International
Ukraine strikes with its drones one of the biggest blows of the war to the Russian arsenal
Faced with the resistance of its partners to lifting the ban on using their long-range missiles against Russian territory, Ukraine once again resorted to its own drones to hit the enemy rearguard with a massive attack that hit a warehouse of missiles, ammunition and aerial bombs in the city of Toporets in the Tver region of western Russia.
According to sources of the Ukrainian espionage, the attack was a joint operation by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), the Kiev military intelligence and the special forces of the Army and reached an ammunition depot in which Iskander and Tochka-U missiles were stored, in addition to aerial bombs and ammunition for artillery.
According to the Russian Telegram channel Astra, the warehouse in question, located in the city of Toporets in the Tver region, was hit by six Ukrainian kamikaze drones around 3.30 a.m. local time (00.30 GMT).
The Ukrainian portal Militarni, specialized in defense matters, has revealed that the attacked unit is 541690 of the Main Directorate of Missiles and Artillery of Russia (GRAU), in information that includes the coordinates of the attacked tank.
According to the balance sheet offered by the Russian Ministry of Defense, 54 drones were shot down throughout Russian territory during last night’s Ukrainian attack, 27 of them over the Kursk region, the scene of a military operation in Kiev since last August 6.
The authorities of the Tver region ordered the evacuation of part of the population of the area where the anti-aircraft defenses were activated in the city of Toporets, of about 11,400 inhabitants, located 460 kilometers from the Ukrainian border and where the attacked weapons warehouse is located, which had already been the target of the Ukrainian drones on two other occasions during the war.
Access to the city was reopened on Wednesday afternoon, when the evacuees were able to return to their homes.
According to the governor of Tver, Igor Rudenia, the attack has not caused fatalities or serious injuries.
Ukraine has made attacks on military airfields and missile and air bomb deposits one of its top priorities during the last months of the war, with the aim of reducing Russian air superiority.
According to data from the Ukrainian Army, Russian warplanes launch a hundred airstrikes every day against Ukrainian positions, infrastructure and inhabited areas, often causing civilian victims.
Through the massive use of guided air bombs – conventional high-power explosives equipped with their own navigation systems that allow the planes to launch them from outside the reach of enemy defenses – Russian aviation destroys Ukrainian defensive structures to pave the way for ground troops.
Kiev has insistently asked its main allies to allow it to multiply the effectiveness of its attacks on airfields and related infrastructures located within Russia with the use of its long-range missiles for this type of attack.
Given the resistance that its partners have shown so far, Ukraine must be content with using its drones for this type of operation, which increasingly hit Russian military installations but have so far failed to significantly decimate Russian aviation.
None of the countries with the capacity to transfer long-range missiles to Ukraine has given the green light for the moment to this request from Kiev, which is welcomed by countries with less military power and by some leaders of Western supranational organizations such as NATO, whose Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, said on Monday that he “applauds” the efforts of the allies to take this step.
Speaking to a Russian radio, Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov criticized Stoltenberg for “not taking seriously” the warnings in this regard by Russian President Vladimir Putin, who said last week that giving permission to Kiev to attack Russian territory with long-range weapons will be interpreted with Moscow as a NATO entry into the war against Russia.
Peskov linked Stoltenberg’s words to the imminence of the end of his mandate at the head of the Atlantic Alliance. “It is clear that soon he will no longer have any responsibility for these words, but it is an extremely provocative and dangerous position,” he said.
International
Wildfires in France Burn Nearly Three Times More Land Than in 2025, Interior Minister Says
More than 50,000 hectares of land have been destroyed by wildfires across France since the beginning of the year, nearly three times the area affected during the same period in 2025, French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said Friday in an interview with AFP.
Emergency crews are currently battling several major fires, including one near the popular Cap Ferret peninsula, where flames have already consumed more than 10,000 hectares, making it the largest wildfire of the season so far, according to the minister.
“Currently, we have 32 fires underway, which obviously do not all have the same level of importance,” Nuñez said.
“We have exceeded the threshold of 50,000 hectares burned since January 1 of this year. It is practically three times more than during the same period last year,” he added.
Despite the extensive resources deployed and the long hours worked by emergency teams — estimated to be two and a half times higher than last year — Nuñez said authorities remain “calm” and “determined” to contain the situation.
The minister acknowledged that the main concern is the fatigue affecting firefighters and emergency personnel who have been working under demanding conditions.
“The concern, if there has to be one, obviously lies in the state of exhaustion of the men and women who are committed. We have to hold on throughout the entire season,” Nuñez said.
France’s late spring and early summer have been marked by repeated periods of extreme heat, conditions linked by scientists to climate change and considered a major factor contributing to the increase in wildfire activity across the country.
International
Israel Says Saudi Recognition Would Mark ‘Historic Breakthrough’ for Middle East Peace
The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that Saudi Arabia’s recognition of Israel would represent a “historic breakthrough” toward achieving peace in the Middle East.
The statement came after the United States and Saudi Arabia announced an agreement on Wednesday to establish a civil nuclear program in the kingdom. U.S. President Donald Trump said the initiative would be linked to Riyadh’s decision to normalize diplomatic relations with Israel.
“Saudi Arabia joining the Abraham Accords would represent a historic breakthrough toward peace in the Middle East,” Netanyahu’s office said following Trump’s announcement.
The statement added that recent developments, including joint military actions by the United States and Israel against Iran, as well as Israel’s efforts against what it described as Iran’s “terror axis,” have created new opportunities to expand regional diplomatic ties.
“The joint U.S.-Israeli military action against the genocidal regime in Tehran and Israel’s defeat of Iran’s terror axis have created the possibility of expanding the circle of peace,” the statement said.
A potential normalization agreement between Israel and Saudi Arabia would represent a major diplomatic shift in the region, as Riyadh has long been viewed as one of the key countries whose formal recognition could significantly reshape Middle Eastern relations.
International
Nicolás Maduro’s Son Calls U.S. Trial Against His Father and Cilia Flores “Unjust”
Venezuelan lawmaker Nicolás Maduro Guerra on Wednesday described as “unjust” the legal proceedings in the United States against his father, ousted Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, and his wife, Cilia Flores, following their capture in Caracas on January 3 by U.S. forces.
“Faced with the unjust trial taking place today, the people raised their voices with a single demand: We demand the immediate release of President Nicolás Maduro and the First Lady,” Maduro Guerra wrote on his Instagram account.
The lawmaker attended a rally in Caracas where supporters of the ruling United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV)gathered to show support for the former president, who faces charges in the United States including conspiracy to commit narco-terrorism and cocaine importation. Flores is accused of crimes related to drug trafficking and weapons possession.
The event was also attended by PSUV Vice President for Mobilizations and Events Nahum Fernández and Caracas Mayor Carmen Meléndez, according to photos shared by Maduro’s son.
The third hearing in the case against Maduro and Flores concluded Wednesday at a federal court in New York after lasting only about 18 minutes. During the hearing, the judge preliminarily set June 2027 as the expected start date for the trial.
One of the main arguments from the defense will focus on immunity. Maduro’s lead attorney, Barry Pollack, who has also represented WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, said the defense plans to request immunity for both defendants, arguing that Maduro was serving as head of state and Flores as first lady at the time of their detention.
Both Maduro and Flores pleaded not guilty during their first court appearance in New York on January 5.
Meanwhile, Venezuela’s interim president Delcy Rodríguez, who assumed power after Maduro’s capture, has not yet commented on Wednesday’s hearing in the United States.
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