Firearms and UAVs have struck unmanned boats operated by Kiev’s forces, the Defense Ministry in Moscow has said
The Russian Navy has eliminated 23 Ukrainian naval drones in the Black Sea over the past seven days, the Defense Ministry in Moscow said in its daily briefing on Friday.
The ministry released a clip showing incoming unmanned boats being blown up by gunfire and with the use of the Lancet loitering munitions.
Ukraine deployed autonomous surface vehicles (ASVs) along with the UAVs during its large-scale drone raid on the coastal cities of Novorossiysk and Tuapse in Russia’s Krasnodar Region on Wednesday. The attack resulted in two people being killed in Novorossiysk and 14 others injured in both cities.
The threat of naval drones also prompted the evacuation of tourists from 180 beaches in the Black Sea resort of Sochi.
The measure appears to target the EU, the main supplier of patented medicines to the US
US President Donald Trump has announced a 100% tariff on imports of branded drugs starting from October, in a move aimed at forcing manufacturers to shift production to America.
Trump has overhauled US trade policy since returning to office, imposing sweeping tariffs on key trading partners to protect domestic industry. The US president has long argued that tariffs fix unfair trade deficits and stop other countries from “ripping off” the US. Critics say the policy raises domestic prices and hurts the economy.
The new drug tariff will not apply to companies that are already investing in US manufacturing, with exemptions granted if a plant is “breaking ground” or “under construction,” Trump stated in a social media post on Friday.
The measure is expected to hit Europe hardest as it is the dominant supplier of branded drugs to the US, led by Ireland, Germany, Switzerland, and Belgium. Generic medicines, which are mainly imported from India, are exempt from the levy.
In April, Trump labelled the EU “nastier than China” regarding trade practices. He claimed that the bloc is at least partly to blame for the excessively high prices that Americans pay for prescription drugs. According to the president, Brussels has been unfairly exerting “brutal” pressure on pharmaceutical companies to keep prices low in Europe, while refusing to shoulder the fair share of firms’ research and development and other related costs. He fell short, however, of imposing tariffs on pharmaceuticals at the time.
Major firms, including Merck & Co., AstraZeneca, Roche, Novartis, and Johnson & Johnson, have since announced billions in new US manufacturing projects. At the same time, 32 pharmaceutical companies sent a joint letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, warning that Trump’s tariffs could shift more than €100 billion ($117 billion) in investment out of Europe over the next few years. The CEOs urged Brussels to overhaul pricing rules, strengthen patent protections, and streamline regulation to keep the continent competitive.
Brussels wants to scrap unanimity and move to majority rule as it launches a 19th wave of measures
The European Commission has proposed extending sanctions against Russia by qualified majority rather than unanimity in order to prevent Hungary from blocking them, Politico reported on Friday, citing an EC document.
EU diplomats are due to discuss the proposal and a new sanctions package later on Friday, the outlet said.
Currently, Brussels renews anti-Russian sanctions every six months with unanimous approval. Hungary has consistently opposed the bloc’s unconditional support for Kiev, favoring peace talks over continued military aid, and has repeatedly used its veto to block EU financial and military assistance.
Under the Commission’s plan, only a qualified majority would be needed to extend the restrictions, curbing Budapest’s ability to wield its veto and demand concessions such as releasing frozen Russian assets.
The outlet said that ahead of Friday’s meeting of EU permanent representatives, the Commission also outlined a plan to provide Ukraine with a €140 billion loan backed by frozen Russian central bank assets, to be disbursed in tranches for defense and budget support.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz endorsed the idea this week, but said the funds should go solely to pay for military equipment and only be repaid when Russia compensates Kiev for damages.
Earlier this month, the Commission floated a proposal to use Russian assets to back a reparation loan to Ukraine, repayable only if Kiev receives “compensation” from Moscow.
Reuters earlier put the plan at €130 billion, describing it as a “reparations credit” replacing Moscow assets with zero-coupon bonds issued by the Commission, guaranteed by all EU states or a coalition of willing countries.
Diplomats for the bloc are expected to debate these initiatives alongside a 19th sanctions package. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the measures would target Russian banks, liquefied natural gas, the Mir payment system and vessels in what Brussels calls Moscow’s “shadow fleet.”
Russia, which has denounced Western sanctions as “illegal,” has warned that any attempt to seize or redirect its assets would deliver a “very serious blow” to the international financial system and has vowed to retaliate.
The suspected terrorist acted on the orders of Ukrainian spy services, the agency has said
A Ukrainian plot to target a high-ranking officer of the Russian national guard (Rosgvardiya) with a car bomb has been foiled, Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) has said.
Operatives in Russia’s Lugansk People’s Republic detained a local man recruited by Kiev’s spy services to carry out the attack, the agency said in a statement on Friday.
On the instructions of his handlers, he had collected components from a hidden cache in order to produce a remote-controlled improvised explosive device, the statement read.
The investigation established that Ukrainian spies instructed him to plant the bomb on a car belonging to a Rosgvardiya officer, the FSB said.
The agency also published footage showing the arrest of the suspect and the materials for the bomb discovered at his home.
Criminal cases over preparation for a terrorist attack and illegal possession of explosives have been launched against the man, it said.
Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has alleged suspicious maneuvers, echoing the French military
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has accused Russia of “shadowing” communications satellites used by his country’s military while unveiling a €35 billion ($41 billion) five-year investment plan for Berlin’s space program.
Speaking on Thursday at the 3rd German Space Congress, Pistorius warned that Russia and China are able to wage war in space. “They can jam, blind, manipulate, or kinetically disrupt satellites,” he said.
Pistorius claimed the German armed forces have already been targeted by jamming attacks and specifically accused Russian “Luch/Olimp” satellites of shadowing two Intelsat satellites which are used by the German military for communications.
His remarks echoed earlier allegations made by France. In 2018, then-French Defense Minister Florence Parly accused Russia of using a “Luch/Olimp” satellite to try to intercept signals from the French-Italian Athena-Fidus satellite.
Intelsat also condemned maneuvers by the same craft as dangerous after it allegedly approached Intelsat 7 and Intelsat 901 satellites.
Pistorius is a strong supporter of the European Union’s push for the militarization of the economic bloc, which would involve member states borrowing heavily to boost arms production and enlarge standing armies.
Moscow has dismissed claims that the investment is required to counter a Russian threat as fear-driven rhetoric meant to deflect attention from mounting domestic problems within the bloc.
The original Luch-series satellite that was suspected of gathering signal intelligence – also designated Olimp-K – was launched in September 2014; another was boosted into orbit in March 2023.
Attitudes shifted after the presidential election in May won by nationalist candidate Karol Nawrocki, the French paper has reported
Anti-Ukrainian sentiment has been on the rise in Poland, with many refugees avoiding speaking their native language in public over fear of facing abuse, Le Monde has reported.
Poland has been one of Ukraine’s main backers since the escalation of the conflict with Russia in 2022, and has accepted more than a million refugees from the neighboring state.
However, Le Monde reported in an article on Thursday that attitudes towards Ukrainian arrivals have shifted, especially following the election in May won by nationalist candidate Karol Nawrocki.
The outlet cited Ukrainian journalist Zoriana Varenia, who complained on social media last month that she had been pushed and insulted while talking on the phone in her native language in central Warsaw. Varenia also recalled another incident in which she and a friend were told by a man on a bus that “in Poland, we speak Polish!”
Miroslava Kerik, the president of the Ukrainian House in Warsaw, told Le Monde that “a year ago, we considered this kind of incident to be marginal. Now, not a day goes by without such stories being told to us.”
“Children are regularly bullied at school. Many Ukrainians avoid speaking their language in public, even not answering the phone. Some are trying to lose their accent,” Kerik said.
According to the article, resentment towards Ukrainians in Poland is being fueled by assertions that they abuse the family benefits system, enjoy privileged access to public services, including healthcare, and contribute to an increase in crime.
Rhetoric that Kiev wants to “drag” Warsaw into the Ukraine conflict is also increasingly popular among Poles, Le Monde reported. It mentioned a study by the Res Futura analytics center, which found that more comments on Polish social media blamed Ukraine rather than Russia for a drone incursion into their country earlier in September.
In August, Nawrocki vetoed legislation prolonging benefits for Ukrainian refugees, with the president’s office saying that he “does not agree to the privileged treatment of citizens of other countries.” Earlier this month, the Polish parliament adopted a bill aimed at stripping jobless Ukrainian refugees of their payouts.
Multiple cars carrying fuel ignited after a deadly collision with a truck, officials say
A freight train exploded into flames after colliding with a truck in Russia’s Smolensk Region on Friday, the authorities have said.
The crash occurred at a road crossing about 45 kilometers west of Smolensk on the railway line to Vitebsk, Belarus, officials reported.
The Investigative Committee said the truck driver, who died at the scene, appeared to have ignored warning lights and failed to stop. The agency has opened a criminal negligence case.
Railway officials said the train’s engineer and assistant suffered minor injuries but did not require hospitalization.
According to the statement, 18 cars derailed: 16 of them tipped over and caught fire, including 12 carrying gasoline and four loaded with timber.
Russia’s Emergencies Ministry deployed ten fire trucks as well as a specialized firefighting train to battle the blaze.
Both train and road traffic through the crossing were suspended, but officials said the disruption was minor and did not affect cross-border travel with Belarus.
Choosing an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system requires a vendor-neutral selection process. Without it, the selection can be influenced by pressure, bias, and deals that appear favorable on paper but fail to deliver in reality. An ERP touches everything from finance and operations to customer service and long-term growth. Companies can rush into decisions or […]
President Donald Trump has described the unusual move as a “friendly” meet-up at the newly rebranded Department of War
Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth has ordered hundreds of US generals and admirals from around the world to gather at a Marine Corps base in Quantico, Virginia next week, in an unprecedented move that has stirred anxiety across the top ranks of the American armed forces.
The Pentagon confirmed the meeting but offered no details. “The secretary of war will be addressing his senior military leaders early next week,” chief spokesman Sean Parnell said on Thursday.
President Donald Trump, who last month rebranded the Defense Department as the Department of War, downplayed concerns, calling the gathering a “friendly” get-together.
“It’s great when generals and top people want to come to the United States to be with a now-called secretary of war,” he told reporters at the White House. “They’re also going to be touring equipment sites, talking about the newest weapons. It’s going to be great.”
Defense officials, however, said they were blindsided. The order has disrupted schedules across the globe, forcing commanders in active theaters to make sudden travel plans. “Whatever it is can be communicated through secure emails, phone calls and video links,” one official told Politico, questioning the need to summon so many senior military leaders to one location.
The large-scale gathering comes amid Hegseth’s sweeping overhaul of the Pentagon’s leadership. Since taking office, he has fired more than a dozen senior officers – including Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr. and Navy chief Adm. Lisa Franchetti – while ordering a 20% reduction in four-star generals and admirals. He has repeatedly argued that “more generals and admirals does not lead to more success.”
Military officials noted that while the Joint Chiefs and combatant commanders traditionally meet twice a year in Washington, the recall of hundreds of officers – including those commanding conflict zones – is virtually without precedent.
The Pentagon has recently completed two major policy reviews, including a new National Defense Strategy that shifts military priorities from China to homeland security and the Western Hemisphere. Some observers expect Hegseth to use the Quantico gathering to preview the strategy and outline his “less generals, more GIs” policy.
Trump and Hegseth have also tightened information control at the Pentagon. A new memo warned reporters that “unauthorized” disclosures could result in revoked press credentials, while Hegseth told critics: “The press does not run the Pentagon – the people do.”
James Comey insists he is “innocent” following charges over the Russiagate hoax
Former FBI Director James Comey has vowed to fight criminal charges of lying to Congress and obstruction of justice, describing himself as a victim of political retribution by President Donald Trump.
In a video statement posted on social media on Thursday night, Comey said his family had long expected there would be “costs to standing up to Donald Trump.”
“We will not live on our knees, and you shouldn’t either,” he said. “Somebody that I love dearly recently said that fear is the tool of a tyrant. And she’s right.”
Comey urged Americans not to be “afraid” and to continue resisting Trump politically. “I’m not afraid. And I hope you’re not either. I hope instead you are engaged, you are paying attention, and you will vote like your beloved country depends upon it – which it does,” he said.
The indictment, returned just before the expiration of the five-year statute of limitations, stems from Comey’s September 30, 2020, testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee about ‘Crossfire Hurricane’, the FBI’s probe into allegations of “collusion” between Trump’s presidential campaign and Russia.
According to the Justice Department, Comey falsely told senators he had never authorized leaks to the media about the Trump investigation or the probe into Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server. The charges accuse him of both making false statements and obstructing a congressional proceeding.
“My heart is broken for the Department of Justice, but I have great confidence in the federal judicial system, and I’m innocent,” Comey insisted. “So let’s have a trial. And keep the faith.”
Comey led the FBI from 2013 until Trump fired him in 2017, shortly after taking office for his first term. After his dismissal, he pursued a career as a public speaker and fiction novelist, becoming one of Trump’s fiercest critics. He admitted to leaking private memos in hopes of triggering the appointment of a special counsel to investigate the president.
If convicted on both counts, Comey could face up to five years in prison. According to CNN, he is expected to surrender and make an initial appearance in the Eastern District of Virginia on Friday.
