Russia strikes Ukraine's 2 biggest cities in its latest barrage, officials say

KYIV, Ukraine -- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Tuesday nan thousands of North Korean soldiers expected to reenforce Russian troops connected nan beforehand statement successful Ukraine are pushing nan almost three-year war beyond nan borders of nan warring parties.

Western leaders opportunity North Korea has sent immoderate 10,000 soldiers to thief Russia’s subject run and warned that its engagement successful a European warfare could besides unsettle relations successful nan Indo-Pacific region, including Japan and Australia.

Zelenskyy said he said to South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and told him that 3,000 North Korean soldiers are already astatine subject bases adjacent to nan Ukranian beforehand statement and that he expects that deployment to summation to 12,000. South Korea, which has been successful adjacent interaction pinch NATO, nan U.S. and nan European Union astir nan latest developments, warned past week it could nonstop arms to Ukraine successful retaliation for nan North's involvement.

“There is only 1 conclusion — this warfare is internationalized and goes beyond nan borders" of Ukraine and Russia, Zelenskyy wrote connected Telegram.

The Ukrainian president besides said he agreed pinch Yeol to measurement up their countries' practice and speech much intelligence betwixt them, arsenic good arsenic create actual responses to Pyongyang's involvement.

Meanwhile, North Korea said its apical diplomat is visiting Russia successful different motion of their deepening relationship.

Tensions connected nan Korean Peninsula are astatine their highest constituent successful years, pinch North Korea continuing a tally of provocative weapons tests and South Korea and nan U.S. expanding their subject drills.

Russian drones, missiles and bombs smashed into Kyiv and Kharkiv, Ukraine’s biggest cities, successful nighttime attacks, sidesplitting 4 group and wounding 15 successful a continuing aerial onslaught, authorities said Tuesday.

Russia has bombarded civilian areas of Ukraine almost regular since its full-scale penetration of its neighbor, causing thousands of casualties.

The Russian service is besides pushing difficult against front-line defenses successful nan eastbound Donetsk region of Ukraine. The Russian Defense Ministry claimed Tuesday that Russian troops captured nan Donetsk municipality of Hirnyk and nan villages of Katerynivka, and Bohoiavlenka.

Zelenskyy besides said astir nan warfare astatine a gathering Tuesday successful Reykjavik pinch nan leaders of Denmark, Iceland, Finland, Norway and Sweden. He said a convention will statesman successful Canada connected Wednesday to reside nan abduction of what he said were tens of thousands of children by Russia from Ukraine’s occupied territories.

A Russian aerial onslaught struck Kharkiv, successful Ukraine’s northeast, astatine astir 3 a.m., hitting a location and sidesplitting 4 people, location Gov. Oleh Syniehubov said. Nearly 20 houses were damaged successful nan attack, he said.

Several hours earlier, Russia dropped a glide explosive connected nan landmark Derzhprom building successful Kharkiv metropolis center, injuring 7 people, Mayor Ihor Terekhov said. Derzhprom, besides known arsenic nan Palace of Industry, is being considered for inclusion connected UNESCO’s World Heritage List.

Terekhov said that Russia has concentrated attacks connected Kharkiv successful caller days. He urged group not to disregard aerial ambush warnings.

Authorities successful Kyiv said debris from intercepted Russian drones fell connected 2 metropolis districts, injuring six people.

Ukraine has besides utilized long-range drones to disrupt Russia’s warfare instrumentality and embarrass nan Kremlin by striking targets connected Russian soil.

A typical forces academy successful nan Russian state of Chechnya was deed by drones, causing a occurrence that was quickly extinguished, according to Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, who is adjacent state of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

It was nan first drone onslaught of nan warfare connected Chechnya, which lies astir 800 kilometers (500 miles) eastbound of Ukraine.

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Associated Press writer Jill Lawless successful London contributed to this report.

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Follow AP’s sum of nan warfare successful Ukraine astatine https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine