Russia once again used the tactics tested on December 29. On January 2, it again carried out a massive attack with various types of missiles and drones. And if last time on the territory of Poland, which is a member of NATO, the troops were simply put on alert, this time the reaction was more appropriate to the circumstances. Will there continue to be a tendency to actualize the Russian-Ukrainian war in Europe?
What happened?
The shelling continued all morning on January 2. Kyiv, Kirovohrad, and Kharkiv regions took the biggest hit. At least 4 people died and 92 were injured. These data may change because the elimination of the consequences of the attacks continues, and the condition of some of the victims is serious.
According to preliminary data, 118 missiles and drones were launched over Ukraine:
– 35 drones kamikaze;
– 10 Kh-47M2 “Kinzhal” aeroballistic missiles;
– 70 Kh-101, Kh-555 and Kh-55 cruise missiles;
– 3 “Kalibr” cruise missiles.
Air defense forces destroyed 72 targets, and 46 objects were hit.
Reaction
Recently, Europe has perceived the war in Ukraine more discreetly. Such a reaction is quite logical: time passes, battles and attacks continue, but the apocalypse in Europe itself has not come. If people were stressed in the first months by the fact that the war could spread to the following countries, the anxiety has already receded now.
However, the situation changes dramatically as soon as the consequences of attacks occur directly in neighboring countries. To this day, the “echo” has already arrived in Poland twice:
November 15, 2022. A Ukrainian rocket exploded in the border region. It was the first incident in a NATO country since February 24, 2022. Then, two people died. Fighters raised in the air.
December 29, 2023. The flying object entered the airspace over Poland and then disappeared from radars. So, no explosion was recorded. Poland believes that it is a Ukrainian missile, while Kyiv, according to its data, is sure that the object belongs to Russia.
Now, the reaction to the mass shelling of Ukraine has changed dramatically. Instead of watching and doing nothing, on January 2, 2024, Poland immediately put four of its F-16 fighter jets into the sky to prevent possible problems. Two took off from the base in Laski, and two took off from the base in Krzesin.
It is obvious that Europe is scared and does not want repeated incidents. If we take into account that similar episodes have been repeated so often in recent days, we should expect a rethinking of the closeness and reality of war by the European Union. How this will affect aid provision will become clear in the coming days.
