South Korea will increase its humanitarian and non-lethal military support for Ukraine’s defence against the Russian invasion, the Asian country’s president has said.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky (right) and South Korea’s Yoon Sook Yeo (left) meet in Kyiv on Saturday, July 15, 2023. PAP/Viktor Kovalchuk
Yoon Sook Yeo made the pledge during a visit to Kyiv on Saturday, the Kyiv Post website reported.
At a joint news conference with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky, following their talks in the Ukrainian capital, Yoon said South Korea would “expand the scale of supplies from last year, when we provided materials such as helmets and bullet-proof vests,” Britain’s The Guardian newspaper reported.
South Korea’s president added that humanitarian aid would be increased to USD 150 million in 2023, from USD 100 million last year, according to the Kyiv Post.
Ukraine’s Zelensky said: “Thank you for the meaningful talks. Thank you for your strong support.”
He added: „We talked about everything that is important for people to lead a normal and safe life.”
Zelensky thanked Yoon „for your new initiatives to provide financial, technical and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine,” and for the transfer of vehicles and demining equipment that „help us save lives,” Kyiv Post reported.
Earlier in the week, Yoon visited Poland, and said the two countries should „join as partners” to „help Ukraine to stand up again” and rebuild Ukraine from the destruction of war.
Russian strike on Ukraine’s Stepnohirsk injures three
Three people were injured after Russian forces attacked the town of Stepnohirsk in Ukraine’s southeastern Zaporizhzhia region with Grad multiple-launch rocket systems on Saturday, the head of President Zelensky’s office said.
The attack hit an administrative building of the local council, wounding two women and a man, Andriy Yermak wrote on the Telegram social messaging app.
Overnight on July 15, Russia fired Iranian-made Shahed drones against Zaporizhzhia and the southern Mykolaiv province, The Kyiv Independent website reported.
Ukraine’s air defence shot down all three Shahed drones over Mykolaiv, but there was a hit in Zaporizhzhia, officials said, without providing further details.
Between Friday evening and Saturday evening, Russia shelled frontline towns and villages in the Zaporizhzhia region 45 times, targeting the likes of Huliaipole, Orikhiv and the liberated village of Novodarivka, according to The Kyiv Independent.
The Zaporizhzhia province is one of the axes of Ukraine’s ongoing summer counteroffensive against Russia, news outlets reported.
Russia shells eight communities in Ukraine’s Sumy region
Russian troops on Saturday also shelled eight communities in Ukraine’s northeastern Sumy region, which borders Russia, officials said.
Russia struck 16 times, using artillery, mortars, and unguided air missiles, leading to at least 137 explosions, The Kyiv Independent reported.
Three private residential buildings, a garage, a non-residential commercial building, and a gas line were damaged in the attack on the Krasnopillia community, according to the Sumy region’s military administration.
Russia also struck Yunakivka, Bilopillia, Nova Sloboda, Znob-Novhorodske, Esman, Khotin, and Mykolaivka, officials said.
There were no reports of casualties or damage to the civilian infrastructure in these communities, according to the Sumy military administration.
Ukraine’s Sumy region on the Russian border has been experiencing daily assaults by Russian troops since parts of the province were liberated from Russia in early April 2022, The Kyiv Independent reported.
Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022, launching the largest military campaign in Europe since World War II.
(pm)
Source: PAP, president.gov.ua, Kyiv Post, The Kyiv Independent, The Guardian