Belarus Accused of Provoking Tensions at Border, Ukraine Faces New Wave of Russian Bombings

Ukraine has called on Belarus to withdraw its troops from their shared border, accusing Minsk of amassing forces in the Gomel region under the pretense of military maneuvers. Ukraine's Foreign Ministry has urged Belarus not to make "tragic mistakes" under pressure from Moscow. The ministry expressed concerns about the potential global security threat posed by these exercises due to their proximity to the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. Despite recent accusations from Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko that Ukraine has stationed over 120,000 troops along the Belarusian border, Ukraine has reiterated that it has no hostile intentions toward the Belarusian people.

In a separate development, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky criticized some allies for delays in delivering promised military aid. He highlighted that despite strong commitments, defense packages often take months to materialize. Zelensky also reported recent Ukrainian advances into Russia's Kursk region, where Ukrainian forces have captured two settlements and taken prisoners.

This morning, the Ukrainian military reported a drone attack on Kyiv by Russia. Preliminary information indicates no injuries or significant damage. Central and eastern Ukraine were placed under air raid alerts overnight. The Russian Defense Ministry claimed that its air defense systems had destroyed 20 Ukrainian drones, including nine over the Saratov region. The governor of Saratov reported that debris from these drones had damaged several houses, and a woman was seriously injured.

The conflict in Ukraine remains intense, with frequent explosions reported across the country. In the past 24 hours, Ukraine experienced 136 clashes with Russian forces and was subjected to attacks involving...