Ukraine says it used US glide bombs in Russia’s Kursk region and has retaken some land in Kharkiv

Smoke rises from explosions during a Ukrainian strike on a Russian platoon command post that Ukraine's air force say is conducted using a US-made GBU-39 bomb, in 2-ya Muzhitsa, Glushkovsky District, Kursk region, Russia, in this still image obtained from video released August 22, 2024. (Ukraine Air Force/via REUTERS)
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Updated 25 August 2024
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Ukraine says it used US glide bombs in Russia’s Kursk region and has retaken some land in Kharkiv

  • Ukraine’s forces have gained new momentum this month after delayed deliveries of US weaponry were finally released
  • Ukraine and its Western allies hope that the regained momentum could strengthen Kyiv’s hand on the diplomatic front.

KYIV: Ukraine’s military says it used high-precision US glide bombs to strike Russia’s Kursk region, and that is has recaptured some territory in the eastern Ukrainian region of Kharkiv that has been under a Russian offensive since spring.
Ukraine’s Air Force Commander Lt. Gen. Mykola Oleschuk issued a video Thursday night purporting to show a Russian platoon base being hit in Kursk, where Ukrainian forces launched a surprise cross-border incursion on Aug. 6. He said the attack with GBU-39 bombs, which were supplied by the United States, resulted in Russian casualties and the destruction of equipment.
The video showed multiple explosions and plumes of smoke rising at the site.
Many of Ukraine’s backers oppose the country using donated weapons for anything but defensive purposes. However, Ukraine has argued that its Kursk incursion is essentially defensive and aimed at minimizing attacks on Ukrainian soil from that Russian region.

US officials have said that Washington supports Ukraine’s use of shorter-range weapons such as glide bombs in its attacks across the border. The US so far only has put a limit on the use of longer-range ATACMS missiles for strikes deep into Russia.
Uccounter-drone equipment, anti-armor missiles and mobile rocket systems.

White House national security spokesman John Kirby said Friday that US officials have been in near-daily contact with Ukrainian counterparts and have made no recent changes to guidance on how US weapons can be used in the Kursk offensive.
“They are allowed to use US provided material to defend themselves against Russian aggression. And, as you know, the president allowed them to use US munitions across that border to deal with imminent threats,” Kirby told reporters in Washington.
Kirby added that it’s unclear how successful Ukraine’s operation in Kursk will be over the long term. Russian officials on Friday reported some success in turning back Ukrainian forces in some areas of the Kursk region.




A Boeing GBU-39 SDB (Small Diameter bomb) precision-guided glide bomb is shown during at the Farnborough International Airshow in the UK. (Shutterstock)

Separately, Ukraine’s 3rd Separate Assault Brigade said its forces advanced nearly two square kilometers (about three-quarters of a square mile) in the Kharkiv region. No details were released about the timing, scale, and area of the offensive, and it’s hard to predict its impact on the battlefield.
Ukraine’s forces have gained new momentum this month after delayed deliveries of US weaponry were finally released, and Kyiv launched a shock offensive into Russia’s western Kursk region earlier this month.
At the same time, Ukraine has intensified a drone war against military and fuel targets that sparked blazes deep in Russia this week. On Friday some new details emerged about damage and injuries caused by some of those drone attacks.
A Ukrainian drone attack targeting a distant Russian air base in the Volgograd region caused significant damage to an airfield that reportedly housed glide bombs used by Moscow in the war, satellite photos analyzed Friday by The Associated Press showed.
Meanwhile, an attack on a cargo ferry at the port of Kavkaz in Russia’s Krasnodar region on Thursday injured 13 people, Russia’s state news agency Tass reported Friday. Citing health officials, Tass said that four of the injured have been hospitalized and one other person remained unaccounted for.
Ukraine’s gains have reshaped the battlefield and buoyed the morale of Ukrainians 10 years after Russia first invaded their country, and 2 1/2 years after Moscow launched a full-scale invasion that has led to mass death and destruction and created Europe’s largest refugee crisis since World War II.
Ukraine and its Western allies hope that the regained momentum could strengthen Kyiv’s hand on the diplomatic front.
A visit to Kyiv by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who met Friday with President Volodymyr Zelensky, was being closely watched. There are Ukrainian hopes that Modi, who has maintained cordial ties and economic relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin, could play a role in forging a mediated peace.
The incursion into Russia has highlighted Russian vulnerabilities but also further stretched Ukrainian forces, who already were fighting on a frontline running hundreds of kilometers (miles). It has possibly compromised Ukraine’s ability to hold back Russian forces who have slowly but steadily gained ground in the Donetsk region, diverting Ukrainian forces who otherwise could bolster defense there.
It’s not clear how long Ukraine will be able to hold the land it has seized in Russia.
The Russian Defense Ministry on Friday said that its troops turned back Ukrainian attempts to advance on the Kursk region’s villages of Borki and Malaya Loknya. The ministry also reported taking out a reconnaissance and sabotage group near Kamyshevka, 20 kilometers (12 miles) north of Sudzha, which the Ukrainians took.
Ukraine’s 3rd Separate Assault Brigade said in a statement published late Thursday that Ukrainian soldiers took control of an area that was held by a Russian battalion, and some strongholds.
Brigade Commander Andrii Biletskyi said that they attacked Russian troops that had superiority “and won,” adding that the ratio of forces on the battlefield was 2.5:1 in Moscow’s favor.
The Associated Press was unable to independently verify the claims, and there was no immediate comment from Russia.
Russia launched an offensive in the Kharkiv region in May that led to some gains but soon stalled. Fighting in that area has diminished as the Russian army has concentrated its efforts in Donetsk, part of the industrial Donbas region that Moscow formally annexed but does not fully control.
Russia’s springtime advance on Kharkiv was seen as a sign that Ukraine’s position was weakening amid the delays of Western military aid.
 


Eight dead in Brazil hot air balloon accident

Updated 9 sec ago
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Eight dead in Brazil hot air balloon accident

“Eight fatalities and 13 survivors,” governor Jorginho Mello said
An investigation was launched

SAO PAULO: At least eight people were killed Saturday when a hot air balloon with 21 passengers caught fire in southern Brazil, said the governor of Santa Catarina state, where the incident occurred.

“Eight fatalities and 13 survivors,” governor Jorginho Mello said on X.

Videos taken by bystanders and carried on Brazilian television showed the moment when the balloon erupted in flames above the coastal town of Praia Grande. The weather conditions were clear.

The basket carrying the passengers plummeted dozens of meters to the ground in flames.

An investigation was launched to determine the cause of the accident.

Praia Grande, on the Atlantic coast, is a popular destination for hot-air ballooning in Brazil.

That was the second fatal balloon accident in the country in just a few days. Less than a week ago, a woman died during a ride in southeastern Sao Paulo state.

Suicide bomber kills at least 10 in a restaurant in northeast Nigeria

Updated 21 June 2025
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Suicide bomber kills at least 10 in a restaurant in northeast Nigeria

  • The suicide bomber was able to slip through unnoticed because of a heavy downpour
  • No group has claimed responsibility for the

ABUJA: A suicide bomber in Nigeria’s northeast state of Borno killed at least 10 people and injured several others in an explosion in a restaurant, police said Saturday.

The blast occurred in the Konduga area late Friday, police spokesperson Nahum Daso told The Associated Press.

The suicide bomber was able to slip through unnoticed because of a heavy downpour, said Ismail Ahmed, a resident of Konduga. The town is about 30 kilometers (20 miles) from Maiduguri, the capital of Borno state.

Local media reported that those injured in the attacks have been taken to a nearby hospital for treatment. They also reported that the bomber was female.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, but Nigeria’s northeast has been hit by attacks carried out by Islamic militants from the Boko Haram group and its splinter, the Daesh West Africa Province.

Boko Haram, Nigeria’s homegrown militants, took up arms in 2009 to fight Western education and impose their radical version of Islamic law. The conflict also has spilled into Nigeria’s northern neighbors.

Some 35,000 civilians have been killed and more than 2 million displaced in the northeastern region, according to the UN

Despite promises by President Bola Tinubu’s administration to address Nigeria’s security challenges, the violence has persisted.


Where does India stand on the Israel-Iran conflict?

Updated 21 June 2025
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Where does India stand on the Israel-Iran conflict?

  • Middle East situation shows India deviating from its traditionally pro-peace foreign policy, experts say
  • Indian foreign ministry called both sides ‘to avoid any escalatory steps,’ engage in dialogue

NEW DELHI: India is on a path of non-involvement in the growing conflict in the Middle East, experts said on Saturday, as they warned Delhi’s silence could have serious implications for the region.

Israeli attacks on Iran started on June 13 when Tel Aviv hit more than a dozen sites — including key nuclear facilities and residences of military leaders and scientists — claiming they were aimed at preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons.

After Iran retaliated with ballistic missile strikes against Israel, the two countries have been on a tit-for-tat cycle of bombing.

Israel’s attacks on Iran have reportedly killed at least 639 people and wounded 1,329 others, while Iranian missile strikes have killed 24 people and injured hundreds more in Israel.

India has yet to join other Asian nations — such as China, Japan, Pakistan and Indonesia — in condemning Israel’s initial strikes against Iran.

It was also the only country in the 10-member Shanghai Cooperation Organization which did not endorse a statement issued by the bloc, condemning Israel’s military strikes on Iran. SCO is a political and security body that includes China, Russia, India, Pakistan and Central Asian nations.

In a statement, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs urged “both sides to avoid any escalatory steps” and engage in dialogue and diplomacy “to work towards de-escalation.”

“India enjoys close and friendly relations with both the countries and stands ready to extend all possible support,” the ministry said.

Talmiz Ahmad, an Indian diplomat who served as ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Oman and the UAE, described the statement as “a very low-key remark and is meant for the record.”

“India is not interested in engaging itself with serious matters pertaining to regional diplomacy. India is not interested in pursuing ways in which we could promote security and stability,” he said.

Historically, India’s ties with countries in West Asia — a region that includes the Middle East — have been bilateral and transactional, lacking engagement “with the region in a collective sense.”

“With regard to the Israeli-Iran issue we have taken a position of non-involvement … (but) silence in this matter where Israel has initiated a conflict that could have potentially horrendous implications for the region, is another and is something which India should be very concerned about,” Ahmad said.

“There is no justification whatsoever for India to be so indifferent to the flames that are now gathering speed and strength right in our neighborhood.”

India is Israel’s largest arms buyer and Israel is India’s fourth-largest arms supplier. According to a report from Reuters, India has imported military hardware worth $2.9 billion over the last decade.

Delhi also has strategic interests in Iran and has invested around $370 million in a port development project in the Iranian port of Chabahar, aimed at hastening trade and connectivity links to Afghanistan and Central Asia.

Moreover, there are over 10,000 Indian nationals living in Iran, the majority of whom are students. Delhi has prioritized safely evacuating them since Israeli attacks began last week.

Peace in the region should be within India’s strategic interest, according to Delhi-based foreign policy scholar and researcher N. Sai Balaji, who highlighted the 9 million Indians living and working in West Asia.

“Not only that these (9 million) Indians contribute to billions of dollars in terms of remittances (but) India’s energy needs are met from West Asia,” Balaji told Arab News. “Any conflict with Iran or any conflict in West Asia does not only destabilize its financial stability in forms of remittances but also energy security.”

He said the Indian government was “taking sides clearly by not calling out the aggression of Israel.”

“India is not only abdicating its historic responsibility but also changing its foreign policy to accommodate Israel,” Balaji added.

Sudheendra Kulkarni, who served as an advisor to India’s former premier Atal Bihari Vajpayee, said the country had shifted its traditional approach in foreign policy.

“India has always stood for peace in the world … Therefore, it is deeply painful that Narendra Modi’s government has deviated from this traditionally pro-peace foreign policy of India,” Kulkarni told Arab News.

“It is wrong for the government to keep silent in the face of Israel’s naked aggression against Iran … Under Article 51 of the United Nations Charter, Israel is the aggressor. It has violated international law. Iran is the victim. Iran has the right to defend itself.”


Ukraine says received Russian bodies in war dead exchanges

Updated 21 June 2025
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Ukraine says received Russian bodies in war dead exchanges

  • Zelensky accused Russia of “not checking” who they were sending
  • “Sometimes these bodies even have Russian passports“

KYIV: Kyiv received the bodies of 20 Russian soldiers instead of Ukrainian ones during exchanges of war dead with Moscow, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in remarks made public Saturday.

He accused Russia of “not checking” who they were sending, and suggested Moscow might be doing it on purpose to conflate the number of Ukrainian bodies they had.

The repatriation of fallen soldiers and the exchange of prisoners of war has been one of the few areas of cooperation between the warring sides since Moscow invaded Ukraine in February 2022.

Moscow and Kyiv agreed earlier this month during talks in Istanbul to exchange the bodies of 6,000 soldiers each.

“It has already been confirmed during repatriations that the bodies of 20 people handed over to us as our deceased soldiers are Russian,” Zelensky said in remarks released on Saturday.

“Sometimes these bodies even have Russian passports,” he added.

An “Israeli mercenary” fighting for Moscow was also among those sent, he said.

Tens of thousands of soldiers have been killed on both sides since the war began. Neither country regularly releases information on military casualties.

Zelensky said there were currently “695,000 Russian troops” on Ukrainian territory.


Iran-Israel war must not become refugee crisis: UN

Updated 21 June 2025
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Iran-Israel war must not become refugee crisis: UN

  • UNHCR said the intensity of the attacks between the two sides was already triggering population movements in both countries
  • “This region has already endured more than its share of war, loss and displacement,” said Grandi

GENEVA: The United Nations said on Saturday the Iran-Israel war must not be allowed to trigger another refugee crisis in the Middle East, saying once people fled there was no quick way back.

UNHCR, the UN’s refugee agency, said the intensity of the attacks between the two sides was already triggering population movements in both countries.

Such movements had already been reported from Tehran and other parts of Iran, it said, with some people crossing into neighboring countries.

Strikes in Israel had caused people to seek shelter elsewhere in the country and in some cases abroad.

“This region has already endured more than its share of war, loss and displacement. We cannot allow another refugee crisis to take root,” said Filippo Grandi, the UN high commissioner for refugees.

“The time to de-escalate is right now. Once people are forced to flee, there’s no quick way back — and all too often, the consequences last for generations.”

Israel said on Saturday it had launched fresh air strikes against missile storage and launch sites in central Iran.

Iran has responded with barrages which Israeli authorities say have killed at least 25 people.

Iran hosts the largest number of refugees in the world — around 3.5 million — mostly of them from Afghanistan.

If the conflict persists, Iran’s existing refugee populations would also face renewed uncertainty and yet more hardship, UNHCR said.

The agency called for an urgent de-escalation in the conflict and urged countries in the region to respect the right of people to seek safety.

The Israeli government says the unprecedented wave of attacks it has launched at Iran since June 13 is aimed at preventing its rival from developing nuclear weapons — an ambition Tehran strongly denies.

Israel has maintained ambiguity about its own atomic arsenal, neither officially confirming nor denying it exists, but the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute says it has 90 nuclear warheads.