War in Ukraine: at least 11 dead including 3 children in Russian strikes on Zaporizhia

Russian strikes on the town of Zaporizhia in southeastern Ukraine early Saturday left at least eleven dead, including three children, according to the latest report from the authorities. “The death toll from airstrikes on Zaporozhye continues to rise. So far, eleven civilians have been killed. Among them are three children,” said the head of the regional military administration, Mykhaïlo Semikin.

“Rescuers continue to look for people under the rubble of destroyed buildings,” he added, several hours after the early morning attack on this regional capital, located only a few dozen kilometers from the front line. “Early this morning, Russian forces dropped five guided aerial bombs on residential areas of the regional capital. Two hit residential buildings,” the national police said in a statement.

South Korea's ambassador to Ukraine returns to Seoul amid diplomatic tensions

South Korea's ambassador to Ukraine returned home on Saturday, the South Korean Foreign Ministry said, due to a diplomatic row over the transfer of North Korean prisoners of war to Seoul. “We inform you that Park Ki-chang, ambassador to Ukraine, returned to the country this morning,” the ministry said in a statement sent to AFP.

Seoul announced Thursday the recall of its ambassador to kyiv, criticizing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for having publicly discussed the transfer to Seoul of two North Korean soldiers captured by the Ukrainian army. The South Korean authorities wanted to keep the matter secret.

Seoul's decision also follows revelations this week by British daily The Guardian that 176,000 tonnes of products, "mainly diesel", had been shipped from South Korea to Russia in July and August. Deliveries criticized by kyiv.

The South Korean government threatened to take “additional measures” the nature of which was not specified. President Lee Jae Myung also demanded an official apology, fearing that this disclosure would endanger the families of prisoners of war. The spokesperson for the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs reacted by affirming that “diplomacy must prevail over emotion”.

“Constructive” discussions between the United States and Ukraine despite the Trump-Putin agreement

The United States announced on Friday that it had held “constructive discussions” during a meeting in Florida with Ukraine to which representatives of several European countries were also invited.

The meeting was, however, partly overshadowed at the start of the afternoon by Donald Trump's announcement of the purchase negotiated with Vladimir Putin of millions of tonnes of Russian diesel "for the American and world market". A surprise announcement from the American president - confirmed by his Russian counterpart - which threw a wrench into the discussions in Miami.

The discussions focused in particular on “short-term measures linked to preparation for winter (energy resilience, cereal exports), security guarantees, as well as longer-term measures for the security of Ukraine and Europe”, he specified in particular without mentioning Donald Trump’s announcement on Russian diesel.