It’s 7 a.m., an opportunity to look back on the events of the last few hours:
– Belgorod authorities urged residents to evacuate and secure their windows to protect themselves from shrapnel. “As of today, we are ready to transport you to Stary Oskol and Gubkin, where you will be in very comfortable conditions, in warm and safe rooms. You will stay there as long as necessary,” announced the governor of the Russian region, bordering Ukraine and targeted by intensifying Ukrainian bombings.
– The measure taken by the Russian authorities in Belgorod is unprecedented for a large city in Russia and is at odds with the Kremlin which has always strived to present the image, for almost two years invasion, that the conflict does not directly affect the daily life and security of Russians. This strategy was shattered on December 30 when 25 people lost their lives in this border town.
– With Vladimir Putin vowing to “intensify” Russian strikes against “military targets” in Ukraine, municipal authorities in Kiev “urged” residents of the capital not to take part in mass events to celebrate Epiphany this Saturday.
– Ukraine last night released images of what it presented as a Russian Kinjal hypersonic missile, of which it claimed to have shot down ten examples during massive strikes on Tuesday using the American Patriot anti-aircraft system.