Ukraine-Russia war latest: Zelensky accuses Putin of ‘terrorising’ Ukrainians as 8 killed in fresh strikes

South Korea’s presidential office demanded an official explanation ⁠and apology from Ukraine, accusing Kyiv of disclosing the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war to South Korea and then falsely denying that the two sides had agreed to keep the move confidential.

“The presidential office expresses strong regret over Ukraine’s unilateral disclosure and its subsequent false announcement that there had not been a non-disclosure agreement,” Seong Ghi-hong, senior presidential secretary for public ⁠relations, said in a statement released on Sunday.

He said ​the ⁠government was reviewing additional measures over the issue if necessary.

Seong said Ukraine had repeatedly discussed the prisoners’ transfer with Seoul through various channels and had requested secrecy, arguing that public disclosure could ⁠trigger domestic criticism that Kyiv had given up an opportunity to exchange the soldiers for Ukrainian prisoners.

South Korea ​agreed ⁠to keep the transfer confidential given security, diplomatic ‌and humanitarian concerns, including the safety of the prisoners and their families, he said.

According to the statement, Ukraine later disclosed the transfer in president Volodymyr Zelensky’s address to the United Nations General Assembly without sufficient prior consultation ‌and subsequently denied the existence of any confidentiality agreement.

Seong said the ‌denial had seriously damaged trust between the two governments and could harm bilateral relations.

Ukraine’s embassy in Seoul did not immediately issue a statement on the matter.

A guided Russian ⁠aerial bomb injured 15 people, ⁠including ​children, ⁠as ⁠it ​struck an ⁠apartment building ‌in Ukraine’s second-biggest ‌city, Kharkiv ‌in ⁠the northeast, mayor Ihor Terekhov said on Telegram ‌early ​on ‌Monday.

President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russia of terrorising Ukrainians after the latest attacks in which a market was set on fire and kindergartens and schools were targetted.

“Anywhere in the world, this choice of targets would be called by one word – terrorism. Russia has no military objective whatsoever in doing this – it is purely an attempt to break people and inflict as much harm as possible on our society,” Zelensky said.

“If Russia were truly preparing for any real steps toward de-escalation – as it claims, particularly to American negotiators – this wave of … terror would not be happening,” he said.

Voters in Switzerland are deciding Sunday on a proposal to strengthen the country’s vaunted neutrality. The referendum is supported by a right-wing populist party that insists the Swiss government has gravitated too close to the European Union and NATO, notably over Russia‘s war in Ukraine.

Backers of the plan championed by the Swiss People’s Party want Switzerland to reinforce its commitment to neutrality that has been enshrined in the constitution since the mid-19th century and has faced years of debate over what that neutrality really means.

The party, which has the most seats in parliament and counts some members with pro-Russia leanings, has bristled over the Swiss federal government’s decision to join EU sanctions against Russia over what the government calls Russia’s “war of aggression” against Ukraine.

Vladimir Putin’s “wave of ‘shahed’ terror” proves he is not truly preparing for any real steps toward de-escalation, Volodymyr Zelensky has said.

He said Russia “knows how to send the kind of encouraging diplomatic signals that the world simply wants to hear…It knows how to send such signals in order to delay tough steps by the world in response to the war.”

The Ukrainian president added: “We are counting on effective decisions from the world and stronger pressure from our partners, so that Russia sees that manipulating diplomatic signals will not allow it to keep winning more and more time for war and terror.

“It is important that our other partners in the G7 and G20 also take a principled stance.”

Russian drones “vanquished” two kindergartens and two schools on Sunday, Volodymyr Zelensky has said.

Local officials have said that drones also set ablaze a market outside the Ukrainian capital, killing two people, while three others died in strikes by Moscow’s forces in different regions.

According to the Ukrainian president, a residential building, an auto repair shop, several warehouses, and communications facilities were also attacked.

He wrote on X: “Anywhere in the world, this choice of targets would be called by one word – terrorism. Russia has no military objective whatsoever in doing this – it is purely an attempt to break people and inflict as much harm as possible on our society.

“My condolences to their families and loved ones. Dozens of people were injured.”

South Korea has demanded an official explanation and apology from Ukraine, saying Kyiv unilaterally disclosed the transfer of North Korean prisoners of war to South Korea despite a prior agreement to keep the matter confidential.

The presidential office said Ukraine’s subsequent denial that any confidentiality agreement existed ‌was ​false and ‌had damaged ⁠trust between ⁠the two governments.

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said ​on Sunday his decision to meet Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov was driven by security concerns and to address a growing food-export crisis.

Lavrov and Wadephul met in New York on the ⁠sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly on Saturday, marking the first such talks since before Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

Wadephul said Russia’s alleged deployment of armed drones at Leipzig airport had crossed a line and made it ⁠necessary to communicate directly that Germany ​was ⁠prepared to defend itself.

“Russia has to understand that we are ready to resist and to defend ourselves,” Wadephul said in ⁠an interview with ARD.

The meeting also came amid diplomatic efforts ​to ⁠revive Russia and Ukraine’s Black ‌Sea grain and energy exports that have been sharply curtailed by attacks on vessels and port infrastructure.

“A number of colleagues, especially from the ‌Global South, asked me to speak with Russia,” ‌Wadephul said, citing this as the second reason for the talks.

“There is a threat of famine there, and that is why I am advocating for a ceasefire ⁠in the Black Sea,” he added.