War in Ukraine: Drone in Romania, massive strikes and support from North Korea

Did you miss the latest events on the war in Ukraine? 20 Minutes takes stock for you every evening. Here is the gist of this Sunday, August 16, on the 1,634th day of the conflict.

In Russia, a wave of hundreds of Ukrainian drones caused the deaths of five people in a residential area in the southern region of Rostov, Governor Yuri Slousar reported on Telegram. Three other people were killed in the Belgorod, Kursk and Moscow regions and three more in Russian-controlled Ukrainian territories.

Moscow region governor Andrei Vorobiov called the attack “one of the most massive in recent memory.” The Russian Defense Ministry said it shot down 822 drones across the country overnight. In Podolsk, near Moscow, a new warehouse for Russian e-commerce giant Wildberries was hit overnight.

A. A Spanish fighter jet shot down a drone that entered Romanian airspace, near the borders with Ukraine and Moldova, this Sunday. The interception of this drone was carried out by an F18 at 5:01 a.m. local time, said the Romanian Minister of Defense.

NATO Air Command specified on X that the mission involved two F-18s, aircraft part of a Spanish contingent made up of around 200 soldiers and 11 aircraft based in Romania.

“Wherever the Russians can reach with their ballistic missiles, they hit civilian infrastructure. »

These comments came from President Volodymyr Zelensky after the attack on the popular Pochaina open-air book market in kyiv. Long known for its rare and old works, this market was hit this Sunday. Bookseller Dmytro Semenoukha saw his four stalls go up in smoke. “It was a store here. Books, flags from all countries, tons of everything. It's gone. »

Furthermore, an ArcelorMittal steelworks in Kryvyï Rig (central east) was the target of Russian drones and missiles. The strikes killed two people and injured 14 others. The factory, which is among the largest steel producers in Ukraine, announced that it had partially suspended its activities.

“I am always proud to be able to envisage an even better future in bilateral relations by leading, with you, the DPRK [Democratic People's Republic of Korea] – Russia ties which have perpetuated the history of our common struggle,” enthused Kim Jong-un in a letter sent to President Vladimir Putin, the official Pyongyang agency reported on Sunday.

The North Korean leader also reaffirmed his support for Moscow in its war against Ukraine, saying he was convinced that his ally would prevail under the “wise leadership” of Vladimir Putin.

Volodymyr Zelensky recently accused the North of preparing to send between 30,000 and 50,000 additional troops to support Russian forces, without specifying the origin of these figures or a potential timetable. On Tuesday, he also claimed that Russia had carried out deadly strikes with North Korean ballistic missiles.