Dim Amor

While President Vladimir Putin was hosted alongside many foreign leaders at the impressive Chinese military parade marking 80 years since the victory over militaristic Japan and the end of World War II in Tiananmen Square in Beijing, Russia launched a massive air assault across Ukraine.

More than 500 drones and 24 missiles of various types were fired overnight toward targets throughout Ukrainian territory. According to Ukrainian army reports, approximately 430 of the drones were successfully intercepted, along with 21 of the missiles that were fired. Among the targets that came under attack were the capital Kyiv and the regions of Lutsk, Khmelnytskyi, Lviv, Rivne, Kirovohrad and Zaporizhzhia.

Casualty estimates have not yet been released, but in some cases heavy damage was caused to civilian facilities and vital infrastructure. Parallel to the Russian attack, Ukraine continued its retaliatory policy and struck again overnight deep inside Russian territory, this time focusing on attacks against energy infrastructure facilities.

This represents a continuation of the intensive fighting trend between the two countries that has been ongoing for many months. Russia's continued attacks are made possible largely thanks to critical assistance provided by North Korea and Iran, whose leaders participated in the central Chinese military parade. China itself also provides the Russians with critical aid in various forms and means, with the alliance between these three axes giving Moscow the ability to continue prolonged warfare.

Putin appeared relaxed and confident during his stay in Beijing alongside Chinese President Xi Jinping, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Iranian President Pezeshkian and a long line of other leaders from the Global South. For the Russian president, this represents another opportunity to demonstrate to the entire West that Russia is far from being in a state of international isolation, and instead continues to develop and strengthen its relations with many countries around the world.

During the event, Putin seized the opportunity to hold various bilateral meetings with many of the leaders who came to the parade. One of the significant meetings was with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, with the two shaking hands warmly and the Russian president even accompanying his counterpart in his presidential armored vehicle.

At the opening of the meeting, Putin thanked Kim Jong Un in an unusual and public manner for the involvement of North Korean forces in fighting in Russia. "At your initiative, as is known, your special forces participated in the liberation of Kursk region while fully adhering to our new agreement", Putin said. "I want to note that your soldiers fought with courage and heroism. I want to note that we will never forget the sacrifices made by your armed forces and the families of your soldiers. On behalf of the Russian people, I want to thank you for your participation in the joint struggle against modern neo-Nazism".

Putin's words constitute the first official and open recognition of North Korea's active involvement in fighting against Ukraine, something that had been denied or concealed by both countries until now. The announcement comes at a time when President Trump's efforts to achieve a ceasefire in Ukraine are encountering difficulties and resistance, as Russia continues to intensify the pace of attacks and ignores diplomatic pressure.

Parallel to these events, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz issued sharp and uncompromising criticism against Putin. On social media platform X, Merz wrote: "Putin is a war criminal – perhaps the most serious war criminal of our time, whose actions we witness on such a large scale. We must understand clearly how to deal with war criminals. There can be no forgiveness".

Earlier, Merz unequivocally declared that Germany is already in a state of open confrontation with Russia.

These developments place the international community before complex challenges, as the war in Ukraine continues and even intensifies despite diplomatic efforts. The strengthening alliance between Russia, China, Iran and North Korea creates a new geopolitical reality, in which the Eastern side demonstrates unity and determination in the face of a divided West.

Furthermore, Putin's open recognition of North Korean military involvement marks a significant escalation in the conflict and could affect the positions of additional countries regarding the ongoing war.

Photo: AP