DThe center of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv was again shaken by explosions on Monday morning. The ex-Soviet republic of Belarus is building a joint military unit with its neighbor, warring Russia, and the first Russian soldiers have arrived. At the same time, all security agencies, including civil defense, are being armed and the country’s bunkers are being prepared for emergencies. Against the background of increasing threats from Moscow to end the grain agreement, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized its importance for the fight against hunger. He announced that he would continue to expand exports. In Ukraine, the 236th day of the war begins on Monday.
After the explosions in Kyiv, it was initially unclear whether there was destruction like a week ago. There is an air alarm, people should seek protection, said Mayor Vitali Klitschko. Details followed later, he said. A fireball could be seen in the sky, reported a reporter from the German Press Agency from the center. The Ukrainian air defense may have been active against new Russian missile attacks. This has not been confirmed.
A week ago, Russia fired rockets at the center of Kyiv, also at the beginning of the week during morning rush hour. Previously there had been an explosion on the bridge to the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea annexed by Moscow. Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin had accused the Ukrainian secret service of a “terrorist attack” against the bridge – and then had the rockets fired in retaliation. More than a dozen people died and more than 100 were injured in Kyiv and other cities in Ukraine.
Putin said last Friday that not all targets had been hit in the attacks. At the same time, he emphasized that he did not consider new massive blows like a week ago to be necessary. Putin has been firing rockets at Kyiv and many other cities since the start of his war against Ukraine on February 24.
Selenskyj wants to export more grain and save electricity
Zelenskyy said in his daily video address on Sunday that although the war continues to hamper exports, Ukraine has exported almost eight million tons of food by sea since the Grains Agreement came into force. “That’s more than 300 ships. 60 percent of the amount went to Africa and Asia.” Just a few days ago, Russia threatened to stop the grain deal and block the Ukrainian ports again. Moscow believes that promises made to Russia have not been kept and that the explosives used in the Crimean bridge attack were allegedly smuggled out of Ukraine by sea.
After the attack, Russia massively intensified the rocket attacks on Ukraine – and especially the energy infrastructure – in the past week. That’s why Zelenskyj asked his compatriots to save electricity. “Due to Russian missile terror, in some cities and regions of Ukraine it is necessary to limit electricity supply in order for the whole system to function stably,” he said. It is particularly necessary to save electricity during the peak hours in the evening, as otherwise there would be overloads and the electricity companies would be forced to switch off.
Belarus is arming its civil defense
In Belarus, against the background of the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine, its own military activities are increasing. “Now we have received all the weapons we should have received from the Ministry of Defense and have stored them in the armories,” said the head of the Belarusian civil defense, Vadim Sinyavsky, on state television on Sunday. At the same time, units were formed that could be used together with the military “to defend the fatherland”.
