N Korea reaffirms support to Russia in its war with Ukraine

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un told Russia’s top diplomat his country was ready to “unconditionally support” Moscow’s every effort to resolve the conflict in Ukraine, state media reported on Sunday, as the two countries held high-level strategic talks.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was on a three-day visit to North Korea, which has provided troops and arms for Russia’s war with Ukraine and pledged more military support as Moscow tries to make advances in the conflict.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian intelligence agents killed members of a Russian secret service cell wanted on suspicion of having shot dead a colonel in Ukraine’s SBU security service last week, the SBU said.

Russia had pounded Ukraine with hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles on Saturday, in the fourth major attack this month, targeting western cities and killing at least two people in Chernivtsi on the border with Romania.

Russia, China discuss US ties

Russia and China’s foreign ministers discussed their relations with the US and the prospects for ending the war in Ukraine, Russia’s foreign ministry said. Strengthening coordination at the UN, the SCO and BRICS was discussed.