Visit of South Korean President, evacuation from Sumy Oblast, Wagner mercenaries in Belarus: highlights of July 15
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and his wife visit Ukraine for the first time, promising to increase humanitarian and military aid. The first evacuation train left Sumy for Kyiv. Wagner mercenaries appeared in Belarus. We have collected the key news of July 15.
The President of South Korea visited Ukraine
President of South Korea Yoon Suk Yeol and First Lady Kim Keon-hee paid an unannounced visit to Ukraine.
The couple visited the site of the massacre in Bucha near Kyiv, and then a residential area in Irpin that was subjected to large-scale missile attacks.
In Kyiv, they toured St. Sophia Cathedral and learned about the history and architectural features of this monument of Ukrainian culture.
First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska discussed with Kim Keon-hee the protection of Ukrainian cultural heritage in the face of Russian aggression.
The presidential wives also visited the Center for the Protection of Children's Rights. The center helps children who witnessed war crimes or survived deportation.
Korea plans to increase aid
During his visit to Kyiv, South Korean leader Yoon Suk Yeol said he hopes to increase military and humanitarian aid to Ukraine in 2023.
“Last year, we provided bulletproof vests, helmets, and other necessary ammunition. We hope that this year the level of our assistance will be much higher,” the South Korean leader said.
Yoon Suk Yeol noted that South Korea continues to supply Ukraine with equipment for humanitarian demining, as agreed with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in May. Last year, the government allocated $100 million to support Ukraine, and this year's support will amount to $150 million.
He also said that he had read President Zelenskyy's “Formula for Peace” and “really believes” that it should be implemented.
Wagner militants arrive in Belarus
On the morning of July 15, a large convoy of cars and trucks with license plates of the so-called "DPR/LPR" was spotted. Several factors indicate that this is a convoy of the private military company Wagner.
The monitoring group Belaruski Gayun indicates that the Wagner men entered Belarus from Russia at night near the town of Krychiv. Then they drove through Rohachau towards Bobruisk and then to Osipovichi. The monitoring group points out that this route indicates the movement of the Wagner PMC column to the tent camp in the village of Tsil.
The State Border Guard Service of Ukraine also records the movements of Russian mercenaries.
Evacuation from Sumy Oblast has begun
The government has launched the possibility of free evacuation from Sumy Oblast.
The evacuation train will run daily: it will depart from Sumy at 6:47 a.m. and arrive in Kyiv at 11:41 a.m.
At the station, Ukrposhta will pay cash assistance to each citizen. The Kyiv Regional Military Administration will accommodate everyone in a modular town in Vyshgorod Raion.
TRC commented on the incident in Odesa
A video of the military forcibly detaining a civilian in Odesa was posted on social media.
The regional territorial center for recruitment and social support explained that the man was broadcasting the deployment of a mobile checkpoint, which is prohibited by law.
However, the military admitted that the staff of the TRC had exceeded their authority and tried to conceal their involvement in the incident.
Other news of the day:
- Federal Security Service of Russia said it had “prevented the preparation” of the assassination of Russian propagandists Margarita Simonyan and Ksenia Sobchak. The assassination attempt was allegedly prepared by Ukrainian special services.
- The Serbian government decided to provide humanitarian aid to Ukraine to overcome the consequences of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant explosion.
- In Lviv Oblast, a deputy mayor and a director of a utility company were detained while taking a bribe.
- In Ternopil Oblast, a fortune teller extorted $300,000 from the director of a medical center by promising to help close a criminal case.
- An Italian street “artist” used someone else's photo without permission to create a mural of a “girl under NATO missiles” in occupied Mariupol.
- Kyiv, Kramatorsk, and Vinnytsia became leaders in renaming place names associated with the propaganda of Russian imperial policy
- A red alert has been issued in 16 cities across Italy due to the intense heat wave that continues to persist in southern Europe.
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