UK foreign secretary David Lammy has condemned Russian “imperialism” as he visited Kyiv on a joint trip with his US counterpart Antony Blinken.
Mr Lammy warned the security of Ukraine, Europe and the West were at stake and reiterated Britain’s ongoing support for Ukraine at a press conference in Kyiv on Wednesday.
It comes as Mr Blinken pledged over $700m in humanitarian aid for the country - which was invaded by Vladimir Putin in February 2022 - for energy, food, water and de-mining initiatives.
The two countries’ top diplomats arrived in the Ukrainian capital this morning after announcing the joint trip, the first of its kind in almost a decade.
They are due to meet Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, who has consistently asked Kyiv’s western partners to allow them to use donated UK and US long-range missiles on targets in the Russian mainland.
Ahead of the talks, Zelensky said on Wednesday: “Let’s count on some strong decisions on this. For us it is very important for today.”
The White House has reportedly been hesitant to give the green light to Kyiv over fears Russia could then escalate the conflict.
Key Points
- David Lammy slams Russian ‘imperialism'
- US pledges over $700m in humanitarian aid
- Lammy and Blinken arrive in Kyiv ahead of crunch talks
- UK to provide £600 million of support for Ukraine
- Biden might lift ban on Ukraine’s use of long-range weapons
- Russia advances on Ukraine’s western flank in Kursk - footage
David Lammy slams Russian ‘imperialism'
05:00
Alexander Butler
UK foreign secretary David Lammy has slammed Russian “imperialism” and “fascism” as he warned the liberty of Ukraine, Europe and the West were at stake.
It comes after Britain pledged to provide a further £600 million of support for Ukraine as he visited Kyiv with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
The British government said it would provide £242 million of funding, including for humanitarian needs, and £484 million in loan guarantees for World Bank lending to Ukraine before the end of the year.
Russia starts counterattack on Kyiv’s forces in Kursk
04:59
Arpan Rai
Russian forces have started to counterattack along Kursk’s western edge and have reportedly taken back several settlements in the past 48 hours, a US-based think tank said.
“The size, scale, and potential prospects of the 11 September Russian counterattacks in Kursk Oblast are unclear and the situation remains fluid as of this report. It is premature to draw conclusions about Russia’s new counterattacks and ISW will continue following the situation,” the Institute for the Study of War said.
Several Russian military bloggers claimed that Russian forces launched the mechanised counterattack from the north near Korenevo and that Russian forces quickly advanced into Snagost, the ISW said.
It cited available visuals and said Russian forces are “operating in company-sized units and may be using elements of more combat-experienced units to conduct counterattacks”.
Kyiv’s forces, in response, are fighting back and have initiated new attacks in the west of Snagost, the Washington-based think-tank said in its latest assessment last night.
No breakthrough on US missile strikes inside Russia
04:42
Arpan Rai
Top diplomats from the US and Britain visiting Kyiv could not clear the use of long-range Western missile strikes inside Russia.
“Among other things, we discussed long-range fires, but a number of other things as well. And as I said at the outset, I’m going to take that discussion back to Washington to brief the president on what I heard,” US secretary of state Antony Blinken told reporters.
Volodymyr Zelensky has been pleading with Kyiv’s allies for months to let Ukraine fire Western missiles including long-range US ATACMS and British Storm Shadows deep into Russian territory to limit Moscow’s ability to launch attacks.
“We are listening carefully and, of course, we are having discussions on a range of issues, including the military equipment that Ukraine needs to win,” Lammy told a news conference alongside Blinken and Ukraine’s foreign minister Andrii Sybiha.
The British foreign minister suggested those discussions could continue for a few more weeks, a remark that will disappoint Ukrainians hoping the West would quickly discard fears of escalation.
What is the Storm Shadow cruise missile? The British weapon banned from use in Russia by Ukrainian troops
04:38
Arpan Rai
The US appears poised to lift restrictions on long-range missiles being used by Ukraine to target deep inside Russia, which would free up British-made Storm Shadow cruise missiles to also be used.
High-level talks are taking place over the issue, which Ukraine says is crucial for defending against Russia’s invasion. US secretary of state Antony Blinken, UK foreign secretary David Lammy and president Volodymyr Zelensky are due to discuss the issue at a meeting in Kyiv on Wednesday, with Mr Blinken saying the war has entered a “critical moment”.
Until now the Storm Shadow missiles have been limited to Russian targets operating inside Ukraine, as well as in occupied Crimea. The missiles were likely used in the largest Ukrainian attack on the headquarters of Russia’s Black Sea fleet last year at Sevastopol.
Here’s more about the Storm Shadow cruise missile:
Biden suggests US could soon allow Ukraine to use long-range missiles to target deep inside Russia
04:00
Alexander Butler
Voices: Why Xi secretly hates and fears Russia – and may be about to betray Putin
03:00
Alexander Butler
The bear and the dragon can never be friends. That is a lesson Xi Jinping heard at a young age. And it explains why the Chinese leader’s “no limits” partnership with Vladimir Putin may turn into a limitless liability – for the Kremlin.
While researching a new biography of Xi, I came across a startling declassified US document. It reveals that the man who was Xi’s mentor in his first job, at the heart of China’s military, was fiercely anti-Russian. Never trust Moscow, he told his staff.
Today, it all looks fine. The two autocrats have boasted of their alliance for more than two years now. It’s clear that Putin gave his “friend” a tip that he was about to invade Ukraine in February 2022. Since then, Xi has stood alongside him, talking peace but sending Russia weapons technology in exchange for oil and gas.
Read the full article by Michael Sheridan, longtime foreign correspondent and diplomatic editor of The Independent:
Watch: Trump refuses to say whether he wants Ukraine to win war against Russia
02:00
Alexander Butler
Training Ukrainian troops ‘constrains’ British army’s own training, watchdog warns
01:00
Alexander Butler
Ukraine’s attack on Russia started as a triumph – but could turn into a catastrophic strategic mistake
Thursday 12 September 2024 00:01
Alexander Butler
The Ukrainian doctors forced to perform surgery without anaesthetic
Wednesday 11 September 2024 23:00
Alexander Butler
Where are the frontlines now as Kremlin claims advances in Donetsk?
Wednesday 11 September 2024 22:00
Alexander Butler
What is the Storm Shadow cruise missile? The British weapon banned from use in Russia by Ukrainian troops
Wednesday 11 September 2024 21:00
Alexander Butler
The US appears poised to lift restrictions on long-range missiles being used by Ukraine to target deep inside Russia, which would free up British-made Storm Shadow cruise missiles to also be used.
high-level talks are taking place over the issue, which Ukraine says is crucial for defending against Russia’s invasion.
US secretary of state Antony Blinken, UK foreign secretary David Lammy and president Volodymyr Zelensky are due to discuss the issue at a meeting in Kyiv on Wednesday, with Mr Blinken saying the war has entered a “critical moment”.
Until now the Storm Shadow missiles have been limited to Russian targets operating inside Ukraine, as well as in occupied Crimea.
The missiles were likely used in the largest Ukrainian attack on the headquarters of Russia’s Black Sea fleet last year at Sevastopol.
The new underground hospital saving lives near the frontline in eastern Ukraine
Wednesday 11 September 2024 20:00
Alexander Butler
Ukraine has built its first steel, underground frontline hospital in a bid to provide “critical” first aid to severely wounded soldiers.
The complex, which comprises two full-scale operating theatres and six enlarged steel bunkers, is capable of housing around 100 soldiers.
The Ministry of Defence said the hospital is capable of both stabilising the wounded and performing up to four surgeries simultaneously.
It has been supplied with alternative power sources, ventilation and water supply, allowing it to operate without additional support if the area comes under threat.
Comment: Will letting Ukraine use long-range missiles push Putin over the edge?
Wednesday 11 September 2024 19:00
Alexander Butler
The joint visit to Kyiv by the US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, and our own foreign secretary, David Lammy, is much more than that latest show of trans-Atlantic support for Ukraine.
The possible lifting of restrictions on the use of the US and UK’s longer-range missiles is widely being billed as a “game-changing” move, one that would enable strategic targets deeper within Russia to be hit by Ukrainian forces for the first time. Lammy has said that the West is “listening carefully” to Ukraine’s needs.
Certainly for President Zelensky, it comes at a critical moment, as the solidity of the EU’s backing of the war appears to be wavering.
WithGermany going “wobbly” as its domestically embattled Chancellor Scholz calls for a peace conference, and with winter now approaching, the Anglo-American show of support for Ukraine is vitally important.
Read the full article here:
David Lammy slams Russian ‘imperialism'
Wednesday 11 September 2024 17:51
Alexander Butler
UK foreign secretary David Lammy has slammed Russian “imperialism” and “fascism” as he warned the liberty of Ukraine, Europe and the West were at stake.
It comes after Britain pledged to provide a further £600 million of support for Ukraine as he visited Kyiv with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
The British government said it would provide £242 million of funding, including for humanitarian needs, and £484 million in loan guarantees for World Bank lending to Ukraine before the end of the year.
US pledges over $700m in humanitarian support
Wednesday 11 September 2024 17:46
Alexander Butler
Speaking at a joint US-UK press conference in Kyiv, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has announced over $700m in humanitarian support for the country.
Mr Blinken announced $323m in support for Ukraine’s energy grid, $290m in support for food, water and medicine, and $102m in support for de-mining.
Pictured: Joint US-UK press conference in Ukraine
Wednesday 11 September 2024 17:43
Alexander Butler
Lammy and Blinken hold joint press conference
Wednesday 11 September 2024 17:25
Alexander Butler
David Lammy and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken are holding a joint press conference in Ukraine as pressure builds to remove restrictions on long-range missiles.
Volodymir Zelensky, the Ukrainian president, on Wednesday called on Britain and America to make a “strong decision” on the matter.
Follow the livestream here:
Watch live as David Lammy and Antony Blinken hold press conference in Kyiv
Wednesday 11 September 2024 17:02
Alexander Butler
The Ukrainian doctors forced to perform surgery without anaesthetic
Wednesday 11 September 2024 16:23
Tom Watling
Training Ukrainian troops ‘constrains’ British army, watchdog warns
Wednesday 11 September 2024 16:04
Tom Watling
UK to provide £600 million of support for Ukraine
Wednesday 11 September 2024 15:52
Tom Watling
British foreign minister David Lammy has announced that Britain would provide a further £600 million of support for Ukraine as he visited Kyiv with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
The British government said it would provide £242 million of funding, including for humanitarian needs, and £484 million in loan guarantees for World Bank lending to Ukraine before the end of the year.
Zelensky says ‘victory plan’ could push Russia to end war diplomatically
Wednesday 11 September 2024 15:38
Tom Watling
President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Wednesday his “victory plan” that he wants to present to US President Joe Biden this month would strengthen Kyiv and have a “psychological” impact that could push Russia to end its war diplomatically.
Speaking at Kyiv’s annual Crimean Platform event, the Ukrainian leader said it was important that Ukraine presented the plan to its allies before a second international summit on peace in Ukraine that he wants to hold later this year.
“If partners support it (the plan), it will make it easier for Ukraine to force Russia to end the war,” he said.
The new underground hospital saving lives near the frontline in east Ukraine
Wednesday 11 September 2024 15:31
Tom Watling
Ukraine colonel: If the West lifts weapons restrictions, Kyiv could ‘resolve’ the war
Wednesday 11 September 2024 15:02
Tom Watling
A Ukrainian colonel has told The Independent that Ukraine could “resolve” the war if its Western partners lift restrictions on how Kyiv is able to use donated long-range missiles.
The colonel said that Ukraine hopes that if the US lifts restrictions it will encourage Germany to transfer something Kyiv has long pleaded for: Taurus missiles with a range of up to 300 miles.
Germany has previously dropped objections to providing classes of weapons it manufactures, such as Leopard tanks, once America has led the way.
Another item on Kyiv’s wish list, said the colonel, is the American AGM-158 Jassm missile. He said they could be fired from the F-16 fighter planes Ukraine is receiving from Western allies and also some of its Soviet-era aircraft. The missiles have a range of some 575 miles, delivering 990 pounds of explosive that can penetrate two yards of concrete.
“If we received 100 such missiles then, after just a single, well-planned aerial attack, this conflict could be resolved in Ukraine and the West’s favour,” he claimed.
Russian billboard in Moscow advertises £44k salary for fighting in Ukraine
Wednesday 11 September 2024 14:43
Tom Watling
Ukrainian colonel: There is no risk of Russian escalation if missiles are fired
Wednesday 11 September 2024 14:13
Tom Watling
A Ukrainian colonel has said that Western worries that Moscow could escalate the conflict if Kyiv is allowed to fire US and UK long-range missiles deeper into Russia are misguided.
The colonel told The Independent: “Every time we have been provided with more powerful weapons we have shown how effectively we can use them and there has been no ‘escalation’ and instead the Russians have moved further away from our borders and it’s limited what they can do.”
Ukrainian colonel tells The Independent that the US and UK must approve long-range strikes in Russia
Wednesday 11 September 2024 14:01
Tom Watling
A source with connections to the Ukrainian military’s general staff has said that Kyiv urgently needs to be given permission to use missiles such as the British Storm Shadows on targets inside Russia – such as weapons depots, airbases used by warplanes that launch cruise missiles and glide bombs, and areas where satellite images show Moscow mustering troops for fresh assaults on Ukraine.
The Independent’s source, a colonel who has been involved in negotiations to acquire western weapons, said: “At present we get British, French, American and other missiles that only have a range of 150 kilometres (90 miles) when they can actually go 300 or so kilometres (185 miles).
“We need restrictions eliminated on how and where we use the Storm Shadows and other types of weapons and for our allies to provide the longer-range types of missiles.”
Ukraine PM issues plea to Lammy on long-range missiles
Wednesday 11 September 2024 13:41
Tom Watling
Ukrainian prime minister Deny Shmyhal has urged British foreign secretary David Lammy to approve Ukraine’s use of long-range missiles to target deeper inside mainland Russia.
The foreign secretary is in Kyiv on a joint trip with his US counterpart Anthony Blinken.
In a meeting between Shmyhal and Lammy, the Ukrainian prime minister said: “We hope that long-range equipment for strikes on the territory of our enemy will be reached and we will have it. And we hope for your help and support in this issue.”
I am in Kyiv today with @SecBlinken to reiterate our united and ironclad support for Ukraine.
— David Lammy (@DavidLammy) September 11, 2024
We must stand up to Vladimir Putin’s imperialism.
Our collective security depends on it. pic.twitter.com/EQTMWDC1rH
French authorities foiled 3 plots targeting the Paris Olympics, counterterrorism prosecutor says
Wednesday 11 September 2024 13:21
Tom Watling
Kremlin says Trump and Harris should leave Putin out of their fight
Wednesday 11 September 2024 13:00
Tom Watling
The Kremlin said on Wednesday it did not like the way Vladimir Putin’s name was bandied around in the US presidential debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump, and urged the candidates to stop dragging him into their political fight.
The Russian president’s spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, was speaking a week after Putin said in a teasing remark that he favoured Harris over Trump, prompting the White House to say Putin should stop commenting on the November election.
Peskov told reporters the Kremlin had not directly followed Tuesday night’s debate, but had tracked news reports of it.
“Of course, we noticed that both candidates mentioned our president, mentioned our country. Of course, the position is quite clear - the US as a whole, no matter which party the candidates are from, maintains a negative attitude, an unfriendly attitude towards our country,” he said.
“Putin’s name is used as one of the instruments in the domestic political struggle in the US We really, really don’t like it, and we hope that they will leave our president’s name alone.”
Lammy meets Ukraine PM in Kyiv
Wednesday 11 September 2024 12:23
Tom Watling
UK foreign secretary David Lammy has met with the Ukrainian prime minister Denys Shmyhal to discuss ongoing British support for Ukraine.
He is expected to speak with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky later today.
At a meeting with the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, @DavidLammy, I thanked him for the new military aid package and the provision of £30m to support Ukraine's energy sector. We also spoke about the supply of air defence systems to… pic.twitter.com/n1JSY5gGLk
— Denys Shmyhal (@Denys_Shmyhal) September 11, 2024
Russia-Ukraine War in Maps: Where are the frontlines now as Kremlin claims advances in Donetsk?
Wednesday 11 September 2024 11:56
Tom Watling
Kremlin says Moscow will act if Kyiv uses US ATACMs missiles to strike Russia
Wednesday 11 September 2024 11:29
Tom Watling
The Kremlin said on Wednesday that Russia would roll out what it called an appropriate response if the United States allowed Ukraine to strike deep inside Russia with ATACMs missiles.
US President Joe Biden said on Tuesday that his administration was “working that out now” when asked if the US would lift restrictions on Ukraine‘s use of long range weapons such as ATACMs in its war against Russia.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters it looked like Washington has already decided to go ahead with such a decision.
What is the Storm Shadow cruise missile? The British weapon banned from use in Russia by Ukrainian troops
Wednesday 11 September 2024 11:07
Tom Watling
Donald Trump avoids saying whether he wants Ukraine to win war against Russia
Wednesday 11 September 2024 10:48
Tom Watling
Lammy and Blinken arrive in Kyiv
Wednesday 11 September 2024 10:19
Tom Watling
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has arrived in Kyiv together with British Foreign Minister David Lammy
— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) September 11, 2024
They will take part in the Crimean Platform. pic.twitter.com/ikR6jTlyK0
Lithuanian president arrives in Kyiv
Wednesday 11 September 2024 10:02
Tom Watling
Lithuanian president Gitanas Nauseda has arrived in Kyiv. He was pictured at the Kyiv train station this morning with Latvian prime minister Evika Silina and the senate president of the Czech Republic Milos Vystrcil.
The trio are in the Ukrainian capital to take part in the Summit of the Crimean Platform.
Just arrived in Kyiv. Good to return and meet my dear friend @ZelenskyyUa in solidarity with Ukraine.
— Gitanas Nausėda (@GitanasNauseda) September 11, 2024
Bringing military and economic support for is crucial to defend its sovereignity and territorial integrity. pic.twitter.com/G0Ajwo4bBv
Europe's second highest court upholds sanctions on Russia's settlement depository
Wednesday 11 September 2024 09:47
Tom Watling
Europe’s second-highest court has upheld European Union sanctions against Russia’s National Settlement Depository company, first imposed in 2022 following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Russia’s NSD company had challenged those sanctions but the Luxembourg-based General Court dismissed its challenge on Wednesday.
“By its judgment delivered today, the General Court dismisses NSD’s action,” it said in a statement.
Russia attacks energy infrastructure in several regions, Ukraine says
Wednesday 11 September 2024 09:24
Tom Watling
Russian forces have attacked energy infrastructure in four regions in the past 24 hours, Ukraine‘s energy ministry said on Wednesday.
The ministry said in a statement on the Telegram messaging app that the attacks had temporarily disrupted high-voltage lines in Poltava region and power substations in Kharkiv region.
IMF, Ukraine reach deal that would give it access to £841m
Wednesday 11 September 2024 09:03
Tom Watling
The International Monetary Fund said on Tuesday it had reached a preliminary agreement with Ukraine that would give the war-torn country access to about $1.1 billion (£841 million) in financial assistance.
The agreement follows what Kyiv said on Tuesday were “difficult” talks and is subject to approval by the fund’s executive board, which the IMF said in a statement is expected to happen in coming weeks.
The IMF is a key international lender to Kyiv and its four-year $15.6 billion program is a crucial part of a bigger global economic support package to Ukraine as it gears up for a third winter trying to fend off Russia’s full-scale invasion.
“Russia’s war in Ukraine continues to have a devastating impact on the country and its people,” Gavin Gray, who led the IMF’s monitoring mission to Kyiv for the fifth review of the lending program, said in a statement.
“Skilful policymaking, the adaptability of households and firms, and robust external financing have helped support macroeconomic and financial stability.”
The IMF, however, said that the risks to Ukraine “remain exceptionally high” with an economic slowdown expected due to the impact of the war on the labour market and Russia’s continued attacks on the energy infrastructure, among other factors.
Ukraine‘s Central Bank Governor Andriy Pyshnyi said that considerable attention was focused on sources to finance 2025 budget spending.
Russian lawmaker warns the West over supplies of long-range missiles to Ukraine
Wednesday 11 September 2024 08:41
Tom Watling
Russia will consider the United States and its allies to be parties to the Ukraine war and Moscow will use more powerful weapons if the West allows Ukraine to use long-range weapons for strikes deep into Russia, a senior lawmaker said on Wednesday.
“Washington and other European states are becoming parties to the war in Ukraine,” Vyacheslav Volodin, the speaker of Russia’s Duma, the lower house of parliament, said on Telegram.
US President Joe Biden said on Tuesday that his administration was “working that out now” when asked if the US would lift those restrictions.
Russia advances on Ukraine’s western flank in Kursk
Wednesday 11 September 2024 08:18
Tom Watling
Russian forces appear to be advancing into Ukraine’s western flank in the Kursk region, footage has shown.
Earlier, we reported that Kremlin-approved Russian military bloggers had announced a counteroffensive in Kursk to reclaim the territory they lost on their own mainland at the start of last month.
While those claims were disputed, we can now show you footage published by Ukrainian bloggers seeming to show that counteroffensive.
Below, you can see a column of Russian tanks and armoured vehicles, believed to belong to one of Russia’s elite airborne units, advancing towards the city of Snagost. It was posted by Ukrainian war tracker DeepState, known to have close ties to the military.
The video suggests that Russian forces have crossed the Seym river that had previously separated them from Ukraine’s troops. Kyiv’s forces destroyed the three permanent bridges in the region - and subsequently targeted pontoon crossings hastily built by the Russians to remedy the issue - in a bid to slow or even halt a Russian counter attack.
“Indeed, the situation on the left flank of our group in Kursk has worsened,” wrote DeepState after posting the footage.
Video of an armored column with at least 8 tanks and armored vehicles from the Russian VDV's 51st Airborne Regiment assaulting Snagost in Kursk oblast. It appears Russia was able to get the armored force across the Seym River, despite Ukrainian strikes on the bridges.… pic.twitter.com/cSZ35En5AD
— Rob Lee (@RALee85) September 10, 2024
Ukraine says it shot down 20 Russia-launched drones overnight
Wednesday 11 September 2024 07:56
Tom Watling
Ukrainian air force said it shot down 20 out of 25 Russia-launched drones overnight. Russian forces also used nine missiles in the attack, the air force added in a statement via the Telegram messaging app.
Lammy and Blinken arrive on border with Ukraine
Wednesday 11 September 2024 07:40
Tom Watling
UK foreign secretary and his US counterpart Anthony Blinken have been pictured in the Polish town of Przemysl, the final stop before crossing into Ukraine.
The pair are set to arrive in Kyiv this morning for the first joint trip by the two countries’ respective top diplomats.
Russia starting to push back Ukrainian troops in Kursk, bloggers claim
Wednesday 11 September 2024 07:13
Arpan Rai
Russian forces have begun a counter-offensive against Ukrainian troops who entered western Russia’s Kursk region last month, pro-Moscow war bloggers are claiming.
Yuri Podolyaka, a Ukrainian-born, pro-Russian military blogger, and two other influential bloggers - Rybar and the Two Majors - said that Russian forces had begun reclaiming territory in Kursk.
“In the Kursk region, the Russian Army launched counter-offensive actions on the western flank of the enemy’s wedge, reducing the Ukrainian zone of control near the state border,” the Two Majors blog said.
Podolyaka said that Russian forces had taken several villages on the west of the sliver of Russia that Ukraine carved out, pushing Ukrainian forces to the east of the Malaya Loknya River south of Snagost.
Ukraine launched the biggest foreign attack on Russia since the Second World War, bursting through the border into the region of Kursk with thousands of troops supported by swarms of drones and heavy weaponry, including Western-made arms.
Biden may allow Ukraine to strike Russia with long-range weapons
Wednesday 11 September 2024 07:01
Alex Croft
President Joe Biden “does not rule out” the possibility that he will permit Ukraine to strike Russian territory, Antony Blinken said.
In an interview with Sky News, the US Secretary of State said the US has ensured that Ukraine has “what it needed, when it needed it, to be effective in repelling the Russian aggression” since Putin’s 2022 invasion, Ukrainska Pravda reported.
Washington will take multiple things into account in its decision to allow Ukraine to use long range weapons, including whether its forces would be equipped to use and maintain the “sophisticated” systems provided by allies.
"We don't. We never rule out. But when we rule in, we want to make sure it's done in such a way that it can advance what the Ukrainians are trying to achieve," Blinken said.
Russia blames ‘interference’ as freight train derails
Wednesday 11 September 2024 06:50
Arpan Rai
Russia says a freight train has derailed in Belgorod, a region bordering Ukraine, and blamed the incident on unspecified “interference”. Officials at the local branch of Russian railways said no casualties were recorded.
“Last night, 23.17 (2017 GMT on Tuesday)... due to interference with the operation of railway transport, a locomotive and wagons of a freight train derailed,” the South-Eastern Railway said on its Telegram channel. “According to preliminary information, there are no casualties.”
The accident happened in the Novooskolsky district. Novyi Oskol, a town which is the administrative centre of the district, is about 50km (31 miles) from the border with Ukraine.
A detour has been organised for passenger trains and emergency crews were dispatched to the site, Belgorod governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said. He did not say what caused the train to derail.
Iran denies sending missiles to Russia and links reports to Israel
Wednesday 11 September 2024 06:34
Arpan Rai
Reports of Iranian weapons transfers to Russia are “ugly propaganda” to conceal Western military support to Israel, Iran’s foreign ministry said, after Western powers said they would hit Tehran with new sanctions over the issue.
“The publication of false and misleading reports about the transfer of Iranian weapons to some countries is simply an ugly propaganda to conceal the large illegal arms support of the United States and some Western countries for the genocide in Gaza,” foreign ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani said in a post on X, without mentioning the new sanctions.
Russia has received ballistic missiles from Iran and would likely use them in Ukraine within weeks, US secretary of state Antony Blinken said, warning that cooperation between Moscow and Tehran threatened wider European security.
“Some Western countries present themselves as defenders of human rights and support the implementation of international conventions and treaties, but send all kinds of weapons to back the war crimes of the Zionist regime (Israel),” Kanaani added in his post, primarily about the war in
