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EU to tighten Iran sanctions after Israel attack

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The European Union has expanded sanctions on Iranian drone and missile producers in response to Iran’s recent attack on Israel. European Council President Charles Michel stressed the significance of further isolating Iran, highlighting the need for decisive action.

These new sanctions build upon existing measures implemented by the EU, including penalties for Iran’s involvement in supplying drones to Russia. The decision to escalate sanctions was reached during a summit in Brussels, marking the first gathering of the bloc’s leaders since the attack on Israel.

In the wake of Iran’s assault, which involved a barrage of over 300 missiles and drones from multiple countries, the international community has urged restraint to prevent the situation from spiraling into a wider conflict. Despite calls for caution, Israel has not ruled out a potential response to the aggression.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz emphasized the importance of de-escalation following the summit, encouraging Israel to leverage diplomatic channels to strengthen its position in the region. Scholz’s remarks reflect a broader sentiment among global leaders to mitigate tensions in the volatile Middle East.

Meanwhile, Israel has appealed to its allies to take robust action against Iran, advocating for sanctions on Tehran’s missile program and the designation of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization. However, the EU and UK have not yet followed the United States in designating the IRGC as such.

In addition to EU sanctions, the United States is also considering imposing new penalties on Iran. US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen highlighted the potential for disrupting Iran’s terrorist financing and targeting its oil exports as areas of focus. Furthermore, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan affirmed that Iran’s missile and drone programs, alongside the IRGC and Iranian defense ministry, would be subject to forthcoming sanctions.

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News Trending War

Ukraine war: Dozens of Russian troops ‘die in air strike’

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According to reports, at least 60 Russian soldiers were killed in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk region when two missiles struck a training area where troops had gathered for the arrival of a senior commander, Maj-Gen Oleg Moiseyev. The incident occurred just before a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, during which Shoigu claimed Russian successes in various areas of the front line. The soldiers, members of the 36th motorised rifle brigade, were allegedly instructed by their commanders to stand in an open field, where they were hit by missiles fired from a US-made HIMARS launch system. Video footage and images from the scene showed numerous dead soldiers.

Separately, reports emerged about the death of military blogger Andrey Morozov, known as Murz, who allegedly took his own life after being pressured by the military to remove a report detailing Russian losses in recent battles. Morozov claimed that about 16,000 troops had been killed or seriously injured, and 300 armored vehicles destroyed. The exact circumstances of Morozov’s death could not be independently verified.

Russia’s military seldom reports casualties, but some pro-Russian military bloggers have regularly provided such information. Ukraine has also spoken about significant casualties among Russian troops. A collaborative effort between BBC Russian and the Mediazona website has updated figures for confirmed deaths in the Russian military over the two years since the invasion of Ukraine, with a total of 45,123 confirmed dead, including 6,614 since October of the previous year.

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News Trending War

Russian jet crashes carrying Ukrainian PoWs – Moscow

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A Russian Ilyushin-76 military transport plane crashed in the southern Belgorod region near the Ukrainian border. The Russian Ministry of Defence claimed that the plane was carrying 65 captured Ukrainian military personnel for a prisoner exchange, but these details could not be independently verified. Reports initially suggested that the plane may have been downed by Ukrainian forces, but these were later deleted. Ukrainian authorities stated they did not have accurate information and were investigating.

Video footage showed the plane crashing and exploding near the village of Yablonovo. The regional governor confirmed all on board had died. Some Ukrainian media suggested the plane was transporting missiles for Russia’s S-300 air defense systems. The head of Ukraine’s military intelligence confirmed a planned prisoner exchange had been canceled.

The Russian defence ministry alleged that Ukraine fired anti-aircraft missiles from the Lyptsi area, claiming two Ukrainian missiles targeted the plane. A prisoner exchange was scheduled at a border checkpoint near Belgorod. Russian officials mentioned a second plane carrying 80 Ukrainian prisoners, but it changed course.

Ukraine and Russia have engaged in several prisoner exchanges during the war. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022, with ongoing conflict. The war’s toll includes casualties and intensified air attacks. Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov highlighted a shortage of ammunition for Ukrainian forces, while Russia reportedly used over 600 missiles and 1,000 drones in the past two months. Ukraine relies on drones in its defense strategy, and recent attacks caused explosions, including at a gas export terminal near St Petersburg.

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News Trending War

‘Massive’ Russian missile strike on Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine

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At least six people were killed and more than 30 were injured in a Russian missile strike on the city of Kryvyi Rih in central Ukraine.

According to Serhiy Lisak, governor of the Dnipropetrovsk region, where Kryvyi Rih is located, a multistory residential building was among the civilian infrastructure targeted in the early morning attack on Tuesday.

“A five-story building was demolished. Three of its occupants perished, according to preliminary accounts. “25 people were injured,” Lisak claimed early Tuesday morning on the Telegram chat service. “A massive missile attack on Kryvyi Rih,” he announced.

Oleksandr Vilkul, the city’s mayor, subsequently upped the death toll to six, despite previously warning that people were likely buried beneath the wreckage of buildings damaged in the attack.

“Unfortunately, six people have already died. “The rescue operation is still ongoing,” Vilkul wrote on the Telegram chat service.

Ukraine’s senior military command claimed air forces destroyed ten of the fourteen cruise missiles fired by Russia on Ukraine on Tuesday, as well as one of four Iranian-made drones.

It was unclear how many missiles targeted Kryvyi Rih or where the drones hit their objectives.

A drone struck civilian infrastructure in Kharkiv, according to Mayor Ihor Terekhov.

“According to preliminary reports, a utility company in the Kyivskyi district and a warehouse in the Saltivskyi district were both damaged.” “As a result of the explosion on the latter, a fire broke out,” he explained.

The current round of airstrikes comes as Ukraine claims to have retaken numerous villages and made significant progress in its counteroffensive against Russian soldiers.

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UK confirms supply of Storm Shadow long-range missiles in Ukraine

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The UK has confirmed its decision to supply Ukraine with long-range Storm Shadow cruise missiles, which were requested by Ukraine in its fight against Russian forces. The Storm Shadow missile, with a range of over 250km (155 miles), offers a significant advantage compared to the US-supplied Himars missiles, which have a range of approximately 80km (50 miles). The UK Defense Secretary, Ben Wallace, stated that these missiles would provide Ukraine with the best chance of defending itself, as they can be launched from aircraft, allowing Ukrainian pilots to operate at a safer distance from the frontlines.

The Storm Shadow missile operates by dropping to a low altitude to avoid detection by enemy radar and then uses an infrared seeker to lock onto its target. The announcement of this decision was made by Mr. Wallace in the House of Commons, following repeated requests from Ukraine for more support from Western nations. The UK’s decision to provide these missiles was prompted by Russia’s targeting of civilian infrastructure in Ukraine, and the move aims to enable Ukraine to push back Russian forces from its sovereign territory.

Mr. Wallace emphasized that the donation of these missile systems was a response to Russia’s aggression and would not have been necessary if Russia had not invaded Ukraine. However, he acknowledged that the range of the Storm Shadow missiles provided by the UK is not comparable to Russia’s own missile systems, some of which have much greater reach. Earlier, Ukraine’s Defense Minister, Oleksii Reznikov, assured that longer-range missiles would not be used to attack targets within Russia itself and offered guarantees that the weapons would not be involved in attacks on Russian territory.

The Kremlin responded to the UK’s decision by stating that it would take an appropriate military response if Ukrainian forces used the British-supplied Storm Shadow weapons. The Storm Shadow missile has previously been used by the British and French air forces in various conflicts, including the Gulf, Iraq, and Libya. It should be noted that while the British-supplied missiles can only be fired from aircraft, the French missiles can be launched from ships and submarines.

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News Trending War

Ukraine war: Twelve dead as Russian missiles hit cities

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Russia has carried out a series of airstrikes in several cities across Ukraine, resulting in the deaths of at least 12 people, including a child. One of the attacks targeted a block of flats in Uman, where ten people were killed, and another attack in Dnipro claimed the lives of a woman and her three-year-old daughter.

The cities of Kremenchuk and Poltava also reported explosions. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that the attacks damaged ten residential buildings in Uman, and called for further international action against Russia, including enhanced global sanctions.

The head of the Kyiv city military administration noted that it was the first missile attack on the capital in 51 days.

No civilian casualties have been reported in the capital city as a result of the missile strikes launched by Russia. According to Ukrainian officials, 21 out of 23 missiles and two attack drones were successfully shot down by the country’s air defense system.

However, a video shared by Ukraine’s State Border Service on Telegram showed an apartment building in Uman badly damaged by the attack. Witnesses described the chaos and destruction caused by the strikes, with one resident reporting blown-out windows and an ensuing explosion.

The motive behind the attack remains unclear, but Russia has previously targeted civilian infrastructure. The attacks come amid reports that Ukraine is preparing for a military offensive, with support from Western allies, and as Russia has struggled to gain control of Bakhmut in a long-running winter offensive.

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News Trending War

Russia fires dozens of missiles at Ukrainian cities

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One of the biggest bombardments since the war started has seen a wave of Russian missile attacks target cities all around Ukraine. Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko reported that explosions in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv resulted in the hospitalisation of at least three individuals, among them a 14-year-old girl.

In the cities of Kharkiv, Odesa, Lviv, and Zhytomyr, blasts were also audible. According to the Ukrainian military, 69 missiles were fired, 54 of which were shot down by air defences. Mykhailo Podolyak, a presidential adviser, earlier claimed that more than 120 missiles had been fired towards infrastructure used by civilians.

Maksym Marchenko, the regional governor of the southern province of Odesa, described a “huge missile attack on Ukraine” after the airstrike, which lasted for about five hours.

Russia allegedly assaulted Ukraine from “different directions with air and sea-based cruise missiles,” according to the Ukrainian Air Force. It further mentioned that several Kamikaze drones had been used. In an operational briefing, Brig Gen Oleksiy Hromov stated that the attacks had targeted energy infrastructure all around the nation.

According to the municipal military authority, debris from thwarted missiles damaged two homes in Kyiv. According to Mr. Klitschko, air defences shot down 16 missiles above the city.

Governor Vitaly Kim said that air defences in the southern district of Mykolaiv stopped five missiles, while Mayor Andriy Sadovy reported that many explosions had been recorded in the western city of Lviv.

Mr. Marchenko reported that the Ukrainian military shot down 21 missiles in the Odesa region. A residential building had been struck by missile fragments, he continued, but there had been no injuries.

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