logo
Russia strikes kill 25 in Ukraine as Kremlin notes Trump ultimatum

Russia strikes kill 25 in Ukraine as Kremlin notes Trump ultimatum

Kuwait Times3 days ago
Moscow says it wants peace in Ukraine hours after mounting heavy attacks
KYIV, Ukraine: Russia said on Tuesday that it wanted peace in Ukraine, hours after mounting attacks that killed at least 25 people, including a 23-year-old pregnant woman and more than a dozen prison inmates.
The strikes came just hours after US President Donald Trump shortened his deadline for Russia to end its invasion of Ukraine—now into a fourth year—or face new sanctions.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russia of willfully targeting a prison in the Zaporizhzhia region—that Russia claims as its own—killing 16 people and wounding dozens others. 'It was a deliberate strike, intentional, not accidental. The Russians could not have been unaware that they were targeting civilians in that facility,' Zelensky said on social media in response.
The Kremlin denied the claim. 'The Russian army does not strike civilian targets,' spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, including from AFP.
The attacks came hours after Trump said he was cutting the deadline for President Vladimir Putin to halt the Ukraine war from 50 days to 10-12 days. 'I really felt it was going to end. But every time I think it's going to end he kills people,' Trump said Monday on a visit to Scotland.
'I'm not so interested in talking (to him) anymore,' he added. Peskov said Moscow had 'taken note' of Trump's new deadline and that it remained 'committed to the peace process to resolve the conflict around Ukraine and secure our interests.'
Ukraine's justice ministry said Russian forces hit the prison in Bilenke with four glide bombs. Police said 16 inmates were killed and 43 wounded. Bricks and debris and blown out windows were strewn on the ground, according to images released by the ministry. The facility's perimeter was intact and there was no threat that inmates would escape, it added. Rescue workers searched for survivors in pictures released by the region's emergency services.
A senior Ukrainian source said that 274 people were serving sentences in the Bilenkivska facility.
The source added there were no Russian war prisoners at the centre.
Nadiya, a resident of Bilenke, told AFP the attack damaged her house. 'At about ten minutes to six, a neighbour called and said: 'Come quickly, your roof is gone.' Is that normal? Not a single window is intact,' the 74-year-old said.
The Ukrainian air force said that Russia also launched 37 drones and two missiles overnight, adding that its air defense systems had downed 32 of the drones. One attack targeted a hospital in the town of the Kamyanske in the Dnipropetrovsk region, wounding 22 people.
'Putin is rejecting a ceasefire, avoiding a leaders' meeting, and prolonging the war,' Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga said on social media. 'He will only end his terror if we break the spine of his economy,' he added, calling on Western allies to consolidate around sanctions on Moscow.
'Three people were killed in the attack, including a pregnant woman. Her name was Diana. She was only 23-years-old,' Zelensky said. Separate strikes in the eastern Kharkiv region that borders Russia killed six people, regional authorities said. In the southern Russian region of Rostov, a Ukrainian drone attack killed one person, the region's acting governor said.
Kyiv has been trying to repel Russia's summer offensive, which has made fresh advances into areas largely spared since the start of the invasion in 2022. The Russian defense ministry claimed fresh advances across the front line on Tuesday, saying its forces had taken two more villages—one in the Donetsk region, and another in Zaporizhzhia region.
The prison strike on Tuesday came on the third anniversary of an attack on another detention facility in occupied Ukrainian territory that Kyiv blamed on Moscow and was reported to have killed dozens of captured Ukrainian soldiers. Ukraine and Russia blamed each other for the night-time strike three years ago on the Olenivka detention centre in Russian-occupied Donetsk region, which the Kremlin says is part of Russia. Ukraine says dozens of its soldiers who laid down their arms after a long Russian siege of the port city of Mariupol were killed in the attack. – AFP
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

What happens next in US court battle over Trump's tariffs?
What happens next in US court battle over Trump's tariffs?

Kuwait Times

time7 hours ago

  • Kuwait Times

What happens next in US court battle over Trump's tariffs?

WASHINGTON: A federal appeals panel on Thursday appeared skeptical of US President Donald Trump's argument that a 1977 law historically used for sanctioning enemies or freezing their assets gave him the power to impose tariffs. Regardless of how the court rules, the litigation is almost certainly headed to the US Supreme Court. Here is what you need to know about the dispute, which Trump has called 'America's big case,' and how it is likely to play out in the months ahead. What is the case about? The litigation challenges the tariffs Trump imposed on a broad range of US trading partners in April, as well as tariffs imposed in February against China, Canada and Mexico. It centers around Trump's use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), which gives the president the power to address 'unusual and extraordinary' threats during national emergencies. Trump has said that trade imbalances, declining manufacturing power and the cross-border flow of drugs justified the tariffs under IEEPA. A dozen Democratic-led states and five small US businesses challenging the tariffs argue that IEEPA does not cover tariffs and that the US Constitution grants Congress, not the president, authority over tariffs and other taxes. A loss for Trump would also undermine the latest round of sweeping tariffs on dozens of countries that he unveiled late Thursday. Trump has made tariffs a cornerstone of his economic plan, arguing they will promote domestic manufacturing and substitute for income taxes. What's the status of the litigation? The US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit heard oral arguments on Thursday in the case. The panel of 11 judges sharply questioned the government about Trump's use of IEEPA, but did not rule from the bench. The Federal Circuit has not said when it will issue a decision, but its briefing schedule suggests it intends to move quickly. Meanwhile, the tariffs remain in effect after the Federal Circuit paused a lower court's ruling declaring them illegal. Will Trump's tariffs be blocked if he loses in court? A Federal Circuit ruling would almost certainly not end the litigation, as the losing party is expected to appeal to the Supreme Court. If the Federal Circuit rules against Trump, the court could put its own ruling on hold while the government appeals to the Supreme Court. This approach would maintain the status quo and allow the nine justices to consider the matter more thoroughly. The justices themselves could also issue an 'administrative stay' that would temporarily pause the Federal Circuit's decision while it considers a request from the Justice Department for more permanent relief. Is the Supreme Court likely to step in? The Supreme Court is not obligated to review every case appealed to it, but it is widely expected to weigh in on Trump's tariffs because of the weighty constitutional questions at the heart of the case. If the Federal Circuit rules in the coming weeks, there is still time for the Supreme Court to add the case to its regular docket for the 2025-2026 term, which begins on October 6. The Supreme Court could rule before the end of the year, but that would require it to move quickly. How might the supreme court rule? There is no consensus among court-watchers about what the Supreme Court will do. Critics of Trump's tariffs are optimistic their side will win. They point to the Supreme Court's decision from 2023 that blocked President Joe Biden from forgiving student loan debt. In that ruling, the justices limited the authority of the executive branch to take action on issues of 'vast economic and political significance' except where Congress has explicitly authorized the action. The justices in other cases, however, have endorsed a broad view of presidential power, especially when it comes to foreign affairs. Can importers seek refunds for tariffs paid? If Trump loses at the Supreme Court, importers are likely to seek refunds of tariffs already paid. This would be a lengthy process given the large number of anticipated claims. Federal regulations dictate that such requests would be first heard by US Customs and Border Protection. If that agency denies a refund request, the importer can appeal to the Court of International Trade. There is precedent for tariff refund requests being granted. Since May, CBP has been processing refunds to importers who inadvertently overpaid duties because of tariff 'stacking' — where multiple overlapping tariffs are applied to the same imports. And in the 1990s, after the Court of International Trade struck down a tax on exporters that was being used to finance improvements to US harbors, the court set up a process for issuing refunds. That decision was upheld by both the Federal Circuit and the Supreme Court. Would a courtroom defeat unravel Trump's trade deals? Trump has used the threat of emergency tariffs as leverage to secure concessions from trading partners. A loss at the Supreme Court would hamstring Trump in future negotiations. The White House, however, has other ways of imposing tariffs, like a 1962 law that allows the president to investigate imports that threaten national security. Trump has already used that law to put tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, and those levies are not at issue in the case before the Federal Circuit. Some legal experts say a loss for Trump at the Supreme Court would not impact bilateral trade agreements the US has already inked with other countries. Others say that the trade deals alone might not provide sufficient legal authority for taxes on imports and may need to be approved by Congress. — Reuters

Philippine and Indian navies begin first joint South China Sea patrols
Philippine and Indian navies begin first joint South China Sea patrols

Kuwait Times

time8 hours ago

  • Kuwait Times

Philippine and Indian navies begin first joint South China Sea patrols

Marcos arrives in New Delhi on state visit MANILA: Indian navy warships have begun patrolling areas of the disputed South China Sea with their Philippine counterparts for the first time, Manila's military said Monday, as President Ferdinand Marcos departed for a state visit to New Delhi. The two-day sail includes three Indian vessels and started Sunday, a day before Marcos left on a trip that will include talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Philippines has heightened defense cooperation with a range of allies over the past year after a series of clashes in the South China Sea. Beijing claims nearly the entirety of the waterway despite an international ruling that its assertion has no legal basis. India's naval vessels, including the guided missile destroyer INS Delhi, arrived in Manila for a port visit late last week. The patrol 'started yesterday afternoon, then it's ongoing up to this moment... the activity at the moment is replenishment at sea,' Lieutenant Colonel John Paul Salgado told AFP. China in response accused Manila of 'drawing in external countries to stir up trouble' in the South China Sea. The joint patrol 'undermines regional peace and stability', said Senior Colonel Tian Junli, spokesperson of the Chinese military's Southern Theater Command. He said Beijing had conducted 'routine patrols' in the South China Sea on Sunday and Monday, and remained on 'high alert'. While in India, Marcos is expected to sign pacts in such fields as law, culture and technology, according to foreign affairs assistant secretary Evangeline Ong Jimenez-Ducrocq, but all eyes will be on any potential defense agreements. Before departing Monday, Marcos praised the two countries' 'steadfastness in upholding international maritime law, including the UNCLOS', the UN treaty granting an exclusive economic zone within 200 nautical miles (370 kilometers) of a country's shores. The Philippines has previously purchased BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles from India, a weapon which has a top speed of 3,450 kilometers (2,140 miles) per hour. India, which has engaged in border clashes with China in the Himalayas, is a member of the so-called Quad, a group that includes fellow democracies the United States, Japan and Australia. Beijing has repeatedly alleged that the four-way partnership, first conceived by late Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe, was created as a way of containing China. — AFP

Suspects on trial over Moscow venue attack
Suspects on trial over Moscow venue attack

Kuwait Times

time8 hours ago

  • Kuwait Times

Suspects on trial over Moscow venue attack

MOSCOW: Nineteen people went on trial in Moscow on Monday over an attack on a city concert hall that killed 149 people in one of the deadliest strikes in Russia. Armed men stormed the Crocus City Hall on the outskirts of Moscow on March 22, 2024, opening fire and then setting the building alight, injuring hundreds of people. The Islamic State (IS) group claimed responsibility. The four suspected attackers, all from Tajikistan—an ex-Soviet republic in central Asia—and another 15 people accused of being accomplices have gone on trial. An AFP reporter at the courtroom before saw some of the defendants in glass cages, their hands cuffed behind their backs. Around 30 survivors were also present. One of them, Tatiana Ruzanova, told AFP she came to the court to see the defendants. 'They all sit quietly with their heads slumped in cages... I didn't see if they felt guilty, they all had their heads down,' Ruzanova said. On the night of the attack, she came to the concert of the Russian rock group Piknik with a friend but did not make it inside the hall. 'We saw everyone already in the foyer, maybe that saved us. We inhaled smoke. It was a miracle that we didn't make it,' Ruzanova said. Subsequent hearings were to take place on Tuesday and Thursday, according to the court's website. The judge ordered the trial to proceed behind closed doors. The attack shocked Russia, which has been battling Ukraine in a military offensive since February 24, 2022. Despite IS claiming responsibility, Russia implicated Ukraine in the attack, an allegation that Kyiv called baseless and absurd. The massacre ignited a debate about the reintroduction of the death penalty. Some hardline politicians publicly called for a moratorium, observed since 1996, to be lifted. It also sparked a wave of xenophobia against central Asian migrants in Russia. Nearly half of the victims were killed by smoke and carbon monoxide inhalation from the fire that broke out, rather than from gunshot wounds, the state TASS news agency reported on Sunday, citing case materials. Ekaterina Klimenko, who survived the attack, told AFP she hoped for a 'fair decision' from the judges. 'I still go to concerts, but intuitively I look around with my eyes to see if there is any danger,' she said. – AFP

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store