Latest news with #droneAttack
Yahoo
05-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Russia brushes off talks after largest assault on Ukraine
Russia on Friday said that it sees no immediate diplomatic way out of the war in Ukraine, hours after pummelling the war-torn country with its largest ever drone and missile barrage of the invasion. The hours-long bombardments sent Ukrainians scurrying for shelters across the country and came after a call between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, which ended without a breakthrough. Trump also said he had made no progress in discussions with Putin on ending more than three years of bitter fighting since the Kremlin ordered its troops into neighbouring Ukraine. Earlier, AFP journalists in Kyiv heard drones buzzing over the capital and explosions ringing out throughout the night as Ukrainian air defence systems fended off the attack. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky also spoke to Trump and said they agreed to work on bolstering the country's defences against aerial bombardment. "We spoke about opportunities in air defence and agreed that we will work together to strengthen protection of our skies," Zelensky said on social media after the call. Tymur, a Kyiv resident who said he had experienced previous Russian attacks, told AFP that the assault in the early hours of Friday felt different from others. "Nothing like this attack had ever happened before. There have never been so many explosions," he said. The Kremlin said Friday it was "preferable" to achieve the goals of its invasion through political and diplomatic means. "But as long as that is not possible, we are continuing the special operation," spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in a briefing, referring to Russia's invasion. - 'War and terror' - Zelensky said air alerts began echoing out across the country as the Trump-Putin call was getting under way. "Yet again, Russia is showing it has no intention of ending the war and terror," he said on social media. He urged the United States in particular to increase pressure on Moscow, which on Friday announced fresh territorial gains on the front line with the capture of a village in the Donetsk region. Poland said its embassy building in Kyiv had been damaged in the attack but that staff were unharmed. Germany's foreign ministry meanwhile said that the timing of the attack showed that Moscow was continuing to "rely on brute force". "Ukraine needs more to defend itself, not less," the ministry said on social media. Berlin was exploring the possibility of purchasing more Patriot air defence systems from the United States for Ukraine, a German government spokesman told reporters. In Kyiv, one person was pulled from the rubble after the strikes, which also wounded at least 26 people, emergency services said. The barrage, according to the air force, comprised 539 drones and 11 missiles. A representative of Ukraine's air force told Ukrainian media that the attack was the largest of the Russian invasion. - 'Complete disregard' - Overnight Russia attacks have escalated over recent weeks. An AFP tally found Moscow launched a record number of drones and missiles at Ukraine in June, when direct peace talks between Kyiv and Moscow appeared to stall. In Kyiv, AFP journalists saw dozens of residents of the capital taking shelter in a metro station. Yuliia Golovnina, who said she sheltered at the metro regularly, described the worry that came with hearing an explosion during an attack. "Will there be another one? Will something collapse on you?" the 47-year-old said. "In those seconds, you just hold your breath and wait to see what happens next," she added. In Kyiv, concerns mounted over whether the US would continue delivering military aid, which is key to Ukraine's ability to fend off the drone and missile barrages. The US announced this week it was reducing some of its aid deliveries. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said this was a clear signal that the 27-nation European Union needed to "step up". Ukraine has also ramped up its retaliatory strikes in Russia, where a woman was killed by a Ukrainian drone attack overnight, the acting governor of the Rostov region said. Talks, spearheaded by the United States to secure a ceasefire, have stalled. Delegations from the two sides last met more than a month ago, when they agreed to exchange 1,000 prisoners each. Russia announced a fresh swap of prisoners of war with Ukraine on Friday as part of that agreement. bur-mmp/cad/phz/jhb
Al Jazeera
03-07-2025
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 1,225
Here is how things stand on Thursday, July 3: Fighting A woman in her 70s was killed and two people were injured when debris from a destroyed Ukrainian drone fell on a residential building in Russia's southwestern region of Lipetsk, Regional Governor Igor Artamonov said on Thursday. Russia has made incursions near two towns, Pokrovsk and Kostiantynivka, that are crucial to army supply routes in eastern Ukraine, Viktor Trehubov, a spokesperson for the Khortytsia group of forces, told the Reuters news agency. Trehubov said Russian forces are carrying out 'constant attacks with the intent of breaking through' to the border of the Dnipropetrovsk region, according to Reuters. Russia's air defence systems destroyed 69 Ukrainian drones overnight, Russia's state-owned RIA Novosti reported early on Thursday. Weapons Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it had called in the acting US envoy to Kyiv, Keith Kellogg, to stress the importance of US military aid after the Pentagon decided to halt some shipments of critical weapons over concerns that stockpiles are running low. 'The Ukrainian side emphasised that any delay or procrastination in supporting Ukraine's defence capabilities will only encourage the aggressor to continue the war and terror, rather than seek peace,' the Foreign Ministry said. Deputy White House Press Secretary Anna Kelly said the halt to some shipments was made 'to put America's interests first' following a Department of Defense review of military support around the world. Politics, diplomacy and media Russia is using an online media outlet to sow discord in Germany as part of disinformation efforts being carried out alongside its war in Ukraine, the German Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday. Russia is using an online media outlet to sow discord in Germany as part of disinformation efforts being carried out alongside its war in Ukraine, the German Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday. The outlet, Red, portrays itself as a 'revolutionary platform for independent journalists' but has 'close links' with the Russian state media outlet RT, a ministry spokesperson told reporters in Berlin. The European Union's top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, warned that Chinese businesses' support for Russia's war posed a threat to European security, the EU's diplomatic service said in a statement, following a meeting between Kallas and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. Kallas urged China 'to immediately cease all material support that sustains Russia's military industrial complex' and support 'a full and unconditional ceasefire' and a 'just and lasting peace in Ukraine', the statement said.
Times of Oman
17-06-2025
- Politics
- Times of Oman
Cross-border attacks continue between Iran, Israel amid diplomatic push for de-escalation
Tehran: The exchange of attacks between Israel and Iran continued on Tuesday in a dangerous escalation threatening the region, amid regional and international efforts to contain the crisis. Iran's Tasnim News Agency reported on Tuesday that an Israeli drone launched an attack with four missiles on an industrial area in the city of Tabriz, northwestern Iran. The agency stated, "An Israeli aggression drone targeted an industrial zone in Tabriz with four missiles, resulting in an explosion in the area." It added that Iranian air defences continue to intercept Israeli targets in the city's airspace. Meanwhile, an Iranian security official announced on Tuesday the downing of an Israeli drone in the Kashan area of Isfahan province, near the Natanz nuclear facility. Akbar Salahi, the security deputy of Isfahan's governor, told reporters that locally made "3 Khordad" air defence systems intercepted an Israeli drone in one of the defensive layers around the Natanz nuclear site, in addition to shooting down several small flying objects in Isfahan. The fortified Natanz facility had previously been targeted in multiple attacks by Israel last Friday, leading to radioactive and chemical contamination that "did not leak outside the facility," according to Iranian authorities. In another development, an Israeli strike on the headquarters of Iran's state television in Tehran on Monday killed at least three people, according to a toll broadcast by the station on Tuesday. The channel reported that "three television employees were killed and others were wounded in the Israeli attack," without specifying the number of injuries. On the other hand, Israeli media reported that Iran launched a missile barrage this morning, hitting several areas in Haifa, Tel Aviv, and Herzliya, causing casualties and material damage. Israeli outlets stated that Herzliya came under intense missile fire, with between 20 and 30 missiles launched from Iran, one of which directly struck an eight-storey residential building, causing significant damage and thick plumes of smoke. Israeli emergency services reported that 10 people were injured while heading to shelters following the missile launches. Tehran and other Iranian cities have been under widespread attack by Israeli forces since last Friday, with Iran responding with repeated missile strikes on Israeli territory. Amid the escalating tensions, GCC Secretary-General Jassim Al-Budaiwi discussed the latest developments in the Middle East and de-escalation efforts with United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres. The GCC Secretariat General stated in a statement on Tuesday that the two officials reviewed several regional and international issues of mutual concern, primarily the developments in the war between Israel and Iran and ongoing efforts to achieve calm and enhance security and stability. Al-Budaiwi affirmed the GCC states' commitment to supporting international and UN efforts, as reflected in the statement issued by the 48th extraordinary ministerial meeting of the GCC held on Monday regarding regional developments. He stressed that the ministerial statement emphasised the necessity of an immediate ceasefire to preserve regional security and stability, urging all parties to work jointly toward de-escalation and adopt diplomacy as an effective means to resolve conflicts while exercising maximum restraint to spare the region and its people the dangers of war. For his part, Guterres commended the GCC's positive role in supporting de-escalation efforts and promoting regional security, according to the statement. He reiterated the UN's aspiration to strengthen cooperation with the GCC in various priority areas. Separately, leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) industrial nations called for de-escalation and a "broader cessation of hostilities" in the Middle East. In a statement following a meeting in Canada last night (Monday), the G7 leaders said, "We, the G7 leaders, reaffirm our commitment to peace and stability in the Middle East, as well as the importance of protecting civilians."
LBCI
15-06-2025
- Politics
- LBCI
Tehran police headquarters hit in Israeli attack: Iran media
Iranian media said an Israeli strike hit the Tehran police headquarters in the city center on Sunday, as the two foes exchanged fire for a third day. "The Greater Tehran Police Command was hit by one of the enemy's drones," ISNA news agency reported, citing a police statement. It added that the attack caused "minor damage" and injured "a number" of police personnel. AFP
Reuters
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
Ukraine's military says it struck Russia's Tambov gunpowder plant
KYIV, June 11 (Reuters) - The Ukrainian military said on Wednesday that it had struck a major Russian gunpowder plant in the western Tambov region overnight, causing a fire at the site. The Ukrainian military characterised the plant as one of the main facilities in Russia's military industrial complex. "It produces gunpowder for various types of small arms, artillery and rocket systems," it said in a statement on Telegram. Tambov regional Governor Yevgeny Pervyshov said early on Wednesday that Russian defences had repelled a "massive attack" by Ukrainian drones on the town of Kotovsk, which independent Russian media identified as the site of a gunpowder plant. He said one downed drone had caused a fire but no casualties, and the situation was under control. Pervyshov also told people not to film and publish images of air defence operations and attempted attacks, as this would provide "direct assistance to the enemy." The Tambov gunpowder plant produces propellant powders used in charges for ammunition for 122 mm and 152 mm howitzers, according to a report from the Royal United Services Institute and the Open Source Centre. The Ukrainian military also said that it recorded explosions at an ammunition depot in Russia's Kursk region and an airfield depot in Russia's Voronezh region. Reuters was not able to independently confirm the incidents.
