Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky admitted that the country's armed forces are unable to take back the territories occupied by Russia without diplomatic pressure from Kiev's allies, writes the British newspaper "Independent", BTA writes in the press review.
"We cannot give up our territories. The Ukrainian constitution prohibits us from doing so," emphasized Zelensky. But "we don't have the strength to take them back," the Ukrainian president admitted. "We can only rely on diplomatic pressure from the international community to force Putin to sit at the negotiating table".
This comes as Ukraine unveiled a laser weapon capable of shooting down drones from more than a kilometer away in an attempt to counter Russian air attacks, the British publication notes.
Zelensky again called for Ukraine to be granted "licensees" to produce Western weapons and weapons systems on its own territory, the French newspaper writes. "Parisienne".
This request faces logistical difficulties at a time when many of Kiev's allies are also working to strengthen their own military arsenals, the French publication notes.
At the same time, South Korea reported that North Korean soldiers sent to fight on the Russian side have participated in real clashes this month and have lost at least 100 soldiers, the French newspaper "Monde" wrote, citing a statement by South Korean lawmaker Lee Seong-kwon after a briefing held by the National Intelligence Service for lawmakers.
According to the same source, the number of wounded is estimated at nearly 1,000, he added. The high number of casualties and injuries can be explained by the "unfamiliar battlefield situation, where North Korean forces are used as frontline assault units that can be sacrificed, as well as the lack of ability to counter drone attacks".
According to Yi, there are "complaints among the Russian military that North Korean troops, due to their lack of knowledge of drones, are more of a burden than an asset".
South Korean intelligence "is closely monitoring the possibility of further deployment of North Korean troops, while expecting that Russia could offer benefits in return, such as upgrading North Korea's conventional weapons," the lawmaker added.
North Korea today called "irresponsible provocations" criticism from the US and its allies for its support for Russian military actions against Ukraine, including the deployment of troops, notes the French newspaper "Figaro". According to a statement by a spokesman for the Pyongyang Foreign Ministry, the call to stop supporting Moscow's military actions, made on Monday to the DPRK by ten countries and the EU, "distorts and slanders" normal bilateral cooperation between Russia and North Korea.
North Korean soldiers are replacing Russian losses, writes the British newspaper "Daily Mail". Last month, Russia lost 2,030 soldiers in one day, a record number since the beginning of the war. The number of casualties and wounded since the beginning of the war is estimated at 700,000.
The loss of equipment has forced Moscow's forces to use outdated military equipment from the Soviet era, which in some cases has been standing in the open. It is being sent to the front after being modernized.
In total, Russian President Vladimir Putin's forces have lost 8,000 armored vehicles and 3,600 tanks since the start of the war in 2022.
Ukraine has also suffered serious losses in weapons, but Western military supplies have allowed it to maintain stocks while improving quality, experts say. Britain has donated to Kiev Challenger 2 tanks, known for their heavy armor and striking power, which played a key role in the offensives at Kursk, Belgorod and elsewhere.
In an effort to recover its losses, Russia has switched to a wartime economy and defense factories have switched to around-the-clock production. Hundreds of converted tanks have been rolled off the production lines, with a report earlier this year saying that Moscow "has managed to replace quality with quantity."
For Pyongyang, the dead soldiers are a small price to pay for its alliance with Russia, notes the British newspaper "The Guardian". Those sent are believed to be from elite units trained in infiltration, sabotage and assassination - certainly more experienced than Russian conscripts, although language and cultural differences could pose problems. But for North Korea, the priorities are slightly different: the soldiers' salaries ($2,000 per soldier per month, according to South Korean intelligence) will be collected by the regime, which will welcome much-needed supplies of oil and grain. The West also fears the possibility of a significant transfer of technology from Russia.
At the same time, North Korean state media will not report the number of victims, and few families would dare to complain. Pyongyang may see the presence of its troops on the battlefield as a boon, giving its military experience and more modern weapons. South Korean officials believe they are testing North Korean missiles against Western weapons.
All of this raises the prospect of the North Koreans fighting in more global conflicts and heightens fears of growing instability in Asia.
China will not be happy about this, the Guardian notes. Beijing and Pyongyang already had strained relations, and now Russian President Vladimir Putin has given North Korean leader Kim Jong-un a better bargaining chip in negotiations with China's allies.
For its part, North Korea may be concerned that thousands of its fighters are seeing a way of life that - even in Kursk or the devastated regions of Ukraine - can seem startlingly comfortable compared to conditions at home. Ukrainian sources claim that some North Koreans have already defected.
The special forces live better than average and their political credibility has been tested. But even so, these thousands of soldiers are likely to discuss what they saw when they return home, while the system has long relied on the isolation of its population, the British publication recalls.