In this photo provided by the Emergency Service of Ukraine, emergency services personnel work to extinguish a fire following a Russian attack in Odessa, Ukraine, Thursday evening, Nov. 14, 2024. (Emergency Service of Ukraine via AP)

KYIV, Ukraine — Japan’s foreign minister arrived in Kiev on Saturday to discuss North Korea’s deepening military alliance with Russia, including the deployment of thousands of troops to support Moscow’s war in Ukraine.

Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya will meet his Ukrainian counterpart Andrii Sybiha to reaffirm Japan’s “strong support” for Ukraine against Russia’s invasion and discuss new sanctions against Moscow, Japan’s Foreign Ministry said.

On the agenda was Tokyo’s “serious concern” over growing military cooperation between North Korea and Russia, the ministry said.

According to US, South Korean and Ukrainian intelligence assessments, up to 12,000 North Korean troops have been sent to Russia as part of a major defense treaty between the countries. Last week, Ukrainian officials said Ukrainian and North Korean troops engaged in small-scale fighting as the Ukrainian military fired artillery at North Korean soldiers in the Russian border region of Kursk, where Ukraine launched a surprise boost on August 6.

The agreement requires both countries to use all available means to provide immediate military assistance if either is attacked.

Russia hits Kiev in a wave of drone attacks

Iwaya’s visit comes after the Ukrainian capital was attacked overnight by Russian drones, destroying residential buildings and infrastructure in Kyiv’s Obolon district. No casualties were reported.

Ukrainian air defenses have neutralized up to a dozen drones, said the head of Kyiv’s military administration, Serhii Popko.

Russia attacked Ukraine with 83 Shahed drones in the early hours of Saturday morning, the Ukrainian Air Force reported. Of these, 55 were shot down, while another 30 veered off course or were lost due to electronic jamming, the statement said.

Meanwhile, Russia’s Defense Ministry said it had destroyed 35 Ukrainian drones, including 20 over the western Kursk region and 11 over the Bryansk region.

Associated Press writers Mari Yamaguchi in Tokyo and Katie Marie Davies in Manchester, England contributed to this report.