Russia Says It Takes Away Ukraine’s Chance; South Korea Warns Moscow Over North Korea, Putin Responds

On June 22, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova announced that the country will deploy all measures to deprive Ukraine of the opportunity to attack Russian energy facilities.

Ukrainian artillerymen load ammunition inside a 2S1 Gvozdika self-propelled gun at a position along the front line, Donetsk region. (Source: AFP)

Commenting on the latest Ukrainian attacks on the city of Enerhodar, Ms. Zakharova argued: “The systematic nature of the Ukrainian attacks on the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) and other Russian energy facilities reveals a quite clear trend.

This action is intended to cause irreparable damage to the Russian economy and lead to the risk of a man-made disaster, thereby putting the security of the entire European continent at risk…”.

Spokesperson Zakharova affirmed that Moscow will take all necessary measures to deprive Kiev of the opportunity to carry out such attacks.

The Ukrainian army attacked the energy infrastructure of the city of Enerhodar on June 19 and 21.

On June 19, a Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) destroyed the Luch transformer station, causing a power and water outage in Enerhodar for several hours.

On June 21, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Grossi assessed that the damage to the Luch substation had a direct impact on nuclear safety and security.

* Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on June 22 that three people were killed and 19 others were injured in Kharkov in a Russian raid using guided bombs.

Mr Zelensky sent his condolences to the families of those killed and called for a halt to Moscow's "attacks" with guided bombs.

* On June 23, South Korean National Security Advisor Chang Ho-jin announced that Seoul will not be bound by any factors related to its policy of supporting Kiev - if Moscow provides Pyongyang with precision weapons.

Speaking on KBS television, Mr. Chang Ho-jin highlighted the possibility that South Korea could provide lethal weapons to Ukraine if Russia crossed the “line” by transferring precision weapons to North Korea.

Noting that not only South Korea but also Russia should make efforts to improve bilateral relations, Mr. Chang Ho-jin emphasized: “If they want to restore and promote South Korea-Russia relations, I would like to reiterate that the Moscow side should think carefully.”

Earlier, South Korea affirmed that it would reconsider its stance of not providing weapons to Ukraine after Russian President and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un signed a comprehensive partnership agreement, including commitments on bilateral defense and military technology cooperation.

Responding to South Korea's statement, President Putin warned that Seoul's decision to supply weapons to Kiev would be a "very serious mistake."

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/nga-tuyen-bo-tuoc-khoi-tay-ukraine-co-hoi-han-quoc-canh-bao-moscow-lien-quan-den-trieu-tien-tong-thong-putin-dap-tra-276013.html