Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarusian Alexander Lukashenko announced - today, Monday - new military decisions, at a time when Moscow announced that a number of its warships will soon participate in naval maneuvers with a nuclear country in Asia.
Upon his arrival today in Minsk, the official Russian television broadcast scenes showing the president getting off the plane before his ally Lukashenko warmly received him with other officials on the tarmac, then they held a press conference in which they emphasized partnership in a number of areas, especially the economy.
During his meeting with Lukashenko, Putin said that Russia is ready to develop nuclear projects in Belarus.
He stressed that "it is our partner in all fields, including the economy, and it is important to work jointly in the field of high-tech development."
The guest president added that he discussed with Lukashenko the establishment of a unified defense field between Russia and Belarus, and that the two countries agreed to develop new military equipment and that they would continue to conduct joint military exercises.
Putin stressed that Russia has "no interest" in swallowing Belarus, noting that trade exchange between the two countries has reached about $31 billion, and will reach $40 billion by the end of the year.
Putin's visit to Minsk aims to strengthen Lukashenka's internal legitimacy and self-confidence.
Lukashenka is Putin's puppet, but even a puppet wants to feel the most important.
pic.twitter.com/6sUcbcP0Lx
- Franak Viačorka (@franakviacorka) December 19, 2022
Moscow is training Belarusian pilots
In turn, Lukashenko said that Moscow is training Belarusian pilots to use aircraft that have been developed to carry weapons, especially since his country cannot guarantee its military security without Russia's help.
"We have put into service on the territory of Belarus the S-400 and Iskander systems provided by Russia," he added.
"We are working to strengthen relations with Russia despite the sanctions imposed on us, and we will not repeat the mistakes that occurred after the collapse of the Soviet Union," he added.
Prior to Putin's arrival, the Kremlin said, "The allegation that the president's visit to Belarus aims to involve it in the process on Ukraine is incorrect," commenting on media reports that reported this news.
During the current war in Ukraine, Lukashenko appeared as a strategic ally of Putin, and Ukraine accuses Belarus of providing the Russian army with material and technical means and ammunition from its warehouses during the war, and of preparing to launch a joint attack with Moscow against it on the country's northern borders, which Moscow and Minsk deny.
Military maneuvers in Belarus
Concurrent with this visit, Russian forces are conducting military maneuvers in Belarus, and these forces belong to a joint Belarusian-Russian unit, which is being formed and trained at the battalion level.
About 9 thousand Russian soldiers participate in this unit.
In a related context, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced that a number of its warships will participate in naval exercises this week with China.
The maneuvers will take place - according to the Russian Ministry of Defense - from December 21 to December 27 in the East China Sea, and their main goal is to enhance maritime cooperation between Moscow and Beijing.
A statement said that the Russian-Belarusian maneuvers will include the firing of live missiles and artillery, and exercises to confront submarines.
"The main objective is to enhance maritime cooperation between the two countries and maintain peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region," he added.
He added that China will send two destroyers, patrol ships, a supply ship and a submarine.
The Russian ministry added, "Aircraft and helicopters belonging to the naval aviation forces of the Pacific Fleet and the People's Liberation Navy will participate in the maneuvers."
Small number of Russian missiles
In the opposite camp, Secretary of the Ukrainian National Security and Defense Council Oleksiy Danilov said that Russia is likely to have only a small number of missiles, not enough to launch major attacks targeting Ukrainian infrastructure.
"If you enumerate their large attacks, then they only have two or three attacks left, maybe they can launch four attacks, and once they launch they have nothing left," Danilov said in an interview with the online newspaper "Ukrainská Pravda".
A month ago, Danilov suggested that the Russian attacks would not exceed 3 or 4 missile attacks.
Since then, Russia has launched more than 3 attacks, with about 70 missiles in total.
According to Ukrainian estimates, Russia can produce about 70 missiles and cruise missiles per month, despite the Western sanctions imposed on it.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in front of the Iranian march "witness", which he previously said was shot down in Kyiv (Anatolia)
Massive drone attack on Kyiv
Earlier today, Kyiv announced that the city was subjected to intense attack this morning by Iranian drones used by Russian forces.
"The enemy is attacking the capital," said the military administration of Kiev.
It confirmed that the Russian forces are using Iranian-made "Shahid" planes, which were used to strike the capital in recent weeks.
Today, however, Iran renewed its denial of handing over the drones to Russia, and said through its foreign minister that the matter is baseless, and that the West seeks to justify its support for the war by accusing it.
On the other hand, the Russian army announced that it had shot down 4 American-made Harm missiles over its territory in the skies of the Belgorod region bordering Ukraine.
The Russian Ministry of Defense said in its daily report, which was published on Telegram, "4 American Harm anti-radar missiles were shot down in the airspace of the Belgorod region," without giving details.