Russian irredentism

A Belgian reserve colonel, Roger Housen, has issued a stark warning regarding the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, suggesting that it may be heading towards a "Korean scenario." Housen's assessment, reported in local media and BTA, comes in response to recent remarks by British General Richard Barrons, who suggested that Russia could emerge victorious in the war this year.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged allies on Monday to show the same "unity" towards Ukraine as Israel, which said it repelled an Iranian attack over the weekend with Western support.

Ukraine has in recent months grown increasingly frustrated at delays in Western aid, including air defences it says are urgently needed to repel deadly Russian attacks.

Civilians continue to die across Ukraine as analysts warned that delays in U.S. military assistance would see Kiev struggle to fight off Russian offensives.

Russian shelling killed four people in the eastern Ukraine region of Donetsk, authorities said yesterday, as Moscow's forces aim to push deeper into the war-battered industrial region.

The Kremlin has proposed resurrecting the abandoned 2022 peace deal between Russia and Ukraine as a basis for new negotiations. However, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov indicated that there has been no indication from Kyiv signaling readiness for such talks.

Russian strikes on Ukraine's southern Zaporizhzhia region killed three people on Monday, in a second day of deadly attacks on the area, its governor said.

The strike on the rural area came a day after three people were killed in a Russian attack on the town of Gulyaipole.

The tension between Russia and NATO has escalated to a level of "direct confrontation," according to Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov. He pointed out that the US-led alliance's involvement in the conflict in Ukraine, coupled with its continued expansion toward Russia's borders, has exacerbated the situation.

Ukraine's Main Intelligence Directorate (GUR) is reportedly planning the destruction of the Crimean bridge within the next three months. The bridge, which connects Russia to the occupied Crimean peninsula, has long been a contentious symbol of Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014.

Reports from Politico suggest that Russia is gearing up for a significant offensive, possibly as early as August, according to high-ranking Ukrainian military personnel who served under General Valerii Zaluzhnyi.

The Russian Ministry of Defense has reported a significant increase in the number of individuals expressing willingness to join the war in Ukraine, citing the recent attack on Crocus City Hall in the Moscow region as a primary motivator.

Amidst the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, a striking revelation emerges North Korea's role as a significant weapons supplier to Russia. Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh, in a recent press briefing, disclosed the Pentagon's assessment that North Korea continues to furnish Russia with weaponry, marking a concerning development in the geopolitical landscape, reported the Kyiv Independent.