Ukraine conducted an attack on the night of October 20 against the Russian airport of Lipetsk-2, in the region of the same name, more than 400 kilometers away from the national border, and against the facilities of Plant, an explosives factory. The Ukrainian military authorities confirmed that the operation targeted ammunition depots and fuel storage facilities, as well as several parked and/or hangared aircraft, including the Su-34, Su-35 and MiG-31 models.

A representative of the Ukrainian General Staff revealed that the action was the result of cooperation between the SBU, the country's military intelligence agency, and units of the Special Operations Forces. The mission was part of a series of strategic strikes, including a recent strike by kamikaze drones against the Sverdlov plant in Dzerzhynsk, Nizhny Novgorod region, located about 900 kilometers from the Ukrainian border: the largest explosives factory in Russia. These actions are part of the Ukrainian military strategy aimed at striking strategic points for the enemy's logistics and armament.

Videos appearing to show North Korean troops inside a Russian military installation surfaced on "Telegram" channels run by Kremlin-leaning military bloggers on Friday. The footage, which has yet to be officially confirmed, could signal a significant development in the region’s military dynamics.

The Kremlin has dismissed the images as "fake news", calling the claims unfounded. Dmitry Peskov , spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin, today slammed the reports from US and South Korean sources as "a flow of contradictory information". But Pyongyang and Moscow have stepped up their military cooperation since North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and President Putin signed a comprehensive strategic partnership treaty in June. The agreement commits both countries to provide military assistance to each other in the event of an attack.

Also on Friday, South Korea’s spy agency said it believed North Korea had already begun deploying four brigades totaling 12,000 troops, including special forces, to Russia ahead of the Kremlin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol called the involvement “a grave threat to the security of the world". NATO today formally requested that South Korea send a delegation to brief the alliance on its knowledge of Pyongyang’s troop deployment. The request highlights transatlantic concern over military activity on the Korean Peninsula. The decision to directly involve Seoul in the briefing demonstrates a commitment to shared and informed management of regional tensions.