Russia Claims Hitting US-Supplied Patriot Systems In Ukraine; Moscow Hits Kyiv With Drones, Missiles
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India.com
2 hours ago
- India.com
Even After U.S. Plea, Saudi Refused Defense Aid To Israel; Prince Salman Rejected Trump's Request Against Iran
Riyadh/Washington: A previously undisclosed standoff unfolded behind the scenes of the 12-day Iran-Israel war in June, as Saudi Arabia flatly refused a direct request from the United States to transfer its powerful American-made THAAD air defense systems to Israel, according to two senior U.S. defense officials cited by the Middle East Eye . At the height of the conflict, Iran had unleashed waves of advanced ballistic missiles, and Israel's stockpile of interceptor missiles, especially the high-altitude THAADs, was running dangerously low. Faced with the rapid depletion of its own interceptors like the Arrow and Patriot, the U.S. administration urgently reached out to Riyadh. But the response it got was immediate and firm. According to one official familiar with the internal deliberations, 'We were asking everyone to contribute. When that failed, we tried to negotiate. But this was not just about one country.' American officials tried to convince Saudi Arabia that Tehran was not only a threat to Israel; it posed a looming danger to Saudi national security as well. But the Saudis did not budge. Despite being fully capable of aiding Israel, the kingdom chose to prioritise its own defense. Saudi Arabia had already activated its THAAD systems in response to threats from Houthi rebels, with some units even deployed to guard the holy cities of Mecca and Medina. At one point during the war, Israeli defense officials were forced to let some incoming Iranian missiles fall on uninhabited areas as they rationed what little interceptor stock remained. U.S. think tanks had already flagged the issue in classified memos, highlighting Israel's supply of Arrow and Patriot systems was shrinking by the hour. Meanwhile, on July 3, nine days after a ceasefire between Iran and Israel, Saudi Arabia inaugurated a newly acquired THAAD battery from the United States, a move closely watched in Washington. Concerns were spiraling inside the Pentagon. The Guardian reported that the United States itself was down to just 25% of its Patriot interceptor reserves, and Pentagon planners were alarmed about whether America could even sustain its own global military posture if the Iran-Israel war escalated further. One American official told the Middle East Eye that internal projections showed a 'catastrophic depletion' of interceptors was imminent. In a desperate move, the United States tested its Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) from a Navy destroyer of the Arleigh Burke class to reinforce Israeli defenses. The Telegraph confirmed that Iran had already scored direct hits on five key Israeli military bases. The final twist came when The Wall Street Journal revealed that American officials had floated the idea of redirecting Saudi THAAD systems to Tel Aviv, but Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman rejected it outright. Washington then turned to the UAE with a similar request. Whether the Emirates complied remains unknown. No official confirmation has surfaced. The silence speaks volumes. As it stands, this behind-the-curtain episode exposes not only the limits of U.S. influence in the Gulf, but also the extent to which Saudi Arabia has begun charting its own course, even when it means defying its closest Western ally in the middle of a regional war.
Time of India
3 hours ago
- Time of India
Russia scales down celebrations honoring its navy as Ukraine launches more drone attacks
Russia on Sunday scaled down the festivities honoring its navy citing security concerns as continuing Ukrainian drone attacks posed a challenge to the Kremlin. Russian authorities canceled the parades of warships in St. Petersburg, in the Kaliningrad region on the Baltic and in the far-eastern port of Vladivostok that are usually held to mark the annual Navy Day celebrations. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Please select course: Select a Course Category Digital Marketing PGDM Cybersecurity Management Operations Management Design Thinking Public Policy Data Science Project Management Leadership Others Data Science MCA Healthcare Degree MBA Finance CXO Data Analytics Product Management Technology Artificial Intelligence healthcare others Skills you'll gain: Digital Marketing Strategy Search Engine Optimization (SEO) & Content Marketing Social Media Marketing & Advertising Data Analytics & Measurement Duration: 24 Weeks Indian School of Business Professional Certificate Programme in Digital Marketing Starts on Jun 26, 2024 Get Details Skills you'll gain: Digital Marketing Strategies Customer Journey Mapping Paid Advertising Campaign Management Emerging Technologies in Digital Marketing Duration: 12 Weeks Indian School of Business Digital Marketing and Analytics Starts on May 14, 2024 Get Details Asked about the reason for the cancellation of the parade in St. Petersburg even as President Vladimir Putin arrived in his home city to visit the navy headquarters, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that "it's linked to the overall situation, security reasons, which are above all else." The Russian Defense Ministry said that air defenses downed 99 Ukrainian drones over several regions overnight. Later in the day, it said another 51 drones were shot down near St. Petersburg. A man was killed and three other people were injured by drone fragments in the region around St. Petersburg, according to local authorities. St. Petersburg's Pulkovo airport suspended dozens of flights early Sunday because of the drone threat. Live Events On a trip to St. Petersburg, Putin visited the historic Admiralty building to receive reports on four-day naval maneuvers that wrapped up Sunday. The July Storm exercise involved 150 warships from the Baltics to the Pacific. Putin vowed to build more warships and intensify the navy's training, adding that "the navy's strike power and combat capability will rise to a qualitatively new level." He also visited the Admiral Grigorovich frigate of the Baltic Fleet at the Kronstadt naval base just west of St. Petersburg to hail its crew for fending off a Ukrainian drone attack in the region earlier in the day. Reducing the scale of the Navy Day celebrations reflects Moscow's worries about Ukraine's sweeping drone attacks across the country. In a series of strikes earlier in the war now in its fourth year, Ukraine sank several Russian warships in the Black Sea, crippling Moscow's naval capability and forcing it to redeploy its fleet from Russia-occupied Crimea to Novorossiysk. And in an audacious June 1 attack code-named "Spiderweb," Ukraine used drones to hit several Russian air bases hosting long-range bombers across Russia, from the Arctic Kola Peninsula to Siberia. The drones were launched from trucks covertly placed near the bases, taking the Russian military by surprise in a humiliating blow to the Kremlin. The raid destroyed or damaged many of the bombers that had been used by Moscow to launch aerial attacks on Ukraine, providing a major morale boost for Kyiv at a time when Kyiv's undermanned and under-gunned forces are facing Russian attacks along the 1,000-kilometer (600-mile) front line. Russia continued to batter Ukraine with drone and missile strikes Sunday. In Sumy in Ukraine's northeast, a drone attack damaged civil infrastructure objects, an administrative building and nonresidential premises, leaving three people wounded. Elsewhere in the region, two men died after being blown up by a land mine and another woman was injured from a drone attack on another community in the region, the regional military administration said. French President Emmanuel Macron had a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday and said later on X that he reaffirmed France's support for Kyiv and vowed to raise pressure on Moscow to force it to "agree to a ceasefire that paves the way for talks leading to a solid and lasting peace, with full European involvement."
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First Post
5 hours ago
- First Post
Ukrainian drone strikes force Kremlin to scale down Navy Day celebrations
Russia dramatically scaled back its Navy Day festivities on Sunday due to mounting security concerns amid a surge in Ukrainian drone attacks. The Kremlin cancelled traditional warship parades in major port cities including St. Petersburg, with officials citing the need to prioritise public safety. read more Russian President Vladimir Putin, second left arrives to visit the frigate "Admiral Grigorovich" in Kronstadt, outside St. Petersburg during Navy Day celebration, Russia. AP Russia scaled back its Navy Day celebrations on Sunday, citing security concerns amid ongoing Ukrainian drone attacks that continue to challenge the Kremlin. Russian authorities called off the warship parades that are typically held to commemorate the annual Navy Day celebrations in St. Petersburg, the Kaliningrad region on the Baltic, and the far-eastern port of Vladivostok. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov responded to reporters' questions about why the parade in St. Petersburg was called off, even as President Vladimir Putin arrived in his hometown to tour the navy headquarters, by saying that 'it's linked to the overall situation, security reasons, which are above all else.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Over the course of the night, 99 Ukrainian drones were shot down by Russian air defences, according to the Russian Defence Ministry. It claimed that 51 more drones were shot down close to St. Petersburg later that day. According to local officials, a woman was injured by drone fragments in the Lomonosov area. Due to the drone threat, the Pulkovo airport in St. Petersburg halted dozens of flights early on Sunday. Putin paid a visit to St. Petersburg's historic Admiralty headquarters to receive reports on four-day naval manoeuvres that ended on Sunday. 150 vessels from the Baltics to the Pacific participated in the July Storm exercise. In addition to promising to increase the navy's training and build more warships, Putin also stated that 'the navy's strike power and combat capability will rise to a qualitatively new level.' He also visited the Admiral Grigorovich frigate of the Baltic Fleet at the Kronstadt naval base just west of St. Petersburg to hail its crew for fending off a Ukrainian drone attack in the region earlier in the day. Reducing the scale of the Navy Day celebrations reflects Moscow's worries about Ukraine's sweeping drone attacks across the country. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD In a series of strikes earlier in the war now in its fourth year, Ukraine sank several Russian warships in the Black Sea, crippling Moscow's naval capability and forcing it to redeploy its fleet from Russia-occupied Crimea to Novorossiysk. And in an audacious June 1 attack code-named 'Spiderweb,' Ukraine used drones to hit several Russian air bases hosting long-range bombers across Russia, from the Arctic Kola Peninsula to Siberia. The drones were launched from trucks covertly placed near the bases, taking the Russian military by surprise in a humiliating blow to the Kremlin. The raid destroyed or damaged many of the bombers that had been used by Moscow to launch aerial attacks on Ukraine, providing a major morale boost for Kyiv at a time when Kyiv's undermanned and under-gunned forces are facing Russian attacks along the 1,000-kilometer (600-mile) front line. Russia continued to batter Ukraine with drone and missile strikes Sunday. In Sumy in Ukraine's northeast, a drone attack damaged civil infrastructure objects, an administrative building and non-residential premises, leaving three people wounded. Elsewhere in the region, two men died after being blown up by a land mine and another woman was injured from a drone attack on another community in the region, the regional military administration said. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD French President Emmanuel Macron had a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday and said later on X that he reaffirmed France's support for Kyiv and vowed to raise pressure on Moscow to force it to 'agree to a ceasefire that paves the way for talks leading to a solid and lasting peace, with full European involvement.'
