Ukraine updates: North Koreans in action in Kursk, Kyiv says

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has called for a peaceful solution to the war in Ukraine.

"Ukraine is not (...) a proxy state without its own defense capability, but a country that has decided to march towards Europe, that has a strong democracy and a very strong army, equipped with Western weapons," he said at a meeting with representatives of his party, the SPD, in Potsdam.

It was time to find a solution, Scholz stressed. "Ukraine will survive and live and be strong. There must be a peace that ends the killing," he said.

"We must now ensure that Ukraine's sovereignty remains secure and that the killing stops at some point," Scholz said.

However, the Chancellor reiterated his opposition to the delivery of long-range weapons to Ukraine.

Ukraine's military leadership has replaced the commander overseeing the defense of the eastern Donetsk region, where Russian forces are making rapid advances.

General Oleksandr Tarnavsky has been appointed head of the Donetsk Operational and Tactical Group, replacing General Oleksandr Lutsenko, the military official said.

Lutsenko was criticized by Ukrainian military bloggers and some lawmakers for failing to stop the relentless advance of Russian troops toward the strategic city of Pokrovsk, a key logistical hub for Ukrainian military and civilians in the eastern Donetsk region.

Last month, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy replaced several other generals, saying changes were needed.

Ukrainian drones carried out an overnight attack on an oil facility in Russia's western Oryol region. The facility is an important source of fuel for Russian troops, the Ukrainian military said.

The drones hit the oil terminal Stalnoy Kon, which is about 170 kilometers (107 miles) from the border with Ukraine, a military statement said.

Earlier, Russian regional governor Andrei Klychko said on the Telegram messaging app that Ukrainian drones had hit a fuel infrastructure facility, causing a fire but no casualties.

The Oryol region borders Russia's Kursk region, where Ukrainian troops took control of some settlements after crossing into Russian territory in August.

Moscow has begun involving a "noticeable number" of North Korean troops in its efforts to drive Ukrainian forces out of Russia's Kursk region, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in his regular address to the nation.

"Today there are already preliminary data that the Russians have begun using soldiers from North Korea in the assaults — a noticeable number," Zelenskyy said.

"The Russians include them in consolidated units and use them in operations in the Kursk region. For now, it is only there," the Ukrainian president added.

Ukrainian troops began their incursion into the Kursk region in August and still control some settlements there. The move is part of Kyiv's attempt to ease pressure on its forces in eastern Ukraine, where Russia has been making steady inroads.

Ukrainian and South Korean officials have previously said that more than 10,000 North Korean troops are in Russia.

dh/jcg (AP, AFP, dpa, Reuters)