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. “From today we are ready to transport you to Stary Oskol and Gubkin, where you will stay in very comfortable conditions in warm and safe rooms. They will stay there as long as necessary,” the governor of the Russian region announced. It borders Ukraine and is the target of increasing Ukrainian bombings.
– The measure taken by the Russian authorities in Belgorod is unprecedented for a major city in Russia and is at odds with the Kremlin, which for almost two years of invasion has always given the impression that the conflict has no direct impact on daily life and Russian security. That strategy was shattered on December 30, when 25 people lost their lives in this border town.
– While Vladimir Putin vowed to “intensify” Russian attacks against “military targets” in Ukraine, city authorities in Kiev “warned” residents of the capital not to attend mass events celebrating Epiphany this Saturday.
– Ukraine last night released images of what it said was a Russian Kinjal hypersonic missile, 10 of which it said it shot down in massive attacks on Tuesday using the American Patriot anti-aircraft system.