N Korea ballistic missile facility growing as revealed by new satellite images
U.S. defense experts revealed on Monday, Nov. 25, that they believe that Pyongyang may be ramping up its production of weapons for Moscow to use in its war in Ukraine. Researchers said new satellite images reveal North Korea is expanding a crucial weapons manufacturing complex that produces short-range missiles.
The California think-tank behind the findings noted that the plant is the only one known to produce a certain class of ballistic missiles used by Russia to strike Ukrainian forces.
Known as the KN23, the rockets are reportedly capable of evading missile defense systems by flying at low altitudes, which makes them useful for Russian forces trying to penetrate Ukrainian air defenses.
The satellite images show what reportedly appears to be an additional assembly building under construction and a housing structure for workers near North Korea’s east coast.
North Korean missiles allegedly account for only a fraction of Moscow’s strikes in Ukraine. However, the developments stoked fears among South Korea and the United States because both countries have long sought to prevent North Korea from expanding its production of ballistic missiles.
Both Moscow and Pyongyang denied that North Korea is supplying weapons to Russia for its war in Ukraine, despite the countries signing a mutual defense treaty in June 2024 and vowing to boost military ties.
Meanwhile, thousands of North Korean troops are reportedly being deployed to help Russia in its war efforts.
France, UK weigh military support for Ukraine as US commitment wavers
France and the United Kingdom are discussing the potential deployment of troops to Ukraine as part of a European coalition. French officials say all options remain under consideration, particularly as U.S. aid to Kyiv faces uncertainty with President-elect Donald Trump set to take office in January 2025. Talks between London and Paris have intensified, focusing on forming a European defense coalition to bolster Ukraine’s position and counter the risk of further Russian advances.
NATO reported that Russia’s ground forces have grown since the war began, even as the quality of equipment and training has declined. Moscow ramped up aerial attacks and missile launches, underscoring escalating tensions.
In response, the U.K. announced its largest sanctions package yet, targeting Russia’s “shadow fleet” of oil tankers allegedly used to evade Western restrictions. British leaders are calling on allies to ensure Ukraine receives sufficient resources to maintain its defenses through 2025.
NATO is now preparing for emergency talks as the situation grows more volatile. France has signaled it may send long-range weapons capable of striking targets in Russia.
Meanwhile, France has completed training for a newly formed Ukrainian brigade under its “Champagne” task force. Known as the “Anne of Kyiv” brigade, the unit is named after a Ukrainian princess who became a queen of France.
The brigade, which will eventually comprise 4,500 troops, underwent more than two months of rigorous training in battlefield tactics, coordination and the use of advanced weaponry. Equipped with French-supplied light tanks, artillery and missile systems, the soldiers are now better prepared for the intense combat scenarios they are likely to face.
Biden to cancel $4.7B in Ukrainian debt as time in office nears end
With just weeks left in his presidency, President Joe Biden is working to secure support for Ukraine before President-elect Donald Trump takes office on Jan. 20. As he hits the lame-duck portion of his presidency, Biden announced on Wednesday, Nov. 20, the forgiveness of $4.7 billion in Ukrainian debt.
The president does have the authority to forgive the debt due to U.S. Congress granting him the power in an April funding bill that approved $9.4 billion in loan forgiveness.
The move by Biden is important to the White House because some within the administration are reportedly concerned Trump could limit U.S. funding for the war.
The White House and Ukraine said the loan forgiveness will give Ukraine the ability to maintain its defense while keeping government functions intact.
However, some Republicans have issues with the plan. They argue loan forgiveness before leaving office won’t have the proper oversight and sets a bad precedent for lame-duck presidential actions.
Other actions taken by the Biden administration recently include shipping anti-personnel land mines to Ukraine and authorizing Ukraine’s armed forces to strike targets in Russia with long-range ATACMS.
The White House says its decisions are in response to Moscow using around 10,000 North Korean troops to clear Ukrainian forces out of the Kursk region.
His proposal includes freezing the conflict along the current front lines, allowing Russia to retain significant territory, including Crimea and large portions of the Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions.
These areas account for nearly 20% of Ukraine’s territory, an expanse roughly equivalent to the size of Virginia. The territory also includes critical land routes to Crimea.
Putin ruled out returning Crimea or making any major territorial concessions and insisted Ukraine abandon its ambitions to join NATO.
The Kremlin’s conditions reportedly include limits on Ukraine’s military size and assurances to protect the use of the Russian language. While Moscow is open to offering security guarantees for Ukraine, it insists on the complete absence of NATO forces or influence within the country.
The Kremlin’s stance reflects its broader objective of solidifying territorial gains while countering what it perceives as NATO’s encroachment. Putin has characterized the conflict as a pivotal moment in resisting Western influence in regions Moscow considers part of its sphere of control. However, NATO has emphasized that its members join voluntarily.
Potential negotiations could resemble a 2022 draft agreement discussed during the Istanbul talks. Those talks proposed Ukrainian neutrality in exchange for international security guarantees from U.N. Security Council members.
However, Kyiv remains steadfast in its demand for full territorial sovereignty, including the return of Crimea.
Reports from the front lines indicate that fighting has intensified. Russian forces have made their fastest advances since the early days of the war, further complicating the prospect of a cease-fire. The Kremlin has stated that if no agreement is reached, military operations will continue.
Putin retains decisive control over any potential negotiations, reflecting the centralized decision-making within the Kremlin. While a temporary truce may be achievable, analysts widely agree a comprehensive peace agreement addressing both sides’ security concerns remains unlikely.
This is why it would be ‘ludicrous’ for Russia to use nuclear weapons
Stop me if you’ve heard this before. The President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, is threatening to use nuclear weapons if Ukraine gets or uses certain other weapons in certain ways.
In the latest example of nuclear saber-rattling, Moscow changed its protocols for using nuclear weapons. If a non-nuclear country like Ukraine, is allied with a nuclear-armed country like the United States, and puts Russian sovereignty at risk, the Kremlin said it will use nukes.
Over the course of the war in Ukraine, Russia has issued dozens of threats concerning the use of its nuclear weapons, and each time the threat rang hollow. Straight Arrow News Reporter Ryan Robertson spoke with Matt Shoemaker, a former U.S. intelligence officer who spent time on the Russia desk, about whether to take Russia’s threats seriously.
The following conversation has been edited for length and clarity. You can watch the full interview in the video above.
Ryan Robertson: The last couple of days, the announcement came out that Russia was amending its protocols for nuclear responses to say that if Ukraine, or a nation, attacks Russia with long-range weapons that puts Russian sovereignty at risk, and that nation is being backed by a nuclear power, then Russia can use nuclear weapons.
The announcement was made in September, and went live at the same time Ukraine was using long-range ATACMS outside of Kursk. Is this all just more bluster from Putin?
Matthew Shoemaker: Short answer, yes. There’s been a lot of sensationalism, especially here in the United States, with regards to this usage of ATACMS. If you go on the Drudge Report, for example, the past three days, their main headlines have been essentially, “Nuclear war is about to start. All of these countries are updating their nuclear weapons programs and their nuclear responses.”
This was foreseen, Russia, let’s put it that way, had a good idea that this was going to happen, which is why they announced it back in September. They waited [to implement it] until President Biden announced [his plans]. And let’s be honest, President Putin knows President Biden. They’ve met multiple times. Biden’s got two months left on the clock. Putin knows that. Putin knows that, you know, Trump’s about to come in. Putin is going to have a much better time, from his perspective, negotiating with Trump.
You know, this is all just bluster at this point. No one anticipates, no one expects that President Putin is going to start nuclear war over this with President Biden and two months left. There’s nothing whatsoever in it for President Putin to do this. So this is all just bluster, unfortunately. And, you know, people with their own political axes to grind are using it for their advantage, whether it be bludgeoning the other side over the head with their political comments or just to try and stir up support for themselves. So, you know, there’s a lot of sensationalism going on.
Ryan Robertson: Sure, sure. I mean, it’s 2024, right? You can’t get by without some sensationalism, right? You mentioned something about the ATACMS. You know, President Biden has approved ATACMS. Ukraine probably doesn’t have that many long-range ATACMS at this point, but President Biden has a few billion dollars left of congressionally approved money to spend. If Ukraine suddenly got an influx of ATACMS, you know, long-range missiles, would that be enough to change the course of the war over the next couple of months before President Trump takes office?
Matthew Shoemaker: A short answer, in my professional assessment as a former intelligence officer, is no. None of that is in President Biden’s wheelhouse. Over the past three years of this conflict, effectively, he has slow-walked, at every single opportunity, any chance that the Ukrainians had to get an upper hand with regards to the Russians. President Biden has denied them that. The only thing President Biden has actually done is given the Ukrainians enough to stay in the fight.
And that’s essentially what this is more than anything, because—and not to get too far into the weeds and become too much of a tactician with regards to this—as you mentioned, the Ukrainians don’t have enough of these ATACMS. The ATACMS themselves come in multiple variants. No one really knows which variants the Ukrainians have or how many of those variants they have. The two main variants are–one is a main large warhead itself. And that’s used against, usually, clusters of personnel, for example. That tends to have a shorter range because it’s heavier. You need a bigger warhead for it.
The other variant has a lot of smaller munitions in it and kind of just sprays them out over a wide area. That one, from my understanding, has a little bit of a longer range. We don’t know how many the Ukrainians have. We don’t know how many of the variants they have either. That sort of thing.
On top of it, the Americans have been helping the Ukrainians pay for the development of a Ukrainian-made, essentially ATACMS-style weapon that the Ukrainians have been fielding, and they can produce those themselves. So, you know, the Ukrainians have been lobbing these into Russia, and this doesn’t really change any of the tactics on the field. It is all just bluster. It creates a headline. Because in reality, yes, for the Americans to say you can use these weapons against Russian soil is a new development, if you will.
I would say that, unlike most of the reporting, from my understanding, there actually are quite a lot of restrictions still on the use of ATACMS.
Ryan Robertson: Right. The Ukrainians can only use them around Kursk.
Matthew Shoemaker: Exactly. It’s meant to give the Ukrainians some bargaining chip when Trump does come into office, that the Ukrainians own, essentially, Russian territory that they can negotiate to give back to the Russians under a Trump administration. There’s a lot of gamesmanship, a lot of different tactics going on, a lot of chess being played. But for people to just fly off the handle and assume that nuclear war is coming is irresponsible at best and just ludicrous at worst.
Ryan Robertson: Matt Shoemaker, always a pleasure talking to you.
Biden greenlights anti-personnel mines for Ukraine as Russia gains ground
President Joe Biden has approved the use of U.S.-supplied long-range missiles on Russian territory and authorized the distribution of anti-personnel mines to Ukraine. According to U.S. officials, the mines are designed to deactivate after a set period and will only be deployed within Ukrainian territory.
Russia has made significant battlefield gains this year, seizing nearly six times more territory in 2024 than in 2023. Key areas like Kupiansk and Kurakhove in eastern Ukraine remain under heavy assault. Reports show Russian forces are also closing in on critical logistical hubs.
Analysts warn Ukraine’s defenses are increasingly stretched thin. They’re concerned this will impact Ukraine’s ability to maintain control along the front lines.
Ukraine’s recent incursion into Russia’s Kursk region has also faced challenges.
Experts initially viewed the incursion as a bold strategic move. However, the operation has tied down experienced Ukrainian units, allowing Russian forces to reclaim approximately 230 square miles of territory since October.
Despite advances, Russia’s strategy has come at a high cost. Independent reports estimate that over 200,000 Russian troops have been killed since the invasion began. Troops near Kursk have faced significant losses.
This week, Ukraine used U.S.-supplied long-range missiles to target Russian positions for the first time. Officials hope the strikes and the newly approved landmines, will slow Russian advances and bolster Ukraine’s position in potential peace negotiations.
Ukraine’s use of the ATACMS system has so far been limited to regions near Kursk.
Russia now warns that any conventional attack by a non-nuclear-armed nation allied with a nuclear power could justify a nuclear response. While the policy was announced in September, it took effect following Biden’s approval of these new measures.
Russia lowers threshold for using nuclear weapons as war with Ukraine escalates
One-thousand days into its war, Russia claimed that Ukraine is already using American made long-range missiles to fire deep into its country. In response, President Vladimir Putin amended Russia’s nuclear doctrine, lowering the threshold for using such weapons.
“The Russian Federation reserves the right to use nuclear weapons in the event of aggression with the use of conventional weapons against it, or the Republic of Belarus, which creates a critical threat to sovereignty or territorial integrity,” a Kremlin spokesman said, according to CNBC.
The Russian defense ministry said Ukraine fired six U.S. made long-range ballistic missiles into the western part of Russia overnight on Tuesday, Nov. 19. The strike came after the Biden administration granted Ukraine permission to begin using U.S. long-range missiles to fire into Russian territory.
Reuters is now reporting Russia began mass production of mobile bomb shelters that can protect against shockwaves and radiation from a nuclear blast. The Emergency Ministry’s Research Institute said the fortified shelters can offer 48 hours of protection from explosions, dangerous chemicals, fires, falling debris and flying shrapnel.
The shelters look like shipping containers and have room for 54 people. They can be moved by truck, connected to water supplies and be deployed throughout vast portions of Russia.
Kyiv faces major attack, Crimea bombing kills Russian commander
Russia launched a missile and drone attack on Kyiv early Wednesday, Nov. 13, marking the first major attack on the Ukrainian capital in more than two months. Ukrainian officials reported that air defenses intercepted multiple cruise and ballistic missiles, along with nearly a dozen drones. Emergency crews are assessing the extent of the damage.
In Kyiv’s Brovary district, debris from the strikes injured a 48-year-old man and started a fire at a warehouse, according to local authorities. In response, officials imposed daytime electricity restrictions on businesses and industries to conserve power as critical infrastructure remains a key target for Russian forces.
The attacks appear to signal a shift in Russian strategy, with the coordinated use of missiles and drones aimed at overwhelming Ukraine’s defenses and targeting civilian and industrial sites. Analysts suggest the tactics are designed to strain Ukraine’s resources and destabilize the region further.
Meanwhile, in Crimea, a senior Russian naval commander, Capt. Valery Trankovsky, was killed in a car bombing in Sevastopol. Russian authorities identified Trankovsky as the chief of staff for a missile boat brigade involved in the war against Ukraine. Officials labeled the incident a terrorist act.
Crimean Telegram channels report that a vehicle was blown up in Russian-occupied Sevastopol. Allegedly, a captain of the 1st rank of the Russian Black Sea Fleet was in the car. He was killed.
According to media reports, a car with an improvised explosive device flew into the… pic.twitter.com/LSYcbhY1f2
Ukrainian sources described Trankovsky as a “war criminal” responsible for missile strikes on civilian sites in Ukraine. Reports indicate the bomb was detonated remotely after he had been under surveillance for several days.
This car bombing follows a series of high-profile attacks targeting Russian officials in occupied territories. Analysts view these incidents as part of Ukraine’s broader efforts to disrupt Russian operations and weaken its military leadership.
10,000 North Korean troops join Russia near Ukraine border
Russia has amassed a force of 50,000 troops, including 10,000 North Korean soldiers, near the Kursk region in preparation for a new assault to retake Ukrainian-held territory, according to U.S. and Ukrainian officials. This escalation comes as North Korean forces, training with Russian troops, are expected to join in direct combat in what could mark a significant turning point in the two-year conflict.
A recent U.S. intelligence assessment suggests Moscow has bolstered its forces in Kursk without reducing its eastern Ukraine presence, allowing it to pressure Ukraine on multiple fronts simultaneously. The North Korean soldiers, drawn from elite units and equipped with Russian weapons, are divided into assault and support units and are expected to fight in their own discrete groups.
According to Ukrainian officials, Russia has provided the North Korean forces with machine guns, sniper rifles, anti-tank missiles and rocket-propelled grenades. Training for the North Koreans has reportedly included artillery fire, basic infantry tactics and trench clearing in preparation for frontal assaults on entrenched Ukrainian positions.
AP Images
This new offensive looms as President-elect Donald Trump prepares to take office with a stated priority of ending the war quickly. While Trump has not specified his approach, Vice President-elect JD Vance has suggested a plan that would allow Russia to retain territory it has captured in Ukraine.
U.S. officials, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter, indicate that North Korea may have agreed to send its troops in exchange for missile technology and diplomatic support from Russia. The North Korean forces, known for cohesion and discipline, are expected to bolster Russia’s capability in Kursk, though the nation’s lack of combat experience raises questions about their battlefield effectiveness.
In the past 24 hours, Ukraine reported Russia’s deadliest day of the war, with 1,770 Russian soldiers killed or wounded. British defense officials noted that Russian forces sustained an average of 1,500 casualties per day in October 2024, resulting in Moscow’s highest monthly losses since the war began.
Ukraine launched its largest attack on Moscow since the start of the war, striking Russia’s capital late Saturday night, Nov. 9, into early Sunday, Nov. 10. Russia said a total of 34 drones were launched in Moscow’s direction, but all of them were shot down. Five people were injured in the Moscow region, Russia’s defense ministry said.
“An attempt by the Kyiv regime to carry out a terrorist attack using airplane-type drones on the territory of the Russian Federation was thwarted,” the ministry said.
The attack prompted “temporary restrictions” at multiple airports serving the Moscow region. Russia’s federal air transport agency said the airports of Domodedovo, Sheremetyevo and Zhukovsky diverted at least 36 flights, but then resumed operations.
That attack came after Ukraine said Russia launched a total of 145 drones Saturday night, the most ever in a single night-time attack during the war. Ukraine said its defenses shot down more than 60 of the drones, while others left Ukrainian airspace.
Reuters and The Washington Post reported over the weekend that Trump spoke with Putin last week. However, on Monday, Nov. 11, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said no such call had taken place.
“This is completely untrue. This is pure fiction, it’s just false information,” Peskov told reporters. “There was no conversation.”
“This is the most obvious example of the quality of the information that is being published now, sometimes even in fairly reputable publications,” he said.
Peskov said “there are no concrete plans yet” for Putin to contact Trump.
