Ukraine updates: N Koreans 'likely' died fighting for Russia

Ken McCallum, head of British intelligence service MI5, says Russia's GRU military intelligence agency was trying to use crime groups to create "mayhem" in the UK against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine.

McCallum said Russia and Iran often turn to criminals "from international drug traffickers to low-level crooks," to carry out attacks.

Despite the expulsion of more than 750 Russian diplomats from Europe since Russia invaded Ukraine, McCallum said it was "eye-catching" how Russian state actors were turning to proxies to do their bidding.

"The GRU in particular is on a sustained mission to generate mayhem on British and European streets: we've seen arson, sabotage and more. Dangerous actions conducted with increasing recklessness," he said, declining to elaborate.

Several alleged state-backed plots have led to criminal charges. In one case, several suspects are awaiting trial in London over an alleged Russia-linked plan to attack Ukrainian-owned businesses.

The GRU is also believed to have directly orchestrated the poisoning of Sergei Skripal, a Russian intelligence officer who was a double agent for Britain.

Skripal was severely poisoned along with his daughter in the English city of Salisbury but survived. However, a woman later died after being exposed to the nerve agent Novichok, which had been left in a discarded perfume bottle.  

US President Joe Biden has postponed a trip to Germany, where Ukraine was top of the agenda, so he can oversee preparations as Hurricane Milton churns toward an already storm-battered Florida.

The 81-year-old has been set to depart Thursday for a trip to meet European leaders before a wider international summit of Ukraine's allies at the Ramstein US military base in southwestern Germany. He had also been due to travel on to Angola.

"Given the projected trajectory and strength of Hurricane Milton, President Biden is postponing his upcoming trip to Germany and Angola in order to oversee preparations for and the response to Hurricane Milton," Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement.

Leaving as a hurricane approached would have posed strong political risks just 28 days ahead of a tight US presidential election. 

Biden had been due to hold a four-way summit in Germany with Chancellor Olaf Scholz, French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. A state visit in Berlin was also on the cards.

Kamala Harris, the Democratic candidate in the upcoming US elections, said on Monday that she would not meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss ending the war unless Ukraine were represented in the talks.

"Not bilaterally without Ukraine, no. Ukraine must have a say in the future of Ukraine," said the US Vice President during CBS's "60 Minutes."

Joe Biden has also not met with his Russian counterpart to discuss the issue so far.

Harris also criticized Republican candidate Donald Trump, who has advocated reducing Washington's military and financial aid to Kyiv.

"Donald Trump, if he were president, Putin would be sitting in Kyiv right now. He talks about, 'Oh, he can end it on day one.' You know what that is? It's about surrender," she said.

Trump has repeatedly stated that under his administration, peace could be reached with Moscow in a short time.

In Ukraine, there is fear that such peace would mean giving up the territory in eastern Ukraine that Russia has captured since its invasion in February 2022.

Harris also mentioned that she would support Ukraine joining NATO, "if and when it arrives at that point."

The town of Feodosia in Russian-occupied Crimea has ordered over 1,000 residents to evacuate following a large fire at an oil terminal.

Ukrainian forces had claimed a strike on the depot a day earlier. Kyiv has ramped up attacks on the Russian energy sector in recent months, saying it plays a large part in funding the invasion.

"To ensure the safety of people living near the scene of the emergency situation, 1,047 people have been temporarily evacuated to shelters," Feodosia's Moscow-appointed mayor, Igor Tkachenko, wrote on Telegram. 

Although the Kremlin has not confirmed the Ukrainian attack, Russia's consumer safety watchdog said on Monday that a fire broke out at Sea Oil Terminal in Feodosia.

According to the depot's website, it "stores fuel in case of emergency situations and ensures Crimea's energy security."

Russian news agency RIA Novosti said the fire had spread to 2,500 square meters (26,000 square feet).

Russia launched two Iskander-M ballistic missiles and 19 drones in an overnight attack, Ukraine's military said on Tuesday.

In a post on Telegram, the Ukrainian Air Force said it had shot down 18 drones while the last one "returned to Russia."

Meanwhile, Oleh Kiper, the governor of Odesa, said a drone attack in the city of Chornomorsk caused fires in an apartment building, but no casualties were reported.

Kiper also reported a fire at a production facility in Odesa. One Russian drone landed without detonating, he added.

Additionally, a Russian missile hit a Palau-flagged ship in Odesa port, killing one Ukrainian and injuring five others, officials said.

South Korea said on Tuesday that it is "highly likely" that North Korean troops are fighting alongside Russians in Ukraine and that some of them have been killed.

South Korea's Defense Minister, Kim Yong-hyun, told a parliament hearing that there were reports of North Korean military officers being killed in Ukraine.

"We assess that the occurrence of casualties among North Korean officers and soldiers in Ukraine is highly likely, considering various circumstances," he said.

Kim said more North Korean troops are expected to be deployed under a mutual defense pact between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin that was signed in June, highlighting deepening military ties.

Ukrainian media reported that six North Korean military officers were killed in a Ukrainian missile attack on Russian-occupied territory near Donetsk on October 3.

Seoul has accused Pyongyang of sending weapons to Russia, a charge that both North Korea and Moscow have denied.

Meanwhile, experts say North Korea is moving from supplying weapons to sending troops for combat experience.

ss/ab (AFP, Reuters, dpa, AP)