RUSSIA and Belarus began joint military exercises today sparking fresh fears that Moscow could use its ally to launch a new ground offensive.
Belarus’ Ministry of Defence has claimed that the main goal of the exercise is “to increase operational compatibility in the joint performance of combat training tasks” amid the Ukraine war.
The Ministry added: "Today, a joint tactical flight exercise of the aviation units of the armed forces of the Republic of Belarus and the Russian Federation, which are part of the aviation component of the regional grouping of troops (forces), has started."
It comes as the death toll of Russia's attack on the Ukrainian city of Dnipro has risen to 35, the governor of the Dnipropetrovsk region has claimed.
Following the attack, Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky paid tribute to those who have lost their lives as a result of the war, saying: ''Eternal memory to all whose lives were taken by Russian terror!"
Read our Ukraine war blog below for the latest news…
The UK's Ministry of Defence has claimed that both Russia and Ukraine have "achieved hard-fought but limited gains" within the past six weeks.
The Ministry said: "Around Kremina, fighting has been characterised by a complex series of local attacks and counter-attacks in wooded country. However, overall, the UAF continue to gradually advance their front line east on the edge of Kremina town.
"Over the last six weeks, both Russia and Ukraine have achieved hard-fought but limited gains in different sectors.
"In these circumstances, a key operational challenge for both sides is to generate formations of uncommitted, capable troops which can exploit the tactical successes to create operational breakthroughs."
Russian dictator Vladimir Putin has claimed everything is going to plan for the Kremlin in Ukraine, despite his country losing over 115,000 soldiers.
“The dynamic is positive,” Putin told Russian state television, speaking about the town of Soledar, which was recently captured by Kremlin troops.
“Everything is developing within the framework of the plan of the Ministry of Defence and the General Staff.
“And I hope that our fighters will please us even more with the results of their combat.”
Speaking on Sunday, President Zelensky said the battle for the town of Soledar continues to rage in Donetsk.
“The battle for Soledar, for Bakhmut, for the whole Donetsk region, for the Luhansk region continues without any respite, without any stop,” Mr Zelensky said.
The Kremlin claims to have already conquered the small town, located around 10 miles outside of Bakhmut, while Ukraine claims fighting continues.
According to local reports, Putin’s forces shelled several civilian areas in Kherson on Sunday.
Yaroslav Yanushevych, the head of Kherson’s military administration said via Telegram Russia attacked a local Red Cross facility and a student dormitory.
“Russian shells fell near the student dormitory,” he said.
“Russians also shelled private and apartment buildings.”
The Russian army has hailed the efforts of Wagner Group mercenaries that aided in taking over the town of Soledar.
“This combat mission was successfully implemented by the courageous and selfless actions of the volunteers of the Wagner assault squads,” the Russian defence ministry said in a statement.
This comes after Putin’s brutal forces shelled the town a staggering 91 times in one day.
Following the Russian attack on Dnipro, which killed at least 30 people, firefighters continue their efforts to save civilians.
The German Foreign Office took to Twitter on Sunday to declare Russia “must be held accountable” for its crimes in Ukraine.
The Tweet read: “Those responsible for the crimes committed must be held accountable – from Russian soldiers raping, pillaging & firing missiles on homes in #Dnipro to the leadership ordering these crimes.”
Multiple reports have claimed the death toll from Russia’s strike on Dnipro, Ukraine, has risen once again.
At least 30 people were killed by the vicious Russian blow.
The MoD has provided its latest intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine.
They wrote: ”On 12 January 2023, Andrey Kartapolov, the head of the Russian State Duma Defence Committee, suggested Russia would extend the upper age of routine military conscription from 27 to 30 in time for the Spring 2023 draft.
”Kartapolov said the move would be intended to enable the previously announced 30% increase in the size of Russia’s forces.
”Last year, President Putin said he supported such a move, and Russian officials are likely sounding out public reactions.
”There is a realistic possibility that Russian leaders hope a change of age criteria for routine conscription could bolster personnel available to fight in Ukraine while appear less alarming to the population than announcing another round of the unpopular ‘partial mobilisation’ process.”
President Zelensky took to Telegram on Sunday afternoon to share the shocking statistics from yesterday’s Russian strike on Dnipro.
He shared that:
Russian dictator Vladimir Putin has claimed everything is going to plan for the Kremlin in Ukraine, despite his country losing over 115,000 soldiers.
“The dynamic is positive,” Putin told Russian state television, speaking about the town of Soledar, which was recently captured by Kremlin troops.
“Everything is developing within the framework of the plan of the Ministry of Defence and the General Staff.
“And I hope that our fighters will please us even more with the results of their combat.”
Following Russia’s strike in Dnipro yesterday, around 1,700 people have been left without a home and will need housing, according to Deputy Head of the President’s Office Kyrylo Tymoshenko.
The strike which hit an apartment building is reported to have killed at least 30 people and injured over 70, including 14 children.
Speaking on Sunday, President Zelensky said the battle for the town of Soledar continues to rage in Donetsk.
“The battle for Soledar, for Bakhmut, for the whole Donetsk region, for the Luhansk region continues without any respite, without any stop,” Mr Zelensky said.
The Kremlin claims to have already conquered the small town, located around 10 miles outside of Bakhmut, while Ukraine claims fighting continues.
According to local reports, Putin's forces shelled several civilian areas in Kherson on Sunday.
Yaroslav Yanushevych, the head of Kherson's military administration said via Telegram Russia attacked a local Red Cross facility and a student dormitory.
“Russian shells fell near the student dormitory,” he said.
“Russians also shelled private and apartment buildings.”
The Russian army has hailed the efforts of Wagner Group mercenaries that aided in taking over the town of Soledar.
“This combat mission was successfully implemented by the courageous and selfless actions of the volunteers of the Wagner assault squads,” the Russian defence ministry said in a statement.
This comes after Putin’s brutal forces shelled the town a staggering 91 times in one day.
Following the Russian attack on Dnipro, which killed at least 30 people, firefighters continue their efforts to save civilians.
The German Foreign Office took to Twitter today to declare Russia "must be held accountable" for its crimes in Ukraine.
The Tweet read: "Those responsible for the crimes committed must be held accountable – from Russian soldiers raping, pillaging & firing missiles on homes in #Dnipro to the leadership ordering these crimes."
Those responsible for the crimes committed must be held accountable – from Russian soldiers raping, pillaging & firing missiles on homes in #Dnipro to the leadership ordering these crimes. That is one of the reasons why @ABaerbock is traveling to The Hague tomorrow. 2/2
Multiple reports have claimed the death toll from Russia's strike on Dnipro, Ukraine, has risen once again.
At least 29 people were killed by the vicious Russian blow.
The MoD has provided its latest intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine.
They wrote: ”On 12 January 2023, Andrey Kartapolov, the head of the Russian State Duma Defence Committee, suggested Russia would extend the upper age of routine military conscription from 27 to 30 in time for the Spring 2023 draft.
”Kartapolov said the move would be intended to enable the previously announced 30% increase in the size of Russia’s forces.
”Last year, President Putin said he supported such a move, and Russian officials are likely sounding out public reactions.
”There is a realistic possibility that Russian leaders hope a change of age criteria for routine conscription could bolster personnel available to fight in Ukraine while appear less alarming to the population than announcing another round of the unpopular ‘partial mobilisation’ process.”
President Zelensky has taken to Telegram this afternoon to share the shocking statistics from yesterday's Russian strike on Dnipro.
He shared that:
Russian dictator Vladimir Putin has claimed everything is going to plan for the Kremlin in Ukraine, despite his country losing over 115,000 soldiers.
“The dynamic is positive,” Putin told Russian state television, speaking about the town of Soledar, which was recently captured by Kremlin troops.
“Everything is developing within the framework of the plan of the Ministry of Defence and the General Staff.
“And I hope that our fighters will please us even more with the results of their combat."
Following Russia’s strike in Dnipro yesterday, around 1,700 people have been left without a home and will need housing, according to Deputy Head of the President’s Office Kyrylo Tymoshenko.
The strike which hit an apartment building is reported to have killed at least 14 people and injured over 70, including 14 children.
Local officials have said it is unlikely any survivors will be found following a Russian strike that killed at least 25 people.
“The chances of saving people now are minimal,” Dnipro’s Mayor Borys Filatov told Reuters.
"I think the number of dead will be in the dozens.”
A survivor of the Russian attack on a Dnipro housing block has slammed Putin's forces for killing innocent civilians.
“There are no military facilities here. There is nothing here,” Ivan Garnuk, who lived in the apartment block told The Associated Press.
“There is no air defence, there are no military bases here. It just hit civilians, innocent people.”
The Kremlin has refused to take responsibility for a missile strike that killed at least 25 people in Dnipro this weekend.
According to Al Jazeera, a Kremlin spokesperson said: “Rather, it is a Ukrainian anti-missile system that missed and hit the building and caused this massacre.”
These claims contradict all Ukrainian reports.
Shocking moment fan KICKS Aaron Ramsdale after Arsenal beat Tottenham
11st dog in pack that mauled woman to death was on 'problem puppy' show
Katie Price looks all partied out after night out with son Junior
At least 68 dead as passenger plane crashes while coming into land
©News Group Newspapers Limited in England No. 679215 Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF. “The Sun”, “Sun”, “Sun Online” are registered trademarks or trade names of News Group Newspapers Limited. This service is provided on News Group Newspapers’ Limited’s Standard Terms and Conditions in accordance with our Privacy & Cookie Policy. To inquire about a licence to reproduce material, visit our Syndication site. View our online Press Pack. For other inquiries, Contact Us. To see all content on The Sun, please use the Site Map. The Sun website is regulated by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO)
Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. For further details of our complaints policy and to make a complaint please click this link: thesun.co.uk/editorial-complaints/