Ukraine war: Frontline gains may enable Crimea capture, Moscow drone strike, North Korea arms deal

Russia claimed to have destroyed a Ukrainian drone bound for Moscow on Thursday, according to the capital's mayor Sergei Sobyanin.

The unmanned aerial vehicle was downed by Russian air defences in the Voskresensky district in the Moscow region, said the Russian Ministry of Defence on Telegram.

No casualties or damage were reported. 

Amid Ukraine's counteroffensive that began in June, drone attacks against Russian territory and the annexed Crimean peninsula have ramped up in recent weeks, becoming an almost daily occurrence. 

Moscow denounces these strikes as terrorism, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said they are an "inevitable, natural and absolutely fair process" of the war.

Negotiations on future arms deliveries from North Korea to Russia are "actively progressing", a US official said on Wednesday.

The deals could see Moscow receive "significant quantities" of weapons, especially ammunition and raw materials, claimed White House spokesman John Kirby. 

North Korean regime was urged to "cease" its talks with Russia.

"Such an arms deal would be a serious violation of [UN] Security Council resolutions" on North Korea, said US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield. 

Calling Russia's attitude "unacceptable", she indicated the United States would sanction "individuals and entities" facilitating this agreement between Moscow and Pyongyang.

In August, Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korea announced they would increase cooperation, particularly on defence. 

This move illustrated the increasing rapprochement between these two US enemies, amid Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. 

Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has said recent gains on the southern front could enable the recapture of the annexed