Russian attack kills two in city of Poltava, Ukrainian officials say
A firefighter works at the site of a building hit by a Russian drone strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Poltava, Ukraine July 3, 2025. Press service of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine in Poltava region/Handout via REUTERS
KYIV - A Russian attack on the city of Poltava in central Ukraine killed two people and damaged a military recruitment centre, the Ukrainian military and regional officials said on Thursday.
Regional governor Volodymyr Kohut said 11 people were also wounded, while the military reported fires in the military recruitment building and in a nearby residential building.
Photos from the scene posted by emergency services showed firefighters battling blazes as well as damaged buildings and cars.
Russia has stepped up drone and missile attacks on Ukraine in the last month, and has launched some of the biggest attacks since its full-scale invasion that began in February 2022.
The aerial assault followed a drone attack on Monday near a military recruitment centre in the central city of Kryvyi Rih.
Civilians were wounded in Kryvyi Rih, the military said, adding that military personnel and civilian employees of the recruitment centre had sheltered during the air alert.
Ukrainian officials, including President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, have underlined the urgency of assistance on air defence from allies to defend against such assaults. REUTERS
Top stories
Swipe. Select. Stay informed.
Singapore $500 in Child LifeSG credits, Edusave, Post-Sec Education Account top-ups to be disbursed in July
Singapore PAP questions Pritam's interview with Malaysian podcast, says politics should stop at water's edge
World Liverpool's Portuguese forward Diogo Jota dies in car crash in Spain, TVE reports
Singapore Man to be charged after he allegedly damaged PAP campaign materials on GE2025 Polling Day
Singapore Scoot launches flights to Da Nang, Kota Bharu and Nha Trang; boosts frequency to other destinations
Singapore Electrician who bit off part of coworker's ear during fight gets 6 months' jail
Asia 4 dead, 30 missing after ferry sinks on way to Indonesia's Bali
Singapore $1.46b nickel-trading scam: Ng Yu Zhi's bid for bail midway through trial denied by High Court
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
21 minutes ago
- Straits Times
China's foreign minister dismisses European worries over rare earths
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox BERLIN - China's foreign minister downplayed European worries over rare earth exports restrictions on Thursday, saying it was standard practise to control dual-use goods exports but that Europe's needs could be met if applications were submitted. Wang Yi was speaking in Berlin during a joint news conference with his German counterpart, on the second leg of a European tour seeking to lay the groundwork for a summit between EU and Chinese leaders later this month. "Rare earths have not been, are not, and will not be a problem between China and Europe, or between China and Germany," Wang said. "If legal applications are submitted, Europe's and Germany's normal needs can be met." China, which controls over 90% of global processing capacity for rare earths used in everything from automobiles to home appliances, had imposed restrictions in early April requiring exporters to obtain licenses from Beijing. German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said the restrictions were causing "great concern" and tarnishing China's image in Germany as a reliable trade partner. "We are on the path to finding sustainable joint solutions that will bring the necessary detente," he said. But when Wang was asked if an agreement could be reached on restrictions ahead of the EU-China summit, he said: "This is not an issue between China and Europe... controlling dual-use goods is standard practice. China and Germany both have the right to do so." Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Seller's stamp duty rates for private homes raised; holding period increased from 3 years to 4 Singapore 193ha of land off Changi to be reclaimed for aviation park; area reduced to save seagrass meadow Business More Singapore residents met CPF Required Retirement Sum when they turned 55 in 2024 Singapore PAP questions Pritam's interview with Malaysian podcast, WP says PAP opposing for the sake of opposing Sport 'Pedal to the metal' for next 2 years, says Singaporean powerlifter Farhanna Farid Singapore 1 in 4 appeals to waive HDB wait-out period for private home owners approved since Sept 2022 Sport A true fans' player – Liverpool supporters in Singapore pay tribute to late Diogo Jota Singapore Healthcare facility planned for site of Ang Mo Kio Public Library after it moves to AMK Hub The Chinese Ministry of Commerce already has a fast-track procedure in place to ensure that normal approvals are processed as quickly as possible, he added. Wang came to Berlin from Brussels, where he met with EU officials including the bloc's high representative for foreign policy Kaja Kallas, who also urged Wang to end rare earth export restrictions. Wadephul said the two foreign ministers also discussed Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Taiwan and the crisis in the Middle East. "We believe China can play a constructive role in relation to Iran," he said. REUTERS
Straits Times
40 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Putin tells Trump he won't back down from goals in Ukraine, Kremlin says
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Russia's President Vladimir Putin speaks during a plenary session of a forum organised by the Agency for Strategic Initiatives (ASI) in Moscow, Russia, July 3, 2025. Sputnik/Ramil Sitdikov/Pool via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. MOSCOW - Russian President Vladimir Putin told U.S. President Donald Trump in a phone call on Thursday that Moscow wants a negotiated end to the Ukraine war but will not step back from its original goals, a Kremlin aide said. In a wide-ranging conversation that also covered Iran and the Middle East, Trump "again raised the issue of an early end to military action" in Ukraine, the aide, Yuri Ushakov, told reporters. "Vladimir Putin, for his part, noted that we continue to seek a political and negotiated solution to the conflict," Ushakov said. Putin briefed Trump on the implementation of agreements reached between Russia and Ukraine last month to exchange prisoners-of-war and dead soldiers, Ushakov said, and told him that Moscow was ready to continue negotiations with Kyiv. "Our president also said that Russia will achieve the goals it has set: that is, the elimination of the well-known root causes that led to the current state of affairs, to the current acute confrontation, and Russia will not back down from these goals," he added. There was nothing in the Kremlin readout to suggest that Putin had made any shift in Moscow's position during the conversation with Trump, who took office with a promise to end the war swiftly but has voiced frequent frustration with the lack of progress between the two sides. The phrase "root causes" is shorthand for the Kremlin's argument that it was compelled to go to war in Ukraine to prevent the country from joining NATO and being used by the Western alliance as a launch pad to attack Russia. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Seller's stamp duty rates for private homes raised; holding period increased from 3 years to 4 Singapore 193ha of land off Changi to be reclaimed for aviation park; area reduced to save seagrass meadow Business More Singapore residents met CPF Required Retirement Sum when they turned 55 in 2024 Singapore PAP questions Pritam's interview with Malaysian podcast, WP says PAP opposing for the sake of opposing Sport 'Pedal to the metal' for next 2 years, says Singaporean powerlifter Farhanna Farid Singapore 1 in 4 appeals to waive HDB wait-out period for private home owners approved since Sept 2022 Sport A true fans' player – Liverpool supporters in Singapore pay tribute to late Diogo Jota Singapore Healthcare facility planned for site of Ang Mo Kio Public Library after it moves to AMK Hub Ukraine and its European allies say that is a specious pretext for what they call an imperial-style war, but Trump in previous public comments has shown sympathy with Moscow's refusal to accept NATO membership for Ukraine. Putin and Trump did not talk about the U.S. decision to halt some shipments of critical weapons to Ukraine, Ushakov said. On Iran, he said, "the Russian side emphasised the importance of resolving all disputes, disagreements and conflict situations exclusively by political and diplomatic means". Trump last month sent U.S. military bombers to strike three Iranian nuclear sites, in a move condemned by Moscow as unprovoked and illegal. REUTERS
Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
Russian missile strike on Odesa port infrastructure kills two, Ukraine says
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha posted photos of damage at the port in Odesa to his X account. Two people were killed and six injured. KYIV - A Russian airstrike on key Ukrainian export infrastructure in the southern Black Sea port city of Odesa killed two people and wounded six more, including two foreigners, Ukrainian officials said on July 3. About 90 per cent of all Ukrainian exports are shipped to foreign markets through the ports of the Odesa seaport hub, including millions of tonnes of grain and metals. 'Today, an Iskander missile hit one of the berths of the Odesa seaport. At the time, people were working at the berth, unloading metal from a foreign vessel flying the flag of Sao Tome and Príncipe,' Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Kuleba said, on the Telegram messenger. He said berthing facilities for bulk carriers, port cranes, cars and warehouses were damaged. Mr Kuleba said two people were killed - a docker-mechanic and a truck driver. Six more people were injured, including two Syrian citizens and members of the crew of a civilian ship. 'This is not an isolated incident; rather, it is part of Russia's targeted campaign against Ukraine's economy and agriculture, as well as global food security and freedom of navigation,' Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said on Telegram. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Seller's stamp duty rates for private homes raised; holding period increased from 3 years to 4 Singapore 193ha of land off Changi to be reclaimed for aviation park; area reduced to save seagrass meadow Business More Singapore residents met CPF Required Retirement Sum when they turned 55 in 2024 Singapore PAP questions Pritam's interview with Malaysian podcast, WP says PAP opposing for the sake of opposing Sport 'Pedal to the metal' for next 2 years, says Singaporean powerlifter Farhanna Farid Singapore 1 in 4 appeals to waive HDB wait-out period for private home owners approved since Sept 2022 Sport A true fans' player – Liverpool supporters in Singapore pay tribute to late Diogo Jota Singapore Healthcare facility planned for site of Ang Mo Kio Public Library after it moves to AMK Hub Russia regularly attacks Ukrainian port infrastructure and stepped up strikes after Ukraine began exporting goods through its maritime corridor along the western coast of the Black Sea. Moscow says its attacks are aimed at impeding Ukraine's war efforts. Ukraine created a shipping corridor in the Black Sea following the collapse of a UN-backed Black Sea grain export initiative in 2023 that involved Russia and had ensured the safe passage of grain ships. Since the start of the Ukrainian sea corridor in August 2023, 101 million tonnes of food cargo, including 78.5 million tonnes of grain, have been exported by sea from Odesa ports. REUTERS
