Iruni Kalupahana JadeTimes Staff
I. Kalupahana is a Jadetimes news reporter covering Russia-Ukraine war
Ongoing Russian Aggression
Local officials said there was one civilian killed, three wounded, and fires blazing across the Ukrainian capital by a missile attack on Kyiv early on Wednesday morning. The president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, condemned the attack, saying that the aggression would continue until strong international pressure were to bear. According to Kyiv’s Mayor Vitali Klitschko, there was a nine year old among those injured, showing just how indiscriminately the strike acted. However, the military strike managed to succeed in intercepting six of seven ballistic missiles and 71 drones; other countermeasures probably disabled many more of the unaccompanied drones.
Diplomatic Moves and Prisoner Release
In a diplomatic pivot, President Zelenskyy offered a possible land swap to the Russian President Vladimir Putin in a bid to end the war, should his proposals bear fruit in negotiations. Zelenskyy offered the exchange of some territory occupied by Ukraine in Kursk for territory held by Russia in Ukraine, although the finer points of the exchange remain unclear. Meanwhile, U.S.-Russia relations saw a major breakthrough with the release of Marc Fogel, the American school teacher imprisoned in Russia on drug charges since 2021. The release, following an unannounced visit to Moscow by U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff, was hailed by Donald Trump as a sign of goodwill on the part of Russia, possibly preparing the way for peace negotiations.
Russian and North Korean Military Involvement
Recent reports have disclosed a developing military collaboration between Russia and North Korea. Reports suggest that North Korea has sent about 200 long range artillery guns and as many as 11,000 troops to back Russian forces in Ukraine. The involvement of North Korean soldiers comes amid deepening concerns since casualties are flooding in. Furthermore, a Russian Su-24MR bomber entered Polish airspace, raising further tensions between NATO and Russia. In this regard, Poland stated it would set a new precedent in security spending and underlined its intention to protect the Baltic Sea from possible aggressions. Meanwhile, Ukraine continues facing considerable damage to its energy infrastructures due to Russian missile and drone attacks.
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