During a meeting between Russia’s defense minister, Andrei Belousov, and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, the two countries agreed to boost military cooperation. North Korea expressed support for Russia’s war in Ukraine, while tensions escalated over the deployment of Pyongyang’s troops in western Russia. In response, Ukraine’s foreign minister urged Nato counterparts to invite Kyiv to join the alliance, and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy suggested placing Ukrainian territory under NATO protection. The head of MI6 warned against abandoning Ukraine, stating that doing so would jeopardize security in the UK, Europe, and the US.
Meanwhile, Ukraine appointed Maj Gen Mykhailo Drapatyi as the new commander of its land forces, as Russia launched over 100 drones at Ukraine overnight, resulting in casualties and damage. Power cuts affected at least two Ukrainian regions, and Russian forces seized the village of Rozdolne in Ukraine’s Donbas region. Russia claimed to have shot down 47 Ukrainian attack drones and made territorial gains in the Rostov border region.
French President Macron pledged intensive support for Ukraine against Russia’s invasion, condemning indiscriminate attacks on Ukrainian cities. Additionally, Russia returned the bodies of over 500 Ukrainian soldiers killed in combat, while sentencing Alexei Gorinov to an additional three years in prison for speaking out against Moscow’s military offensive in Ukraine.
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Photo credit www.theguardian.com
