MoD reveals toll of Ukraine war on North Korean troops
The UK Ministry of Defence reports that North Korean forces have suffered over 6,000 casualties in offensive operations against Ukrainian forces in the Kursk region of Russia.
These casualties represent more than half of the 11,000 North Korean troops initially deployed to the Kursk region.
North Korea has been a staunch ally of Russia during its invasion of Ukraine.
Russia's former defence minister, Sergei Shoigu, has been a key figure in coordinating North Korea's support, meeting with Kim Jong Un to affirm North Korea's backing of Russia's policies.
Intelligence reports suggest North Korea has continued to supply weapons, potentially receiving economic and military assistance in return, raising concerns about technology transfers that could enhance North Korea's nuclear programme.
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Times
28 minutes ago
- Times
What weapons does Iran have and how long can it attack Israel?
The vast and limitless potential of Iran's capacity to strike Israel would soon become clear. Any previous attacks on the old enemy had merely been 'minor demonstrations' before Tehran's war machine swung into full gear. That, at least, is what Hossein Salami, the architect of Iran's missile programme, would have had us believe before the tumultuous events of the past five days. Yet the regime's response to Israel's operation, Rising Lion, has underscored the limitations of Tehran's missile programme. Many of its missile sites were destroyed before Iran even fired a shot in response. What was left has so far been used with devastating effect, levelling apartment blocks and killing at least 24 people over three days in a series of strikes that have pierced Israel's much-vaunted protective shield, the Iron Dome defence system. Iran, however, cannot maintain the intensity of these attacks which, in turn, have little to no impact on Israel's ability to strike back at will. Israel estimates Tehran has launched about 300 missiles so far, while an undisclosed but probably significant number were destroyed in air strikes and sabotage operations during the first few hours of the war. Tehran has been left with little way to defend its missile sites from airstrikes and the production of new weapons will be difficult as the stockpile dwindles by the day. Western intelligence had estimated before the war that Iran possessed about 2,000 to 3,000 missiles capable of reaching Israel. Tzachi Hanegbi, Israel's national security adviser, said Iran still had 'thousands' more missiles at its disposal, suggesting previous estimates might have been an underestimation. The arsenal that we know about includes the hypersonic Fattah 1 and 2, which Iran claims are manoeuvrable in flight and can carry a warhead of up to 450kg. The larger Emad, which has an advertised range of just over 1000 miles, can carry a warhead of almost 800kg. The regime can also field its satellite-navigated Kheibar Shekan and possibly its recently announced Qassem Bassir, a missile purportedly equipped with defence-evasion capabilities. Days before the war, Iran had unveiled a two-tonne warhead it said could be fitted on to its existing missiles. Even if Iran's arsenal is larger and more sophisticated than previously thought, the regime knows it has entered an unsustainable war of attrition against a superior enemy. And, even if President Trump is reluctant for the US to take a greater role and provide 'bunker-buster' bombs to destroy Tehran's nuclear sites, there is little chance of Israel running out of weapons thanks to its stockpiles. Indeed, one western diplomat suggested that the intensity of Iran's attacks had already 'peaked'. That will remain to be seen. The response so far, however, is likely to have appeased regime hardliners who have for months clamoured for massive strikes against Israel. The humiliation of watching high-profile targets destroyed across Iran, and the deaths of senior figures within the regime, is likely to mean that the missiles will keep being fired, even if the present pace of the onslaught is not sustainable. Iran has already learnt it cannot overwhelm Israeli defences — the Iron Dome is still intercepting almost all the projectiles fired — despite Iran's claims that it has discovered a strategy to pierce the defences. 'The problem is the level of retaliation expected,' said Farzan Sabet, managing researcher at the Global Governance Centre. 'If Iran conducts a strike, it's not able to destroy [Israel's] retaliatory capability, but its enemy is capable of destroying its retaliatory capability.' He said this takes the Middle East down a 'path of a conflict which inevitably draws in the US'. Tehran's only hope is to strike Israel as hard as it can in an attempt to increase pressure on Israel to end the conflict before it draws in the entire region, including Iran's proxies in Iraq and Yemen. 'Iran's strategy, because it has a limited supply of missiles, is to inflict as much damage [as possible] to raise alarm in the international community and wear Israel down,' said Sanam Vakil, director of the Middle East and North Africa Programme at Chatham House. 'Iran will certainly be looking for a climbdown but has conditioned it on Israel also drawing back its military operations.' For now, there seems to be little appetite in Israel for any kind of slowing down. The deaths in the past 24 hours will only increase the public clamour for action. The Israel Defence Forces said on Monday it would continue to 'push east' to target Iran's missile and nuclear programmes. 'More than 50 fighter jets and aircraft carried out strikes and destroyed over 120 surface-to-surface missile launchers,' said Brigadier General Effie Defrin, the military spokesman. 'This amounts to one third of the surface-to-surface missile launchers possessed by the Iranian regime.'
BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
Israel's smaller, sophisticated military opposes larger Iran
Israel's conflict with Iran may look like a mismatch on paper - a nation of nine million people taking on a giant of the Middle East, home to 88 Israel's formidable and sophisticated military forces - with an arsenal largely, but not exclusively, provided by the United States - are enabling it to overpower a much larger BBC looks at the military balance in the latest war in the Middle East. What has Israel achieved so far? Israel already says it has gained control over the skies over Tehran. It has been a complete mismatch in the air - with no sign of Iran's few ageing fighter jets even getting off the ground. Israel's fleet of modern, US-made fighters have been able to drop guided bombs from short range - with apparently little concern of being shot of the threat from Iran's air defences was destroyed in an earlier Israeli strike in October - using longer range "stand-off" weapons to target Iran's S300 missile systems. In recent days Israel's air force has continued to target ground-based radar and launchers. Even before the attack got under way, Israel had intelligence operatives inside Iran preparing to disrupt its response. Mossad agents used drones smuggled into the country to target Iran's remaining air defence attacks also wiped out many in Iran's top level of command, which would have also undermined Iran's response. Is Iran still able to strike back? Before Israel began its attacks, Iran had what the US described as the "largest ballistic missile arsenal" in the Middle vary from between 2,000 to 3,000. Some of those, and the factories in which they were produced, have already been hit by Israel. But Tehran has still been able to fire wave after wave into Israel, and some missiles have penetrated its sophisticated air defences. The Israeli military says it has now destroyed a third of Iran's surface to surface launchers. But while Iran's missile programme will have been degraded, it has not been destroyed. It remains the greatest direct threat to despite Israel's attacks, Iran still has many short range air defence Bronk, of the defence think tank Rusi, said that while Israel may now be able to claim air superiority over Tehran, it has still not achieved air dominance and the threat of short range missiles remain. Does Iran have allies - and what could they do? Iran has for years invested in Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon with military advice, weapons and technology. But their ability to threaten Israel on its frontiers has been greatly diminished by Israeli action over the last two years: Hamas has been all but destroyed in Gaza, and Hezbollah's potency reduced to the point where it has not responded to Israel's attack on its Houthis, while more distant in Yemen, have still been able to fire the occasional salvo of missiles into Israel. They survived a sustained US bombing campaign earlier this year, and were able to bring down several US Reaper drones with short range ground-to-air missiles. Could other countries be dragged in? Iran has the ability to strike western interests in the region. Iranian-backed militant groups in Iraq have targeted western military bases in the region. The US and the UK have been preparing for the worst. There are still around 100 UK personnel based in Baghdad alongside the US military. Their safety is one reason why Kier Starmer, the British prime minister, recently ordered additional RAF Typhoon jets to Cyprus. US and UK military naval personnel and ships are also stationed in Bahrain. The longer this war goes on the greater the risk for western forces in the still has the ability to disrupt or choke one of the world's main shipping lanes in the Straight of Hormuz. It may not currently seem wise for Tehran to widen the conflict, but it could do so if it chooses. Can Israel achieve its goals? Israel has the upper hand, but the continuation of its military campaign is still largely dependent on US backing. It receives billions of dollars of US military aid each year. Most of the weapons being fired from their American-made jets have been flown in from the US. Even some of the interceptor missiles for its own Iron Dome air defences are made in the "bunker busting" bombs Israel has been using to target Iran's underground nuclear programme are mostly US-supplied. Donald Trump, the US president, has so far been willing to back their use, though it is reported that he vetoed Israeli plans to target Iran's Supreme Leader, Ali has the US given Israel access to the one weapon that would probably be needed to penetrate Iran's underground nuclear complex at Fordow - the Massive Ordnance Penetrator, a 30,000lb (13,600kg) bomb, which also can only be delivered by US B2 strategic with continuing US military support there will be limits to what Israel can achieve. Air power may set back Iran's nuclear programme, but it won't destroy it. Israeli hopes of toppling the Iranian regime seem highly unlikely. Air campaigns can create fear and chaos and rubble. But think of Libya in 2011, or Israel's continuing assault on Gaza: they rarely result in a clear-cut victory.
Sky News
an hour ago
- Sky News
Israel's war against Iran is a gamble - and to pay off it can't afford to miss
"You come at the king, you best not miss," says Omar Little, channelling Machiavelli, in the US crime series The Wire. But the same principle applies to Israel's decision to attack Iran. It's war is a gamble - to pay off, it must be entirely successful. It cannot afford to miss. That may seem a strange thing to say as things stand. Israel seems to be hitting its targets with devastating accuracy. Take the stunning campaign of decapitation: Israeli intelligence correspondent Ronen Bergman reports that Israel has developed the ability to monitor Iran 's top officials "in real time". That fearsome power is being wielded with awesome effect. Iran's military and intelligence commanders are being traced and eliminated one by one - 20 of them in the first night alone. The destruction of Iran's air defences is also on the mark. It has left Iran's skies open to Israeli jets to destroy target after target with pinpoint accuracy. The mission is to destroy Iran's nuclear programme, but also it seems the regime's means of repression and control. 3:47 To be absolutely sure of success, Israel needs the regime to fall. It must destroy both Iran's ability to develop the bomb, but more importantly, its will to do so. Fail on either front, and Iran's leaders will prioritise building a nuclear weapon. They will have to, so they can defend themselves better next time. 2:12 Their ability to build the bomb will be impossible to destroy completely, however massive the munitions Israel puts into the centrifuge halls of Natanz and Fordow. The Iranian nuclear programme is too far developed. They have the knowledge and expertise. For as many nuclear scientists Israel kills, there are their students to replace them. 0:24 And the technology is in their favour. As one western source told the Israeli Haaretz newspaper over the weekend: "They have knowledge about the plant centrifuges. "They don't need as many centrifuges as they used to. They can build a small plant somewhere, heavily fortified underground, maybe even in less than three years." 1:36 At some point, the Israelis will need to end their campaign. The Iranians' desire to build the bomb will then be redoubled among what's left of their regime. The capacity to do so will have been degraded, but the know-how will remain. Toppling the regime will be the surest way of achieving Israel's aims if it ushers in a replacement not determined to go nuclear. Israel knows that and has been going after people and places essential to the regime's apparatus of internal control and repression. It has been attacking energy infrastructure, too, knowing soaring energy prices may fuel social unrest and dissent.
