This time of the year is often described as a season of miracles, and the people of Kyiv are likely hoping for one now – namely that Russian President Vladimir Putin might see the error of his ways and cease his senseless aerial attacks.
The latest such strikes occurred on Monday, as the Kremlin launched another kamikaze drone attack that hit key infrastructure in and around the Ukrainian capital.
The Ukrainian Air Force said its air defenses had shot down some 30 drones, in what was the third Russian air attack on the city in the past six days. Residents will probably endure another night without power, and at least three people were wounded while nine buildings took damage in the recent attack. Gov. Oleksiy Kubela described the assault as “fairly serious” after three areas in the region were left without power.
The attack was the latest in a series of assaults since October that has targeted the Ukrainian power grid, causing sweeping blackouts amid sub-freezing temperatures. Russian forces have now launched more than 1,000 missile and drone strikes on Ukraine since Oct. 10.
Putin Heads to Belarus
The strikes coincided with Putin’s visit to Belarus on Monday – his first trip to Minsk since 2019 – for talks with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko. Video of Putin’s arrival was shared on social media by Anton Gerashchenko, advisor to the Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs, who warned, “Lukashenko personally meets Putin at the airport in Minsk. Putin visited Belarus for the first time since June 2019. Presumably, he arrived to persuade Lukashenko about direct involvement in the war.”
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov called Belarus Russia’s “number one ally,” but added that any suggestions that Moscow was pressuring Minsk to join the conflict were “stupid and unfounded fabrications.” Of course, it was a year ago that Russia claimed it was taking part in exercises near the Ukrainian border and had no plans to invade its neighbor.
The Russian delegation to Minsk reportedly included Deputy Prime Minister Alexey Overchuk, Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu, Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov, presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov, and Roscosmos CEO Yury Borisov.
Peskov said that the two leaders will hold talks in a one-on-one format and that they would “have the opportunity to conduct a good review, to compare notes on the allied integration programs, and the most pressing issues on the trade and economic agenda.”
According to the Kremlin spokesman, Putin and Lukashenko would also touch on military issues, as well as regional and international problems.
Russia and Belarus recently conducted military exercises, and Moscow announced that the Collective Security Treaty Organization, which also includes Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan, will hold drills next year.
“We consider the joint drills with Russia to be strategic deterrence measures,” CSTO Sec. Gen. Stanislav Zas told the Russian state media outlet Tass on Monday. “The exercises can be viewed as a measure of strategic deterrence, particularly on the part of the CSTO.”
The drills are also scheduled to occur in Belarus.
A Senior Editor for 1945, Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,000 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu.
