logo
Multiple regions of Ukraine targeted in overnight Russian air strikes, officials say

Multiple regions of Ukraine targeted in overnight Russian air strikes, officials say

Euronews21-03-2025

ADVERTISEMENT
Ukrainian officials reported multiple regions came under Russian attack overnight — including the Black Sea port city of Odesa.
Three people were injured and a residential high-rise building and shopping centre were damaged as Russian drones pummelled the city. Regional governor Oleh Kiper said the attack caused emergency power outages.
"This is another reminder to the whole world: the war continues and Ukraine continues to fight," the head of the Odesa region, Oleh Kiper, said in a statement.
He said blazes erupted at at least three locations after the attack late Thursday. "Civilian infrastructure, commercial facilities are on fire, cars damaged," Kiper detailed.
Over 70 people and 20 fire engines were involved in extinguishing what the emergency services called "massive fires."
The attack came shortly before Czech Republic's President Petr Pavel visited the region to hold meetings with the city's leaders and officials from nearby regions.
Deputy Prime Minister for the Restoration of Ukraine Oleksiy Kuleba wrote on
Telegram
that "the Russian Federation launched three groups of Shaheds into the city" during his meeting with Pavel.
A separate Russian attack near the city of Zaporizhzhia injured six people, including a 4-year-old boy, according to Ukraine's State Emergency Service.
It added that the attack caused a large fire, affecting several cars and residential buildings. Three houses were destroyed and several others damaged.
Three drone attacks also struck Sumy, in northeastern Ukraine, causing fires to erupt but without reports of injuries.
In total, the Ukrainian air force said that Russia fired 214 exploding drones and decoys in the latest wave of attacks. It said 114 of them were intercepted and another 81 were jammed.
Ukraine and Russia trade blame for Kursk attack
Separately on Friday, Russia accused Ukraine of attacking a gas metering station in Russia's Kursk region — an allegation that Kyiv denied.
The facility lies in Sudzha, a part of Kursk that Russia claimed to have retaken from Ukrainian troops last week.
Ukraine confirmed its retreat from the Sudzha area, but refuted claims made by US President Donald Trump as well as his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin that Ukrainian troops were encircled by Russian forces in the region.
Moscow accused Ukraine of deliberately attacking the Sudzha gas metering station in an "act of terrorism."
ADVERTISEMENT
In a post on
Facebook
, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine the "station was repeatedly shelled by the Russians themselves," calling the attack a "provocation" from Moscow as part of a "discrediting campaign against Ukraine."
Municipal workers clean up after Russian drones hit shops during the night attack in Odesa, 21 March, 2025
AP Photo
Ukraine and Russia agreed in principle Wednesday to a limited ceasefire after US President Donald Trump spoke with the countries' leaders this week, though it remained to be seen what possible targets would be off limits to attack.
After a roughly hourlong call with Trump on Wednesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told reporters that 'technical' talks in Saudi Arabia this weekend would seek to resolve what types of infrastructure would be protected from attack under the agreement.
The three sides appeared to hold starkly different views about what the deal covered. While the White House said "energy and infrastructure" would be covered, the Kremlin declared that the agreement referred more narrowly to "energy infrastructure."
ADVERTISEMENT
Zelenskyy said he would also like railways and ports to be protected.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Friday that the agreement reached between Trump and Putin referred only to energy facilities, adding that the Russian military is fulfilling Putin's order to halt such attacks for 30 days.
"The Russian military are currently refraining from strikes on Ukraine's energy infrastructure in accordance with the agreement reached between Russia and the United States," Peskov said in a conference call with reporters.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

New Russian bomber spotted in Mali as Wagner Group leaves the country
New Russian bomber spotted in Mali as Wagner Group leaves the country

France 24

timean hour ago

  • France 24

New Russian bomber spotted in Mali as Wagner Group leaves the country

The Wagner Group, a paramilitary organisation founded in 2014 by Yevgeny Prigozhin, a close associate of Russian President Vladimir Putin at the time, has been supporting the Malian Armed Forces (FAMA) in their fight against jihadists in the Sahel region since 2022. However, a short-lived rebellion by the group against the Russian government in June 2023, followed by Prigozhin's death in a plane crash two months later, sealed the mercenaries' estrangement from the Putin administration. The same year, the Russian Ministry of Defence established another paramilitary group, known as the Africa Corps (or Russian Expeditionary Corps). The group is recruiting for missions abroad and is expected to take over from Wagner Group in Mali. On June 6, the Wagner Group announced on its Telegram account channel the completion of its "main mission" in Mali. The group boasted of having "eliminated thousands of militants and their commanders who had terrorised the civilian population for years", and claimed to have "helped local patriots build a strong and disciplined army". Rumours have been circulating on pro-government accounts in Mali for several months suggesting that Su-24M jets have been delivered to the Malian army. The Su-24M is a two-seat, variable-sweep wing tactical bomber. It entered service in 1983, but has never been deployed in Mali. A Su-24M spotted in a satellite image at Bamako airport It turns out the aircraft has been in Mali since at least April 14, 2025. A satellite image taken on that day by Maxar, and provided to FRANCE 24, shows a Su-24M bomber parked on the tarmac in the military section of the Bamako airport. Its folded wings and fuselage shape make the aircraft easily recognisable. Speculation about its deployment had been rife for months, fuelled by numerous rumours (more on that below). But why is there so much interest and misinformation surrounding an old Soviet-made aircraft? This question is especially pertinent given that the Malian army already operates another Soviet-era ground-attack aircraft, the Su-25. What makes the Su-24M's arrival particularly significant, however, is that it arrives alongside a new unit of Russian paramilitary forces, the Africa Corps. The group is set to replace the Wagner Group which announced its departure on Friday, June 6. Africa Corps: Russian pilots behind the Su-24M In a May 20 social media post, the Africa Corps, a group with close ties to the Russian Ministry of Defence, published photos clearly showing the cockpit of a Su-24M. Yet, the Africa Corps does not mention Mali in its statement. The group merely states that the Su-24M jets are 'carrying out bombing strikes against camps of militants of terrorist organisations in an African country'. Africa Corps is also known to be deployed in Mali's neighbouring countries, Burkina Faso and Niger. The arrival of the aircraft coincides with an ongoing change in Russian command in Mali. Mercenaries from the Wagner Group had previously overseen operations in the northern part of the country, but the arrival of new convoys of military equipment has been documented in recent months. These convoys may also be linked to the deployment of the Africa Corps group. 'Russia wants to strike harder' Russia's deployment of Su-24M aircraft signals an intent to increase its aerial bombardment firepower and intensity, according to Red Samovar, an analyst specialising in Russian aviation: Clearly, this deployment indicates Russia wants to strike harder by deploying the Su-24M, which has a higher ammunition capacity than the Su-25 [Editor's note: which the FAMA are currently using]. Given the situation in Mali, it's highly probable Russia has deployed the Su-24M to enable more massive strikes using both unguided and guided bombs, compared to the Su-25. The Su-24M can carry up to seven tons of weaponry [unlike the Su-25, which has a four-ton capacity]. This enables a broader range of mission capabilities. The Su-24M is a tactical bomber designed in the 1970s for very low-altitude flights to penetrate enemy air defences. This deployment suggests a recycling of Russian aircraft no longer needed in Ukraine, where they've been replaced by the Su-34. These older aircraft can still be useful for several more years in less 'demanding' environments. False rumours anticipating a very real deployment For several months, images allegedly showing the Su-24 bomber in Mali have been circulating on social media. For instance, this video shared on X on April 28 by an account favourable to the Malian government, purportedly shows a Su-24 aircraft flying over Bamako. Although this video features a Su-24M aircraft, it was not filmed in Mali, but rather in Russia. The footage was published on YouTube in October 2020 on the RUplanes channel, which is dedicated to Russian military aviation. The video circulating on Malian accounts simply adds a zoom effect but uses the exact same content as the Russian source. Another video, shared on X by another account supportive of Mali's transitional authorities on May 22, also claimed to show a Su-24M aircraft in service with the Malian army. However, the video does not show a Su-24M, but rather an L-39 Albatros, an aircraft in service with the Malian air force. We cannot rule out that the images were taken in Malian airspace, but it is impossible to geolocate the video. Further images of the Sukhoi Su-24 have reportedly been captured from the vicinity of Bamako airport. Among these, a photo dated March 26 appears more credible than previous videos. According to analysts specialising in Sahelian armies, this photo is believed to be a screenshot from a TikTok video taken on the outskirts of Bamako airport. However, the low quality of the image makes it impossible to find the original video and confirm whether the Su-24M was already deployed as early as March 2025.

Milei says Argentina to move Israel embassy to Jerusalem in 2026
Milei says Argentina to move Israel embassy to Jerusalem in 2026

France 24

time2 hours ago

  • France 24

Milei says Argentina to move Israel embassy to Jerusalem in 2026

"I am proud to announce before you that in 2026 we will make effective the move of our embassy to the city of west Jerusalem, as we promised," Milei said in a speech in the Israeli parliament during an official state visit. Argentina's embassy is currently located in Herzliya near the coastal city of Tel Aviv. This is Milei's second visit to Israel since being elected in 2023. His previous trip, in February 2024, was his first official state visit outside of Argentina. During that trip he announced plans to move Argentina's embassy to Jerusalem -- a controversial move that echoed US President Donald Trump's shock 2017 decision to unilaterally recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital. Israel has occupied east Jerusalem since 1967, later annexing it in a move not recognised by the international community. Israel treats the city as its capital, while Palestinians want east Jerusalem to become the capital of a future state. Most foreign embassies to Israel are located in the coastal hub city of Tel Aviv in order to avoid interfering with negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians. Speaking ahead of Milei's address to parliament on Wednesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said "the city of Jerusalem will never be divided again." Several countries, including the United States, Paraguay, Guatemala, Honduras and Kosovo, have moved their embassies to Jerusalem, breaking with international consensus. 'Stand firm' In 2017, during his first term as US president, Trump unilaterally recognised Jerusalem as Israel's capital, sparking Palestinian anger and the international community's disapproval. The United States transferred its embassy to Jerusalem in May 2018. Milei, who has professed a deep interest in Judaism and studied Jewish scripture, is one of Israel's staunchest defenders. As Israel faces mounting international pressure over the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza after more than 20 months of war, Milei sought to express his support. "As a nation, we want to stand firm alongside you as you go through these dark days, we will not yield to criticism resulting from cowardice or complicity with barbarism," he said on Tuesday during a meeting with Israeli President Isaac Herzog. He also demanded the "unconditional return of the four Argentines still in captivity" in Gaza after Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack on Israel triggered the war. The Palestinian militant group's attack resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people on the Israeli side, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of official figures. The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza says the retaliatory Israeli military offensive has killed at least 55,104 people, the majority civilians. The United Nations considers these figures to be reliable. Out of 251 taken hostage during the Hamas attack, 54 are still held in Gaza including 32 the Israeli military says are dead.

Trump caught lying about date of phone call to Governor Gavin Newsom
Trump caught lying about date of phone call to Governor Gavin Newsom

France 24

time2 hours ago

  • France 24

Trump caught lying about date of phone call to Governor Gavin Newsom

04:55 Issued on: Modified: President Donald Trump attempted to one-up California Governor Gavin Newsom in their war of words, by releasing his own screenshots to Fox News to "prove" they had spoken on the phone Monday. However his own call log proved he was in the wrong, with no phone call occurring that date -- and Fox News dishonestly spun the error. Meanwhile, Newsom takes a leaf out of Trump's social media playbook, by using AI videos to make jabs. Vedika Bahl explains in Truth or Fake.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store