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Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 972
As the war enters its 972nd day, these are the main developments.
Here is the situation on Thursday, October 24, 2024:
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.
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 US has finalised its $20bn portion of a long-awaited $50bn loan to Ukraine backed by frozen Russian assets, announcing plans to start making funds available by the end of the year for economic and military aid.
The funds, which will be repaid with interest earned from more than $300bn in frozen Russian assets mostly held in Europe, will be placed alongside a separate $20bn European Union commitment and $10bn split by G7 allies, Britain, Japan and Canada.
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