A Russian planning bomb hit a residential building in the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, the regional governor of Kharkiv region announced, BTA reported.
The bomb exploded on the fourth floor of a high-rise residential building, explained in "Telegraph" regional governor Oleg Sinegubov. The impact caused a fire and destroyed most of one of the block's entrances, Reuters reported.
At least one person died. The victim is a child. At least 29 were injured, Sinegubov reported.
According to the mayor of Kharkiv, Igor Terekhov, several floors of the 9-story building were destroyed.
Russian military engagement with North Korea does not violate international law. This was stated by the permanent representative of Russia in the UN Security Council, Vasily Nebenzia, the world agencies quoted by BTA reported.
"I would like to emphasize that Russian interaction with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea in the military and other fields is in accordance with international laws, not in violation of them. It is not directed against third parties”, said Nebeznia.
The permanent representative of Russia in the Security Council added that the accusations, coming in particular from the US, that North Korean soldiers are on the front line against Ukraine are just simple allegations, France Press adds.
"These statements concerning the North Korean military on our front are just mere statements and are made only to divert attention from really significant issues that threaten international peace and security,”, Nebenzia stressed.
He specifically accused Washington and London of reaching new heights in terms of disinformation.
"But even if everything our Western colleagues say about Russia-North Korea cooperation is true, how come the US and its allies are trying to impose a flawed logic by claiming that they have the right to help the Zelensky regime, to mobilize NATO's defense and intelligence, while Russia's allies do not have the right to do the same, Nebenzya said.
During the meeting of the Security Council, however, a number of permanent representatives emphasized that there is a threat from military cooperation between Russia and North Korea. British Permanent Representative Barbara Woodward expressed concern about the benefits Pyongyang could derive from sending troops to Russia, particularly Russian military aid that risks further escalating tensions on the Korean Peninsula.
According to Washington and Seoul, about 10,000 North Korean soldiers are in Russia. The Pentagon said Tuesday it had discovered a small number of North Korean troops in Russia's Kursk region.
If indeed North Korean troops are stationed in Russia, it would represent a further escalation of North Korean support for Russia's war against Ukraine, French Permanent Representative Nicolas de Riviere said today. "It will be a hostile act that will have direct consequences on the security of Europeans, international peace and security and will only increase the suffering of the Ukrainian people," he added.
The US Permanent Representative to the UN, Robert Wood, warned that if they enter Ukraine, the North Korean military will leave in body bags, France Press reported. “Therefore, I will advise President Kim Jong-un to think twice before engaging in reckless and dangerous behavior,”, Wood added to the Security Council.
The UN, for its part, said it could not confirm allegations of North Korean soldiers in Russia.
"We are following with deep concern the recent information regarding North Korean military personnel deployed in Russia, including their possible deployment to the conflict zone,”, said UN Under-Secretary-General for Europe Miroslav Jenca. "The UN has no further details on this development and is unable to verify or confirm the allegations or the information disseminated,”, he added.
Meanwhile, representatives of the non-governmental organization “Amnesty International” protested in Brussels.
They called on Russian authorities to repeal censorship laws related to the war in Ukraine, as well as the “immediate and unconditional” release of the prisoners detained for their anti-war stance, reported the Belgian news agency Belga, quoted by BTA.
Protesters of “Amnesty International” hung a poster in front of the Permanent Representation of Russia to the EU in Brussels, which depicted three Russian citizens who are in prison or charged with a crime.
The poster featured Moscow city councilor Alexei Gorinov, sentenced to seven years in prison for criticizing the war in Ukraine, journalist Maria Ponomarenko, accused of “spreading false information about the Russian armed forces”, and Vladimir Rumyantsev, an engineer heating engineer, sentenced to three years in prison for spreading “false information” about Russian violations of international law.
„In Russia, the 2022 war censorship laws make it a punishable crime to criticize aggression against Ukraine and war crimes committed by Russian forces,” said the director of the French-speaking branch of “Amnesty International” in Belgium. The very use of the word “war“ can be considered a felony and lead to a sentence of up to 15 years in prison.
The NGO also said it would present a petition signed by 16,000 people in Belgium calling for an end to censorship laws. About 330,000 people around the world have signed a similar petition.