At present, there is no sign of an armistice in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Instead, there is a tendency for the war to expand.
1. Belarus said it successfully intercepted the Ukrainian missile
Belarusian President Lukashenko announced on July 3 that the army successfully intercepted Ukrainian missile launched at the country's military facilities three days ago.
Lukashenko said, "We were provoked. I must tell you that about 3 days ago, maybe a little earlier, Ukraine launched missiles to attack multiple military targets in Belarus. But we want to thank God for our armored air defense system Intercepted all missiles launched by the Ukrainian army.”
Ukraine accused last week of missiles launched from Belarus hitting the Ukrainian border area.
Lukashenko reiterated on July 3 that Belarus has no intention to intervene in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. As I said more than a year ago, we have no intention to participate in the war in Ukraine. However, if it is invaded, Belarus will definitely defend its territory.
The West believes that as a long-term ally of Russia, Belarus has been supporting the Russian military’s military operations in Ukraine and serving as a rear base for the Russian military since Russia launched a special military operation against Ukraine.
Therefore, more and more Westerners now suspect that Belarus is also involved in the conflict between Ukraine and Russia.
In addition, the West also believes that Belarus is heavily dependent on Russia militarily and economically. After the Belarusian opposition accused Lukashenko of controlling the election in 2020, large-scale demonstrations broke out in the country. Lukashenko needs to rely on Russian support to consolidate his position.
A few days ago, when Russian President Putin met with Lukashenko, he announced that Moscow would deliver the Iskander-M tactical missile system capable of carrying nuclear warheads to Belarus in the next few months.
2. Russia calls it NATO has clearly declared its confrontation with Russia
NATO recently launched the "NATO 2022 Strategic Concept", which was adopted at the summit, calling Russia its "most significant and direct threat."
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Glushko responded that NATO's move was a clear declaration of confrontation with Russia to contain Russia in all aspects. He also pointed out that the accession of Finland and Sweden to NATO will lead to the deterioration of the military situation in the Baltic Sea region, and Russia will take appropriate measures to ensure security.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Ryabkov previously stated that Russia condemns NATO’s irresponsible policies that undermine the European security architecture, and that NATO’s decision will not affect Russia’s policies.
3. Ukrainian special forces sneaked into Russia to retaliate
Recently, the Ukrainian special forces "Shaman Battalion" has been making frequent moves, and they have vowed to retaliate against Russia. The person in charge of the "Shaman Camp" said, "I hope that Russia's special operations against Ukraine will be repeated on Russian territory immediately, because I want them to experience how they made the Ukrainians feel."
After the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, there were photos of attacks on facilities or villages in Russia from time to time. The "Shaman Battalion" carried out extensive attacks on targets such as Russian arms depots and air force bases. In April this year, they even boldly flew a Ukrainian Mi-24 "Hind" attack helicopter across the border at low altitude and entered Russia, conducting sneak attacks north of the Russian-Ukrainian border. Approximately 40 kilometers of Belgorod oil storage facilities.
Although the commander declined to provide details of the secret mission, a smile appeared on his lips when asked about the sneak attack. "You know the explosion at the Belgorod refinery was not the end," he said, "but just the tip of the iceberg."
He also said that sneaking into Russia or carrying out special operations missions in Ukrainian territory occupied by Russian troops is not a new phenomenon. In fact, as early as Russia took back Crimea in 2014, the special operations mission of the "Shaman Battalion" was launched. (Inoue Wana)
