Russia reports downing 660 Ukrainian drones, denies seeking Belarus war aid

Russia has reported that it downed 660 drones overnight, as Ukraine maintains a barrage that is straining Russian air defences and energy infrastructure.

The number of drones reported shot down by Russia’s Ministry of Defence on Friday, marks one of Kyiv’s biggest launches of long-range strikes,

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Ukraine’s campaign of massive drone strikes inside Russia and on the Crimean peninsula has led to security fears and fuel shortages. That has stoked concern that Moscow may try to pull ally Belarus into the conflict, launched when it invaded Ukraine in February 2022.

The latest wave of Ukrainian drones saw Russia intercept unmanned aircraft over 13 regions, including the capital, Moscow, and the illegally annexed Crimean peninsula, as well as the Black and Azov seas.

One “massive” attack targeted the Tula region, about 180km (112 miles) south of Moscow, damaging a house and injuring a woman, said regional governor Dmitry Milyaev.

Milyaev also ⁠said an industrial facility in Novomoskovsk, 200km (125 miles) south of Moscow, had been damaged.

Russian media outlet Astra named the facility as the Azot plant, which has been described by Ukrainian President Volodymyr ‌Zelenskyy as critical to Russia’s production of explosives.

The strikes are the latest as Ukraine continues to escalate its aerial campaign against Russia, particularly targeting energy infrastructure in an effort to cut off a key source of revenue for the Kremlin’s war effort.

Its success has caused fuel shortages and disrupted Russia’s army supply lines, stalling war efforts after more than four years of fighting.

⁠The Russian-installed ⁠authorities of Crimea ⁠on Friday announced the imposition of a state of emergency as they struggled to deal with the barrage of drone attacks from Ukraine.

The occupied peninsula is grappling with fuel shortages and power cuts triggered by attacks on the energy infrastructure across southern Russia, through which it is supplied.

Moscow-installed governor Sergey Aksyonov admitted in a social media post that the Russian army is unable to fully protect the peninsula.

“Unfortunately … there are no air defence systems in the world that are absolutely perfect in terms of security and effectiveness,” he wrote.

War preparations in Belarus

With Russia’s forces struggling to advance on the front line in eastern Ukraine, as well as to defend against the drone onslaught at home, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has accused Moscow of trying to enlist help from neighbouring Belarus.

On Thursday, the Ukrainian president said he had received intelligence indicating that Belarus is building infrastructure and storage bases near the Ukrainian border for military purposes.

He said the measures were being taken “under obvious Russian influence, to prepare for a potential expansion of aggression against Ukraine”.

“Belarus knows what steps are needed on its part for peace,” wrote Zelenskyy. “The development of border infrastructure for aggression from Belarus must be stopped.”

The comments followed reports in the United States media that alleged Russia has pressured Belarus – including by leveraging key financial support – to allow its territory to be used as a launchpad for stepped-up attacks on Ukraine.

Belarus denies repeat of invasion scenario

Russia denied the report the same day, with Kremlin spokesperson ‌Dmitry Peskov saying it “does not correspond to reality”.

Belarus, which allowed the Russian military to assemble on its territory before crossing its southern border as part of the initial invasion of Ukraine more than four years ago, has accused Ukraine and the West of stoking tensions and attempting to draw it into the conflict.

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko on Thursday said he had warned visiting Ukrainian officials that Kyiv should not try to drag his country into war.

Belarus has no intention of fighting Ukraine, he stressed, insisting he wants to reach an “agreement”.

“I told them bluntly: ‘Guys, tell your president: if he thinks he can talk to us like that – and drag us into a war to boot – then he needs to understand that the nature of the war would change instantly,'” Lukashenko said in televised comments.

“We received a reply: the president ‌and his team understand this. So, let’s reach an agreement, guys. We need to reach a substantive agreement,” said Lukashenko.

While Lukashenko has not sent Belarusian troops ‌to fight alongside Russia, as well as allowing Moscow to use Belarus as an invasion launchpad in 2022, he has agreed to the stationing of Russian tactical nuclear missiles on Belarusian territory.

Belarus also conducts frequent joint military exercises with Russia and allows Moscow to use its bases and training grounds.