Ukrainian forces used ATACMS missiles with cluster warheads to attack the suburbs of the city of Berdyansk in Russia’s Zaporozhye region, Russian officials say.
Vladimir Rogov, senior official of the Zaporozhye regional administration, has announced today that M74 cluster submunitions were discovered at the site of a Ukrainian missile strike in Berdyansk suburbs.
He also suggested that Ukrainian forces also used a “cheaper” type of munitions, the Ground-Launched Small Diameter Bomb (GLSDB), in this attack.
The fact that this strike took place while the talks between Washington and Kiev about providing the ATACMS missiles to Ukraine are yet to be concluded reveals that “all these talks are just for show,” Rogov wrote in a social media post on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Kiev regime head Volodymyr Zelensky has confirmed the use of ATACMS missiles by Ukrainian forces, writing online that these weapons have “performed very accurately.”
He also thanked US President Joe Biden and insisted that Kiev’s agreements with the POTUS are “being implemented.”
Early on Tuesday, Ukrainian forces used ATACMS missiles to attack at targets at the Russian cities of Berdyansk and Lugansk.
The United States is yet to formally announce the transfer of these long-range missiles to the regime in Kiev.
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian has warned that if diplomatic efforts to stop Israeli airstrikes and prevent a ground offensive on Gaza are unsuccessful, there is a risk of the conflict escalating uncontrollably, with multiple regional players joining the fight.
“If the measures aimed at immediately stopping the Israeli attacks that are killing children in the Gaza Strip end in a deadlock, it is highly probable that many other fronts will be opened,” Hossein Amir-Abdollahian told Al Jazeera on Sunday, reiterating a warning Iran had voiced repeatedly over the past week.
“If the Zionist entity [Israel] decides to enter Gaza, the resistance leaders will turn it into a graveyard of the occupation soldiers,” he added, referring to Hamas.
On his diplomatic tour of the region, the Iranian minister met with a political leader of Hamas, Ismail Hanieyh, in Qatar, where he rallied other Islamic countries to support Palestine, and assured that Iran will continue its efforts to stop the “war crimes committed by the Zionists.”
“The Islamic Republic of Iran will never back down on its principles and values in support of the Palestinian nation,” he stressed.
In an effort to resolve the Gaza crisis, Amir-Abdollahian also discussed “the sensitive situation in the region” with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. He asked China to use its voice in the United Nations Security Council to stop the deaths and suffering of Gaza residents, emphasizing the need for a humanitarian corridor.
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi initiated phone calls with multiple Muslim leaders on Sunday, raising the alarm about the situation in Gaza and calling for “decisive and immediate” action by the Arab League and other international bodies to stop the Israeli “killing machine.”
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khameni has also addressed Muslim countries, urging them to come to the aid of Palestinians. “With God’s grace, this movement that has started in Palestine will advance and result in a complete victory for the Palestinians,” he said in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday.
The United States has dispatched a second aircraft carrier group to the Eastern Mediterranean, seeking to put pressure on Iran, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and other pro-Palestinian forces to stay out of the Israel-Gaza war.
Despite US media speculating about Iran’s possible involvement in the deadly raid on Israel carried out by Hamas militants, President Joe Biden has acknowledged that “at this point” there is “no clear evidence” that Tehran helped Hamas plan the attack.
What is the Rafah crossing and why is it Gaza's lifeline?
Arabic has published footage of a large group of people of various nationalities waiting for the opportunity to flee Gaza outside the closed Rafah border crossing into Egypt. Earlier, the Israeli government denied media reports that it had agreed to stop strikes in southern Gaza in order to allow for foreign nationals to leave and for humanitarian aid to be delivered to the Palestinian enclave.
The Rafah crossing is the southernmost post of exit from Gaza and borders Egypt's Sinai desert. There are only two other border crossings from and into the Gaza strip - Erez, a border crossing with Israel in north Gaza, and Kerem Shalom, a solely commercial junction between Israel and Gaza. Both are shut.
Hamas forces assaulted the Erez crossing in northern Gaza on 7 October, damaging it severely. Days later, Israel declared Erez closed until further notice, leaving the Rafah border as the only point of entry and exit for civilians into and from Gaza.
Rafah is now also the crossing point for humanitarian aid must also pass from there. Last week, the Egyptian foreign ministry said it was directing international aid flights for Gaza to the al-Arish airport in northern Sinai, and dozens of lorries carrying fuel and humanitarian goods are parked near the Rafah crossing, waiting to be let through.
Artillery is often dubbed the “God of War” by military theorists and politicians for its pivotal role on the battlefield. Ukrainian POWs often recall that they were shocked by the never-ending Russian barrage of cannon fire that left no place for them to hide.
The Russian Ministry of Defense published footage showing artillery wiping out Ukrainian fortifications in the special military operation zone. Russia's artillery has been leveling fortified outposts and providing cover for shock troops, while annihilating enemy military equipment with ease. The actions of Russian artillerymen are coordinated via surveillance drones that help to fine-tune target acquisition for unleashing firepower, making the strikes precise and deadly.
Ukrainian Military Casualties Amount to 460 in Donetsk Direction
The Russian military has repelled 10 attacks in the Donetsk direction in the past 24 hours, and the Ukrainian troops has lost up to 460 soldiers as killed or injured, the Defense Ministry reported on Monday.
"The enemy lost up to 460 military personnel as killed and injured, three tanks, two armored combat vehicles, 12 cars," the military said in a statement.
The Russian troops also repelled 10 attacks in the Kupyansk direction, where the Ukrainian military lost up to 85 soldiers as killed or injured in the past day. In the South Donetsk, Ukraine’s military casualties amounted to over 70 troops. Moreover, Ukraine lost up to 65 soldiers in the Krasny Liman direction, where Russian troops have repelled two attacks.
Watch Russian Tank Crews and Motorized Units Hone Skills
Russian tanks and armored vehicles are instrumental in executing the special operation in Ukraine, serving as exemplary models of military hardware. Russian troops are constantly improving their skills by studying extensively and undergoing regular training, in order to operate these machines efficiently.
The Ministry of Defense of Russia has unveiled gripping footage showcasing the rigorous training of tank crews and motorized rifle units in the highly strategic Special Military Operation Zone.
The riflemen of the Central Military District practice the use of infantry combat vehicles (BMP) weapons, especially 30 mm cannons. They fire at a range of more than 1.5 km and train to provide fire cover for assault troops. In the meantime, crews operating T-72 and T-80 tanks are honing their skills in urban combat, strategically targeting the weakest areas of enemy armored vehicles
This motion follows an earlier stance where he contested setting any trial date at all. In his election interference case, Trump's legal team initially proposed scheduling the trial for 2026.
Former President Donald Trump has adopted a deliberate strategy of seeking incremental delays in his federal trials, potentially jeopardizing their timelines and impacting the broader political landscape.
Legal expert Ankush Khardori, a former federal prosecutor, describes this approach as an incremental strategy. While some of Trump's motions have been on technical matters, related to how classified information is handled in trial, the aggregate effect could potentially delay these cases significantly.
"This is sort of an incremental strategy; you don’t expect to win all at once. Over time, the aggregate effect can be to push things out," Khardori told US media.
One key element of Trump's recent motions revolves around the Classified Information Procedures Act (CIPA), which governs the handling of classified evidence in trials. Trump's team has requested delays in meeting CIPA deadlines, arguing that the government is rushing the process. They claim the government's delays in sharing certain documents, primarily due to their classified nature, have justified their requests. However, prosecutors contend that these delays only warrant minor extensions.
The core of the dispute centers on Section 4 of CIPA, which deals with redacting or summarizing classified evidence as a protective measure before sharing it. Trump's team wants to postpone what former CIA attorney Brian Greer refers to as the "first substantive stage" of CIPA by three months, while the government emphasizes the need for an orderly process.
In addition to schedule-related motions, Trump has sought to dismiss all charges in the election interference case, arguing immunity from prosecution based on his official duties. This motion may ultimately reach the Supreme Court. Prosecutors have urged the judge to compel Trump's team to formally assert their defense in court rather than on the airwaves, which they argue could lead to substantial disruptions and delays.
Experts believe that Trump's incremental approach might be most effective in Florida, where the trial is set for May, approaching the convention season and potentially influencing the election. Trump's attorneys have been clear in their intent to prevent these trials from taking place before the election, indicating their hopes for potential future developments if Trump were to regain office.
The strategic delays by Trump's legal team pose a significant challenge to the federal trials, with the potential to reshape their timelines and consequences, ultimately impacting the broader legal and political landscape.
Ukraine launched its much-touted counteroffensive attempt early in June and quickly ran into stalwart Russian defenses and minefields. According to the latest data, Ukraine lost over 90,000 troops, 557 tanks and almost 1,900 armored vehicles
Ukraine's counteroffensive has failed completely, but Kiev is preparing new active offensive operations in certain areas of the hostilities, to which Russia is aware and is responding accordingly, Russian President Vladimir Putin said.
Ukraine's counteroffensive has failed completely, but Kiev is preparing new active offensive operations in certain areas of the hostilities, to which Russia is aware and is responding accordingly, Russian President Vladimir Putin said.
"As for the counteroffensive, which is allegedly stalling - it has failed completely. We know that in certain areas of the hostilities, however, the opposing side is preparing new active offensive operations. We see this, we know it. And we are also responding to this accordingly," Putin said in an interview with reporter Pavel Zarubin, published on Sunday.
The Russian troops are now improving their position almost throughout the entire area of the hostilities, the actions can be described as an active defense with improvement of position in some areas, including in the Kupyansk, Zaporozhye, and Avdeyevka directions, Putin said.
"What is currently happening along the entire frontline is called 'active defense'. Our troops are improving their positions over a considerable expanse of this area, a fairly extensive one," Vladimir Putin pointed out.
President of the Russian Federation also thanked the leadership of the Russian Armed Forces and the servicemen on the front lines of the special military operation for their courage and heroism.
"I would like to thank the Armed Forces, the leadership of the Armed Forces, but first of all our servicemen on the front lines for their bravery and heroism," Putin said.
Watch Russian UAV Strikes Ukrainian Troops in Dugout in Artemovsk Direction
Since the beginning of the special military operation in Ukraine, the Russian armed forces have been skillfully using kamikaze drones and loitering munitions to accomplish the assigned tasks without any loss of military personnel.
The Russian Ministry of Defense has released footage showing the FPV drone of Airborne Forces servicemen destroying Ukrainian infantry in the direction of Artemovsk (Bakhmut), which tried to take cover in a dugout.
"The operator spotted two Ukrainian servicemen trying to take cover in the dugout of a stronghold and directed an FPV drone to destroy them. The assistant skillfully corrected the operator's work on the approach to the target, and recorded the FPV drone hitting the shelter containing the Ukrainian formation personnel, who were destroyed," the ministry said.
Russian Air Defense Destroys 27 Ukrainian Drones - Defense Ministry
Russian air defense shot down 27 Ukrainian fixed-wing drones, with 18 of them being destroyed over Russia’s Kursk Region, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Sunday.
"Tonight, an attempt by the Kiev regime to carry out a terrorist attack using fixed-wing drones on objects on the territory of the Russian Federation was stopped. Twenty-seven Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles were intercepted by air defense systems, of which 18 over the Kursk Region and two over the Belgorod Region were destroyed in the air," the ministry said on Telegram.
Ukraine has been targeting civilian areas in Russia using drone attacks in recent months, particularly in the Kursk and Belgorod regions.
