BY EMMANUEL OGBONNA
Pressure on Belarus mounted Monday as exiled opposition leader arrived in Kyiv amid growing fears that Belarus could become more deeply involved in Russia’s war against Ukraine following Moscow’s largest missile assault of the year on the Ukrainian capital.
The visit came as emergency crews and residents in Kyiv continued clearing debris and repairing damaged buildings after a devastating wave of Russian strikes battered the city over the weekend, killing at least two people and injuring dozens more. The attack intensified international concern over the trajectory of the conflict, now entering its fifth year, while governments across Europe closely monitored Belarus’ military cooperation with Moscow.
The renewed focus on Belarus follows recent joint nuclear exercises conducted by Russia and Belarus, drills that heightened fears among Ukrainian officials that Belarusian territory could once again serve as a launch point for Russian military operations in northern Ukraine.
Ukrainian President has repeatedly warned in recent days that Russia may attempt to widen the war by opening another northern front with support from Belarusian President . Belarus played a key role during the initial phase of Russia’s February 2022 invasion, allowing Russian troops to cross into Ukraine from Belarusian territory during the assault on Kyiv.
The latest developments have triggered growing diplomatic activity across Europe. French President held a rare phone conversation with Lukashenko on Sunday, marking the first direct contact between the two leaders since the war began.
According to officials in Paris, Macron used the conversation to warn Belarus about the dangers of becoming more deeply entangled in Russia’s military campaign. French officials said the call focused on the war in Ukraine, regional stability and Belarus’ increasingly strained relations with the European Union.
The conversation was widely viewed as a sign that European leaders are becoming increasingly concerned about Belarus’ strategic role in the conflict as Russian military pressure intensifies.
Tsikhanouskaya, who has lived in exile since challenging Lukashenko’s disputed 2020 election victory, arrived in Kyiv by train Monday for her first visit to the Ukrainian capital since the invasion began. She said the message from European leaders to Minsk was becoming clearer.
“Lukashenko’s regime knows well what needs to be done to improve ties with the European Union, but it isn’t happening,” she said, accusing Belarusian authorities of continuing “hybrid attacks, nuclear blackmail and threats to the entire region.”
Belarus’ presidential office released only a brief statement about the Macron-Lukashenko conversation, saying the call occurred “on the French side’s initiative” and involved discussions about regional matters and Belarus’ relations with France and the European Union.
Lukashenko, who has ruled Belarus for more than three decades, remains heavily dependent on the Kremlin for economic and political support, including subsidized energy supplies and financial assistance. Western governments have imposed multiple rounds of sanctions on Belarus over human rights abuses, the suppression of political opposition and Minsk’s support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
At the same time, Lukashenko has recently appeared to seek limited openings with Western countries. Since the return of President to the White House, Belarus has released hundreds of political prisoners as part of agreements that resulted in the easing of some U.S. sanctions.
The diplomatic maneuvering unfolded against the backdrop of one of the heaviest Russian attacks on Kyiv in months.
Russian forces launched a massive barrage Sunday that included the use of the Oreshnik hypersonic ballistic missile, a weapon President has repeatedly promoted as nearly impossible to intercept. According to Russian officials, the missile can travel at speeds up to 10 times faster than sound and is capable of carrying multiple warheads while evading modern air defense systems.
Zelenskyy said Ukrainian intelligence agencies had received advance warnings from both the United States and European partners that Russia was preparing to deploy the Oreshnik missile in the latest wave of attacks.
The bombardment left widespread destruction across Kyiv. Ukrainian officials said residential buildings, schools, markets and areas near government offices were damaged during the strikes. Broken glass and debris remained scattered across streets Monday morning as cleanup operations continued throughout the capital.
Tymur Tkachenko, head of the Kyiv City Administration, said at least 91 people were wounded in the attack in addition to the two fatalities.
The assault also highlighted Ukraine’s growing vulnerability as supplies of American-made air defense missiles continue to decline amid broader global military pressures linked to the conflict involving Iran. Ukrainian officials have warned for months that shortages in advanced air defense systems are making it increasingly difficult to repel large-scale Russian missile barrages.
Diplomatic efforts led by the United States to broker a ceasefire between Moscow and Kyiv have meanwhile stalled, with no significant progress reported in recent weeks.
European Union foreign policy chief condemned the attacks, saying Russia had reached “a dead-end on the battlefield” and was increasingly relying on terror-style strikes against civilian areas.
On Monday, Ukrainian Foreign Minister escorted ambassadors from more than 70 countries through neighborhoods damaged in the strikes. The visit was intended to reinforce Ukraine’s calls for additional military support and stronger international pressure on Moscow.
“Every such strike only demonstrates yet again the true nature of Putin’s regime — the regime that doesn’t recognize human life, international law, or borders,” Tsikhanouskaya wrote on Telegram after witnessing the destruction in Kyiv.
Elsewhere, Russia’s Federal Security Service announced that divers had discovered magnetic mines attached to the hull of the Arrhenius, a liquefied petroleum gas tanker docked at the Baltic port of Ust-Luga. Russian authorities claimed the mines had been manufactured in a NATO member country. The vessel was reportedly bound for Samsun, Turkey. Ukrainian officials did not immediately comment on the allegation.
Further violence was reported in northeastern Ukraine on Monday when a Russian missile struck a business facility in the city of Derhachi in the Kharkiv region. Regional governor said two people were killed and 19 others injured in the strike, with 17 victims requiring hospitalization.
As the war grinds deeper into another year, concerns continue to grow across Europe that the conflict may be entering an even more dangerous phase marked by intensified missile warfare, expanding regional instability and the possibility of Belarus becoming more directly involved in Russia’s military campaign.