Ukraine: Russia steps up bombings as Lavrov meets Kim

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un Saturday in the newly-opened beach resort in Wonsan.

During their meeting, Kim reaffirmed his regime's "unconditional support" for Russia's war in Ukraine, North Korean state news agency KCNA reported Sunday.

North Korea was "ready to unconditionally support and encourage all the measures taken by the Russian leadership as regards the tackling of the root cause of the Ukrainian crisis", Kim told Lavrov, according to KCNA.

Kim also expressed his "firm belief that the Russian army and people would surely win victory in accomplishing the sacred cause of defending the dignity and basic interests of the country."

KCNA also said that North Korea and Russia — heavily-sanctioned nations whose ties have deepened since the start of Moscow's full-scale invasion of its neighbor in 2022 — had pledged to work together to "safeguard each other's territorial integrity."

The state-run news agency added that Russia had "expressed firm opposition to any attempt to undermine North Korea's national security and sovereignty."

Lavrov also reportedly told Kim that Moscow is keen to "further strengthen" their strategic partnership, according to KCNA.

On Saturday, Lavrov had said his visit and meeting with Kim was a continuation of the "strategic dialogue" opened by Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to North Korea last year.

Beyond helping each other with trade and tourism projects, the two countries have signed mutual defense agreements, while North Korea has sent more than 10,000 soldiers to fight in Ukraine.

South Korean intelligence has said Pyongyang could be preparing to send more in the coming weeks.

With Russia escalating its aerial attacks, Kyiv has recently suffered the most intense bombing it has seen since Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022.

Even US President Donald Trump, who had previously seen himself as a mediator in the conflict, said that he was disappointed with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

DW talked to experts to understand what Putin hopes to achieve and how the destruction can be stopped.

Military expert Domitilla Sagramoso tells DW that Ukraine is developing drone interceptors that cost a lot less than the air defense systems provided by the US and Europe.

If successful, she says, the program would give Ukraine "an advantage in terms of costs" because Kyiv would be using a $3,000 (€2,600) drone interceptor against "a Shahed drone which costs around $35,000."

Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico said his country is hoping to find agreement with both the European Commission and EU partners regarding gas imports and Russia sanctions.

Slovakia is currently grappling with the European Commission over its proposal to halt all Russian gas imports to the bloc by 2028 before signing off on a sanctions package punishing Russia's continued war of aggression against Ukraine.

The proposal, says Slovakia, could lead to supply shortages, increased costs and eventually expose the country to breach of contract claims from Russian supplier Gazprom — with whom Slovakia has committed to major purchase contracts that do not expire until 2034.

On June 10, the Commission proposed a new package of sanctions targeting Russia's energy, financial and defense sectors.  

Fico has suggested he has no problem signing the sanctions deal and that he could do so as soon as Tuesday if agreement is reached over Slovakia's gas import concerns.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has arrived in North Korea to hold talks.

He met North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in the port city of Wonsan, where Lavrov described the two nations' relations as "an invincible fighting brotherhood," according to Russia's Foreign Ministry.

The Russian minister said the visit with Kim represented the continuation of "strategic dialogue" inaugurated by Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to North Korea last year.

Lavrov, who thanked North Korea for sending troops to fight in Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, also reportedly passed Kim a message from Putin expressing hope for more direct contacts in the future.

The minister, who traveled from this week's ASEAN summit in Malaysia, is scheduled to remain in North Korea until Sunday.

Then Lavrov will travel to China, where he will attend a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) — an economic and security alliance consisting of Belarus, China, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan — on Monday and Tuesday.

North Korea has grown to be one of Russia's closest allies since the launch of the war in Ukraine.

Beyond seeking to assist one another with trade and tourism projects, the two increasingly sanctioned countries have mutual defense agreements and North Korea has sent more than 10,000 soldiers to fight in Ukraine.

South Korean intelligence has said Pyongyang may be preparing to send more in the coming weeks.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha condemned overnight Russian drone and missile attacks that authorities say killed at least two people and injured 14 more in the western city of Chernivtsi, near Ukraine's border with Romania.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy  said on his Telegram account that Moscow had launched a total 597 drones and 26 missiles. 

The western cities of Lviv and Lutsk, near Ukraine's border with Poland, were also heavily damaged — with over 50 apartment, school and municipal buildings getting hit in Lviv alone. Major fires were reported as well.

Targets in central and eastern Ukraine were also hit say authorities, with damage reported in Kharkiv and Kirovohrad Oblast.

"Russia continues to escalate its terror, launching another barrage of hundreds of drones and missiles, damaging residential areas, killing and injuring civilians," wrote Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha on X.

"Russia’s war machine produces hundreds of means of terror per day. Its scale poses a threat not only to Ukraine, but to the entire transatlantic community."

Sybiha urged lawmakers in the EU and US to increase sanctions on Russia to stop its arms production and thus the endless nightly onslaught of drones and missiles mainly upon the country's civilian population.

Welcome to DW's coverage of the latest developments in Russia's war in Ukraine. 

On Saturday, we start with Russia launching yet another massive overnight air assault. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha condemned Russian "terror" and the scale that it has grown to. 

Sybhia's Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov, meanwhile, has arrived in Pyongyang to meet with North Korean officials.

Stay tuned for more news and analysis.