Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has accused Ukraine of planning an attack on Belarus.
Belarusian President, Alexander Lukashenkoaccused Monday, October 10, Ukraine of preparing an attack against Belarus, and that as a result Minsk was going to deploy Russian-Belarusian troops, without specifying their location.
“Yesterday, through unofficial channels, we were warned of a strike in preparation from Ukrainian territory on Belarus“, he said according to the state press agency Belta, assuring that Ukraine wanted to do “a Crimean bridge number 2“, in reference at the partially destroyed Russian bridge on Saturday. According to him, he conveyed to the Ukrainian president the message not to touch “his filthy paws even a meter from the territoryBelarusian.
“Military uprising”
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has accused Poland, Lithuania and Ukraine of planning attacks “terrorists” and one “military uprisingin Belarus.
“The training in Poland, Lithuania and Ukraine of fighters including Belarusian radicals, to carry out sabotage, terrorist acts and a military uprising in the country, becomes a direct threathe said in a meeting with military officials, accusing the EU and the United States of seeking tomake the situation worse“.
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“Deploy a regional grouping”
He also said that last week he and Russian President Vladimir Putin had agreed on the deployment of a joint military group, without saying where it will be deployed and how many men it would be made up of.
“Due to the aggravation of the situation on the western borders of the Union (Russian-Belarusian), we have agreed to deploy a regional grouping of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus“Said Alexander Lukashenko during a meeting with Belarusian security officials, quoted by Belta. “If you want peace prepare for war“, said President Lukashenko again, affirming that he “there should be no war on the territory of Belarus“.
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The European Union has called Russian attacks targeting civilians “war crimes“whose officials will have to”realize», calling on Belarus to «not to be a party to the brutal aggression carried out by Russia“.
Berlin announced a virtual emergency meeting of G7 leaders and Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelensky on Tuesday at 2 p.m. (1200 GMT). “They’re trying to destroy us all, wipe us off the face of the earth“, reacted Volodomyr Zelensky on social networks, calling on France and Germany for a response”hardto Russia.
Russian President Vladimir Putin told a meeting of his Security Council that Russia had launched a campaign “massive“bombing”against the energy, military and communication infrastructure of Ukraine“, in reply to the attack “terroristfrom the Crimean Bridge. He promised aftershocks”severein case of new Ukrainian attacks against Russia. The strikes “have achieved their goal“, assured the Russian Ministry of Defense.
Moldovan territory violated by Russian missiles
On Sunday, Vladimir Putin accused Ukraine of having organized the explosion which destroyed part of this bridge inaugurated in 2018 by himself and connecting Crimea annexed by Russia in 2014 and Russian territory. The Ukrainian military has accused Russia of launching attacks with Iranian drones from Belarus. For its part, Moldova stated that “three cruise missiles launched this morning on Ukraine by Russian ships in the Black Seahad violated its airspace.
French President Emmanuel Macron told Volodomyr Zelensky on the phone of his “extreme worry“, reaffirming”France’s commitment to increase its support for Ukraine (…) including in terms of military equipment“. Denouncing bombardments “unacceptable“, the head of British diplomacy James Cleverly said he assured his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba of “moral and concrete support” from London.
“Resolved Answer”
Dmytro Kuleba, who interrupted a tour in Africa, is in “constant contact» with the partners of his country for «coordinate a resolute response to the Russian attacks“, he tweeted. The Russian bombardments come as Russia has had a string of setbacks since early September in Ukraine, losing ground in both the south and northeast of the country.
“They want to destroy the energy system“, Estimated Volodymyr Zelensky, reporting “dozens of missilesand Iranian Shahed drones that targeted the country from north to south. Power cuts affected many Ukrainian regions late Monday morning following the strikes, according to the authorities.
According to the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, Russia launched 83 missiles, 43 of which were shot down by air defense. In kyiv, targeted for the first time since June 26 by the bombardments, at least five people were killed according to the police. Half a dozen explosions were heard, with strikes in several neighborhoods including the city center.
“Terrorists”
“There are several strikes on critical infrastructure in the citysaid Mayor Vitali Klitchko. Car and rail traffic resumed on Saturday on the Crimean Bridge a few hours after the explosion which killed three people and was attributed by the Russian authorities to a truck bomb. kyiv has neither confirmed nor denied its involvement.
Volodymyr Zelensky also called the Russian military “terrorists“, after strikes on Sunday on apartment buildings in Zaporijjia (South) which left at least 14 dead according to a new report, three days after previous bombardments (17 dead). Not far from there, the Zaporijjia nuclear power plant, the largest in Europe, was reconnected to the electricity grid on Sunday.
On Tuesday, according to the Kremlin, Vladimir Putin will receive the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, in Saint Petersburg. In Moscow, the stock market fell by almost 12% on Monday at the opening, the main Moex index (in rubles) losing 11.9% at 7:03 GMT, to 1,780.39 points, and briefly falling below the 1,800 point mark. for the first time since the start of the war in Ukraine on February 24.
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Belarus, Russia’s ally in its conflict with Ukraine, has lent its territory to the Russian army for its offensive against Ukraine, but the Belarusian army has not so far taken part in the fighting on Ukrainian territory. The entry of Belarusian forces into its neighbor would mark a new escalation of the conflict in Ukraine.
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