Zelenskyy warns of ‘Murderers’ alliance’ linking Russia, Iran, North Korea

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy issued a blistering condemnation of Russia, Iran, and North Korea during a visit to London on Monday, June 23, 2025, labeling the three nations a “coalition of murderers” following one of the deadliest aerial assaults on Kyiv in recent months.

The comments came just hours after a massive airstrike on the Ukrainian capital, which involved a barrage of 352 drones and ballistic missiles.

Half of the drones used were Iranian-designed Shahed models, while North Korean missiles were also part of the assault.

The Ukrainian government called the attack “a completely cynical strike” aimed at terrorizing civilians.

At least 10 people were confirmed dead, and five apartment buildings were severely damaged.

“Many of the drones and missiles were intercepted by our air defense forces, but not all,” Zelenskyy posted on social media.

The attacks also struck residential neighborhoods, hospitals, and athletic facilities, leaving widespread destruction and horror in their wake.

Zelenskyy warned that the alliance between Russia, Iran, and North Korea is a growing global threat.

“Everyone in countries neighboring Russia, Iran, and North Korea should be asking themselves: can they truly protect innocent lives if this coalition of murderers keeps spreading its terror?”

His message underscored a broader concern that Moscow’s allies are actively enabling the continuation of the war, now well into its fourth year.

Zelenskyy has long accused Iran of direct complicity in Russia’s full-scale invasion, and he voiced support for recent U.S. airstrikes targeting Iran’s nuclear sites.

Ukraine, notably, gave up its own nuclear arsenal in the 1990s in return for security assurances from the U.S., the UK, and Russia, assurances that ultimately failed to prevent Russia’s 2022 invasion.

Zelenskyy’s latest trip to the UK was focused on strengthening defense cooperation and pushing for renewed international pressure on Moscow.

In London, he held talks with Prime Minister Keir Starmer and met with King Charles III at Windsor Castle.

He also visited Ukrainian troops undergoing military training in the UK.

“We are negotiating new and decisive steps to increase pressure on Russia and bring an end to these relentless strikes,” Zelenskyy said.

His visit comes at a time when Ukraine is facing growing uncertainty from one of its most crucial allies — the United States.

Since Donald Trump’s return to the White House in January, U.S. policy toward Ukraine has shifted dramatically.

The Trump administration has ceased most weapons shipments to Kyiv and resisted implementing further sanctions against Russia.

Zelenskyy’s previous visit to Washington in March ended contentiously, with Trump accusing him of “gambling with World War Three” and Vice President JD Vance criticizing him for lacking gratitude toward the U.S.

Despite these tensions, Ukraine continues its diplomatic outreach to Washington, hoping to maintain some level of strategic support.

Zelenskyy is also expected to attend the upcoming NATO summit in The Hague, where he will meet with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.

It remains unclear whether a direct meeting with Trump will take place during the summit, though the U.S. president is expected to press NATO allies to increase defense spending.

Back in Kyiv, the aftermath of Monday’s attack was grim.

In the city’s Shevchenkivskyi district, a section of a five-story apartment block collapsed entirely. Kyiv’s mayor, Vitali Klitschko, confirmed six fatalities in that area alone.

Emergency crews rescued ten survivors, including a pregnant woman, from nearby buildings that were also heavily damaged.

Oleksii Pozychaniuk, a 29-year-old resident who lives next to the targeted building, described a harrowing scene.

“I heard the whistling of a rocket and just froze,” he told the Associated Press.

“Then everything exploded, windows shattered, glass flew everywhere.

We barely got downstairs with my child.

Everything was on fire.”

As Ukraine braces for further attacks, Zelenskyy’s message to global leaders is growing more urgent:

Without unified international action, the destructive partnership between Russia, Iran, and North Korea could embolden authoritarian regimes, and escalate the war far beyond Ukraine’s borders.

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