logo
Moscow hit by triple explosions

Moscow hit by triple explosions

Yahoo23-04-2025

Three explosions were heard in Moscow's central business district on Wednesday afternoon.
A car exploded in the underground car park of a shopping mall, causing a fire, Russian state media said, citing emergency services.
Footage showed thick black smoke billowing close to the Afimall City shopping centre on the banks of the Moskva River.
There were no official reports on casualties or the scale of damage, with authorities claiming the blaze was brought under control shortly after the explosions.
Credit: X/@Maks_NAFO_FELLA/@LXSummer1
The incident took place near where a Russian drone brigade was filmed last week piloting a strike.
Kremlin-aligned media last week posted – and then deleted – a video showing the Espanola brigade remotely piloting a drone strike from a high-rise building in Moscow.
It is not yet clear whether Wednesday's explosions came as a result of a deliberate attack or if they were related to the war in Ukraine.
Credit: X/@UKikasi | X/@Kirilenko_a
On Tuesday a series of powerful explosions ripped through one of Russia's largest weapons arsenals, triggering a huge blaze close to Barsovo, a town east of Moscow.
Local authorities declared a state of emergency in the Vladimir region, where footage showed a massive fireball, followed by a pall of smoke.
The initial blast triggered almost a dozen secondary explosions close to where the 51st arsenal of Russia's Main Missile and Artillery Directorate is based.
Last month, Kyiv's forces carried out their biggest drone attack on the Russian capital, killing three and shutting down its four airports.
Russian air defences had earlier claimed to have intercepted and destroyed 337 Ukrainian drones overnight, including 91 around the Moscow region, as well as 126 in Kursk, which remains under partial Ukrainian control.
All four of Moscow's main airports – Sheremetyevo, Domodedovo, Vnukovo and Zhukovsky – were affected by the drone swarm.
Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Putin tells Trump he'll hit Ukraine back for surprise drone attack
Putin tells Trump he'll hit Ukraine back for surprise drone attack

Axios

time34 minutes ago

  • Axios

Putin tells Trump he'll hit Ukraine back for surprise drone attack

President Trump said Wednesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin told him he will "have to respond" to the massive Ukrainian drone attack on Russia's strategic air bases. Why it matters: Trump has been pushing Russia and Ukraine to end the war for four months, but after the call with Putin he admitted that "it was a good conversation, but not a conversation that will lead to immediate Peace." Driving the news: The Ukrainian drone attack took out a significant proportion of Russia's strategic long range bomber fleet. The bombers that were targeted are significant not only to Russia's war against Ukraine, but also for its nuclear deterrence. Before the call with Trump, Putin met via videoconference with top officials about the Ukrainian attack and the ceasefire talks with Ukraine. During the meeting, which was broadcast live on Ukrainian television, Putin said the attacks put in doubt any ceasefire or leader-level summit between Russia and Ukraine. The other side: Ukrainian officials have mocked Russia's characterization of its secret "Spiderweb" operation as a "terrorist attack," given Russia has been bombarding Ukrainian cities for three years, not just striking military targets as Ukraine did. Ukraine has agreed to Trump's initial proposal for an unconditional ceasefire, but its leaders sound just as pessimistic as Putin about the chances of a full peace deal any time soon. What he's saying: Trump wrote in a post on his Truth Social account that his call with Putin lasted approximately one hour and 15 minutes. "We discussed the attack on Russia's docked airplanes, by Ukraine, and also various other attacks that have been taking place by both Putin did say, and very strongly, that he will have to respond to the recent attack on the airfields", Trump wrote.

Musk vs. Hill GOP leaders
Musk vs. Hill GOP leaders

Politico

time35 minutes ago

  • Politico

Musk vs. Hill GOP leaders

Presented by THE CATCH-UP ALL THINGS MUSK PASS: Top Republican Hill leaders spent the morning defending President Donald Trump's 'big, beautiful bill' against an onslaught of attacks from Elon Musk as they race to hold the GOP conference together long enough to deliver the sprawling legislation to Trump's desk. Musk has continued his spree today on his X account, amplifying several messages of opposition to the debt increase from Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah). In the House: Speaker Mike Johnson 'spent several minutes during a closed-door House Republican Conference meeting on Wednesday morning pushing back on Musk and trying to reassure Republicans after Musk signaled that he thinks lawmakers who support the megabill should be ousted next year,' POLITICO's Meredith Lee Hill and Jordain Carney report. What he said: Johnson told members that he's tried to call Musk to explain the process behind the megabill, as well as a separate bill to claw back billions in spending. 'Johnson's message, in the meeting, according to the attendees: People will have differences of opinion; don't take it personally.' 'I think he's flat wrong, and I've told him as much,' Johnson said at a news conference after the meeting. In the Senate: Majority Leader John Thune downplayed any impact that Musk's criticism might have on his whip count. 'Obviously he has some influence, got a big following on social media,' Thune told reporters. 'But at the end of the day this is a 51-vote exercise here in the Senate, and I think the question for our members is going to be, 'Would you prefer the alternative?' And the alternative isn't a good one.' Thune said he spoke with Musk by phone a few days ago, before the tech mogul's X tirade yesterday. 'There are going to be a lot of people who share commentary about this, and we just got to make sure we're doing everything we can to get our arguments out there,' he added. The price tag: The Congressional Budget Office released its full score for the megabill today, predicting that the measure would grow the federal deficit by $2.4 trillion, POLITICO's Jennifer Scholtes and colleagues report. Though top Republican lawmakers 'are expected to downplay the significance of the complete price tag from the Congressional Budget Office, the numbers will influence what lawmakers are able to include in the final package,' they note. See the full CBO report Good Wednesday afternoon. Thanks for reading Playbook PM. Drop me a line at gross@ 7 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW 1. WAR IN UKRAINE: Trump said in a post on Truth Social at 12:40 p.m. that he had just wrapped up a call with Russian President Vladimir Putin that lasted for an hour and 15 minutes. 'It was a good conversation, but not a conversation that will lead to immediate Peace,' Trump said. 'President Putin did say, and very strongly, that he will have to respond' to Ukraine's stunning drone attacks on Russian airfields. Another issue: Trump also indicated that the two discussed Iran nuclear negotiations and said Putin agreed that Iran 'cannot have a nuclear weapon.' Putin, said Trump, also 'suggested that he will participate in the discussions with Iran and that he could, perhaps, be helpful in getting this brought to a rapid conclusion.' The view from Washington: Keith Kellogg, Trump's Ukraine envoy, said on Fox News this morning that 'the risk of escalation from the war in Ukraine was 'going way up' after Ukrainian forces used drones to strike nuclear-capable bombers at several airbases deep inside Russia,' per Reuters. The view from Moscow: Putin has 'openly questioned the point of peace talks with Ukraine after accusing Kyiv's senior leadership of ordering deadly terrorist attacks on bridges in Russia that killed seven and injured 115 more,' Reuters reports. The view from Europe: The U.S. is 'refusing to provide air defenses to back the 'reassurance force' the UK and France are planning in a postwar Ukraine,' Bloomberg's Ellen Milligan and colleagues report. Despite British PM Keir Starmer's insistence on a so-called U.S. 'backstop,' European allies have concluded that Trump 'won't provide the guarantees they have sought to back the Europe-led 'coalition of the willing.'' And yet European leaders are 'increasingly optimistic that they can support Ukraine financially and militarily against Russia' even if Trump pulls support — though not at the level that the U.S. provides, NYT's Steven Erlanger reports. The new front line: 'Drone Attacks Are the New Front in War. NATO Is Trying to Catch Up,' by NYT's Lara Jakes: 'Assaults in Russia and Ukraine have shown major military powers that they are unprepared for evolving forms of warfare, and need to adapt.' 2. ALSO ON TRUMP'S MIND: A new ADP report released this morning showed that 'private sector job creation slowed to a near standstill in May, hitting its lowest level in more than two years as signs emerged of a weakening labor market,' CNBC's Jeff Cox reports. Trump responded to the news with a broadside missive directed at Fed Chair Jerome Powell. 'ADP NUMBER OUT!!! 'Too Late' Powell must now LOWER THE RATE. He is unbelievable!!! Europe has lowered NINE TIMES!' the president wrote in a post on Truth Social. 3. WHITE-KNUCKLED AT THE WHITE HOUSE: German Chancellor Friedrich Merz will be the latest world leader to step into the proverbial ring with Trump when he visits the Oval Office on Thursday. It's the venue — which has already seen two blow-ups this year — that has 'elected leaders across the nation and world are worrying about who will be next,' WaPo's Cleve R. Wootson Jr. and colleagues write, 'weighing the benefits of a high-profile meeting with the most powerful man on Earth against the chance that they will be politically bruised by an Oval Office ambush.' Fear not, chancellor: A senior White House official 'downplayed the likelihood of tension' with Merz, 'saying the meeting 'shouldn't be any different than any other state visits.'' 4. IMMIGRATION FILES: As Trump ramps up his massive deportation effort, ICE is launching a new nationwide push, called 'Operation At Large,' that 'includes more than 5,000 personnel from across federal law enforcement agencies and up to 21,000 National Guard troops,' NBC's Julia Ainsley and colleagues scoop. 'Drawing those numbers from other law enforcement agencies, though, has been a source of tension among some officials, who feel they have been taken off other core national security missions, according to three additional law enforcement and military officials.' Inside the numbers: 'The plan calls for using 3,000 ICE agents, including 1,800 from Homeland Security Investigations, which generally investigates transnational crimes and is not typically involved in arresting noncriminal immigrants; 2,000 Justice Department employees from the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service and the Drug Enforcement Administration; and 500 employees from Customs and Border Protection. It also includes 250 IRS agents.' How it's playing: The administration is already 'taking hundreds of migrant children already residing in the United States out of their homes and into government custody, at times separating them from their families and making it more difficult for them to be released,' CNN's Priscilla Alvarez reports. Related read: 'Trump admin shrugs off congressional concerns over ICE spending,' by POLITICO's Myah Ward and Hailey Fuchs 5. A NEW YORK MINUTE: GOP Rep. Elise Stefanik, who's considering a run for governor next year, is turning some of her political attention back home, POLITICO's Nick Reisman reports from Albany. Today, she is announcing the creation of a new PAC dubbed 'Save New York' to raise cash on behalf of local Republican candidates in the state — the latest indication she is moving toward a 2026 gubernatorial run. Another sign: At the Staten Island GOP's annual Lincoln Day Dinner, Stefanik dropped another marker that she's leaning toward a run: 'Are we ready to fire [Democratic Gov.] Kathy Hochul next year?' she asked attendees, per Fox News' Paul Steinhauser. Reminder: POLITICO and WNBC are sponsoring the NYC Democratic mayoral primary debate tonight, with POLITICO's Sally Goldenberg co-moderating. The pre-read: '5 things to watch in first debate,' by POLITICO's Nick Reisman … The companion read: POLITICO's New York team will be following the action on our live blog tonight 6. WHAT ED THE EAGLE IS UP TO: Ed Martin, Trump's pardons czar at the Justice Department, is 'considering a plan to grant clemency to dozens of so-called fake electors who aided Donald Trump in his scheme to overturn the 2020 election,' Mother Jones' Dan Friedman reports. The plan is to 'recommend federal pardons for all these reputed Trump electors, despite the fact that none have been charged with federal crimes' — amounting to a largely symbolic effort that would have 'no official bearing on the state criminal cases.' It is part of a 'broader initiative to present Trump with the option of issuing numerous symbolic pardons, many of them posthumous.' 7. NEWS FROM THE WILDERNESS: 'Democrats' online problem: They're not doing enough year-round,' by POLITICO's Jessica Piper: 'Conservative organizations spend more than left-leaning ones on platforms such as Facebook and Instagram in non-election years, capturing a large audience while those Democratic-aligned groups go more dormant in the digital space. And it's making Democrats' election-year persuasion game that much harder. That's the warning of a new report from Tech for Campaigns, a political nonprofit focused on using digital marketing and data techniques to support Democrats, that argues one of the party's major problems is that its communication falters in non-election years.' TALK OF THE TOWN Carl Nassib, who was the first openly gay NFL player to appear in a regular season game, is now honored with an exhibit at the National Museum of American History. CULINARY CORNER — MAGA hotspot Butterworth's is now offering '10% off checks for Kennedy Center ticket holders, staffers and performers,' per Axios' Tal Axelrod. … And NYC transplants rejoice: H&H Bagels is opening a location in Mount Vernon Triangle this month, per the Washingtonian's Ike Allen. OUT AND ABOUT — The Washington AI Network last night hosted the Inaugural AI Honors at the Waldorf Astoria, where Tammy Haddad welcomed Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, who gave details on the newly announced Center for AI Standards and Innovation. Honorees included Sen. Todd Young (R-Ind.), Reps. Jay Obernolte (R-Calif.) and Ted Lieu (D-Calif.), Frank Whitworth, Jack Hidary, Patricia Falcone, Ylli Bajraktari and Father Paola Benanti. CNN's Sara Sidner emceed. SPOTTED: Barbara Humpton, Kellyanne Conway, Matt Tait, Reps. Brendan Boyle (D-Pa.), Vince Fong (R-Calif.) and Ben Cline (R-Va.), Jeff Freeland, Paige Wiley, Alex Flemister, Hailey Borden, Karalee Geis, Colton Snedecor, Parker Magid, Ed Luce, Phil Rucker, Sumi Somaskanda, Sam Feist, Pamela Brown, Kaitlan Collins, EU Ambassador Jovita Neliupšienė, Reema Dodin, Vinoda Basnayake, Matt Dornic and Kathleen Buhle. — SPOTTED at Latino Magazine's annual LATINO 100 Awards at the Kimpton Hotel Monaco yesterday: Alicia Menendez, Monica Garay, Maria Luisa Boyce, Ivelisse Porroa-Garcia, Margita Thompson, José Antonio Tijerino, Omar Franco, Norberto Salinas, Estuardo V. Rodriguez, Isaac Reyes and George Agurkis. FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — Andrew Vontz, former Strava exec, and Jonathan Kaplan, former comms officer at the Open Society Foundations, have launched a new podcast, 'The United States of Sweat' presented by Choose the Hard Way, featuring conversations with elected officials about how they stay physically active and grounded. MEDIA MOVES — A quartet of journalists are departing the industry full-time to pursue new endeavors: Shira Stein is leaving the San Francisco Chronicle as Washington correspondent to become a veterinarian. … Heather Long is joining Navy Federal Credit Union as chief economist. (She will still write a monthly column for WaPo.) … Katherine Swartz is leaving NOTUS and moving to Zambia to join the Peace Corps to teach English. … Craig Torres is departing from Bloomberg to join the Andersen Institute for Finance & Economics as editorial director, per Talking Biz News. TRANSITIONS — Former Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has launched a new advisory firm, Clarion Strategies, alongside former U.S. NATO Ambassador Julianne Smith and former Pentagon legislative affairs chief Rheanne Wirkkala. Also joining are former VA Secretary Denis McDonough as a principal, with Ely Ratner and Lindsey Ford advising part-time. … Caroline Farrell is joining Foley Hoag as counsel in its health care practice. She most recently was at HHS as lead counsel advising the CMS on Medicaid and Medicare policy. … Eden Alem is now deputy comms director for the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Dems. She previously was national press secretary at Climate Power. … Nicole Fondots is now digital marketing director for the RNC. She previously was VP of strategy at Techne. … Hana Tadesse is now VP of comms for the Seattle FIFA World Cup 26 local organizing committee. She previously was comms director for Rep. Kim Schrier (D-Wash.). Did someone forward this email to you? Sign up here. Send Playbookers tips to playbook@ or text us on Signal here. Playbook couldn't happen without our editor Zack Stanton, deputy editor Garrett Ross and Playbook Podcast producer Callan Tansill-Suddath.

Trump says Putin told him ‘very strongly' he will ‘have to respond' to Ukraine drone strikes in hour-long call
Trump says Putin told him ‘very strongly' he will ‘have to respond' to Ukraine drone strikes in hour-long call

Yahoo

time35 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Trump says Putin told him ‘very strongly' he will ‘have to respond' to Ukraine drone strikes in hour-long call

President Donald Trump on Wednesday said Russia's Vladimir Putin has informed him that his forces will respond to Ukraine's brazen and devastating attack on Russian airfields by a fleet of small suicide drones over the weekend. In a Truth Social post, Trump said he had spoken with the Russian leader for an hour and 15 minutes and described the call as 'a good conversation, but not a conversation that will lead to immediate Peace.' 'We discussed the attack on Russia's docked airplanes, by Ukraine, and also various other attacks that have been taking place by both sides ... President Putin did say, and very strongly, that he will have to respond to the recent attack on the airfields,' Trump said. The president also stated that he and Putin had discussed ongoing nuclear deal negotiations between the U.S. and Tehran, and said 'time is running out' for Tehran to come to an agreement 'which must be made quickly,' and revealed that he believes that Putin agrees with his stance on the Iranian nuclear weapons program. Trump added that Putin 'suggested that he will participate in the discussions with Iran and that he could, perhaps, be helpful in getting this brought to a rapid conclusion.' 'It is my opinion that Iran has been slowwalking their decision on this very important matter, and we will need a definitive answer in a very short period of time!' he said. The American leader's social media post is his first mention of the audacious strike on Russian bombers by Ukraine's security services since they were first reported days ago. The attack, dubbed Operation Spiderweb, by Ukrainian authorities, was carried out by the SBU and destroyed more than 40 Russian bombers, a significant portion of Moscow's strategic bombing capability. Ukraine has claimed the attack — a homegrown operation in which drones were concealed in false compartments within prefabricated sheds, smuggled into Russia, then launched en masse simultaneously many thousands of miles apart – and many thousands of miles behind enemy lines — destroyed 41 Russian aircraft, causing $7bn worth of damage to long-range bombers that carried the cruise missiles Putin has been using against Ukraine. Videos of the attack on one airfield in Belaya revealed aircraft bursting into flames, as drones, which may have been autonomous or semi-autonomous, dived onto planes sitting on the tarmac. Days later, a massive underwater bomb targeted a key bridge linking occupied Crimea to the Russian mainland. The two daring raids by Ukrainian special forces have stunned the Kremlin, bolstered Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and sent shockwaves through defense departments around the world. But Trump, who rarely misses a chance to opine on any particular topic, had remained silent for days. It was a rare period of reticence for a leader who once claimed he could bring about a peace deal between Moscow and Kyiv within 24 hours, and who infamously berated Zelensky by telling him during an infamous Oval Office showdown in February that he didn't 'have the cards' to keep up the fight against Russia. When The Independent asked the White House if Zelensky might have had some cards up his sleeve that the president hadn't known about during a press briefing on Tuesday, press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that Trump 'remains positive at the progress" the two sides have made in U.S.-brokered peace talks that just ended in Istanbul, Turkey. 'But he also is a realist, and he realizes these are two countries that are at war and have been for a long time because of his predecessor's weakness and incompetence,' she added.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store