President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russia of "terrorising" Ukrainians after the latest attacks in which a market was set on fire and schools were targeted.
A guided Russian aerial bomb also left 15 injured, including children, after it struck an apartment building in Ukraine's second-biggest city, Kharkiv in the northeast, mayor Ihor Terekhov said on Telegram early on Monday.
“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.
Meanwhile, Germany has urged Russian president Vladimir Putin to stop Russia’s “dangerous path of escalation” against it and other Nato countries and find a peaceful end to the war in Ukraine.
The German foreign minister Johann Wadephul met with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly on Saturday, although Lavrov later said the talks led to no meaningful breakthrough.
Russian bomb attack injures 22 in Ukraine's Kharkiv, mayor says
A guided Russian aerial bomb injured 22 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.
In the capital, Kyiv, a Russian drone hit a petrol station, authorities in the city said on Telegram, without providing additional details.
Russian drones kill two in market outside Kyiv, three others in different regions, officials say
Russian drones set ablaze a market outside the Ukrainian capital Kyiv on Sunday, killing two people, while three others died in strikes by Moscow's forces in different regions and Kyiv itself also came under attack, local officials said.
Ukrainian prosecutors said the drone attack hit a market in Sofiiska Borshchahivka on the western outskirts of Kyiv, killing 2 people and injuring about 10.
Pictures posted online showed installations and vehicles on fire, with debris strewn on the ground.
In the capital, mayor Vitali Klitschko said nine people were injured, including a child. Six of the injured were being treated in hospital.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky decried the latest attacks, saying the civilian targets made the acts unquestionably "terrorism".
"Russia has no military objective whatsoever in doing this," Zelensky wrote in a post on X. "It is purely an attempt to break people and inflict as much harm as possible on our society."
South Korea demands apology from Ukraine over disclosure of North Korean PoW transfer
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.
Russian bomb attack injures fifteen in Ukraine's Kharkiv, mayor says
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.
Zelensky accuses Russia of terrorising Ukrainians
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 decide on right-wing party's proposal to tighten neutrality rules
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.
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Zelensky slams Putin's 'lame excuses' for not ending war in Ukraine
Russia inflicting 'wave of shahed terror', says Zelensky
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.”
Editorial: Don’t let Russia distract us from backing Ukraine to the hilt
Russia has 'vanquished' two kindergartens and two schools
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.”