On Saturday, Ukraine's air defense forces managed to neutralize up to a dozen drones amid an attack carried out by Russia with 83 Shahed drones over Kyiv, according to the Ukrainian Air Force. Fortunately, no casualties were reported from these attacks. This was stated by Serhii Popko, head of the Kyiv military administration.
The Ukrainian capital suffered damage to residential buildings and infrastructure in the Obolon district of Kyiv due to these Russian drone attacks. In response to this offensive, Japan's Foreign Minister, Takeshi Iwaya, arrived in Kyiv to address the growing military alliance between North Korea and Russia.
Iwaya met with his Ukrainian counterpart, Andrii Sybiha, to express Japan's strong support for Ukraine in the face of the Russian invasion and discuss possible additional sanctions against the Kremlin. Among the main topics on the agenda was Tokyo's concern regarding military cooperation between Pyongyang and Moscow.
Intelligence assessments from the United States, South Korea, and Ukraine indicate that approximately 12,000 North Korean soldiers have been deployed in Russia under a defense treaty between these two allies. According to Sybiha, Ukrainian intelligence services suggest that North Korea is cooperating with Russia in its invasion in exchange for access to Russian military technology, including a nuclear missile.
During a joint press conference, Sybiha and Iwaya emphasized the importance of firm support for Ukraine to curb Russian aggression. They also discussed Japan's possible participation in implementing a plan for resolving the conflict in Ukraine.
Amid these events, a statement from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy highlighted his determination to seek a diplomatic solution to the conflict in the coming year. Despite Russia's willingness to engage in dialogue, Zelenskyy warned that Putin has no real intention of ending the war, calling on the United States to maintain its stance against the Kremlin's violations of Ukraine.
