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Russian attacks kill 13 civilians in Ukraine as Zelenskyy seeks more Western aid

Russian attacks kill 13 civilians in Ukraine as Zelenskyy seeks more Western aid

Independent9 hours ago

Russian drones, missiles and artillery killed at least 16 civilians and injured almost 100 others in Ukraine, officials said Tuesday, as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy sought guarantees of further Western military aid for his country's efforts to repel Russia's invasion.
Russian forces have relentlessly blasted civilian areas of Ukraine throughout the war, which is now in its fourth year. More than 12,000 Ukrainian civilians have been killed, according to the United Nations. Ukraine has also launched long-range drones against Russia, hitting residential areas.
Zelenskyy was set to meet Tuesday with Western leaders attending a NATO summit in The Hague, Netherlands. He is keen to lock in additional military support for Ukraine's fight against Russia's bigger army, as recent direct peace talks have delivered no progress on a possible settlement.
Key U.S. military commitments to Ukraine left over from the Biden administration are expected to run out within months, according to analysts, and there is uncertainty over whether U.S. President Donald Trump is willing to provide more.
A Russian ballistic missile attack on Dnipro hit multiple civilian sites in the central Ukrainian city around midday on Tuesday, killing seven people and injuring 70, local officials said.
The assault killed one person and injured 20, including two minors, Dnipro's regional administration head Serhii Lysak wrote on Telegram. In the nearby town of Samar, an attack killed two people were and injured nine, he said.
The barrage damaged 19 schools, 10 kindergartens, a vocational school, a music school and a social welfare office, as well as eight medical facilities, according to Dnipro Mayor Borys Filatov. One of the blasts blew out the windows of a passenger train.
Russia also shelled residential neighborhoods and critical infrastructure across Ukraine's southern Kherson region, killing four civilians and wounding at least eleven others, according to Oleksandr Prokudin, head of the regional military administration.
In the Sumy region of northeastern Ukraine, a drone attack late Monday killed three civilians, including a 5-year-old boy, and injured six others, local authorities said.
Among the injured were two 17-year-old girls and a 12-year-old boy, according to officials.
Russian air defense forces overnight shot down 20 Ukrainian drones, the Russian Defense Ministry reported on Tuesday morning. It said 14 were downed over the Kursk region, which borders Ukraine, while two had been flying over the Moscow province.
One drone slammed into a tower block on the outskirts of the Russian capital, sparking a fire on its 17th floor, local Gov. Andrei Vorobyov said Tuesday. He said a 34-year-old resident suffered shrapnel wounds to his arm and leg. Two other drones were shot down on the approach to Moscow, according to Mayor Sergei Sobyanin.
Air traffic was briefly halted as a precaution at two major Moscow airports, Vnukovo and Sheremetyevo, a representative of Russia's aviation authority Rosaviatsiya said.
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Starmer: No tax rises on working people to reach 5% defence spending pledge
Starmer: No tax rises on working people to reach 5% defence spending pledge

Western Telegraph

time33 minutes ago

  • Western Telegraph

Starmer: No tax rises on working people to reach 5% defence spending pledge

The Prime Minister is meeting leaders of other Nato member countries in The Hague, where they are expected to formally agree the target, made up of 3.5% on 'core defence' and another 1.5% on 'resilience and security'. He rejected that tax rises would be needed to pay for higher defence spending. 'Every time we've set out our defence spending commitments, so when we went to 2.5% in 2027/28, we set out precisely how we would pay for it, that didn't involve tax rises. 'Clearly we've got commitments in our manifesto about not making tax rises on working people and we will stick to our manifesto commitments,' the Prime Minister told reporters in the Netherlands. Sir Keir Starmer said tax rises would not be needed to pay for higher defence spending (Kin Cheung/PA) He said the current commitment to get defence spending up to 2.5% of GDP by 2027/8 was not coming at the expense of welfare, but rather from cuts to overseas development aid. 'So, it's a misdescription to suggest that the defence spending commitment we've made is at the expense of money on welfare.' Donald Trump is among the world leaders at the summit, and told reporters on the way to the Netherlands that it would depend 'on your definition' when asked if he would commit to Nato's Article 5, which requires members to defend each other from attack. At a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday morning, Sir Keir underscored that national security is the 'first duty' of Government. His trip comes as the Government publishes its national security strategy, setting out plans to make the UK 'more resilient to future threats'. Downing Street has described the 5% goal as 'a projected target' that allies will review in 2029 when Nato carries out its next capability assessment. It is a significant jump from the current 2% Nato target, and from the UK Government's aim of spending 2.5% of gross domestic product (GDP) on defence from 2027 and 3% at some point after the next election. But the figure is in line with the demands of US President Donald Trump, who has called for Nato allies to shoulder more of the burden of European defence. The Government expects to spend 1.5% of GDP on resilience and security by 2027. The Prime Minister is meeting leaders of other Nato member countries in The Hague (Ben Stansall/PA) The details of what counts towards that target are due to be set out during this week's summit, but it is likely to include spending on energy and border security as well as intelligence agencies. But increasing core defence spending to 3.5% will not happen until 2035, with at least two elections likely to take place before then. The Institute for Fiscal Studies estimates that an increase in core defence spending from 2.6% to 3.5% would cost around £30 billion more a year. It noted however that the plans concern spending far in the future – due in 10 years' time – and therefore may not affect the Government's spending review or autumn budget decisions, but prompt the chancellor to revise plans at the 2027 spending review. Spending 3.5% of national income on defence is 'certainly not unprecedented' but much more is now spent on health than in the past, IFS researcher Bee Boileau noted. Shadow foreign secretary Dame Priti Patel said the Government had not been clear enough about how it would reach the core defence spending goal, claiming ministers had only offered 'smoke and mirrors'. She added: 'So, when will he actually deliver a plan to get to 2%, and why won't he heed our calls to hit 3% by the end of this Parliament, which would be vital, and a vital stepping stone on the way to that higher defence spending that he is seeking.' The Nato gathering comes amid the backdrop of escalating Middle East tensions and the ongoing war in Ukraine. Sir Keir has urged Israel and Iran to get back to the fragile ceasefire brokered by Donald Trump. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at 10 Downing Street (Jeff Moore/PA) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is expected to attend the summit, but not take part in the main discussions of the North Atlantic Council. Nato secretary-general Mark Rutte described the move to spend more on defence as a 'quantum leap' that would make the organisation 'a stronger, a fairer and a more lethal alliance'. But it was reported on Sunday that Spain had reached a deal that would see it exempted from the 5% target. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said that Spain would be able to keep its commitments to the 32-nation military alliance by spending 2.1% of GDP on defence needs.

How Trump turned the air blue as his ceasefire nearly unravelled
How Trump turned the air blue as his ceasefire nearly unravelled

Telegraph

time34 minutes ago

  • Telegraph

How Trump turned the air blue as his ceasefire nearly unravelled

Donald Trump went to bed believing he had secured a ceasefire in the Middle East. He woke up to news that Israel was about to unleash its warplanes on Iran after being targeted by rocket strikes. His fury was clear when he spoke to reporters on the South Lawn of the White House. 'They've been fighting for so long and so hard they don't know what the f--- they're doing,' he said, before turning on his heel and stalking off towards Marine One, the presidential helicopter. He was on his way to the Hague for a Nato summit. Organisers had gone out of the way to tailor the event to Mr Trump, shortening it to a single meeting, putting spending commitments at the heart of the discussion, and giving him a night in a royal palace. But if the US president thought his trip to the Hague would be a victory lap – for ending Iran's nuclear weapons programme and limiting Tehran's retaliation – then Iran and Israel had other ideas. And, as Mr Trump transferred from his helicopter to Air Force One for the flight to the Netherlands, he kept up his stream of public posts and private diplomacy as he tried to make good on his promise not to allow the US to be dragged into another foreign war. 'ISRAEL. DO NOT DROP THOSE BOMBS. IF YOU DO IT IS A MAJOR VIOLATION,' he posted on his Truth Social platform in all capitals. 'BRING YOUR PILOTS HOME, NOW! DONALD J TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.' A carefully coordinated negotiation was coming unstuck. A day earlier he had spoken with Benjamin Netanyahu, the prime minister of Israel, to set out the proposed terms of a ceasefire, according to Politico. His next call was with Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the emir of Qatar, who would act as a go-between with the Iranians. JD Vance, his vice-president, and Marco Rubio, the secretary of state, were also involved in that side of the conversation, according to a source familiar with how it all unfolded. The deal was done by the end of the afternoon. Tehran was ready for a ceasefire because after days of strikes it was in a badly 'weakened state', said a White House official. A first six-hour window would allow both sides to complete their 'final missions'. Iran would be the first to enter the truce, followed by Israel after 12 hours. After another 12 hours the war would be over. 'THE CEASEFIRE IS NOW IN EFFECT. PLEASE DO NOT VIOLATE IT! DONALD J TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES!' he posted late on Monday night, using Truth Social as if it were the official government gazette. Minutes after the deadline, air raid sirens were sounding across Israel. 'At 07.06am, Iran launched one missile at Israeli territory, and two additional missiles at 10.25am,' said Mr Netanyahu's office in a statement. Explosions sounded around the Iranian capital Tehran. By the time Mr Trump left the White House he had tough words to give both sides. But he reserved most of his fury for Israel. He even suggested that Iran's ceasefire-breaking missiles had been launched by accident. 'I'm not happy that Israel's going out now,' he told reporters who had gathered to watch him leave, as Israeli jets were in the air. 'There was one rocket that I guess was fired overboard [by Iran]. It was after the time limit, and it missed its target. And now Israel's going out. These guys gotta calm down. Ridiculous...' He telephoned Mr Netanyahu as he flew out of Washington. A White House official told The Telegraph that the president had been 'exceptionally firm and direct' with the Israeli prime minister about what would happen next. 'The prime minister understood the severity of the situation and the concerns president Trump expressed,' they said. And a statement soon followed from the Israelis saying that they had destroyed a radar station. 'Pursuant to the conversation between president Trump and prime minister Netanyahu, Israel has refrained from additional attacks,' it said. Mr Trump described the call when he strolled to the back of Air Force One to chat with reporters. 'Yeah. I said, you've got to turn back the planes,' he said, with Mr Rubio standing just behind him. 'They hit him very hard after we made the deal yesterday... it shouldn't have happened.' The ceasefire was battered and bruised but held for the rest of Mr Trump's six and a half hour flight from the East Coast. His Truth Social feed soon filled with more routine affairs. He shared headlines from the New York Post, his favourite newspaper, reposted calls for him to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, and published a lengthy rant about Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the liberal congresswoman, who had just been featured on Fox News. His plane landed in the evening sun at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport. As he disembarked, he paused at the top of the steps to put a white 'USA' cap over his blond hair. Staff used to say you could tell his mood from his hat: Red signalled anger, white signalled contentment. In recent weeks they may have taken on different symbolism. His white hat, long sidelined. has appeared at key moments as he chases peace. 'Both Israel and Iran wanted to stop the war, equally!' he posted earlier on Truth Social, as he took the credit for halting hostilities. 'It was my great honour to destroy all nuclear facilities & capability, and then, STOP THE WAR!'

Trump says Israel-Iran ceasefire is in effect after deal initially faltered
Trump says Israel-Iran ceasefire is in effect after deal initially faltered

STV News

time38 minutes ago

  • STV News

Trump says Israel-Iran ceasefire is in effect after deal initially faltered

US President Donald Trump has said a ceasefire between Iran and Israel was in effect on Tuesday after the deal initially faltered and the American leader expressed deep frustration with both sides. Israel had earlier accused Iran of launching missiles into its airspace after the truce was supposed to take effect and the Israeli finance minister vowed 'Tehran will tremble'. Iran's military denied firing on Israel, state media reported – but explosions boomed and sirens sounded across northern Israel around mid-morning, and an Israeli military official said two Iranian missiles were intercepted. Trump told reporters at the White House before departing for a Nato summit that in his view, both sides had violated the nascent agreement. He had particularly strong words for Israel, a close ally, while suggesting Iran may have fired on the country by mistake. But later he said the deal was saved. 'ISRAEL is not going to attack Iran. All planes will turn around and head home, while doing a friendly 'Plane Wave' to Iran. Nobody will be hurt, the Ceasefire is in effect!' Trump said in his Truth Social post. Later, however, he announced that Israel had backed off its threat to attack Tehran and would turn its jets around. Netanyahu's office said Israel struck an Iranian radar site in response to the Iranian missile attack early Tuesday, but Israeli forces held off on something bigger. Following Trump's conversation with Netanyahu, 'Israel refrained from additional attacks,' Netanyahu's office said. Mr Netanyahu said late on Tuesday that Israel's war had brought Iran's nuclear programme 'to ruin' in a historic victory. The conflict, now in its 12th day, began with Israel targeting Iranian nuclear and military sites, saying it could not allow Tehran to develop atomic weapons – and that it feared the Islamic Republic was close. Iran has long maintained that its programme is peaceful. Many worried the war might widen after the US joined the attacks by dropping bunker-buster bombs over the weekend and Israel expanded the kinds of targets it was hitting. But after Tehran launched a limited retaliatory strike on a US military base in Qatar on Monday, Trump announced the ceasefire. The deal got off to a rocky start. An Israeli military official said Iran launched two missiles at Israel hours into the tenuous ceasefire. Both were intercepted, the official said. Iranian state television reported that the military denied firing missiles after the start of the ceasefire – while accusing Israel of conducting strikes. As Trump spoke to reporters at the White House before departing for the Nato summit in the Netherlands, he expressed disappointment with both sides. Iran 'violated it but Israel violated it too,' Trump said. 'I'm not happy with Israel.' Trump's frustration was palpable, using an expletive to hammer home his point. 'We basically have two countries that have been fighting so long and so hard that they don't know what the f*** they're doing,' he said. Later, however, he announced that Israel had backed off its threat to attack Tehran and would turn its jets around. Mr Netanyahu's office said Israel struck an Iranian radar in response to the Iranian missile attack early Tuesday – but held off on something bigger. 'Following President Trump's conversation with Prime Minister Netanyahu, Israel refrained from additional attacks,' Netanyahu's office said. Netanyahu said Israel had agreed to a bilateral ceasefire with Iran, in co-ordination with Trump, after the country achieved all of its war goals, including removing the threat of Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile programmes. Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said that his country would not fire at Israel if it was not fired upon, but that a 'final decision on the cessation of our military operations will be made later'. It is unclear what role Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's leader, played in the talks. He said earlier on social media that he would not surrender. Trump said Tuesday that he was not seeking regime change in Iran, two days after first floating the idea. 'Regime change takes chaos,' Trump told reporters on Air Force One. Over the weekend, he mused on his social media account that 'if the current Iranian Regime is unable to MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN, why wouldn't there be a Regime change???'. The ceasefire came after hostilities spread further across the region. Israel's military said Iran launched 20 missiles towards Israel before the ceasefire began on Tuesday morning. Police said they damaged at least three densely packed residential buildings in the city of Beersheba. First responders said they retrieved four bodies from one building and were searching for more. Earlier, the fire and rescue service said five bodies were found before revising the number downwards. At least 20 people were injured. Outside, the shells of burned out cars littered the streets. Broken glass and rubble covered the area. Police said some people were injured while inside their apartments' reinforced safe rooms, which are meant to withstand rockets but not direct hits from ballistic missiles. Iran launched a limited missile attack on Monday on a US military base in Qatar, retaliating for the earlier American bombing of its nuclear sites. The US was warned by Iran in advance, and there were no casualties. Drones attacked military bases in Iraq overnight, including some housing US troops, the Iraqi army and a US military official said on Tuesday. A senior US military official said US forces had shot down drones attacking Ain al-Assad in the desert in western Iraq and at a base next to the Baghdad airport, while another one crashed. No casualties were reported and no group claimed responsibility for the attacks in Iraq. Some Iran-backed Iraqi militias had previously threatened to target US bases if the US attacked Iran. In Israel, at least 28 people have been killed and more than 1,000 wounded in the war. Israeli strikes on Iran have killed at least 974 people and wounded 3,458 others, according to the Washington-based group Human Rights Activists. The group, which has provided detailed casualty figures from Iranian unrest, said of those killed, it identified 387 civilians and 268 security force personnel. Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country

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