Putin’s revenge for Kursk? Massive Attacks in Ukraine – The situation is getting worse near Belarus

Alarm in Ukraine. On Monday morning, Ukraine recorded the largest Russian drone and missile attack in weeks. Violent explosions were reported in the capital Kiev, Kremenchuk in central Ukraine, the large city of Kharkiv in the east of the country and several western Ukrainian cities – prompting a nationwide wind alert. At least five people were reportedly killed, according to Ukrainian media. Power outages in cities such as Odessa and Lviv; Elsewhere, drinking water supply was affected.

When Kyiv Mayor Vitaly Klitschko reported water and electricity problems in “several districts” of the Ukrainian capital, Andrij Yermak, head of the Presidential Office in Ukraine, wrote on his Telegram channel: “The desire to destroy our energy sector “is” expensive for Russians.”

The mayors of the cities of Kharkiv and Lutsk in western Ukraine, less than 100 kilometers as the crow flies from Polish territory, reported on their social channels the massive attacks on local infrastructure, industrial facilities and residential buildings. A total of 15 regions were hit, Prime Minister Denis Schmihal said. “Energy infrastructure has once again become a target for Russian terrorists,” he said.

In Ukraine, officials were already anticipating a cold and dark winter due to electricity and energy infrastructure destroyed before Russia’s latest attacks. “We are facing the hardest winter in our history,” Ukraine’s Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko said in a video conference a few days ago.

Ukrainians may have to prepare for more power outages in the coming weeks and months. In many cities the heat supply is not protected at present. Military expert Col. Markus Reisner recently told the weekend edition of Berliner Zeitung that Kiev will be able to supply only half of its 18 gigawatts of electricity generation capacity this winter. “Perhaps we will reach a sticking point in the spring,” says the Austrian expert.

Belarus should gather troops on the border

The Ukrainian offensive in western Russia’s Kursk region has continued for three weeks, and according to the military leadership in Kyiv, Ukrainian troops have managed to capture more settlements, and the situation in Ukraine’s north is worsening. .

Kiev accuses Belarus, which borders it to the north, of massing troops along the Ukrainian border. According to the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, intelligence services in Ukraine have determined that Belarus has “massed a significant number of forces in the Komal region near the border under the guise of military exercises.” The Ukrainian Foreign Office warned Belarus against making “tragic mistakes” under pressure from Russia; Kiev said the Belarusian armed forces must stop their “unfriendly act”.

At the same time, Ukraine also threatened its geographically northern neighbor: “We warn that our government will take all necessary measures to exercise the right of self-defense guaranteed by the UN Charter in case Belarus violates the state border. ,” the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said in a statement. “All troop concentrations, military facilities and supply routes in Belarus will become legitimate targets for Ukraine’s armed forces.”

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry also warned that Belarusian troops conducting military exercises near the Chernobyl nuclear power plant “pose a threat to national and global security”.

Belarus, Moscow’s closest geopolitical ally, provided logistical and medical aid to Russian soldiers in the first weeks of the war in the spring of 2022. For example, attacks on the capital Kiev were organized from the territory of Belarus. However, the Belarusian army did not participate in the war of Russian aggression in Ukraine.

Alexander Lukashenko, the ruler of Belarus since 1994, announced a few days ago that he would strengthen troops along the border with Ukraine. He cited increased troop concentrations in Ukrainian territory as the reason; Lukashenko says Kiev has deployed 120,000 soldiers in areas near the border.