Day 299: Putin Heads to Belarus as Russian Drones Again Rock Kyiv

Facts

• Russian Pres. Vladimir Putin on Monday headed to Belarus for a "working trip," sparking fears that he intends to pressure Belarusian president — Alexander Lukashenko — to join his military campaign in Ukraine.
• On the same day, Russia again launched a wave of pre-dawn drone attacks on Kyiv. City officials said damage was inflicted in the districts of Solomianskyi and Shevchenkyvskyi, and that an unspecified infrastructure facility was hit. There were no reports of civilian casualties.
• Kyiv's regional governor Oleksii Kuleba also reported that infrastructure facilities, as well as residential buildings, were hit with drones in the wider region, injuring at least two civilians.
• A drone attack, as well as attacks from rockets and artillery, were also reported in the region of Dnipropetrovsk, while shelling was reported in Sumy, with no reports of civilian casualties in either region.
• However, Ukrainian officials reported that three civilians were killed and four more were injured in Russian attacks on the Donetsk region over the past day, while six civilians were reported injured in Kherson. One civilian was also reported injured in Kharkiv.
• In Ukrainian attacks, pro-Russia officials from the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) reported that one civilian was killed and four civilians were injured in territory it controls during the same time period. One civilian was reported killed and 10 more injured in Ukrainian attacks on the Russian city of Belgorod, in the border region of the same name.
• Elsewhere, again drawing the ire of Ukrainian officials, Henry Kissinger repeated suggestions that now was the time for a negotiated peace in Ukraine. Writing in the Spectator, Kissinger encouraged officials to, "build on the strategic changes which have already been accomplished," and use them to seek a negotiated peace.

Sources: NBC, Associated Press, Pravda, Ukrinform, and Tass.

Narratives

• Narrative A, as provided by Pravda. Russia is planning to step up its attacks and widen its aggression against Ukraine in the New Year. Due to the weakened state of Moscow's forces, Russia's military aims will necessitate greater involvement from the armed forces of Belarus.
• Narrative B, as provided by Understanding War. The Belarusian Pres. has repeatedly said he will not commit forces to fight in Ukraine and, even if reinforced by Belarus, Russia lacks the capability to plan and execute a large-scale military offensive in the coming months.

Predictions