Index – Abroad – Russians can attack from Chernobyl

Chernobyl, near the Belarusian border, may be the shortest route for the Russians to the Ukrainian capital, Kiev. As before the code Announced it, Russia and Belarus hold joint military exercises in February Russian troops arrived in Belarus with train troops loaded with tanks, missiles and troops. The country’s president, Alexander Lukashenko, has previously described the practice in the western part of the country, near the Polish-Lithuanian border, and on the Ukrainian border.

Now the biggest fear in Ukraine is that Russia will not choose the eastern or western border for a possible attack. Much of Ukraine’s military is concentrated in the east of the country, where it has been fighting pro-Russian separatists for eight years. Military analysts believe that there are not enough deployed units to adequately protect the northern part of the country from Russian troops.

If the Russian attack on Ukraine crosses the Belarusian border, the attacking troops will reach Kiev quickly, because it is only a few more hours. No significant preparations have yet been made on the Ukrainian border to thwart a possible military invasion. Last autumn, Ukraine stationed 8,500 troops on its northern border. The main purpose was to prevent Belarus from sending migrants to the Middle East, as it had done in Poland and Lithuania.

Border security has been strengthened

In addition to military assistance, the United States provided significant assistance to Ukraine in securing its borders. According to the report of the Ukrainian Border Guard Service It received $ 24.5 million in support Americans are border guards. This includes the purchase of sophisticated surveillance cameras, drones, unmanned aerial vehicles, security equipment for border guards, transport and communications equipment, mainly for units operating along the Russian and Belarusian borders.

With the capture of Belarus by Russia, the 1,070-kilometer stretch of the Belarus border became a threat.

Ukrainian Defense Minister Alexei Resnikov told the New York Times about the situation. He said this was clearly not a threat to Belarus, but a threat to Russia through Belarus. The Ukrainian defense minister could also target Belarusian-Russian alliances such as Moscow and Minsk. Signed in November Two countries Political and economic integration Document for improvement

They called on the Russians to retreat

Meanwhile, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba has called on Russia to withdraw its “troops concentrated on Ukraine’s borders and in Ukraine’s temporarily occupied territories.” He urged Russia to begin resolving its conflicts through diplomacy.

The situation in Kiev is volatile

Ukrainian police have detained a group suspected of plotting mass riots in the capital Kiev and other Ukrainian cities in a bid to escalate tensions with neighboring Russia. Interior Minister Denis Monastirsky reported the move on Sunday.

The head of the ministry said that about 5,000 people in five cities in northern and central Ukraine were involved in riots and clashes with police.

This pre-planned operation is aimed at organizing violence and riots and has nothing to do with peaceful protests.

– The Interior Minister said that the move was “intended to shake and destabilize the internal situation in Ukraine”.

The MTI writes that the minister did not say how many people were detained or who were behind the planned riots.

(Cover image: Sean Caleb / Getty Images)