(Kyiv) The Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, suffered a Russian drone attack on Monday which damaged several “essential” infrastructures in the middle of winter, a few hours before a meeting in Belarus between Vladimir Putin and his ally Alexander Lukashenko.
This summit comes at a time when the Ukrainian authorities say they fear in the first months of 2023 the possibility of a Russian offensive on Kyiv which would be launched from Belarusian territory, repeating the scenario of the start of the invasion on February 24 .
Adding to concerns, the Russian military said on Monday it would take part in “tactical” maneuvers in Belarus, following the announcement in October of the formation of a joint force of several thousand men.
Russia has also said that several of its warships will take part in exercises with the Chinese navy this week, amid efforts by Moscow and Beijing to consolidate their ties with the West.
During the night, the Ukrainian capital suffered a new assault from drones sent by Russia. According to local authorities, 23 of these devices were seen in the sky of Kyiv, 18 of which were neutralized by anti-aircraft defense.
Local authorities reported that “several infrastructures and houses” were “damaged” and at least three people injured.
According to the national operator Ukrenergo, power cuts were introduced in Kyiv and in 10 regions in the face of a “difficult” situation on the network after these strikes.
Russia, for its part, assured that it had shot down four American-made HARM anti-radar missiles over its territory, more precisely the Belgorod region, on the border with Ukraine, an area regularly targeted by Ukrainian forces.
No water, no electricity
“I first heard an anti-aircraft warning siren howl in the street. For the first time, it scared me,” Natalia Dobrovolska, 68, who lives in a neighborhood in western Kyiv, told AFP.
His building was shaken around 4:30 a.m. by a “very strong explosion” followed by two others, before new explosions an hour later. Then the electricity was cut off.
Igor, a 35-year-old photo editor who lives in the northwest of the capital, was awakened by the blasts. “We heard a loud explosion and we saw a fire through the window,” he said.
“Now we have almost no mobile network, no electricity and no water,” he adds.
According to the Ukrainian Air Force, Russia has brought Iranian-made Shahed-136/131 drones from the Sea of Azov under its control off southeastern Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky assured that Moscow had received “a new batch” of 250 drones from Iran. At a European summit in Riga, he demanded Norwegian NASAMS missile batteries, German Leopard tanks, Swedish Archer artillery systems and French Caesar guns.
Faced with a series of military setbacks this fall, Russia opted as early as October for a tactic of massive bombing to destroy electricity and water supply networks, plunging millions of Ukrainians into cold and darkness.
Putin in Belarus
On the Russian side, President Vladimir Putin is due to make a rare foreign visit to Belarus, where he will be received by his only ally in this war, his counterpart Alexander Lukashenko.
This is the first trip to Belarus by Mr. Putin in three years, while Mr. Lukashenko goes regularly to Russia, in particular to advance the project of a deeper union between the two countries.
This meeting also comes at a time when the Ukrainian army is monitoring the Belarusian border in particular, for fear of a possible attack on the capital in early 2023.
While Minsk troops are not taking a direct part in Moscow’s war, the Russian army is using Belarusian territory to bomb neighboring Ukraine, according to Kyiv.
The Russian Ministry of Defense released images of maneuvers in Belarus on Monday showing soldiers with tanks and practicing artillery fire in a snow-covered landscape.
“From dawn to dusk, there is not a single second of silence on the training grounds of Belarus,” the ministry boasted in a statement.
In his Sunday evening speech, the Ukrainian head of state assured that the situation on the northern border was a “constant priority”.
“We are preparing for all possible defense scenarios,” added Volodymyr Zelensky, adding that he had discussed this subject during a meeting with the commanders of the Ukrainian forces.
To help it cope with very low temperatures, Ukraine’s Western allies promised last week to give it an additional one billion euros in emergency aid.