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Tag: Drones

  • UN atomic watchdog says the status of Russian-occupied Ukraine nuclear plant is ‘extremely serious’

    UN atomic watchdog says the status of Russian-occupied Ukraine nuclear plant is ‘extremely serious’

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    KYIV, Ukraine — An explosion caused by an alleged drone attack at Europe’s largest nuclear plant in Ukraine on Tuesday posed no direct threat to its safety but underscored the “extremely serious situation” at the facility that repeatedly has been caught in the war ‘s crossfire, the U.N.’s atomic watchdog agency said.

    The International Atomic Energy Agency said its team was aware of an explosion at a training center next to the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. It said it was informed the blast was from a drone attack but gave no further details.

    The agency’s information presumably came from Russians who have occupied and run the plant since the war’s early stages.

    The Zaporizhzhia facility is one of the 10 biggest nuclear plants in the world. Fighting in the southern part of Ukraine where it is located has raised the specter of a potential nuclear disaster like the one at Chernobyl in 1986, where a reactor exploded and blew deadly radiation across a vast area.

    Neither Russia nor Ukraine in recent months has been able to make significant advances along the 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) front line crossing eastern and southern Ukraine. Drones, artillery and missiles have featured heavily in what has become a war of attrition.

    Russia and Ukraine have frequently traded accusations over the Zaporizhzhia plant. On Monday, Moscow alleged Ukraine was behind drone attacks on the facility a day before, and Kyiv accused Russia of disinformation tactics.

    The IAEA reported Sunday that its inspectors had confirmed “the physical impact of drone detonations” and watched as “Russian troops engaged what appeared to be an approaching drone.”

    Energoatom, the Ukrainian nuclear plant operator, blasted Russia’s latest allegations in a statement Tuesday. It accused Moscow of publishing propaganda and “false statements” to manipulate public opinion against Ukraine.

    Energoatom noted that Russia has deployed troops and landmines at the site, which is one of four atomic power plants in Ukraine. The other three remain in Ukrainian hands.

    “The dangerous game of the (Russian) occupiers at the (Zaporizhzhia) nuclear facility must be stopped,” it said.

    The most recent strikes did not compromise the facility, which is designed to withstand a commercial airliner crashing into it, the IAEA said. But the watchdog has repeatedly expressed alarm about the plant amid fears of a nuclear catastrophe.

    The plant’s six reactors have been shut down for months, but it still needs power and qualified staff to operate crucial cooling systems and other safety features.

    Oleksandr Kharchenko, director of the Kyiv-based Energy Industry Research Center, said it made no sense for Ukrainian forces to strike the Zaporizhzhia plant because the country will need the energy it produces.

    Russian forces recently renewed their efforts to pound the Ukrainian power grid, using improved intelligence and tactics, Ukraine says.

    “The main point for the Ukrainian side right now, especially in the situation where we are right now, is to save Zaporizhzhia nuclear station, because for our energy systems, this station is a critical game-changer,” Kharchenko said.

    According to Ukrainian emergency services, a nuclear disaster would compel the evacuation of some 300,000 people.

    Also Tuesday, Ukraine’s intelligence agency claimed it struck an aviation training center in southwestern Russia with a drone and said a fire on board a Russian navy corvette on the Baltic coast was “not accidental.”

    The claims could not be independently verified or corroborated. Russia made no comment on them.

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    Follow AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

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  • In call with Blinken, father of killed aid worker urges tougher US stance on Israel in Gaza

    In call with Blinken, father of killed aid worker urges tougher US stance on Israel in Gaza

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    WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — When America’s top diplomat called with condolences over the killing of John Flickinger’s son in the Israeli airstrikes on a World Central Kitchen aid convoy in Gaza, Flickinger knew what he wanted to say.

    The grieving father told Secretary of State Antony Blinken the killings by Israel in the Hamas-run territory must end, and that the United States needs to use its power and leverage over its closest Mideast ally to make that happen.

    Flickinger’s 33-year-old son, Jacob Flickinger, a dual U.S. and Canadian citizen, was among the seven humanitarian workers killed in the April 1 drone strikes.

    “If the United States threatened to suspend aid to Israel, maybe my son would be alive today,” John Flickinger told The Associated Press in describing his 30-minute conversation Saturday with Blinken.

    Flickinger said Blinken did not pledge any new policy actions but said the Biden administration had sent a strong message to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the relationship between the United States and Israel may change if the Israeli Defense Forces do not show more care for the fate of civilians in Gaza.

    “I’m hopeful that this is the last straw, that the United States will suspend aid and will take meaningful action to leverage change in the way Israel is conducting this war,” John Flickinger said.

    Flickinger said Blinken also spoke with his son’s partner, Sandy Leclerc, who is left to care for their 1-year-old son, Jasper.

    In addition to Jacob Flickinger, three British nationals, an Australian, a Polish national and a Palestinian were killed in the strikes.

    John Flickinger described his son as “larger than life,” a “loving son, a devoted dad and new father and a very loving companion to his life partner.”

    Jacob Flickinger was remembered as a lover of the outdoors who ran survival training retreats and was involved in mountaineering, rock climbing and other adventure activities. He spent about 11 years serving in the Canadian Armed Forces, including eight months in Afghanistan.

    The elder Flickinger said his son knew going to Gaza was risky, but he discussed it with family members and volunteered in hopes of helping Palestinians in Gaza that aide groups say face imminent famine.

    “He died doing what he loved, which was serving and helping others,” said Flickinger, whose own nonprofit, Breakthrough Miami, exposes underrepresented students to academic opportunities and prepares them for college.

    World Central Kitchen representatives have said they informed the Israeli military of their movements and the presence of their convoy.

    Israeli officials have called the drone strikes a mistake, and on Friday the military said it dismissed two officers and reprimanded three others for their roles. The officers mishandled critical information and violated rules of engagement, the military said.

    But John Flickinger said that in his view the strike “was a deliberate attempt to intimidate aid workers and to stop the flow of humanitarian aid.”

    World Central Kitchen has since ceased food deliveries in Gaza, Flickinger noted, and he said it looks like Israel is “using food as a weapon.”

    The Canadian government has been communicating with the family and is offering financial support to move Leclerc and Jasper from Costa Rica, where the family lives, back to Quebec province to be closer to family, Flickinger said.

    Flickinger said his son’s remains are in Cairo pending the issuance of a death certificate by Palestinian authorities. Once that happens, the family has made arrangements for them to be transported to Quebec.

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  • Russian missile strikes on the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv kill 6 and wound 11

    Russian missile strikes on the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv kill 6 and wound 11

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    Rescue workers extinguish the fire at the site of a Russian drone attack in Kharkiv, Ukraine, early Saturday April 6, 2024. At least 6 people were killed in Kharkiv in the overnight attacks on Saturday and at least 10 people were injured with blast wounds and shrapnel, said regional governor Oleh Syniehubov. High-rise buildings, a gas station, a shop and a car were damaged. (AP Photo/Alex Babenko)

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  • Ukraine fires more than 50 drones against Russia in one of its biggest air attacks

    Ukraine fires more than 50 drones against Russia in one of its biggest air attacks

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    KYIV, Ukraine — Ukrainian officials claimed Friday they used a barrage of drones to destroy at least six military aircraft and badly damage eight others at an airfield in Russia’s Rostov region, while Russian defense officials claimed they intercepted 44 Ukrainian drones and that only a power substation was damaged in the attack.

    The assault appeared to be one of Kyiv’s biggest air attacks in the war, coming as its forces step up their assaults on Russian soil. The Associated Press could not independently verify either side’s claims.

    Russia has escalated attacks on civilian infrastructure, including Ukraine’s power plants, in recent weeks, signaling a new and potentially dangerous phase in the conflict as both sides struggle to achieve significant advances on the ground.

    The overnight attack targeted a military airfield near Morozovsk in Russia and was conducted by Ukraine’s Security Service in cooperation with the army, Ukrainian intelligence officials told the AP.

    They said around 20 members of the airfield’s personnel were killed or injured. Morozovsk airfield was used by Russian bombers that have been launching guided aerial bombs at Ukraine’s cities and frontline positions, the officials said.

    They spoke on anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss the operation.

    If true, the attack would be among Ukraine’s most successful cross-border strikes. Last October, Ukraine claimed it destroyed nine Russian helicopters at two airfields in Russian-occupied regions using longe-range ballistic missiles donated by the United States.

    Last August, Ukrainian media, citing unidentified intelligence sources, claimed that drone attacks hit parked Russian bomber aircraft at air bases deep inside Russia.

    Russia’s Defense Ministry said a total of 44 drones were “intercepted and destroyed” in the Morozovsky district, more than 100 kilometers (60 miles) from the border. The attack damaged a power substation, Rostov Gov. Vasily Golubev said.

    The Russian defense ministry said nine more drones were intercepted over the border regions of Kursk, Belgorod, Krasnodar and the nearby Saratov region.

    Drone warfare is a key feature of the war, which has extended into a third year since Russia’s full-scale invasion of its neighbor. On the 1,000-kilometer (600-mile) front line, where fighting is largely bogged down, low-cost drones are used by both sides to knock out expensive military hardware.

    The Kremlin’s forces have used large numbers of Iranian-designed Shahed drones to bombard urban areas of Ukraine. Kyiv, in turn, has developed small but fast-growing defense industry where drones, including deadly unmanned sea vessels, are proving effective.

    Russian authorities have long accused Ukraine of launching regular drone attacks on power plants, oil refineries and other targets in western regions of Russia near the border. Last month, Ukraine fired a barrage of 35 drones at such targets, Russia said.

    Some attacks have reached deep into Russia, including Moscow and as far as 1,200 kilometers (745 miles) east of Ukraine.

    Ukraine cannot match the scale of Russia’s military, however. Last week, Moscow launched a a mass barrage of 99 drones and missiles against Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, hitting regions across the country.

    Meanwhile, Ukraine’s air force said it intercepted 13 Russian drones launched overnight at the southern regions of Odesa, Zaporizhzhia and Dnipropetrovsk, but five missiles got through. Authorities did not report any casualties.

    Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he held a meeting with his top brass focused on the production of attack drones and the manufacture of electronic warfare equipment to intercept incoming drones.

    He said late Thursday that the meeting put together “clear written agreements with manufacturers, clear financing and clear delivery deadlines.”

    Authorities will next turn to “robust and increasing” missile production, he said, as military support from Western partners falls short of what Kyiv hoped for.

    Zelenskyy said an assessment of frontline positions found that Ukraine has “managed to stabilize our positions” despite being outgunned and outnumbered by the Russian army.

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    Follow AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

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  • DJI’s Latest Air 3 Drone Does It All Brilliantly, Without Busting the Bank

    DJI’s Latest Air 3 Drone Does It All Brilliantly, Without Busting the Bank

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    DJI’s drones dominate the market to such an extent that you barely hear any other brands mentioned. They’re not quite competing with themselves, but the DJI Air 3 does fill a gap between the professional-grade Mavic series and the pocket-size Mini range. It’s the first new Air model since 2021’s Air 2S, and DJI has done it again, with a drone that offers enhanced video performance and mercifully stress-free flying.

    I’ve been flying the DJI Air 3 for the past few months, comparing it with a range of other drones, including its main competitor, the superb Air 2S. The biggest improvement over its older cousin is a multi-camera setup previously exclusive to the much pricier Mavic models, but there are notable boosts to battery life and flight safety too.

    Twice as Nice

    The headline feature for the DJI Air 3 is the two cameras mounted on its front gimbal. There’s a “standard” wide-angle camera offering a 24-mm-equivalent field of view (broadly similar to the camera on the Air 2S) and a medium-telephoto camera offering a 70-mm-equivalent field of view. The latter gives the drone a brand-new creative option, with the angle allowing for a narrower framing of smaller subjects and the ability to isolate them against the background in an all-new, dramatic way. A tighter field of view might not sound all that exciting, but in practice it’s a significant upgrade.

    Photograph: DJI

    Both cameras use a 1/1.3-inch Quad Bayer CMOS sensor with 48-megapixel resolution. What I like about these sensors is that they both capture video at the same quality, making it easier to give footage a unified, harmonious look when editing, no matter which parts were captured by which camera.

    The DJI Air 2S had a single 1-inch 20-megapixel sensor, which might make the Air 3’s smaller 1/1.3-inch sensors sound a little disappointing. But it doesn’t feel like too much of a loss. I understand DJI’s justification; two larger sensors would add weight and take up space. But all told, I think the image quality is better on the Air 3, with wider dynamic range and less noise.

    The Air 3 does lose the ability to record video at a 5.7K resolution, being restricted to 4K on both cameras, but in all honesty, I don’t think anybody will mind all that much. For the majority of casual users, 4K will be more than enough detail.

    4K can be captured at up to 60 frames per second in the standard video mode, 100 fps in slow-motion mode, and 30 fps in the new night mode, which ekes out extra detail after the sun goes down. I found the flat D Log M color profile a joy too, as it let me do my own color grading and correction in postproduction and achieve the results I wanted.

    Photos (which can be captured in JPEG or DNG RAW) look excellent too, and while the Air 3 can’t match the WIRED-recommended Mavic 3’s Four Thirds Hasselblad camera, it’s not far off, while being smaller and substantially cheaper.

    Photograph: Sam Kieldsen

    DJI Air 3. Still image shot using the wide angle 24mm equivalent camera.

    Fly Safer for Longer

    Buzzing around the beaches and headlands of Britain’s southeast coast, I found the Air 3 to be even more forgiving and enjoyable to fly than its (already forgiving and enjoyable) predecessor. This is thanks to a bigger battery (46 minutes as opposed to the Air 2S’s 31—although real-world use numbers are marginally lower for both drones) and a full omnidirectional anti-collision sensor setup that makes crashes very unlikely. The Air 3 now has sensors facing forwards, backwards, upwards, downwards, and laterally on both the left and right sides, and in good light these will spot hazards and stop your drone from careering into them. These sensors become less reliable the darker the conditions are, but it’s an invaluable feature that could save your blushes and bank balance.

    Like all DJI drones, the Air 3’s flight controls are wonderfully intuitive and loaded with practical automated functions. For instance, you can tap a button on the controller to take off, and another to bring the drone back from wherever it is and land. You can also define waypoints for fully automated flight, and set the Air 3 to track a static or moving subject, keeping its cameras trained on it at all times.

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    Sam Kieldsen

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  • The DJI Mini 4 Pro Is a Small Drone With Huge Appeal

    The DJI Mini 4 Pro Is a Small Drone With Huge Appeal

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    Even as a relatively experienced pilot, I love how difficult it is to to crash a DJI drone. This is thanks to its full omnidirectional vision sensor array, which is drone jargon for sensors facing forwards, backwards, downwards, upwards, and to both sides. It’s the first time this level of disaster avoidance tech has been seen on an ultralight DJI drone, and I love it. If the Mini 4 Pro senses an imminent collision it will stop immediately in the sky. You’ll struggle to even deliberately crash this drone, which is just as it should be.

    These sensors also allow the drone to circumvent obstacles when using its autopilot-like ActiveTrack 360 system. Just draw a box around an object—a boat or car for instance—on the controller’s touchscreen and the Mini 4 Pro will autonomously follow it as it moves around, keeping it framed in the camera. I found it useful for making cinematic shots of me riding my bike, and also, impressively, keeping pace with a speedboat through the wake, and it was reassuring to know that the Mini 4 Pro had the brains to stay safe as it tracked.

    The vision system isn’t totally foolproof, though. It doesn’t work when flying the drone in its fastest, most responsive Sport setting, which is fair enough, but you’ll also have to exercise some additional care after dark.

    Night Moves

    But it’s worth brushing up on your sundown flying skills, however, thanks to the significant upgrades lavished on the gimbal-stabilized camera. The Mini 4 Pro has the same 1/1.3-inch 48-megapixel Quad Bayer image sensor as the Mini 3 Pro, but processing has been greatly improved. It now matches the Mini 3 Pro’s 4K/60-frames-per-second performance but can also capture super-smooth slow motion in 4K at 100 fps.

    Even better, it now has the option to record 10-bit D-Log M video, allowing for greater grading potential in postproduction. I’m still learning when it comes to color grading and correction of drone footage, but I was able to turn my 10-bit aerial footage into something really dynamic and engaging. It’s definitely the best footage I’ve ever seen from an ultralight drone, even if it doesn’t quite hit the levels of detail offered by the larger sensors on the likes of the DJI Mavic 3 or Air 3.

    Photograph: Sam Kielsden

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    Sam Kieldsen

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  • Drone helps locate missing family dog in New Jersey woods

    Drone helps locate missing family dog in New Jersey woods

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    SOUTH AMBOY, New Jersey (WABC) — A family in New Jersey has been reunited with their dog, who is lucky to be alive

    On Friday, both one of the two dogs, Guinness made a run for it and then got hit by a car before going missing in some nearby woods.

    “I stopped breathing. I couldn’t sleep, knowing he was out there,” said Mary Van Sant.

    Fighting against the frightening ordeal, friends and family searched — but Guiness was gone.

    Help soon arrived after the owners contacted a nonprofit, called U.A.A.R. Drone Team, which specializes in finding missing people and pets, among other things.

    “I had to find the dog for them,” said Michael Parziale, founder of the U.S.A.R. Drone Team. “We covered literally a mile.”

    Thanks to drone technology, after two days missing, Guinness was found.

    As a result of having gone missing, Guinness rushed to the vet with injuries, which requires surgery.

    But he’s going to be okay.

    ———-

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    WABC

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  • Ukraine launches far-ranging drone attacks on the final day of Russia’s presidential vote

    Ukraine launches far-ranging drone attacks on the final day of Russia’s presidential vote

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    Ukraine launched a massive new wave of drone attacks on Russia Sunday as Russians cast ballots on the final day of a presidential vote set to extend President Vladimir Putin’s rule for another six years.

    The Russian Defense Ministry reported downing 35 Ukrainian drones overnight, including four in the Moscow region.

    Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said a fifth drone, close to the capital’s Domodedovo airport, was downed on Sunday morning. No casualties or damage were reported.

    According to the Defense Ministry, two drones were shot down over the Kaluga region, just south of the Russian capital, and four in the Yaroslavl region, northeast of Moscow.

    The attacks on the Yaroslavl region, which is located about 800 kilometers (500 miles) from the Ukrainian border, were some of the farthest launched by Ukraine so far.

    More Ukrainian drones were downed over the Belgorod, Kursk and Rostov regions that border Ukraine and the southern Krasnodar region, the Defense Ministry said.

    Shelling of Belgorod on Sunday morning killed a 16-year-old girl and injured her father, while a second assault later in the day killed another man and injured 11 others, said Gov. Vyacheslav Gladkov.

    Authorities also said that a drone fell on a refinery in the Krasnodar region, sparking a blaze that was extinguished a few hours later. A worker at the refinery died of a heart attack, officials said. Refineries and oil terminals have been key targets of Ukrainian drone attacks.

    There have been a series of Ukrainian drone raids and other attacks over the past few days that Putin described as an attempt by Ukraine to frighten residents and derail Russia’s presidential election.

    “Those enemy strikes haven’t been and won’t be left unpunished,” he vowed during Friday’s meeting of his Security Council. “I’m sure that our people, the people of Russia, will respond to that with even greater cohesion.”

    Two Russian ballistic missiles hit the southern Ukrainian city of Mykolaiv on Sunday, injuring at least five people, the region’s Gov. Vitaliy Kim wrote on the Telegram messaging app.

    The Ukrainian military also said that 14 Russian drones had been shot down over the Odesa region Sunday, following a Russian ballistic missile assault on the southern port city Friday that killed at least 21 people.

    Britain’s defense ministry said Sunday that the country’s defense secretary, Grant Shapps, abandoned a trip to Odesa earlier this month because of a Russian missile threat. The Sunday Times reported that Shapps, who visited Kyiv on March 7, had been warned by British intelligence that Russia had become aware of his travel plans.

    Russian forces also launched five S-300 anti-aircraft guided missiles at Ukrainian-controlled areas in the Kharkiv and Donetsk regions, as well as two X-59 guided missiles in the Chernihiv region, the Ukrainian air force said Sunday.

    As the war drags into a third year, Russian forces have made some slow and incremental gains along the front line, relying on their edge in firepower, while Ukraine has fought back with more drone attacks deep inside Russia.

    There has also been an increasing number of cross border raids.

    The Freedom of Russia Legion — one of a number of armed groups which includes Russians fighting alongside Ukrainian forces — said Sunday that it had taken control of the Russian border village of Gorkovskiy in the Belgorod region. A video released on social media appeared to show troops removing the Russian flag from the village’s main administration building. The images were not independently verified by The Associated Press.

    A similar group, the Russian Volunteer Corps, released a video on social media Saturday alleging to have captured 25 Russian soldiers. The claim also couldn’t be independently verified.

    Meanwhile, the Russian military said on Saturday that it had thwarted another attempted cross-border incursion by Ukrainian “sabotage and reconnaissance groups.”

    Cross-border attacks in the area have taken place sporadically since the war began and have been the subject of claims and counterclaims, as well as disinformation and propaganda. ___

    Associated Press writer Jill Lawless in London contributed to this report.

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  • Meet Ukraine’s small but lethal weapon lifting morale: unmanned sea drones packed with explosives

    Meet Ukraine’s small but lethal weapon lifting morale: unmanned sea drones packed with explosives

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    Uncrewed, remote-controlled boats have been around since the end of World War II. Late last century, technological innovations broadened their potential uses.

    Lethal, advanced sea drones developed and deployed by Ukraine in its war with Russia have opened a new chapter in that story.

    Ukraine claims it is the first country to set up a specific unit dedicated to producing them. Yemen-based Houthis have also deployed armed unmanned surface vessels as suicide drone boats that explode upon impact.

    The 2-year-old Ukraine conflict has become a laboratory for new military technology, and naval drones are set to become an essential part of the combat toolbox in 21st-century warfare.

    Unmanned vessels — also called drone boats or maritime drones — have had a broad range of applications for years. They have been employed for scientific research, search and rescue operations, surveillance and coastal patrols.

    Ukraine has loaded them with explosives. The sleek vessels speed across the water’s surface, trailing a wake of white foam, and have a low radar signature that makes them hard to detect.

    They are equipped with advanced GPS and cameras.

    The Magura V5 sea drone that Ukraine says it used in the Black Sea on Tuesday appears to be Kyiv’s latest version. The craft wouldn’t look out of place in a James Bond movie.

    The Magura is 5.5 meters (18 feet) long, weighs up to 1,000 kilograms (2,200 pounds), has a range of up to 800 kilometers (500 miles), 60 hours of battery life, and a 200-kilogram (440-pound) payload, according to Ukrainian authorities. It also beams live video to operators.

    The unmanned boats are being used to target Russian shipping and infrastructure in the Black Sea, which has Russian and Ukrainian coastlines.

    Ukraine says the drones have sunk and damaged Russian ships there. That has helped Kyiv resume some grain exports.

    Kyiv officials say some 20% of Russian missile attacks on Ukraine are launched from the Black Sea. The Ukrainian fleet lost 80% of its vessels after Russia’s occupation of Crimea in 2014, they say.

    Ukrainian naval drones first struck a Russian ship in October 2022, the military claim, when they hit vessels moored off the coast of occupied Crimea.

    Last July, Russia said two Ukrainian maritime drones hit the Kerch Bridge, a key supply route linking Russia to Crimea, forcing its temporary closure. Unconfirmed reports said a version larger than the Madura, called Sea Baby, was used in that strike.

    The following month, Ukrainian sea drones struck a Russian port and damaged a warship, officials said.

    Being outgunned and outnumbered in the war against its bigger neighbor, Ukraine’s daring sea drone attacks have lifted morale.

    Ukrainian know-how and ingenuity are behind the development of the new generation of sea drones.

    They are locally designed and tested, but some components are sourced abroad.

    United24, a government crowdfunding organization that elicits donations from companies and individuals worldwide, collects the funding.

    Though the sea drones aren’t cheap — each Magura comes in at around $250,000 — they can damage or sink a ship worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

    United24 says it is assembling the world’s first drone fleet.

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    Follow AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

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  • Russian drone strike on the Ukrainian port city of Odesa kills 7

    Russian drone strike on the Ukrainian port city of Odesa kills 7

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    KYIV, Ukraine — Seven people were killed when debris from a Russian drone hit an apartment block in the southern Ukrainian port city of Odesa overnight, Ukraine‘s State Emergency Service said Saturday. A 3-month-old baby was among the dead.

    A further eight people were injured, authorities said.

    Odesa regional Gov. Oleh Kiper said the Shahed drone was shot down by Ukrainian air defenses, and that the falling debris hit the apartment building.

    Ukraine’s Armed Forces reported that the Odesa region was attacked by eight drones, of which seven were shot down by air defenses.

    Across the country, air defenses shot down 14 of 17 drones launched against Ukraine, according to the armed forces.

    Kharkiv regional Gov. Oleh Syniehubov reported Saturday morning that over 20 settlements in the eastern Ukrainian province had sustained Russian artillery and mortar attacks, while high-rise buildings in the regional capital, also called Kharkiv, were damaged by a drone attack.

    He said there were no casualties, but that three people suffered an “acute stress reaction.”

    In the partly occupied Kherson region, Russian artillery shelling killed a 53-year-old man on Saturday morning, the Kherson regional prosecutor’s office said.

    In Russia, a drone crashed into an apartment building in St. Petersburg on Saturday morning, according to Russian state news agency RIA Novosti.

    Six people received medical help after the explosion rocked the building, the agency said, citing the press service of the city’s health care committee.

    The Mash news site said that the apartment building was hit by a Ukrainian drone. The Associated Press could not verify this claim.

    The site published videos appearing to show the moment the apartment building was struck, showing a strong flash of light engulfing one side of the building and fragments of debris flying into the air. Another video showed car alarms going off.

    Russia’s Defense Ministry has not commented on the incident.

    In Russia’s Bryansk region, bordering Ukraine, an investigative team came under attack by a Ukrainian drone, according to the Russian Investigative Committee. Two members of the team were wounded and two others suffered shock, the committee wrote on Telegram.

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  • Ukraine vows more self-reliance as war enters third year

    Ukraine vows more self-reliance as war enters third year

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    Ukrainians have questions

    On the anniversary of Putin’s aggression, however, uncertainty and irritation were undisguised in Kyiv. Ukrainians wanted to know why Western sanctions on Russia are not working, and why Moscow keeps getting components for its missiles from Western companies. Why Ukrainians have to keep asking for weapons; and why the U.S. is not pushing through the crucial new aid package for Ukraine.

    “We are very grateful for the support of the United States, but unfortunately, when I turn to the Democrats for support, they tell me to go to the Republicans. And the Republicans say to go to the Democrats,” Ukrainian MP Oleksandra Ustinova said at a separate Kyiv conference on Saturday. “We are grateful for the European support, but we cannot win without the USA. We need the supply of anti-aircraft defenses and continued assistance.”

    “Why don’t you give us what we ask for? Our priorities are air defense and missiles. We need long-range missiles,” Ustinova added. 

    U.S. Congressman Jim Costa explained to the conference that Americans, and even members of Congress, still need to be educated on how the war in Ukraine affects them and why a Ukrainian victory is in America’s best interests.

    “I believe that we must, and that is why we will decide on an additional aid package for Ukraine. It is difficult and unattractive. But I believe that over the next few weeks, the US response will be a beacon to protect our security and democratic values,” Costa said.

    The West is afraid of Russia, Oleksiy Danilov, Ukraine’s security and defense council secretary, told the Saturday conference.

     “The West does not know what to do with Russia and therefore it does not allow us to win. Russians constantly blackmail and intimidate the West. However, if you are afraid of a dog, it will bite you,” he said.

    “And now you are losing not only to autocratic Russia but also to the rest of the autocracies in the world,” Danilov added.

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    Veronika Melkozerova

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  • Bomb blast detectives find ‘British parts’ in Russian drones fired at Ukraine

    Bomb blast detectives find ‘British parts’ in Russian drones fired at Ukraine

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    BOMB blast detectives found suspected British parts in Russian drones fired at Ukraine.

    Last night an MP called it a “deeply worrying development”.

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    Bomb blast detectives found suspected British parts in Russian drones fired at UkraineCredit: Peter Jordan
    Earlier investigations suggested the engines were reverse-engineered in Iran from a British parts

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    Earlier investigations suggested the engines were reverse-engineered in Iran from a British partsCredit: Peter Jordan
    Sun man Jerome Starkey and expert Andriy Kulchytskyi on a lab trip

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    Sun man Jerome Starkey and expert Andriy Kulchytskyi on a lab tripCredit: Peter Jordan

    Ex-colonel Andriy Kulchytskyi, at the Kyiv Scientific Research Institute of Forensic Expertise, showed us a motor of an Iranian Shahed-M drone engraved with English writing.

    He said he suspected some of the engines used to power the drone were made in England — but the manufacturer would not have known they could end up in a war zone.

    Andriy said: “We thought the Shahed 131 engines were British, at the very beginning, but we haven’t made it official. England is a good friend.”

    Earlier investigations have suggested the engines were reverse-engineered in Iran from a British part.

    Former Armed Forces Minister Mark Francois said: “That these engines came from Britain is still unconfirmed but, if true, that’s a deeply worrying development.

    “We have to assume our own intelligence agencies are investigating this, with a view to intervening rapidly, if required.”

    Irish parts, US and Swiss computer chips, Sony optics on a spy drone and antennas made in Canada have also been found by the Kyiv lab.

    Ukraine wipes out dozens MORE of Putin’s troops and Russian soldier fails to take out looming drone in explosive footage

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  • US drone strike targeted heads of Iran-backed militia in Baghdad, officials say. The group says a commander was killed

    US drone strike targeted heads of Iran-backed militia in Baghdad, officials say. The group says a commander was killed

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    US drone strike targeted heads of Iran-backed militia in Baghdad, officials say. The group says a commander was killed

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  • What to know about the US strikes in Iraq and Syria and its attacks with the UK in Yemen

    What to know about the US strikes in Iraq and Syria and its attacks with the UK in Yemen

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    BEIRUT — British forces on Saturday joined their American allies in new attacks against militia in Yemen. The U.S. military earlier launched strikes on dozens of sites manned by Iran-backed fighters in western Iraq and eastern Syria in retaliation for a drone strike in Jordan in late January that killed three U.S. service members and wounded dozens.

    Tensions have been rising in the region since the Israel-Hamas war started on Oct. 7. A week later, Iran-backed fighters, who are loosely allied with Hamas, began carrying out drone and rocket attacks on bases housing U.S. troops in Iraq and Syria. A deadly strike on the desert outpost known as Tower 22 in Jordan near the Syrian border further increased tensions.

    The United States and Britain on Saturday launched a barrage of strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen from fighter jets and warships in the Red Sea, U.S. officials told The Associated Press.

    The strikes hit 36 Houthi targets in 13 locations, the officials said on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss the military operation. It is the third time in two weeks that the U.S. and Britain have conducted a large joint operation to strike Houthi weapon launchers, radar sites and drones.

    The strikes came in response to almost daily missile or drone attacks against commercial and military ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.

    Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Denmark, the Netherlands, and New Zealand supported the latest wave of strikes intended to “defend lives and the free flow of commerce in one of the world’s most critical waterways.”

    The Houthi targets were struck by U.S. F/A-18 fighter jets from the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower aircraft carrier, by British Typhoon FGR4 fighter aircraft and by the Navy destroyers USS Gravely and the USS Carney firing Tomahawk missiles from the Red Sea, according to U.S. officials and the U.K. Defense Ministry.

    The strikes on Friday came in retaliation for the drone strike that killed three U.S. troops in Jordan on Jan. 28.

    U.S. forces struck 85 targets in seven locations in a strategic region where thousands of Iran-backed fighters are deployed to help expand Iran’s influence from Tehran to the Mediterranean coast.

    U.S. bases in Syria’s eastern province of Deir el-Zour and the northeastern province of Hassakeh have come under attack for years. The Euphrates River cuts through Syria into Iraq, with U.S. troops and American-backed Kurdish-led fighters on the east bank and Iran-backed fighters and Syrian government forces to the west.

    Bases for U.S. troops in Iraq have come under attack too.

    Iran-backed militias control the Iraqi side of the border and move freely in and out of Syria, where they man posts with their allies from Lebanon’s powerful Hezbollah and other Shiite armed groups.

    The U.S. military said the barrage of strikes hit command and control headquarters; intelligence centers; rockets and missiles, drone and ammunition storage sites; and other facilities connected to the militias and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard’s Quds Force, which handles Tehran’s relationship with, and arming of, regional militias.

    Syrian opposition activists said the strikes hit the Imam Ali base near the border Syrian town of Boukamal, the Ein Ali base in Quriya, just south of the strategic town of Mayadeen, and a radar center on a mountain near the provincial capital that is also called Deir el-Zour.

    Rami Abdurrahman, who heads the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said 29 rank-and-file fighters were killed in those strikes.

    The attacks also hit a border crossing known as Humaydiya, where militia cross back and forth between Iraq and Syria, according to Omar Abu Layla, a Europe-based activist who heads the Deir Ezzor 24 media outlet. He said the strikes also hit an area inside the town of Mayadeen known as “the security quarter.”

    Iraqi government spokesperson Bassim al-Awadi said the border strikes killed 16 people and caused “significant damage” to homes and private properties.

    The Popular Mobilization Force, a coalition of Iran-backed militia that is nominally under the control of the Iraqi military, said the strikes in western Iraq hit a logistical support post, a tanks battalion, an artillery post and a hospital. The PMF said 16 people were killed and 36 wounded, and that authorities were searching for other missing people.

    Iran and groups it backs in the region aim to put pressure on Washington to force Israel to end its crushing offensive in Gaza, but do not appear to want all-out war. The defeat of Hamas would be a major setback for Tehran, which considers itself and its allies the main defenders of the Palestinian cause.

    The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella group for Iran-backed groups, said it carried out two explosive drone attacks Saturday on bases housing U.S. troops in the northern Iraqi city of Irbil and a post in northeast Syria near the Iraqi border.

    The only Iran-backed faction that has been escalating are the Houthi rebels in Yemen, and they have made clear that they have no intention of scaling back their campaign.

    ___

    Baldor and Copp reported from Washington.

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  • Yemen: US and EU ignored our warnings about Houthis to court Iran for nuclear deal

    Yemen: US and EU ignored our warnings about Houthis to court Iran for nuclear deal

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    “We have been saying this a long time,” he said on a visit to Brussels. “I have been here three times before and always we said if we didn’t do this … the Houthis will never stop. The Houthis have an ideology, have a project. Iran has a project in the region and unfortunately, the others do not respond.”

    He expressed frustration that the EU and U.S. spent years pouring their diplomatic energies into wooing Tehran for a nuclear deal, rather than exerting more pressure on the Islamic Republic to stop supporting their Houthi allies, fellow Shi’ite Muslims who were seeking to impose what he labeled a “theocratic, totalitarian” police state.  

    The idea behind the nuclear talks was that Tehran should limit its nuclear ambitions in return for sanctions relief, but an accord proved out of reach.  

    No one paid attention

    Bin Mubarak noted international momentum for action — which has included U.S. and British strikes on Houthi targets — did not finally come about “because of what [the Houthis] did to the Yemenis. They killed thousands of Yemenis. Not because of the atrocities they committed, raping women … jailing women … Just look at what Houthis did. No one is paying attention.”   

    He explained Western diplomacy toward Iran was supposed to have focused on three elements: the nuclear program, Tehran’s support for regional proxies, and its ballistic missile program. The fixation on the first, to the detriment of the other two, means the West is now facing an adversary in Yemen that has been very well armed by Iran, bin Mubarak complained.  

    “[Iran’s] Shahed drones, the first time we started hearing the European Union talking about it, they were being used in Ukraine. But before that, for years, we were saying Iran is supplying Houthis and drones are attacking Yemeni people. No one was believing [it],” he continued, adding that Houthi drone strikes stopped Yemeni oil exports in October 2022.    



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    Christian Oliver

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  • Iran’s allies are attacking the West. What happens next?

    Iran’s allies are attacking the West. What happens next?

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    Could the U.S. take a tougher line?

    While the scale and target of Biden’s promised response is not yet clear, any unilateral move is likely to draw blowback from key allies in the Middle East who worry about sparking a regional war.

    Saudi Arabia has pushed for restraint in dealings with Tehran and fears the economic cost of regional instability.

    Turkey, a key NATO ally, has denounced Israel’s campaign in Gaza, while President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has accused the U.K. and the U.S. of trying to turn the Red Sea into a “sea of blood.”

    “Turkey does not want to be drawn into this conflict because it shares a border with Iran,” said Selin Nasi, a visiting fellow at the European Institute of the London School of Economics. “If the U.S. as its main ally in NATO gets involved in this military conflict directly then Turkey has to choose a side, and that will mean it’s harder to maintain a balanced approach — like it has done with the war in Ukraine.”

    The challenge for Biden is how to retaliate without risking escalation by Iran and its partners in the region. Conversely, doing nothing — especially after having said he would avenge the deaths of the three U.S. soldiers — would leave him vulnerable to a charge of weakness from Trump.

    “Iran’s leadership probably calculates that the United States will be reticent to fulsomely respond in any manner that would risk escalation of tensions in the Middle East and spark the region-wide [conflict] the Biden administration has admirably tried to prevent the past three months,” said Jonathan Panikoff, a former U.S. deputy national intelligence officer.

    But the U.S. may have “to undertake a more fulsome response to restore deterrence,” he added.

    Jamie Dettmer, Jeremy Van der Haegen and Laura Kayali contributed reporting.



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    Gabriel Gavin

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  • UK slaps fresh sanctions on Iran

    UK slaps fresh sanctions on Iran

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    The Foreign Office said the sanctioned Iranian officials are members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps — a branch of the Iranian military which broadcaster ITV linked to a plot to kill two journalists on British soil in a recent investigation.

    But the sanctions fall short of a full proscription of the IRGC, a step called for by some British lawmakers who want it designated as a terrorist group.

    “The Iranian regime and the criminal gangs who operate on its behalf pose an unacceptable threat to the U.K.’s security,” Foreign Secretary David Cameron said in a statement.

    He added: “The U.K. and U.S. have sent a clear message – we will not tolerate this threat.”

    The curbs come amid heightened tensions between U.S. allies and Iran, although are not being directly linked by the U.K. government to the latest flare-up.

    British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Monday urged Iran to “de-escalate” after three U.S. troops were killed in a drone strike on an American base in Jordan. The U.S. and U.K. have blamed Iran-backed militants for the attack, although Tehran has denied playing a role.



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    Andrew McDonald

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  • Biden: 3 US service members were killed, ‘many’ were wounded in drone attack in Jordan by ‘Iran-backed’ militant groups

    Biden: 3 US service members were killed, ‘many’ were wounded in drone attack in Jordan by ‘Iran-backed’ militant groups

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    Biden: 3 US service members were killed, ‘many’ were wounded in drone attack in Jordan by ‘Iran-backed’ militant groups

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  • Ukraine to unveil ‘Project FURY’ mission to build robot drone SUBMARINE fleet

    Ukraine to unveil ‘Project FURY’ mission to build robot drone SUBMARINE fleet

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    UKRAINE is set to unveil its latest underwater robot drone that will target Putin’s Black Sea fleet in a bid to turn the tide of the war.

    Project FURY, which stands for First Ukrainian Robotic Navy, will be presented at Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense’s “Offensive of Machines” Hackathon.

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    An artist’s impression of a new deadly underwater drone set to be unveiled by Ukraine
    Ukraine has caused major damage in the Black Sea thanks to its unmanned surface vehicle dubbed "Sea Baby"

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    Ukraine has caused major damage in the Black Sea thanks to its unmanned surface vehicle dubbed “Sea Baby”Credit: EAST2WEST
    The "Sea Baby" was used to blow up Putin's Crimean Bridge in July last year

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    The “Sea Baby” was used to blow up Putin’s Crimean Bridge in July last yearCredit: EAST2WEST

    The stealth AUV(Autonomous Underwater Vehicle) is still in development but will make its first public appearance on Sunday.

    The drone will be used as a platform for a range of missions and will be able to carry mines, torpedoes, or submarine-launched missiles, according to submarine expert H I Sutton.

    It’s possible that the AUV could also be fitted with a range of sensors to carry out intelligence missions.

    While its specifications are currently under wraps, Project FURY will partner with an experienced AUV manufacturer in the West to weaponise an already existing platform.

    Ukraine has seen a lot of success launching Unmanned Surface Vehicles (USVs) putting them one step ahead of the Kremlin’s Black Sea Fleet.

    The invisible kamikaze “Sea Baby” drone has caused extensive damage to several Russian vessels – most recently spitting fire at enemy boats.

    It was also responsible for an attack on Putin’s much-beloved £3 million Crimean Bridge.

    Pictures from July last year show a gaping hole left in the bridge from the drone blast.

    The “Sea Baby” can carry up to 850kg of explosives and its body is reportedly made from a material invisible to radar systems.

    Ukraine also has the Marichka underwater kamikaze drone in its arsenal – capable of carrying 1,000lbs of explosives.

    The £335,000 Marichka is said to be immune to Russian radio-electronic warfare systems, meaning the pricey weapon is “invisible to the enemy”.

    But after numerous attacks, Russia is getting better at countering USV attacks, and without innovation, Vlad’s troops could regain superiority, warns H I Sutton.

    Ukraine’s Vice Admiral Oleksii Neizhpapa said: “Some of our tricks and tactics that were worked out in 2022 and 2023 will not work in 2024.

    “Therefore, you need to change tactics, change the technical characteristics of everything you do.”

    USVs are vulnerable to aircraft and an underwater unmanned drone could be the answer – but what sets Project FURY apart is that it’s not a completely new drone.

    While AUVs are more expensive they are reusable and stealth and have the added advantage of surprise as well as needing no personnel to run.

    AUVs will be harder to counter and can carry out missions that are not possible with USVs, warns the sub expert.

    Ukraine is not the first country to look at developing unmanned underwater drones.

    In December, Boeing unveiled its Extra-Large Unmanned Undersea Vehicle dubbed Orca – measuring 52ft long and 8ft wide.

    The Kronos submarine was also developed by a team of Ukrainian engineers at UAE company Highlands Systems to carry out rescue missions – but it can also carry six Black Scorpion torpedoes.

    Another artist's impression has revealed what the new Project FURY could look like

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    Another artist’s impression has revealed what the new Project FURY could look likeCredit: Naval News
    The "Sea Baby" can carry up to 850kg of explosives and is made from its body is made from a material invisible to radars

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    The “Sea Baby” can carry up to 850kg of explosives and is made from its body is made from a material invisible to radars
    Ukraine also has the Marichka underwater kamikaze drone in its arsenal - capable of carrying 1,000lbs of explosives

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    Ukraine also has the Marichka underwater kamikaze drone in its arsenal – capable of carrying 1,000lbs of explosivesCredit: East2West

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    Rebecca Husselbee

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  • Ships and aircraft search for 2 Navy SEALs missing after mission to confiscate Iranian missile parts

    Ships and aircraft search for 2 Navy SEALs missing after mission to confiscate Iranian missile parts

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    WASHINGTON — U.S. Navy ships and aircraft combed areas of the Gulf of Aden for two missing U.S. Navy SEALs on Monday as details emerged about their mission to board and take over a vessel carrying components for medium-range Iranian ballistic missiles headed for Somalia, a U.S. defense official said Monday.

    The official said crew on the dhow, which did not have a country flag, were planning to transfer the missile parts, including warheads and engines, to another boat off the coast of Somalia. The Navy recognized the boat as one with a history of transporting illegal weapons from Iran to Somalia, said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss details not made public.

    The SEALs were on the USS Lewis B. Puller, a Navy expeditionary sea base vessel, and traveled in small special operations combat craft driven by naval special warfare crew to get to the boat. As they were boarding it in rough seas, around 8 p.m. local time, one SEAL got knocked off by high waves and a teammate went in after him. Both are missing.

    The team boarding the small boat was facing about a dozen crew members. The crew members, who were taken into custody, had no paperwork, which allowed a search of the vessel. The weapons were confiscated, and the boat was sunk, a routine procedure that usually involves blowing open holes in the hull.

    U.S. officials have said that the waters in the Gulf of Aden are warm, and Navy SEALs are trained for such emergencies. On Monday, Navy ships, helicopters and drones were involved in the ongoing search.

    The U.S. Navy has conducted regular interdiction missions in the region, also intercepting weapons on ships that were bound for Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen.

    Officials have said that the SEAL mission was not related to Operation Prosperity Guardian, the ongoing U.S. and international mission to provide protection to commercial vessels in the Red Sea, or the retaliatory strikes that the United States and the United Kingdom have conducted in Yemen over the past two days.

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