Russian invasionRussian reactions

Vladimir Putin/Aleksandr Lukashenko. TT  

Russian invasionRussian reactions  

Kremlin denies: Putin should not pressure Lukashenko  

The Kremlin is denying speculation that President Vladimir Putin is going to Belarus to pressure Aleksandr Lukashenko to take a more active role in the war in Ukraine. This is written by the state news agency RIA according to Reuters.  

The reports are "baseless" and "foolish," says Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.  

Russian invasionRussian reactions  

Russian exercise in Belarus during Putin's visit - Ukraine ready for "all possible scenarios" 

Russian troops will conduct military exercises in Belarus on Monday in connection with Vladimir Putin's visit to the country, the Kremlin said, according to Reuters. The time and location of the exercises are unclear.  

In his nightly speech, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says that protecting the border with both Russia and Belarus is of the highest priority. 

- We are preparing for all possible defense scenarios.  

The president has warned for months that Belarus could once again allow Russian forces to attack Ukraine from its territory – or even that Belarusian forces could go to war on Russia's side. The latter was recently condemned as "enormously unlikely" by the American think tank Institute for the study of war (ISW).  

Putin's visit to Belarus is his first in over three and a half years. In the normal case, the roles are reversed, that Lukashenko visits Russia.

A harm rocket in Ukraine. Illustration image. Evgeniy Maloletka / AP 

The Russian InvasionThe Battles  

Russia claims robot strikes on Russian soil - shot down Four 

American anti-radar robots have been shot down in Russian airspace in the past 24 hours, claims a spokesperson for the Russian Defense Ministry according to AFP.  

The robots are said to have been shot down in the area around Belgorod, which is close to the Ukrainian border, not far from Kharkiv.  

At the same time, the Russian Ministry of Defense is warning that the United States is getting closer to what will be considered a direct conflict with Russia. During the war, Ukraine has consistently been shelled from the Russian side.  

On Monday, air raid alerts again sounded over large parts of Ukraine and early in the morning a critical infrastructure target in the capital Kyiv was hit with 

Russian recruits/Ukrainian soldiers.TT 

Russian invasionRussian reactions  

Wagner recruits are followed via mobile signal - threatened with execution if they deviate  

The infamous Wagner group continues to take an important role in the fighting around Bachmut in eastern Ukraine, the UK Ministry of Defense states in its latest situation update. 

In recent months, the group has developed an offensive tactic to take advantage of the large number of poorly trained criminals recruited, it said. This is done by equipping individuals with a smartphone or tablet which shows the person's specified axis of advance and target of attack on top of commercial satellite images. This means that commanders can give orders over radios while in cover.  

"Those who deviate from their attack paths without permission are likely to be threatened with execution."  

The brutal tactic aims to preserve the Wagner group's experienced commanders at the expense of the more accessible prisoner recruits, the department writes.

Thick smoke spreads between residential buildings after a Russian attack on infrastructure in Kyiv. Efrem Lukatsky / AP  

The Russian InvasionThe Battles  

Governor: Kamikaze drones caused serious damage  

The Russian drone attacks against the Kyiv region in Ukraine this morning caused "quite serious" damage, Governor Oleksiy Kuleba said according to Reuters. Three areas in the region are without power after the attacks. 

 35 so-called kamikaze drones hit critical infrastructure in and around Kyiv. It is the third attack on the capital in six days. 

People take shelter in the subway in Kyiv on December 16. Efrem Lukatsky / AP  

The Russian InvasionThe Battles 

Explosions in Kyiv: "The enemy is attacking the capital"  

New explosions have occurred in the capital of Ukraine, Kyiv. The city's mayor Vitaly Klytchko states that at least two explosions were heard in the central parts of the city, Kyiv Independent writes.  

Furthermore, Kyiv's military administration states that at least fifteen drones have been shot down in the airspace over the city. Others are said to have struck "critical infrastructure" and private buildings. 

"The enemy is attacking the capital," writes the military administration on Telegram, according to AFP.  

According to initial information, no one has died or been injured in the attacks, Vitalij Klytjko says according to Reuters. However, two people are said to have been injured in the Kyiv region, outside the central parts of the city.