WESTERN PERSPECTIVE

Russia reinforces Kursk region, videos show Ukrainian presence, evidence of attack

Russia moved extra tanks, artillery and rocket systems to its southern Kursk region and imposed anti-terrorism measures in border areas as it battled a shock incursion by Ukraine's military.

Ukrainian forces, meanwhile, posted a video purporting to show them in control of a town near the border, the first pictorial evidence of their cross-border advances.

In new evidence of the damage inflicted in the Ukrainian counter-offensive, another video posted on social media and verified by Reuters showed a convoy of about 15 burnt-out Russian military trucks spaced out along a highway in the Kursk region.

Some contained dead bodies.

The acting governor of Kursk region, Alexei Smirnov, said drone debris had fallen on a power substation near Kurchatov, site of one of Russia's largest nuclear power stations with four reactors. Power to the area was cut for a time.

The head of the U.N.'s International Atomic Energy Agency urged both sides to show restraint in view of the proximity of the conflict to the station, 60 km (35 miles) from the border.

Russian diplomats in Vienna told the IAEA that fragments, possibly from downed missiles, had been found, though there was no evidence of an attack on the station.

Ukrainian forces broke across the border on Tuesday in a thrust that caught the Russian military by surprise after months of gradual advances in eastern Ukraine by Moscow's forces.

Politicians and the military are referring to a Ukrainian "invasion", nearly two and a half years after Russia launched its own full-scale invasion of its neighbour.

Early on Saturday, Russian news agencies said the National Anti-Terrorism Committee had imposed anti-terror measures in Kursk region and in nearby Bryansk and Belgorod regions.

The statement said the decision, taken by Alexander Bortnikov, head of the FSB intelligence service, was in response to Ukraine's "unprecedented attempt to destablise the situation in a series of regions".

RIA news agency said the measures included possible displacement of residents, limits on transport, beefed-up security around sensitive sites and wire taps.

Two days after Military Chief of Staff Valery Gerasimov reported to President Vladimir Putin that the advance had been halted, Russia's defence ministry said its forces "continue to repel an attempted invasion by the Armed Forces of Ukraine".

Interfax news agency quoted the ministry as saying that Russia was sending in columns of reinforcements with Grad multiple-launch rocket systems, artillery and tanks.

VIDEO SAID TO BE IN RUSSIAN GAS FACILITY

The Ukrainian video purported to show Ukrainian forces in control of a gas measuring facility run by Russian concern Gazprom in the town of Sudzha.

"The town is controlled by the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the town is calm, all buildings are intact," a soldier in the video said, adding that the "strategic Gazprom facility" was under the control of a Ukrainian battalion.

Reuters could not verify this video and the Ukrainian military's General Staff made no comment. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has maintained a strict silence on the operation, though he dropped some clear hints on Thursday, without referring to Kursk.

He praised his army's ability "to surprise". And in his nightly video address, he thanked army units who had taken Russian servicemen prisoner, to be used in later negotiations.

"This is extremely important and has been particularly effective over the past three days," he said.

Ben Barry, land warfare analyst at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, said that while its wider strategic goals remained unclear, Ukraine had exposed Russian shortcomings and overturned the conventional wisdom on the war that neither side could advance without heavy losses.

"They clearly have achieved a degree of surprise which suggests that Russia's ability to do intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance is inadequate," he said in a phone interview.

A Ukrainian Telegram channel that posted the video of the destroyed Russian trucks said they had been hit by a U.S.-supplied HIMARS rocket system. Russian bloggers also blamed a HIMARS strike.

Reuters was not able to establish how the vehicles were destroyed.

The United States announced a new $125 million package of aid for Ukraine, including Stinger missiles, artillery ammunition, and anti-armour systems. Zelenskiy said the package was "vital for our forces to counter Russian assaults".

Russia's defence ministry released its own video which it said showed a drone destroying a Ukrainian tank and howitzer near Sudzha. Reuters was able to verify the location.

ADVANCING INTO RUSSIAN TERRITORY

The ministry said that in the previous 24 hours, Russian troops, air strikes and artillery had "suppressed raid attempts by enemy units deep into Russian territory in the Kursk direction".

It said that Ukraine had lost up to 945 soldiers and 102 armoured vehicles in total, while mentioning no Russian losses.

Reuters could not verify the battlefield accounts. On Wednesday, Gerasimov had said the Ukrainian attack was mounted by up to 1,000 troops.

The Institute for the Study of War said in an overnight report that geolocated footage and Russian accounts indicated that Ukrainian forces had "continued rapid advances".

There were unconfirmed reports from Russian sources of Ukrainians pushing as deep as 35 km (22 miles) from the border.

RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE

Ukrainian heavy weaponry destroyed in border clashes

Videos released by the Russian Defense Ministry on Friday morning showcase the use of Lancet loitering munitions against Ukrainian heavy weapons deployed for the incursion into Kursk Region.

Kiev this week launched a major offensive into Russian territory, claiming that it would help it achieve a “just peace” sooner.

The Russian military said its opponents have suffered significant casualties and lost dozens of pieces of heavy weaponry in their cross-border push.

One of the new videos was filmed in a border area of Kursk Region and shows the destruction of a tank and an armored vehicle of the Ukrainian army amid the fighting, according to the description. Lancet kamikaze drones were reportedly used in both strikes.

Another one shows a Polish-made Krab 155mm howitzer, which was spotted by Russian recon teams as the Ukrainians were hiding it in a small forest. A Lancet damaged the self-propelled weapon and set it on fire, the ministry said.

Reuters/RT

Washing fruit and veg before eating them is common practice in most British households. 

But new research suggests that this might not be enough to eliminate potentially harmful pesticides from your produce. 

Writing in the journal Nano Letters, they concluded: 'The risk of pesticide ingestion from fruits cannot be avoided by simple washing other than peeling.

'We believe that the peeling operation can effectively avoid the hazards of pesticides in the fruit’s epidermis [skin] and near-epidermal pulp, thereby reducing the probability of ingesting pesticides.' 

But is peeling our fruit and veg really crucial for protecting our long-term health? 

For the new study, the researchers sprayed the fruit they tested with pesticides thiram and carbendazim.

They then washed them to mimic the everyday practices of millions of families who buy such items every day.  

However, using their special film, they demonstrated that washing wasn't enough to remove the presence of these pesticides could still be detected at 'low concentrations'.

They then replicated the study on other foods including cucumbers, shrimp, chili powder and rice which produced similar results showing these also had pesticide contamination. 

Carbendazim has been shown, in some animal studies, to increase the risk of liver cancers developing. Thiram has also been linked to developmental problems in  unborn children, and is irritating to the skin, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency.      

High exposure to carbendazim is linked to headache, dizziness, nausea and vomiting as well as movement issues.

However, neither thiram nor carbendazim are approved for use in the UK.

While food imported into the UK can be grown using them and sold on supermarket shelves, traces of the chemicals are too low to ilicit any of the ill-effects found in studies.

Separate studies, on pesticides in general have linked pesticides exposure to increased risk of cancers in people.

One recent study even claimed pesticides had a greater impact on cancers like Hopkins lymphoma, leukaemia, and bladder cancer than smoking.

However, experts say the health benefits of eating fruit and vegetables hugely outweigh the risks posed from consuming food with negligible amounts of pesticides.  

Daily Mail

Italian fashion label Dolce & Gabbana is taking the canine  perfume world by storm with Fefé, an “olfactory masterpiece” created by a master perfumer that will leave your pooch smelling like a million bucks.

Priced at an eye-watering €99 ($108) per 100 ml, Fefé comes in a “sleek green lacquered glass bottle, adorned with a vibrant red metal cap and a precious 24-carat gold-plated paw.” Smell-wise, it features “the cocooning and warm notes of Ylang, the clean and enveloping touch of Musk, and the woody creamy undertones of Sandalwood.” Inspired by D&G founder Domenico Dolce’s “unconditional love for his loyal  dog Fefé,” the new designer perfume for canines is safe pet cosmetics certified, approved by vets, safety tested, and “enjoyed by dogs.”

“Spray Fefé on your hands or on a brush and proceed by rubbing or brushing your dog’s fur from the middle of the body towards the tail to give them a moment of scented pampering,” the Dolce & Gabbana website suggests.

News of Dolce & Gabbana’s foray into canine toiletries has received some criticism from veterinarians despite the company’s claims that Fefé is alcohol-free and completely safe for dogs. The price of the designer perfume is one of the strongest points of contention, with some animal experts claiming that it is disappointing for such a product to be released at a time when many people are struggling economically.

“Dog  perfume with ylang-ylang and sandalwood scents is a waste of money with the potential to annoy dogs,” one veterinarian said.

“The dogs’ sense of smell is so sophisticated that they will still be able to check each other’s natural scent even if they wear perfume,” Fabian Rivers, welfare ambassador for the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA), explained. “But, I will not be surprised to find that dogs become distracted or annoyed by the smell of perfume.”

If a designer perfume for dogs is something you’ve always dreamed of, you can pre-order Fefé on the Dolce & Gabbana website.

Oddity Central

In what appears a major shift from previous claim by the Dangote Refinery company, the Group Chief Strategy Officer, Dangote Refinery and Petrochemicals Company, Aliyu Suleiman on Wednesday, stated that 60 per cent of the crude supplied to the refinery was done by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL.

Aliyu made the submission during an interactive session organised by the Senate Ad-hoc committee to investigate alleged sabotage in the Nigerian petroleum industry.

This supersedes the position of the Group Chief Commercial Officer, Dangote Industries Limited, Rabiu A. Umar, who had claimed that the NNPC has been supplying insufficient crude oil for its production demand.

Umar had said that NNPC supplied only 33 per cent of crude to the refinery, disclosing that it had to look elsewhere to source the remaining 67 per cent to meet its production capacity.

He added that the refinery, which has the capacity of refining 650,000 per day, could not depend on short supply from Nigeria’s oil company.

But during his presentation, Suleiman stated that out of the five million barrels of crude oil they got in recent time, “NNPC gave them 60 per cent, 20 per cent was imported, and 20 per cent was purchased”.

Aliyu expressed gratitude for the strong partnership between the Dangote Refinery and the NNPC Ltd, and for making the huge supply to Dangote.

He described the refinery as a baby that should be supported by all relevant stakeholders “in order to grow and not die”.

Daily Post

The PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) says high energy costs, interest rates, and excessive taxes, are major challenges faced by micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in Nigeria.

The PwC highlighted the challenges in its 2024 MSME survey, titled, ‘Building Resilience: Strategies for MSME Success in a Changing Landscape’.

According to the financial services firm, the survey included 567 MSMEs across 13 sectors and 29 states.

PwC said over 50 percent of MSMEs reported falling sales due to high prices and low consumer spending power.

“When asked about the reasons for this decline, 38% of respondents pointed to the high cost of their products, while 36% cited the low purchasing power of consumers,” the report reads.

“Additionally, 12% noted that consumers were switching to alternative products, and 10% attributed the decline to changing consumer preferences.

“These challenges are compounded by macroeconomic headwinds such as inflationary pressures, currency depreciation, and slow economic growth.

“Headline inflation in December 2023 was reported at 28.92%, driven by increased food prices, naira devaluation, high import bills, and rising energy and logistics costs.

“Inflation is projected to decline marginally to 21% in 2024, but MSMEs may continue to face sustained inflationary pressure due to the pass-through effect of rising international oil prices on domestic energy costs and exchange rate pressures.

“This is likely to increase the cost of inputs for MSMEs, which will, in turn, raise the prices of final goods and services, further impacting demand.”

The report also pointed out that MSMEs’ growth potential was stunted by funding gaps, power outages, and over-taxation.

The firm said the business owners surveyed reported that the top factors hindering their growth include inadequate access to finance, poor electricity, multiple taxes and levies, inadequate skilled labour, insecurity, and government policies.

“Funding is a critical enabler of the growth and development of small and medium enterprises, with 35% of the businesses surveyed citing inadequate access to finance as their number one challenge,” the report said.

“Infrastructure challenges, particularly electricity, account for the biggest costs to the daily operations of MSMEs. 

“Unreliable power supply is a major challenge for 21% of businesses. Nigeria’s power sector faces numerous issues, including deteriorating plant capacities, poor maintenance, inadequate gas supply, limited distribution networks, and the commercial viability of DisCos operations.

“These challenges have had an adverse impact on the business environment, contributing to significant economic costs for MSMEs and the broader economy.

“Other structural challenges include multiple taxation (12%), inadequate skilled labour (11%), and insecurity (10%).”

PwC also said Nigerian MSMEs require an estimated $32.2 billion (₦13 trillion) in financing.

The organisation said micro and small enterprises, particularly in agriculture and retail, need loans under $20,000.

The report, however, said limited private sector lending, poor infrastructure, and lack of documentation hinder access to credit.

Commenting on the survey, Sam Abu, country senior partner at PwC Nigeria, said MSMEs continue to contribute significantly to the global economy — creating jobs, generating income, and fostering skills development.

“These contributions make the sector pivotal to Nigeria’s growth, especially now given our country’s current challenges,” Abu said.

“However, the sector’s full potential remains untapped due to persistent challenges that hinder its ability to lift people out of poverty and drive the economy forward. 

“Despite these challenges, Nigerian MSMEs have demonstrated remarkable adaptability in navigating a complex business environment characterised by challenging macroeconomy and government policies, highlighting their potential to drive economic growth.”

The Cable

The recent comments by Nigeria's Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, regarding the removal of the fuel subsidy display a concerning lack of understanding of the real-world implications for the Nigerian people.

Edun's claim that "the poorest of 40 percent was only getting four percent of the value" of the fuel subsidy is simply not supported by the facts. According to official figures by both the Federal Road Safety Commission and the Nigeria Bureau of Statistics, commercial vehicles - used by low-income Nigerians for essential daily commutes - account for over 50% of the country's total daily petrol consumption. Out of the estimated 12 million registered vehicles in Nigeria, around 7.2 million are commercial vehicles, with about 90 percent of those (6.5 million) running on petrol. If each of these vehicles consumes just 5 liters of petrol daily, this alone accounts for approximately 32.5 million liters of petrol per day—over 50% of Nigeria's reported daily fuel consumption. This statistic starkly contradicts the Minister’s assertion that the poor were not benefitting from the subsidy.

This doesn't even include the massive fuel usage for powering generators that have become a necessity for households and businesses alike due to the country's unreliable electricity grid.

The minister's assertion that "nobody knows the consumption in Nigeria of petroleum" is equally troubling. How can policymakers make informed decisions about a sector so vital to the economy and the lives of citizens without accurate data on consumption patterns? This speaks to a larger problem of incompetence that has come to characterize the Tinubu administration.

Furthermore, the minister's attempt to justify the fuel subsidy removal by claiming Nigeria is subsidizing neighboring countries is a flimsy excuse. Many countries around the world subsidize fuel for their citizens - this is a common economic policy tool used to support domestic industries and protect the most vulnerable. The fact that some Nigerians may have been exploiting the system does not negate the immense hardship that the subsidy removal has caused for millions.

The devastating impact on the "real sector" of the economy, as well as the daily lives of average Nigerians, is undeniable. Skyrocketing transportation costs, soaring prices of goods and services, and the increased burden on households struggling to power their homes - these are the realities that the government seems intent on downplaying or simply ignoring.

It is high time the Tinubu administration abandoned the false narrative peddled by international financial institutions and instead prioritized the well-being of the Nigerian people. The government must acknowledge the significant role that fuel subsidies play in supporting the economy and the livelihoods of the poor, and work towards finding more targeted and equitable solutions, rather than pursuing ill-conceived policies that degrade the economy and exacerbate the suffering of the masses.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Students are out in force on the streets of Dhaka, no longer protesting but working to put a city back together after the dramatic events of the past few days. After Monday’s resignation of Bangladesh’s prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, subsequent looting and pockets of violence meant the initial jubilation quickly turned to concern.

There were reports that the offices of the ruling Awami League party, as well as homes and businesses of the minority Hindu population, were being attacked.

During the past two days, students have been out cleaning up roads and wreckage, while groups of volunteers have formed to protect the religious sites of minorities.

“We’re living in extraordinary times,” one volunteer says, while clearing glass and debris from a destroyed police box at a busy intersection in the city’s Mirpur neighbourhood.

“Protests can lead to unintended consequences, but they’re driven by a cause. Now, it’s our responsibility to help restore normalcy. We’re just doing our part.”

Nearby, students direct Dhaka’s notorious traffic, as police officers have deserted traffic posts or been deployed elsewhere. Holding up handmade signs saying: “Stop! Follow the traffic rules”, the students encourage pedestrians to keep to pavements and footbridges, and motorcyclists to wear helmets.

“Our protests might have ended, but our duty to the nation persists,” says 19-year-old Faiza.

The students are keen to protect their movement’s integrity, something that endeared it to Bangladeshi society and mobilised wider support for the protesters, who many in the country are saying have pulled off a gen Z-led revolution.

“I was there from the very first moment and have stayed with the movement because the quota law was against our rights, it was illogical. Students working by our own merit were being denied jobs,” says Ashin Roy, a 22-year-old student at Dhaka University.
“We really felt good that everybody supported us and in the end, democracy has won,” says Roy. “We celebrated like we got our victory back, just like in 1971, but now I’m worried that the situation in my country is very bad, that minorities are being oppressed. I want an election now so the people can choose leader who truly works for us.”

After weeks of protests and a government response that killed almost 300 people, the military took charge on Monday and has included student leaders in negotiations at the presidential palace, accepting their demand to include the 84-year-old Nobel laureate and entrepreneur Muhammad Yunus to head an interim government.

The wait is an anxious one – there is hope for a break from a political order that has for decades been defined by bitter rivalry between the two established political parties.

“I have no faith in an army-backed interim government,” says Tamanna Islam, 25, an engineering student at a Dhaka university. “I do not trust the military. The revolution should lead to a new interim government that is supported – but not controlled – by the military.”

She says students have been trying to maintain order, including establishing neighbourhood groups in response to attacks on Hindus and other minority groups, but they want to return to their studies.

“We reject the old, corrupt political parties and the religious extremists,” she says. “Hopefully, existing parties will realise that their traditional corrupt practices are no longer viable. Our country has tremendous potential that should not be squandered under unworthy leadership.

“We’ve ousted this regime and will do so again if the new leaders fail to meet our expectations. I hope that future parties will engage with students and civil society to avoid repeating past mistakes.”

Students at Dhaka University began protesting in early July over a quota law that allocated almost a third of government jobs to the families of people who fought for independence in 1971. Other students from other universities joined them but the crackdown was swift.

Student leaders were arrested, an internet blackout was imposed, police used live bullets and the Awami League launched mob attacks. Nearly 300 people were killed, prompting anger that mobilised many others to join the protests.

“The violence against the students woke me up – anybody who was standing for the movement would say the same thing,” says Esrat Karim, 35, the founder of Amal Foundation, a community-development nonprofit.

“I saw people from all walks of life, from a baker to street children to industrialists, coming to the streets to show solidarity with the movement. Anyone with a minimal conscience would do that because this level of killing was intolerable.”

She says the student movement has made her hopeful for the future of the Bangladesh and proud of the generation who will one day lead it.

“The courage they have, the level of dignity, their conscience – hats off to them,” she says. “People tend to think badly of gen Z, they call them self-centred, but actually they are very giving, very conscious, and now they’ve overturned the government. There’s nothing they can’t do.”

Badiul Alam Majumdar, 78, the founder of the civil society organisation Citizens for Good Governance, describes them as “heroes”.

Majumdar witnessed independence from Britain and then from Pakistan, as well as the resistance to military rule in the 1980s. Like many, he likens the outcome of the protests to Bangladesh winning the nine-month war against occupying Pakistan in 1971, and says this is a “new liberation”.

“We have paid an enormous price,” he adds. “We hope the people who will now be running the show will not betray the blood of the people.”

He says the protests were the outcome of years of increasingly autocratic rule from Hasina.

“We were sitting on a powder keg and it was going to ignite at some point. It happened sooner rather than later. People were so angry, so unhappy,” he says. “This quota was like the tip of the iceberg that caused the Titanic to sink.”

The Guardian, UK

A wooden cargo boat, identified as ‘Godbless Dickson’, laden with cargo and over 64 passengers and crew, exploded and was engulfed with flames, leaving 20 dead in the waterways in Bayelsa State, south-south Nigeria.

The tragic incident occurred on Wednesday along the Ezetu 1 community in the Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa.

Musa Mohammed, the police spokesperson in Bayelsa said that 20 people have been so far confirmed dead, while rescue efforts by the Marine Police unit were still ongoing.

The ill-fated cargo boat, laden with farm produce from a rural settlement, was en route to Swali market in Yenagoa.

Ogoniba Ipigansi, chairperson of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, Bayelsa Chapter, also confirmed the incident in a telephone interview with a NAN Correspondent on Thursday.

He said that a rescue team of the union, consisting of two speedboats, had been dispatched to the scene to assist the passengers on board.

Also, he said that the exact number of casualties was yet to be ascertained, as the rescue was still underway and several people on board were yet to be accounted for.

A speedboat operator, Augustine Amayoro, who participated in rescue efforts, said he rescued 10 persons from the scene, leaving other passengers stranded in the nearby fishing camp.

The wooden cargo boats were exempted from the state government’s ban on night navigation on waterways.

Because of the slow pace of navigation, the cargo boats set sail a day ahead of the targeted weekly market day of Thursdays when farm produce flood the Swali waterside in Yenagoa.

The chairperson of the Southern Ijaw Local Government, Target Segibo, who bemoaned the loss of 20 persons in the incident, described the disaster as regrettable.

He called for concerted efforts by stakeholders to strengthen safety regulations in the marine transport sector.

PT

Israel kills 40 Palestinians in Gaza airstrikes amid fears of wider war

Israeli forces stepped up airstrikes across the Gaza Strip on Thursday, killing at least 40 people, Palestinian medics said, in further battle with Hamas-led militants as Israel braced for potential wider war in the region.

Israeli airstrikes hit a cluster of houses in central Gaza's Al-Bureij camp, killing at least 15 people, and the nearby Al-Nuseirat camp, killed four, medics said. Nuseirat and Bureij are among the densely populated enclave's eight historic camps and seen by Israel as strongholds of armed militants.

Israeli aircraft also bombed a house in the heart of Gaza City in the north, killing five Palestinians, while another airstrike in the southern city of Khan Younis killed one person and wounded others, according to medics.

Later on Thursday, 15 Palestinians were killed and 30 injured in Israeli bombings of two schools east of Gaza City, the territory's Civil Emergency Service said in a statement.

The Israeli military said it struck Hamas command and control centres embedded in the Abdel-Fattah Hamouda and Al-Zahra schools in the Tuffah neighbourhood of Gaza City, where Hamas militants were operating.

It accused Hamas of exploiting civilians and civilian properties for military purposes, an allegation Hamas denies.

Footage circulated on social media, which Reuters could not immediately verify, showed casualties being brought to a hospital on donkey carts.

The armed wings of Hamas and Islamic Jihad said they were firing anti-tank rockets and mortar bombs at Israeli forces operating across Gaza, causing deaths and injuries among them.

Israel's military said it had struck dozens of military targets across Gaza over the past 24 hours, including rocket launching pads.

Hamas-led militants set off the Gaza war on Oct. 7 last year with a shock, cross-border rampage into Israeli communities, killing 1,200 Israelis and foreigners and seizing some 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.

Since then, at least 39,699 Palestinians have been killed, including 22 within the past 24 hours, and 91,722 injured in Israel's devastating air and ground war in Gaza, the Gaza health ministry said in an update on Thursday.

The ministry in the Hamas-run territory does not distinguish between combatants and civilians in its death lists.

As Gaza's war churns on, Israel has been battening down for another attack expected in the coming days following vows from Iran and its Lebanon proxy Hezbollah to retaliate for the assassinations last week of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran and Hezbollah military commander Fuad Shukr in Beirut.

A relatively contained conflict between Israel and Hezbollah along its northern border, a spillover from the Gaza fighting, now threatens to spiral into an all-out regional war.

MORE BURIALS IN GAZA

On Thursday dozens of Palestinians rushed into Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis to bid farewell to slain relatives before carrying them away for burials.

Reuters footage showed relatives moving out the bodies of their loved ones in plastic bags with names written on them, and holding special prayers before the funerals.

The Israeli military renewed evacuation orders to Palestinian residents in several districts in eastern Khan Younis, saying it would act forcefully against militants who had unleashed rockets from those areas.

The army posted the evacuation order on X, and residents said they had received text and audio messages.

Residents said dozens of families had begun to leave their homes and head west towards Al-Mawasi, a humanitarian-designated area but one that is overcrowded by displaced families from around the enclave.

On Thursday, the World Central Kitchen (WCK), a U.S.-based, non-governmental humanitarian agency, said that a Palestinian staff member, Nadi Sallout, had been killedwhile apparently off duty on Wednesday near Deir Al-Balah in central Gaza. The WCK said it was seeking further details.

The Israeli military said it did not know of any such incident, adding that it had been in contact with WCK.

In April, seven WCK employees were killed in an Israeli airstrike, spurring it to suspend operations for nearly a month.

Israel said then its inquiries had found serious errors and breaches of procedure by its military, and that two senior officers had been dismissed and senior commanders reprimanded.

Reuters

WESTERN PERSPECTIVE

Russia battles Ukrainian troops for third day after shock incursion

Russian forces were battling Ukrainian troops for a third day on Thursday after they smashed through the Russian border in the Kursk region, an audacious attack on the world's biggest nuclear power that has forced Moscow to call in reserves.

In one of the biggest Ukrainian attacks on Russia since the war began in February 2022, around 1,000 Ukrainian troops rammed through the Russian border in the early hours of Aug. 6 with tanks and armoured vehicles, covered in the air by swarms of drones and pounding artillery, according to Russian officials.

Heavy fighting was reported near the town of Sudzha, where Russian natural gas flows into Ukraine, raising concerns about a possible sudden stop to transit flows to Europe.

The incursion has come as a shock to Russia, nearly 2-1/2 years after President Vladimir Putin sent his army into Ukraine.

Putin has cast the Ukrainian offensive as a "major provocation". Sergei Mironov, the leader of a Kremlin-loyal political party, called it a "terrorist attack" and "the invasion of an internationally recognised foreign territory".

Kursk's regional acting governor, Alexei Smirnov, said thousands of residents had been evacuated.

The White House said the United States - Ukraine's biggest backer - had no prior knowledge of the attack.

Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh said Ukraine's move on the Kursk region was consistent with U.S. policy.

"They are taking actions to protect themselves from attacks that are coming from a region that are within the U.S. policy of where they can operate, our weapons, our systems, our capabilities," Singh told reporters.

She said Ukraine's move was not escalatory because "Ukraine is doing what it needs to do to be successful on the battlefield."

Russia's defence ministry said on Thursday that the army and the Federal Security Service (FSB) had halted Ukraine's advance and were battling Kyiv's units in the Kursk region.

"Units of the Northern group of forces, together with the FSB of Russia, continue to destroy armed formations of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Sudzhensky and Korenevsky districts of the Kursk region, directly adjacent to the Russian-Ukrainian border," the ministry said.

The Ukrainian military has remained silent on the Kursk offensive, though President Volodymyr Zelenskiy praised the Ukrainian army on Thursday for its ability "to surprise" and achieve results. He did not explicitly reference Kursk.

Some Russian bloggers said Ukraine's forces were pushing towards the Kursk nuclear power station, which lies about 60 km (37 miles) northeast of Sudzha.

Yuri Podolyaka, a popular Ukrainian-born, pro-Russian military blogger, said that there were intense battles about 30 km from the Soviet-era nuclear plant, which supplies a large swathe of southern Russia with power.

CRITICAL JUNCTURE

Ukraine's energy minister said gas transit via Sudzha was functioning, despite reports of hostilities there. Most EU nations have reduced dependence on Russian gas, but Austria still receives most of its gas via Ukraine.

The Center for Information Resilience (CIR), a non-profit open-source analysis organisation, said it was unable to visually confirm any damage to the gas metering station as a result of the incursion, but had verified significant damage to the border checkpoint about 500 metres (550 yards) to the south.

"This, combined with footage verified by CIR of several Russian soldiers surrendering to Ukrainian soldiers near the entrance of the gas metering plant, makes it likely that the plant has been affected by the Ukrainian incursion, however, the level of damage cannot be verified at this time," it said.

The battles come at a crucial juncture in the conflict, the biggest land war in Europe since World War Two. Kyiv is concerned that U.S. support could weaken if Republican Donald Trump wins the November presidential election.

Trump has said he would end the war, and both Russia and Ukraine are keen to gain the strongest possible bargaining position on the battlefield.

Ukraine wants to pin down Russian forces, which control 18% of its territory, though the strategic significance of the border offensive was not immediately clear.

Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said the Ukrainian attack was an attempt to force Moscow to divert resources from the front and to show the West that Ukraine could still fight.

As a result of the Kursk attack, Medvedev said, Russia should expand its war aims to include taking all of Ukraine.

He said Moscow's "Special Military Operation" should acquire an "openly extraterritorial character", with Russian troops moving on Odesa, Kharkiv, Dnipro, Mykolayiv, Kyiv "and beyond".

RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE

Russian troops destroy first British-made Spartan armored vehicle in Ukraine operation

Russian troops destroyed the first British-made Spartan armored personnel carrier of the Ukrainian army over the past day in the special military operation in Ukraine, Russia’s Defense Ministry reported on Thursday.

Russia’s Battlegroup Center units "destroyed a British-made Spartan armored personnel carrier" in their area of responsibility over the past 24 hours, the ministry said.

Russia’s Battlegroup North strikes Ukrainian army in Kursk, Sumy, Kharkov Regions

Russia’s Battlegroup North struck Ukrainian troops in the borderline Kursk Region and Ukraine’s Sumy and Kharkov Regions and inflicted roughly 415 casualties on the enemy over the past day, the ministry reported.

"Battlegroup North units inflicted damage on manpower and equipment of the Ukrainian army’s 22nd and 25th mechanized, 36th marine infantry, 88th, 103rd and 123rd territorial defense brigades in areas near the settlements of Zhuravka, Belovody and Yunakovka in the Sumy Region, Volchansk in the Kharkov Region and Daryino in the Kursk Region," the ministry said.

The Ukrainian army’s losses in that frontline area over the past 24 hours amounted to 415 personnel, four tanks, two infantry fighting vehicles, 14 armored personnel carriers, 12 pickup trucks, three 152mm D-20 howitzers, two 122mm D-30 howitzers and two Bukovel-AD electronic warfare stations, it specified.

Russia’s Battlegroup West inflicts over 460 casualties on Ukrainian army in past day

Russia’s Battlegroup West improved its tactical position and inflicted more than 460 casualties on Ukrainian troops in its area of responsibility over the past day, the ministry reported.

"Battlegroup West units improved their tactical position and inflicted casualties on formations of the Ukrainian army’s 14th, 44th, 67th and 116th mechanized, 3rd assault, 110th and 241st territorial defense and 1st National Guard brigades in areas near the settlements of Sinkovka, Petropavlovka, Novoyegorovka and Tabayevka in the Kharkov Region, Stelmakhovka in the Lugansk People’s Republic and Novosadovoye in the Donetsk People’s Republic. They repelled a counterattack by an assault group of the Ukrainian army’s 116th mechanized brigade," the ministry said.

The Ukrainian army’s losses in that frontline area over the past 24 hours amounted to more than 460 personnel, an infantry fighting vehicle, a Kozak armored combat vehicle, a US-made MaxxPro armored fighting vehicle, 13 motor vehicles, a US-made 155mm M777 howitzer, a 122mm Gvozdika motorized artillery system, three 122mm D-30 howitzers, two Czech-made Vampire multiple rocket launchers and a Bukovel-AD electronic warfare station, it specified.

In addition, Russian troops destroyed two ammunition depots of the Ukrainian army, the ministry said.

Russia’s Battlegroup South inflicts 660 casualties on Ukrainian army over past day

Russia’s Battlegroup South struck six Ukrainian brigades and inflicted roughly 660 casualties on enemy troops in its area of responsibility over the past day, the ministry reported.

"Battlegroup South units gained more advantageous frontiers and positions and inflicted damage on manpower and equipment of the Ukrainian army’s 23rd, 24th and 67th mechanized, 5th and 10th assault and 10th mountain assault brigades in areas near the settlements of Chasov Yar, Grigorovka, Ostroye, Ivano-Daryevka and Viyemka in the Donetsk People’s Republic. They repulsed two counterattacks by formations of the Ukrainian army’s 5th assault brigade," the ministry said.

The Ukrainian army’s losses in that frontline area over the past 24 hours amounted to 660 personnel, two armored personnel carriers, including a US-made M113 armored troop carrier, nine motor vehicles, two US-made 155mm M777 howitzers, a Polish-made 155mm Krab self-propelled artillery system, a British-made 155mm AS-90 self-propelled artillery gun, a British-made 155mm FH70 howitzer, a 152mm D-20 howitzer, two 122mm D-30 howitzers, a British-made 105mm L119 artillery gun and two Anklav-N electronic warfare stations, it specified.

Russia’s Battlegroup Center inflicts 360 casualties on Ukrainian army over past day

Russia’s Battlegroup Center inflicted roughly 360 casualties on Ukrainian troops in its area of responsibility over the past day, the ministry reported.

"Battlegroup Center units continue conducting active operations. They inflicted casualties on formations of the Ukrainian army’s 1st tank, 31st, 32nd and 117th mechanized, 95th air assault, 109th and 111th territorial defense brigades in areas near the settlements of Nikolayevka, Tarasovka, Toretsk, Grodovka and Panteleimonovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic. They repelled two counterattacks by assault groups of the enemy’s 25th air assault and 142nd infantry brigades," the ministry said.

The Ukrainian army’s losses in that frontline area over the past 24 hours amounted to 360 personnel, a British-made Spartan armored personnel carrier, three armored combat vehicles, eight motor vehicles, a US-made 155mm M777 howitzer, a 152mm Giatsint-B field gun and a 122mm Gvozdika motorized artillery system, it specified.

Russia’s Battlegroup East inflicts 105 casualties on Ukrainian army over past day

Russia’s Battlegroup East inflicted roughly 105 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed two enemy infantry fighting vehicles in its area of responsibility over the past day, the ministry reported.

"Battlegroup East units improved their forward edge positions and inflicted damage on manpower and equipment of the Ukrainian army’s 72nd mechanized and 58th motorized infantry brigades in areas near the settlements of Vodyanoye and Ugledar in the Donetsk People’s Republic. They repelled a counterattack by an enemy assault group," the ministry said.

The Ukrainian army’s losses in that frontline area over the past 24 hours amounted to 105 personnel, two infantry fighting vehicles, 10 motor vehicles, a British-made 155mm FH70 towed howitzer, a Polish-made 155mm Krab self-propelled artillery system, a US-made 155mm Paladin self-propelled artillery gun, a US-made 155mm M198 howitzer and a US-manufactured AN/TPQ-50 counterbattery radar station, it specified.

In addition, Russian troops destroyed two ammunition depots of the Ukrainian army, the ministry said.

Russia’s Battlegroup Dnepr strikes three Ukrainian brigades over past day

Russia’s Battlegroup Dnepr struck three Ukrainian army brigades and inflicted roughly 110 casualties on enemy troops in its area of responsibility over the past day, the ministry reported.

"Battlegroup Dnepr units inflicted casualties on formations of the Ukrainian army’s 128th mountain assault, 35th marine infantry and 124th territorial defense brigades in areas near the settlements of Stepnogorsk in the Zaporozhye Region, Novotyaginka and Antonovka in the Kherson Region," the ministry said.

The Ukrainian army’s losses in that frontline area over the past 24 hours amounted to 110 personnel, two infantry fighting vehicles, seven motor vehicles, a 152mm Giatsint-B field gun, three 152mm D-20 howitzers, a 122mm Gvozdika motorized artillery system, a British-made 105mm L119 howitzer and two Bukovel-AD electronic warfare stations, it specified.

Russian troops wipe out Ukrainian UAV assembly workshops over past day

Russian troops destroyed Ukrainian UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) assembly workshops over the past day, the ministry reported.

"Operational/tactical aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles, missile troops and artillery of the Russian groups of forces destroyed workshops for the assembly of unmanned aerial vehicles and struck massed enemy manpower and military equipment in 164 areas," the ministry said.

Russian air defenses down Ukrainian MiG-29 fighter, 80 UAVs over past day

Russian air defense forces shot down a Ukrainian MiG-29 fighter jet, 12 rockets of the US-made HIMARS multiple launch rocket system and 80 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) over the past day, the ministry reported.

"Air defense capabilities shot down a Ukrainian Air Force MiG-29 plane and destroyed 12 US-made HIMARS rockets and 80 unmanned aerial vehicles, including 21 UAVs outside the area of the special military operation," the ministry said.

Overall, the Russian Armed Forces have destroyed 636 Ukrainian warplanes, 278 helicopters, 29,402 unmanned aerial vehicles, 563 surface-to-air missile systems, 16,937 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 1,398 multiple rocket launchers, 12,976 field artillery guns and mortars and 24,528 special military motor vehicles since the start of the special military operation, the ministry reported.

Reuters/Tass