The Kremlin has rejected reports suggesting that Britain and France are in talks to send troops to Ukraine. A French newspaper, Le Monde, had claimed that the two countries had "revived" discussions about deploying Western forces and private military contractors to Ukraine.

South Korea has confirmed intelligence suggesting casualties among North Korean troops deployed to support Russia in its war against Ukraine. Ukrainian media, citing Global Defense Corp. reported that about 500 North Korean soldiers were killed in a Storm Shadow missile strike targeting Russian positions in the Kursk region.

The European Parliament on Thursday condemned the deployment of North Korean troops in Russia's war with Ukraine and criticized China for its assistance to Moscow. Lawmakers adopted a resolution denouncing Russia's use of North Korean forces and its testing of new ballistic missiles on Ukraine,

Ukrainian Defense Intelligence intercepts North Korean troop communications in Russia, revealing their involvement in the Ukraine war.

According to Western sources, for the first time since the start of the collaboration with Russia, a high-ranking North Korean soldier has been wounded. It happened in a recent Ukrainian attack in the Russian region of Kursk.