Moscow considers threats by EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell to take medical supplies away from the Russian people as inadmissible and neo-Nazist, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said at a briefing.
"EU restrictions are above all an instrument of intimidation and blackmail. We deem these new direct threats against Russians by Borrell unacceptable," the diplomat said commenting on remarks by the top EU diplomat that Europe has not yet introduced any restrictions on supplies of pharmaceuticals, food and medical equipment to Russia.
"Perhaps, he should be reminded of the siege of Leningrad? The Nazis had the same logic - deprive people of food and watch them die in the city. What kind of a repetition of the criminal Nazi logic at the level of the EU leadership is this? <…> This is simply a manifestation of neo-Nazism," she stressed.
This time, Borrell is trying to convince himself that anti-Russian sanctions are working "precisely against Russia," Zakharova noted. "This wishful thinking is in vain. Those economic calculations prepared by European officials for Borrell are an attempt by Western spin doctors to create the illusion that Russia is weak for the unsuspecting public," the diplomat added.
Hurricane Idalia gained fury over the Gulf of Mexico on Tuesday as it crawled toward Florida's Gulf Coast, forcing evacuations in low-lying coastal areas expected to be swamped when the powerful storm hits overnight.
Idalia was generating maximum sustained winds of 100 miles per hour (161 kph) by early Tuesday evening, but its intensity will ratchet higher before it slams ashore in the early hours of Wednesday, according to the Miami-based National Hurricane Center (NHC).
By that time, the storm was forecast to reach Category 3 strength - classified as a major hurricane, with maximum sustained winds of at least 111 mph (179 kph) - on the five-step Saffir-Simpson wind scale.
The hurricane was upgraded on Tuesday evening to a Category 2 after its top wind speeds surpassed 95 mph (153 kph), feeding on the warm, open waters of the gulf.
Idalia's most dangerous feature, however, appeared to be the powerful surge of wind-driven seawater it is expected to deliver to barrier islands and other vulnerable areas along the coast.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who is running to be the Republican candidate in the 2024 presidential election, urged residents in low-lying communities to heed orders to seek higher ground, warning that the storm surge could cause life-threatening floods.
"The time is running out very, very rapidly," he said at an afternoon news briefing.
Mary Wolcott Martino, 79, a travel writer in St. Petersburg, hurriedly packed on Tuesday afternoon, grabbing irreplaceable items such as computer hard drives with family photos.
"We're leaving in five minutes, headed out the door now," she said.
She and her husband did not board up their home as they did ahead of last September's Hurricane Ian, saying they are more concerned about flooding than high winds this time.
"We're on the canal and just 9 feet above sea level," she said.
We now have Hurricane Idalia - wind has increased to 75 mph and pressure is at 981 mb. This storm is moving into an environment that will allow it to rapidly intensify before it makes landfall, Wednesday. @nbc6pic.twitter.com/iotF3DZyTk
Gulf energy producers were taking precautions as well. U.S. oil company Chevron evacuated staff from three oil production platforms, while Kinder Morgan planned to shut a petroleum pipeline.
Idalia-related disruptions extended to Florida's Atlantic coast at Cape Canaveral, where the Tuesday launch of a rocket carrying a U.S. Space Force intelligence satellite was delayed indefinitely due to the hurricane.
The NHC said Idalia's center would likely hit Florida's coastline somewhere in the Big Bend region, where the state's northern panhandle curves into the Gulf side of the Florida Peninsula. The area, roughly between the inland cities of Tallahassee and Gainesville, is much more lightly populated than the Tampa-St. Petersburg area to the south.
Most of Florida's 21 million residents, along with many in Georgia and South Carolina, were under hurricane, tropical storm and storm surge warnings and advisories. State emergency declarations were issued in both Florida and South Carolina.
At the White House, U.S. President Biden said he and DeSantis were "in constant contact," adding that he had assured the governor federal disaster assistance would remain in place for as "long as it takes, and we’ll make sure they have everything they need.”
Idalia grew from a tropical storm into a hurricane early on Tuesday, a day after passing west of Cuba, where it damaged homes and flooded villages.
By Tuesday evening, the storm was churning about 195 miles (310 km) southwest of Tampa as it crept northward.
Idalia is in line to become the fourth major hurricane to strike Florida over the past seven years, following Irma in 2017, Michael in 2018 and Ian, which peaked at Category 5, last September.
UP TO 15 FEET OF STORM SURGE
In Sarasota - a city hard-hit by Ian last year - Milton Bontrager's home was boarded and stocked with food, water and a generator.
"I don't panic, I prepare," said Bontrager, 40, who runs six charter fishing boats in Venice along the Gulf Coast near Tampa.
He stopped taking customers out days ago so he could secure the boats. His biggest craft is tied down to a floating dock with 16 lines and equipped with battery-powered pumps that turn on automatically if the boat starts taking on water.
5PM EDT 29 Aug: #Idalia to bring catastrophic impacts from storm surge inundation . Residents in these areas should follow any advice or evacuation orders given by local officials. Make sure to stay informed with latest updates at https://t.co/tW4KeGe9uJpic.twitter.com/jYnbfkkcyS
Florida's Gulf Coast along with southeastern Georgia and eastern portions of North and South Carolina could face torrential rains of 4 to 8 inches (10 to 20 cm) through Thursday, with isolated areas seeing as much as 12 inches (30 cm), the hurricane center warned.
Reuters Graphics Reuters Graphics
Surge warnings were posted for hundreds of miles of shoreline, from Sarasota to the sport fishing haven of Indian Pass at the western end of Apalachicola Bay. In some areas, the surge of water could rise 10 to 15 feet (3.0 to 4.6 m), the NHC said.
"The No. 1 killer in all of these storms is water," Deanne Criswell, the Federal Emergency Management Agency's administrator, said on CNN.
More than 40 school districts in Florida canceled classes, DeSantis said. Tampa International Airport closed to commercial operations and said it expected to reopen on Thursday.
Some 5,500 National Guard troops were mobilized, while 30,000 to 40,000 electricity workers were placed on standby. The state has set aside 1.1 million gallons of gasoline to address any interruptions to fuel supplies, DeSantis said.
BRUSH WITH CUBA
As Floridians braced for Idalia's arrival, Cubans were grappling with the aftermath of the storm, which lingered for hours on Monday near the western end of the Caribbean island nation, toppling trees and flooding coastal villages.
In Pinar del Rio, an area known for producing the tobacco used to make some of the world's finest cigars, 60% of the province was without power. Tens of thousands of people were evacuated.
Tech billionaires Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg will attend a congressional forum on artificial intelligence (AI) next month alongside other industry leaders, US media outlet reported, citing sources familiar with the matter.
The September 13 event will involve Google CEO Sundar Pichai and former Google CEO Eric Schmidt; Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman; Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella; Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang; and Elon Musk, CEO of X, the company formerly known as Twitter.
Musk and Zuckerberg will participate in a closed-door AI insight forum on September 13, the report said on Monday. The forum is organized by US Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.
The event is intended to inform members of Congress about AI technology and build the foundations for regulation, the report said.
Representatives from advocacy, civil rights, workers and creative groups also will be at the closed-door bipartisan gathering on Sept. 13 organized by Schumer, D-N.Y., his spokesperson said.
In securing some of the biggest names in tech, Schumer plans to make a giant splash for the first of what he has dubbed “AI Insight Forums.” The discussions will form a foundation for senators as they begin to draft legislation to regulate the fast-moving AI industry, which experts and lawmakers have said can do enormous good but can also lead to mass worker displacement and be used for things like misinformation campaigns and election interference.
Schumer to host AI forum with major tech CEOs including Zuckerberg and Musk
The highly anticipated artificial-intelligence event is being hosted by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer next month, according to the senator's office.
It is the first of nine sessions Schumer has said will begin this fall to discuss the hardest questions that regulations on AI will seek to address, including how to protect workers, national security and copyright and to defend against “doomsday scenarios.”
Also attending next month’s event will be leading members of civil society, including members of groups representing workers, civil rights and art and entertainment, Schumer’s office said, adding that the bipartisan event will not be open to the press.
The events, which Schumer has dubbed “AI Insight Forums,” are set to bring experts from the private sector together with US lawmakers to help them understand the industry before they seek to create guardrails for AI.
Schumer has emphasized a deliberate approach to the issue, urging his colleagues to come up to speed on the basic facts of the technology rather than rush to pass legislation. Earlier this summer, Schumer held a series of closed-door senators-only briefings on AI, which included a first-ever classified briefing by US national security officials on artificial intelligence.
“We have no choice but to acknowledge that AI’s changes are coming and in many cases are already here,” Schumer said in June in a major address about AI. “We ignore them at our own peril. Many want to ignore AI because it’s so complex. But when it comes to AI, we cannot be ostriches sticking our heads in the sand.”
Schumer arranged three briefings before the August congressional recess to help educate senators about AI and generate momentum for the Senate to introduce and pass regulations about the emerging technology by the end of the year.
The guest list for next month’s Insight Forum was first reported by Axios.
Russian forces delivered a missile strike, wiping out a Ukrainian military train with ammunition in the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) over the past day in the special military operation in Ukraine, Russia’s Defense Ministry reported on Tuesday.
"A missile strike at an unloading station near the settlement of Dorozhnoye in the Donetsk People’s Republic destroyed a Ukrainian army’s military train carrying artillery ammunition. In addition, an ammunition depot of the Ukrainian army’s 93rd mechanized brigade was eliminated near the settlement of Druzhkovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic," the ministry said in a statement.
Russian forces repulse six Ukrainian attacks in Kupyansk area over past day
Russian forces repulsed six Ukrainian army attacks in the Kupyansk area over the past day, the ministry reported.
"In the Kupyansk direction, units of the western battlegroup, artillery and heavy flamethrower systems repulsed six attacks by the Ukrainian army’s 43rd and 115th mechanized brigades and 25th air assault brigade near the settlements of Sinkovka in the Kharkov Region and Stelmakhovka in the Lugansk People’s Republic over the past 24 hours," it said.
The Ukrainian army’s losses in the Kupyansk area over the past 24 hours amounted to 50 personnel, two armored combat vehicles and three motor vehicles, the ministry said.
Russian forces destroy 80 Ukrainian troops in Krasny Liman area over past day
Russian forces destroyed about 80 Ukrainian troops in the Krasny Liman area over the past day, the ministry reported.
"In the Krasny Liman direction, units of the [Russian] battlegroup Center in interaction with aircraft and artillery repulsed three attacks by the Ukrainian army’s 12th special operations brigade, 21st and 63rd mechanized brigades near the settlements of Kremennaya and Chervonaya Dibrova in the Lugansk People’s Republic and Yampolovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic," it said.
The Ukrainian army’s losses in the Krasny Liman direction over the past 24 hours amounted to 80 personnel, two infantry fighting vehicles, three armored combat vehicles and two pickup trucks, the ministry reported.
Russian forces improve forward edge positions in Donetsk area over past day
Russian forces repulsed a Ukrainian army attack and improved their forward edge positions in the Donetsk area, killing and wounding more than 340 enemy troops over the past day, the ministry reported.
"In the Donetsk direction, units of the southern battlegroup repulsed an attack by an assault group of the Ukrainian army’s 59th motorized infantry brigade near the settlement of Nevelskoye in the Donetsk People’s Republic and improved their forward edge positions," the ministry said in a statement.
The enemy’s losses in the Donetsk area over the past 24 hours amounted to "over 340 Ukrainian personnel killed and wounded, six armored combat vehicles, 13 motor vehicles, a D-20 howitzer and an Msta-B howitzer," the ministry said.
Russian forces destroy Ukrainian ammo depot in DPR over past day
Russian forces destroyed a Ukrainian ammunition depot in the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) over the past day, the ministry reported.
"Near the settlement of Novomikhailovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic, an ammunition depot of the Ukrainian army’s 79th air assault brigade was destroyed," it said.
In the south Donetsk direction, units of Russia’s battlegroup East in interaction with army aircraft and artillery destroyed up to 100 Ukrainian troops, two armored combat vehicles, three motor vehicles, an Akatsiya howitzer and a Giatsint-B howitzer over the past 24 hours, the ministry reported.
Russian forces wipe out two Ukrainian command posts in DPR over past day
Russian forces destroyed two Ukrainian command posts in the Donetsk People’s Republic over the past day, the ministry reported.
"Near the settlement of Serebryanka in the Donetsk People’s Republic, two command/observation posts of units from the Ukrainian army’s 67th mechanized brigade were destroyed," the ministry said in a statement.
Russian forces repel two Ukrainian attacks in Zaporozhye area over past day
Russian forces repelled two Ukrainian army attacks in the Zaporozhye area over the past day, the ministry reported.
"In the Zaporozhye direction, units of the Russian battlegroup supported by aircraft and artillery repelled two attacks by the Ukrainian army’s 46th air mobile brigade near the settlement of Verbovoye in the Zaporozhye Region," it said.
Russian forces also destroyed as many as 90 Ukrainian troops, two armored combat vehicles, four motor vehicles, three US-made M777 artillery systems and two US-made M119 howitzers and a UK-made FH70 field gun in the Zaporozhye area over the past 24 hours, the ministry reported.
Russian forces eliminate 20 Ukrainian troops in Kherson area over past day
Russian forces eliminated roughly 20 Ukrainian troops in the Kherson area over the past day, the ministry reported.
"In the Kherson direction, as many as 20 Ukrainian personnel, three motor vehicles and two D-30 howitzers were destroyed as a result of damage inflicted by firepower," it said.
Russian air defenses intercept anti-ship missile, 27 Ukrainian drones over past day
Russian air defense forces intercepted a Neptune anti-ship missile and 27 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles over the past day, the ministry reported.
"Air defense capabilities intercepted two rockets of the HIMARS multiple launch rocket system, a Neptune anti-ship missile and two HARM anti-radiation missiles," the ministry said in a statement.
During the last 24-hour period, Russian air defense systems also destroyed 27 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles, in particular, in areas near the settlements of Shipilovka, Kremennaya, Sofiyevka, Zhitlovka and Zaliman in the Lugansk People’s Republic, Kirillovka and Zaitsevo in the Donetsk People’s Republic, Mirnoye and Nesteryanka in the Zaporozhye Region, it said.
During the last 24-hour period, operational/tactical and army aircraft, missile troops and artillery of the Russian groupings of forces struck Ukrainian manpower and military hardware in 132 areas, the ministry reported.
In all, the Russian Armed Forces have destroyed 466 Ukrainian warplanes, 247 combat helicopters, 6,206 unmanned aerial vehicles, 433 surface-to-air missile systems, 11,555 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 1,146 multiple rocket launchers, 6,107 field artillery guns and mortars and 12,508 special military motor vehicles since the start of the special military operation in Ukraine, the ministry reported.
The Russian Navy delivered a multiple-launch precision strike, wiping out a Ukrainian aircraft armament and ammunition site over the past day in the special military operation in Ukraine, Defense Ministry Spokesman Lieutenant-General Igor Konashenkov reported on Monday.
"Last night, the Navy delivered a multiple-launch strike by seaborne long-range precision weapons against an aircraft armament and ammunition depot of the Ukrainian army," the spokesman said.
The goal of the strike was achieved. "The site was destroyed," the general stressed.
Russian forces repulse two Ukrainian attacks in Kupyansk area over past day
Russian forces repulsed two Ukrainian attacks in the Kupyansk area over the past day, Konashenkov reported.
"In the Kupyansk direction, units of the western battlegroup repulsed in their active operations supported by aircraft and artillery two enemy attacks near the settlements of Sinkovka in the Kharkov Region and Novosyolovskoye in the Lugansk People’s Republic," the spokesman said.
Russian forces destroyed as many as 30 Ukrainian personnel, two armored combat vehicles, three motor vehicles and a D-20 howitzer in the Kupyansk direction over the past 24 hours, the general reported.
Russian forces destroy 60 Ukrainian troops in Krasny Liman area over past day
Russian forces struck Ukrainian army units in the Krasny Liman area, destroying roughly 60 enemy troops over the past day, Konashenkov reported.
"In the Krasny Liman direction, two attacks by forces of the Ukrainian army’s 12th special operations brigade and 42nd mechanized brigade were repulsed by well-coordinated operations of units of the battlegroup Center, army aviation strikes, artillery and heavy flamethrower fires near the settlement of Kuzmino in the Lugansk People’s Republic. The enemy’s losses in the Krasny Liman area totaled as many as 60 Ukrainian personnel, two armored combat vehicles, two pickup trucks, a Gvozdika motorized artillery system and a D-30 howitzer," the spokesman said.
Russian forces destroy Ukrainian command post in LPR over past day
Russian forces destroyed a Ukrainian command post in the Lugansk People’s Republic (LPR) over the past day, Konashenkov reported.
"Near the settlement of Chervonaya Dibrova in the Lugansk People’s Republic, a command/observation post of the Ukrainian army’s 67th mechanized brigade was destroyed," the spokesman said.
Russian forces repulse two Ukrainian attacks in Donetsk area over past day
Russian forces repulsed two Ukrainian army attacks in the Donetsk area, eliminating over 185 enemy troops in the past day, Konashenkov reported.
"In the Donetsk direction, units of the southern battlegroup in interaction with aircraft and artillery repulsed two attacks by Ukrainian army assault groups in areas near the settlements of Kleshcheyevka and Krasnogorovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic. The enemy’s losses in the Donetsk direction totaled over 185 Ukrainian personnel," the spokesman said.
Russian forces also destroyed three Ukrainian armored combat vehicles, two motor vehicles, a Polish-made Krab self-propelled artillery gun and a Grad multiple rocket launcher in the Donetsk direction over the past 24 hours, the general reported.
Russian forces destroy 100 Ukrainian troops in south Donetsk area over past day
Russian forces destroyed roughly 100 Ukrainian troops in the south Donetsk area over the past day, Konashenkov reported.
"The enemy’s losses in the south Donetsk direction over the past 24 hours amounted to 100 Ukrainian personnel, two armored combat vehicles, three motor vehicles, two D-20 guns and a Msta-B howitzer," the spokesman said.
Russian forces also repulsed two enemy attacks in the south Donetsk area over the past 24 hours, the general reported.
Russian forces repel seven Ukrainian attacks in Zaporozhye area over past day
Russian forces repelled seven Ukrainian army attacks in the Zaporozhye area over the past day, Konashenkov reported.
"In the Zaporozhye direction, units of the Russian battlegroup, aircraft and artillery repelled seven attacks by the Ukrainian army’s 82nd air assault brigade and 46th air mobile brigade in areas near the settlements of Rabotino and Verbovoye in the Zaporozhye Region," the spokesman said.
Russian forces destroy 160 Ukrainian troops in Zaporozhye area over past day
Russian forces destroyed roughly 160 Ukrainian troops, two US-made artillery systems and two British howitzers in the Zaporozhye area over the past day, Konashenkov reported.
"As many as 160 Ukrainian personnel, two armored combat vehicles, four motor vehicles, two US-made M777 artillery systems, an AS90 Braveheart self-propelled artillery system and an FH70 field gun of UK manufacture and two D-30 howitzers were destroyed," the spokesman said.
Russian forces eliminate 35 Ukrainian troops in Kherson area over past day
Russian forces eliminated roughly 35 Ukrainian troops and a US-made artillery system in the Kherson area over the past day, Konashenkov reported.
"In the Kherson direction, as many as 35 Ukrainian personnel, three motor vehicles, a US-made M109 Paladin self-propelled artillery system and two D-30 howitzers were destroyed in the past 24 hours as a result of damage inflicted by firepower," the spokesman said.
Russian air defenses intercept three US-made JDAM smart bombs in Ukraine operation
Russian air defense forces intercepted three US-made JDAM guided bombs, one rocket of the US-manufactured HIMARS multiple launch rocket system and destroyed 27 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles over the past day, Konashenkov reported.
"Air defense capabilities intercepted three JDAM guided bombs and a rocket of the HIMARS multiple launch rocket system," the spokesman said.
During the last 24-hour period, Russian air defense systems also destroyed 27 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles in areas near the settlements of Druzhelyubovka and Voskresenka in the Kherson Region, Lisichansk in the Lugansk People’s Republic, Mirnoye and Pologi in the Zaporozhye Region, Paraskoviyevka, Novoandreyevka, Lidiyevka and Soledar in the Donetsk People’s Republic, the general reported.
Russian forces strike Ukrainian troops, military hardware in 128 areas over past day
During the last 24-hour period, operational/tactical and army aircraft, missile troops and artillery of the Russian groupings of forces struck Ukrainian manpower and military hardware in 128 areas, the spokesman said.
In all, the Russian Armed Forces have destroyed 466 Ukrainian warplanes, 247 combat helicopters, 6,179 unmanned aerial vehicles, 433 surface-to-air missile systems, 11,538 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 1,146 multiple rocket launchers, 6,095 field artillery guns and mortars and 12,480 special military motor vehicles since the beginning of the special military operation in Ukraine, Konashenkov reported.
