Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Russia of becoming increasingly dependent on North Korea for military support as Russian strikes across Ukraine killed 12 people and wounded dozens.
Zelensky said Russia used North Korean ballistic missiles during overnight attacks, including strikes on the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia. Ukrainian officials said six people were killed and 20 wounded in the city, while another six people were killed in the Dnipropetrovsk and Donetsk regions.
Zelensky said the attacks also involved more than 120 drones, Zircon missiles and guided aerial bombs. A missile strike damaged an infectious diseases hospital and businesses in Kyiv, where at least one person was reported wounded.
“For the first time in its history, Russia cannot wage war without reinforcements from North Korea,” Zelensky said in his overnight address.
He warned that North Korea could become a greater threat to Japan, South Korea and the Philippines as its military gains experience through cooperation with Russia.
Zelensky also said Russia was preparing to deploy an additional North Korean contingent and had received more ballistic missiles from Pyongyang. He argued that North Korean weapons were being improved through cooperation with Russian forces.
Russia claims advances on battlefield
Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed its forces had captured two Ukrainian settlements, Shcherbakivka in the Kharkiv region and Nove Pole in Zaporizhzhia. The claims could not be independently verified.
Moscow also claimed earlier that it had captured two villages in Donetsk. Ukraine did not acknowledge those claims, although officials confirmed fighting was continuing in the area.
Attacks continue on both sides
Ukraine’s military said it attacked an oil refinery in Russia’s Orsk region.
In Russia’s Voronezh region, a Ukrainian drone attack killed one person and injured two others, according to regional authorities. Falling debris also caused fires at two warehouse facilities, with one fire covering approximately 16,000 square meters and another about 20,000 square meters.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said it had intercepted or destroyed 396 Ukrainian drones across 15 regions overnight and claimed its forces had targeted defense industry and logistics facilities in Kyiv and Zaporizhzhia.
Peace talks remain stalled
Peace negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv remain on hold. The two sides left talks in Geneva without reaching an agreement, with territory and security guarantees remaining major points of disagreement.
Russia continues to demand Ukrainian territory and the withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from areas near its borders. Ukraine says it will not surrender territory and wants clear security guarantees from its allies.
