Askos of Aeolos seems to have been opened by the attack on the Crimean bridge on Saturday, with Vladimir Putin to openly blame Kyiv and Ukrainian agencies as responsible. Just two 24 hours later, on Monday, Russian forces launched a barrage of missile attacks against 16 cities in Ukraine, including the capital, Kyiv. The escalation of military operations, however, is one strand of today’s developments. The other concerns the involvement, now also of Belarus, with an army that will support the Russian forces, but also threats from the Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko, as well as the alarm in various countries in Europe, bordering Ukraine and Belarusfor a possible hit in the near future.
The developments seem to be rapid and in this case, much more serious and dangerous, compared to the previous period. Russia now, on the occasion of the attack on the Kerch bridge, seems determined to escalate its attack. The increase in the intensity of the attacks is presented by Moscow as retaliation for the explosion in Crimean bridge. In Kyiv, as well as in countries of the West, however, they are convinced that the Kremlin had long planned the next phase of the war, and was looking for the occasion to proceed with its activation.
The looming generalization of the war does not leave much room for optimism. THE Polandafter the Lukashenko threats and the escalation in Ukraine, began an urgent inspection of the shelters, in order to be ready in case of an attack.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko today accused Poland, Lithuania and Ukraine of preparing “terrorist” attacks and an “insurgency” in his country, raising fears of a new war front on Ukraine’s northern border, with the Belarusian president announcing a unspecified joint troop deployment with its Russian ally. “They are trying to exterminate us and wipe us off the face of the earth,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky shot back early this morning as Russian missiles hit Ukrainian cities, calling on his Western allies to give a “tough” response to Moscow.
At least 14 dead and 97 injured from the missile strikes
Russian President Vladimir Putin justified his “massive” bombings by denouncing Ukraine’s “terrorist” attack on the bridge linking Russian territory with Crimea, a peninsula annexed by Moscow in 2014. At least 13 were killed and 89 injured. injured in today’s strikes across the country, according to the latest police report.
Prime Minister Dennis Schmihal reported that eleven major infrastructures had been damaged in eight regions, apart from the capital. “They want to destroy the energy system,” Zelensky said, as power outages hit many parts of Ukraine.
In the afternoon, the Ukrainian Ministry of Energy announced that it will stop exporting electricity to the European Union following today’s Russian missile attacks on energy infrastructure.
Ukraine’s Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko said the attacks on the energy system were “the largest that have occurred throughout the war.”
The West condemned the missile attacks
President Joe Biden condemned today’s missile attacks by Russia in Ukraine, saying they demonstrate the “utter brutality” of Russian President Putin’s war against the Ukrainian people.
The European Union considered these attacks to amount to “war crimes” for which those responsible must be “accounted for”, calling on Belarus “not to be a party to the brutal attack carried out by Russia”.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres denounced “an unacceptable escalation” and French President Emmanuel Macron spoke of a “profound change in the nature” of the war in Ukraine after today’s Russian attacks.
NATO, which Ukraine wants to join, condemned the “horrific and indiscriminate attacks” on civilian infrastructure and pledged its support to Kyiv “as long as necessary,” according to its secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg.
US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken assured Ukraine of Washington’s “support” after the “horrific Russian strikes”.
The leaders of the G7 countries and the Ukrainian president will hold a teleconference tomorrow, Tuesday, at 15:00 Greek time, on the situation in Ukraine, after today’s bombing by Russia of several Ukrainian cities, announced the representative of the German government.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz today assured Zelensky of “the solidarity of Germany and the other G7 countries,” spokesman Steffen Hempstreit said.
The German consulate in Kyiv was also hit
The building housing the German consulate was also hit by today’s Russian strikes in Kyiv, but it was not working. At the same time, German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht reiterated that “in the coming days, the first of the four state-of-the-art Iris-T SLM air defense systems will be ready to offer effective protection to the people of Ukraine.”
Putin: Terrorist actions from Ukraine
Putin said today that Ukraine had carried out “terrorist acts” against Russia and vowed to respond strongly if they continue. In televised comments, Putin said Moscow had launched long-range missile strikes against Ukraine’s energy, military and telecommunications infrastructure today in retaliation for an attack on a vital bridge linking Russia to the annexed Crimean peninsula. the weekend.
“It is obvious that the Ukrainian secret services ordered, organized and carried out the terrorist attack aimed at destroying critical political infrastructure of Russia,” Putin said of the bridge blast. Ukrainian officials expressed satisfaction after the explosion, but Kyiv has not claimed responsibility.
“With its actions, the Kiev regime has put itself on the same level as the most despicable international terrorist organizations. It is simply impossible to let such crimes go unanswered,” Putin said at the start of a session of Russia’s powerful Security Council.
Several cities in Ukraine were left without power or water and several people were killed in Russian missile strikes in more than 12 Ukrainian cities this morning. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said: “Putin is a terrorist who talks with missiles.”
Seconds after Putin confirmed the strikes in Ukraine, the Russian Defense Ministry said the Russian strikes had “achieved their objectives”. “The goal of the plagues has been achieved. All targets were hit,” he said.
The vice-president of the Security Council Dmitry Medvedev said for his part that the mass strikes against Ukraine are only “the first episode” and called for the “complete dissolution” of Ukrainian political power.
Bombardment of several cities: 83 missiles, 52 intercepted
According to the Ukrainian Defense, the Russian military launched 83 missiles into Ukraine today, of which 52 were intercepted, as well as Iranian-made drones.
About six explosions were heard in Kyiv, with airstrikes hitting several neighborhoods, including the city center, and notably leveling a playground in Taras Shevchenko Park. In a nearby street the rocket created a crater, while a body lay under a thermal blanket.
“I am very shocked. I arrived in Kyiv this morning. I was walking on the street… when the explosions happened,” said 22-year-old Ivan Polyakov.
“There is a university, two museums, there is no military target. They just kill civilians,” said Ksenia Ryazantseva, a resident of the neighborhood.
Ukraine stressed that Russia launched the massive strikes out of desperation over recent failures on multiple fronts.
“Putin is desperate because of defeats on the battlefield and is using missile terrorism to try to turn the tide of war in his favor,” Kuleba tweeted.
Allying with Moscow, despite previously avoiding sending troops to support Russia, Lukashenko accused Kyiv of preparing an attack on his country, adding that Minsk and Moscow would therefore deploy Russian troops.
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I am currently a news writer for News Bulletin247 where I mostly cover sports news. I have always been interested in writing and it is something I am very passionate about. In my spare time, I enjoy reading and spending time with my family and friends.
