Kiev Mayor Vitali Klitschko also reported on Telegram about attacks on critical infrastructure objects. Energy engineers tried to stabilize electricity and heating supplies. In some parts of the city, electricity was cut in case of emergency.
According to reports from residents, the typical noise of drones flying and the firing of anti-aircraft defenses could be heard over the city at night. No one in Kyiv was injured, Klitschko wrote. Ukrainian authorities reported two people injured in the surrounding area. Infrastructure objects and private houses were damaged.
According to military information, Kyiv alone was attacked by more than 20 Iranian-made combat drones. Air defense shot down about 15 of them. Another ten drones were intercepted in southern Ukraine. According to Ukrainian intelligence, the Russian army recently received a new delivery of Iranian-made drones.
Air raid sirens sounded almost all night in Kyiv. The air alert was lifted in the morning. Only on Friday a strong wave of Russian attacks led to major failures in the supply of electricity, heat and water in Ukraine.
On Monday afternoon, Belarusian ruler Alexander Lukashenko welcomed Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin at Minsk airport on a red carpet with bread and salt. This is shown by images from the Belarusian pro-government Telegram channel Pool Pervogo on Monday. The two former Soviet republics are close allies, with Lukashenko’s government wholly dependent on Moscow politically, economically and militarily following Western-imposed sanctions.
Although the two leaders’ contacts are regular and frequent, this is Putin’s first visit to Belarus in three years. Before the visit, Lukashenko had announced that the main focus would be on deepening economic cooperation. On the Moscow side, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov brushed aside speculation that Russia would urge its western neighbor to join the war against Ukraine.
In parallel with Putin’s visit, Russian troops are carrying out maneuvers in Belarus. The announcement was made by the Ministry of Defense in Moscow on Monday night, as reported by the Interfax news agency. Practiced at battalion level. Russian units are therefore part of a joint combat force with Belarus, which is being reorganized. According to earlier information from the Belarusian side, up to 9,000 Russian soldiers were supposed to belong to it.
Russia and China will also start joint maneuvers this week. The roughly week-long naval exercises, held annually since 2012, are scheduled to start on Wednesday and last until Dec. 27, according to the Russian Defense Ministry. They would include artillery and missile firing practice in the East China Sea. This should strengthen military cooperation with China. Four Russian and six Chinese ships, as well as planes and helicopters from both sides, will participate in the maneuver. Since the beginning of the war against Ukraine, Russia has sought a military, diplomatic and economic rapprochement with China, which is seen with concern in the West.