Latest news with #TASS
Economic Times
3 hours ago
- Politics
- Economic Times
Russia, North Korea foreign ministers meet, Pyongyang backs Ukraine war
Synopsis Sergei Lavrov met with his North Korean counterpart in Wonsan, where Pyongyang reaffirmed its support for Russia's military actions in Ukraine. Both countries are upgrading strategic cooperation, potentially including a mutual defense pact. North Korea may deploy additional troops to aid Russia and has agreed to send engineers for reconstruction efforts. Reuters Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui attend a meeting in Wonsan, North Korea July 12, 2025. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met with his North Korean counterpart in the coastal city of Wonsan on Saturday, during which Pyongyang reaffirmed its support for Russia's military actions in Ukraine, the TASS state news agency reported. Lavrov flew out of Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur on Friday following the ASEAN foreign ministers' meeting, arriving the same day in Wonsan, North Korea, home to a newly opened seaside resort but also known for its missile and naval facilities. Lavrov's visit is the latest high-level meeting between the two countries as they upgrade their strategic cooperation to now include a mutual defence pact. "We exchanged views on the situation surrounding the Ukrainian crisis ... Our Korean friends confirmed their firm support for all the objectives of the special military operation, as well as for the actions of the Russian leadership and armed forces," TASS quoted Lavrov as saying. The South Korean intelligence service has said North Korea may be preparing to deploy additional troops in July or August, after sending more than 10,000 soldiers to fight with Russia in the war against Ukraine. North Korea has agreed to dispatch 6,000 military engineers and builders for reconstruction in Russia's Kursk region, where Ukrainian forces launched a mass cross-border incursion nearly a year ago. Russian news agencies also reported Lavrov's arrival and said after North Korea he is expected to travel to China to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation meeting, which is set to take place on Monday and Tuesday. TASS said the new Wonsan coastal resort could boost Russian tourism to North Korea, citing the resumption of direct trains from Moscow to Pyongyang and a project to build a bridge across the Tumen River forming part of the boundary between North Korea, China and Russia. TASS quoted Deputy Russian Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko as saying more high-level delegations would visit North Korea later this year. Rudenko said the accord on strategic partnership "clearly meets the changing needs over recent decades and strengthens traditionally friendly, good-neighbourly Russian-Korean relations to a qualitatively new level as allies."
Hans India
5 hours ago
- General
- Hans India
Mi-8 helicopter goes missing in Russian Far East
A Mi-8 helicopter of a private airline disappeared during a flight from the town of Okhotsk to Magadan, Russia's state-owned TASS news agency reported on Monday citing information from emergency services. "At the appointed time, during a flight from the settlement of Okhotsk to the city of Magadan, the Mi-8 helicopter of the Vzlet airline failed to respond to communication," the agency quoted its source as saying. According to the available details, another Mi-8 helicopter took off from Okhotsk to search for the missing helicopter and an An-26 aircraft from Magadan is also involved in the search operation. There are three crew members and two technicians on board the missing Mi-8 helicopter, Tass reported after getting details from the emergency services. "Preliminary, there are five people on board the missing Mi-8 helicopter - three crew members and two technicians, they were flying to their destination after completing repair work," it said. The aviation wing of Russian Emergencies Ministry's has also launched an operation in the Far East region where the Mi-8 helicopter went missing. Last month, a Mi-8 helicopter flying to Smolensk Region made an emergency landing due to malfunctions near the village of Shchetinino in Rzhevsky District of Tver Region. "The [Mi-8 helicopter] made a forced landing on a platform picked up from the air. The crew is safe, the aircraft is safe," the Russian news agency quoted an interlocutor from Tver Air Traffic Services Centre as saying. The Mi-8 helicopter was flying from Zmeevo airport near Tver towards Smolensk to inspect a gas pipeline. It made an emergency landing near the village of Shchetinino in the Rzhevsky district. In another incident in June, an An-2 plane, whose emergency radio beacon went off, went missing in Yakutia but was found later with no reported casualties. In March, two people had died and another two injured when a Mi-8 helicopter crashed in Russia's Magadan region. The Mi-8 helicopter was transporting 20 workers from one of the mines in the Magadan region on March 18. The incident occurred while the helicopter made a hard landing 75 km from Evensk, a city situated in Magadan Oblast in Russia's Far East.
Observer
a day ago
- Politics
- Observer
North Korea's Kim offers Russia full support on Ukraine
SEOUL: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un offered Moscow his full support for its war in Ukraine during talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Pyongyang state media said on Sunday. Lavrov's visit to North Korea was the latest in a series of high-profile trips by top Moscow officials as both countries deepen military and political ties amid Russia's offensive against Kyiv. Pyongyang sent thousands of troops to Russia's Kursk region to oust Ukrainian forces and has also provided the Russian army with artillery shells and missiles. Moscow said Lavrov's talks with Kim were held in a "warm comradely atmosphere." Lavrov expressed "sincere gratitude to Pyongyang" for its role in Kursk and support of Russia's operation, the Russian foreign ministry said in a statement. Moscow also said the two sides "agreed" that the West was to blame for "the growing tension" on the Korean peninsula. The ministry earlier posted a video on Telegram of the two men shaking hands and greeting each other with a hug. It said the talks were held in Wonsan, a city on North Korea's east coast where a massive resort was opened earlier this month — one of leader Kim's pet projects. Kim told Lavrov that Pyongyang was "ready to unconditionally support and encourage all the measures taken by the Russian leadership as regards the tackling of the root cause of the Ukrainian crisis", KCNA said. The North Korean leader also expressed a "firm belief that the Russian army and people would surely win victory in accomplishing the sacred cause of defending the dignity and basic interests of the country". He lauded Putin's "outstanding leadership", the report said. The two men otherwise discussed "important matters for faithfully implementing the agreements made at the historic DPRK-Russia summit talks in June 2024", KCNA said, referring to North Korea by its official acronym. Lavrov told Kim that Putin "hopes for continued direct contacts in the very near future", according to Russia's TASS news agency. He left Pyongyang and landed in Beijing on Sunday to attend a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Foreign Ministers' Council, TASS reported on its Telegram account. Ahead of Lavrov's recent visit, Russia announced that it would begin twice-a-week flights between Moscow and Pyongyang. Lavrov lauded Wonsan as "a good tourist attraction", adding: "We hope it will be popular not only with local citizens, but also with Russians." KCNA also issued a statement on Sunday on the meeting between Lavrov and his North Korean counterpart Choe Son Hui, held a day earlier in the coastal city, saying that bilateral ties were becoming an "invincible alliance". Moscow "expressed its firm support for the DPRK side in its just efforts for defending the security of the state" during the meeting, KCNA said. In return, Choe demonstrated "full sympathy and support for all the measures taken by the Russian government to remove the root cause of the Ukrainian conflict". TASS earlier reported that Lavrov thanked the "heroic" North Korean soldiers who have been deployed to aid Russia during the ministerial meeting. Around 600 North Korean soldiers have been killed and thousands more wounded fighting for Russia, Seoul has said. North Korea only confirmed it had deployed troops to support Russia's war in April, and admitted its soldiers had been killed in combat. Both sides "emphasised their determination to jointly counter the hegemonic aspirations of extra-regional players, which are leading to escalating tensions in Northeast Asia and throughout the Asia-Pacific region", Russia's foreign ministry said. The two heavily sanctioned nations signed a military deal last year, including a mutual defence clause, during a rare visit by Russian President Vladimir Putin to Pyongyang. Meanwhile, Russia said on Sunday it took another village in the west of Ukraine's Donetsk region, as its troops advance towards the neighbouring Dnipropetrovsk region. Russia's defence ministry said Russian troops had captured the village of Myrne, calling the village by its Soviet name "Karl Marx". It lies close to the administrative border between the Donetsk and Dnipropetrovsk regions. — AFP
Jordan News
a day ago
- Politics
- Jordan News
Pyongyang Affirms Unconditional Support for Moscow in Ukraine War - Jordan News
North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un has reaffirmed Pyongyang's unconditional support for all actions taken by the Russian leadership to decisively resolve the situation in Ukraine, according to the country's state media. اضافة اعلان The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported that Kim made the remarks during a meeting with visiting Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Kim expressed his 'firm belief that the Russian army and people will surely achieve victory in their sacred mission of defending the country's dignity and core interests.' Minister Lavrov, in turn, confirmed that both Russia and North Korea remain fully committed to their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty, pledging to uphold it strictly. Speaking at a reception hosted in his honor by the North Korean government, Lavrov said: 'Both Russia and North Korea strictly adhere to their obligations under the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty, and we will continue to do so,' according to the Russian news agency TASS. On Saturday, Lavrov delivered a message from Russian President Vladimir Putin to Kim Jong-un as part of his official visit to Pyongyang. During his meeting with Kim, Lavrov said, 'President Vladimir Putin sends his warmest greetings and reaffirms his commitment to all agreements reached,' according to Russia's Sputnik News Agency. He added that President Putin looks forward to continued direct communication with Kim in the near future. Lavrov praised the military alliance between Russia and North Korea during the visit, which aimed to reaffirm their strategic partnership. 'Our North Korean friends have once again expressed their unwavering support for all objectives of the special military operation and for the actions of the Russian leadership and military,' Lavrov stated. For his part, Kim Jong-un described Lavrov's visit as 'a pivotal moment in the course of cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang.' 'This visit marks a very significant milestone in elevating our exceptional and strong alliance to a new level,' Kim said. 'It is also a crucial moment in advancing cooperation in various fields.' Lavrov arrived Friday in the North Korean city of Wonsan to hold talks with his counterpart Choe Son-hui as part of the second round of strategic dialogue between the two countries' foreign ministers. His visit comes amid media reports suggesting the possible deployment of up to 30,000 additional North Korean troops to Russia. North Korean soldiers had previously been sent to the Kursk region in western Russia to help retake areas recaptured by Ukrainian forces during last summer's counteroffensive.
Leaders
a day ago
- Politics
- Leaders
North Korean Kim Backs Russia's War in Ukraine During Lavrov Visit
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un offered his full support for Russia's war in Ukraine during talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, state media in Pyongyang reported on Sunday. Lavrov's visit marks the latest in a series of high-level exchanges as Moscow and Pyongyang deepen military and political ties amid Russia's ongoing offensive in Ukraine. North Korea has sent thousands of troops to Russia's Kursk region to support Moscow's efforts and has supplied the Russian military with artillery shells and missiles, according to reports from both countries. Russia's foreign ministry described Lavrov's talks with Kim as held in a 'warm, comradely atmosphere.' Lavrov expressed 'sincere gratitude' to Pyongyang for its support in Kursk and for backing what Russia calls its 'special military operation' in Ukraine, the ministry said in a statement. Both sides also blamed Western nations for rising tensions on the Korean Peninsula, the statement added. A video shared by the Russian foreign ministry on Telegram showed Kim and Lavrov shaking hands and embracing at their meeting in Wonsan, a coastal city in eastern North Korea, where a large resort—one of Kim's key development projects—opened earlier this month. According to North Korean state media KCNA, Kim told Lavrov that Pyongyang was 'ready to unconditionally support and encourage all the measures taken by the Russian leadership' to address what it described as the root cause of the war in Ukraine. Russia's eventual victory He also expressed confidence in Russia's eventual victory, citing what he called President Vladimir Putin's 'outstanding leadership.' The talks also covered the implementation of agreements made during a June 2024 summit between Kim and Putin, KCNA reported. Lavrov conveyed Putin's wish for continued direct engagement with Kim 'in the very near future,' according to Russia's TASS news agency. Lavrov departed Pyongyang on Sunday and traveled to Beijing to attend a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation's Council of Foreign Ministers, TASS reported. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov attends a meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Pyongyang, North Korea, October 19, 2023. Russian Foreign Ministry Twice-weekly flights Russia announced plans to launch twice-weekly flights between Moscow and Pyongyang ahead of Lavrov's visit. Lavrov praised Wonsan as 'a good tourist attraction,' expressing hope that it would become popular among Russian visitors. On Saturday, Lavrov also met with North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui. KCNA described the bilateral relationship as an 'invincible alliance,' while Russia reaffirmed its 'firm support' for North Korea's efforts to defend its national security. In return, Choe voiced 'full sympathy and support' for Russia's actions in Ukraine. TASS earlier reported that Lavrov thanked the 'heroic' North Korean soldiers aiding Russian forces. According to South Korean officials, roughly 600 North Korean troops have been killed and thousands more wounded while fighting for Russia. North Korea acknowledged in April that it had deployed troops to Ukraine and confirmed combat casualties. Both countries reiterated their shared goal to counter what they described as the hegemonic ambitions of 'extra-regional players,' which they said are exacerbating tensions in Northeast Asia and the wider Asia-Pacific region. In 2024, the two heavily sanctioned states signed a defense pact that includes a mutual security clause, during a rare visit by President Putin to Pyongyang. Short link : Post Views: 1
