Zelenskyy thanks Japan for support, urges protection of Ukraine's infra

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke with Japan's newly appointed Prime Minister, Shigeru Ishiba, following the Russian missile and drone attacks on Ukraine on Christmas.

Zelenskyy thanked the Japanese Prime Minister for Japan's continued support for Ukraine, particularly in the form of humanitarian and financial aid, which has helped save thousands of lives. He also emphasized the importance of protecting Ukraine's energy system, especially after Russia's recent attacks.

In his post on X, Zelenskyy shared the details of his conversation with the Japanese leader, saying, "I spoke with Japan's Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, congratulating him on his appointment and thanking Japan for its humanitarian and financial aid, which helps us save thousands of lives, including recent support for energy equipment and shelter construction."

He added, "I highlighted Russia's mass attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure on Christmas night, emphasizing that protecting and restoring energy systems is a priority as Russia tries to leave Ukrainians without heat and light during winter."

According to Zelenskyy's post on X, Prime Minister Ishiba "condemned North Korea's involvement in Russia's invasion, calling it a serious escalation and a threat to Indo-Pacific security, and expressed Japan's readiness to increase sanctions on the aggressor."

Zelenskyy concluded the post by stressing the need for a just and lasting peace, saying, "We need a just and lasting peace, and only joint efforts can bring it closer to all of us."

 

Earlier, Zelenskyy condemned Russia's massive missile and drone attack, calling it "inhumane" as it targeted Ukraine's energy infrastructure. "According to preliminary reports, our defenders managed to shoot down more than 50 missiles and a significant number of drones. Unfortunately, there have been hits. As of now, there are power outages in several regions. Power engineers are working to restore power supply as soon as possible," he wrote in a post on X.

 

According to an Al Jazeera report, at least one person was killed and three injured in southern Ukraine from Russian missile strikes, which also damaged energy infrastructure across the country.

The governor of Kherson confirmed the casualty on Wednesday morning. "In northeastern Ukraine, at least six people were wounded in a missile attack on Kharkiv," Governor Oleh Syniehubov said, as reported by Al Jazeera.

The Ukrainian Air Force said the missiles fired at Kharkiv were ballistic. In Dnipropetrovsk, Governor Serhiy Lysak said Russia was aiming at a power grid, Al Jazeera reported.