Russia launches 539 drones, 11 missiles at Ukraine overnight
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Novaya Gazeta Europe
an hour ago
- Novaya Gazeta Europe
European spy agencies accuse Russia of ‘widespread' chemical weapons usage in Ukraine — Novaya Gazeta Europe
A Russian Emergency Ministry employee checks radiation levels and potential chemical air pollution in Kursk, Russia, 6 September 2024. Photo: EPA-EFE/STRINGER The Netherlands and Germany have accused Russia of ramping up its chemical weapons usage in Ukraine following a joint investigation of the two countries' intelligence services, according to a joint press release published on Friday. According to the investigation's findings, it is now 'standard practice' for Russia to use tear gas, as well as more serious substances like chloropicrin, high doses of which can be fatal, to force Ukrainian troops to leave cover 'to be killed [with] conventional weapons'. While tear gas is used for law enforcement purposes, its usage in warfare is banned by the 1992 Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), to which Russia is a party. "The main conclusion is that we can confirm Russia is intensifying its use of chemical weapons … it is part of a trend we have been observing for several years now, where Russia's use of chemical weapons in this war is becoming more normalized, standardized, and widespread,' Dutch Defence Minister Ruben Brekelmans said in an interview with Reuters on Friday. Russian chemical weapons had been tied to at least three Ukrainian deaths on the battlefield, with over 2,500 injured casualties also reporting chemical weapons-related symptoms, Brekelmans told Reuters. While Moscow has not yet responded to the latest claims, it has previously denied Kyiv's allegations regarding the illegal use of chemical weapons in Ukraine. Most recently, in March, a Ukrainian delegation to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), accused Russia of 'systematically violating' the CWC, having used chemical munitions over 6,900 times since 2022. On Wednesday, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova claimed that the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) had discovered a Ukrainian storage site containing chloropicrin-equipped weapons in the east of the country, and blamed the OPCW for turning a 'blind eye' to Ukraine's 'flagrant breaches' of international law. In May 2024, the OPCW stated that accusations from both Russia and Ukraine regarding the use of chemical weapons were 'insufficiently substantiated'.
Irish Examiner
an hour ago
- Irish Examiner
Trump has 'good conversation' with Zelenskyy after heavy bombardment of Ukraine by Russia
Donald Trump spoke with Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, on Friday as the US president appears increasingly disheartened over his chances of fulfilling a campaign pledge to end the war between Russia and Ukraine. The call with Zelenskyy comes as Washington has halted its latest shipment of military aid to Ukraine including Patriot air defense missiles and other crucial munitions meant to support the country's defenses, and hours after Russia launched a devastating air attack on Kyiv using a record number of drones and ballistic missiles. Zelenskyy called the conversation 'important and useful' and said in a post said that he and Trump had discussed Ukraine's air defense capabilities, joint defense production and 'mutual purchases and investments', all potentially avenues for Ukraine to restart aid from the United States by providing incentives for the Trump administration to rush crucial munitions to Kyiv. He said that the two sides had also agreed to 'increase aerial protection', a particular focus for Kyiv as Russia has increased bombardments of Ukrainian cities despite outrage from Trump and other world leaders. Yet it was not immediately clear if Zelenskyy had achieved any concrete progress with Trump and in his statement he did not mention the halt of aid shipments from the US or announce their resumption. Axios reported that a source described the call as a 'good conversation'. Trump said he was 'very disappointed' after a telephone call with Vladimir Putin on Thursday. A Putin aide told reporters that the Russian president was not willing to make concessions on what the Kremlin has called the 'root causes' of the war with Ukraine, a list of grievances that includes Nato expansion and Ukraine's desire to join western economic and security blocs. 'I'm very disappointed with the conversation I had today with president Putin, because I don't think he's there,' Trump told reporters after holding a rally in Iowa on Thursday evening. 'I don't think he's there, and I'm very disappointed. I'm just saying, I don't think he's looking to stop, and that's too bad.' The US has said that it halted the shipments, some of which were already in Poland, due to a review of US military stockpiles that suggested that the country is running low on munitions for its own troops. Germany has said that it is in 'intensive talks' to buy the Patriot missiles for Ukraine, although it's unclear whether those stocks would be available immediately. 'There are various ways to fill this Patriot gap,' a German government spokesperson told a news conference in Berlin on Friday. One option being considered was for the German government to buy the Patriot missile batteries in the United States and then send them to Ukraine. 'I can confirm that intensive discussions are indeed being held on this matter,' the spokesperson said. The shortage of Patriot missiles was further highlighted by the record bombardment of Ukraine in which Russia sent more than 550 drones and ballistic missiles at major cities in what Zelenskyy described as a 'deliberate act of terror'. The strike immediately followed the call between Putin and Trump, Zelenskyy said, and was a 'clear interpretation of how Moscow interprets diplomacy'. — The Guardian Read More Trump criticised for using antisemitic term to describe money lenders
Channel 4
an hour ago
- Channel 4
Dozens killed in record Russian drone attack on Kyiv
It was a harsh and sleepless night for the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, as President Zelenskyy put it, after Russia launched a record number of drones and missiles in a barrage lasting more than seven hours. Dozens of people were injured and one man was killed, while the smoke blanketing the city was so toxic residents were warned to keep their windows closed. Mr Zelenskyy spoke to President Trump this afternoon – and said both men had agreed to 'work on increasing airspace protection'. He also said Ukraine would step up production of interceptor drones to shoot down Russian attack drones.
