On Monday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke to the South Korean Parliament on the crimes perpetrated by Russian soldiers. During his speech, the beleaguered leader appealed to South Korea for assistance in opposing Russian military aggression. According to Yonhap reports, he added that the Republic of Korea can assist Ukraine and South Korea has the military hardware necessary to block Russian ships and missiles.

According to Zelenskyy, Russian forces have demolished 938 academic institutions and over 300 hospitals so far. The Ukrainian President went on to say that they used tanks and artillery to deliberately assault and destroy residential structures and cities. He also claimed that Russia had destroyed dozens of cities rather than just one or two, stating that there have been cases where Russian forces attempted to raze Ukrainian cities to the ground, leaving only ruins instead of what used to be typical peaceful cities.

‘I can’t keep track of how many people have died.’

When asked about the country’s death toll, Zelenskyy claimed that they can’t even count the number of people who have died, adding that numerous cities in the country’s north have been bombarded totally by Russian forces. He went on to say that portions of Ukraine remain a hotbed of conflict. Russia is also planning a new offensive to try to shatter Ukraine’s national resistance, according to Zelenskyy. Thousands of soldiers and equipment have been dispatched by the invaders to prepare for further attacks, according to the besieged commander.

He further mentioned Mariupol, the beleaguered port city, saying that Russian soldiers have been blocking the city since March 1. He went on to say that the city had a population of half a million people before the occupants sealed it off and refused to let even water and food convoys in. He went on to say that they tried to destroy all the city had, that Mariupol was entirely devastated and that tens of thousands of people had perished as a result. They want to be a role model for Mariupol, according to Zelenskyy.

In the twentieth century, the people of South Korea fought to defend their homeland.

He spoke to the Korean people, emphasizing the fact that South Korea defended its territory during the twentieth century, and that they recall being assaulted by those who sought to extinguish the country’s independence. He then went on to explain what would have happened to South Korea’s national identity if they had succeeded. He admitted that this is a terrible question, that South Korea won with the support of the international community, and that Ukraine now wants to do the same.