Putin and Kim spent several hours together and had "substantive" talks, Russian state media says
From CNN's Anna Chernova
Russia's President Vladimir Putin, second right, meets with North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un, second left, at the Vostochny Сosmodrome in the far eastern Amur region, Russia, on September 13. Vladimir Smirnov/Sputnik/Reuters
Talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un were “very substantive,” Russian state media reported on Wednesday, citing Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov.
“The negotiations between Putin and Kim Jong Un were very substantive,” RIA reported, quoting Peskov. According to RIA, Peskov added that North Korea “shows huge interest in developing bilateral ties with Russia.”
The pair spent around five hours together on Wednesday, according to according to Russian state news agency TASS.
According to TASS, the leaders met at Vostochny Cosmodrome 7:09 a.m. Moscow time where the North Korean leader arrived on his train and the two inspected the Vostochny facilities. Negotiations began at 8:25 a.m., and lasted “more than an hour,” according to TASS. The summit then continued with a “one-on-one conversation between Putin and Kim Jong Un,” TASS said.
6:31 a.m. ET, September 13, 2023
Kim tells Putin that Russia will defeat "evil forces," in endorsement of Moscow's war in Ukraine
From CNN’s Jake Kwon and Rob Picheta
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has made his strongest endorsement of Moscow's war on Ukraine since his summit in Russia began, telling Vladimir Putin that “Russia will emerge victorious in the fight to punish the evil forces."
Kim said before a toast at a state dinner with Putin that he is “certain that the Russian people and its military will emerge victorious in the fight to punish the evil forces that ambitiously pursues hegemony and expansion.”
He did not name Ukraine but referred to Russia's "military operation," the euphemistic phrasing Moscow uses to describe its illegal invasion of Ukraine.
Kim said the “Russian military and its people will inherit the shining tradition of victory” and demonstrate their reputation on the front line of the “military operation.”
The North Korean leader added that he and Putin had an “in-depth discussion” with Putin on the “political and military landscape of Korean Peninsula and Europe.”
Kim vowed to establish “a new era of 100-year friendship” between two countries, and proposed a toast to “the great Russia’s new victory” and Putin’s health.
Western countries have warned that Putin will seek an arms deal with Kim to bolster his war, which has stretched for 18 months and left Moscow's army short of supplies and manpower.
Kim's full-throated support of the war at the dinner will only bolster those fears. North Korea, which has faced years of international sanctions over its nuclear weapons program, is meanwhile short of everything from hard cash and food to missile technology.
7:42 a.m. ET, September 13, 2023
10 cruise missiles launched at Russian shipyard, Moscow military blogger says
The blogger, Rybar, said that the missiles were launched from Su-24M aircraft over the Black Sea. Rybar said air defenses, including a Pantsir-S1, had brought down seven missiles, but added that “unfortunately, three Storm Shadow missiles reached their target: the landing ship Minsk and the submarine Rostov-on-Don, which were in dry dock, received varying degrees of damage.”
The Rostov-on-Don is a relatively modern Kilo-class submarine capable of carrying Kalibr cruise missiles. There is no independent confirmation of the extent of damage done to any vessel.
“After a long break, cruise missile attacks on Crimea have resumed,” Rybar said. “With a very high degree of probability, raids will continue in the coming days (and not only in Sevastopol).”
What Ukraine is saying: In an apparent reference to the overnight attack, the head of the Ukrainian President’s Office, Andriy Yermak, said that “in addition to sanctions pressure and depriving the Russian military-industrial complex of the ability to produce weapons, we need to deprive the Russian army of logistics. Without it, they will not be able to hold our territory.”
“The way to victory on the battlefield is to knock out the logistics of the Russians.”
Fire has been extinguished: The attack damaged eight houses and caused a fire at the shipyard which has now been extinguides, the official Russian news agency TASS reported.
6:37 a.m. ET, September 13, 2023
What you need to know about the Putin-Kim meeting
From CNN staff
North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un has met with Russian President Vladimir Putin, in a closely watched summit that the West has warned could result in an arms deal to bolster Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.
A state dinner held in Kim's honor has just begun, after initial talks and a tour of an eastern Russian spaceport.
Here’s what we know so far about the summit:
Putin hints at helping Kim: The Russian President signaled willingness to assist North Korea in developing its space and satellite program Wednesday, as he gave Kim Jong Un a tour of Russia’s vast Vostochny space launch site ahead of their expected arms talks. When asked by a reporter whether Russia would help North Korea launch its own satellites and rockets, Putin responded: “That’s exactly why we came here.”
Kim heaps praise on Russia: Initial talks between the duo lasted just over an hour, and focused on “economic cooperation, humanitarian issues, and the situation in the region,” Putin said. Kim saidthe two countries have “many issues” that they can cooperate on. He praised Russia for having “stood up against the hegemonic forces” to defend its sovereignty and security – a veiled reference to the US and the West – and said he has expressed “the full and unconditional support to all that Russia does in response.”
US arms warning: The US government said last week that arms negotiations between Russia and North Korea are “actively advancing,” and further talks could take place as part of Russia’s efforts to find new suppliers for weapons to use in its war against Ukraine. Pyongyang could meanwhile seek access to weapons it has been banned from having by United Nations sanctions, especially for its nuclear-capable ballistic missile program.
Deepening ties: Former US National Security Adviser John Bolton warned Tuesday that the meeting between Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un is "quite significant," and "goes well beyond” a potential arms deal. "From North Korea's point of view, this gets them back into really significant contact with Russia for the first time since the collapse of the Soviet Union," Bolton told CNN.
North Korea fires missiles: Hours before the summit, North Korea launched two short-range ballistic missiles from the Sunan area — a rare move when Kim is out of the country. Analysts say Pyongyang may be trying to demonstrate its military readiness and capabilities. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) called the launches “a significant provocative act.”
6:38 a.m. ET, September 13, 2023
Russian state dinner for Kim Jong Un begins
Russia hosts a state dinner for North Korean president Kim Jong Un on September 13. Kremlin
Russia's state dinner for North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has begun.
The event is being held at the Vostochny Cosmodrome, according to the menu released by Russian state news.
Russian President Vladimir Putin began the reception, saying "Your current visit is taking place in a truly comradely, friendly, benevolent atmosphere."
6:38 a.m. ET, September 13, 2023
Putin shows Kim presidential limo during Russian spaceport visit
From CNN’s Jake Kwon and Anna Chernova
Russian President Vladimir Putin, second right, and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, second left, visit a construction site of the Angara rocket launch complex on September 13, in Tsiolkovsky, Russia. Getty Images
Russian President Vladimir Putin showed North Korean leader Kim Jong Un a presidential limousine manufactured by the Russian luxury automobile maker Aurus while visiting the Vostochny Cosmodrome on Wednesday.
Putin told Kim: "The car is called Aurus, this is what we started producing in Russia," according to video released by state news Russia 1 and the Russian state military TV channel Zvezda.
Aurus Motors was founded in 2018, originally to produce Russia's official state cars, according to Russian media. According to the company's website, the Aurus Senat Limousine is the official presidential vehicle and offers "ballistic protection."
It's unknown whether Kim was shown the vehicle before or after talks with Putin.
Former US President Donald Trump also gave North Korean leader a viewing of the presidential Cadillac limousine nicknamed “the Beast” during their talks in Singapore in 2018.
During his opening remarks after Kim's arrival, Putin told the North Korean leader: "We, of course, need to talk about issues of economic cooperation, issues of a humanitarian nature, and the situation in the region," according to a Kremlin readout.
6:38 a.m. ET, September 13, 2023
Russia to hold state dinner for Kim Jong Un featuring duck, crab and marbled beef
From CNN's Anna Chernova and Alex Stambaugh
Russia will host a lavish official state dinner on Wednesday in honor of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's visit, according to Russian state news agency TASS.
The dinner comes after Kim held talks for more than an hour with President Vladimir Putin and Kim at the Vostochny Cosmodrome in Russia's Amur province, in the Far East region.
The menu, shared by state news agency Russia 1, features dishes including:
Duck salad with figs and nectarines
Dumplings with Kamchatka crab
Grass carp fish soup
Sea buckthorn sorbet
Sturgeon with mushrooms and potatoes
Marbled beef entrecote with baked vegetables
Taiga lingonberries with pine nuts and condensed milk
This is the second state dinner Russia has held for Kim; a state reception was held in his honor during Kim's 2019 visit to Vladivostok.
4:13 a.m. ET, September 13, 2023
Ukraine launches extensive missile attack on Sevastopol shipyard, with fire breaking out and 24 injured
From CNN's Tim Lister, Josh Pennington and Olga Voitovych
Smoke rises from the shipyard that was reportedly hit by Ukrainian missile attack in Sevastopol, Crimea, in this still image from video taken on September 13. Reuters
Ukrainian forces launched an extensive attack on a ship repair facility in the Crimean port of Sevastopol overnight, according to both the Russian Defense Ministry and Ukrainian accounts.
The Russian Defense Ministry said that the Ukrainian armed forces “launched a strike with 10 cruise missiles against the S. Ordzhonikidze ship repair plant in the city of Sevastopol.” It added that Ukraine “sent three uncrewed boats at a detachment of Black Sea Fleet ships on a sea crossing.”
It claimed that air defense forces shot down seven cruise missiles, and a patrol ship destroyed all the uncrewed boats — but acknowledged that “two ships under repair were damaged by enemy cruise missiles.”
Fire breaks out: The Russian-appointed governor of Sevastopol, Mikhail Razvozhaev, also confirmed a substantial attack in messages overnight, saying missile strikes caused a fire.
He said 24 people were injured, with four in "moderate condition."
Videos and images purportedly from the area, some posted by Razvozhaev, show a large plume of smoke and a fire raging.
In this handout photo released by the Governor of Sevastopol Mikhail Razvozhaev on September 13, Razvozhaev speaks on the mobile phone as smoke and flame rise from a burning Sevastopol shipyard in Crimea. Mikhail Razvozhaev/Telegram/AP
One unofficial Russian military blogger also said that two ships were damaged: a diesel-electric submarine, Rostov-on-Don, and the large landing ship Minsk, which caught fire. Both vessels were undergoing repairs in dry docks.
It’s not possible to independently verify the account. Another unofficial account claimed that Ukraine had used British-made Storm Shadow missiles.
Ukrainian message: The commander of Ukraine’s air force, Lieutenant General Mykola Oleshchuk, thanked the Ukrainian Air Force pilots "for their excellent combat work" on Wednesday, adding that "the occupiers are still recovering from the night-time bombardment in Sevastopol."
The attack appears to have been the most ambitious yet launched on the port by Ukrainian forces. There have been previous drone attacks on Sevastopol, as well as attempts to penetrate the harbor with maritime drones.
3:23 a.m. ET, September 13, 2023
Kremlin says Kim and Putin will not sign documents, but may discuss "sensitive areas, such as military interaction"
From CNN's Anna Chernova and Alex Stambaugh
Dmitry Peskov speaks before a press conference in Saint Petersburg, Russia, on July 29. Sergei Bobylyov Sergei Bobylyov/Reuters
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters there are no plans for Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to sign documents regarding their Wednesday meeting at the Russian space center, according to state media.
The two leaders met and held closed-door talks for more than an hour at the Vostochny Cosmodrome, Russia's space rocket launch site, in Amur province in the Far East region.
When asked about reports of arms talks between the two, Peskov said "the full range of relations [between the two countries] implies dialogue and interaction in sensitive areas, such as military interaction," according to state-run outlet Russia 1.
"All other issues concern only our two sovereign countries," he added. "And they should not be a subject of concern to any third state. Our cooperation is carried out for the benefit of the peoples of our two countries, but not against anyone."
"North Korea is our close neighbor. And despite any comments from the outside, we will build relationships with our neighbors in a way that is beneficial to us and our neighbors."
