Russia-Ukraine conflict: Moscow claims capturing another village in Sumy; Putin seeks 'buffer zone'
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelemskyy (AP)
Russian armed forces on Friday claimed that they have captured another Ukrainian village after an increased military offensive by Moscow in the Northeastern Sumy region.
The Russian defence ministry announced that its forces have wrest control of the village of Yablunivka, located around nine km from the Russian border, as part of efforts to establish what President Vladimir Putin has described as a 'buffer zone' within Ukrainian territory, reported AFP.
These advances come as the Kremlin has time and again rejected calls for a ceasefire in this over three-year long drawn conflict, rather has put conditions on Ukraine like shunning Western military support, relinquishing bid to join Nato, and giving up more land if it wants a peace deal.
Russian armed forces appear to be close to regional capital Sumy three years after Ukraine forced them out of the Northern region in a counter-offensive against Moscow's attempt to capture it.
The city of Sumy, which is 200 miles north-east of Kyiv, was never occupied by Russia after the full-scale invasion, but Putin's forces have been bearing down on the regional capital.
In 2024, Kyiv launched an armed incursion into Russia's western Kursk region, using Ukraine's Sumy region as the staging ground. After Russian forces retook the area earlier this year, President Vladimir Putin ordered a renewed cross-border offensive to drive out Ukrainian troops and military assets.
Meanwhile, Russia's defence ministry reported that its forces had also seized two additional villages in the eastern Donetsk region, which Moscow claims to have annexed.
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Indian Express
29 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Israel-Iran tensions escalate with waves of airstrikes overnight: What we know so far
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Here's a round-up of what we know so far amid the evolving situation: The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed responsibility for the barrage from Tehran. Iranian media including the Fars news agency said one of the waves targeted Tel Aviv before dawn on Saturday, with explosions heard in the capital and Jerusalem, according to witnesses who spoke to Reuters. Israeli military said of fewer than 100 missiles fired by Iran on Friday night, most were intercepted or fell short. Ground-based air-defense systems of the US in the region assisted Israel in blocking Iranian missiles, US officials said, as per AP. In Tehran, explosions were reported early Saturday. Two projectiles reportedly hit Mehrabad International Airport, near key leadership sites. On social media, The Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) shared videos of smoke and flames after explosions lit up the sky. As the air defense systems remained active in central Tehran, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in a recorded message, said the military was prepared to counterattack. 'Don't think that they (Israel) hit and it's over. No. They started the work and started the war. We will not allow them to escape safely from this great crime they committed,' he said. In Israel, one death was reported after its ambulance service said 34 people were injured on Friday night in the Tel Aviv area, most with minor injuries. Authorities also confirmed damages to a high-rise building in the area, and an apartment block in Ramat Gan. On the other side, the Israeli attacks against Iran's nuclear establishments killed 78 people and wounded more that 320 on Friday, Iran's ambassador to the United Nations was quoted as saying by news agency AP. The strikes killed generals and scientists, but the ambassador told the UN Security Council that the overwhelming majority of victims were civilians. Earlier on Friday, Israel's Operation Rising Lion kicked off a full-scale aerial and cyber campaign aimed at crippling Iran's nuclear capabilities and leadership infrastructure. The Israeli military said around 200 aircraft struck 100 targets, including Iran's Natanz and Fordow enrichment sites, Isfahan nuclear-research center, and missile production facilities. According to AP, black smoke rose over Natanz, and Iranian media confirmed explosions near Fordow. Iran acknowledged damage at Isfahan. Israeli military spokesperson Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin said Natanz was 'significantly damaged' and the operation was 'still in the beginning.' Among those reportedly killed in the Israeli operation were: Tehran has labelled the strikes as 'state terrorism.' Iran insists its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes. UN nuclear chief Rafael Grossi told the Security Council that the above-ground section of the Natanz facility was destroyed, along with electrical infrastructure and power generators. The main underground centrifuge facility was not directly hit but may be damaged due to loss of power. Israel's Mossad was reportedly behind pre-positioned explosive drones and precision weapons that neutralised radar and air defense systems, according to AP sources. The UN Security Council held an emergency meeting on Friday at Iran's request. Israel's UN envoy Danny Danon claimed intelligence showed Iran was days away from producing enough fissile material for multiple bombs. He defended the strikes as 'an act of national preservation.' The United States, which was reportedly informed in advance, assisted in intercepting incoming Iranian missiles but has not confirmed any operational role in the Israeli strikes. President Donald Trump said on Friday it was not too late for Iran to reach a deal to curb its nuclear program. He said Tehran could still avoid prolonged bombing by engaging in talks and urged the country to reach a deal with the US on its nuclear programme, warning on his Truth Social platform that Israel's attacks 'will only get worse'. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio clarified Washington's position: 'We are not involved in strikes against Iran and our top priority is protecting American forces in the region… Let me be clear: Iran should not target US interests or personnel.' Countries across the world, including India, condemned Israel's attacks. India, maintaining ties with both Iran and Israel, called for de-escalation: 'Existing channels of dialogue and diplomacy should be utilised to resolve underlying issues,' said the Ministry of External Affairs in a statement. Global leaders urged both sides to de-escalate immediately to prevent a full-scale regional war. Tensions escalated after the UN's atomic watchdog censured Iran on Thursday for failing to comply with non-proliferation obligations. Israel had long warned of a preemptive strike if diplomatic measures failed. Iran rejected the most recent US proposal to renew the nuclear deal that Trump had abandoned in 2018. (With inputs from AP, Reuters, PTI)
Indian Express
42 minutes ago
- Indian Express
What to know about Iran's nuclear sites as tensions with Israel escalate
A series of Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear and military facilities on Friday marked a significant escalation in long-simmering tensions over Tehran's nuclear ambitions. Israeli officials described the attack as a pre-emptive move to stop what they allege is Iran's accelerating pursuit of nuclear weapons. Iran, for its part, has consistently maintained that its programme is for peaceful purposes. In its attack on Friday, Israel said that it had hit the Natanz nuclear facility, among the 100 targets it struck across Iran. In a video announcing the military operation, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the strikes hit Iran's main enrichment site, the Natanz atomic facility, and targeted the country's leading nuclear scientists. He said that Israel had also targeted Iran's ballistic missile arsenal. The assault came just a day after the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) formally rebuked Iran for failing to cooperate with inspectors — its first censure of the country in two decades. In response, Tehran announced the establishment of a third uranium enrichment site and the installation of more advanced centrifuges. Here's a closer look at Iran's key nuclear facilities, the history of its program, and how it reached this point: The major nuclear sites Natanz Enrichment Facility Located roughly 135 miles southeast of Tehran, Natanz is Iran's primary uranium enrichment site. Partially built underground to withstand airstrikes, the facility houses cascades of centrifuges used to enrich uranium more efficiently. Iran has also been tunnelling into a nearby mountain known as Kūh-e Kolang Gaz Lā (Pickax Mountain) — an effort seen as an attempt to fortify and expand the site. Natanz has been previously targeted by cyberattacks, most notably the Stuxnet virus and multiple acts of sabotage attributed to Israel. Fordo Enrichment Facility Roughly 60 miles southwest of Tehran, Fordo is smaller than Natanz but more heavily fortified. Built deep beneath a mountain and protected by air defence systems, the facility has long been viewed as a hardened backup to Natanz. Fordo was constructed starting in 2007, but Iran only acknowledged its existence in 2009 after Western intelligence agencies revealed the project to the IAEA. Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant Situated on the Persian Gulf about 465 miles south of Tehran, Bushehr is Iran's only operational commercial nuclear power plant. Originally launched in the 1970s under the US-backed Shah, the project was halted after the 1979 Islamic Revolution and later completed by Russia. Bushehr is fuelled by Russian-supplied uranium and remains under IAEA monitoring. Iran is constructing two additional reactors at the site. Arak Heavy Water Reactor Located 155 miles southwest of Tehran, Arak is designed to use heavy water as a coolant, a process that can produce plutonium as a byproduct. While Iran has not pursued plutonium-based weapons, Arak theoretically offers a second pathway to a nuclear bomb. As part of the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, Iran agreed to redesign Arak to reduce proliferation risks. Isfahan Nuclear Technology Centre Roughly 215 miles southeast of Tehran, Isfahan is a hub of nuclear research and development. It hosts three Chinese-built research reactors and employs thousands of Iranian scientists. The site plays a crucial role in training and infrastructure for Iran's atomic programme. Tehran Research Reactor Located at the headquarters of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, this reactor dates back to 1967 and was supplied by the United States during the Cold War under the 'Atoms for Peace' initiative. Originally fuelled with weapons-grade uranium, it has since been modified to use low-enriched uranium to reduce proliferation concerns. A brief history of Iran's nuclear programme Iran's atomic ambitions began in 1957, when the United States helped launch its nuclear program under President Eisenhower's Atoms for Peace initiative. By the 1970s, Iran began developing the reactors with support from the West but the pact ended after the Islamic revolution of 1979. However, alarm bells started ringing in the early 2000s following the discovery of undeclared facilities at Natanz and Arak. As a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), Iran is prohibited from developing nuclear weapons, but the IAEA and other countries in the West have expressed concerns over the opacity and scope of Iran's activities. In 2015, Iran agreed to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) with the US and other world powers. The deal capped uranium enrichment at 3.67 per cent, limited Iran's stockpile, banned certain types of centrifuges, and subjected its facilities to international inspections in exchange for economic sanctions relief. In 2018, then-President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew the United States from the agreement, calling it 'a disaster.' The US, as such, reimposed sweeping sanctions and in retaliation, Iran began scaling back its compliance, eventually resuming high-level enrichment. By 2024, Iran was enriching uranium to 60 per cent purity, extremely close to the 90 per cent threshold needed for weapons-grade material. The country also deployed more advanced centrifuges and disabled IAEA surveillance equipment at key sites. (With inputs from AP, The New York Times)
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Mid-air escape: Air India London-Delhi flight entered Iran airspace as Israel struck with missiles; rerouted over Iraq
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