Ukraine war intensifies as Russia expands forces and strikes Kyiv

Photo — Алесь Усцінаў / Pexels

The developments mark a significant escalation in the nearly 1,700-day war. Ukrainian officials say more than 8,000 North Korean troops are already in Russian territory and that further deployments are being prepared, while President Vladimir Putin has ordered an expansion of Russia’s armed forces. Recent strikes hit Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities, including the National Academy of Sciences, with casualties reported across the country. The claims come from Ukrainian officials and wartime reporting; battlefield figures and attribution may change as more information emerges.

Sources: The Guardian, The Independent, BBC, Arab News