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Republic of Korea and Ukraine held "constructive" talks on Tuesday about the fate of two North Korean soldiers captured while fighting in Russia, Seoul said Tuesday.Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun and Ukrainian counterpart Andriy Sybiga discussed the matter during talks in Seoul.The soldiers were captured by Ukrainian forces in January last year while fighting for Russia in the Kursk region.North Korea and Russia have demanded the repatriation of the pair, but rights groups and experts have warned they could face severe punishment if returned to Pyongyang.The soldiers have asked to be sent to Korea, which would in effect amount to defection.Seoul is seeking their transfer on the grounds that they are citizens of a single Republic of Korea envisaged in its constitution.North Korea and Republic of Korea remain technically at war after their 1950-53 conflict ended in an armistice, not a peace treaty.The nations are separated by a demilitarised zone, but Seoul considers the entire Korean peninsula as one country.The ministers "engaged in constructive discussions" on the soldiers' future yesterday, a Korean foreign ministry spokesman told reporters.They agreed to be guided by "international law and humanitarian principles"."The government will continue to make diplomatic efforts to advance and resolve the issue of the North Korean prisoners of war," the spokesman said.Writing on X, Sybiga said he and Cho discussed the matter "in detail".It has been reported that North Korean authorities instructed troops to commit suicide rather than allow themselves to be captured while fighting for Russia.One of the two held by Ukraine told Korean broadcaster MBC earlier this year: "If I am not brought to Korea, I will end up dying."North Korean leader Kim Jong-un praised North Korean troops killed in Ukraine in April for taking part in "death-defying hand-to-hand fights and heroic suicidal explosions... without hesitation", according to the Korean Central News Agency.Kyiv had assured Seoul the two soldiers would not be repatriated to North Korea against their will, Cho said in March.Analysts say North Korea has received financial assistance, military technology, food and energy from Russia in exchange for missiles, munitions and thousands of troops for Moscow's war in Ukraine.The two countries had signed a mutual defence treaty in 2024, obliging each to provide military assistance "without delay" if either comes under attack.More than 7,000 North Korean troops were killed or wounded while fighting alongside Russian forces in the Kursk region during the 2024-2025 campaign, the Kyiv Independent quoted Ukraine's military intelligence agency as saying this week.Sybiga said he and Cho also discussed "shared challenges stemming from the deepening cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang". 

The Nigerian army announced that 19 militants and two soldiers were killed during a gunfire exchange between the armed forces and militants in northwest Nigeria. The Nigerian army explained in a statement that its forces exchanged fire with an armed group in Kano State, resulting in the death of 19 militants. Two soldiers and a local guard were also killed during the operation.The statement added that the operation came as part of a major military campaign to reduce the escalating insecurity in northern Nigeria, explaining that a number of soldiers and members of the Joint Task Force sustained minor injuries and were immediately evacuated for treatment.The northeastern states of Nigeria are subject to occasional attacks by armed groups that began an insurgency in 2009 that has killed about 40,000 people and forced about two million Nigerians to flee their homes.

Russia's Defense Ministry said Sunday that its forces had taken control of a town in eastern Ukraine and killed 1,300 Ukrainian soldiers, while also downing 145 drones. In a statement, the ministry said Russian troops had captured the town of Kuzminivka in the Donetsk region and targeted Ukrainian forces across 137 combat zones. The strikes reportedly destroyed dozens of armored vehicles, cars, artillery units, ammunition depots, and electronic warfare stations. Russian warplanes, drones, missile units, and artillery also targeted energy infrastructure supporting Ukraine's military-industrial complex, mobile equipment used to transport weapons by rail, fuel supply centers, and facilities for storing and launching long-range drones and missile platforms, the ministry added. Since the war began on Feb. 24, 2022, both Russia and Ukraine have issued near-daily reports claiming battlefield gains or repelling enemy attacks. These claims cannot be independently verified due to the ongoing conflict and restricted access to combat zones.

The Russian Ministry of Defense announced Sunday its forces had killed nearly 1,280 Ukrainian soldiers and intercepted 65 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in a series of ongoing military operations across various frontlines. In an official statement, the ministry said Russian ground forces carried out targeted strikes against Ukrainian military units in multiple combat zones. The attacks reportedly resulted in the destruction of dozens of armored vehicles, artillery systems, military transport vehicles, ammunition depots, and electronic warfare stations. Additionally, the ministry reported that the Black Sea Fleet destroyed two Ukrainian unmanned surface vessels in the northwestern part of the Black Sea. Russian operational—tactical aircraft and drones also targeted what were described as transport infrastructure facilities being used to support Ukrainian military operations, as well as sites allegedly involved in the launch and storage of long-range drones. These claims come amid the continuing war that began on February 24, 2022, with both Russia and Ukraine regularly issuing conflicting reports on battlefield developments and military successes. Neither side's claims can be independently verified, and both continue to engage in intense information campaigns alongside ongoing hostilities.

Russia's Defense Ministry announced on Wednesday that its forces had seized a new town in eastern Ukraine and eliminated 1,020 Ukrainian soldiers.In a statement, the ministry said units from the Russian military's "Center" group had taken control of the town of Pervomaiske in the Donetsk region.It added that Russian forces had targeted Ukrainian military units and equipment in several areas of the Donetsk and Kharkiv regions, resulting in the deaths or injuries of 1,020 soldiers and the destruction of dozens of combat vehicles, cars, artillery pieces, ammunition depots, and electronic warfare stations.The ministry added that Russian tactical and operational aviation, drone attack aircraft, and missile and artillery forces had inflicted damage on a Ukrainian military airfield, as well as drone production plants and storage depots.Since the beginning of the war, which has now entered its third year, Russia and Ukraine have exchanged daily reports claiming advances or the repelling of attacks from the other side. These reports cannot be independently verified due to the ongoing war and fighting since Feb. 24, 2022.