(Moscow) The Kremlin vowed Tuesday that it would do “everything” to stop Ukrainian attacks on Belgorod, a Russian city that has become the target of numerous attacks by Kiev following Moscow’s resumption of massive bombing in Ukraine.
Posted at 6.50am
Commenting on military operations in neighboring Ukraine, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu assured that his army has “the initiative” on the front, despite the absence of major conquests.
At the end of a week of holidays marking the Orthodox New Year and Christmas, the Kremlin’s response to the increase in Ukrainian attacks on Belgorod and its region in recent days was awaited.
“Our army will continue to do everything in its power to minimize the danger and then eliminate it completely,” promised Vladimir Putin’s spokesman, Dmitry Peskov.
He also accused Kiev of deliberately targeting “civilians” on Russian soil using Western-supplied military equipment.
These comments come after ten days marked in Russia by the multiplication of Ukrainian attacks against Belgorod, a town of 335,000 inhabitants located less than 40 km from the border with Ukraine.
A day after the massive bombing of Ukraine on December 29 that left dozens dead, the city of Belgorod was the target of an attack that killed 25 people, the deadliest Ukrainian attack against civilians on Russian soil since February 24, 2022 .
In retaliation, Vladimir Putin has said he wants to “intensify” attacks on Ukraine, and his army continues its massive bombing of Kiev and other Ukrainian cities, as on January 2 and 8.
” Initiative ”
But a sign that concern is growing in Belgorod, “about 300” people have already evacuated the city according to the regional authorities, who have also postponed the start of the school year by ten days, to January 19th. As for the municipality, last week it urged residents, for the first time, to protect their windows to avoid further attacks.
However, two months before the presidential elections which should see Vladimir Putin return to power at least until 2030, the Kremlin wants to do everything to continue to give the image that the conflict with Ukraine does not directly affect daily life and security of the Russians.
Likewise, Sergei Shoigu, Russian Defense Minister, assured on Tuesday as usual that his army has inflicted heavy losses on Ukrainian forces and that it is in a better position than its opponent, despite a front largely frozen by autumn 2022. after a series of Russian retreats.
The Russian army, however, foiled the major Ukrainian counteroffensive in the summer of 2023, which the Kremlin presents, almost two years after the start of the invasion, as a victory.
“We maintain the strategic initiative across the entire front line,” Shoigu said during a meeting with senior army officers.
After the failure of the Ukrainian counteroffensive, the tone was much more optimistic in Moscow, despite significant losses on the ground, estimated by the United States at 315,000 soldiers wounded or killed, over almost two years.
The Russian army returned to the offensive in the autumn of 2023, particularly around Avdiïvka in the Donetsk region. But progress has been minor and Kiev claims it is inflicting significant casualties on Russian forces.
For its part, Ukraine faces a debate within its society over a possible mobilization of hundreds of thousands of men to reinforce its lines and replace dead and exhausted veterans after nearly two years of high-intensity conflict.
Not to mention that Kiev, which is increasingly calling for air defense systems to counter Russian attacks, is deeply concerned about the erosion of Western support, against a backdrop of political dissent within the European Union and the United States .
Finally, Ukrainian authorities announced on Tuesday the death of one new person after Russian attacks on the night between Sunday and Monday, bringing to five the number of civilians killed in this new wave of massive bombings.
2024-01-09 11:50:28
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