Russia appoints General Sergei Surovikin as head of its military advisers in Algeria
Sergei Surovikin, the former commander of Russian forces in Ukraine, vanished from public view following the mutiny of the paramilitary Wagner Group in June 2023. He has now resurfaced in Algeria, having been given a new mission by the Kremlin. The general was recently seen at the Dely Ibrahim military cemetery near Algiers, taking part in commemorations of the "Great Patriotic War" against Nazi Germany (1941 – 1945), alongside a delegation from the Russian diplomatic mission.
Several photographs posted on the embassy's Telegram channel on May 9 show Surovikin wearing sunglasses and an oversized civilian suit, standing next to Alexey Solomatine, Russia's ambassador to Algiers, and Vladimir Tsukanov, the military attaché. The sight was hardly remarkable in itself, as Surovikin had been accustomed to visiting Algeria at least once a year, according to brief reports by the Russian press ; he was in Oran in 2023 and in Algiers in 2024.
This time, however, the caption accompanying the photographs revealed a first: It specified Surovikin's new posting as "head of the group of Russian military advisers in Algeria." With this, the Russian embassy in the North African country officially announced his new assignment, confirming Moscow's growing commitment to Algeria – notably through the increased presence of its military advisers.
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France 24
an hour ago
- France 24
Iranian missile sites: What the images of the Israeli air strikes show us
At 3:47am on June 13, Benjamin Netanyahu posted a video on his X account. "Moments ago, Israel launched Operation 'Rising Lion', a targeted military operation to roll back the Iranian threat to Israel's very survival," the Israeli prime minister stated. In his statement, Netanyahu listed the targets of this operation, which aims to weaken military leadership, damage Iran's nuclear facilities, and target military sites for ballistic missile storage and launch. Israel "struck at the heart of Iran's ballistic missile programme", the Israeli prime minister stated. Several experts believe this objective is likely to severely limit the scope of Iranian retaliation. Most of these ballistic missiles have a range of 2,000 kilometres and are capable of targeting Israeli territory. 'The Israeli army considered an immediate Iranian missile retaliation as definitive, so they chose to pre-empt Iran by going after the launch capabilities so as to minimise the risks of Iranian retaliation,' said Farzin Nadimi, a research fellow at the Washington Institute and an expert on Iranian weaponry. Few images of targeted sites so far In a statement published on Telegram in the afternoon of June 13, the Israeli army stated it had destroyed "dozens of launchers, surface-to-surface missile storage facilities, and additional military sites'. It released a map showing all the sites it reportedly attacked, though these strikes have not been independently verified. The Israeli military also shared a graphic purportedly showing a strike on a launch site of surface-to-surface missiles in western Iran. The images show warehouses that the Israelis say contain surface-to-surface missiles, though this cannot be independently confirmed. The site in the video, which we have geolocated, is about ten kilometres from Borujerd, in western Iran. However, the FRANCE 24 Observers team was unable to independently verify that this site had been hit by the military. According to the map from the Israeli military, surface-to-surface missile sites in northwestern Iran, particularly around the city of Tabriz, were reportedly hit. However, while images of strikes have been geolocated near Tabriz, it's currently impossible to confirm that missile bases were actually struck. But Nadimi says it would be logical for such military sites, like the one in Tabriz, to be targeted by the Israeli army: "This base is one of the main missile bases of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, which was tasked with striking Israel during Operations Promise I and II.' The Iranian army launched a total of more than 300 ballistic missiles during these two operations conducted in April and October 2024. The Israeli military released further images, which our team has not been able to verify or geolocate. The images purportedly show a strike against a truck transporting a missile, as well as a Transporter Erector Launcher (TEL), a vehicle that can launch missiles. 'Even with their extensive underground missile bases, they still need to take their launchers with the missiles on them outside, prepare them, and erect them for launch in the open air," Nadimi said. These missiles are "most vulnerable" when they are being transported by these Transporter Erector Launchers (TELs), he added. "They do have the capabilities to launch from inside these bases because they have silos. They have launch holes and loaders that, technically or theoretically, should allow missiles to be launched without pulling them out of the base," Nadimi continued. "However, those might have also been targeted by Israeli missiles in order to disrupt Iran's covert launch operations," he added, also noting the need for "satellite imagery to confirm that these parts of the missile bases were indeed targeted". Underground base hit in Kermanshah Furthermore, there are indications that a missile base near Kermanshah, in the western part of the country, may have been hit. A video filmed from a car shows several plumes of smoke rising into the air. The video has been geolocated to the east of Kermanshah. It's impossible to say exactly what was hit. However, a base identified as a suspected missile deployment site in a 2021 report by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), a British international relations research institute, is located close to the affected areas. "Kermanshah missile base hit by the Israelis," Fabian Hinz, a military expert at the IISS and author of the aforementioned report, wrote on X. Sources also reportedly told the Lebanese media outlet al-Mayadeen, which is affiliated with Iran-backed Hezbollah, that "several missile bases near Tehran and in the city of Kermanshah" were attacked. Satellite images shared by the Open Source Center and captured by Airbus show damage to the roofs of several warehouses and the presumed entrance of an underground tunnel at the base. Iran's high command decimated In the operation, the Israeli military also killed top Iranian officials "while they were gathered in their underground headquarters". This included armed forces chief of staff Mohammad Bagheri, and the head of the powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Hossein Salami. Most leaders of the Revolutionary Guard's aerospace force, including Major General Amirali Hadjizadeh, were also killed, according to the Israeli Ministry of Defence. These significant losses may explain Iran's remarkably subdued response so far, according to analyst Nadimi. "We haven't seen a single ballistic missile launched at Israel," Nadimi said. "We should definitely consider the fact that the chain of command has been severely disrupted. This is the most likely reason [for the lack of military response], in addition to a very systematic Israeli attempt to take out launchers.' At the time of this article's publication, the Iranian military's retaliation had been limited to launching 136 drones and cruise missiles towards Israel, none of which reportedly reached Israeli territory.
Euronews
2 hours ago
- Euronews
Israel hits Iran, killing military command and top nuclear scientists
'Ask your intelligence, what is Russia planning this summer in Belarus?' Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in Lithuania on 2 June. Addressing a group of nine NATO member countries in eastern and central Europe, Ukraine's president urged them to "bring more strength together" for the possible Russian threat coming from the territory of Belarus. Belarus opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya told Euronews the large-scale joint military exercises between Russia and Belarus taking place in the autumn might indeed pose a threat to NATO's Eastern flank. 'Don't forget the last military drills in Belarus ended with the attack on Ukraine', she said, referring to the upcoming Zapad 2021 manoeuvres. In autumn 2021, just months before Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Moscow and Minsk held military exercises in Belarus, training, among other things, for assault operations in densely populated areas with the use of Russian equipment. Back in 2022 Russia used Belarus as a launching pad for its attacks and full-scale invasion of Ukraine. But Moscow didn't get the people of Belarus to participate in the assault, says Tsikhanouskaya, adding that Belarusians will not go against the Baltic states. 'They might be forced, but it doesn't mean that they will fight there. I hope that people will prefer to escape or change sides, but not fight with the Lithuanians or Poles, especially knowing how much these countries are supporting us'. The Belarus opposition leader believes that this support is also for her. Since fleeing Belarus in 2020, she has been living in Lithuania, where she is now hearing the concerns and worries about whether her native country can stage an attack on the country which welcomed her when she had to leave home. 'It is a rather dire atmosphere with all the discussions over possible attacks on Lithuania, because Lithuania will be the first country on the way to the European Union', she admits, saying there are also concerns over whether NATO will stand up for Lithuania. 'There are discussions of whether NATO will come to rescue Lithuanias, will there be enough time,' Tsikhanouskaya explains. Tsikhanouskaya remains optimistic that NATO will step in despite the recent reports of European officials being concerned that Washington might even withdraw US troops from the Baltic states. 'I really do believe in NATO alliance, that with their unity and their power they will send a very clear signal to Putin 'Don't dare'.' She hopes a similar strong signal will be sent to Aliaksandr Lukashenka of Belarus as well, as the further militarisation of the country is getting worse, Tsikhanouskaya says. 'People notice how regime is militarising our society. There are many enterprises and factories now are working for Russian military. We have all the proofs how enterprises participate in this war against Ukraine.' Tsikhanouskaya told Euronews that Aliaksandr Lukashenka is also forcing the militarisation of Belarusian society. 'We see how young people are very much involved into this militarisation in schools, in universities, where the militarisation subjects are being taught," she explained. She said that this way, Lukashenka's regime was trying to show the population that there is an external enemy to unite against — a strategy also used by Moscow. 'They want to show we have external enemies, somebody wants to invade us, so they are saying they try to prepare the nation for some for some possible danger in the future," Tsikhanouskaya pointed out. But compared to the similar militarisation strategy in Russia, this won't work on the people of Belarus, Tsikhanouskaya said. And although there is a complete understanding that Belarus might be used by Russia "with the help of Lukashenka for possible future attacks on Ukraine or on the European Union," people will resist the direct involvement. 'I don't think that the same method will work with the Belarusian nation, because Belarusians really don't understand how it is to fight against our neighbor and how to kill our neighbours," Tsikhanouskaya concluded. Israel has carried out an attack on the Iranian capital of Tehran, in strikes aimed at the country's nuclear programme which also killed several top military officials as well as nuclear scientists. Iran has responded by launching at least 100 drones towards Israel. IDF spokesperson Brig. General Effie Defrin said Israel is working to intercept the drones. A state of emergency has been declared. Israel's strikes on Iran, which took place late Thursday into Friday, reportedly killed Hossein Salami, chief of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, as well as the chief of staff of the Iranian armed forced. Two top nuclear scientists were also killed, according to Iranian state media. Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu said the strikes were a "targeted military operation to roll back the Iranian threat to Israel's very survival", claiming that "if not stopped, Iran could produce a nuclear weapon in a very short time." The Iranian government said Israel's attacks had "proven that it does not abide by any rule of international law. We affirm our right to retaliate, and we will respond to this terrorist entity firmly and decisively." Earlier, explosions were heard in the Iranian capital, Tehran, as Israel claimed it was attacking the country. Iranian state media reported explosions in the northeastern parts of the city. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed early Friday that an Israeli strike hit Iran's uranium enrichment facility at Natanz. In a statement on X, the IAEA's Director General, Rafael Mariano Grossi, said: 'The IAEA is closely monitoring the deeply concerning situation in Iran... The Agency is in contact with Iranian authorities regarding radiation levels. We are also in contact with our inspectors in the country.' Israeli leaders cast the "preemptive assault" as a fight for the nation's survival, adding that it was necessary to head off what they described as an imminent threat that Iran would pose if it developed nuclear weapons. It remains unclear how close the country is to achieving that or whether it had actually had been planning a strike. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel targeted both nuclear and military sites. 'It could be a year. It could be within a few months," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said as he vowed to pursue the attack for as long as necessary to 'remove this threat.' "This is a clear and present danger to Israel's very survival,' he said. The strike on Iran pushed the Israeli military to its limits, requiring the use of aging air-to-air refuelers to get its fighter jets close enough to attack. It wasn't immediately clear if Israeli jets entered Iranian airspace or just fired so-called 'standoff missiles' over another country. Fighter jets were reportedly heard flying overhead in Iraq at the time of the attack. The attack comes as tensions have reached new heights over Tehran's rapidly advancing nuclear programme. The Board of Governors at the IAEA for the first time in 20 years on Thursday censured Iran over it not working with its inspectors. Iran immediately announced it would establish a third enrichment site in the country and swap out some centrifuges for more-advanced ones. Israel for years has warned it will not allow Iran to build a nuclear weapon, something Tehran insists it doesn't want — though official there have repeatedly warned it could. Israel's Defence Minister Israel Katz announced a 'emergency situation' in the country following the attacks. He said schools would be closed nationwide on Friday, adding that an Iranian retaliation of missiles and drones are to be expected in the 'immediate future'. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Israel took 'unilateral action against Iran' and that Israel advised Washington that it believed the strikes were necessary for its self-defence. 'We are not involved in strikes against Iran and our top priority is protecting American forces in the region,' Rubio said in a statement released by the White House. Rubio said the Trump administration took steps to protects its forces and remained in contact with its partners in the region. He also issued a warning to Iran that it should not target US interests or personnel. A US media outlet says President Donald Trump has reportedly convened his cabinet for an emergency meeting following the Israeli attack. In the days leading up to the attacks, Washington has made clear that it will not participate in any Israeli attacks on Iran. Trump had urged Israel to refrain from striking Tehran, and to seek diplomatic solutions, but acknowledged that an Israeli strike could very well happen. Trump earlier said he urged Netanyahu to hold off on any action while the administration negotiated with Iran. 'As long as I think there is a (chance for an) agreement, I don't want them going in because I think it would blow it,' Trump told reporters. The US has been preparing for something to happen, already pulling some diplomats from Iraq's capital, Baghdad, and offering voluntary evacuations for the families of US troops in the wider Middle East region. Iran halted flights Friday at Imam Khomeini International Airport outside of Tehran, the country's main airport, according to state-run media. Iran has closed its airspace in the past when launching retaliatory attacks against Israel. Egypt blocked activists planning to take part in a march to Gaza on Thursday, halting their attempt to reach the border and challenge Israel's blockade of humanitarian aid to the enclave before the march could begin. Egyptian authorities and activists both said that dozens of people planning to march across the Sinai Peninsula were deported, but organisers said they had no plans to cancel the event. To draw attention to the humanitarian crisis afflicting people in Gaza, marchers have for months planned to trek about 50 kilometres from the city of Arish to Egypt's border with Gaza on Sunday to "create international moral and media pressure" to open the crossing at Rafah and lift a blockade that has prevented aid from entering. They said they had tried to coordinate with Egyptian embassies in the various countries from which the participants came, but authorities said they had not obtained authorisation for the march. Authorities deported more than three dozen activists, mostly carrying European passports, upon their arrival at Cairo International Airport in the past two days, an Egyptian official said on Thursday. The official said the activists aimed to travel to Northern Sinai "without obtaining required authorisations." The standoff has put pressure on the activists' home countries, which are wary of seeing their citizens detained. A French diplomatic official said France is in "close contact" with Egyptian authorities about French nationals who were refused entry in Egypt or detained to ensure "consular protection." The participants risked arrest for unauthorised demonstrations in sensitive areas like the Sinai Peninsula, the official added. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak publicly on the sensitive diplomatic matter. Egypt has publicly denounced the restrictions on aid entering Gaza and repeatedly called for an end to the war. It has said that the Egyptian side of the Rafah crossing remains open, but access to the Strip has been blocked since Israel seized the Palestinian side of the border as part of its war with Hamas that began in October 2023. However, authorities have for years clamped down on dissidents and activists when their criticism touches on Cairo's political and economic ties with Israel, a sensitive issue in neighbouring countries where governments maintain diplomatic relations with Israel despite broad public sympathy for Palestinians. Egypt had earlier warned that only those who received authorisation would be allowed to travel the planned march route, acknowledging it had received "numerous requests and inquiries." "Egypt holds the right to take all necessary measures to preserve its national security, including the regulation of the entry and movement of individuals within its territory, especially in sensitive border areas," its foreign ministry said in a statement on Wednesday. Israel Katz, the Israeli defence minister, yesterday referred to the protestors as "jihadists" and called on Egypt to prevent them from reaching the border with Gaza. He said they "endanger the Egyptian regime and constitute a threat to all moderate Arab regimes in the region." The march was set to begin just days after a large convoy, which organisers said included thousands of activists, travelled overland across North Africa to Egypt. Activists and attorneys said airport detentions and deportations began on Wednesday with no explicit reason given by Egyptian authorities to detainees. Algerian attorney Fatima Rouibi wrote on Facebook that Algerians, including three lawyers, were detained at the airport on Wednesday before being released and ultimately deported back to Algiers on Thursday. Bilal Nieh, a Tunisian activist who lives in Germany, said he was deported along with seven others from northern Africa who also hold European passports. Organisers said in a statement that they had received reports that at least 170 participants had been delayed or detained in Cairo. They said they had followed the protocols laid out by Egyptian authorities, met with them and urged them to let march participants into the country. "We look forward to providing any additional information the Egyptian authorities require to ensure the march continues peacefully as planned to the Rafah border," they said in a statement. The Global March to Gaza is the latest civil society effort pressing for the entry of food, fuel, medical supplies and other aid into Gaza. Israel imposed a total blockade in March in an attempt to pressure Hamas to disarm and to release hostages taken in the 7 October 2023 attack that sparked the current war in Gaza. It slightly eased restrictions last month, allowing limited aid in, but experts warn the measures fall far short. Food security experts warn the Gaza Strip will likely fall into famine if Israel doesn't lift its blockade and stop its military campaign. Nearly half a million Palestinians are facing possible starvation and 1 million others can barely get enough food, according to findings by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), a leading international authority. Israel has rejected the findings, saying the IPC's previous forecasts had proven unfounded.
France 24
9 hours ago
- France 24
Putin's recruits: The young Africans fighting for Russia in Ukraine
Africa 12:52 From the show Nicknamed the "Black Wagners", hundreds of African men have been recruited by the Russian army to fight against Ukraine. Lured by promises of high wages, jobs or even Russian passports, some have voluntarily opted to join Russian President Vladimir Putin's army. But for others, things are far more complicated: dozens have been manipulated and forcibly recruited. Lucile Chaussoy, Marc Kouho and Saloum Sané investigate. Many of the Africans recruited by Russia are sent to fight without proper training. Some have been killed, while others have been taken prisoner and are stuck on the front line between Russia and Ukraine, begging their countries to repatriate them. Our team has been to Senegal, Ghana and Cameroon, where the same pattern repeats itself: young people leave in the hope of a better life and end up fighting in a war far from home.
