Russia warns US, NATO against harming its security — diplomat

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova
©Alexander Shcherbak/TASS

Russia warns the United States and NATO against taking any actions that undermine its security, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.

"We are sending clear and unequivocal signals to the United States and NATO warning them about potentially catastrophic consequences of their policy toward jeopardizing Russia’s security," she said.

"Regrettably, the level of nuclear risks have risen dramatically as a result of the West’s destructive policy, which is fraught with a direct military confrontation between nuclear powers," she said, adding that Russia never stops efforts to ensure nuclear deterrence.

"Apart from that, Russia regularly reviews its doctrines to assess their relevance to the current threats," Zakharova noted. "Thus, the reliability and effectiveness of nuclear deterrence in Russia are ensured at a proper level and should not be doubted."

US, France to Send Nuclear-Powered Aircraft Carriers to Souda Base in Greece - Reports

The United States and France are expected to deploy nuclear-powered aircraft carriers at the Souda naval base located on the Greek island of Crete in the next few days, Greek media reported on Friday.

The first to dock will be the US aircraft carrier Dwight D. Eisenhower, which is expected to arrive in Souda on April 28 and remain there until May 2. At the same time, the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle will dock at the naval base on May 2 and will stay until May 7, Greek newspaper Rizospastis, the official newspaper of the Communist Party of Greece, reported.

The party's branch in the Greek city of Chania, where the base is located, is reportedly calling on people to gather for a picket on April 29 in a municipal market square.

Souda is home to the largest US naval base in the Mediterranean Sea.

Majority of Global South States Understand Threats Posed by NATO - Lavrov

The majority of the Global South states are aware of the potential threats posed by NATO, as the organization continues to build up its infrastructure in the Asia-Pacific region, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Friday.

"Structures are already being created there [in the Asia-Pacific region] that reproduce the NATO psychology, NATO mentality. There are talks of NATO infrastructure penetrating there," Lavron told a joint press conference after a meeting with Bolivian Foreign Minister Celinda Sosa Lunda in Moscow, in response to a question from a Sputnik correspondent.

Earlier in the week, the Russian Foreign Ministry announced talks between the top Russian and diplomats, saying they were to discuss various aspects of Russian-Bolivian cooperation, including the prospectsof Bolivia joining BRICS. The diplomats are also expected to touch upon a wide range of topical issues on the international and regional agenda.

As an example, Lavrov recalled the recent announcement of the NATO-Japan cooperation agreement.

"It seems to me that the overwhelming majority of countries in the world's majority regions, the Global South, understand the dangers this entails, realize that they will be siphoned off funds in the interests of NATO and will use them," the top Russian diplomat said.

The minister said it was much better to take care of one's "household chores" and provide normal education for one's citizens, instead of "playing this geopolitical game, which NATO sees as a zero-sum game."

In April, US President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said in a joint statement following talks at the White House that they were looking forward to continuing to work on enhancing the partnership between NATO and Tokyo, and the cooperation between the alliance and the Indo-Pacific Four, which includes Australia, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea.

Russia Supports Bolivia's Aspirations to Join BRICS

Russia supports Bolivia's aspirations to become a member of BRICS and is interested in having as many countries as possible enter the nine-nation bloc of developing economies, Lavrov underlined.

"Russia supports these aspirations of Bolivia, as this year's BRICS chair, and is interested in ensuring that as many countries as possible that want to get closer to BRICS become either BRICS members or establish stable, permanent partnerships, receive a definite positive response," he told the press conference.

Russia took over the rotating chairmanship of BRICS in January. The club of developing economies grew by four members this year and now comprises Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates. Russia will hold the 2024 BRICS summit in Kazan from October 22-24.

In September 2023, Bolivian President Luis Arce told Sputnik that his country welcomed the accession of new countries to BRICS and hoped to join the bloc as soon as possible.

Top Bolivian Diplomat to Meet With Rosatom, Economy Ministry Officials in Moscow

Bolivian Foreign Minister is expected to hold several meetings with representatives of Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom and the Russian Economy Ministry, Sergey Lavrov mentioned.

"The minister will also meet with representatives of our other agencies, including Rosatom and the economy ministry," he noted.

Lavrov expressed confidence that these meetings would actively advance bilateral cooperation and hoped that the parties would have "every reason" to report on this to the heads of state.

26 pilot whales die after mass stranding in Australia

(John Farrell/The Washington Post)

At least 26 long-finned pilot whales have died, but several others were rescued, after 160 of them were stranded over a large area in Western Australia.

Dozens of whales were stuck in shallow water on Thursday morning spread across about 500 metres (0.31 miles) at Toby Inlet in Geographe Bay near Dunsborough. The region is less than 250km (155 miles) south of state capital Perth.

Footage from the area showed wildlife preservation teams and local authorities joined by many volunteers to help them get back to deeper waters.

Pia Courtis, a spokesperson for the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, said samples would be taken from the deceased whales before removing them from the shores.

More than 100 whales were moved offshore, but Courtis said they may return.

“We’ve got vessels out on the water and we’ve also got a spotter plane up in the air that’s doing searches over every couple of hours to see where they are,” she said.

“So far so good, they haven’t made it back to shore.”

The department said that once fully beached, whales usually had to be euthanised as that would be “the most humane outcome”.

There are a further 20 whales in a pod about 1.5km offshore. Another pod of about 110 animals are together closer offshore. https://t.co/H26PrW3f2o

— Shark Safety WA (@SharkSafetyWA) April 25, 2024

Mass strandings of pilot whales are not uncommon in Australia and New Zealand. But after decades of such events, scientists do not fully understand why they occur. Some researchers think pods go off track after feeding too close to shore.

Pilot whales – which can grow to more than 6 metres (20 feet) long – are highly sociable, so they may follow podmates who stray into danger.

Some stranding incidents have been linked to underwater noise pollution caused by humans, which could affect the animals’ sensitive hearing.

Wildlife experts have said the whales’ unusual behaviour could also indicate stress or illness within a pod. Pilot whales often maintain close relationships with their pods throughout their lives.

About 500 pilot whales died when they beached on New Zealand’s remote Chatham Islands in 2022.

The latest mass stranding event in Western Australia occurred at Cheynes Beach in Albany in July 2023, where at least 90 of the mammals died.

The largest beaching of whales in Western Australia took place in Dunsborough in 1996 and involved 320 long-finned pilot whales. All but 20 of the animals were rescued and escorted back into deeper waters.

Authorities have asked people not to attempt to rescue the whales without direction from experts as they may cause further injury to the animals, hinder coordinated rescue efforts, or hurt themselves.

Indonesia Ke Semifinal Setelah Tenggelamkan Korsel 111-0 - Rafael Struick menjadi Pembeda

Sejarah baru tercatat dipersepakbolaan Indonesia yang kini ditorehkan Tim Nasional Indonesia U-23 setelah menenggelamkan timnas Korea Selatan U-23 di laga babak perempat final Piala Asia U-23 di Stadion Abdullah bin Khalifa, Doha, Qatar, pada hari Jumat, 26/4/2024. Timnas Indonesia mampu mengalahkan Korea Selatan kemenangan dramatis dan menegangkan lewat drama adu penalti 111-0 (11-10).

Tim asuhan Shin Tae Yong menaklukkan Korea Selatan melalui adu penalti 11-10. Pratama Arhan menjadi penentu kemenangan lewat sepakan ke sisi kanan gawang penjaga gawang Korsel J. Baek. kemenangan ini Shin Tae-yong disebut oleh media Korsel seperti menang KO atas Hwang Sun-hong.

Rafael Struick menjadi pembeda, gol yang dilesatkanya memberi sinyal kepada Korea Selatan 'Jangan Meremehkan Timnas Indonesia dibawah asuhan Shin Tae-yong'. Golnya sangat indah, membuat gembira suporters Indonesia dan menyakitkan bagi suporters Korea Selatan.

Ini adalah rekor pertama Tim Garuda Muda unggul atas Korsel dalam kelompok umur U-23.

Pertemuan antara kedua tim menunjukkan dominasi Korea Selatan U-23. Timnas Indonesia U-23 selalu menelan kekalahan dalam tujuh pertemuan terakhir. Kekalahan terbesar terjadi pada Kualifikasi Olimpiade 2000 di Seoul, di mana Indonesia ditekuk dengan skor telak 0-7.

Dalam pertemuan terakhir, tepatnya pada laga persahabatan 2018 silam, Timnas Indonesia mampu memperkecil kekalahan dan bertanding sengit dengan skor 2-1 hingga peluit akhir ditiupkan.

Secara keseluruhan, timnas Indonesia U-23 selalu kalah dari timnas U-23 Korea Selatan. Indonesia juga harus kalah dengan kemasukan 24 gol.

Indonesia U-23 sudah kebobolan 24 gol dari Korea Selatan U-23, sementara hanya berhasil mencetak tiga gol sebagai balasan. Namun, momentum positif dari fase grup Piala Asia U-23 2024 memberikan harapan baru bagi skuat Garuda Muda.

Physically tested for 120 minutes. Mentally tested in the penalty shootout. The Indonesian national team is at a much better level.#AFCU23 #AFCU23AsianCup #NationalTeamDay#TimnasDay #TimnasIndonesia pic.twitter.com/WktuRmelHT

— TopTrends90 (@TopTrends90) April 25, 2024

Pemain Korsel udah selebrasi gini tapi akhirnya kalah langsung dibales jogetan sama Ernando😭😭😭😭

Alhamdulillah Ya Allah Target Shin Tae Yong Benar terjadi sampe 4 Besar, Bismillah 1 langkah lagi menuju Olimpiade🥹🇮🇩#TimnasDay
Wasitnya pic.twitter.com/EFscGojwVq

— YBBA (@BolaBolaAja) April 25, 2024

🇮🇩 Indonesia U23 through the Semi Finals of AFC U23 Asian Cup Qatar 2024

Quarter Finals
FT: South Korea U23 🇰🇷 2 (10) - 2 (11) 🇮🇩 Indonesia U23#AFCU23 #AsianCupU23 #TimnasIndonesiaU23 pic.twitter.com/E2YQGsCmBg

— Vincent Ennio Gunawan (@vins_ennio) April 25, 2024

Crowd cheering , What a goal ⚽
Only genuine fans may like this tweet. ❤️#TimnasDay #AFCU23AsianCup#AFCU23 #football

pic.twitter.com/ci4lWnmFrB

— Chandan (@arjun_choubey) April 25, 2024

Laga Timnas U-23 Indonesia vs Korea Selatan berakhir imbang 2-2 selama 90 menit waktu normal. Dua gol Timnas Indonesia dicetak oleh Rafael Struick pada menit ke-15 dan menit ke-45+4. Gol Korea Selatan didapat melalui gol bunuh diri Komang Teguh pada menit ke-45 dan aksi Jeong Sang-bin pada menit ke-84.

Babak adu penalti, pemain Korea Selatan, Kim Min-woo (2 penalti), Lee Kang-hee, Hwang Jae-won, Paik Sang-hoon, Byun Jun-soo, Hong Yun-sang, Cho Hyun-taek, Jeon Sang-bin, dan kiper Baek Jong-beom berhasil melakukan tugasnya. Kang Sang-yoon gagal, sedangkan tendangan kedua Lee Kang-hee mampu ditepis kiper Ernando Ari.

Di kubu Indonesia, Ramadhan Sananta (2 penalti), Pratama Arhan, Rafael Struick, Marselino Ferdinan, Justin Hubner, Jeam Kelly Sroyer, Rizky Ridho, kiper Ernando Ari sukses. Hanya Arkhan Fikri yang gagal. Arhan menjadi penentu kemenangan Indonesia.

Shin Tae-yong melakukan sejumlah perubahan pada susunan pemain sebelas pertama. Tetap menggunakan formasi 3-4-3, ia memainkan Komang Teguh menggantikan Muhammad Ferrari yang sebelumnya menjadi pemain utama pada laga menghadapi Yordania dalam laga terakhir penyisihan Grup A. Komang bertandem dengan Rizky Ridho dan Justin Hubner di lini bertahan.

Shin Tae-yong juga mengubah komposisi di bek sayap. Sisi kiri tetap menjadi milik Pratama Arhan, sedangkan di sisi kanan, ia memilih menurunkan Rio Fahmi untuk menggantikan Fajar Faturrahman.

Korea mencoba tampil menekan sejak awal babak pertama. Tim Taeguk Warriors menghadapi strategi pressing tinggi para pemain Indonesia sehingga kesulitan menguasai bola dan mendekati area kotak penalti kiper Ernando Ari Sutaryadi.

Usaha Korea sempat berbuah hasil pada menit ke-7. Berawal dari skema tendangan bebas yang memicu kerumunan di area kotak penalti, tendangan keras Lee Kang Hee tak mampu diblok dengan sempurna oleh Ernando. Gol itu sempat membuat Korea unggul. Namun, VAR membatalkan gol tersebut karena ada seorang pemain Korea yang berada dalam posisi offside.

Timnas Indonesia mampu keluar dari tekanan pemain Korea setelah pertandingan berjalan sepuluh menit. Indonesia berhasil mencuri gol pertama pada menit ke-14. Berawal dari skema serangan balik, Rafael Struick berhasil memanfaatkan blok tak sempurna dari barisan pertahanan Korea. Ia melepaskan tendangan jarak jauh ke arah sudut kiri gawang Baek Jong Bum.

Mendominasi laga, Korea Selatan baru bisa menyamakan pada menit ke-45. Berawal dari umpan silang di sisi kiri pertahanan Indonesia, Eom Ji-seong berhasil menyambut bola. Arah sundulannya berbelok setelah terkena blok Komang Teguh dan mengarah ke gawang Indonesia. Skor 1-1.

Keunggulan Korea tak bertahan lama. Empat menit masa injury time, Struick mengembalikan keunggulan Indonesia. Berawal dari umpan panjang Ivar Jenner, Struick berhasil memanfaatkan kebingungan di lini bertahan Korea. Sentuhannya mengelabui kiper Baek Jong Bum. Skor 2-1 untuk keunggulan Indonesia bertahan hingga turun minum.

Statistik menunjukkan bahwa laga berimbang. Korea mendominasi 51,1 persen penguasaan bola berbanding 48,9 persen untuk Indonesia. Meski begitu, Korea hanya berhasil membuat satu peluang bersih, sedangkan Indonesia memiliki tujuh peluang mencetak gol dan tiga di antaranya mengarah ke gawang.

Korea Selatan mengambil inisiatif serangan pada babak kedua. Pelatih Hwang Sun-hong memasukkan Kang Sang-yoon dan Lee Young-jun untuk mengganti Lee Tae-seok dan Kim Dong-jin. Perubahan itu membuat Indonesia sempat terkurung hingga sepuluh menit awal.

Indonesia praktis hanya mengandalkan serangan balik. Pada menit ke-54, Struick punya peluang untuk menambah golnya setelah memanfaatkan umpan Rizky Ridho. Sayangnya, tendangan Struick masih melenceng. Empat menit berselang, Marselino yang punya peluang, tetapi tusukannya dari sisi kanan pertahanan Korea gagal berbuah gol.

Pada menit ke-70, Korea Selatan harus bermain dengan sepuluh pemain setelah Lee Young-jun diganjar kartu merah. Ia dianggap melakukan pelanggaran berbahaya terhadap Justin Hubner.

Bermain dengan 10 pemain, Korea justru semakin agresif dan Indonesia kesulitan keluar dari tekanan. Pada menit ke-75, Korea Selatan memiliki peluang lewat tendangan bebas, tetapi Ernando Ari melakukan penyelamatan gemilang.

Timnas Indonesia lengah menjelang akhir pertandingan. Melalui skema serangan balik pada menit ke-84, Hong Yoon-sang melepaskan umpan panjang pada Jeong Sang Bin yang tak terkawal. Ia melepaskan tendangan mendatar yang tak mampu dihalau Ernando Ari. Skor 2-2.

Indonesia berusaha keluar menyerang, tetapi Korea menerapkan garis pertahanan yang dalam sehingga menyulitkan para pemain Skuad Garuda menembus kotak penalti. Di sisi lain, Korea mampu bermain lebih tenang. Dengan 10 pemain, mereka justru mampu membangun serangan yang lebih berbahaya.

Babak Perpanjangan Waktu

Timnas Indonesia gagal menunjukkan dominasinya meski punya keunggulan jumlah pemain. Mereka gagal membongkar permainan rapat Korea Selatan di lini pertahanan. Tak ada peluang tercipta pada babak pertama perpanjangan waktu.

Shin Tae-yong melakukan perubahan. Ia memasukkan Jeam Kelly Sroyer dan Arkhan Fikri untuk menggantikan Fajar Faturrahmam dan Ivar Jenner. Ramadhan Sananta juga masuk menggantikan Witan Sulaeman. Peluang matang Indonesia dapatkan pada menit ke-111 lewat Sroyer memanfaatkan bola muntah tendangan Justin Hubner. Namun, peluang kembali terbuang.

Pada menit ke-115, Indonesia dapat peluang lagi lewat Nathan Tjoe. Tendangan keras dari luar kotak penalti melabung tipis di atas mistar gawang Korea. Sananta mendapatkan peluang memanfaatkan umpan lambung Marselino. Namun, sundulan masih melebar.

Statistik pertandingan selama 120 menit menunjukkan dominasi Indonesia dalam penguasaan bola sebesar 52,9 persen berbanding 46,9 persen untuk Korea. Indonesia menciptakan 20 peluang mencetak gol, lima di antaranya tepat sasaran. Korea memiliki delapan peluang dan hanya dua yang mengarah ke gawang. Tak ada gol tercipta hingga babak perpanjangan waktu selesai.

Liberal world order must be destroyed – Orban

FILE PHOTO.
©AFP/Attila Kisbenedek

Western liberal hegemony has failed and must be destroyed, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban stated on Thursday, suggesting it could end as soon as this year.

Addressing the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC Hungary) in Budapest, Orban criticized the existing “world order based on progressive liberal hegemony,” saying it has spawned numerous figureheads who are “not fit to be leaders,” with even “beauty pageants” knowing more about peace then they do.

He accused liberal politicians of building “hegemonic ideological control to which everyone must submit” instead of actual governing, while turning “state bodies into tools of oppression.” Such forces are a dangerous enemy whose time is coming to an end, Orban claimed.

The proponents of the old world are sitting in Brussels, and although it is not my business to interfere in American politics, I fear that they are also sitting in Washington. This is what we are doing this year. This year, we will try to drive them out,” the Hungarian prime minister said.

This year, God willing, we can end the inglorious era of the Western civilization. We can end the world order built on progressive liberal hegemony. The progressive liberal world spirit has failed. It gave the world war, chaos, unrest and destroyed economies.

The emerging world order will be based on true sovereignty, with countries driven by their actual national interests rather than a global ideology, according to Orban.

“Let the era of sovereignty come, let’s get back towards peace and security. Let’s make America great again, let’s make Europe great again,” he concluded.

Western media trying to be ‘political player’ in Indian election – foreign minister

Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar has hit out at Western media for criticizing the country’s system of democracy amid polling to elect the next government. He addressed the issue while speaking about the “respect” New Delhi has gained internationally.

Minister of External Affairs S. Jaishankar addresses a press conference at BJP HQ, DDU Marg, on April 1, 2024 in New Delhi, India.
©Vipin Kumar/Hindustan Times via Getty Images

“I get a lot of these noises from the Western press,” said the top diplomat, who was speaking at an event in Hyderabad, Telangana, on Tuesday. “If [Western media] criticize our democracy, it is not because they lack information,” he asserted. “It is because they also think they are political players in our election.”

The foreign minister’s comments come in the wake of reports questioning the credibility of the Indian election, given the threats posed by Artificial Intelligence (AI), particularly “deepfakes,” as well as concerns over “divisions within the country.”

Many reports have been critical of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for “cracking down” on the opposition, particularly in the wake of the recent arrest of Arvind Kejriwal, Delhi’s chief minister and founder of the opposition Aam Admi Party (AAP) for alleged involvement in a liquor scam.

Bloomberg’s opinion piece by David Fickling on Tuesday went so far as to question why the country is conducting an election in the middle of a heat wave. Referring to the piece, without naming it, Jaishankar pointed out: “I wanted to say, listen: In that heat, my lowest turnout is higher than your highest turnout.” “They will question your election system, your EVM (electronic voting machines), your election commission, even the weather,” he added.

In a recent article, former Rajya Sabha member Swapan Dasgupta described the Western media as “sanitation inspectors” for their relentless attacks on the Indian government.

“The temptation to tell Indian voters what is good for their well-being has never deserted the Western agenda,” he wrote, recalling a letter written by several well-known people in the diaspora to The Guardian, in which they argued that “it would bode ill for India’s future” if Narendra Modi becomes PM. Modi’s party secured a majority both in the 2014 and 2019 elections.

India has been on the radar of not just the media, but US and Europe-based non-profit organisations and even state agencies for alleged “democratic backsliding.”

The US State Department’s annual human rights assessment earlier this week found “significant” abuses in India’s Manipur state last year and attacks on minorities, journalists, and dissenting voices in the rest of the country. “The government took minimal credible steps or action to identify and punish officials who may have committed human rights abuses,” the report claimed.

The allegations came just days after Modi spoke about the “need for collective responsibility” to deal with the Manipur situation “sensitively” and the “improvement in the situation due to the timely intervention” of the central government.

Last year, the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) asked the Biden administration to designate India as a “country of particular concern.” New Delhi has repeatedly slammed the criticism of its policies and comments on what it regards as “internal matters” and has lately resorted to summoning Western diplomats over such comments.

Russia freezes assets of largest US bank

The seizure order, published in the Russian court register on Wednesday, targets funds in JPMorgan’s accounts and shares in its Russian subsidiaries © Mike Segar/Reuters

A Russian court sided with state-run lender VTB Bank in its efforts to recoup $439.5 million from JPMorgan Chase that the American lender froze in U.S. accounts after the Ukraine invasion.

The court ordered the seizure of funds in JPMorgan's Russian accounts and "movable and immovable property," including the bank's stake in a Russian subsidiary, according to a court order published Wednesday.

JPMorgan declined to comment. VTB didn’t immediately respond to a request to comment.

Russia has retaliated against sanctions imposed by the U.S. and its allies over the war in Ukraine by limiting the access of companies from so-called unfriendly states to the assets they hold domestically.

JPMorgan has previously warned that it faces “actual and threatened litigation in Russia seeking payments on transactions that the firm cannot make, and is contractually excused from paying, under relevant sanctions laws.” The lender said that assets it holds in that country could be seized as a result.

A St. Petersburg court ordered the freezing of funds owned by US banking giant JPMorgan Chase in Russia on Wednesday. The ruling was made in favor of the country’s second-largest lender VTB, which filed a lawsuit seeking to recover $439.5 million that is blocked abroad under US-led sanctions.

VTB sued JPMorgan and its subsidiaries in the Arbitration Court of St. Petersburg and Leningrad Region on April 17, court filings showed on Monday. The order targeted funds in JPMorgan’s Russian accounts and “movable and immovable property,” including the bank’s stake in a Russian subsidiary.

The dispute centers on $439.5 million in funds that VTB held in a JPMorgan account in the US, which were blocked by Washington as part of Ukraine-related sanctions in 2022.

The court ordered the seizure of all funds in JPMorgan bank accounts in Russia, including correspondent accounts and those opened in the name of a subsidiary.

It also revealed that VTB had requested interim steps because the respondents were “taking measures to withdraw their assets” from Russia, while the Russian lender was seeking to recover money from the US bank.

In its own lawsuit against VTB last week in the Southern District of New York, JPMorgan sought to block the Russian bank’s efforts, noting that US law prohibited the bank from releasing the $439.5 million owned by VTB.

JPMorgan is concerned that VTB will try to seize its Russian assets, Reuters reported on Wednesday, citing the US lender.

The Wall Street bank admitted to the outlet that VTB’s prospects were good, since Russian courts had granted at least six other local lenders relief against US and EU banks that were required to comply with sanctions laws.

The next hearing in the JPMorgan case is scheduled for July 17.

3 Anggota TNI Tersambar Petir di Dekat Mabes Cilangkap

3 anggota TNI tersambar petir saat berteduh di pohon dekat gerbang masuk Mabes TNI, Cilangkap, Jakarta Timur, pada hari Rabu, 24/04/2024.

Insiden tersebut pun viral pada sejumlah akun media sosial melalui rekaman video milik warga sekitar, tampak anggota TNI itu tergeletak di tanah. Warga sekitar yang melihat hal itu berusaha menolong korban dan mengevakuasi ke dalam mobil.

Ryan seorang saksi mata insiden tersebut mengatakan peristiwa bermula dari tiga anggota TNI yang tengah meneduh di bawah pohon saat hujan turun.

"Kronologis sementara korban sedang berteduh di bawah pohon. Kemudian sambil main hp dan setelah itu tersambar petir," katanya kepada awak media, Jakarta, hari Rabu, 24/04/2024.

Ryan mengungkap insiden sabaran petir itu cepat terjadi hingga dirinya hanya mengetahui saat kondisi korban telah terjatuh.

Kata ia, saat itu terdengar suara dentuman yang sangat keras hingga disusul teriakan minta tolong dari korban.

"Jadi kebetulan itu depan kantor saya, pas posisi ada petir tiba-tiba nyamber kayak bom meledak, setelah itu selang beberapa menit terdengar oranh minta tolong, pas saya langsung ke luar dan di depan kantor tiba-tiba sudah banyak orang yang ngerubungin seperti divideo," ungkapnya.

"Benar. Sekarang sudah mendapat perawatan di RS," kata Nugraha kepada kumparan.

Berdasarkan keterangan saksi mata kejadian, Ryan (25), peristiwa itu terjadi sekitar pukul 16.00 WIB.

"Jadi kebetulan itu depan kantor saya, pas posisi ada petir, tiba-tiba nyamber kayak bom meledak. Setelah itu selang beberapa menit terdengar orang minta tolong. Pas saya langsung keluar dan di depan kantor tiba-tiba sudah banyak orang yang ngerubungin seperti di video," tutur Ryan saat dihubungi.

"Kalau dari kronologi sementaranya katanya korban sedang berteduh di bawah pohon. Kemudian sambil main HP dan setelah itu tersambar petir," jelas Ryan.

Kapuspen TNI, Mayjen Nugraha Gumilar, membenarkan hal itu. Saat ini ketiga anggota TNI tersebut dirawat di rumah sakit.

Kepala Pusat Penerangan (Kapuspen) TNI Mayjen Nugraha Gumilar menungkapkan kronologi satu dari dua prajurit TNI yang tersambar petir di Mabes TNI Cilangkap, Jakarta, meninggal dunia.

Dia menjelaskan dua prajurit yang tersambar petir itu tengah melintas di Delta 1 Mabes TNI, Cilangkap, Jakarta Timur. Insiden terjadi pada hari Rabu, 24/04/2024, pukul 15.20 WIB saat beberapa orang mendengar bunyi petir, kemudian pada pukul 15.22 WIB, melihat orang-orang membantu korban.

“Ada dua korban ditemukan jatuh," kata Gumilar dikutip dari Antara.

Kemudian, setelah keduanya ditemukan tersambar, prajurit TNI AL yang luka-luka itu mendapat pertolongan pertama di Satuan Kesehatan (Satkes) Mabes TNI AL, sementara korban lainnya sempat dirawat di Satkes Mabes TNI.

"Sekira pukul 16.00 WIB, korban tersambar petir (prajurit) TNI AL dievakuasi oleh tim satkes ke RS Ridwan Meuraksa, Jakarta Timur. Berselang 5 menit, korban dari TNI AD dievakuasi juga ke rumah sakit yang sama," kata Gumilar.

“Yang terkena petir dua orang atas nama Prada Ardiansyah, dan KLS (Kelasi Satu Perbekalan) Dani. Prada Ardiansyah meninggal dunia,” kata dia.

Korban meninggal dunia adalah prajurit TNI Angkatan Darat berpangkat prajurit dua (prada) atas nama Ardiayansyah, sementara korban luka-luka yang saat ini dirawat ialah prajurit TNI Angkatan Laut berpangkat kelasi satu (KLS) perbekalan (Bek) atas nama Dani Sidiq.

Ardiansyah berdinas di Markas Komando Akademi TNI, dan Dani berdinas di Dinas Administrasi Personel TNI Angkatan Laut (Disminpersal) Mabes TNI AL Cilangkap.