It is day 566 of the war in Ukraine. Drones attacked the town of Rylsk in Russia’s Kursk region twice overnight. The Biden administration is reportedly on the verge of providing Ukraine with long-range missiles equipped with cluster warheads.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s armoured train has arrived in Russia.

Sergey Lagodinsky, a member of the European Parliament, has called on the European Commission to revise its explanatory statement regarding the restrictions on personal items Russian citizens are facing when entering the EU.

Novaya-Europe’s news round-up will brief you on the main developments overnight.

Two drone strikes target Russia’s Kursk region overnight

The town of Rylsk in Russia’s Kursk region was attacked by drones twice overnight, Roman Starovoyt, the regional governor, reported on Tuesday.

“An administrative building had its roof damaged and several windows smashed. No people were injured,” he wrote, adding that security services operatives were working at the site.

Rylsk is located approximately 20 km from Russia’s border with Ukraine.

Reuters: Biden administration ‘close’ to granting Ukraine long-range missiles with cluster warheads

Washington is reportedly “close” to granting Ukraine Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) or Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS) missiles with cluster warheads, Reuters reported on Tuesday, citing three US officials.

The Biden administration was “keen to boost the Ukrainian military at a vital moment”, two of the sources said. If approved, either option would be available for rapid shipment to Kyiv.

Ukraine is currently equipped with cluster artillery with a maximum range of 30 km. By equipping Kyiv with ATACMS missiles, that range would be extended to 300 km, putting all of Russian-occupied Ukrainian territory within range of Ukraine’s armed forces.

Kim Jong Un arrives in Russia by train

The armoured train used by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has crossed into Russian territory, Russian state news agency RIA Novosti reported on Tuesday.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that Russian President Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un would hold talks in the coming days, though he added that no press conference was expected.

Putin and Kim are expected to discuss a potential arms sale by Pyongyang to Moscow that would include much-needed artillery shells and anti-tank missiles to bolster its forces in Ukraine, according to US officials quoted by New York Times.

Kim is also reportedly hoping to broker a deal that would see Russia supply North Korea with food aid, as well as “advanced technology for satellites and nuclear-powered submarines”.

German MEP calls on European Commission to revise restrictions on personal items for Russians entering EU

Sergey Lagodinsky, a German member of the European Parliament, has called on the European Commission to revise its rules on what personal items Russian citizens are permitted to bring with them when entering the European Union, independent Russian media outlet Meduza reported on Tuesday.

The MEP argued that new regulations banning Russians from entering the EU with personal property and vehicles were “both legally and politically erroneous”, urging that only the import of items that could generate significant profits for Russia’s war effort should be banned.

Lagodinsky also argued against the confiscation of personal items from Russians who are permanent residents of the EU and who oppose Vladimir Putin’s regime.

A spokesperson for the European Commission told Novaya-Europe on Monday that customs authorities in EU countries were unlikely to confiscate clothes from Russian nationals entering the EU, but that the import of vehicles for any purpose was specifically prohibited.