A 16-year-old student attempted to bring a bomb into an administrative building after apparently being duped by scammers, the agency said

Russian law enforcement has foiled a Ukrainian “terrorist attack” in southern Rostov Region, after police detained a teen who attempted to bring a homemade explosive device into a city administration building, the Federal Security Service (FSB) has said. It added that the girl had apparently been targeted by online scammers.

In a statement on Thursday, the FSB said police stopped the 16-year-old student in central Volgodonsk after officers became suspicious of her large backpack. Bomb disposal specialists later confirmed that it contained an improvised explosive device with a yield roughly equivalent to 10 kg of TNT, the agency said. The device was packed with screws, nuts and nails intended as shrapnel and fitted with an electronic timing mechanism.

The student told investigators she had collected the backpack from a hidden stash on the outskirts of Volgodonsk, the FSB said. The agency added that her testimony indicated she had been duped by online scammers about a month earlier and narrowly avoided becoming a “suicide bomber.”

The FSB also released a video of the demining operation, showing an officer in a heavy blast-resistant suit approaching the backpack placed on a city square and then detonating it from a safe distance.

READ MORE: Ukrainian agents scamming vulnerable Russians into terror acts – FSB

The agency stated the planned “terrorist attack” had been prepared by the “security services of the Kiev regime,” adding that it was foiled due to heightened counter-terrorism measures.
Earlier this week, the agency warned that Kiev was increasingly relying on phone scam operations to recruit Russian citizens, mainly teenagers and the elderly, to carry out terrorist acts.

Ukraine has on numerous occasions attempted to carry out terrorist attacks inside Russia, including plots targeting government officials, military commanders and opinion leaders, as well as sabotage operations against critical infrastructure.

A 16-year-old student attempted to bring a bomb into an administrative building after apparently being duped by scammers, the agency said

Russian law enforcement has foiled a Ukrainian “terrorist attack” in southern Rostov Region, after police detained a teen who attempted to bring a homemade explosive device into a city administration building, the Federal Security Service (FSB) has said. It added that the girl had apparently been targeted by online scammers.

In a statement on Thursday, the FSB said police stopped the 16-year-old student in central Volgodonsk after officers became suspicious of her large backpack. Bomb disposal specialists later confirmed that it contained an improvised explosive device with a yield roughly equivalent to 10 kg of TNT, the agency said. The device was packed with screws, nuts and nails intended as shrapnel and fitted with an electronic timing mechanism.

The student told investigators she had collected the backpack from a hidden stash on the outskirts of Volgodonsk, the FSB said. The agency added that her testimony indicated she had been duped by online scammers about a month earlier and narrowly avoided becoming a “suicide bomber.”

The FSB also released a video of the demining operation, showing an officer in a heavy blast-resistant suit approaching the backpack placed on a city square and then detonating it from a safe distance.

READ MORE: Ukrainian agents scamming vulnerable Russians into terror acts – FSB

The agency stated the planned “terrorist attack” had been prepared by the “security services of the Kiev regime,” adding that it was foiled due to heightened counter-terrorism measures.
Earlier this week, the agency warned that Kiev was increasingly relying on phone scam operations to recruit Russian citizens, mainly teenagers and the elderly, to carry out terrorist acts.

Ukraine has on numerous occasions attempted to carry out terrorist attacks inside Russia, including plots targeting government officials, military commanders and opinion leaders, as well as sabotage operations against critical infrastructure.

Kiev’s forces targeted three cities in Rostov Region overnight, according to the local governor

Ukrainian drones have attacked multiple cities in Rostov Region in southern Russia, killing civilians and damaging residential and port infrastructure, Governor Yury Slyusar has said.

According to the regional head, the cities of Rostov-on-Don, Bataysk, and Taganrog came under attack early Thursday morning. “Unfortunately, as a result of the UAV strikes, civilians were killed and injured,” Slyusar wrote on social media.

In Rostov, a drone strike on the city’s port set a cargo vessel on fire. Two crew members were killed and three others were injured. The blaze was extinguished after spreading across an area of about 20 square meters, the governor said.

In the nearby city of Bataysk, two private houses caught fire following drone strikes. Seven people were wounded, with three rushed to hospital. One of them later died from their injuries, Slyusar said.

Emergency services also reported damage to civilian infrastructure in both cities. In Rostov, a newly built high-rise apartment complex in the western part of the city was damaged, though no casualties were recorded.

The governor offered condolences to the families of those killed and wished a speedy recovery to the injured. He said municipal commissions would document all damage and that the authorities would provide assistance to those affected.

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The Russian Defense Ministry said air defense systems intercepted and destroyed 77 Ukrainian drones overnight between 11pm and 7am Moscow time. Of these, 31 were shot down over Bryansk Region, 11 over Crimea and the Black Sea, four over Belgorod, and three over Rostov.

Russian officials have previously accused Kiev of deliberately targeting civilian sites, linking the surge in Ukrainian attacks to growing US pressure on Vladimir Zelensky to accept a peace deal with Russia that would require concessions Kiev has so far refused to make.

Russia has conducted its own strikes on military-related Ukrainian infrastructure for months, saying the attacks are retaliation for Kiev’s “terrorist” raids and aim to degrade Ukraine’s drone and weapons production capabilities.

Kiev’s forces targeted three cities in Rostov Region overnight, according to the local governor

Ukrainian drones have attacked multiple cities in Rostov Region in southern Russia, killing civilians and damaging residential and port infrastructure, Governor Yury Slyusar has said.

According to the regional head, the cities of Rostov-on-Don, Bataysk, and Taganrog came under attack early Thursday morning. “Unfortunately, as a result of the UAV strikes, civilians were killed and injured,” Slyusar wrote on social media.

In Rostov, a drone strike on the city’s port set a cargo vessel on fire. Two crew members were killed and three others were injured. The blaze was extinguished after spreading across an area of about 20 square meters, the governor said.

In the nearby city of Bataysk, two private houses caught fire following drone strikes. Seven people were wounded, with three rushed to hospital. One of them later died from their injuries, Slyusar said.

Emergency services also reported damage to civilian infrastructure in both cities. In Rostov, a newly built high-rise apartment complex in the western part of the city was damaged, though no casualties were recorded.

The governor offered condolences to the families of those killed and wished a speedy recovery to the injured. He said municipal commissions would document all damage and that the authorities would provide assistance to those affected.

Read more

The Russian Defense Ministry said air defense systems intercepted and destroyed 77 Ukrainian drones overnight between 11pm and 7am Moscow time. Of these, 31 were shot down over Bryansk Region, 11 over Crimea and the Black Sea, four over Belgorod, and three over Rostov.

Russian officials have previously accused Kiev of deliberately targeting civilian sites, linking the surge in Ukrainian attacks to growing US pressure on Vladimir Zelensky to accept a peace deal with Russia that would require concessions Kiev has so far refused to make.

Russia has conducted its own strikes on military-related Ukrainian infrastructure for months, saying the attacks are retaliation for Kiev’s “terrorist” raids and aim to degrade Ukraine’s drone and weapons production capabilities.

The US president has touted his administration’s record in a prime-time national address

US President Donald Trump has delivered a prime-time address to his nation, highlighting domestic policy, the economy, border enforcement, and foreign policy successes while making no mention of rising tensions with Venezuela or his efforts to resolve the Ukraine conflict.

Speaking from the White House on Wednesday night, Trump said he had “inherited a mess” when he returned to office nearly a year ago and claimed his administration had rapidly reversed what he described as the economic decline, border chaos, and global instability which had prevailed under his predecessor, Joe Biden. 

Trump repeatedly pointed to inflation, which he blamed on the previous administration, arguing that prices had surged to record levels before falling sharply under his leadership. He cited declines in the cost of gasoline, groceries, air travel, and housing-related expenses, while claiming wages were now rising faster than inflation for the first time in years.

On immigration, Trump said his administration had secured the southern border “starting on day one,” claiming that no illegal migrants had been allowed into the country for months and that criminal deportations had restored safety to major cities. He credited executive action rather than new legislation for what he called a dramatic turnaround at the border.

The president highlighted tariffs as a central pillar of his economic strategy, saying they had driven record investment back into the United States and fueled job creation entirely within the private sector. Trump claimed his policies had attracted trillions of dollars in new investment and sparked a manufacturing revival across industries ranging from automobiles to artificial intelligence.

Trump also outlined plans for sweeping tax cuts, prescription drug price reductions, healthcare reform, and aggressive energy expansion, declaring that the US was entering an economic boom “the likes of which the world has never seen.”

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On foreign policy, Trump asserted that his administration had “settled eight wars,” eliminated the “Iranian nuclear threat,” and brought “for the first time in 3,000 years peace to the Middle East.” 

Trump described the US military as the strongest in the world and announced a one-time “Warrior Dividend” payment of $1,776 to more than one million service members, funded in part by tariff revenues.

In conclusion, Trump pledged to always “put America first” and said the country was once again respected globally and poised for a historic comeback ahead of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence next year.

The Venezuelan president has said Washington wants to impose a “puppet government” to plunder the country’s resources

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has accused the US of seeking to overthrow his government and turn his country into a colony, rejecting Washington’s recent threats and oil blockade as a “diplomacy of barbarism.”

Speaking in a televised address on Wednesday, Maduro said the US was attempting to impose a “puppet government” in Caracas that “would not last even 47 hours.”

He described the pressure campaign launched by US President Donald Trump as “warmongering” and aimed at seizing Venezuela’s natural wealth.

“They want regime change in Venezuela to impose a puppet government that would hand over the constitution, sovereignty, and all our riches and turn the country into a colony,” Maduro said. “That is not going to happen – never.”

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Maduro’s remarks followed Trump’s announcement of a blockade on “sanctioned” oil tankers carrying Venezuelan crude. Trump has branded the government in Caracas a “foreign terrorist organization” and accused it of “stealing” US oil and other assets.

“Venezuela is completely surrounded by the largest armada ever assembled in the history of South America. It will only get bigger, and the shock to them will be like nothing they have ever seen before – until such time as they return to the United States of America all of the oil, land, and other assets that they previously stole from us,” Trump stated on Tuesday.

The Venezuelan leader insisted that the country’s oil trade and exports would continue, arguing that international law and the UN Charter protect freedom of navigation and commerce. “This is not the time for corsairs or piracy,” Maduro said.

He said Venezuela’s wealth belongs exclusively to its people, invoking independence leader Simon Bolivar and the country’s constitution. Maduro also warned that the US escalation represented what he called a “diplomacy of barbarism,” contrasting it with respect for international law and peaceful coexistence.

READ MORE: US lawmakers shoot down resolution to halt strikes targeting Venezuela

Maduro said Venezuela had both the legal right and the political strength to defend itself, while claiming support from “the peoples of the world.”

In a regional appeal, he called on Colombia and its armed forces to reject foreign military interventions and uphold what he described as Bolivar’s vision of unity. He vowed that Venezuela would defend its sovereignty “with strength, with truth, and with love for peace.”

Two House votes cleared the path for continued US military action in the Caribbean

The US House of Representatives has voted down efforts to rein in US President Donald Trump’s military actions against Venezuela, rejecting two Democrat-led resolutions that sought to limit the administration’s use of force.

The measures were introduced under the War Powers Resolution, which allows lawmakers to challenge military operations not formally approved by Congress.

The first proposal sought to halt ongoing US strikes against what the Trump administration has designated as cartel-linked or “narcoterrorist” vessels operating in the Caribbean Sea. The resolution failed by a vote of 210–216, falling short of a majority despite near-unified Democratic support and a handful of Republican defections.

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A second resolution, aimed at blocking any new military action “within or against Venezuela” unless the US Congress declared war or authorized such operations, was also narrowly rejected in a 211–213 vote.

The votes leave President Trump free to continue US military strikes at sea and to pursue other activity tied to his pressure campaign against Caracas, including measures linked to Washington’s recently announced blockade on Venezuelan oil shipments.

Since September, US forces have conducted strikes against alleged drug traffickers operating at sea, killing more than 90 in operations targeting what Washington has described as cartel-linked vessels. Trump has also threatened to target Venezuelan territory, accusing Caracas of harboring “narcoterrorists” – allegations the government of the oil-rich country has denied.

READ MORE: Trump issues oil demand to Venezuela

Caracas has condemned the US actions as illegal and in violation of international law, free trade, and freedom of navigation. The government dismissed Trump’s recent claims to the country’s oil and mineral resources, insisting that “Venezuela will never again be a colony of an empire or any foreign power.”

US legislators were briefed about a looming conflict, the journalist has claimed

Conservative American journalist Tucker Carlson has suggested that US President Donald Trump could be preparing to declare war on Venezuela, while stressing that his information is limited and unconfirmed.

Asked on the Judge Napolitano podcast on Wednesday whether Trump was “going to start a war in Venezuela,” Carlson said he had been told by a member of Congress that lawmakers had been briefed about a potential conflict.

“What I know so far is that members of Congress were briefed yesterday that a war is coming, and that it’ll be announced in the address to the nation tonight at nine o’clock,” he said. “Who knows if that will actually happen? I don’t know.”

However, in his prime-time address, Trump focused almost entirely on domestic issues, highlighting his administration’s achievements in fixing the “mess“ inherited from his predecessor, while making no mention of Venezuela, Ukraine or other international crises.

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Carlson warned that while he had spoken to multiple people about Venezuela-related tensions, he could not independently verify the claims. “I never want to overstate what I know, which is pretty limited in general,” he said.

Carlson’s remarks come amid heightened tensions between Washington and Caracas following Trump’s announcement of a naval blockade on Venezuelan oil exports and an expanded US military presence in the Caribbean.

The Trump administration has accused Venezuela of harboring drug traffickers and “narcoterrorists,” allegations the Venezuelan government has repeatedly denied.

Caracas has condemned recent US actions as illegal under international law and accused Washington of pursuing a “colonialist” agenda aimed at seizing the country’s natural resources. Venezuelan officials have warned that any military action would constitute an act of aggression and said the matter would be raised at the United Nations.

Belgium’s Euroclear holds around $200 billion in Moscow’s sovereign funds, which were frozen in 2022

Around 67% of Belgians oppose the EU scheme to use frozen Russian central bank assets to back a ‘reparations loan’ to prop up Ukraine, according to a recent poll conducted by Ipsos and Belgian news outlets published on Monday.

The bulk of sovereign Russian assets frozen in the West are held in the Belgian clearinghouse Euroclear. Prime Minister Bart De Wever has steadfastly opposed EU moves to “steal” the funds, citing disproportionate legal risks to Belgium, despite mounting pressure from the European Commission.

EU leaders were set to vote on using the assets to back a controversial €90 billion ($106 billion) ‘reparations loan’ to help cover Ukraine’s floundering budget, which faces an estimated $160 billion shortfall over the next two years.

However, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said the EU leadership “backed down” and that “Russian assets will not be on the table” at Thursday’s European Council meeting. The council “pushes joint loans, but we will not let our families foot the bill for Ukraine’s war,” he wrote on X on Wednesday.

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Last week, the EU tightened its grip on the frozen Russian assets by invoking Article 122, an economic emergency treaty clause, to bypass the need for a unanimous decision amid opposition from a number of member nations.

By using the mechanism, the bloc stripped “Hungary of its rights,” Orban said at the time.

Belgium, Slovakia, Italy, Bulgaria, Malta, and the Czech Republic joined Hungary to oppose raiding the Russian assets to finance Ukraine.

READ MORE: Fitch puts Euroclear on downgrade warning over Russian assets

Last week, the Russian central bank sued Euroclear in a Moscow court, accusing it of the “inability to manage monetary assets and securities” entrusted to it. The firm estimates that it holds nearly $19 billion in client assets in Russia, which could become targets for legal retaliatory measures.

The US president has explained the motive behind the blockade on the Latin American state

US President Donald Trump has said Washington is seeking to reclaim oil, land, and other assets from Venezuela, arguing that previous administrations had allowed Caracas to strip America of its economic interests in the country.

Speaking to journalists on Wednesday, Trump said Venezuela took “oil rights” and other assets that he claimed belonged to the US, prompting his decision to impose a naval blockade on the Latin American state.

“They took our oil rights. We had a lot of oil there,” Trump said. “They threw our companies out, and we want it back.”

Trump accused previous administrations of weakness, which enabled Venezuela to seize control of assets once held by American companies. “They took it away because we had a president that maybe wasn’t watching,” he said. “But they’re not going to do that. We want it back.”

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Venezuela nationalized its oil industry in 1976, creating state-owned company PDVSA and ending direct foreign ownership of oil reserves, while still allowing international companies to operate under service contracts.

Under President Hugo Chavez in 2007, the government took majority control of large oil projects. Several Western energy companies, including ExxonMobil and ConocoPhillips, exited the country after refusing the new terms and later pursued arbitration claims.

The standoff comes amid an expanded US military presence in the Caribbean. Since September, US forces have conducted strikes against alleged drug traffickers operating at sea, killing more than 90 people in operations targeting what Washington describes as cartel-linked vessels. Trump has also threatened to extend strikes onto Venezuelan territory, accusing Caracas of harboring “narcoterrorists” – allegations the Venezuelan government has denied.

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On Tuesday, Trump announced “a total and complete blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers going into, and out of, Venezuela… until such time as they return to the United States of America all of the oil, land, and other assets that they previously stole from us.”

Caracas has condemned the blockade as illegal and in violation of international law, free trade, and freedom of navigation. The Venezuelan government dismissed Trump’s claims, insisting that its oil and mineral resources are sovereign property. “Venezuela will never again be a colony of an empire or any foreign power,” Vice President Delcy Rodríguez said.