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Hamilton Spectator
28-06-2025
- Politics
- Hamilton Spectator
A Russian drone strike on Odesa kills a married couple and injures 17 people, Ukraine says
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russian drones struck the southern Ukrainian port city of Odesa overnight, killing two people died and injuring at least 17, Ukrainian authorities said on Saturday. A drone slammed into a residential tower block in the city, causing damage to three floors and trapping residents, emergency services said. The two killed in the attack were a married couple, according to regional Gov. Oleh Kiper, who added that three children were among the injured. There was no immediate comment from Moscow. According to Russia's Defense Ministry, over 40 Ukrainian drones were shot down overnight and on Saturday morning over western Russia and Kremlin-occupied Crimea. Long-range drone strikes have been a hallmark of the war, now in its fourth year . The race by both sides to develop increasingly sophisticated and deadlier drones has turned the war into a testing ground for new weaponry . Ukrainian drones have pulled off some stunning feats. At the start of June, nearly a third of Moscow's strategic bomber fleet was destroyed or damaged in a covert Ukrainian operation using cheaply made drones sneaked into Russian territory. Smaller, short-range drones are used by both sides on the battlefield and in areas close to the roughly 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) front line. The U.N. Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine said in a report published Thursday that short-range drone attacks killed at least 395 civilians and injured 2,635 between the start of the war in February 2022 and April 2025. Almost 90% of the attacks were by the Russian armed forces, it reported. More than 13,300 civilians have died and over 34,700 have been injured in the war, the U.N. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights said a June 11 report. ___ Follow AP's coverage of the war in Ukraine at Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .


The Hill
27-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
Russia and Ukraine trade more long-range drone attacks that are a hallmark of their war
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russian forces launched 363 Shahed and decoy drones as well as eight missiles at Ukraine overnight, the Ukrainian air force said Friday, claiming that air defenses stopped all but four of the drones and downed six cruise missiles. Russia's Defense Ministry, meanwhile, said that 39 Ukrainian drones were downed in several regions overnight, including 19 over the Rostov region and 13 over the Volgograd region. Both regions lie east of Ukraine. Long-range drone strikes have been a hallmark of the war, now in its fourth year. The race by both sides to develop increasingly sophisticated and deadlier drones has turned the war into a testing ground for new weaponry. The Ukrainian air force said that 359 incoming drones were either intercepted or electronically jammed. The Ukrainian attack forced three Russian airports to briefly suspend flights, officials said. The authorities also briefly closed the Crimean Bridge overnight as drones targeted Crimea. Neither Russia nor Ukraine reported any major damage or casualties in the attacks. Russia manufactures Shahed drones based on an original Iranian model, churning out thousands of them at a plant in the Tatarstan region. It has upgraded the Shaheds with its own innovations, including bigger warheads. They are known as suicide drones because they nosedive into targets and explode on impact, like a missile. The incessant buzzing of the propeller-driven Shahed drones is unnerving for anyone under its flight path because no one on the ground knows exactly when or where the weapon will hit. Being outgunned and outnumbered in the war against its bigger neighbor, Ukraine also has developed its own cutting-edge drone technology, including long-range sea drones, and has trained thousands of drone pilots. Smaller, short-range drones are used by both sides on the battlefield and in areas close to the roughly 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) front line. Those drones, fitted with onboard cameras that give their operators a real-time view of possible targets, have also struck civilian areas. The U.N. Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine said in a report published Thursday that short-range drone attacks killed at least 395 civilians and injured 2,635 between the start of the war and last April. Almost 90% of the attacks were by the Russian armed forces, it reported. The strikes not only spread fear among civilians but also severely disrupt daily life by restricting movement and limiting access to food and medical services, the report said. ___ Follow AP's coverage of the war in Ukraine at


San Francisco Chronicle
27-06-2025
- Politics
- San Francisco Chronicle
Russia and Ukraine trade more long-range drone attacks that are a hallmark of their war
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russian forces launched 363 Shahed and decoy drones as well as eight missiles at Ukraine overnight, the Ukrainian air force said Friday, claiming that air defenses stopped all but four of the drones and downed six cruise missiles. Russia's Defense Ministry, meanwhile, said that 39 Ukrainian drones were downed in several regions overnight, including 19 over the Rostov region and 13 over the Volgograd region. Both regions lie east of Ukraine. Long-range drone strikes have been a hallmark of the war, now in its fourth year. The race by both sides to develop increasingly sophisticated and deadlier drones has turned the war into a testing ground for new weaponry. The Ukrainian air force said that 359 incoming drones were either intercepted or electronically jammed. The Ukrainian attack forced three Russian airports to briefly suspend flights, officials said. The authorities also briefly closed the Crimean Bridge overnight as drones targeted Crimea. Neither Russia nor Ukraine reported any major damage or casualties in the attacks. Russia manufactures Shahed drones based on an original Iranian model, churning out thousands of them at a plant in the Tatarstan region. It has upgraded the Shaheds with its own innovations, including bigger warheads. They are known as suicide drones because they nosedive into targets and explode on impact, like a missile. The incessant buzzing of the propeller-driven Shahed drones is unnerving for anyone under its flight path because no one on the ground knows exactly when or where the weapon will hit. Being outgunned and outnumbered in the war against its bigger neighbor, Ukraine also has developed its own cutting-edge drone technology, including long-range sea drones, and has trained thousands of drone pilots. Smaller, short-range drones are used by both sides on the battlefield and in areas close to the roughly 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) front line. Those drones, fitted with onboard cameras that give their operators a real-time view of possible targets, have also struck civilian areas. The U.N. Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine said in a report published Thursday that short-range drone attacks killed at least 395 civilians and injured 2,635 between the start of the war and last April. Almost 90% of the attacks were by the Russian armed forces, it reported. The strikes not only spread fear among civilians but also severely disrupt daily life by restricting movement and limiting access to food and medical services, the report said.


Winnipeg Free Press
27-06-2025
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
Russia and Ukraine trade more long-range drone attacks that are a hallmark of their war
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russian forces launched 363 Shahed and decoy drones as well as eight missiles at Ukraine overnight, the Ukrainian air force said Friday, claiming that air defenses stopped all but four of the drones and downed six cruise missiles. Russia's Defense Ministry, meanwhile, said that 39 Ukrainian drones were downed in several regions overnight, including 19 over the Rostov region and 13 over the Volgograd region. Both regions lie east of Ukraine. Long-range drone strikes have been a hallmark of the war, now in its fourth year. The race by both sides to develop increasingly sophisticated and deadlier drones has turned the war into a testing ground for new weaponry. The Ukrainian air force said that 359 incoming drones were either intercepted or electronically jammed. The Ukrainian attack forced three Russian airports to briefly suspend flights, officials said. The authorities also briefly closed the Crimean Bridge overnight as drones targeted Crimea. Neither Russia nor Ukraine reported any major damage or casualties in the attacks. Russia manufactures Shahed drones based on an original Iranian model, churning out thousands of them at a plant in the Tatarstan region. It has upgraded the Shaheds with its own innovations, including bigger warheads. They are known as suicide drones because they nosedive into targets and explode on impact, like a missile. The incessant buzzing of the propeller-driven Shahed drones is unnerving for anyone under its flight path because no one on the ground knows exactly when or where the weapon will hit. Being outgunned and outnumbered in the war against its bigger neighbor, Ukraine also has developed its own cutting-edge drone technology, including long-range sea drones, and has trained thousands of drone pilots. Smaller, short-range drones are used by both sides on the battlefield and in areas close to the roughly 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) front line. Those drones, fitted with onboard cameras that give their operators a real-time view of possible targets, have also struck civilian areas. The U.N. Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine said in a report published Thursday that short-range drone attacks killed at least 395 civilians and injured 2,635 between the start of the war and last April. Almost 90% of the attacks were by the Russian armed forces, it reported. The strikes not only spread fear among civilians but also severely disrupt daily life by restricting movement and limiting access to food and medical services, the report said. ___ Follow AP's coverage of the war in Ukraine at


Washington Post
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Washington Post
Ukraine ratifies U.S. minerals deal as fighting continues despite ceasefire
KYIV — Ukraine's parliament overwhelmingly voted to ratify a U.S.-Ukraine minerals deal signed on April 30 in a show of support for a closer relationship with Washington, even as a Russian-declared ceasefire failed to halt fighting in Moscow's three-year-old war on Ukraine. Of 347 Ukrainian lawmakers present, 338 voted to support the law, including some from opposition parties, and nine abstained. Ukraine hopes that the deal will secure long-term U.S. support for the country and lead to future U.S. security guarantees. The ratification took place on the first day of Russia's three-day unilateral ceasefire, which President Vladimir Putin declared to coincide with celebrations marking the surrender of Nazi Germany in World War II. Despite the Kremlin's declaration, Russian forces shelled two residential buildings and three homes in eastern and northeastern Ukraine, killing seven and injuring 28 on Thursday, Ukrainian authorities said. Three women driving in the Kharkiv region were also injured when a Russian drone stuck their car, according to local authorities. 'Putin's 'Parade ceasefire' proves to be a farce,' Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha wrote on social media. The Ukrainian armed forces also reported over 700 violations across the front lines, he said, adding: 'We will not let Putin fool anyone when he does not even keep his own word.' Russia's Defense Ministry accused Ukraine of violating the ceasefire 448 times. Ukraine never accepted the ceasefire. Russia has intensified its attacks on civilian areas since President Donald Trump took office in January and began to tout peace talks. The U.N. Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine said Thursday that April was the deadliest month since September, with 209 civilians killed and 1,146 injured. It said 19 of the fatalities were children and that 78 children were injured. 'One of the main reasons for the sharp rise in civilian casualties was the intensified use of ballistic missiles in major cities across the country,' Danielle Bell, the head of the mission, said in a statement accompanying the report. The economic partnership detailed in the minerals deal will entitle the United States to 50 percent of the profits generated from extracting Ukraine's vast mineral resources. Details of how the soon-to-be-established American-Ukrainian Reconstruction Investment Fund will work, and who will represent each side, are still being ironed out, officials from both countries have said. On Monday, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the Trump administration believes that the deal will create leverage against Russia in the long term. The agreement 'would be a symbol to Ukrainian people that the U.S. is still there,' Bessent said at the Milken Institute. 'It would be a symbol to a tired American public, skeptical of more financial commitments, that it was possible to have a shared prosperity with Ukraine.' In recent days, the Trump administration has backtracked on its previous statements that the war can be brought to an end quickly but said it remains committed to the process for now. Speaking at a meeting hosted by the Munich Security Conference in Washington on Wednesday, Vice President JD Vance conceded for the first time that Russia was 'asking for too much' and was not interested in the 30-day ceasefire that Washington had advocated. Abbakumova reported from Riga, Latvia.