Ukraine says threat of missile attacks from Belarus in Volyn, Polesia regions remains high

Amid the ravaging war in Eastern Europe, the Ukrainian Defence Ministry claimed that the Volyn and Polesia regions remain under threat by missile attacks from Belarus. In its latest operational update, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine stated that the threat of missile attacks from the territory of Belarus remains high as Minsk has been strengthening the security along the border region. Alexander Štupun, a spokesperson for Ukrainian Armed Forces, further stated that the invaders continue to take measures to expand their presence in the Bryansk and Kursk regions. He also claimed that Russia's airborne forces, divided into two battalion tactical groups, have been operating in these regions.

The Ukrainian Defence Ministry further claimed that the enemy's main focus in the Kharkiv region is to maintain the occupied positions and prevent Kyiv's forces from entering such areas.  Štupun claimed that Russian forces have continued their offensive in the Donetsk region by launching missile strikes. "Over the past 24 hours, twelve enemy attacks have been repelled. A tank, five artillery systems, five units of combat armored equipment and five vehicles have been also been destroyed. Air defence units also downed an enemy helicopter ka-52, winged missile and an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV),"  Štupun claimed.

Russia lost over 29,000 soldiers since the onset of war: Ukraine

Meanwhile,  the Ukrainian Defence Ministry claimed that Russia has also incurred heavy losses since the onset of the war. In its latest update, the ministry claimed that Russia has lost nearly 29,750 soldiers, 3,246 Armored Personnel Vehicles (APV), 1,322 tanks, 623 artillery systems, and 201 Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS), and at least 93 anti-aircraft warfare. In addition, the invaders also lost as many as 2,226 vehicles and fuel tanks, 503 Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV), 206 aircraft, 170 helicopters, 115 cruise missiles, 48 special equipment and 13 boats, the Ukrainian Defence Ministry stated on Twitter. 

Belarus supplying weapons to Russia amid ongoing war 

Notably, the Belarusian Prime Minister has also confirmed that his country is supplying weapons to the Russian Federation. Prime Minister Roman Golovchenko claimed that both countries have set up joint programmes to work amid Western sanctions that have made sales of weapons more difficult, the Kyiv Independent reported. Meanwhile, Belarusian army chief Viktor Gulevich has also announced the deployment of the country's special forces along the border citing "threats" from Ukraine and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). 

Image: AP