Ukraine war day 972: These are the key developments as the war enters its 972nd day.
Fighting
- According to Russia’s Defense Ministry, Russian forces have taken control of the villages of Serebrianka and Mykolaivka in the eastern Donetsk area of Ukraine.
- The Ukrainian military denied that either settlement had fallen but claimed that fierce battle was raging in both parts of the front and that its soldiers had repulsed 12 Russian attacks in the Serebrianka area.
- Ukraine further stated that communities near Pokrovsk, the next crucial logistical center in the Russian military’s westward assault in Donetsk, have been engulfed in intense fighting.
International involvement
- US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin stated that it would be “very, very serious” if it were true. This is the first time the US has claimed to have seen proof that North Korea has transferred 3,000 troops to Russia for deployment in Ukraine.
- US information indicates that North Korean troops were sent to three training facilities in eastern Russia early this month, according to White House spokesperson John Kirby, who also stated that they would be “fair game” if sent to Ukraine.
- Alexander Lukashenko, the president of Belarus, has rejected the idea that Russia would send North Korean troops to Ukraine, claiming that doing so would be a “escalation of the conflict” and that “[President] Putin would never try to persuade another country to involve its army.”
- Lukashenko said that he was “completely ready” to use Russian nuclear weapons if “the boot of one [foreign] soldier steps into Belarus,” but that doing so would require his personal approval.
- Ukraine war day 972: Following French Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu’s suggestion that non-nuclear forces be sent to Ukraine to dissuade Russian aggression, Russia’s Foreign Ministry has stated that sending Western troops there will result in a “direct clash of nuclear powers” with “catastrophic consequences.”
- Leaders from Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia, and Egypt released a unified statement at the BRICS alliance conference in the Russian city of Kazan, urging mediation in Ukraine and an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
Finances
- The United States announced intentions to begin making funds available by the end of the year for military and economic assistance after finalizing its $20 billion share of a long-awaited $50 billion loan to Ukraine guaranteed by blocked Russian assets.
- Alongside a separate $20 billion commitment from the European Union and $10 billion divided by the G7 allies—Britain, Japan, Canada, and Japan—the funds will be repaid with interest generated from over $300 billion in frozen Russian assets, the majority of which are held in Europe.