**Russian Training Exercise Sparks Mass Air Strike Alert Across Ukraine**
On November 11, a Russian training exercise sparked a mass air strike alert across Ukraine. The country’s forces had been on high alert for weeks due to warnings of a massive aerial attack by Russia.
**Panic and Relief**
Sirens sounded in Kyiv and other cities, and people headed to shelters as emergency blackouts were introduced to reduce damage to energy infrastructure. However, it soon became clear that the exercise was just a training drill, and not a real attack.
**Warnings of Further Strikes**
Despite the relief, Ukrainian officials have warned Moscow that further strikes against Ukraine’s electricity infrastructure are planned before winter months. Experts believe that Russia is accumulating missiles at strategic airfields, ready for another massive attack.
**Ukraine’s Western Allies**
Jean-Noel Barrot, an expert who spoke with the Kyiv Independent, emphasized that Ukraine’s Western allies must do everything possible to ensure Ukraine enters any future peace negotiations with a strong position. The Polish Prime Minister, Donald Tusk, has said that he will hold talks with his British counterpart in the next few days.
**Damage and Casualties**
A recent attack on an apartment building and dormitory in the city of Kherson killed four people, including a four-year-old child, and injured several others. In another incident, a 10-year-old girl and an 11-year-old boy were among those injured in an attack on an apartment building.
**US Assessment**
According to a recent US assessment, Russia has gathered 50,000 soldiers without pulling its troops out of the Eastern Front. This has raised concerns about further attacks on Ukraine’s infrastructure.
**Ukrainian Response**
The Ukrainian government has emphasized that decisions about the war in Ukraine cannot be made without the consent of Ukrainians or Europe. The country’s Western allies must take more responsibility for their own security, according to Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk.
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