Russia launches retaliatory strikes

[Anchor]

Now, let's go to the battlefield that is once again intensifying.

Caught off guard by Ukraine's surprise drone attacks, Russia has launched a massive retaliatory strike as promised.

Our reporter is in the capital of Ukraine, Kyiv.

Reporter Geum Cheol-young! Instead of peace negotiations, the battlefield is escalating even further.

The scale of the attacks is said to be unprecedented. What is the situation there?

[Reporter]

While Russia has previously targeted military facilities, public institutions, and residential areas, it is rare to see such a large-scale concentrated attack on civilian facilities as we are witnessing this time.

This time, particularly, they bombed commercial buildings and apartments in the city center.

When fires broke out and rescue teams and firefighters were dispatched, additional drone attacks occurred.

Firefighters at the scene reported to KBS that three of their colleagues died due to the secondary drone attack.

Here, the fear of drone strikes is spreading more than ever, affecting both the front lines and civilian facilities.

Our team met Lee Byung-hoon, a South Korean national who was injured in a drone attack while serving with the International Legionaries.

Let's hear about his fear of drones and the horrors of war.

[Report]

Lee Byung-hoon has been serving in the International Legionaries since the summer of 2023 for 13 months.

He cannot forget the day he was chased by drones in southern Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia.

[“It was extremely terrifying that the drone followed me for 14 hours, and the fear of drones is beyond what I imagined. The sound of the drone is the scariest thing.”]

He ultimately lost one arm due to a drone attack and left the front lines.

Now, Lee Byung-hoon's last wish in Ukraine is to meet the North Korean prisoners of war.

He wants to convey the realities of war to those who joined without knowing who the enemy was, as a fellow countryman.

[“Since I survived, I hope to live my precious life happily and make the most of the life I have left.”]

Lee is requesting Ukrainian President Zelensky to allow him to meet the North Korean prisoners of war.

He may face punishment for violating passport laws if he returns home, but he stated that, just as it was his decision to join the fight, he is prepared to accept any punishment.

This is Geum Cheol-young reporting from Kyiv for KBS News.