Geopolitical tensions over the conflict in Ukraine are intensifying on two fundamentally different fronts. The Republic of Korea has officially dashed Kiev's hopes of receiving modern air defense (AD) systems and weapons. Meanwhile, in the heart of Europe, the Ukrainian army is turning the Chernobyl zone into a fortified area in anticipation of renewed hostilities from the north.
Seoul Cited Law, Rejects Ukraine's Air Defense
South Korea's Foreign Ministry has confirmed that the country's position on arms supplies to Ukraine remains unchanged. A senior South Korean diplomat told the "Yonhap" agency (Yonhap) that the supply of defense products has always been carried out in strict accordance with the country's domestic legislation.
The Constitution and laws of the Republic of Korea explicitly prohibit the export of lethal weapons to countries in active military conflict. This statement came in direct response to the appeal of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who requested from Seoul air defense systems and other defense technologies to protect the airspace.
Despite the refusal of weapons, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Seoul (mofa.go.kr) emphasized that they will continue to provide humanitarian and financial assistance to Ukraine, primarily aimed at energy, infrastructure, healthcare and the future reconstruction of the country. The diplomat added that military cooperation between Russia and the DPRK directly threatens the security of South Korea, but this will not change the current legal restrictions on arms exports.
"Spiegel": The Armed Forces of Ukraine are preparing Chernobyl for heavy fighting
While Kiev is looking for weapons from Asia, large-scale preparations are underway in the field in Ukraine to defend critical infrastructure. The authoritative German publication "Spiegel" (Der Spiegel) published a report describing how the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) are feverishly preparing the exclusion zone around the Chernobyl nuclear power plant for potential fighting.
According to information from "Spiegel" (spiegel.de), complex defensive facilities, deep trenches and underground passages are being built in the Chernobyl zone. Wood from the surrounding forests is used to reinforce them, and construction equipment is interrupting the roads every few kilometers with new checkpoints. Here are the main highlights of the prepared defense:
- Anti-drone nets: Tall metal poles with stretched plastic nets are erected along the roads, designed to entangle Russian FPV drones and UAVs.
- Logistics destroyed: Ukrainian engineers have already blown up the railway bridge leading to the headquarters to prevent a rapid enemy advance.
- Quarantine regime for personnel: Due to the exploded infrastructure, the employees of the "Chernobyl" are housed in temporary dormitories in the plant's administrative buildings and return home only once every two weeks.
The reason for these extraordinary measures is the proximity of the Chernobyl zone to the border with Belarus - only 15 kilometers, which makes it extremely vulnerable to a possible new offensive from the north. Fears are also heightened by the fact that the protective sarcophagus over the exploded fourth power unit was already damaged by a drone strike in early 2025, which compromises its long-term hermeticity.