International

Six Russian warplanes destroyed, 20 feared killed in Ukraine drone strike

Published

1 month ago

April 5, 2024

Six Russian warplanes destroyed, 20 feared killed in Ukraine drone strike

Ukraine has destroyed at least six Russian warplanes, damaged eight more and wounded or killed 20 personnel in a major overnight drone attack on Vladimir Putin‘s airfields, Kyiv said on Friday.

Launching one of its largest overnight attacks in weeks, Ukraine fired more than 50 drones at Russian territory, according to Russia‘s defence ministry.

Among the targets was the Engels-2 base in in the southern Rostov region, home to Putin’s prized Tu-95 and Tu-22 nuclear bombers.

More than 60 explosions were heard in the Rostov region as Russian air defences fended off an attack on Morozovsk military airfield, scene of the heaviest assault.

A video showed a woman’s shock at the moment an electricity power station was hit.

There were more than ten explosions in Yeisk, Krasnodar region, reported local Telegram channels – also the location of a military airfield.

A security source in Kyiv told France’s AFP news agency that an attack on the Morozovsk air base in Russia’s southern Rostov region had destroyed at least six Russian planes and ‘another eight were heavily damaged’.

‘This is an important special operation that will significantly reduce the combat potential of the Russians,’ the source said, adding that the attack was carried out by the SBU security service and the military.

Some 20 Russian personnel were killed or wounded, it was alleged.

Frontline bombers – Su-24, Su-24M, and Su-34 – are known to be routinely based at the airfield. They have been used to strike at Ukraine during the war.

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As of April 4, some 26 Su-34 fighters and three Su-35 warplanes were stationed at the airbase, according to OSINT reports.

It has been reported that the SBU secret service was behind the kamikaze drone strike along with the Ukrainian armed forces.

‘The results of the joint special operation are amazing – at least six Russian military aircraft were destroyed, and another eight received significant damage,’ a source told RBC Ukraine.

If confirmed it would be one of the biggest blows of the war to Vladimir Putin’s air force.

There was no immediate response from Russia and AFP news agency said it had been unable to verify the claims.

Russia said 44 of the 53 drones Kyiv fired overnight targeted the southern Rostov region, which sits just across the border from Ukraine and is home to a number of major military sites, including its command headquarters for the offensive.

‘During the night and on the morning of April 5, the Kyiv regime tried to commit several terrorist attacks with aerial drones which were foiled,’ the defence ministry said.

Rostov governor Vasily Golubev said a drone attack on the Morozovsk district, where the airbase is located, had caused ‘insignificant damage’ to a power station that had cut electricity supplies to around 600 residents.

He also reported windows were blown out in an apartment building but made no mention of the air base.

Russia rarely comments on Ukrainian claims of successful strikes.

Kyiv has stepped up its aerial attacks on Russian territory in recent months, targeting both military sites and energy facilities in a bid to disrupt Russia’s supply of fuel and equipment for its invasion.

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On Tuesday, Ukrainian drones hit the central Tatarstan region – around 680 miles from the countries’ shared border – in one of the deepest Ukrainian attacks of the two-year war.

Kyiv said the strike hit a major oil refinery and a factory assembling explosive drones.

Other Ukrainian drone attacks in the early hours of Friday targeted the Belgorod and Kursk border regions, as well as Saratov and Krasnodar.

In Saratov, the governor said a drone had targeted Engels, a city around 300 miles from the border that is home to a major Russian air base that has previously been hit.

Ukraine’s air force meanwhile said Russia launched five missiles and 13 drones at its territory overnight.

Kyiv said it downed the 13 drones, but did not say anything about the missiles, which targeted the northeastern Kharkiv region.

Russian-installed authorities in areas of Ukraine occupied by Moscow’s forces also reported Ukrainian strikes on Friday.

Five people were injured, two seriously, in a drone attack on the Russian-controlled part of the southern Kherson region, while seven were injured in a strike on Gorlivka in the eastern Donetsk region, Moscow-appointed officials said.

On the battlefield, Russian forces are seeking to press their advantage with Ukraine facing shortages of both manpower and ammunition amid delays to the delivery of Western aid.

Russian-installed officials have claimed Moscow’s forces are advancing on Chasiv Yar, a town in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region.

Both Ukrainian and Russian military bloggers with links to the armed forces said Friday that Russian troops had reached the outskirts of the town.

Six Russian warplanes destroyed, 20 feared killed in Ukraine drone strike

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International

Palestinian envoy lambasts US for arresting protesters

Published

7 hours ago

May 17, 2024

Trends Admin

Palestinian envoy lambasts US for arresting protesters

The Palestinian Ambassador to Nigeria, Abdullahi Shawesh, on Thursday, May 16, lambasted the Western World for clamping down on student protesters who were expressing solidarity and sympathy with his country.

He stressed that the arrest and clampdown on protesters negates the Western world’s stand as promoters of freedom of speech.

He said: “When college students express their solidarity and sympathy with the Palestinians, it is labelled as hate speech and anti-Semitism. These students are beaten and harshly treated. Threatened with expulsion from universities, severe sanctions in the future, imprisonment, and facing trial.

“This is the exact meaning of hypocrisy and double standards.”

Shawesh who gave a review of the 223-day battle between the Israeli forces and Hamas, said no fewer than 45,091 Palestinians have been killed, including 15,103 children and 9,961 women.

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He also said the battle has consumed 142 journalists and 492 medical staff.

The envoy said no fewer than 10,000 persons have been declared missing.

He added: “78,404 wounded and injured, with 72% of the victims being children and women. 17,000 children live without one or both of their parents.”

Beside the human casualties, Shawesh also listed a number of destructions recorded, which include “243 mosques destroyed and 321 partially damaged. 3 Churches targeted and destroyed, 86,000 housing units completely destroyed and 294,000 partially damaged. 103 schools and universities destroyed. 206 archaeological and heritage sites destroyed, 75,000 tons of explosives materials dropped on Gaza.

“33 hospitals along with 54 health centres were taken out of service. A total of 160 health institutions and 126 ambulances were targeted by the Israeli occupation.”

He said the state of infrastructure devastation has forced 11,000 wounded people to travel for treatment to undergo operations.

He also said that no fewer than “10,000 cancer patients face death due to the lack of medical treatment. 1,095,000 are infected with infectious diseases as a result of displacement. 20,000 cases of viral hepatitis infection due to displacement. Tens of thousands of pregnant women are at risk due to a lack of access to healthcare. There have been 310 cases of health personnel being arrested.”

Palestinian envoy lambasts US for arresting protesters

International

UK says it’s developing radio frequency to blast out drones

Published

22 hours ago

May 16, 2024

Trends Admin

UK says it’s developing radio frequency to blast out drones

The United Kingdom is making strides in military technology, developing a cutting-edge weapon using radio waves to counter drones.

Known as the Radio Frequency Directed Energy Weapon (RFDEW), this innovative system utilizes radio waves to disrupt or damage critical electronic components of enemy vehicles and drones, halting their operations or causing them to fall out of the sky.

Operable across land, air, and sea, the RFDEW boasts a range of up to 1 kilometre, with potential for future extensions. Its development follows UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s commitment to increasing defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2030.

With an estimated cost of 0.10 Pounds (0.12 dollars) per radio waveshot, the RFDEW offers a cost-effective alternative to conventional missiles and holds promise for effectively countering drone swarms.

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Utilizing a mobile power source, the technology generates pulses of radio frequency energy in a directed beam, capable of delivering sequenced shots to single or multiple targets. It can be mounted on various military vehicles, enhancing flexibility and adaptability on the battlefield.

Minister of State for Defence Procurement James Cartlidge highlighted the significance of such advancements in enhancing the effectiveness and safety of UK armed forces. He emphasized the importance of defending against unmanned systems, especially in light of recent global conflicts.

The RFDEW system will undergo rigorous testing with British soldiers during summer. Developed under Project Hersa by a collaborative team from the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL) and Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S), in partnership with UK industry, this technology represents a significant leap in military capability.

DSTL chief executive Paul Hollinshead underscored the transformative impact of such systems, emphasizing their potential to provide decisive operational advantages and enhance national security. He credited decades of research, expertise, and investment in science and technology for enabling the development of world-class capabilities like the RFDEW.

UK says it’s developing radio frequency to blast out drones

International

Just in: In assassination attempt, Slovakia’s Prime Minister shot multiple times

Published

2 days ago

May 15, 2024

Trends Admin

Just in: In assassination attempt, Slovakia’s Prime Minister shot multiple times

Robert Fico, Slovakia’s prime minister, has been taken to hospital in a “life-threatening condition” after he was shot multiple times on Wednesday.

According to his official social media account, the 59-year-old leader was hit in the abdomen outside the House of Culture in the town of Handlova.

Police have detained a suspect. There was no immediate information on the motive.

Reuters reported Zuzana Caputova, President of Slovakia, as condemning the “brutal and ruthless” attack on Fico.

She said in a televised statement, “A physical attack on the prime minister is, first of all, an attack on a person, but it is also an attack on democracy.”

The Russian ambassador to Slovakia Igor Bratchikov also condemned the shooting of Fico.

“I strongly condemn this act of violence and express my conviction of the necessity of punishment for the perpetrators,” Bratchikov said in a letter to Fico that the Russian embassy shared on its Facebook page.

Fico, a third-time premier with the left-wing Smer (Direction) party, won Slovakia’s September 30 parliamentary elections, staging a political comeback after campaigning on a pro-Russian and anti-American message.