According to state information, Russian air defense repelled another drone attack on the Crimean Peninsula, annexed by Moscow since 2014. The unmanned flying object was shot down on Saturday morning over a pier near Sevastopol, the naval base of the Russian Fleet of the Black Sea. Despite the ceasefire unilaterally announced by Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin on the occasion of Orthodox Christmas, fresh fighting broke out in Ukraine on Friday.
Even “Holy Christmas” could not stop the “inhuman beings” “attacking our heroic city”, wrote the Russian governor of Sevastopol, Mikhail Rasvozhayev, according to the state agency TASS on its Telegram channel. The port has been the target of Ukrainian drone strikes on several occasions.
Russia supplies its occupying forces in southern Ukraine mainly through Crimea. Ukraine is therefore repeatedly targeting logistical and military targets on the peninsula. Two Ukrainian drones were shot down over Sevastopol on 4 January.
Crimea’s recovery is also one of Kiev’s stated goals after Russia’s war of aggression has increasingly stalled in recent months. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said this could be done through diplomatic or military channels.
The 36-hour ceasefire, which was due to start at noon on Friday Moscow time (10am CET), would have been the first frontline-wide ceasefire since Russia’s war of aggression began. on February 24 last year. Orthodox Churches in Ukraine traditionally celebrate Christmas on January 7th.
Ukraine rejected the ceasefire on the occasion of the Orthodox Christmas celebrations as a hypocritical diversionary maneuver by the Russian attackers. As of Friday, the air warning was in effect for all of Ukraine for about two hours – despite the ceasefire. Meanwhile, according to Tass, Putin attended an Orthodox Christmas service at the Kremlin’s Cathedral of the Annunciation.
Meanwhile, London wants to advance the investigation of Russian war crimes in Ukraine and has invited the Netherlands to an international meeting. In March, justice ministers from around the world will meet in London to organize financial and practical support for the work of the International Criminal Court in The Hague, the British government announced on Saturday.
“Russian forces must know they cannot act with impunity and we will support Ukraine until justice prevails,” British Justice Secretary Dominic Raab said in a statement. The international community must strongly support the International Criminal Court so that war criminals can be held accountable.
Concerns are growing among the Belarusian opposition about a possible mobilization in their country in support of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. Opposition politician Pawel Latuschka, who lives in exile in Warsaw, told the editorial network Germany (RND/Saturday) that preparations for this are well advanced. Ruler Alexander Lukashenko only needs to push the button by order of the Kremlin to start mobilising.
Former Belarusian culture minister Latushka is a member of opposition leader Svetlana Tichanovskaya’s cabinet in exile. As Latushka reported, citing Minsk sources, almost all officials reporting to the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Belarus were asked to hand over their passports. This information would come from several cities in the country. “It means that these people can no longer leave the territory of Belarus if they are mobilized,” Latuschka said. It can also be noted that the Russian military presence in Belarus (Belarus) is constantly growing.