Kyiv Again Under Drone Attack
Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to fly to Belarus on Monday today. Amid fears he intends to pressure the former Soviet ally to join a new ground offensive against Ukraine and re-open a new front.
His visit for talks with Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko will be his first to Minsk since 2019. Ukrainian joint forces commander Serhiy Nayev said:
“During these talks questions will be worked out for further aggression against Ukraine and the broader involvement of the Belarusian armed forces in the operation against Ukraine, in particular, in our opinion, also on the ground.”
Russian Strategy
Ukraine’s top general Valery Zaluzhniy told the media last week that Russia was preparing 200,000 fresh troops. He said it was for a major offensive that could come from any direction or even from Belarus in January, but more likely in spring.
There has been constant Russian and Belarusian military activity for months in Belarus. Russia also used its ally as a launch pad for an abortive attack on Kyiv in February.
Moscow and Minsk have since set up a joint regional unit of forces in Belarus and held numerous military exercises. Three Russian warplanes and an airborne early warning and control aircraft were deployed to Belarus last week.
Foreign diplomats say Lukashenko, a pariah in the west who relies heavily on Russian support, understands it would be a deeply unpopular step at home for him to commit troops to Ukraine. But he has already supported Russia’s war extensively.
Russian assaults
Some military analysts see the manoeuvring as a ploy. To make Ukraine commit forces to its north so it is more exposed to Russian assaults elsewhere.
Also Read: Ukraine On Russian 200,000 Soldiers Target?
UK’s Artillery Package
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to meet with his colleagues from the Nordic, Baltic, and Dutch countries. On Monday today in Riga, Latvia He is expected to unveil a significant new artillery package for Ukraine.
According to a statement from the prime minister’s office and as reported by media. He will declare Britain’s intention to deliver “hundreds of thousands of rounds of artillery ammunition next year under a £250 million ($304 million) contract that will ensure a constant flow of critical artillery ammunition to Ukraine throughout 2023.”
The Prime Minister will go to Latvia for the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) leaders’ meeting. This meet will feature remarks from Volodomyr Zelenksiy, the President of Ukraine, as well as representatives from Denmark, Finland, Estonia, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, and the Netherlands.
