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Russia rocked by ‘extraordinary’ waves of drone attacks through night | World | News
Putin’s Defence Ministry said that waves of drones attacked multiple Russian regions in the early hours of Wednesday. And the Mayor of Moscow described the aerial offensive as a “mass” attack.
Former Nato official Edward Hunter-Christie has said the attacks prove “the air war is now genuinely mutual”. And Kyiv’s Mayor has said Ukraine‘s capital was also rocked by explosions through the night – with at least two people reported to have died.
In Russia, Drones successfully hit an airport in the Pskov Oblast, starting a ferocious fire. The attack destroyed four huge military planes and the airport has been closed, official sources have said.
Unconfirmed media reports said between 10 and 20 drones could have attacked the airport. Russia‘s Tass news agency reported that airspace above Moscow’s Vnukovo airport has also been closed.
Ukraine has not said it was behind the latest attacks. However, it rarely comments on attacks inside Russia.
Drones were also reportedly shot down over Moscow, Oryol, Bryansk, Ryazan and Kaluga. And Russian-installed officials in the annexed Crimea also reported that they repelled an attack of drones targeting the harbour of the port city of Sevastopol, the Associated Press reports.
Moscow-appointed governor of Sevastopol Mikhail Razvozzhayev said it wasn’t immediately clear how many of the drones have been destroyed. It wasn’t immediately clear if the attack caused any damage.
But the dual-use military airfield at Pskov has now been closed after a Ukrainian drone attack destroyed four Il-76 aircraft, Russian state media claimed.
The multi-purpose, fixed-wing, four-engine turbofan strategic transport planes are used to deliver heavy machinery to remote, poorly served areas. It came just days after a flagship Russian long-range bomber was destroyed by a drone strike near St Petersburg.
Pskov Governor Mikhail Vedernikov was near the scene of the latest attack and uploaded a video to his Telegram channel showing smoke and flames rising from the site. No casualties were reported in the attack.
Vedernikov said: “The defence ministry is repelling a drone attack on Pskov’s airport.” However, footage and images shared on social media showed smoke billowing over the city.
Meanwhile, Russia’s Tass news agency reports that a drone was “destroyed” in the Ruzsky district of the Moscow region. Moscow mayor Sergei Sobyanin said on Telegram: “Tonight, an attempt was made to mass attack drones in the Central Federal District.
“One of the UAVs heading for Moscow was destroyed by air defense forces in the Ruzsky district. There were no preliminary casualties and no damage.”
The attack happened at around 2.30am Moscow time, Russia’s defence forces said on Telegram. Russias military also said it had shot downed three drones over the southern region of Bryansk and one over the central region of Oryol.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has previously said that attacks on Russian territory are an “inevitable, natural and absolutely fair process”. In recent weeks, Ukraine is believed to have increased its use of explosive drones to attack targets inside Russia.
Former Nato official Edward Hunter-Christie has said the attacks prove “the air war is now genuinely mutual”.
He tweeted: “It is a long night. But to think that the air war is now genuinely mutual, and on the Ukrainian side based solely on Ukrainian-made systems, is extraordinary. Russia has lost the initiative and the ability to shape events in every domain. Ukraine is gaining both, in all domains.”
However, Russia also claims to have had some military success through the night. It claims its forces destroyed four rapid Ukrainian boats carrying a total of about 50 soldiers in an operation on the Black Sea around midnight Moscow time (21:00 GMT). Ukraine has not yet commented on the claim.
And , Kyiv City Military Administration Head Serhii Popko said Russian forces attacked Kyiv through the night, killing two people and injuring a third. Popko said two people were killed after debris fell from a building.
Kyiv Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko had earlier reported that explosions had been heard in Kyiv and that emergency services had been called to the Shevchenkivskyi district of the city.
He wrote on Telegram: “In the Darnytskyi district, debris fell on the roof of a commercial premises. In Shevchenkivskyi – also falling debris. All services follow in place. Medics went to calls at two addresses in Shevchenkivskyi district. Details – later.”
When people think of massive man-made projects, artificial lakes aren’t usually the first thing that comes to mind. Skyscrapers, bridges, and tunnels tend to dominate discussions about amazing engineering. But while these structures often steal the spotlight, there is something fascinating about the world’s largest man-made lake based on surface area.
Created by flooding entire villages and forests, this enormous reservoir completely reshaped the landscape, forcing thousands of people to relocate while generating power and transforming transportation in the region. Lake Volta, located in Ghana, spans a staggering 8,502 square kilometres – about 3.6% of the country’s total land area.
Stretching approximately 250 miles (400km) from north to south, it was formed in the 1960s when the Akosombo Dam was built to harness the power of the Volta River.
The dam generates 912 megawatts of electricity, supplying most of Ghana’s power and even exporting energy to neighbouring countries such as Togo and Benin.
But the creation of the lake came at a significant cost. Entire forests were submerged, and 78,000 people were forced to relocate when 15,000 homes and 740 villages were flooded.
The project aimed to modernise the region and boost fishing, but it also disrupted traditional farming and livelihoods.
Despite these challenges, Lake Volta has become a crucial waterway, providing a cheap transport link between Ghana’s northern savanna and the coast.
One of the lake’s most striking features is its islands. Dodi, Dwarf, and Kporve islands sit within its huge expanse, with Dodi Island attracting tourists for boat cruises.
The lake’s western shore is also home to Digya National Park, a protected area with rich biodiversity.
In addition to tourism and transportation, Lake Volta has become the site of an unusual industry – harvesting submerged timber.
Logging companies extract tropical hardwood from the trees that were swallowed when the lake was created, producing a supply of environmentally sustainable wood without cutting down existing forests.
The Kremlin is jubilant after US President Donald Trump held a 90-minute phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin over a ceasefire in Ukraine. A Russian source with knowledge of the call said it went “very well,” CNN reports.
Vladimir Putin‘s envoy Kirill Dmitriev also issued an update on the discussion, hailing it as “historic”. Writing on X, he said: “Under the leadership of President Putin and President Trump, the world has become a much safer place today!”
The conversation between the two leaders began at 2pm. It was earlier reported to be “going well”, according to White House deputy chief of staff Dan Scavino.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has called for Europe to be “at the negotiating table” for matters relating to the continent’s security during an official visit to Finland today.
Writing on X, he said: “Europe must be at the negotiating table, and everything related to Europe’s security should be decided together with Europe.”
Trump said before the call that he expected to discuss the division of assets and “power plants”, seemingly referencing the Zaporizhzhia plant, seized by Russia in 2022.
Writing on his platform Truth Social yesterday, he said: “Tomorrow morning I will be speaking to President Putin concerning the War in Ukraine. Many elements of a Final Agreement have been agreed to, but much remains.
“Thousands of young soldiers, and others, are being killed. Each week brings 2,500 soldier deaths from both sides, and it must end NOW. I look very much forward to the call with President Putin.”
He also told reporters on Monday: “It’s a bad situation in Russia, and it’s a bad situation in Ukraine. What’s happening in Ukraine is not good, but we’re going to see if we can work a peace agreement, a ceasefire and peace. And I think we’ll be able to do it.”
We’ll be bringing you the very latest updates, pictures and video on this breaking news story.For the latest news and breaking news visit: [/
Ukraine launched a surprise attack in the Belgorod region of Russia, according to reports. The surprise move—with “heavy battles” underway—comes hours before Vladimir Putin is due to speak to Donald Trump on the phone about a war ceasefire. Reports were contradictory about whether Ukrainians had penetrated nearby villages Grafovka, Prilesye and Demidovka, with some reports insisting they had done so. The authorities were urgently evacuating residents from Grafovka village.
“At the moment, there has been no breakthrough of the border; border guards are fighting together with units of the Russian Ministry of Defence,” said war channel Two Majors. But it showed a video of a Ukrainian military vehicle ablaze on the border after a drone strike. Another Telegram report said: “Since the night they began to pull equipment and people to the junction of the Belgorod and Kursk regions. By the morning the enemy’s IMR [combat engineering vehicles] had cleared the passages in Prilesye, Grafovka and Demidovka. And then they went – tanks, quad bikes, infantry. Serious battles are underway.”
The news comes ahead of Trump’s call with Putin, which will occur between 1pm and 3pm UK time. Last night, Trump claimed “many elements of a Final Agreement have been agreed to, but much remains” to be discussed. He added that he “very much looked forward to” speaking with Putin.
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