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ISLAMABAD: Russian and Pakistani military forces concluded their joint &ldquo;Druzhba 2025&rdquo; exercises in southern Russia, the Embassy of Russia in Pakistan said in a post on the social media platform X. The annual drills brought together about 200 servicemen from both countries, including Russia&rsquo;s Southern Military District Special Operations Forces and special forces units of the Pakistan Army, to work on actions to counter international terrorism. According to the statement, the exercises focused on joint tactical operations to counter international terrorism, enhance coordination, and strengthen operational readiness between the two forces. The training concluded with an awards ceremony recognizing distinguished participants, followed by an exchange of souvenirs featuring the Druzhba 2025 insignia &mdash; a tradition marking the enduring defense cooperation between Russia and Pakistan. Launched in 2016, the Druzhba (meaning &ldquo;friendship&rdquo; in Russian) exercises alternate between Russia and Pakistan each year. The 2025 edition continues efforts to expand bilateral defense collaboration, military understanding, and partnership between the two nations.

Pakistan Army and Russian Special Forces personnel pose for a group photo during the Druzhba 2025 joint military exercises in southern Russia (Embassy of Russia in Pakistan/ X).

Security

Both military forces concluded their joint 'Druzhba 2025' exercises in southern Russia, the Embassy of Russia in Pakistan said in a post on the social media platform X.

Pakistan, Russia hold joint counterterrorism drills in southern Russia

MOSCOW: Russia&#39;s defense ministry said Monday that it had downed 251 Ukrainian drones overnight, in one of Kyiv&#39;s largest retaliatory attacks on its neighbor since Moscow invaded over three years ago. &quot;Over the past night, air defence alert systems intercepted and destroyed 251 Ukrainian fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles,&quot; the ministry wrote on Telegram. It said Russian forces downed 40 drones over Crimea -- annexed by Russia in 2014 -- as well as 62 over the Black Sea. Dozens more were shot out of the skies over the Kursk and Belgorod regions, as well as others, the ministry said. Russia has kept up a near-constant barrage of drone and missile attacks -- particularly on Ukraine&#39;s energy networks -- as it grinds on with the full-scale invasion it launched in February 2022.Ukraine has increasingly responded with its own strikes targeting Russian oil refineries and other energy infrastructure.

Europe

Russia’s defense ministry reported downing 251 Ukrainian drones overnight, calling it one of Ukraine’s largest retaliatory attacks. Drones were intercepted over Crimea, the Black Sea, and multiple Russian regions, including Kursk and Belgorod. 

Russia says downed 251 Ukrainian drones overnight

BERLIN: Munich airport was forced to halt operations for the second day in a row on Friday over drone sightings, with dozens of flights and more than 6,000 passengers affected. Airports in Denmark, Norway and Poland have recently suspended flights due to unidentified drones, while Romania and Estonia have pointed the finger at Russia, which has brushed off the allegations. Munich airport said in a statement that on Friday &quot;from 9:30 pm air traffic was restricted and then cancelled due to drone sightings&quot;, meaning 23 incoming flights were diverted&nbsp;and 12 bound for Munich were cancelled. Forty-six departures from the airport had to be cancelled or delayed until Saturday, with a total of 6,500 passengers affected. Confirmed drone sightingsA police spokesman told AFP that there were &quot;two simultaneous confirmed drone sightings by police patrols just before 11 pm around the north and south runways&quot;. &quot;The drones immediately moved away, before they could be identified,&quot; he added. &quot;As on the previous night, the airport, in collaboration with the airlines, promptly provided supplies for passengers in the terminals. Camp beds were set up, along with blankets, drinks, and snacks,&quot; the airport said. The airport expects service to be resumed as normal at 5:00 am on Saturday. Initial disruptionThe initial disruption on Thursday caused more than 30 flights to be cancelled there and left nearly 3,000 passengers stranded. The first incident began at 8:30 pm local time on Thursday when police say drones were spotted in areas close to the airport, including the towns of Freising and Erding. Erding plays host to an airfield used by the German military. Bild newspaper said some of the drones were spotted flying over the facility, although police could not confirm this. The first drones near the airport perimeter were seen around 9:05 pm on Thursday, and then over the airport complex about an hour later. The sightings ended around midnight, but not before causing the closure of both runways. Police helicopters were deployed but &quot;no information is available on the type and number of drones&quot;, police said. <h2 style="line-height: 2;">&#39;Wake-up call&#39;</h2>Earlier on Friday German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said the first night&#39;s incident was a &quot;wake-up call&quot; on the threat from drones. &quot;The race between the threat from drones and the defense against drones is becoming more and more difficult,&quot; he told Bild, adding that &quot;more financing and research&quot; on the issue was urgently needed at the national and European levels. The disruptions came as the country celebrated German Unity Day on Friday -- a national holiday -- and as Munich geared up for the final weekend of Oktoberfest, which draws hundreds of thousands of people to the city every day. The annual beer gala and funfair had already closed for half a day on Wednesday after a bomb scare. Change in law&nbsp;The German government is expected on Wednesday to sign off on plans for a change in the law to let the army shoot drones down if necessary. Bavarian state premier Markus Soeder told Bild that &quot;we must be able to shoot (drones) down immediately instead of waiting&quot; and said that the police should also have the power to do so. The drone sightings in Denmark and high-profile aerial incursions in Estonia and Poland have heightened fears that Russia&#39;s assault on Ukraine could spill over Europe&#39;s borders. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned Europe on Thursday that the recent drone incursions showed Moscow was looking to &quot;escalate&quot; its aggression. Germany is on high alert, saying a swarm of them had flown over the country last week, including over military and industrial sites. &lsquo;Europe stoking &quot;hysteria&quot;&rsquo;Denmark also raised the alarm, with Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen reiterating last week that only one country &quot;poses a threat to Europe&#39;s security -- and that&#39;s Russia&quot;. Moscow said it &quot;firmly rejects&quot; any suggestion of involvement, with Russian President Vladimir Putin accusing Europe of stoking &quot;hysteria&quot; to justify rising military spending.

Munich airport shut down twice due to drone sightings, disrupting over 100 flights and affecting 6,500 passengers. Authorities suspect broader regional threats, with heightened concerns over Russian involvement in recent European drone incursions.

Munich airport shut again over drone scare

COPENHAGEN: Ukraine&#39;s President Volodymyr Zelensky warned Europe on Thursday that recent drone incursions showed Russia was looking to &quot;escalate&quot; its aggression, as he offered his country&#39;s war-honed expertise to help counter the threat. The warning came at a summit of European leaders from just under 50 countries, who converged on a conference centre in Copenhagen under tight security after mystery drone flights rattled Denmark last month. The drone sightings in Denmark and high-profile aerial incursions by Moscow in Estonia and Poland have heightened fears that Russia&#39;s assault on Ukraine could spill over Europe&#39;s borders. &lsquo;Never just about Ukraine&rsquo;&nbsp;&quot;The recent drone incidents across Europe are a clear sign that Russia still feels bold enough to escalate this war,&quot; Zelensky said. &quot;It was never just about Ukraine; Russia has always aimed to break the West and Europe.&quot; Russian President Vladimir Putin waived the accusations, but said Russia was &quot;closely monitoring the rising militarisation of Europe&quot;, adding that Moscow&#39;s response will be timely and &quot;significant.&quot; Putin accused Europe of stoking &quot;hysteria&quot; to excuse rising military spending, and said Russia did not pose a threat. &lsquo;Just calm down&rsquo;&nbsp;&quot;Just calm down,&quot; Putin said. European leaders are keen to work with Ukraine&#39;s war-tested expertise as they seek to bolster their own defenses, and are discussing plans for a &quot;drone wall.&quot; &quot;If the Russians dare to launch drones against Poland, or violate the airspace of northern European countries, it means this can happen anywhere,&quot; Zelensky said. &quot;We are ready to share this experience with our partners.&quot; French President Emmanuel Macron said Western countries should be willing to take a tougher line when confronted by Russian drones, to sow doubt in the Kremlin. &lsquo;Big risk&rsquo;&nbsp;&quot;It&#39;s very important to have a clear message. Drones which would violate our territories are just taking a big risk. They can be destroyed, full stop,&quot; Macron said. Romanian Prime Minister Nicosur Dan, whose country has seen Russian drones crossing over from Ukraine, warned that his forces would shoot down the next one to violate their airspace. As Russia&#39;s full-scale war on Ukraine drags on through a fourth year, Europe is scrambling to keep up pressure on Moscow and secure funding for Kyiv. Macron said it was key to step up efforts to counter the so-called shadow fleet of ageing oil tankers to &quot;kill&quot; the business model Russia uses to circumvent restrictions on exporting its oil. &lsquo;Shadow fleet&rsquo;&quot;It is extremely important to increase the pressure on this shadow fleet, because it will clearly reduce the capacity to finance this war effort,&quot; said Macron -- pointing at France&#39;s move this week to hold a blacklisted tanker linked to Russia. In a bid to ensure Ukraine has the necessary financing, the European Union is exploring a proposal to utilize frozen Russian assets to fund a new 140-billion-euro ($ 165 billion) loan. Proponents argue that the move is necessary to help Ukraine address budget shortfalls &mdash; and that Russia, not European taxpayers, should ultimately bear the cost. Belgian reservations&nbsp;But Belgium, where the vast majority of frozen assets are held, has deep reservations over the plan, which some leaders fear could spook other investors or draw Russian retaliation. &quot;We&#39;re going to move to uncharted waters. This is very, very risky,&quot; Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever said. He insisted he wanted clear commitments from all EU leaders that they would share the potential liability with Belgium to shield it from any Russian retribution. EU Chief Ursula von der Leyen said on Wednesday that it was clear the risk should not fall solely on Belgium&#39;s shoulders and that she would &quot;intensify&quot; talks on the proposal.

Ukrainian President Zelensky has warned Europe that recent drone incursions signal Russia’s intent to escalate the war beyond Ukraine. European leaders discuss bolstering defenses, sharing Ukrainian expertise, and utilizing frozen Russian assets to support Kyiv.

Zelensky: Russia looking to 'escalate' war in Europe

KYIV: Russian shelling has cut power to the site of the Chernobyl nuclear plant, part of which was destroyed in a 1986 nuclear meltdown, Ukraine&#39;s energy ministry said on Wednesday. Ukraine said the confinement structure housing a damaged reactor lost power in the incident, and that specialists were currently working to restore electricity. Ukraine did not elaborate on the consequences of the blackout, and Russia did not immediately comment. Emergency situation&nbsp;&quot;Due to Russian shelling of energy infrastructure in the Kyiv region, an emergency situation arose at the facilities of Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant,&quot; Ukraine&#39;s energy ministry said in a statement on Telegram. &quot;As a result of power surges, the New Safe Confinement, a key facility that isolates the destroyed fourth power unit of Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant and prevents the release of radioactive materials into the environment, was left without power,&quot; it added. The New Safe Confinement, completed in 2016, is a large shield-like structure that surrounds the unit four reactor and prevents the release of radioactive material. A Russian drone attack damaged the confinement structure in February but did not result in increased radiation in the surrounding area, Ukrainian authorities said.

Russian shelling cut power to the Chernobyl nuclear plant, affecting the New Safe Confinement structure that isolates the damaged reactor. Ukraine is working to restore electricity; Russia has not commented.

Russia cuts power to site of Chernobyl nuclear plant: Ukraine

KYIV: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday said the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant has been off the grid for seven straight days, warning of the potential threat of a &quot;critical&quot; situation. He said one of the backup diesel generators used to maintain operations had &quot;malfunctioned&quot; and the blackout posed &quot;a threat to everyone&quot;. Europe&rsquo;s largest&nbsp;It is the longest outage at Zaporizhzhia since Russia invaded and seized the nuclear plant, Europe&#39;s largest. &quot;It has been seven days now. There has never been anything like this before,&quot; Zelensky said in his daily address, adding: &quot;The situation is critical.&quot; Moscow and Kyiv have repeatedly accused each other of risking a potentially devastating nuclear disaster by attacking the site and traded blame over the latest blackout. &quot;Due to Russian attacks, the plant has been cut off from its power supply and the electricity grid. It is being supplied with electricity from diesel generators,&quot; Zelensky said. Russia said last week the power plant -- which it took control of in the first weeks of the war in 2022 -- has been receiving backup power supply since an attack it attributed to Ukraine. &lsquo;Obstructing the repair&rsquo;Zelensky accused Moscow of &quot;obstructing the repair&quot; of power lines through airstrikes, saying &quot;this is a threat to absolutely everyone.&quot; The plant&#39;s six reactors, which before the war produced around a fifth of Ukraine&#39;s electricity, were shut down after Moscow took over. But the plant needs power to maintain cooling and safety systems, which prevent reactors from melting -- a danger that could set off a nuclear incident. Since the start of the war, Zaporizhzhia has seen multiple safety threats, including frequent nearby shelling, repeated power cuts and staff shortages. Located near the city of Energodar along the Dnieper river, the power plant is close to the front line.

Ukrainian President Zelensky warned the situation at the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant is "critical" after a weeklong blackout. A backup generator failed, raising fears of a nuclear incident due to disrupted cooling systems.

Zelensky warns situation 'critical' as nuclear plant off grid for a week

ISLAMABAD: A massive Russian drone and missile attack against Ukraine lasting 12 hours into Sunday killed at least four people in Kyiv, including a 12-year-old girl, Ukrainian authorities said, according to AFP. Neighboring Poland scrambled jets to secure its airspace in the wake of the barrage, after NATO accused Moscow of being behind a series of violations of the defense alliance&#39;s airspace. Diplomatic efforts to stop the war have faltered and Russia has vowed to press on with the offensive that it launched in February 2022. &lsquo;Harshest pressure&rsquo;&nbsp;&quot;Moscow wants to continue fighting and killing and deserves only the harshest pressure from the world,&quot; Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said following the strikes. Zelenksy, in a post on X, stated: &ldquo;the Baltic Sea and other seas must be closed to Russian tankers &ndash; at the very least to the shadow fleet.&rdquo;<div class="fr-embed responsive-video"><div class="video-wrapper aspect-video"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1972361330809024837&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Fmedia-library%2F&sessionId=d3ade6c48ceca5e188b506c9e54b963a0a704a89&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 672px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" data-tweet-id="1972361330809024837"></iframe></div></div></div>&ldquo;We also count on strong steps from the United States,&rdquo; he added. Following the aerial barrage, Zelensky held a round of calls with allies, including NATO chief Mark Rutte, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store, AFP reported. Russia said it had only hit military targets during the attack. Ukraine&#39;s foreign ministry said that apart from residential buildings, a cardiology centre and a kindergarten had been among the buildings hit across the country. <h2 style="line-height: 2;">Scores of wounded&nbsp;</h2>The Ukrainian military said the country had been targeted by 595 drones and 48 missiles, most of which were shot down by air defenses. But 31 drones and five missiles got through. Zelensky said that energy sites were hit, accusing Russia of wanting to cause massive blackouts across Ukraine. Ukrainian intelligence indicated that Russian oil tankers had been used as platforms to launch and guide the attack drones, he added. The Ukrainian leader vowed his country would target Russia&#39;s ability to fund the war and force Moscow to the negotiating table. As well as the four people killed in Kyiv, the authorities said scores of people had been wounded across the Zaporizhzhia, Odesa, Sumy, Cherkasy, and Mykolaiv regions. Ivan Fedrorov, the governor of Zaporizhzhia, where a big nuclear plant is under Russian control, said the main city of the region had been hit &quot;at least four times&quot; and 42 people had been wounded. Zelensky posted photos of residential buildings in flames, with emergency services putting out fires and rescuing people from shattered buildings. More victims could be uncovered in the debris, rescuers said. AFP reporters saw rescuers using heavy machinery to clear rubble from near-destroyed buildings. <h2 style="line-height: 2;">Poland scrambles jets </h2>Poland&#39;s armed forces said on X that Warsaw had scrambled fighter jets in its airspace and put ground-based air-defense systems on high alert. In recent weeks, several European countries have accused Russia of violating their airspace with drones and fighter jets, in what NATO sees as a test of its resolve. Russia has denied that it is responsible for the incursions or that it plans to attack any NATO nation. In an address at the UN General Assembly in New York on Saturday, Moscow&#39;s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov warned that &quot;any aggression against my country will be met with a decisive response&quot;. Kyiv and Moscow also said on Saturday that the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant -- Europe&#39;s largest -- had been off the grid for four days, stoking fears of a potential nuclear incident, AFP reported. Two civilians injured&nbsp;Belgorod Region in western Russia is facing serious water and energy supply shortages following what its governor, Vyacheslav Gladkov, has described as Ukrainian strikes targeting local infrastructure, Russia Today reported on Sunday. At least two civilians have been injured in a Ukrainian missile strike on Belgorod, according to Gladkov.

A 12-hour Russian drone and missile assault on Ukraine killed four in Kyiv, injured scores nationwide, and damaged infrastructure. Poland scrambles jets; Zelensky urges stronger global action, citing threats to energy and civilian sites.

Massive Russian drone and missile attack kills four in Kyiv

<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 600; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: capitalize; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: nowrap; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; float: none; display: inline !important;" id="isPasted">CHISINAU:&nbsp;Moldovans voted on Sunday in parliamentary elections that could see Ukraine&#39;s neighbour swerve from its pro-European path back toward Moscow&#39;s orbit, with the government and the EU accusing Russia of interfering in the ex-Soviet country. The small European Union candidate country, which has a pro-Russia breakaway region, has long been divided over whether to move closer with Brussels or maintain Soviet-era relations with Moscow. Most surveys ahead of the vote showed the pro-EU Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS), in power since 2021, in the lead. But analysts say the race is far from certain. &quot;I want higher wages and pensions... I want things to continue as they were during the Russian times,&quot; Vasile, a 51-year-old locksmith and welder, who only gave his first name, told AFP at a polling station in Chisinau as a steady stream of voters arrived. Voter Paulina Bojoga, 68, said she wanted Moldova &quot;to catch up with European countries because Europe has everything we need&quot;. &quot;The situation is on a knife edge,&quot; the pensioner, who has returned after having lived in Italy, told AFP, as some donned &quot;I voted&quot; stickers after casting their ballots. Polling booths opened at 7:00 am (0400 GMT) and will close at 9:00 pm, with the first results expected later Sunday. Massive interference The ballot is overshadowed by fears of vote buying and unrest, as well as an &quot;an unprecedented campaign of disinformation&quot; from Russia, according to the EU. Moscow has denied the allegations. Moldova&#39;s cybersecurity service said on Sunday it detected several attempts at attacks on the electoral infrastructure, which were &quot;neutralised in real time... without affecting the availability or integrity of electoral services&quot;. Pro-EU President Maia Sandu of PAS warned after casting her vote of a &quot;massive interference of Russia&quot;, saying Moldova was &quot;in danger&quot; and &quot;might lose everything it has won&quot; posing &quot;significant risk also for other countries like Ukraine&quot;. A loss for the PAS could throw up hurdles in the push towards EU integration, launched after Moscow&#39;s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Voters in the country of 2.4 million -- one of Europe&#39;s poorest -- have expressed frustration over economic hardship, as well as scepticism over the drive to join the EU. &quot;I voted for getting back to normal, for the development of the Republic of Moldova,&quot; Igor Dodon, one of the leaders of the pro-Russian opposition Patriotic Bloc, said after casting his vote. The Socialist and former president has accused the government of trying to steal the vote, and reiterated a call for supporters &quot;to peacefully protest&quot; on Monday to &quot;defend our victory&quot;. In an interview earlier this week, Dodon told AFP that on foreign policy, he would &quot;continue discussions, negotiations with the EU, but we will also re-establish relations with the Russian Federation&quot;. Turnout decisive The government has accused the Kremlin of spending hundreds of millions in &quot;dirty money&quot; to interfere in the campaign. In the lead-up to the vote, prosecutors have carried out hundreds of searches related to what the government says are &quot;electoral corruption&quot; and &quot;destabilisation attempts&quot;, with dozens arrested. Foreign interference and threats of stirring up unrest are &quot;the most significant risks,&quot; according to Igor Botan, the head of Moldovan think tank Adept. Turnout will be decisive -- especially in the large and powerful diaspora, which tends to vote PAS, and in the breakaway region of Transnistria, which leans pro-Russian, analysts say. Turnout at 1100 GMT stood at just over 30 percent. In the last parliamentary election in 2021, final turnout was 52.3 percent. Some 20 political parties and independent candidates are running for the 101 parliamentary seats. Botan said the result is &quot;very difficult to predict&quot;. &quot;Post-election negotiations to form an alliance (to govern) are highly likely, and here too, things are unclear,&quot; he said.

Moldovans voted in tense parliamentary elections seen as a choice between closer EU integration or renewed ties with Moscow. The vote, marred by Russian interference allegations and economic frustrations, could reshape the country’s fragile political future.

Moldova votes in tense polls, torn between EU and Russia

<p style='box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; font-size: 16px; line-height: 2; padding: 0.2rem 0px 0.8rem; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9); font-family: "AP Font", "AP Font Local", Verdana, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;' id="isPasted">KYIV: A large Russian drone and missile attack on the Ukraninan capital killed two people and wounded at least 10 others early Sunday, authorities said.<p style='box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; font-size: 16px; line-height: 2; padding: 0.2rem 0px 0.8rem; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9); font-family: "AP Font", "AP Font Local", Verdana, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;'>Thick black smoke could be seen rising from a blast near the city center.<p style='box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; font-size: 16px; line-height: 2; padding: 0.2rem 0px 0.8rem; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9); font-family: "AP Font", "AP Font Local", Verdana, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;'>The strikes that began overnight and continued after dawn also targeted residential buildings, civilian infrastructure, a medical facility and a kindergarten, according to Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko, who also said damage was reported at more than 20 locations across the capital.<p style='box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; font-size: 16px; line-height: 2; padding: 0.2rem 0px 0.8rem; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9); font-family: "AP Font", "AP Font Local", Verdana, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;'>City administrator Tymur Tkachenko said a 12-year-old girl was among those killed.<p style='box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; font-size: 16px; line-height: 2; padding: 0.2rem 0px 0.8rem; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9); font-family: "AP Font", "AP Font Local", Verdana, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;'>&ldquo;The Russians have restarted the child death counter,&rdquo; Tkachenko wrote on Telegram.<p style='box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; font-size: 16px; line-height: 2; padding: 0.2rem 0px 0.8rem; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9); font-family: "AP Font", "AP Font Local", Verdana, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;'>At Kyiv&rsquo;s central train station, passengers arrived to the crackle of anti-aircraft gunfire and the low buzz of attack drones. Mostly women, they waited quietly in a platform underpass until the air raid alert ended. Parents checked the news on their phones while children played online games.<p style='box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; font-size: 16px; line-height: 2; padding: 0.2rem 0px 0.8rem; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9); font-family: "AP Font", "AP Font Local", Verdana, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;'>&ldquo;The sky has turned black again,&rdquo; said one woman at the station, who gave only her first name, Erika. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s happening a lot.&rdquo;

Military medics of the 66th Brigade give first aid to a wounded Ukrainian soldier at a medical stabilisation point in Donetsk region, Ukraine

A large Russian drone and missile attack on the Ukraninan capital killed two people and wounded at least 10 others early Sunday, authorities said.

Russian drone strikes on Kyiv kill two, injure ten

SEOUL: The International Paralympic Committee general assembly in Seoul, South Korea, on Saturday first voted against a full suspension for Russia by 111 to 55, with 11 abstentions, and then voted against a partial suspension by 91-77, lifting partial suspensions of Russia and Belarus. &nbsp;It also voted against a full suspension for Belarus by 119 to 48, with nine abstentions, and against a partial suspension by 103-63 (10 abstentions).&nbsp;The decisions raise the possibility of a clash with each sport&rsquo;s governing body ahead of the Milan-Cortina Paralympics in Italy from March 6-15 next year.&nbsp;The IPC said &ldquo;this decision means NPC Belarus and NPC Russia now regain their full rights and privileges of IPC membership, in accordance with the IPC Constitution. The IPC will work with the two members involved to put practical arrangements in place for this as soon as reasonably possible.&quot;&nbsp;Russia and ally Belarus have been banned from international sporting events after Russia&rsquo;s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.&nbsp;In a statement posted on its website, the Russian Paralympic Committee&rsquo;s press service said the organization welcomed what it called the &ldquo;fair decision&rdquo; of the IPC to &ldquo;fully reinstate&rdquo; the Russian Paralympic Committee.&nbsp;&ldquo;This is an important contribution to the development of the international Paralympic movement and an example that the rights of athletes must be protected without discrimination on the basis of nationality and political affiliation,&rdquo; the statement read.&nbsp;Ukraine&rsquo;s sports minister, Matvii Bidnyi, slammed the decision on X.&nbsp;&ldquo;The position of the host country and the Organizing Committee is crucial, and we are already working closely on this matter,&quot; he said. &quot;We call on our European partners, who will host the upcoming Winter Paralympic Games, not to allow the flag of the aggressor state to be raised over the free and democratic space while the war of aggression continues.&rdquo;&nbsp;On any potential boycott by Ukraine, Bidnyi said &ldquo;the decision on whether to participate will be made collectively at a later stage, depending on many circumstances. When taking this decision, we will be guided solely by the interests of our free and united Ukraine.&rdquo;&nbsp;Winter OlympicsThe Russian Olympic Committee has been suspended since 2023 by the International Olympic Committee for breaking the Olympic charter by using an administrative land grab to incorporate regional sports bodies in occupied eastern Ukraine.&nbsp;Russians will be allowed to compete at next year&rsquo;s Milan-Cortina Winter Games in northern Italy from February 6, 2022. The IOC last week confirmed that it will follow the system it used at the Paris Games last year, allowing Russians to compete as Individual Neutral Athletes, using the French acronym AIN.

Athletics

The International Paralympic Committee lifted suspensions on Russia and Belarus, restoring full membership rights. Ukraine criticized the move and may boycott the Milan-Cortina Paralympics. Russians can compete as neutrals in the 2026 Winter Olympics.
 


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