Ukraine claims drone hit on North Korean weapons cache in Russia’s Bryansk

Army says arms depot attack aimed at creating logistical difficulties for Russian forces and reducing their offensive capabilities.

The Ukrainian army says it has struck a weapons arsenal in western Russia that was storing missiles and munitions, including some supplied by North Korea.

In a statement on Wednesday, Ukrainian General Staff said the previous night’s drone attack in the Bryansk border region was aimed at creating logistical difficulties for the Russian army and reducing its offensive capabilities.

“The arsenal stored ammunition for missile and artillery systems, including those delivered from North Korea, as well as glide bombs,” it said. “Much of the ammunition was stored in the open.”

Later on Wednesday, local authorities in Bryansk declared a state of emergency following “detonations of explosive objects”.

The Bryansk emergencies ministry said the situation was under control, without mentioning an arms depot. Regional Governor Alexander Bogomaz said on Telegram that Russian air defence forces had intercepted and destroyed 24 drones over Bryansk overnight.

The development came one day after South Korea claimed North Korean soldiers were fighting alongside Russian troops in Ukraine.

Defence Minister Kim Yong-hyun told South Korean politicians on Tuesday that it was “highly likely” that six North Korean officers were killed in a Ukrainian missile strike near Donetsk on October 3, as reported by Ukrainian media last week.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin in June adopted a comprehensive strategic partnership that included a mutual defence pact.

South Korea and the United States have claimed that North Korea has become a major supplier to Russia of weapons being used in Ukraine. The two countries have rebuffed the allegations.

Ukraine defence meeting postponed

Separately, the US military said a Ukraine defence meeting scheduled for Saturday at its Ramstein Air Base in Germany was “postponed” after President Joe Biden called off a state visit because of Hurricane Milton, a powerful storm currently moving towards the state of Florida.

“Announcements about future Ukraine Defense Contact Group meetings will be forthcoming,” the military said.

Following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the US established a group of some 50 countries whose defence ministers meet regularly at the base in southwestern Germany to discuss Ukraine’s war effort and arms requests.

The postponement has come as Moscow’s troops continued to advance in eastern Ukraine at their fastest rate in more than two years, with little letup.

Kyiv has called for Western powers to supply more long-range weapons to help it stop Russian attacks and attempt to force peace, at what is seen as a crucial moment for Ukraine war in the run-up to the US elections.