War in Ukraine: Russian soldiers drugged at the front, aid from South Korea in Kiev … Update on the news of the day

As every day, Midi Libre takes stock of the news about the war in Ukraine.

Stunned Russian soldiers?

According to a report by the British think tank Royal United Services Institute for Defense and Security Studies, the Kremlin is voluntarily sending drug-impaired soldiers to the Ukrainian front, the insider revealed on Thursday.

The Kremlin’s goal is to uninhibit its soldiers and let them fight to the end, according to BFM TV. The products would be consumed by lay recruits who were trained in just a few days. The report refers to these fighters as “disposable fighters.”

It is based on the testimonies of Ukrainian soldiers. The latter explain that they are often confronted with Russian fighters “under the influence of amphetamines and other narcotics”.

Ukrainian troops report that the Russians continue to advance despite serious injuries. Drug remains were also found on the battlefields.

South Korean President pledges more aid to Ukraine

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol pledged to increase his country’s aid to Ukraine during a surprise visit to Kiev on Saturday, where he met his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Yoon Suk Yeol attended a NATO summit in Lithuania this week and also visited Poland, where he expressed his solidarity with Ukraine in the face of the Russian invasion. However, South Korea, which is wary of Russia’s influence on North Korea, has so far refused to supply arms directly to Ukraine, favoring humanitarian and financial aid instead.

During a news conference in Kyiv, Yoon Suk Yeol said South Korea plans to supply Ukraine with “a larger quantity of military equipment” this year, without giving further details, after supplying equipment such as helmets or combat protection last year. He added that South Korea will give Ukraine the equivalent of $150 million in humanitarian aid this year, up from $100 million in 2022.

South Korea will also cooperate on infrastructure projects in Ukraine, he said. “We discuss everything that is important for people’s normal and safe life,” said Volodymyr Zelenskyy, thanking Yoon Suk Yeol for his “powerful” support. The South Korean presidency said Yoon Suk Yeol visited Boutcha and Irpin, two locations near Kiev where Russian forces are accused of committing war crimes against civilians. Russia denies attacks on civilians.

Putin discusses the Black Sea Grains Treaty with Ramaphosa

Vladimir Putin spoke to Cyril Ramaphosa on Saturday. The Kremlin announced on Saturday that the presidents of Russia and South Africa had discussed the African peace initiative in Ukraine and the agreement on grain exports through the Black Sea.

On that grain deal, which expires on Monday, Vladimir Putin reiterated to his South African counterpart that measures intended to remove obstacles to Russian food and fertilizer exports have not been fully implemented, according to the Kremlin.