A local resident was killed when an explosive device, launched by a drone, hit their car in the town of Graivoron, as regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov reported on social media.

The Defense Ministry added that it had managed to shoot down 19 drones overnight. Ukraine has been increasing strikes on both military and infrastructure targets in recent weeks, following the continuous Russian bombardment of Ukrainian energy facilities throughout the winter.

According to South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS), North Korea has dispatched additional troops to support Russian forces in Ukraine.

The NIS stated that North Korean troops appeared to be deployed in Russia’s southern Kursk Oblast following a short withdrawal from the area.

In addition to providing Russia with substantial quantities of weapons, it is estimated that Pyongyang has sent at least 10,000 troops since the fall, with another 1,000 joining them recently. However, their lack of combat experience has made them vulnerable to drone attacks. In January, the NIS reported that approximately 300 North Koreans had been killed in the conflict and some 2,700 wounded.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer was set to meet with the US President at the White House on Thursday, as European leaders have been increasingly left out of discussions to end the war in Ukraine.

“We’re going to do the best we can to make the best deal we can for both sides,” US President Donald Trump said Wednesday in a US Cabinet meeting. “For Ukraine, we’re going to try very hard to make a good deal so that they can get as much (land) back as possible.”

Since taking office, the US president has indicated a willingness to make significant concessions to Moscow, including siding with Russia during a UN vote condemning the invasion.

The meeting with Starmer is scheduled a day before Trump is due to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to sign a contentious agreement that would see Ukraine providing rare earth minerals in exchange for US aid.