International

‘Massive’ Russian attack causes Ukraine blackouts

Published

1 year ago

November 18, 2024

The Russian attacks forced people into air raid shelters across Ukraine

‘Massive’ Russian attack causes Ukraine blackouts

A “massive” Russian missile and drone attack has targeted power infrastructure across Ukraine, the country’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has said.

At least 10 people were killed in the strikes, which hit the capital, Kyiv, as well as multiple targets in several regions including Donetsk, Lviv and Odesa.

Ukraine’s largest private energy company, DTEK, said its thermal energy plants had suffered “significant damage”, resulting in blackouts.

The country’s state-owned energy operator, Ukrenergo, says it will enforce “restriction measures” for the whole of Ukraine on Monday.

The co-ordinated assault overnight on Saturday was largest of its kind since early September, according to authorities and local media.

In total, around 120 missiles and 90 drones were launched, Zelensky said on Telegram.

“Peaceful cities, sleeping civilians” and “critical infrastructure” were targeted, Ukraine’s foreign minister Andrii Sybiha said.

The Russian defence ministry reported that it had hit all its targets, saying that its attack was on “essential energy infrastructure supporting the Ukrainian military-industrial complex”.

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“Russian terrorists once again want to scare us with cold and lack of light,” was how President Zelensky put it.

Of course, anything that seeks to deny power to factories producing weaponry inevitably harms civilians too – indirectly, through the loss of electricity and frequently water, and directly, as missiles or fragments of missiles rain down from the sky.

The governor of the Odesa region, Oleh Kiper, said there had also been disruptions to heat and water supplies, although the latter was gradually being restored. Hospitals and other critical infrastructure were operating using generators.

Further east, the city of Mykolaiv was also hit. The region’s leader, Vitaliy Kim, told the BBC that the people were resilient there, despite being attacked regularly.

“People are in a good shape and want to defend themselves. We do not want to lose our homes,” he said.

In Kyiv, fragments from intercepted missiles and drones fell in several places, but there were no reports of injuries.

The attack was the eighth large-scale one targeting Ukraine’s energy facilities this year, DTEK said in a statement, adding that its plants had been attacked more than 190 times since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Ukrainian officials fear the most recent strike could signal another concerted Russian attempt to deplete the power grid as winter arrives.

Having already endured two-and-a-half bitter winters since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, Ukrainians are bracing themselves for another.

“Here we go again” were the words of an official at one of Ukraine’s private energy companies, summing up the mood across the country on Sunday.

Through ingenuity and sheer determination, Ukraine has managed to survive each winter assault so far. There is every chance it will again, although its generation capacity is now less than a half of what it was in February 2022.

Poland, Ukraine’s neighbour to the west, scrambled fighter jets to patrol its own airspace as a security precaution.

“Due to a massive attack by Russia, which is carrying out strikes using cruise missiles, ballistic missiles and drones against sites located, among other places, in western Ukraine, operations by Polish and allied aircraft have begun,” Poland’s Operational Command said.

Hungary, which neighbours both Ukraine and Poland, was also on alert after drone attacks struck the westernmost Subcarpathian region – about 20km (12 miles) from the Hungarian border.

The country’s defence minister said the “situation is being monitored continuously”.

These latest attacks come as both Ukraine and Russia continue to try to anticipate how US President-elect Donald Trump will act once his administration takes power in January.

Trump has consistently said his priority is to end the war and what he describes as a drain on US resources in the form of military aid to Kyiv. He has not said how.

The US has been the greatest supplier of arms to Ukraine. Between the start of the war and the end of June 2024, it delivered or committed to send weapons and equipment worth $55.5bn (£41.5bn), according to the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, a German research organisation.

There are fears in Kyiv that it may come under pressure to negotiate an end to the war that may favour Russia’s advances – Moscow continues to control a large swathe of Ukrainian territory.

Zelensky has said he is certain the war with Russia will “end sooner” than it otherwise would have under the new Trump presidency.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov recently told Russian state media of “positive” signals from the incoming US administration. But Russia has denied that a phone call took place in which Donald Trump reportedly warned the Russian president against escalating the war.

However, for all the talk of the possible changes coming when Donald Trump enters the White House, Sunday’s attacks seem to indicate that, for now at least, the war’s grim realities are not changing.

Meanwhile, the leader of Germany – another Ukrainian ally – has defended a phone call he had with Putin on Friday, something Kyiv criticised as an attempt at appeasement.

“It was important to tell him [Putin] that he should not count on the support of Germany, Europe and many others in the world for Ukraine waning, but that it is now also up to him to ensure that the war comes to an end,” Olaf Scholz said on Sunday.

He added that the Russian president had given no indication of a shift in his thinking on the war.

‘Massive’ Russian attack causes Ukraine blackouts

BBC

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International

Iran Security Chief Fires Warning at Trump as US-Iran Tensions Escalate

Published

5 hours ago

March 10, 2026

Trends Admin

US President Donald Trump and Ali Larijani, Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council

Iran Security Chief Fires Warning at Trump as US-Iran Tensions Escalate

Tensions between Iran and the United States have escalated sharply as Ali Larijani, Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, issued a direct warning to President Donald Trump amid the ongoing Middle East war and heightened regional hostilities. The warning comes after Trump threatened decisive action if Iran disrupted oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic chokepoint for global energy supplies.

In a message posted on X, Larijani said: “The sacrificial nation of Iran doesn’t fear your empty threats. Even those bigger than you couldn’t eliminate Iran. Be careful not to get eliminated yourself.” He dismissed Trump’s rhetoric as hollow and emphasized Iran’s resilience, signaling potential consequences for any aggressive actions targeting the country.

The warning follows Trump’s post declaring that the US would respond twenty times harder if Iran interfered with oil transit through the Strait of Hormuz, describing such moves as a serious threat to global energy security. Analysts say Larijani’s statement reflects Tehran’s strategy of strong public messaging to deter escalation while asserting the country’s influence in the Gulf.

Escalating Military and Regional Context

The rhetoric coincides with heightened military activity in the Gulf. US forces have conducted intense airstrikes on Iranian positions, while Tehran has launched missile and drone attacks targeting US and allied sites. The conflict has disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, raising concerns about global oil supply and triggering volatility in international energy markets.

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Experts warn that the exchange of threats increases the risk of miscalculation or unintended clashes between US and Iranian forces. The standoff has also drawn attention from global leaders urging de-escalation, including calls for diplomatic interventions to prevent the conflict from spilling further across the region.

Strategic and Economic Implications

Iran’s warning comes at a time when global oil markets are highly sensitive, with prices spiking due to fears of supply disruptions. The Strait of Hormuz, through which nearly 20% of the world’s crude passes, remains a focal point of international concern. Analysts note that both Tehran and Washington are using public rhetoric as a psychological strategy, signaling strength to domestic and international audiences while attempting to influence energy markets.

The message underscores how the ongoing US-Iran standoff extends beyond military posturing, affecting regional security, global trade, and energy stability. Observers say continued escalation could have profound consequences for the Middle East, international shipping, and global oil prices.

Iran Security Chief Fires Warning at Trump as US-Iran Tensions Escalate

International

Strait of Hormuz Crisis: Iran Threatens to Stop Gulf Oil Shipments

Published

8 hours ago

March 10, 2026

Trends Admin

Strait of Hormuz Crisis: Iran Threatens to Stop Gulf Oil Shipments

Iran has threatened to halt oil exports from the Gulf region as its conflict with the United States and Israel intensifies, raising fears of a major disruption to global energy supplies.

The warning comes despite assurances from Donald Trump that the war could soon come to an end.

Tehran’s stance follows attacks on vessels travelling through the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow but critical maritime corridor through which nearly 20 per cent of the world’s crude oil passes to markets in Asia and Europe.

The waterway connects major oil producers such as Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates to global energy markets, making it one of the most important chokepoints for international oil trade.

The disruption has already unsettled global oil markets and heightened concerns over possible oil supply shortages.

Earlier in the week, oil prices surged above $100 per barrel after reports that Iranian strikes and rising security risks forced shipping traffic to slow across the Gulf. Prices later eased after Trump said the war would be “ended soon,” helping calm markets that had reacted sharply to the escalating tensions.

However, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) dismissed the claim, insisting that neither Tehran nor Washington would determine when the war ends.

According to the IRGC, the Iranian armed forces “will not allow the export of a single litre of oil from the region to the hostile side and its partners until further notice.”

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Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, also signalled the country was ready for a prolonged confrontation.

He said Iran was prepared to continue missile strikes against its enemies “as long as needed and as long as it takes,” while suggesting that further diplomatic negotiations with Washington were unlikely in the near term.

Meanwhile, countries across the region are moving to contain the fallout from the escalating crisis.

In Egypt, authorities have raised fuel prices by as much as 30 per cent in response to rising global oil costs, while Pakistan has offered naval escorts for commercial vessels travelling through the Gulf to protect shipping lanes.

France has also deployed warships to the region to help secure maritime traffic amid fears of further attacks on tankers.

Energy industry leaders have warned that a prolonged disruption in the Strait of Hormuz could have severe consequences for the global economy.

The chief executive of Saudi Aramco, Amin Nasser, cautioned that the longer the disruption continues, the more serious the impact on global oil markets.

He warned that “catastrophic consequences” could follow if shipping through the vital energy corridor fails to resume quickly.

To reduce the impact of potential disruptions, Saudi Arabia has begun redirecting part of its oil exports through its East-West pipeline to the Red Sea port of Yanbu, allowing some shipments to bypass the Strait of Hormuz.

However, energy analysts say the alternative route cannot fully replace the massive volumes of crude normally transported through the Gulf.

Experts warn that if the conflict escalates further and shipping through the Strait of Hormuz is significantly disrupted, as much as 15 million barrels of oil per day could be removed from global supply.

Such a shock could push oil prices toward $150 per barrel, trigger higher global fuel prices, and intensify inflation pressures across economies worldwide.

Strait of Hormuz Crisis: Iran Threatens to Stop Gulf Oil Shipments

International

US Seeks Control of Iranian Oil, Not Peace – Envoy to Nigeria

Published

12 hours ago

March 10, 2026

Trends Admin

US Seeks Control of Iranian Oil, Not Peace – Envoy to Nigeria

Abuja, Nigeria — The Iranian Ambassador to Nigeria, Gholamreza Mahdavi Raja, has accused the United States of using the ongoing Middle East conflict to secure control over Iran’s energy reserves, describing Washington’s actions as driven by hegemonic ambitions. His comments were made on Trust TV’s Daily Politics on Monday and reflect Tehran’s view that US policy prioritizes oil dominance over peacebuilding.

Raja said the recent US and Israeli airstrikes on Iran are part of a broader strategy to weaken the country and seize its oil-rich territories. “The main aim of the United States and the Zionist regime for such brutal and unprovoked aggression is to seize Iranian energy reserves. The Zionist regime seeks Iran’s disintegration—they announced it themselves,” he stated. Despite repeated attacks on infrastructure, Raja emphasized that Iran’s government continues to function normally and that the Iranian people remain united in defending their sovereignty.

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The ambassador rejected any external interference in Iran’s political affairs, particularly regarding the appointment of Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei as Supreme Leader, son of the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. He said, “Iran is an independent country. We make our own decisions without outside interference,” countering claims of US influence over Tehran’s leadership succession.

On the humanitarian impact of the conflict, Raja accused US missiles of hitting civilian targets, including a school in Minab City, claiming many children were killed. He insisted that Iranian strikes target only military bases, while Washington and Israel allegedly conduct “false flag operations” to blame Tehran.

Raja also denied accusations that Iran sponsors terrorism in Nigeria, stating that its relations with the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN) are purely spiritual and cultural, dismissing Israeli claims as politically motivated. He emphasized that Iran is willing to assist Nigeria in combating extremism, citing shared concerns over groups like Boko Haram and ISWAP.

Addressing global energy concerns, the ambassador warned that further military escalation could destabilize the region and drive global oil prices higher. He refuted reports of Iran closing the Strait of Hormuz, stressing that Tehran’s goal is defense, not disruption of international energy flows. Raja’s comments come amid a broader conflict that began after joint US‑Israeli strikes in February 2026, which triggered regional tensions and disrupted global energy markets. Analysts say the situation underscores US-Iran tensions, the struggle over energy dominance, and the potential for wider Middle East instability.