Minsk announced the continuation of joint military exercises with Russia | News from Germany about Russia

Russian troops will remain in Belarus, although the joint exercises of the two countries were supposed to end on Sunday, February 20, according to the plan. Russian President Vladimir Putin and the ruler of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko decided to continue testing the joint response forces – as Belarusian Defense Minister Viktor Khrenin explained, “due to the increase in military activity near the external borders of the Union State and the aggravation of the situation” in eastern Ukraine.

According to him, in the course of further exercises, “further stages of defense will be worked out.” At the same time, the focus of the maneuvers to ensure “an adequate response and de-escalation of military preparations by ill-wishers” near the borders of the two countries will not change, according to the Telegram channel of the Belarusian Defense Ministry.

As early as February 16, the authorities in Minsk assured that at the end of the Allied Resolve-2022 exercises, all Russian soldiers and military equipment would leave the country. “Not a single serviceman, not a single piece of military equipment will remain after this,” said Belarusian Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei. In addition, the complete withdrawal of Russian troops from the territory of Belarus after the maneuvers was promised by Alexander Lukashenko and the Ministry of Defense.

Joint exercises take place against the background of the escalation of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine

Allied Resolve-2022 exercises are being held in Belarus from 10 to 20 February. Their implementation was criticized in the West, including in the United States, which consider the maneuvers to lead to further escalation. Against the backdrop of military exercises between Russia and Belarus, tensions in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine have sharply increased.

The OSCE SMM counted more than 1,500 ceasefire violations on February 19 alone. US President Joe Biden is confident that the Kremlin has already decided to invade, including intending to capture Kiev. According to Western intelligence agencies, about 150,000 Russian troops are stationed in the regions along the Ukrainian border. Moscow says it is not planning an attack.

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Weapon systems check

So far, artillery firing on both sides of the Russian-Ukrainian border is carried out for test purposes. According to official data, the troops are checking the combat readiness of their weapons systems. In a video released by the Russian Defense Ministry, a Russian self-propelled mortar fires.

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West expresses support for Ukraine

The West assures Kiev of its solidarity. In a first telephone conversation with his Ukrainian counterpart, US President Joe Biden reaffirmed to Volodymyr Zelensky “the United States’ unwavering support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity in the face of Russia’s ongoing aggression in the Donbass and Crimea.” Similar statements were made by representatives of NATO and the EU.

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Troops are pulling up to the Donbass

In early March, Russia began to increase its military presence on the border with Ukraine. Moscow said that in this way it is responding to Kiev’s provocations aimed at escalating the conflict in Donbass. According to observers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), there were no provocations.

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American destroyers are already in the Black Sea

The United States, NATO and the EU have pledged support to Ukraine in protecting its territorial integrity. On April 9, Ankara reported that at the end of March the United States announced the passage of two of its warships through the Bosphorus to the Black Sea. The picture shows one of the two American destroyers that passed through the strait towards the Black Sea on March 20.

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A war that has been going on for seven years

The conflict in eastern Ukraine erupted in early 2014, when pro-Russian separatists took control of parts of the Donetsk and Lugansk regions of Ukraine. According to the authorities in Kiev and their Western allies, the Kremlin is helping the separatists with illegal supplies of arms and mercenaries. Since then, the parties to the conflict have repeatedly agreed on a ceasefire, but these agreements have been constantly violated.

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Bombed and destroyed

This man stands on the ruins of his house, located on the territory of the self-proclaimed “DNR”. The house was destroyed during the fighting between the separatists and the Ukrainian army. They involve soldiers, mercenaries, separatists and paramilitaries. But the fighting again and again affects the civilian population. At the beginning of 2019, according to the UN, about 3,300 civilians died in Donbass.

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Clashes and deaths despite the truce

In total, since 2014, more than 13,000 people have died as a result of fighting in the Donbass. The current ceasefire, in place since July 2020, has been relatively stable, according to the OSCE. Recently, however, shelling has become more frequent. In recent days, at least five Ukrainian soldiers and a five-year-old boy have been killed on the territory of the “DPR”. Kiev denies involvement in his death.

Time.news of a new aggravation of the conflict in Donbass

Zelensky presented awards to Ukrainian soldiers

On April 8, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky visited the Donbass and tried to sort out the situation on the spot. He awarded Ukrainian soldiers who distinguished themselves in serving at the front. And on April 10, Zelensky will meet with Turkish President Erdogan. Ukrainian media reports that Zelensky is also scheduled to meet with French President Macron.

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Russian citizenship under a simplified procedure

In 2019, Russia began issuing citizenship to residents of the “DNR”/”LNR” under a simplified procedure. According to various sources, about 600 thousand people with Russian citizenship now live there. Moscow has already reported that Russia will take all necessary measures to protect them. A US presidential spokeswoman said the Russian military presence on the border with Ukraine is now the largest since 2014.

Author: Jan Walter, Kevin Mertens