit with President Vladimir Putin.

It’s a meeting that would be a significant development, analysts say, bringing together two leaders who are increasingly isolated on the world stage.

Kim’s arrival in Russia also marks a rare foreign trip for the leader of one of the world’s most isolated nations, and it’s his first visit abroad since the Covid-19 pandemic, during which North Korea’s borders were sealed.

Since assuming power in 2011, Kim has only ventured abroad 10 times — all in 2018 and 2019 — and came as the North Korean leader engaged in a series of talks over the country’s nuclear weapons and missile programs.

Kim last visited Russia in April 2019 on a trip to Vladivostok where he met Putin for the first time amid the ongoing and unresolved crisis over North Korea’s nuclear program and failed dialogue between Pyongyang and Washington.

As in 2019, the North Korean leader traveled to Russia Tuesday in his famed, characteristically green train that has by now become a symbol of the hermit nation’s isolation and secrecy.

Like his grandfather, Kim Il Sung, and his father, Kim Jong Il, it is said Kim prefers traveling in the upscale armored train, which has long been the subject of intrigue.