Politics
Ukraine updates: Russia says dozens of drones target Moscow
Published
2 months agoon
By
Ekwutos BlogThe Kremlin said 70 Ukrainian drones were intercepted by Russian air defense in six regions. Meanwhile, the EU’s top diplomat vowed “unwavering” support for Kyiv after Donald Trump’s reelection.
Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin said Russia’s air defense destroyed dozens of Ukrainian drones heading for the capital region.
Three of Moscow’s airports, including Sheremetyevo International Airport, temporarily suspended operations amid the assault.
It was the largest attack on the capital since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
The Russian Defense Ministry said it had downed 70 drones across six regions overnight.
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s military said its air defense downed 62 out of 145 Russian drones launched on its territory overnight — the most by Moscow in any nighttime attack.
Ukraine’s top military commander, Oleksandr Syrskyi, said reports suggest North Korean troops were preparing for combat alongside Russian forces in Ukraine.
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell made his first visit to Kyiv since Donald Trump’s US presidential election victory, promising Brussels’ “unwavering” support to Ukraine.
Here are the latest developments in Russia’s war in Ukraine on Sunday, November 10:
Russia, Ukraine step up drone warfare
Russia and Ukraine have intensified drone attacks against each other, sending out unprecedented numbers of the uncrewed aircraft.
The Ukrainian port city of Odesa was the main target of Russia’s attacks.
Watch DW’s full report here:
Biden to lobby Trump administration to support Ukraine
US President Joe Biden will lobby the incoming Trump administration to continue supporting Ukraine against Russia, the White House’s national security adviser said on Sunday.
Biden and Trump will meet at the Oval Office next Wednesday to discuss the transition process.
“The President will have the chance to explain to [President-elect] Trump how he sees things, where they stand,” and talk to Trump about how he would take on these issues once in office, Jake Sullivan said in an interview on CBS show Face the Nation.
A key topic will likely be Russia’s war in Ukraine.
“President Biden will have the opportunity over the next 70 days to make the case to the Congress and to the incoming administration that the United States should not walk away from Ukraine, that walking away from Ukraine means more instability in Europe,” Sullivan said.
Sullivan also said the White House plans to spend its remaining $6 billion (€5.6 billion) of Ukraine funding before the end of Biden’s term in January.
The Biden administration’s prime goal was “to put Ukraine in the strongest possible position on the battlefield so that it is ultimately in the strongest possible position at the negotiating table,” Sullivan said.
https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/1855650332505973110?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1855650332505973110%7Ctwgr%5E0e0753e022fe2c3fcf78ebef34a309243103a249%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dw.com%2Fen%2Fukraine-updates-russia-says-dozens-of-drones-target-moscow%2Flive-70745418
Kremlin sees ‘positive signals’ from Trump’s election
The Kremlin said it sees “positive signals” from the election of Donald Trump as US president.
“During his campaign, Trump spoke of achieving things through deals, that he could make a deal that would lead to peace,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said.
“At least he is talking about peace. He’s not talking about confrontation, he’s not talking about wanting to deal Russia a strategic defeat. And that distinguishes him in a favorable way from the current administration.”
However, Peskov said that it is nevertheless hard to predict “to what extent he’s going to stick to statements that he made on the campaign trail.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin previously said he was “ready” to hold talks with Trump.
Putin finalizes North Korea defense deal
Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed off on a landmark defense pact with North Korea, as reports suggest that Pyongyang has sent thousands of troops to fight against Ukraine.
The Kremlin published the signed law ratifying the treaty on its website on Saturday evening.
Putin struck the deal during a visit to North Korea in June, which the Russian leader hailed as a “breakthrough document.”
The pact obliges both states to provide military assistance “without delay” in the case of an attack on the other.
It also commits them to cooperate to oppose Western sanctions and coordinate positions at the United Nations.
South Korea, Ukraine and the West have said that North Korea has deployed around 10,000 troops to Russia.
Ukraine’s top military commander Oleksandr Syrskyi said Sunday that the North Korean soldiers were currently being readied for the front line, citing intelligence reports.
Zelenskyy says Russia carried out largest overnight drone attack since war began
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia fired 145 drones at Ukraine overnight, the most in any single night-time attack of the war so far.
“Last night, Russia launched a record 145 Shaheds and other strike drones against Ukraine,” Zelenskyy said on social media.
He then noted how Russian forces had used more than 800 guided aerial bombs, around 600 strike drones, and nearly 20 missiles of various types on Ukraine over the past week.
He then called for Kyiv’s allies to increase supplies to help protect the country’s skies, in an apparent message to US President-elect Donald Trump who has vowed to reduce support to Ukraine and negotiate a speedy end to the war once he takes office in January.
“Such terror cannot be stopped with words, and the killing of children and the loss of loved ones cannot simply be forgotten,.” Zelenskyy said. “Security from terror is impossible without bold decisions — this is clear for every country. Without justice, there is no lasting peace, and it is quite realistic for Ukraine to achieve it.”
Russia claims control of eastern Ukraine’s Vovchenko
Russian forces captured the Ukrainian village of Vovchenko, the Defense Ministry in Moscow claimed.
“Units of the Centre armed group have liberated the town of Voltchenka,” the ministry said, using the Russian spelling of the Ukraine village Vovchenko.
It is not possible to verify the claim. Ukraine rarely admits any loss of territory until weeks afterward.
Vovchenko is located in the eastern Donetsk region, on the Vovcha River, around five kilometers (three miles) from the industrial city of Kurakhove.
Kurakhove has become the new Bakhmut, which Russia captured in May 2023 following a monthslong war of attrition.
Russia says it shot down 70 Ukrainian drones over 6 regions
Russia said it had downed 70 Ukrainian drones over six regions, including 34 around the Russian capital Moscow.
The Russian Defense Ministry said on Telegram that the attack had occurred between 7 am and 10 am local time on Sunday (0400 and 0700 GMT/UTC).
The other regions targeted were Tula, Bryansk, Kaluga, Oryol and Kursk regions, the ministry said.
The Moscow attack was the largest in the region since Russia began its offensive in Ukraine in 2022.
The drone strikes forced the temporary closure of three Moscow airports, injured a 52-year-old woman and set two homes on fire in a village in the Moscow region, officials said.
UK: Russia suffered 1,500 casualties a day in October
The United Kingdom’s chief of defense Admiral Tony Radakin said Russia was paying an “extraordinary price” for President Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine.
Radakin said Moscow’s forces suffered an average of around 1,500 dead and injured per day in Ukraine during October, telling the BBC that it was the worst month for losses since the conflict began.
“Russia is about to suffer 700,000 people killed or wounded — the enormous pain and suffering that the Russian nation is having to bear because of Putin’s ambition,” he said.
Radakin said that while Russia was making gains and putting pressure on Ukraine, the losses were “for tiny increments of land,” while the country’s huge increased defense spending was “an enormous drain” on the economy.
Ukraine says it downed 62 out of record 145 Russian drones
Ukraine’s air defense downed 62 out of the record 145 Russian drones launched overnight, the Ukrainian military said.
The air force said it lost track of 67 drones, adding that 10 drones left Ukraine’s airspace in the direction of Russia, Moldova and Belarus.
Russia shoots down several drones heading for Moscow, says mayor
Ukraine launched at least 34 drones targeting Moscow early on Sunday, forcing the temporary closure of the capital’s airports, Russian officials said.
Mayor Sergey Sobyanin said 12 of the drones were destroyed in the Ramenskoye and Kolomensky districts of the Moscow region, as well as in Domodedovo city, southwest of Moscow.
“At the moment, 32 drones flying to Moscow have been destroyed,” Sobyanin added, before another Russian official increased the number to 34.
“According to preliminary information, there is no damage or casualties at the site of the fall of the debris,” Sobyanin said on the Telegram messaging app. “Emergency services are on the sites.”
Ramenskoye, some 45 kilometers (30 miles) southeast of the Kremlin, was last targeted in Ukraine’s biggest attack on Moscow in September, when Russia destroyed 20 drones.
Rosaviatsia, Russia’s federal air transport agency, said on Telegram that temporary restrictions were introduced at Domodedovo and Zhukovo airports to protect civilian aircraft. Later, Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport also said it had temporarily stopped taking flights.
Russia’s Bryansk, Kaluga regions hit by Ukrainian drones
Several buildings caught fire in Russia’s Kaluga and Bryansk regions after overnight drone attacks by Kyiv’s forces, Russian regional governors said.
“Emergency services and firefighters are on the site,” Alexander Bogomaz, governor of the Russian border region of Bryansk, wrote on the Telegram messaging app.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said its air defense units had destroyed 23 Ukrainian drones overnight, including 17 over Bryansk.
Ukraine’s military wrote on Telegram that the drone strike caused a large fire and at least eight explosions.
Vladislav Shapsha, governor of the Kaluga region, which borders the Moscow region, said a non-residential building in the region was on fire following the drone strikes.
Ukraine has often said its drone attacks on Russian territory are aimed at infrastructure key to Moscow’s war efforts.
Two hurt in Russian air attack on Odesa, Kyiv says
At least two people were injured and buildings were damaged in an overnight Russian drone attack on Ukraine’s southern region of Odesa, Ukrainian officials said.
“The enemy has once again launched a massive attack on our region,” the State Emergency Service of Ukraine in the Odesa region said on its social media account.
The agency said garages with cars and property were on fire and that residential buildings and shops were damaged.
Oleh Kiper, governor of the region on the Black Sea coast, said, without providing further detail, that the attack caused some fires.
Video footage posted by the emergency services showed residents gathered in front of a building watching as firefighters combed through a pile of building debris.
Ukraine commander: North Korean troops nearing combat readiness
Reports suggest North Korean troops are preparing for combat alongside Russian forces in Ukraine, Kyiv’s top military commander said.
“We have numerous reports of North Korean soldiers preparing to participate in combat operations alongside Russian Forces,” Oleksandr Syrskyi wrote on Facebook.
He was speaking after a conversation with Christopher Cavoli, a senior US general who heads the US European Command.
Syrskyi said the situation in frontline sectors in the war against Russia remained “difficult and show signs of escalation.”
EU’s Borrell reaffirms support for Ukraine after Trump win
The European Union’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell pledged “unwavering” support for Ukraine, on the first visit by a top Brussels official to Kyiv after Donald Trump’s win.
“The clear purpose of this visit is to express European Union support to Ukraine — this support remains unwavering,” Borrell told journalists.
“This support is absolutely needed for you to continue defending yourself against Russian aggression.”
During the US presidential election campaign, Trump cast doubt on maintaining US military and financial aid to Ukraine and said he could pressure both sides to cut a quick deal to end the war.
“Nobody knows exactly what the new administration is going to do,” Borrell said, pointing out that incumbent Joe Biden still has two months in the White House to make decisions.
The EU diplomat, who himself leaves office next month, called for additional weapons, training and more speedy deliveries to Ukraine from its allies.
Europe together has spent around $125 billion (€117 billion) on supporting Ukraine since Russia’s 2022 invasion, while the United States alone has delivered more than $90 billion, according to a tracker from the Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW-Kiel).
mm/wmr (AFP, AP, dpa, Reuters)
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Politics
Zelensky dampens hopes Trump could strike peace deal with Putin
Published
6 hours agoon
January 22, 2025By
Ekwutos BlogVolodymyr Zelensky has insisted that Ukraine will never recognise occupied Ukrainian territories as being part of Russia, even if pressured to do so by allies, dampening hopes that Donald Trump may be able to strike a peace deal.
‘No matter what anyone wants, even if all the allies in the world unite, we will never recognise the occupied territories [as part of Russia]. This is impossible,’ the Ukrainian president emphasised.
‘We will not legally recognise them. For us, they will always remain occupied territories until we liberate them.’
Trump, who took office for a second term on Monday and was last in power before Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, has repeatedly said he could end the war swiftly, without specifying how.
His newly-appointed Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Tuesday that ending the war was a priority for the president, but would only be possible if both sides make significant concessions.
‘Anytime you bring an end to a conflict between two sides, neither of whom can achieve their maximum goals, each side is going to have to give up something,’ he told CNN, adding that ultimately the decision would be down to the Ukrainians and Russians.
It comes after Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said today that Moscow sees a small window of opportunity to forge agreements with the new US administration.
‘We cannot say anything today about the degree of the incoming administration’s capacity to negotiate, but still, compared to the hopelessness in every aspect of the previous White House chief (Joe Biden), there is a window of opportunity today, albeit a small one,’ Ryabkov said, according to Interfax.
‘It’s therefore important to understand with what and whom we will have to deal, how best to build relations with Washington, how best to maximise opportunities and minimise risks,’ he said, speaking at the Institute for US and Canadian Studies, a think-tank in Moscow.
Trump warned on Tuesday that he would likely impose more sanctions on Russia if President Vladimir Putin refused to negotiate to end the nearly three-year-old conflict.
He gave no details on the possible additional sanctions on Russia, which is already under significant Western sanctions over the war.
The new president also issued a blow to the Kremlin on Tuesday, accusing Putin of ‘destroying Russia‘ with his failed war as he urged him to ‘make a deal’ to end the conflict.
‘He has to make a deal. I think he is destroying Russia by not making a deal,’ Trump said in a stark warning to the dictator.
‘I think Russia is going to be in big trouble,’ he added, saying that Putin ‘can’t be thrilled that he’s not doing so well.’
‘I mean, he works hard, but most people thought the war would be over in about a week, and now it’s been three years, right?’
The Russian economy was sinking, he went on, with inflation a major threat.
Putin, 72, earlier said he was ready to engage with Trump but still insisted on an outcome favouring Russia.
‘We are open to dialogue with the new US administration on the Ukrainian conflict. The most important thing here is to eliminate the root causes of the crisis,’ said the Russian ruler. An initial phone call is expected by Moscow to take place soon.
Trump said Zelensky was ready for a deal to halt the debilitating conflict, and the 78-year-old US leader said he planned to meet Putin with whom he had a ‘great relationship’ during his first term.
‘We’re going to try to do it as quickly as possible. You know, the war between Russia and Ukraine should never have started.’
After months of Ukraine occupying parts of Russia’s Kursk region as it aims to improve its position in the event of talks, Zelensky stated that any dialogue could only go ahead with Kyiv in a position of strength.
‘Putin cannot be treated as legitimate in this situation. He has violated everything. He must understand his transgression,’ the Ukrainian president said today, adding that if Putin was ‘approached as an equal – that would be a loss for Ukraine.’
But, he said, his government’s top priority was to find a way to halt the war, which has claimed the lives of at least 43,000 Ukrainian soldiers, according to figures released by Ukraine in December.
‘We must find all possible ways to end the hot phase of the war. This is the number one issue,’ Zelensky said.
‘There can be many talks, but the main goal is to stop the active phase. This is the first guarantee of security.’
Russia has occupied Crimea since its 2014 invasion of the territory. Months later it took large parts of the Donbas region, launching a was under the guise of a separatist uprising.
Since the full-scale invasion in 2022, Russian forces have controlled large swathes of southern and eastern Ukraine.
Meanwhile, since a surprise attack in August, Kyiv’s forces occupy around 600 sq km of Russian territory.
Politics
Trump orders ‘blackout’ at CDC, FDA, NIH as agencies prepare for MAGA
Published
6 hours agoon
January 22, 2025By
Ekwutos BlogDonald Trump has ordered a communications blackout at America’s federal health agencies, according to reports.
The CDC, FDA, HHS and NIH have all been told to pause external communications, including publishing scientific reports, updating websites or issuing health advisories.
The directive came without warning, sources told the Washington Post, and with little guidance as to how long it may last.
The health agencies play a vital role in gathering and sharing critical information with the public, including on outbreaks of infectious diseases, raising the alarm over foodborne disease outbreaks and food recalls.
However, DailyMail.com received its automated weekly FDA recall email at 8am ET this morning.
It is not entirely unusual for incoming administrations to pause external communications temporarily, which may be done to help newly appointed officials understand the scope of information that is being released.
But some said that if the pause lasts longer than a week or two then it could be seen as concerning.
The new president, 78, singled out public health agencies in his inaugural address — saying that they ‘do not deliver in times of disaster’, referring to what many have seen as a mishandling of Covid messaging.
Robert F. Kennedy Junior has been nominated to head up the HHS, which has oversight over all the federal health agencies.
As part of his ‘Make America Healthy Again’ pledge, he has promised to overhaul the three agencies.
The communications blackout was issued by Stefanie Spear, a deputy chief of staff at HHS who joined the agency this week. She was also RFK Jr.’s press secretary during his presidential campaign.
The pause on external communications includes blocks on publishing scientific reports issued by the CDC, known as Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Reports (MMWR), advisories sent out to clinicians on the CDC’s health network, data updates to the CDC website, and public health data released from the National Center for Health Statistics, including on drug overdose deaths.
The CDC had been scheduled to publish several MMWR reports this week, sources familiar with the matter said, including three on the bird flu outbreak alarming scientists.
It was not clear whether the directive also blocked the agencies from sharing urgent communications, such as on drug approvals or novel disease outbreaks.
Dr Lucky Tran, a Democrat-leaning science communicator at Columbia University, blasted the order as the beginning of censorship.
Jeff Jarvis, a retired professor of journalism at City University New York, said: ‘This is terrible: Forced ignorance on health data.
‘Officials in sane and scientific states must band together to report data on their own. We need such shadow governments.’
The CDC publishes on average about 50 peer-reviewed articles per week, in addition to updating numerous datasets and other materials, while the FDA initiates more than 500 food recalls per year.
The CDC receives about $24.9billion in public funding every year, while the FDA costs $8.4billion and the NIH costs more than $47billion annually.
At the beginning of Trump’s first term, administration officials also asked public health agencies to cease communicating with the public it was reported at the time.
At that time, the limits appeared focused on agenices overseeing environmental and scientific policy, such as the Environmental Protection Agency.
Politics
Putin Hails Trump On Inauguration As US President For Second Time, Says Russia Willing To End War
Published
24 hours agoon
January 22, 2025By
Ekwutos BlogRussia President Vladimir Putin has congratulated Donald Trump as he is being inaugurated as the 47th President of the United States.
Putin on Monday, 20th of January 2025 revealed he was open to dialogue with the new U.S. administration on Ukraine and nuclear arms. He also indicated that Moscow was ready to discuss nuclear arms control and wider security issues.
In a video broadcast, Putin noted that he was interested in a long-lasting peace in Ukraine rather than a short-term ceasefire with the country.
He made the comments during the Russia’s Security Council meeting that was shown on state TV. According to him, “We see the statements by the newly elected president of the United States and members of his team about the desire to restore direct contacts with Russia,” said Putin.
“We also hear his statement about the need to do everything possible to prevent World War Three. We of course welcome this attitude and congratulate the elected president of the United States of America on taking office. “As for the resolution of the situation (in Ukraine) itself, I would like to emphasise that the goal should not be a brief ceasefire, not some kind of period of respite that would allow a regrouping and rearmament of forces, but a long-term peace based on respect for the legitimate interests of all people and all peoples who live in the region.”
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