Latest news with #DSNS
Sky News
5 days ago
- Politics
- Sky News
'We're being hunted': Russian attacks on Ukrainian emergency services rise ahead of Trump-Putin talks
A Russian drone hits a petrol station in Kherson, near Ukraine's frontline, on 6 July. When a fire engine from the State Emergency Service of Ukraine (DSNS) responds, a second drone dives towards it. It's one of 16 attacks on emergency vehicles in July identified by Sky News, three times more than the previous month. Sky News geolocated these videos, posted on the Telegram channel of a Russian drone unit operating in Kherson, and verified them with photos posted of the damaged truck by DSNS. No casualties were reported in the attack. Russian brigades often post video footage from first person view (FPV) drone strikes in Ukraine on their Telegram channels. The videos posted to Telegram from FPV drones show emergency vehicles clearly. The Russian brigade that posted the videos captioned them "Kherson DSNS. The State Emergency Service becomes a target if obstacles are created to the completion of combat missions. Transport is disabled, manpower is not harmed - the goal is achieved!" Later that day, a Russian soldier wrote a post on Telegram that matches the above video. The soldier included the pictures of the damaged vehicle, shared by DSNS, which he captions: "Any movement of vehicles will be considered a legitimate target." 0:45 Increasing attacks This incident was one of dozens confirmed by the Sky News Data & Forensics team. Analysing Ukrainian press releases and verifying drone footage we identified 82 incidents of emergency vehicles targeted by Russia since January 2024. And our analysis has identified an increase in such attacks in the month before President Trump and President Putin are due to meet for peace talks in Alaska. Attacks on emergency response vehicles have increased this summer, peaking in July 2025. The press releases compiled do not include incidents where rescue vehicles were targeted by Russian forces but not struck and do not include attacks on emergency service personnel where vehicles were not involved. The high number of incidents indicates a pattern of attacks targeting civilian medical personnel, which is prohibited by the Geneva Convention. "The Russians target emergency vehicles to try to destroy the will of Ukrainians to fight," Melinda Haring, non-resident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council's Eurasia Centre, told Sky News. "They want to try and convince Ukrainians not to become medics, not to volunteer, they want to make it as dangerous as possible, and they have no regard for human life, so they're not going to abide by any kind of international law." The high level of attacks in July has continued into this month. On the evening of 6 August, a 23-year-old rescue worker Danylo Khyzhnyak was killed in a direct artillery strike on an ambulance responding to an earlier attack in Nikopol, a city on the Dnipro river that has faced near constant Russian bombardment. Intentional strikes on emergency services All vehicles in front-line areas risk being targeted by Russian drones, but emergency services are particularly vulnerable as they respond to previous Russian attacks. The Atlantic Council's Haring said: "It's no exaggeration to say that Russia favours the tactic of double tap. Double tap is when there's a hit and emergency workers go in and then there's the second strike to wipe out the emergency workers." "[Russia is] using it quite aggressively in Ukraine. We've seen it in Odesa, we've seen it in Zaporizhzhia, we have seen it in Dnipro and Kharkiv. In every major city." The Russian Embassy disputed this when it was put to them by Sky News, saying all strikes are directed exclusively at military or military-industrial assets. Maksym Kurchyk, head of the Kherson Regional Municipal Emergency Rescue Service (HOKARS), is well aware of the risks his team takes. He told Sky News: "[Russian soldiers] like to have double strikes when we go to the location and they try to attack us again. "The Russians monitor us and on their social media warn that we are a priority target for them. We are being hunted," he said. In the drone videos posted to Telegram from Russian brigades emergency services insignia is often visible. Vitalii Poberezhnyi, researcher for Ukrainian investigative group Truth Hounds, told Sky News: "The attacks against emergency service are really intentional, because the drone operators have a clear image of what they are attacking. "The emergency services, they have very clear insignia that you cannot misinterpret. You cannot misinterpret a medic as someone else or a firefighter as someone else". Article 15 of Additional Protocol I to the Geneva Convention states civilian medical personnel must be respected and protected in all circumstances. A July 2024 report from the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) confirmed Russian double-tap strikes on civilian targets in Ukraine constitute a war crime. The report states: "Conducting a new attack on the same location or target during the timeframe in which medical and other emergency response workers would be known or foreseeably expected to be on scene to assist victims raises serious concerns, at the very least, as to a lack of sufficient precaution required under IHL [International Humanitarian Law] to minimize harm caused to civilians. If the documented attacks were conducted with the purpose of killing or injuring first responders or other civilians, they would constitute deliberate attacks on civilians, a war crime." In response to Sky News' findings Sergey Lavrov, minister of foreign affairs of the Russian Federation, said: "The Russian Armed Forces have never regarded Ukrainian civilian population as a target. All strikes are directed exclusively at military or military-industrial assets. However numerous examples of the Ukrainian army's abuse of the Red Cross insignia are well known. "We also advise that Sky News keep its viewers updated on multiple cases of deliberate use of drones and missiles by Ukraine against Russian civilian targets, including houses, markets, parking areas etc. with the only aim of sowing terror among the population." Lavrov did not provide evidence of these claims. More attacks in eastern Ukrainian cities Sky News mapped the verified attacks, revealing that over 2024 and 2025, the attacks have been predominately focused on the east of Ukraine, in cities near the frontline. Attacks on emergency service vehicles were especially high in Kherson, in the south of the country, where Russian and Ukrainian forces are only divided by the Dnipro river. Poberezhnyi, the Truth Hounds researcher, explained: "When you attack emergency services, you make it harder for civilians to live in such places because these attacks give this sense of insecurity to civilians." "[Russian forces are] trying to give this sense of insecurity to the people that they will not receive medical help, that they wouldn't be assisted in extinguishing fires if their property is engulfed in flames due to shellings." In the first seven months of 2025 Truth Hounds verified more small drone attacks on civilian population, property and infrastructure than in 2023 and 2024 combined showing an escalation in drone use. Fighting between Russian and Ukrainian forces reached a new peak in July, data from conflict monitoring group ACLED shows. Volunteer emergency service charities operating in Ukraine have also been targeted. Two ambulances donated by Project Hope, a healthcare non-profit working in frontline districts in Ukraine, to local emergency services have been attacked. In early July, a Project Hope ambulance operated by the Kharkiv Regional Emergency Medical Center was attacked by a drone near Kupiansk hospital in eastern Ukraine. Dr Ruslan Aghayev, medical coordinator for Project Hope in Ukraine, told Sky News: "These were the branded ambulances and all attacks were during the daytime. The FPV operator had seen what kind of vehicle he's attacking." On 8 August Dr Olga Yakovlieva, acting director of the Kostiantynivka Primary Health Care Center, a partner facility with Project Hope, died following a Russian attack on a medical service vehicle in Kostiantynivka, Donetsk Oblast, in eastern Ukraine. The medical vehicle had hospital markings and red crosses and was struck by a drone. Rabih Torbay, Project Hope's chief executive and president, said: "As President Trump prepares to meet with President Putin in Alaska this week, we urge him to defend the sanctity of health care by condemning Russia's deliberate targeting of health workers, ambulances, and health facilities - actions that are not only morally corrupt but are flagrant violations of International Humanitarian Law." The Scottish Emergency Rescue Association (SERA) has been delivering fire engines to the frontline for several years. SERA told Sky News: "We are forced to constantly request new fire engines, as they are easy targets for the enemy, and the number of attacks only continues to grow." Despite the dangers Kurchyk, the Kherson Regional Municipal Emergency Rescue Service head, is not planning to stop working. "It's difficult for everyone, but we all understand that we need to help people, and we put ourselves at risk, but we believe that we are rescuers and our job is to help," he said. Additional reporting by visual investigations producer Michelle Inez Simon, digital investigations journalist Kaitlin Tosh and OSINT producers Freya Gibson and Sam Doak. The Data and Forensics team is a multi-skilled unit dedicated to providing transparent journalism from Sky News. We gather, analyse and visualise data to tell data-driven stories. We combine traditional reporting skills with advanced analysis of satellite images, social media and other open source information. Through multimedia storytelling we aim to better explain the world while also showing how our journalism is done.
Yahoo
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Kyiv facing massive Russian attack, Ukraine says
Ukraine's capital Kyiv is again under a massive overnight Russian drone attack, local officials say, with at least 10 people reported injured and fires burning across the city. Authorities in Kyiv say drone wreckage has hit the roof of a residential building in the central Shevchenkivskyi district. Footage on social media, as yet unverified by the BBC, shows explosions in the night sky, as air defence units begin repelling the attack. Ukraine's military has also warned of a threat of a ballistic missile attack. Last night, Ukraine reported the biggest ever aerial attack from Russia, after 728 drones and 13 cruise or ballistic missiles struck cities around the country in multiple waves. In the early hours of Thursday, morning Kyiv's military administration reported Russian drone strikes in six city districts. "Residential buildings, vehicles, warehouses, office and non-residential buildings are burning," administration head Tymur Tkachenko said in a post on Telegram. He urged city residents to shelter until the air raid siren was lifted. Overnight, Ukraine's air force reported a threat of Russian drone attacks in a number of regions. It was not immediately clear whether there were any casualties outside Kyiv. Russia's military has not commented on the reported latest attack. In other developments: Ukraine's emergency service DSNS said late on Wednesday that three people had been killed in a Russian air strike in the town of Kostiantynivka - close to the front line in eastern Ukraine The US resumed sending some weapons to Ukraine, Reuters reported late on Wednesday, days after it halted shipments of some critical arms Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Russia's summer push in Ukraine targets three fronts but faces stern resistance Steve Rosenberg: Moscow shrugs off Trump's irritation with Putin
BBC News
10-07-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Kyiv hit by new massive Russian drone attack, Ukraine officials say
Ukraine's capital Kyiv is again under a massive overnight Russian drone attack, local officials say, with at least eight people reported injured and fires burning across the in Kyiv say drone wreckage has hit the roof of a residential building in the central Shevchenkivskyi on social media, as yet unverified by the BBC, shows explosions in the night sky, as air defence units begin repelling the attack. Ukraine's military has also warned of a threat of a ballistic missile night, Ukraine reported the biggest ever aerial attack from Russia, after 728 drones and 13 cruise or ballistic missiles struck cities around the country in multiple waves. In the early hours of Thursday, morning Kyiv's military administration reported Russian drone strikes in six city districts."Residential buildings, vehicles, warehouses, office and non-residential buildings are burning," administration head Tymur Tkachenko said in a post on urged city residents to shelter until the air raid siren was Ukraine's air force reported a threat of Russian drone attacks in a number of regions. It was not immediately clear whether there were any casualties outside military has not commented on the reported latest other developments:Ukraine's emergency service DSNS said late on Wednesday that three people had been killed in a Russian air strike in the town of Kostiantynivka - close to the front line in eastern UkraineThe US resumed sending some weapons to Ukraine, Reuters reported late on Wednesday, days after it halted shipments of some critical armsRussian President Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
BBC News
06-06-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Four people killed in Kyiv after large-scale Russian strikes in Ukraine
Russia launched large-scale drone and missile strikes on Ukraine's capital and other parts of the country early on Friday, local officials said. At least four people were killed in Kyiv and at least 20 have been injured, the city's mayor Vitaliy Klitschko raids also targeted the city of Lutsk and the Ternophil region in the north-west of the attack came after Russian President Vladimir Putin warned US President Donald Trump he would respond to Ukraine's recent strikes on Russian airbases. Three of the four people killed in Kyiv were rescue workers, according to Ukraine's state emergency service (DSNS). "They were working under attack to help people. Another nine rescue workers were wounded. Some seriously, and doctors are fighting to save their lives," DSNS said. Air raid alerts were in place in the capital, as well as the cities of Kharkiv, Sumy and Luhansk. Kyiv's train system was disrupted after shelling damaged metro of the capital, Ternopil's military chief Vyacheslav Negoda said Friday's strike was the "most massive air attack on our region to date".Mayor of Ternopil, Igor Polishchuk, said five people were wounded in the attack and there was damage to homes, schools and a government Lutsk, five people were injured in an attack using 15 drones and six missiles, according to mayor Ihor Polishchuk. Meanwhile, the Russian defence ministry said its air defences shot down 174 Ukrainian drones overnight in parts of Russia and occupied Crimea. The ministry said Neptune anti-ship cruise missiles were also intercepted over the Black Sea. Russia's latest attack on Ukraine comes days after Kyiv launched its biggest long-range drone strike on at least 40 Russian warplanes at four military president Volodymyr Zelensky said 117 drones were used in the so-called "Spider's Web" operation by the SBU security service, striking "34% of [Russia's] strategic cruise missile carriers".Moscow had previously said that military options were "on the table" for its response to Ukraine's attack.
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Russian strikes kill eight across Ukraine, officials say
At least eight people have been killed and more than 30 injured across Ukraine in overnight Russian drone and missile attacks, regional officials have said. Four deaths were reported in Ukraine's western Khmelnytskyi region. Three more deaths were reported in the Kyiv region, and one in the southern city of Mykolaiv. It comes a day after Kyiv suffered one of the heaviest assaults since the start of the Russian invasion, with Russian aerial attacks killing at least 13. Russia's defence ministry said its air defence units shot down or intercepted 95 Ukrainian drones over a number of Russian regions, including Moscow, during a four-hour period on Saturday night. No casualties were reported. The drone attack forced a brief suspension of all flights at Moscow's airports. Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, and Moscow currently controls about 20% of Ukrainian territory. This includes Crimea - Ukraine's southern peninsula annexed by Russia in 2014. Hectic two weeks leaves Russia confident - and peace in Ukraine feeling no closer Ukraine in maps: Tracking the war with Russia In a statement on Facebook, Khmelnytskyi regional head Serhiy Tyurin said four people were killed and another five were injured in the Russian attacks. "Six private houses were destroyed, and another 20 damaged," he added. Kyiv regional head Mykola Kalashnyk said three people were killed and 10 others were injured. He posted on social media photos of several houses set ablaze after the Russian strikes. In the capital Kyiv, local officials reported 11 injuries, multiple fires and damage to residential buildings, including a dormitory. Hundreds of people were seen sheltering in underground stations of the city's metro. It comes as the capital marks its annual Kyiv Day holiday on Sunday. In Mykolaiv, Ukraine's state emergencies service DSNS said the body of an elderly man was pulled out from a five-storey residential building hit by a drone. Another five people were injured. In Kharkiv, regional authorities reported three injuries. In Russia, the defence ministry said that Ukrainian drones targeted eight Russian regions. "From 20:00 Moscow time (17:00 GMT) on 24 May to 00:00 on 25 May, air defence units on duty destroyed and intercepted 95 Ukrainian aircraft-type unmanned aerial vehicles," the ministry said in a statement. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin reported that 12 drones heading towards the capital were shot down. He added that emergency services crews were deployed to assess damage caused by falling drone debris. In the Tula region, just south of Moscow, drone wreckage crashed in the courtyard of a residential building, smashing windows in a number of apartments, local governor Dmitriy Milyaev said. No-one was injured, he added. The attacks came as Russia and Ukraine take part in prisoner swaps agreed after talks between the two sides in Turkey. On Friday, Ukraine and Russia each handed over 390 soldiers and civilians in the biggest prisoner exchange since Russia launched its full-scale assault in February 2022. On Saturday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that another 307 Ukrainian prisoners had returned home as part of an exchange deal with the Kremlin. The two countries have agreed to swap a total of 1,000 prisoners each, and another exchange is expected on Sunday. The swap follows the first face-to-face talks between the two sides in three years, which took place in Turkey. Earlier this week, US President Donald Trump and Putin had a two-hour phone call to discuss a US-proposed Ukraine ceasefire deal. Trump said he believed the call had gone "very well", and added that Russia and Ukraine will "immediately start" negotiations toward a ceasefire and "an end to the war". However, Putin has only said Russia would work with Ukraine to craft a "memorandum" on a "possible future peace", and has not accepted a 30-day ceasefire. Thirteen killed in wave of Russian attacks across Ukraine Hectic two weeks leaves Russia confident - and peace in Ukraine feeling no closer
