U.S. Says Russia's Shoigu Looking For Weapons In North Korea

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on July 29 that the United States believes Russia's defense minister is in North Korea to secure supplies of weapons to aid the stalled invasion of Ukraine. Following Sergei Shoigu's arrival on a rare trip to Pyongyang, Blinken said that Russia is scrambling to buy arms from allies across the world. "We're seeing Russia desperately looking for support, for weapons, wherever it can find them to continue to prosecute its aggression against Ukraine," Blinken told reporters in Australia. Russia is one of a handful of nations with which Pyongyang maintains friendly relations.
A 9-year-old girl and her 10-year-old brother have been called as witnesses in a criminal case against their mother after she was accused of repeatedly “discrediting” the Russian Amy. Lidia Prudovskaya and her two children were summoned by investigators in the northern Russian region of Arkhangelsk on July 28 to give testimony in the case, Russian news outlet Sota reported. Discrediting the Russian military is a criminal offense under a law adopted after Russia sent troops into Ukraine in February 2022. The law is regularly used against Kremlin critics. To read the original story by AP, click here.