Russia-Ukraine conflict: Belarusian troops enter Ukraine, join Russia in invasion
In another setback to Ukraine, the Belarusian army directly joined the war with Russia on Tuesday. According to news reports, Belarusian forces have entered Chernihiv, the north-eastern region of Ukraine. Belarus is also deploying additional forces along its border with Ukraine. Notably, Russia has intensified shelling in several cities of Ukraine as the war entered the sixth day.
Why does this story matter?
Belarus is the northern neighbor of Ukraine and an ally of Moscow. Russia had also used Belarusian soil as a staging ground for its multipronged invasion of Ukraine. Significantly, Russia offered to hold peace talks in Belarus, which was rejected by Ukraine, saying that talks can only happen in countries that are not showing aggression toward the country.
Ukraine confirms presence of Belarusian troops on its soil
The Ukrainian parliament, Verkhovna Rada, confirmed the development in a tweet. "Belarusian troops have entered the Chernihiv region. The information was confirmed to the public by Vitaliy Kyrylov, spokesman for the North Territorial Defense Forces. More details later," the tweet read. As per local reports, a column of 33 Belarusian tanks entered the region north of Kyiv before on Tuesday.
Belarus held referendum to end non-nuclear status
It may be noted that Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko recently held a referendum on renouncing the country's non-nuclear status. The referendum paved the way for a possible deployment of Russian nuclear weapons in Belarus. According to Russian news agencies, Lukashenko's side won the referendum as over 65% of the voters were in favor of the proposal.
What's the situation in Ukraine?
The Russian troops increased shelling in Kharkiv on Tuesday, causing dozens of civilian deaths, Ukraine said. The two sides held peace talks on Monday but they failed to make any headway. Earlier, over 70 Ukrainian soldiers were reported dead after Russian artillery hit a military base in Okhtyrka, a city between Kharkiv and Kyiv, Turkish public broadcaster TRT World said.
Hundreds killed, thousands flee Ukraine
Over 350 civilians, including 14 children, have been killed since the Russian invasion began last Thursday, Ukraine has said. More than half a million people have also left the country to run from the war. Authorities have said that Russia continues to bomb residential areas. Although Russia has seized several Ukrainian cities, western defense officials say major cities remain in Kyiv's control.
Indian student killed in Russian shelling
Meanwhile, an Indian student was killed in Kharkiv, the second-largest city in Ukraine. India's Ministry of External Affairs has confirmed the killing. The deceased has been identified as Naveen Shekharappa Gyanagoudar (20) from Chalageri, Karnataka. "With profound sorrow, we confirm that an Indian student lost his life in shelling in Kharkiv this morning." the MEA said in a statement.
PM Modi talks to victim's family
Expressing grief over the youth's death, Prime Minister Narendra Modi talked to his family over the phone and offered heartfelt condolences. Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai also talked to Naveen's family. He was a fourth-year medical student at the Kharkiv National Medical University. The development comes amid India's efforts to safely evacuate Indian nationals from Ukraine.
