September 12, 2023 Russia-Ukraine news

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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.

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.

North Korea has launched a second possible ballistic missile, Japan said Wednesday morning, ahead of an expected meeting between Kim Jong Un and Vladimir Putin in Russia.

The Japanese Coast Guard, citing the country’s defense ministry, said the first ballistic missile launched earlier that morning had already fallen. It did not specify where.

South Korean authorities said the missile had been fired off the east coast of the Korean Peninsula.

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.

Mikhail?Razvozhaev?attends an event in Saint Petersburg, Russia on June 16, 2022.

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.

North Korea fired at least one ballistic missile into waters off the east coast of the Korean Peninsula on Wednesday morning, said South Korean authorities, as Kim Jong Un prepares to meet Vladimir Putin in Russia.

Kim’s private train, which departed Pyongyang Sunday, crossed into Russia on Tuesday, according to state media. The two leaders 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 would see North Korea provide weapons for Russia to use on the battlefield against Ukraine.

Japan issues alert: The Japanese coast guard also said Wednesday morning that a possible ballistic missile had been launched by North Korea, warning vessels in the area to stay away from falling objects and to report relevant information to the coast guard.

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.

The European Council has established a register to record damages caused by the war in Ukraine and to hold Russia accountable, the council announced Tuesday.?

The register was set up during a conference held in the Latvian capital of Riga that included representatives from more than 40 countries.???

The so-called Register of Damage is a digital platform set up “to record the evidence and claims of damage, loss or injury caused to all natural and legal persons concerned, as well as to the State of Ukraine, by Russia’s internationally wrongful acts in or against Ukraine” the council said.?

According to the statement, the Register’s budget is “funded by annual assessed contributions of participant states, as well as voluntary contributions.”?It added that the Netherlands and European Union “have made substantial voluntary contributions to the startup costs of the Register.”

The European Commission published a survey on Monday indicating that the majority of EU citizens are in favor of continued support for Ukraine.?

According to the survey results, “86% approve of the EU continuing to provide humanitarian support to the people affected by the war, 77% accept welcoming in the EU people fleeing the war and 71% back imposing economic sanctions against Russia.”??

Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un could meet as early as Wednesday morning local time, according to the host of one of the most popular programs on Russian state television.

While discussing the highly anticipated meeting, Olga Skabeeva, host of the show 60 Minutes, told her co-anchor Evgeny Popov the meeting was set for early Wednesday morning local time.??

Skabeeva did not specify if she meant early Wednesday, Moscow time, or early Wednesday in Vladivostok, which is in the Russian Far East.

It’s currently 3:12 a.m. in Moscow while it’s 10:12 a.m. in Vladivostok.

Kim arrived in Khasan, near the North Korean border, on Tuesday while Putin has been in Vladivostok, attending an economic summit. The locations are around 168 miles apart (270 kilometers.)

North Korea's leader?Kim?Jong?Un is welcomed by Russia's Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Alexander Kozlov at Khasan train station on September 12.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is in Russia for the first time in four years after his heavily armored?private train arrived at the border town of Khasan at 6:00 a.m. (local time) on Tuesday, North Korean state media reported.

Kim began his visit by meeting with senior officials, according to state media, and is expected to meet at some point with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The meeting between the two leaders would be a significant development, analysts say, bringing together two leaders who are increasingly isolated on the world stage. The US has warned that the meeting could lead to a deal that would provide weapons for Moscow’s war on Ukraine.

Kim’s arrival in Russia is his first visit abroad since the Covid-19 pandemic, during which North Korea’s borders were sealed.

Here are other headlines you should know:

At least two people were killed and three others injured as a result of Russian shelling in the Donetsk region, according to Ukraine’s Prosecutor General’s Office.

The town of Krasnohorivka came under Russian artillery fire in the early hours of Tuesday, the office said in a statement, noting that a private house was hit by a 152mm projectile that killed “an 84-year-old woman and a 71-year-old man living there.”?

A 70-year-old woman temporarily residing in the house suffered burns and a concussion as a result of the attack, the office added.?

Another two people were wounded as a result of the Russian attack on the Ukrainian town of Avdiivka: an 82-year-old mother and her 55-year-old daughter, the office said.

Those injured were taken to a medical facility for emergency treatment, the statement added.

Both Krasonohorivka and Avdiivka are located close to the frontline running through the partially Russian-occupied Donetsk region. The situation in the town of Avdiivka in particular, north of the city of Donetsk, has been “really intense” for months. The Ukrainian military has called Avdiivka one of the main areas of focus for Russian offensive operations.

North Korean leader?Kim?Jong?Un?shakes hands with Russian Natural Resources Minister Alexander Kozlov in Khasan, Russia, on Tuesday, September 12.

North Korean state media on Wednesday reported that leader Kim Jong Un arrived at Khasan, Russia, at 6:00 a.m. (local time) on Tuesday — confirming previous reports that Kim had visited the Russian-North Korean border town.

Kim, along with senior officials, met with Russia’s minister of natural resources and ecology and the regional governor, KCNA reported.?

Russian media had earlier described him meeting with Oleg Kozhemyako, the governor of the Primorsky Krai region that borders North Korea, as well as Alexander Kozlov, Russian minister of natural resources.

President Vladimir Putin had “personally sent them to the border station to greet him, adding that the Russian government and people are doing their best to offer him sincerest hospitality, hoping his visit would be significant,” KCNA reported.

Kim described his trip as a “clear manifestation of the stand of the WPK and the government of the DPRK prioritizing the strategic importance of the DPRK-Russia relations,” noting he was pleased to be visiting Russia again since his last visit four years ago in 2019, KCNA said.

Video footage showed Kim disembarking his private armored train at the station in Khasan, which lies on the banks of the Tumen River, near the point where the borders of North Korea, Russia and China converge.

Thirteen more children have returned home from Russia-occupied territories, according to Save Ukraine, a non-governmental organization working to bring home Ukrainian children.

One of the returned children was a girl named Olesia, whose mother “hid her from the occupation authorities and her fellow villagers for a whole year so that no one would find out that the girl lived with her mother and force her to study at a Russian school,” Save Ukraine said.?

Another three siblings – Polina, Taras and Matvii – had a split in the family following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Their divorced parents took different stances on the war.?

According to Save Ukraine, the mother was “painfully worried about Ukraine, and dad became pro-Russian.”?The father banned his former wife and the kids from leaving the Russian-occupied territory, the organization said.

The office of Ukraine’s president recently estimated that at least 20,000 Ukrainian children have been forcibly removed from their homes. Thousands of cases are already under investigation, Kyiv has said.?

Russia has denied it is doing anything illegal and says it is bringing Ukrainian children to safety.

Zelensky discussed the package in his nightly address on Tuesday, September 12.

Denmark will send Ukraine a military aid package worth over $800 million, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his nightly address on Tuesday.?

“In terms of content, it is exactly what we agreed on with Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and her government team,” Zelensky said.?

Zelensky called the package?“a significant decision” and “a good reinforcement,” noting that it was “the largest defense package for the entire period of a full-scale war.”?

Last month, Denmark and the Netherlands pledged to provide Ukraine with much sought-after?F-16 fighter jets as Kyiv continues to pressure allies for continued aid and military support to help in its counteroffensive.

Kim Jong Un’s heavily armored?private train?has arrived 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.

High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, British Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs James Cleverly, Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, German Minister of Foreign Affairs Annalena Baerbock, Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly and Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani ahead of the G7 Foreign Ministers summit at the historical city hall on November 3, 2022 in Muenster, Germany.

Foreign ministers of the Group of Seven (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, UK and US) and the High Representative of the European Union have “unequivocally condemned” the staging of “sham elections” held by Russia in occupied Ukrainian territories over the weekend, according to a statement published on the UK’s government’s website Tuesday.?

“Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia oblasts and Crimea are part of Ukraine. We will never recognize Russia’s illegitimate claims to sovereign Ukrainian territory and call on all States to unequivocally reject them,” the G7 foreign ministers said.?

They also called the elections an attempt by Russia “to create a situation of fait-accompli,” adding the move would “not alter” their approach nor their support to Ukraine “as it fights to reclaim its internationally-recognized territory.”?

“We will stand with the Ukrainian people and continue to provide the financial, humanitarian, security and diplomatic support Ukraine requires for as long as it takes,” the statement concluded.

Some background: Kremlin-installed officials held what they have described as “local elections” in the occupied regions, a process that Ukrainian officials have also described as a sham and a propaganda move.

Russian state media reported that Putin’s United Russia party largely won the so-called elections.

In this July 2023 photo, sailors stand at attention on the deck of a Russian Black Sea Fleet warship during the Navy Day celebrations in the port city of Novorossiysk.

The Russian Black Sea fleet is now unable to operate in the area around drilling platforms near Crimea that the Ukrainians seized earlier this week, according to the Ukrainian Navy.

The platforms are known as the Boyko Towers.

“There is still a threat from the air in the area where these towers are located, as Russian aviation continues their presence there,” said Dmytro Pletenchuk, a spokesperson for the Ukrainian Navy.

However, Pletenchuk said that Ukrainian coastal artillery as well as man-portable air defense systems?(MANPADS) and missile systems meant that the Russian fleet “cannot approach these towers.”?

Some background: Ukraine said Monday that it had regained control of the Boyko Towers. They have been controlled by the Russians since soon after the annexation of Crimea in 2014.

Defence Intelligence of Ukraine said the towers had been used by the Russians as helicopter landing sites and for the deployment of radar equipment.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell Speaks to reporters after a closed-door GOP strategy meeting, at the Capitol in Washington D.C., on September 6.

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.

A civilian ship was deliberately shot at in the Black Sea in August, according to British intelligence that made public.

Several Russian missiles were headed for a Liberian-flagged cargo ship last month, the United Kingdom Foreign Office said in a statement.?The attack on August 24 was thwarted by the Ukrainian Air Force.?

Two Kh-59 guided missiles, fired from a Su-34 aircraft, and two Kalibr cruise missiles,?fired from a small missile ship, were shot down over Ukraine’s Odesa region.

There’s been another drone attack on the Russian-occupied city of Enerhodar, which is adjacent to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. It’s at least the third in a month.

Ukrainian Defense Intelligence said one drone was targeted at an event being held in an office being used by the occupiers as a passport office.?

“As a result of the hit, a fire broke out in the room, and several ambulance crews arrived at the building,” it said.

Almost simultaneously, Defense Intelligence claimed, a radio communication center, located on the technical floor of a 14-story building, was also hit.

Another drone was targeted at accommodation used by Russian officers.

On Monday, a Russian-appointed official in Zaporizhzhia, Vladimir Rogov, said the Ukrainians had struck Enerhodar four times.

“Two UAVs hit a residential apartment building, the third one - the passport office. Another one exploded just minutes ago,” he said.?

Other local channels confirmed the attacks, saying they took place late on Monday afternoon. They also claimed that several drones were successfully eliminated.

There’s been no official word on casualties.

North Korean leader?Kim?Jong?Un?meets with Russian Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Alexander Kozlov upon his arrival in Khasan in the Primorsky region, Russia, in this still image from video published on September 12.

The North Korean leader Kim Jong Un began his visit to Russia Tuesday by meeting senior officials in Khasan, according to state media Russia 24.

Kim met with Oleg Kozhemyako, the governor of the Primorsky Krai region that borders North Korea, as well as Alexander Kozlov, Russian minister of natural resources, it reported.

“A visit of this level is a good message for the most active development of broad ties and direct contacts with colleagues from the DPRK,” Kozhemyako said.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un steps down from his train in Russia and is greeted by Russian officials in the Primorsky region, Russia, in this still image from video published September 12.

Video footage has shown North Korean leader Kim Jong Un disembarking his private armored train at Khasan station in Russia’s Far East early Tuesday morning local time. Khasan lies on the banks of the Tumen River, near the point where the borders of North Korea, Russia and China converge.

Kim was greeted by Russian officials, a guard of honor and a military band, Russian state media TASS reported.

More context: The train was traveling north through Primorsky Krai in the Far East region of the country, Russian state news agency RIA reported earlier Tuesday.

Russia’s Far East region is a massive swath of territory that shares land borders with China, North Korea and Mongolia. According to South Korean news agency Yonhap, the train appears to be moving toward a more northerly destination than the eastern port of Vladivostok, toward Khabarovsk province bordering China instead, citing multiple local sources in Vladivostok.

Russian President Vladimir Putin was in Vladivostok, the biggest city in Primorsky Krai, Tuesday for the Eastern Economic Forum, where he gave an address touting Russia’s trade opportunities with countries in Asia Pacific.

CNN’s Helen Regan, Gawon Bae, Jake Kwon, Jessie Yeung, Brad Lendon and Rob Picheta contributed reporting to this post.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has arrived in Russia ahead of an expected meeting with President Vladimir Putin that could have huge implications for the war in Ukraine. Although it is not yet known where exactly Kim is headed, the United States has warned for weeks about what will likely be discussed – a potential arms deal – as Moscow seeks more weapons to bolster its invasion.

Meanwhile, Putin made wide-ranging comments at Tuesday’s Eastern Economic Forum, where he addressed peace negotiations with Ukraine, Russia’s latest recruitment drive and even next year’s US presidential election.

Here are the latest developments:

Seoul has called on Russia to “act responsibly” as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, an official from South Korea’s presidential office said on Tuesday, ahead of an expected meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

The comments come as the US government warned that Russia and North Korea are “actively advancing” their negotiations over a potential arms deal.

“Our government has been understanding the overall situation well, independently and by cooperating with allies and partner nations, and making full preparations,” a South Korean presidential official said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks during the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok on Tuesday.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has denounced the United States for supplying cluster munitions and depleted uranium shells to Ukrainian forces.

Speaking at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, Putin said that the US stance on cluster munitions was inconsistent.

“Of course, it does damage to us,” Putin went on. “The same thing happens with depleted uranium; the area is being contaminated. (This is) bad, very bad.”

What are cluster munitions? Cluster munitions are canisters that carry tens to hundreds of smaller bomblets, known as submunitions. The canisters can be dropped from aircraft, launched from missiles or fired from artillery, naval guns or rocket launchers.

The canisters break open at a prescribed height, and the bomblets inside spread out over that area. They are fused by a timer to explode closer to or on the ground.

Both the Ukrainians and the Russians have used cluster bombs since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. But their use is controversial, due to the potential harm they can do to civilians.

The US announced in July that it would send cluster munitions to Ukraine, which have since been used on the battlefield.

What is depleted uranium? Depleted uranium is what is left over when most of the highly radioactive isotopes of uranium have been stripped out of the metal for use in nuclear fuel or nuclear weapons.

It is far less radioactive than enriched uranium and unable to produce a nuclear reaction. But depleted uranium is extremely dense, making it a highly effective projectile.

The US announced this month that it would send depleted uranium shells to Ukraine. The 120mm rounds can be fired from the US-made Abrams M1 tanks that are set to arrive on the frontlines this fall.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, center, with Ukrainian separatist regional leaders Vladimir Saldo, left, Yevgeniy Balitsky, second left, Leonid Pasechnik, right, and Denis Pushilin, second right, during the annexation ceremony of four Ukrainian regions at Moscow's Grand Kremlin Palace in September 2022.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has submitted a draft proposal to the State Duma, the lower house of Russia’s parliament, to establish a “Day of Reunification” for Russia and annexed Ukrainian territories, state news agency RIA Novosti reported Tuesday.

The draft proposes the “Day of Reunification” be observed on September 30th, RIA reported.?

Putin announced last year the illegal annexation of four Ukrainian territories: the self-declared Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics (DPR and LPR) in the east of Ukraine, as well as Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions in the south

The draft proposal will now be deliberated in the Russian State Duma, where it will undergo a legislative process before it can be signed into law.

Feigning legitimacy: Putin has since attempted to paint a false picture of Russian legitimacy in the four regions of Ukraine he proclaimed as Russian territory last year.

Over the weekend, Russian-appointed officials staged elections in each of these four regions, which were widely dismissed by the international community as a sham.

Putin’s United Russia party unsurprisingly dominated the results, state-run news agency TASS reported Sunday.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, center, accompanied by?Ri?Pyong?Chol, vice chairman of the ruling Workers' Party's Central Military Commission, Pak Jong Chon, the new head of the party's military-political leadership, Su Yong, party secretary and director of the economy department, Pak Thae Song, party secretary and chairman of a national space science and technology committee, depart?Pyongyang, North Korea, to visit Russia, on September 10, in this handout image.

North Korea’s top officials – including its top military leaders and chief diplomat – are among Kim Jong Un’s delegation to Russia, according to photos shared by North Korean state media KCNA.?

In one photo released by KCNA, Kim’s second-in-command of the military, Ri Pyong Chol, was seen onboard the train.

Ri is a target of US and UN sanctions for his role in leading the country’s ballistic missile programs as the former head of Department of the Munitions Industry.

He was recently seen sitting alongside Kim on a balcony during the paramilitary parade held last Friday, and welcomed Russia’s Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu at the weaponry exhibition in Pyongyang late July.

Also accompanying Kim is Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui, who led the nuclear negotiation between former President Trump and Kim and was promoted to her current position in June 2022.

South Korean news agency Yonhap reported the delegation appears to show a top-level army general Pak Jong Chon, party secretary Pak Thae Song, navy admiral Kim Myong Sik, and the department director of the Munitions Industry Jo Chun Ryong.

Kim is accompanied by “many members of his military,” South Korea’s Defense Ministry spokesperson Jeon Ha-kyu said on Tuesday.

It is unknown whether Kim Yo Jong, the leader’s sister and a high-ranking official, has joined her brother on the trip.

Arkady Volozh, Russia's largest internet search engine Yandex CEO, attends an Investment Forum in Moscow, Russia, on November 20, 2019.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has criticized a prominent Russian businessman who last month described the invasion of Ukraine as barbaric.

Addressing the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, Putin was asked about the comments of the co-founder of Russian tech giant Yandex, Arkady Volozh.

Putin said that Volozh “is forced to make statements in order to preserve his foreign business and assets. Previously, he was sitting silently. God bless him, it doesn’t bother us.”

Volozh holds both Russian and Israeli passports and has lived in Israel since 2014.

Some context: Volozh became one of the most prominent Russian businessmen to criticize the war when released an explosive statement in August.

“Despite the fact that I have not lived in Russia since 2014, I understand that I also have a share of responsibility for the actions of the country,” he added. “There were many reasons why I had to remain silent. You can argue about the timeliness of my statement, but not about its substance. I am against war.”

In his statement, Volozh said that, since moving to Israel, he had been working on developing Yandex’s international projects.”But in February 2022, the world changed, and I realized that my story with Yandex was over.”

Volozh quit as CEO of Yandex in June 2022, after he was sanctioned by the European Union over Russia’s actions in Ukraine.

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu is set to participate in the discussions between Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, according to Russian state military TV channel Zvezda, citing the Kremlin.

A separate meeting between Shoigu and North Korea’s defense minister is not expected, Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov added.

Kim Jong Un’s heavily-armored private train crossed into Russia on Tuesday ahead of an expected summit with Putin, state media reported.

The United States has warned that the two leaders could strike a deal to supply Moscow with weapons for its war in Ukraine.

Russian President Vladimir Putin gestures while speaking at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, Russia, on September 12.

More than a quarter of a million Russians have voluntarily joined the armed forces in recent months, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday.

Responding to questions at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, Putin said that the recruitment was in addition to the partial mobilization a year ago.

“People come to the military registration and enlistment offices and sign contracts. Every day 1,000-1,500 people sign contracts daily,” he added.

Putin stressed that those enlisting did so voluntarily, “realizing that they can get injured and give their lives for the Motherland.”

Some context: Putin announced a partial mobilization of Russia citizens in September 2022, as his invasion of Ukraine looked set to drag on into the fall and take far longer than Russia expected.

The mobilization meant that citizens who were in reserve could be called up, and those with military experience were subjected to conscription.

Ukraine will have to cancel a decree that effectively rules out negotiations with Russia, if there is to be any prospect of talks to bring about an end to the war, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday.

Putin noted that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken “said they were ready (for negotiations). Then they (Ukraine) should cancel the decree, then we will see.”

In October 2022, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy signed a decree formally declaring the prospect of any talks with Putin “impossible.”

The decree followed a proclamation by the Russian president that four occupied regions of Ukraine had formally become part of Russia.

Not the time for talks: Zelensky has long expressed concerns about negotiating with Putin, and pointed to his past record of reneging on agreements.

Zelensky pointed to the death of Yevgeny Prigozhin – the Russian mercenary leader whose plane crashed weeks after he led a mutiny against Moscow’s military leadership – shows what happens when people make deals with Putin.

He said when Putin understood that a big part of society supported Prigozhin, “he killed him. But before (that) he gave him promises, the territory of Belorussia (Belarus), gave him new locations, the Africa issues and businesses, a lot of different things.”

Blinken told ABC News this week that Russia needs to demonstrate that it can act in good faith if talks are to occur.

Russia's President Vladimir Putin addresses the audience during the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, Russia, on September 12.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday described the criminal prosecutions faced by former US President Donald Trump as a political persecution.

In comments at the Eastern Economic Forum in the eastern Russian city of Vladivostok, Putin added that the criminal cases against Trump were “good for us” as they show the “rottenness of the American system, which cannot pretend to teach others about democracy.”

Putin added: “They simply exposed their internal problems and in this sense, it is good (for us) because it shows who is fighting against us, this shows, as they used to say back in the Soviet times, the bestial appearance of American imperialism.”

Some background: Trump is the first current or former president in US history to face criminal charges. He has been indicted four times and faces a mountain of legal challenges as he prepares to mount his third presidential bid for 2024.

The US presidential election is likely to have huge implications for the war in Ukraine.

Top US and European officials have expressed concern that Putin is factoring the election into his war planning in the hope that a defeat for President Joe Biden next year will lead the United States to curtail its support for Ukraine and improve Russia’s negotiating position, four US officials told CNN.

One US official said they have “no doubt” that Putin is “trying to hold out” until the 2024 election. Another source familiar with the intelligence said “it’s sort of the elephant in the room” for the US, Ukraine and Europe.

A European diplomat told CNN that they believe trying to ride out the war in Ukraine until the US election “is exactly Putin’s plan.”

A green train with yellow trimmings, resembling one used by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on his previous travels, is seen steaming near Khasan, about 127 km (79 miles) south of Vladivostok, Russia, on September 12 in this image taken from social media.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un made a stop to meet local officials at the Russian border station of Khasan before continuing north on his private train, Reuters reported, citing a source with knowledge of the matter.?

Kim is expected to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin on this trip, with US officials warning arms negotiations could be on the table with Pyongyang possibly in a position to provide weapons for Moscow to use in Ukraine.

CNN cannot independently confirm that Kim left his train.

Russian state news agency RIA Novosti reported that Kim’s train passed through Khasan station on Tuesday morning, citing a local administration representative.

The train purportedly carrying Kim has since crossed a railway bridge over the?Razdolnaya River in the Primorsky Territory and is moving north,?RIA reported.?

Kremlin spokesperson?Dmitry Peskov said a meeting between Kim and Putin would happen “within days” and “will take place in the Far East,” but didn’t specify a date or location, according to Russian state news agency TASS.

Russia’s Far East region is a massive swath of territory that shares land borders with China, North Korea and Mongolia.??

According to South Korean news agency Yonhap, the train believed to be carrying Kim?appears to be moving toward a?more northerly destination?than?the eastern port of?Vladivostok, toward?Khabarovsk?province?bordering China?instead, citing?multiple local sources in Vladivostok.?

Yonhap reported that there was no appearance of increased security in Vladivostok station, and buses and cars were parked in front of the station as usual on Tuesday.?

It was previously thought a Kim-Putin meeting would take place in the port city.

?Kim?Jong Un, accompanied by government officials, departs Pyongyang, North Korea, to visit?Russia.

On Sunday afternoon, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un stepped onto?an old-fashioned green train?that has by now become an enduring symbol of?the hermit nation’s?isolation and secrecy.

Images released by North Korean state media KCNA show Kim boarding his private train as he prepared to travel to Russia for?an expected meeting?with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, amid warnings by the United States that Pyongyang could provide weapons for Moscow to use on the battlefield in Ukraine.

It’s not clear when or where this expected meeting will take place. But Russian state media reported Tuesday that Kim’s train had arrived in the country, and was currently traveling north through Russia’s far east region.

Photos of Kim’s departure from Pyongyang show the leader at the train station, waving to the crowd – offering a glimpse into the heavily armored, slow-moving locomotive, with polished wooden floors and an ornately decorated white doorway.

The string of dark green carriages, with yellow stripes running down the side, match the look of the train used both by his grandfather, Kim Il Sung, and his father, Kim Jong Il, who reportedly threw lavish dinners aboard.

The train has long been the subject of intrigue, carrying generations of the Kim family across the country and on rare overseas trips.

Kim Jong Il, who was reportedly averse to flying, relied heavily on the train,?according to Reuters?– in contrast to his son Kim Jong Un, who has previously traveled by?luxurious private jet, and who?studied in Switzerland?in the 1990s.

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Military cooperation between Russia and North Korea has a history going back to former Soviet leader Joseph Stalin’s support of Kim Jong Un’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.

Still, that long history means there are many similarities in their weapons stocks that could be useful to Russia.

Doo Jin-ho, research fellow at the Korea Institute for Defense Analyses, agreed: “North Korea’s 152mm artillery ammunition and 122mm multiple rocket launcher ammunition can be used on Russian weapons immediately,” he added.

And in return, Doo said, Russia could provide various things on North Korea’s wish list: reentry technology, improved launch capabilities for submarine-launched ballistic missiles, satellite reconnaissance capabilities, and even help with launching satellites.

North Korean ammunition wouldn’t be a game-changer for Russia — but it could “help replenish depleted stocks and prolong the conflict” in Ukraine, said Joseph Dempsey, research associate for defense and military analysis at the International Institute for Strategic Studies.

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With North Korean leader Kim Jong Un expected to meet his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin soon, all eyes are on a potential weapons deal between the two nations.

The US warned last week that Russia and North Korea are “actively advancing” their arms negotiations, adding that Pyongyang would “pay a price” if it struck a deal with Russia and provided weapons to be used against Ukraine.

But Joseph Dempsey, research associate for defense and military analysis at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, said North Korean ammunition is unlikely to change the direction of the war – only prolonging it and replenishing Russia’s depleted supplies.

Others questioned how quickly any North Korean ammo could get into the hands of Russian troops on the frontlines in Ukraine.

Shipments from North Korea to Russian fighting forces would need to cross the Trans-Siberian Railway, more than 5,700 miles from Vladivostok in the east to Moscow in the west.

Much of the equipment on the rail line is from the late Cold War era, and seriously stressed, said Trent Telenko, a former quality control auditor for the US’ Defense Contract Management Agency who has studied Russian logistics.

The Russian national flag fluters in front of the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on May 24.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday that relations between Moscow and Beijing have reached an “unprecedented historical level,” according to Russian state media agencies TASS and RIA.?

Putin, who was meeting with China’s Vice Premier?Zhang Guoqing?on the sidelines of the Eastern Economic Forum, said he and Chinese President Xi Jinping have “friendly personal and business relations,” TASS reported.??

“This certainly helps to the cause of developing bilateral relations and interstate ties,” Putin reportedly said.

Putin also praised the “very high” level of economic and political cooperation between Moscow and Beijing. “Of course, this is all a derivative of what has been achieved in the political sphere,” he said, adding the results are “more than good, they are excellent.”

China’s stance on Ukraine: Xi,?a self-described friend?of Putin, has continued to bolster China’s economic, diplomatic, and security ties?with Russia despite the invasion of Ukraine — which Beijing has never condemned.

China did not send a delegation to international talks on Ukraine in Denmark in June, despite attempting to position itself as a potential peace broker on the conflict in recent months.

And Beijing’s refused to condemn the invasion has further soured its relations with Western nations, especially in Europe.

North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Russia’s failures on?the battlefield in Ukraine?could turn into a win for?North Korea.

That’s the view of analysts who say?an expected meeting between Kim Jong Un and Vladimir Putin?could lead to Pyongyang getting its hands on the sort of?weapons?two decades’ worth of United Nations’ sanctions have barred it from accessing.

Kim’s private train arrived in Russia on Tuesday, according to Russian state media. State media also cited the Kremlin in confirming the two leaders are set to meet “within days.”

This comes after US officials warned last week that the two countries are “actively advancing” their arms negotiations, more than a year and a half of war in Ukraine has left the Russian military battered, depleted and in need of supplies.

The meeting would also come after 17 years of UN sanctions aimed at hampering North Korea’s ability to build a fully functioning nuclear weapons and ballistic missile force.

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 said.

Weapons in Ukraine: Meanwhile, North Korea delivered infantry rockets and missiles into Russia for use by Wagner forces late last year, and the potential deal being discussed would provide Russian troops with much more weapons, said National Security Council spokesman John Kirby in August.

“Under these potential deals Russia would receive significant quantities and multiple types of munitions form the DPRK, which the Russian military plans to use in Ukraine,” he said.

Kim Jong Un is now in Russia, ahead of an expected and closely-watched meeting with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, according to Russian state news agency RIA on Tuesday.

The North Korean leader departed the capital, Pyongyang, on Sunday afternoon in a private train, accompanied by top officials, North Korean state media KCNA confirmed on Tuesday morning local time.

The train is currently traveling north through Primorsky?Krai in Russia’s Far East region, RIA reported.

It’s not clear when or where they are expected to meet. But the Kremlin confirmed the two leaders are set to meet “within days,” according to Russian state media, citing Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov.

Bilateral relations will be a priority of the talks, and a formal dinner is planned in honor of Kim’s arrival, said Peskov, state media TASS reported.

Arms talks on the table: The US government?said last week?that such a meeting could take place as part of Russia’s efforts to find new suppliers for weapons to use in its war against Ukraine.

The two leaders met for the first time in April 2019, in the far eastern city of Vladivostok. Putin reportedly arrived in Vladivostok on Monday to attend the Eastern Economic Forum, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, according to state TV Russia 24.

?Kim?Jong Un departs Pyongyang, North Korea, to visit Russia.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has traveled to Russia?on his heavily-armored private train for a closely-watched summit with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, Russian and North Korean state media reported.

Meanwhile, discussions about the United States sending long-range missiles to Kyiv have ramped up in recent weeks as Ukraine officials put pressure on the Biden administration,?people familiar with the discussions told CNN.

The transfer of the ATACMS – which have a range of up to 186 miles (299 kilometers) – would mark just the latest instance of the US reversing gear on providing a system after months of pressure by Ukrainian officials. The Biden administration also resisted sending multiple-launch rocket systems, Patriot air defense systems, Abrams tanks, and cluster munitions — all of which were ultimately provided to Kyiv.

Here’s what to know:

Joe Biden speaks in Anchorage, Alaska on September 11.

US President Joe Biden is expected to make a final decision soon on sending long-range missiles to Ukraine for the first time.

It’s a major step recommended by the State and Defense Departments after months of Ukrainian requests, people familiar with the discussions told CNN.?

Discussions about sending the long-range Army Tactical Missile Systems, also known as ATACMS, picked up substantially in recent weeks, the sources said.

No final decision to send the missiles has been made, officials said. But “there’s a much greater possibility of it happening now than before,” one official familiar with the discussions said. “Much greater. I just don’t know when.”??

US officials had been reticent to send the long-range surface-to-surface guided missiles amid fears about escalating the conflict as they could potentially be fired into Russia itself. That concern has largely abated, however, since Ukraine has shown it is not using other US-provided weapons to attack territory inside Russia, officials said.

Ukraine has carried out strikes inside Russia, but those have been conducted using homegrown drones and weaponry, allowing Kyiv to stand by its commitment not to use American weapons inside Russia.

Currently, the maximum range of US weapons committed to Ukraine is around 93 miles with the ground-launched small-diameter bomb. The ATACMS, which have a range of around 186 miles, would allow the Ukrainian military to strike targets twice as far away.

The transfer of the ATACMS would mark just the latest instance of the US reversing itself on providing a system after months of pressure by Ukrainian officials. The Biden administration also resisted sending multiple-launch rocket systems, Patriot air defense systems, Abrams tanks, and cluster munitions — all of which were ultimately provided to Kyiv.

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Kim Jong Un waves from a train in Pyongyang, North Korea, as he leaves for Russia.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un left Pyongyang on Sunday afternoon for Russia by private train, North Korean state media KCNA reported Tuesday morning local time.

Kim is accompanied by leading officials of the party, government, and armed forces,?KCNA?reported.

Some background:?Earlier Monday, the Kremlin confirmed Kim will go to Russia “in the coming days” but didn’t specify?the exact date of the visit.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russian journalist Pavel Zarubin that Russia “will continue to strengthen” its “friendship” with North Korea.

Meantime, the White House urged North Korea to “not provide or sell arms to Russia.”

Just last week, the?US warned?Kim might travel to Russia to discuss a potential deal to provide weapons to the country as it wages its war in Ukraine, and the White House has said arms negotiations between the two countries are “actively advancing.”?

CNN’s Gawon Bae, Anna Chernova and Darya Tarasova contributed reporting to this post.

Russian and Ukrainian officials report heavy fighting in a small area of the southern front, with no clear sign as to which side may have the upper hand.

The Russian Defense Ministry claims that its units along the southern front lines have repelled attacks by Ukraine near the village of Robotyne, which has been the focus of fighting for several weeks.

Ukrainian officials paint a different picture. Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar said there was progress in the area south of Robotyne and west of Verbove. Nearly five square kilometers of territory had been won in the previous week, for a total gain of 256 square kilometers (more than 98 square miles) since the counteroffensive began, she said.

CNN is unable to verify most of the claims made by either side, but Ukrainian units are in control of Robotyne, according to geolocated video, and attacking nearby Verbove.

Meanwhile in the east on the Bakhmut front,?both sides have said that the village of Andriivka south of the city is the most intense part of the battle. The Ukrainian blogger Bakhmut Demon said that it was too early to celebrate victory there. Russia “artillery is still working, we have pushed the bastards back significantly, but they are not giving up yet,” the blogger said.

Much further east, and close to the Russian-held capital of Donetsk region, Russian blogger Neofitsyalnyi Bezsonov denied claims that Ukrainian units have a foothold in the heavily contested village of Optyne. “The enemy managed to enter the outskirts of the settlement, after which it was immediately knocked out of there. Optyne is fully under our control.”

Another well-known Russian blogger, Voenkor Kotenok, said Russia’s problems in this area remain the same as they were six months ago — shortage of personnel, the lack of competent commanders and assaults.

Russia’s armed aggression “is becoming synonymous with torture and other inhuman cruelty,” according to the United Nations official responsible for investigating?torture.

“These grievous acts appear neither random nor incidental, but rather orchestrated as part of a state policy to intimidate, instil fear, punish, or extract information and confessions,” Edwards said.

Edwards said she had gathered “harrowing testimonies involving electric charges being applied to ears and genitals, beatings of all kinds, mock executions at gunpoint, simulated drowning, being required to hold stress positions, threats of rape or death, and various ceremonies of ridicule and humiliation.”

Edwards also visited places in Ukraine where Russian prisoners of war are held.

“I found that sincere efforts have been made by the Ukrainian authorities to treat Russian prisoners of war respectfully. The barrack-style facilities I visited were hygienic and orderly. Prisoners were being well fed,” she said.

Growing evidence:?Edwards’ comments came days after Ukraine’s Prosecutor General Andrii Kostin claimed that?roughly 90% of Ukrainian prisoners of war?had been subjected to torture, rape and other forms of cruel treatment.

Ukraine found “evidence of these horrors in all the liberated territories,” Kostin said, during a meeting with Edwards last week.

According to Ukrainian government figures, over 103,000 war crimes proceedings have been registered so far.

However, Edwards warned that there are major obstacles to bringing the alleged perpetrators to justice. The inaccessibility of presently-occupied areas, the loss of crucial evidence due to deterioration and lapse of time between the crime and liberation when investigations can begin, and adapting the criminal justice system to be able to process and prosecute international atrocity crimes, will all pose challenges to Ukrainian prosecutors.