Latest news with #MinistryofDefense
Chicago Tribune
an hour ago
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
2 killed in Russian attacks on Ukraine as prospects for talks remain uncertain
KYIV, Ukraine — Russian drone and missile attacks on Ukraine on Saturday killed at least two people, including a 9-year-old girl, officials said, as uncertainty remains about whether Kyiv diplomats will attend a new round of peace talks proposed by Moscow for early next week in Istanbul. Russian troops launched some 109 drones and five missiles across Ukraine overnight and into Saturday, the Ukrainian air force said. Three of the missiles and 42 drones were destroyed and another 30 drones failed to reach their targets without causing damage, it said. The girl was killed in a strike on the front-line village of Dolynka in the Zaporizhzhia region, and a 16-year-old was injured, Zaporizhzhia's Gov. Ivan Fedorov said. 'One house was destroyed. The shockwave from the blast also damaged several other houses, cars, and outbuildings,' Fedorov wrote on Telegram. A man was killed by Russian shelling in Ukraine's Kherson region, Gov. Oleksandr Prokudin wrote on Telegram. Moscow did not comment on either attack. Russia's Ministry of Defense said Saturday that it had gained control of the Ukrainian village of Novopil in the Donetsk region, and took the village of Vodolahy in the northern Sumy region. Ukrainian authorities in Sumy ordered mandatory evacuations in 11 more settlements as Russian forces make steady gains in the area. The new additions bring the total number of settlements under evacuation orders in Sumy, which borders Russia's Kursk region, to 213. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said some 50,000 Russian troops have amassed in the area with the intention of launching an offensive to carve out a buffer zone inside Ukrainian territory. Speaking Saturday, Ukraine's top army chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said that Russian forces were focusing their main offensive efforts on Pokrovsk, Toretsk and Lyman in the Donetsk region, as well as the Sumy border area. Syrskyi also said Ukrainian forces are still holding territory in Russia's Kursk region, a statement that Moscow has repeatedly denied. Russia said on April 26 that it had pushed all Ukrainian troops from the Kursk region after Ukrainian troops seized land there during a surprise incursion in August 2024. 'The enemy is holding its best units here,' Syrskyi said referring to Kursk, 'which it planned to use in the east.' Elsewhere, 14 people were injured including four children after Ukrainian drones struck apartment buildings Saturday in the Russian town of Rylsk and the village of Artakovo in the western Kursk region, local acting Gov. Alexander Khinshtein said. Andrii Yermak, a top adviser to Zelenskyy, said Friday that Kyiv was ready to resume direct peace talks with Russia in Istanbul on Monday but that the Kremlin should first provide a promised memorandum setting out its position on ending the more than three-year war. Zelenskyy said Friday that Russia was 'undermining diplomacy' by withholding the document. 'For some reason, the Russians are concealing this document. This is an absolutely bizarre position. There is no clarity about the format,' Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram. Moscow previously said it would share its memorandum during the talks.
Saba Yemen
2 hours ago
- Business
- Saba Yemen
Source in Ministry of Defense calls on investors, companies operating in Zionist entity to leave quickly, environment will not be safe
Sana'a - (Saba): Source in the Ministry of Defense confirmed that foreign investors and companies operating in the Zionist entity should leave quickly, as the environment will not be safe. It is best to do so while the opportunity remains. The source said, "Our missiles are designed to fragment if intercepted, hitting more targets, rendering the Zionist enemy's systems useless. Every Zionist should be on their guard against their downfall." The source also emphasized that Yemen's missiles will not cease targeting the criminal Zionist entity until the aggression is halted and the siege on our people in Gaza is lifted. Whatsapp Telegram Email Print
Libya Review
3 hours ago
- Business
- Libya Review
Italian Report: Libya Becomes Strategic Platform for Turkish Ambitions
Turkey is taking advantage of Libya's ongoing turmoil to strengthen its position across the southern Mediterranean, according to a new report published by the Italian Institute for International Relations (IAI). The report describes how Ankara has steadily increased its presence in Libya, using the lack of political unity and security in the country to advance its long-term regional plans. Over the past few years, Turkish influence in Libya has grown through military, political, and economic channels. This approach reflects earlier strategic thinking from former Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu, who placed Libya at the center of Turkey's regional ambitions. According to the IAI, the Libyan conflict has provided the Turkish government with an opening to reinforce its role in North Africa and secure its access to energy and maritime assets in the Mediterranean. The recent outbreak of violence in Tripoli, following the death of militia leader Abdulghani al-Kikli, gave Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbaiba stronger control over the capital. Several armed groups connected to the Ministry of Defense, including Brigade 444, Brigade 111, and the Joint Operations Force, tightened their grip. Many of these groups maintain strong links with Ankara. The report suggests that the removal of al-Kikli may have created a more favorable environment for Dbaiba and, by extension, for Turkey. At the same time, Turkey has adjusted its approach across Libya. While maintaining close ties with the government in Tripoli, Ankara has also opened channels in the east. Turkish representatives have visited Benghazi, and Ankara has invested in infrastructure and construction projects in areas controlled by the rival administration. The report also connects this strategy shift to the recent thaw in Turkish-Egyptian relations. Since the September 2024 meeting between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, both sides have spoken of working together to calm tensions in Libya and support a unified government. However, Turkey's ongoing military cooperation with Dbaiba, particularly through a defense agreement granting Turkish forces access to Libyan airspace, ports, and territory, has raised concerns in Cairo. The IAI warns that other powers, especially Egypt and Russia, may push back against Turkey's moves. Both countries remain active in eastern Libya and continue to support their allies there. Russia retains a strong military presence despite the war in Ukraine, and Egypt is still seeking to protect its influence, even after resuming talks with Ankara. The report concludes that Libya is becoming a battleground not just for local rivals, but for broader competition involving Turkey, Russia, Egypt, and the European Union, especially over migration, oil, and control of key maritime routes. Tags: EgyptItalylibyaMediterraneanTurkey
Saudi Gazette
6 hours ago
- Politics
- Saudi Gazette
Russian strikes kill 2 in Ukraine as uncertainty surrounds Istanbul peace talks
KYIV — Russian forces launched a massive wave of drone and missile attacks across Ukraine early Saturday, killing at least two people, including a 9-year-old girl, and injuring several others, as questions mount over the future of Russian-proposed peace talks in Istanbul. Ukraine's air force reported that Russian troops fired 109 drones and five missiles overnight. Of those, three missiles and 42 drones were intercepted, while another 30 drones failed to reach their targets. In the Zaporizhzhia region, a strike on the village of Dolynka killed a young girl and injured a 16-year-old, according to Governor Ivan Fedorov. 'One house was destroyed, and the blast damaged several nearby homes and vehicles,' he said. Separately, a man was killed by shelling in the Kherson region, according to local authorities. The Russian Ministry of Defense has not issued a statement on either incident. Meanwhile, Moscow claimed new territorial gains in eastern and northern Ukraine, stating that its forces had captured the villages of Novopil in Donetsk and Vodolahy in the Sumy region. In response, Ukraine's military issued new mandatory evacuation orders for 11 settlements in Sumy, bringing the total to 213. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that some 50,000 Russian troops have amassed in the border region, possibly in preparation for a fresh offensive aimed at establishing a buffer zone. Ukrainian military chief Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi said Russia's main efforts are currently concentrated in Pokrovsk, Torets, Lyman, and Sumy. He also claimed Ukrainian troops are still holding ground in Russia's Kursk region, a claim denied by Moscow. Inside Russia, local officials reported that 14 people—including four children—were injured after Ukrainian drone strikes hit apartment buildings in the town of Rylsk and the village of Artakovo in the Kursk region. On the diplomatic front, Kyiv signaled readiness to resume direct peace talks with Moscow in Istanbul on Monday. However, Ukrainian officials say Russia has yet to deliver a promised memorandum outlining its stance on ending the war. 'It's bizarre and undermines diplomacy,' said President Zelenskyy, referring to the Kremlin's failure to share the document. Moscow had previously committed to presenting the memorandum during the next round of talks. The proposed Istanbul meeting is part of broader efforts to halt the war, now in its fourth year, as Russia pushes on multiple fronts and Ukraine continues to seek international support for its defense. — Agencies
The Hindu
10 hours ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
At least 2 killed in Russian attacks on Ukraine as prospects for talks remain uncertain
Russia's drone and missile attacks on Ukraine on Saturday (May 31, 2025) killed at least two people, including a 9-year-old girl, officials said, as uncertainty remains whether Kyiv diplomats will attend a new round of peace talks proposed by Moscow for early next week in Istanbul. Russian troops launched some 109 drones and five missiles across Ukraine overnight and into Saturday, the Ukrainian air force said. Three of the missiles and 42 drones were destroyed and another 30 drones failed to reach their targets without causing damage, it said. A 9-year-old girl was killed in a strike on the front-line village of Dolynka in the Zaporizhzhia region, and a 16-year-old was injured, Zaporizhzhia's Gov. Ivan Fedorov said. 'One house was destroyed. The shockwave from the blast also damaged several other houses, cars, and outbuildings,' Fedorov wrote on Telegram. Another man was killed by Russian shelling in Ukraine's Kherson region, Gov. Oleksandr Prokudin wrote on Telegram. Moscow did not comment on either attack. Russia's Ministry of Defense said Saturday that it had gained control of the Ukrainian village of Novopil in the Donetsk region, and took the village of Vodolahy in the northern Sumy region. Ukrainian authorities in Sumy ordered mandatory evacuations in 11 more settlements as Russian forces make steady gains in the area. The new additions bring the total number of settlements under evacuation orders in Sumy, which borders Russia's Kursk region, to 213. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said some 50,000 Russian troops had amassed in the area with the intention of launching an offensive to carve out a buffer zone inside Ukrainian territory. Elsewhere, 14 people were injured including four children after Ukrainian drones struck apartment buildings Saturday in the Russian town of Rylsk and the village of Artakovo in the western Kursk region, local acting Gov. Alexander Khinshtein said. Andrii Yermak, a top adviser to Zelenskyy, said Friday that Kyiv was ready to resume direct peace talks with Russia in Istanbul on Monday but that the Kremlin should first provide a promised memorandum setting out its position on ending the more than three-year war. Mr. Zelenskyy said Friday that Russia was 'undermining diplomacy' by withholding the document. 'For some reason, the Russians are concealing this document. This is an absolutely bizarre position. There is no clarity about the format,' Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram. Moscow previously said it would share its memorandum during the talks.
