September 12, 2023 Russia-Ukraine news

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Russian President Vladimir Putin has arrived at the country's remote space rocket launch site, the Vostochny Cosmodrome, Russian state media TASS reported. 

Russian state television journalist Pavel Zarubin posted several videos purportedly showing Putin at the site, in the country's far east.

This comes amid speculation the space center is where Putin may meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who arrived in Russia on Tuesday.

US officials have warned the two leaders may hold arms talks that could see Pyongyang provide weapons for Moscow to use in its war against Ukraine.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday he has plans to visit the Vostochny Cosmodrome, in the Amur province of Russia's Far East, amid speculation this is where he may meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

Putin said neither when he would visit nor what he would do while there.

This comes after South Korean news agency Yonhap reported Tuesday that the train believed to be carrying Kim appears to be moving in a more northerly direction beyond Vladivostok, and towards Khabarovsk province bordering China instead, citing multiple local sources in Vladivostok.

Amur province, where Vostochny Cosmodrome is located, lies just northwest of Khabarovsk province. 

North Korea and Russia have both confirmed Kim Jong Un has entered Russia on his heavily armored private green train.

Possible arms talks: US officials have repeatedly warned that North Korean and Russia are "actively advancing" arms negotiations, which could lead to Pyongyang selling weapons to Russia in exchange for sanctioned ballistic missile technology. 

Analysts also warn that North Korea could seek improved launch capabilities for submarine-launched ballistic missiles, satellite reconnaissance capabilities, and even help with launching satellites. 

North Korea has attempted two satellite launches this year; both ended in failure.

Were Kim to get his hands on technology from Russia, a world leader in nuclear missile forces for decades, it would be a great boost for his programs and a great concern for leaders in the West, analysts say.

Moscow, in turn, badly needs fresh supplies of ammunition and small arms on the front lines in Ukraine, after more than 18 months of war have left its military battered. These are areas where analysts say North Korea has strong production capabilities.

North Korea has launched a second possible ballistic missile, Japan said Wednesday morning, ahead of an expected meeting between Kim Jong Un and Vladimir Putin in Russia.

The Japanese Coast Guard, citing the country's defense ministry, said the first ballistic missile launched earlier that morning had already fallen. It did not specify where.

South Korean authorities said the missile had been fired off the east coast of the Korean Peninsula.

Possible weapons talks: Kim and Putin could meet as early as Wednesday morning local time, according to the host of one of the most popular programs on Russian state television.

US officials have warned that arms negotiations could be on the table during their talks, which could see North Korea provide weapons for Russia to use on the battlefield against Ukraine.

A missile strike on a shipyard in the Crimean city of Sevastopol early Wednesday morning has wounded 24 people, according to the Russian-backed governor Mikhail Razvozhaev. 

Razvozhaev posted an update shortly after arriving at the scene of the strike, saying four people were "in moderate condition" due to the attack.

In an earlier statement, he said the attack had caused a fire, and that the location was “not a civilian facility."

Some background: Crimea was illegally annexed by Russia in 2014, and is internationally recognized as being part of Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has vowed to “liberate” all of the country’s territory including the occupied peninsula.

An important port and a major naval base for Russia’s Black Sea Fleet, Sevastopol has been the site of multiple suspected Ukrainian attacks.

North Korea fired at least one ballistic missile into waters off the east coast of the Korean Peninsula on Wednesday morning, said South Korean authorities, as Kim Jong Un prepares to meet Vladimir Putin in Russia.

Kim's private train, which departed Pyongyang Sunday, crossed into Russia on Tuesday, according to state media. The two leaders could meet as early as Wednesday morning local time, according to the host of one of the most popular programs on Russian state television.

US officials have warned that arms negotiations could be on the table during their talks, which would see North Korea provide weapons for Russia to use on the battlefield against Ukraine.

Japan issues alert: The Japanese coast guard also said Wednesday morning that a possible ballistic missile had been launched by North Korea, warning vessels in the area to stay away from falling objects and to report relevant information to the coast guard.

Ukraine launched a missile attack on the Crimean city of Sevastopol in the early hours of Wednesday, the city's Russian-backed governor said.

He added that the missile attack caused a fire, “according to preliminary information."

The fire broke out at what Razvozhaev described as “not a civilian facility” in the Kilen-Balka area of Sevastopol.  

Some background: Crimea was illegally annexed by Russia in 2014, and is internationally recognized as being part of Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has vowed to “liberate” all of the country’s territory including the occupied peninsula.

An important port and a major naval base for Russia’s Black Sea Fleet, Sevastopol has been the site of multiple suspected Ukrainian attacks.

The European Council has established a register to record damages caused by the war in Ukraine and to hold Russia accountable, the council announced Tuesday. 

The register was set up during a conference held in the Latvian capital of Riga that included representatives from more than 40 countries.   

The so-called Register of Damage is a digital platform set up “to record the evidence and claims of damage, loss or injury caused to all natural and legal persons concerned, as well as to the State of Ukraine, by Russia’s internationally wrongful acts in or against Ukraine” the council said. 

According to the statement, the Register’s budget is “funded by annual assessed contributions of participant states, as well as voluntary contributions.” It added that the Netherlands and European Union "have made substantial voluntary contributions to the startup costs of the Register."

The European Commission published a survey on Monday indicating that the majority of EU citizens are in favor of continued support for Ukraine. 

According to the survey results, “86% approve of the EU continuing to provide humanitarian support to the people affected by the war, 77% accept welcoming in the EU people fleeing the war and 71% back imposing economic sanctions against Russia.”  

Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un could meet as early as Wednesday morning local time, according to the host of one of the most popular programs on Russian state television.

While discussing the highly anticipated meeting, Olga Skabeeva, host of the show 60 Minutes, told her co-anchor Evgeny Popov the meeting was set for early Wednesday morning local time.  

Skabeeva did not specify if she meant early Wednesday, Moscow time, or early Wednesday in Vladivostok, which is in the Russian Far East.

It's currently 3:12 a.m. in Moscow while it's 10:12 a.m. in Vladivostok.

Kim arrived in Khasan, near the North Korean border, on Tuesday while Putin has been in Vladivostok, attending an economic summit. The locations are around 168 miles apart (270 kilometers.)