Following Moscow's recent battlefield setbacks, Putin's visit to Belarus is raising the prospect of renewed Ukrainian hostilities.
Ukrainians are worried that Russian President Vladimir Putin may encourage his ally Belarus to establish a new invasion front after Russian "kamikaze" drones attacked crucial energy infrastructure in and around Kyiv on Monday.
Vladimir Putin, president of Russia, declared on Monday that his nation has "no interest" in absorbing Belarus, Moscow's biggest ally that significantly relies on it for cheap oil and loans.
Amid Moscow's recent big combat failures, Putin's visit to Belarus has fueled concerns that the former Soviet ally may be pushed to start a new front against Ukraine.
Even though Belarus is an important ally, Russia has spent years trying to strengthen integration with Belarus, but Alexander Lukashenko has opposed unification. Putin has utilised Belarusian territory as a base for his Ukraine invasion.
With the arrival of several thousand Russian servicemen in the ex-Soviet republic in October, Belarus' announcement of the construction of a combined regional force with Moscow sparked worries that Minsk would also deploy troops to Ukraine.
Ukrainian officials have warned that Russia's most recent assault occurred early on Monday morning and targeted "critical infrastructure" in and around Kyiv.
Following one of Russia's worst attacks on Ukraine since the conflict began on Friday, when 70 missiles were fired, Ukrainian authorities reported this happened.
Overnight, a Russian "kamikaze" drone allegedly flew above the South Ukraine Nuclear Power Plant in the Mykolaiv area, prompting accusations from Ukraine's atomic energy agency. Russian troops, according to the Defense Ministry, shot down four American-made HARM anti-radiation missiles over the Belgorod area, which borders Ukraine, in less than 24 hours. Reuters was unable to confirm any claims made from the front lines.
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According to the operator of the nation's electrical system, the situation is "tough," with the Dnipropetrovsk region and places in the centre and east of the country being the most hit.
Ukrenergo, the country's utility, reported widespread power outages, notably in the capital city of Kiev and its suburbs as well as in the neighbouring districts of Kharkiv, Sumy, Poltava, and Zaporizhzhia.
(With inputs from Reuters)
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