Russian drones swarm Kyiv for hours into the early hours, World News
More than four hours into an air raid alert, Tymur Tkachenko, head of the capital's military administration, noted drone attacks at 13 locations in five districts on both sides of the Dnipro River bisecting the city.
Tkachenko said many of the targets had been dwellings.
Reuters witnesses heard strings of explosions and constant barrages of fire as air defence units tried to down the drones.
"At the same time, there is no end to the attacks," Tkachenko wrote on Telegram. "There are a great many targets over Kyiv. We are working on Russian drones in all districts."
Two fires had broken out in Svyatoshynskyi district in the west of the city and Tkachenko said injuries were likely. Drones triggered two fires on a roof and in a courtyard in buildings in adjacent Solomanskyi district.
Tkachenko and Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitscho had earlier reported a fire on the roof of a 16-storey apartment building in a northern suburb.
Video on local media showed residents bedding down in subway stations in anticipation of further attacks.
[[nid:719775]]
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Straits Times
15 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Under pressure, Hezbollah weighs scaling back its arsenal
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox FILE PHOTO: Women walk near destroyed buildings, with one holding the flag of Hezbollah, in the southern Lebanese village of Kfar Kila, after an Israeli military spokesperson said that Israel would keep troops in several posts in southern Lebanon past the deadline for them to withdraw, February 18, 2025. REUTERS/Emilie Madi/File Photo BEIRUT - Hezbollah has begun a major strategic review in the wake of its devastating war with Israel, including considering scaling back its role as an armed movement without disarming completely, three sources familiar with the deliberations say. The internal discussions, which aren't yet finalised and haven't previously been reported, reflect the formidable pressures the Iran-backed Lebanese militant group has faced since a truce was reached in late November. Israeli forces continue to strike areas where the group holds sway, accusing Hezbollah of ceasefire violations, which it denies. It is also grappling with acute financial strains, U.S. demands for its disarmament and diminished political clout since a new cabinet took office in February with U.S. support. The group's difficulties have been compounded by seismic shifts in the regional power balance since Israel decimated its command, killed thousands of its fighters and destroyed much of its arsenal last year. Hezbollah's Syrian ally, Bashar al-Assad, was toppled in December, severing a key arms supply line from Iran. Tehran is now emerging from its own bruising war with Israel, raising doubts over how much aid it can offer, a regional security source and a senior Lebanese official told Reuters. Another senior official, who is familiar with Hezbollah's internal deliberations, said the group had been holding clandestine discussions on its next steps. Small committees have been meeting in person or remotely to discuss issues including its leadership structure, political role, social and development work, and weapons, the official said on condition of anonymity. The official and two other sources familiar with the discussions indicated Hezbollah has concluded that the arsenal it had amassed to deter Israel from attacking Lebanon had become a liability. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. World Trump says countries to start paying tariffs on Aug 1, floats range of 10% to 70% Singapore Sengkang murder: Man accused of killing elderly mother escorted back to crime scene Singapore Tourism bump from Lady Gaga concerts raked in up to estimated $150m for Singapore economy Singapore Jail for man who recruited 2 Japanese women for prostitution at MBS Asia Malaysia dismantles ISIS network involving workers from Bangladesh Asia Manila's mayor returns to office to face mountains of rubbish Asia Chinese national missing in Thailand rescued, embassy warns of shady job offers Business Central banks tweak US dollar reserves, with euro and gold gaining ground: UBS survey Hezollah "had an excess of power," the official said. "All that strength turned into a weak point." Under the leadership of Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed last year, Hezbollah grew into a regional military player with tens of thousands of fighters, rockets and drones poised to strike Israel. It also provided support to allies in Syria, Iraq and Yemen. Israel came to regard Hezbollah as a significant threat. When the group opened fire in solidarity with its Palestinian ally Hamas at the start of the Gaza war in 2023, Israel responded with airstrikes in Lebanon that escalated into a ground offensive. Hezbollah has since relinquished a number of weapons depots in southern Lebanon to the Lebanese armed forces as stipulated in last year's truce, though Israel says it has struck military infrastructure there still linked to the group. Hezbollah is now considering turning over some weapons it has elsewhere in the country - notably missiles and drones seen as the biggest threat to Israel - on condition Israel withdraws from the south and halts its attacks, the sources said. But the group won't surrender its entire arsenal, the sources said. For example, it intends to keep lighter arms and anti-tank missiles, they said, describing them as a means to resist any future attacks. Hezbollah's media office did not respond to questions for this article. Isreal's military said it would continue operating along its northern border in accordance with the understandings between Israel and Lebanon, in order eliminate any threat and protect Israeli citizens. The U.S. State Department declined to comment on private diplomatic conversations, referring questions to Lebanon's government. Lebanon's presidency did not respond to questions. For Hezbollah to preserve any military capabilities would fall short of Israeli and U.S. ambitions. Under the terms of the ceasefire brokered by the U.S. and France, Lebanon's armed forces were to confiscate "all unauthorized arms", beginning in the area south of the Litani River - the zone closest to Israel. Lebanon's government also wants Hezbollah to surrender the rest of its weapons as it works to establish a state monopoly on arms. Failure to do so could stir tensions with the group's Lebanese rivals, which accuse Hezbollah of leveraging its military might to impose its will in state affairs and repeatedly dragging Lebanon into conflicts. All sides have said they remain committed to the ceasefire, even as they traded accusations of violations. PART OF HEZBOLLAH'S 'DNA' Arms have been central to Hezbollah's doctrine since it was founded by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to fight Israeli forces who invaded Lebanon in 1982, at the height of the 1975-1990 Lebanese civil war. Tensions over the Shi'ite Muslim group's arsenal sparked another, brief civil conflict in 2008. The United States and Israel deem Hezbollah a terrorist group. Nicholas Blanford, who wrote a history of Hezbollah, said that in order to reconstitute itself, the group would have to justify its retention of weapons in an increasingly hostile political landscape, while addressing damaging intelligence breaches and ensuring its long-term finances. "They've faced challenges before, but not this number simultaneously," said Blanford, a fellow with the Atlantic Council, a U.S. think tank. A European official familiar with intelligence assessments said there was a lot of brainstorming underway within Hezbollah about its future but no clear outcomes. The official described Hezbollah's status as an armed group as part of its DNA, saying it would be difficult for it to become a purely political party. Nearly a dozen sources familiar with Hezbollah's thinking said the group wants to keep some arms, not only in case of future threats from Israel, but also because it is worried that Sunni Muslim jihadists in neighbouring Syria might exploit lax security to attack eastern Lebanon, a Shi'ite-majority region. Despite the catastrophic results of the latest war with Israel - tens of thousands of people were left homeless and swathes of the south and Beirut's southern suburbs were destroyed - many of Hezbollah's core supporters want it to remain armed. Um Hussein, whose son died fighting for Hezbollah, cited the threat still posed by Israel and a history of conflict with Lebanese rivals as reasons to do so. "Hezbollah is the backbone of the Shi'ites, even if it is weak now," she said, asking to be identified by a traditional nickname because members of her family still belong to Hezbollah. "We were a weak, poor group. Nobody spoke up for us." Hezbollah's immediate priority is tending to the needs of constituents who bore the brunt of the war, the sources familiar with its deliberations said. In December, Secretary General Naim Qassem said Hezbollah had paid more than $50 million to affected families with more than $25 million still to hand out. But there are signs that its funds are running short. One Beirut resident said he had paid for repairs to his apartment in the Hezbollah-controlled southern suburbs after it was damaged in the war only to see the entire block destroyed by an Israeli airstrike in June. "Everyone is scattered and homeless. No one has promised to pay for our shelter," said the man, who declined to be identified for fear his complaints might jeopardise his chances of receiving compensation. He said he had received cheques from Hezbollah but was told by the group's financial institution, Al-Qard Al-Hassan, that it did not have funds available to cash them. Reuters could not immediately reach the institution for comment. Other indications of financial strain have included cutbacks to free medications offered by Hezbollah-run pharmacies, three people familiar with the operations said. SQUEEZING HEZBOLLAH FINANCES Hezbollah has put the onus on Lebanon's government to secure reconstruction funding. But Foreign Minister Youssef Raji, a Hezbollah critic, has said there will be no aid from foreign donors until the state establishes a monopoly on arms. A State Department spokesperson said in May that, while Washington was engaged in supporting sustainable reconstruction in Lebanon, "this cannot happen without Hezbollah laying down their arms". Israel has also been squeezing Hezbollah's finances. The Israeli military said on June 25 that it had killed an Iranian official who oversaw hundreds of millions of dollars in transfers annually to armed groups in the region, as well as a man in southern Lebanon who ran a currency exchange business that helped get some of these funds to Hezbollah. Iran did not comment at the time, and its U.N. mission did not immediately respond to questions from Reuters. Since February, Lebanon has barred commercial flights between Beirut and Tehran, after Israel's military accused Hezbollah of using civilian aircraft to bring in money from Iran and threatened to take action to stop this. Lebanese authorities have also tightened security at Beirut airport, where Hezbollah had free rein for years, making it harder for the group to smuggle in funds that way, according to an official and a security source familiar with airport operations. Such moves have fuelled anger among Hezbollah's supporters towards the administration led by President Joseph Aoun and Nawaf Salam, who was made prime minister against Hezbollah's wishes. Alongside its Shi'ite ally, the Amal Movement, Hezbollah swept local elections in May, with many seats uncontested. The group will be seeking to preserve its dominance in legislative elections next year. Nabil Boumonsef, deputy editor-in-chief of Lebanon's Annahar newspaper, said next year's poll was part of an "existential battle" for Hezbollah. "It will use all the means it can, firstly to play for time so it doesn't have to disarm, and secondly to make political and popular gains," he said. REUTERS
AsiaOne
24 minutes ago
- AsiaOne
Russian use of chemical weapons against Ukraine 'widespread', Dutch defence minister says, World News
THE HAGUE — Dutch intelligence agencies have gathered evidence of widespread Russian use of banned chemical weapons in Ukraine, including dropping a choking agent from drones to drive soldiers out of trenches so they can be shot, the defence minister and chief of military intelligence in the Netherlands told Reuters. Defence Minister Ruben Brekelmans called for tougher sanctions against Moscow. "The main conclusion is that we can confirm Russia is intensifying its use of chemical weapons," he said in an interview. "This intensification is concerning because 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 normalised, standardised, and widespread." The Dutch intelligence findings on alleged Russian use of chloropicrin, a banned warfare agent first used by Germany during World War One, have not previously been reported. The head of the Dutch Military Intelligence Agency (MIVD), Peter Reesink, said the conclusions followed "our own independent intelligence, so we have observed it ourselves based on our own investigations." Reuters has not been able to independently verify the use of banned chemical substances by either side in the Ukraine war. The United States first accused Russia of using chloropicrin, a chemical compound more toxic than riot control agents, in May last year. Ukraine alleges thousands of instances of Russian chemical weapons use. Russia's defence ministry did not immediately respond to a request to comment for this article. Russia has denied using illegal munitions and it has accused Ukraine of doing so. Maria Zakharova, spokeswoman for the Russian foreign ministry, said on Wednesday that the Federal Security Service discovered a Ukrainian cache of explosive devices in the east of the country containing chloropicrin. Ukraine has consistently denied such accusations. The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), a disarmament agency in The Hague with 193 member states, said last year that initial accusations levelled by both countries at each other were "insufficiently substantiated". It has not been asked to conduct a full investigation, which must be initiated by member states. At least three Ukrainian deaths have been tied to chemical weapons use, Brekelmans said, while more than 2,500 people injured on the battlefield reported chemical weapons-related symptoms to Ukrainian health authorities. Increased use of chemical weapons by Russia poses a threat not only to Ukraine but to other countries, Brekelmans added. "We must further increase the pressure. This means looking at more sanctions and specifically not allowing them (Russia) to participate in international bodies like the Executive Council of the OPCW," he said. Reesink spoke of "thousands of instances" of chemical weapons use, while also citing a Ukrainian figure of 9,000. Rotating two-year seats on the OPCW council will be up for negotiation in the coming months. The intelligence findings were presented in a letter to the Dutch parliament on Friday. Large-scale programme Russia is a member of the OPCW and, like the United States, has destroyed its declared chemical weapons stockpiles. Increased sanctions could happen in conjunction with the European Commission, which has proposed listing 15 additional new entities and individuals to its sanctions framework, including for suspected use of chemical weapons in Ukraine. The Dutch military and general intelligence agencies, working with foreign partners, say they have uncovered concrete evidence of intensified Russian chemical weapons production. This includes heightened research capabilities and the recruitment of scientists for chemical weapons development, Reesink said. He added that Russian officials have given instructions to soldiers on the use of poisonous warfare agents. "This isn't just some ad-hoc tinkering at the frontline; it is truly part of a large-scale programme. And that is, of course, also concerning because if we don't clarify and publicize what Russia is doing, it's highly likely these trends will continue," Reesink said. He called the use of chemical weapons by Russian armed forces "almost standing operating procedure." "We specifically linked the use of chloropicrin to improvised munitions, such as filled light bulbs and empty bottles that are hung from a drone. When it comes to teargas, we see that they are also misusing and converting existing munitions to act as the carrier for the gas," he said. Chloropicrin is listed as a banned choking agent by OPCW, which was created to implement and monitor compliance with the 1997 Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC). It can cause severe irritation to the skin, eyes, and respiratory tract. If ingested, it can cause burns in the mouth and stomach, nausea and vomiting, as well as difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. [[nid:719809]]
AsiaOne
39 minutes ago
- AsiaOne
West Bank town becomes 'big prison' as Israel fences it in, World News
SINJIL, West Bank — A five-metre-high metal fence slices across the eastern edge of Sinjil, a Palestinian town in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Heavy steel gates and roadblocks seal off all but a single route in and out of the town, watched over by Israeli soldiers at guard posts. "Sinjil is now a big prison," said Mousa Shabaneh, 52, a father of seven, watching on in resignation as workers erected the fence through the middle of the nursery on the edge of the town where he planted trees for sale, his sole source of income. "Of course, we're now forbidden from going to the nursery. All the trees I had were burned and lost," he said. "In the end, they cut off our livelihood." Walls and checkpoints erected by Israeli forces have long been a part of day-to-day life for the nearly three million Palestinian residents of the West Bank. But many now say that a dramatic increase in such barriers since the start of the war in Gaza has put towns and villages in a state of permanent siege. The fence around Sinjil is a particularly stark example of barriers that have sprung up across the territory, becoming an overwhelming feature of daily life. The Israeli military says it erected it to protect the nearby Ramallah-Nablus highway. "In light of the recurring terror incidents in this area, it was decided to place a fence in order to prevent stone-throwing at a main route and repeated disturbances of public order, thereby safeguarding the security of civilians in the region," it said in a statement. Because residents are still permitted to enter and exit through the single remaining entrance, the policy is deemed to allow "free access" to the town, the military said. Cut off from land The people who live there now have to walk or drive through narrow, winding streets to the sole allowed entry point. Some cross road closures on foot to reach cars on the other side. Those who once earned their livelihoods in the surrounding land are effectively cut off, said Bahaa Foqaa, the deputy mayor. He said the fence had enclosed 8,000 residents inside barely 10 acres, cutting them off from 2,000 acres of surrounding land which they privately own. "This is the policy that the occupation army uses to intimidate people and break the will of the Palestinian people." Israel says its fences and barriers in the West Bank are necessary to protect Jewish settlers who have moved there since Israel captured the territory in a 1967 war. Israel Gantz, head of the Binyamin Regional Council which governs the 47 Israeli settlements in the part of the West Bank where Sinjil is located, said the town's fence was needed because its residents had thrown stones and molotov cocktails at cars on the nearby highway, solely because the occupants were Jewish. "A carte blanche lifting of the restrictions on Arab Palestinians would encourage the mass murder of Jews," he told Reuters. Some 700,000 Israelis now reside in territory Israel captured in 1967. Most countries consider such communities a violation of the Geneva Conventions which ban settling civilians on occupied land; Israel says the settlements are lawful and justified by historic and biblical Jewish ties to the land. After decades during which Israel paid lip-service to the prospect of an independent Palestinian state, the far-right Israeli government now includes prominent settler activists who openly proclaim their aim to annex the entire West Bank. Half our life is on the roads Israel increased its military presence in the West Bank immediately after Hamas' surprise attack in October 2023, which precipitated war that has devastated the other main Palestinian territory, the Gaza Strip. Overnight, mounds of earth and heavy boulders were placed on roads. Then heavy metal gates, usually painted yellow or orange, were installed and locked by the military at entrances to Palestinian communities, often leading to roads also used by settlers. The military established new permanent checkpoints. So-called flying checkpoints, set up suddenly and without warning, became more frequent. Sana Alwan, 52, who lives in Sinjil and works as a personal trainer, said what was once a short drive to reach Ramallah can now take as long as three hours each way, with no way of knowing at the start of the day how long she will be stuck at checkpoints. Work has slowed because she can no longer promise clients she can reach them. "Half of our life is on the roads," she said. While the West Bank has largely been spared the all-out assault waged in Gaza, life has grown increasingly precarious. A ban on entering Israel for work abruptly cut off the livelihoods of tens of thousands of workers. At the start of this year, tens of thousands of West Bank residents were displaced by an Israeli crackdown on militants in Jenin in the north. Mohammad Jammous, 34, who grew up in Jericho and lives in Ramallah, used to see his family almost every week. With the hour-long drive now typically stretching to several hours each way, he says he is now usually able to visit only once a month. The Israeli military said its forces operate in a "complex security reality", and checkpoints must be regularly relocated and set up at new locations to monitor movement and respond to threats originating from Palestinian communities. Officials in the Palestinian Authority, which exercises limited self-rule in the West Bank under Israeli occupation, suspect that the stifling impact on the economy and ordinary life is intentional. They say it could backfire against Israel by driving more youths to sympathise with militants. "They are doing everything they can to make life extremely difficult for our people," Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa told reporters last month. [[nid:719808]]
