Russia says it destroys 55 Ukrainian drones overnight, one person injured
One person was injured as a result of Ukraine's overnight drone attack on the city of Yelets in Russia's southwestern region of Lipetsk, regional governor Igor Artamonov said early on Tuesday.
"A UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) crashed in an industrial zone. One person was injured and is receiving all necessary medical assistance," Artamonov said on the Telegram messaging app.
The Russian defence ministry said on Telegram that its units destroyed 55 Ukrainian drones overnight over five Russian regions and the Black Sea, including three over the Lipetsk region.
The full damage of the attack on Russia were not immediately known. There was no immediate comment from Ukraine about the attack.
Both sides deny targeting civilians in their strikes during the war that Russia launched against Ukraine more than three years ago. But thousands of civilians have died in the conflict, the vast majority of them Ukrainian.
Ukraine has launched multiple air strikes on Lipetsk, a strategically important region with an air base that is the chief training centre for the Russian Aerospace Forces. REUTERS
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

Straits Times
27 minutes ago
- Straits Times
S'pore vulnerabilities are no different from those of other nation: Commissioner of Cybersecurity
Find out what's new on ST website and app. Singapore's Cyber Security Agency's chief executive David Koh warned that in this realm, Singapore's vulnerabilities are no different from those of any other nation. SINGAPORE – Cyber threat levels have heightened amid geopolitical rivalries, with some states trying to coerce countries such as Singapore into taking or refraining from certain actions. Singapore's Cyber Security Agency's chief executive David Koh warned that in this realm, Singapore's vulnerabilities are no different from those of any other nation. 'Train systems can be disrupted, power plants, water systems. It will move to a new dimension, where you will encounter real world harms that will affect all of us,' he said. Mr Koh, who is also the country's first Commissioner of Cybersecurity, holds legal authority to investigate cyber threats and incidents, ensuring the continuity of essential services during cyber attacks. 'W hen we first started, the majority of threats were straightforward – web face defacements, DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) attacks. They were a bit more like digital graffiti,' said t he former defence specialist in the armed forces, who has been CSA's chief executive from its founding 10 years ago. July 18 marks its 10th anniversary. These threats have grown in complexities as the economy grew more interconnected through the use of digital services. That meant the agency had to extend its umbrella, working with the private sector, to cover the man on the street. For instance, in 2024, the agency partnered Google to launch Google Play Protect, which blocks malicious apps once detected. Google has since introduced the feature to countries such as Brazil, India, South Africa, Philippines, Thailand and Hong Kong. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. World Trump diagnosed with vein condition causing leg swelling: White House World Trump was diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency. What is it? Singapore 5 foreigners charged over scheme to deliberately get arrested in S'pore to sell sex drugs here Asia Appointment of Malaysia's new chief justice eases controversy over vacant top judge seats for now Singapore Driverless bus in Sentosa gets green light to run without safety officer in first for S'pore Singapore SPCA appoints Walter Leong as new executive director World US strikes destroyed only one of three Iranian nuclear sites, says new report Business Granddaughter of late Indonesian tycoon pays $25 million for Singapore bungalow Mr Koh said that such a partnership would have been unimaginable 10 years ago. Today, besides chairing the United Nations' Open-ended Working Group on cybersecurity, Singapore is also passing on its knowledge to Asean neighbors and countries such as Japan , which is in the process of passing cybersecurity laws . 'It is in Singapore's interest to support the international rules-based system, not just physical trade, but goods and services are increasingly also being transacted digitally,' he said. Countries justifiably want control of their national security, and have different tolerance levels for personal data sharing, he said, noting that interoperability can still be achieved. Singapore, Britain, Germany and Australia also co-lead the International Counter Ransomware Initiative. Singapore businesses, despite CSA advice to refuse ransomware demands, routinely cave in, according to surveys. High-profile cases in 2024 included law firm Shook Lin & Bok, the Jumbo Group and Mustafa. Recent polls by global security services firms Bitdefender and Sophos found that firms here are more likely than their global peers to keep silent on security breaches, pay up and less likely to negotiate amounts. But there are no plans to legislate ransomware reporting, which is now voluntary. 'Cybersecurity, ultimately, is a risk management issue. It is not possible for us to mandate a standard of cybersecurity for everybody. It's not a one-size-fits-all,' he said. Instead, the CSA hopes to raise reporting by working with the Singapore Business Federation to offer help to victims. With 70 per cent of companies that support the country's essential services coming from the private sector, the CSA has over the years, evolved to assist businesses on security issues and working on training and professional standards. From about 70 employees when it was started, the outfit has since grown to a headcount of around 500. Singapore was one of the first countries to establish a cybersecurity agency and one of the first to have a Cybersecurity Act, which was enacted in 2018. The US, Britain, France, Australia were other leaders in the domain then. The agency's sphere now includes scams, national threats, cyber security certifications and data security, which it works on with other government agencies, businesses and institutes of education and training. Singapore's cyber maturity ranks well compared with many countries, but the issue is how it compares with a determined attacker, he said, urging Singaporeans to play a part. 'The weakest link can be the company that doesn't patch its software, uses weak passwords, or the supplier in the supply chain who makes a mistake, who doesn't take cybersecurity seriously. It could be the employee who clicks on the phishing email, or the individual customer who comes in and has unsafe practices.' Sometimes, extra security comes with friction. 'You need to recognise that this is a trade-off between convenience and security. Sometimes, it also translates into a little bit more cost. We must be willing to pay this cost.'

AsiaOne
27 minutes ago
- AsiaOne
Trump administration tells US diplomats abroad not to opine on foreign elections, World News
WASHINGTON — US Secretary of State Marco Rubio instructed US diplomats worldwide not to comment on the fairness or integrity of elections conducted by foreign countries, according to an internal note seen by Reuters on Thursday (July 17), in a significant departure from Washington's traditional approach of promoting free and fair elections overseas. The order, sent to all US diplomatic posts in a July 17 internal State Department cable, says the Department will no longer issue election-related statements or social media posts from Washington unless there is a "clear and compelling" foreign policy interest. "When it is appropriate to comment on a foreign election, our message should be brief, focused on congratulating the winning candidate and, when appropriate, noting shared foreign policy interests," said the cable, which was marked as "sensitive" but not classified. "Messages should avoid opining on the fairness or integrity of an electoral process, its legitimacy, or the democratic values of the country in question," it said. It added that election-related messages should come from either the Secretary himself or the Department spokesperson and it barred US diplomats from issuing such statements without explicit approval from the agency's senior leadership. The cable referenced President Donald Trump's May 13 speech in Riyadh when he criticised what he called "Western interventionists" telling Middle Eastern countries how to govern their own affairs, saying that was no longer Washington's business and it was looking to forge partnerships. "While the United States will hold firm to its own democratic values and celebrate those values when other countries choose a similar path, the President made clear that the United States will pursue partnerships with countries wherever our strategic interests align," the directive said. When asked about the cable, a State Department spokesperson in emailed comments repeated some of the points in the directive and said that this approach was consistent with the administration's emphasis on "national sovereignty". The United States has traditionally viewed the promotion of human rights and democracy as well as press freedom as a core foreign policy objective, although critics have repeatedly pointed out the double standard Washington has had towards its allies. Under Trump, the administration has increasingly moved away from the promotion of democracy and human rights, largely seeing it as interference in another country's affairs. For example, it has moved to reshape the State Department's human rights bureau, which it said had become a platform for "left-wing activists to wage vendettas against 'anti-woke' leaders". Trump officials have repeatedly weighed in on European politics to denounce what they see as suppression of right-wing leaders, including in Romania, Germany and France, accusing European authorities of censoring views such as criticism of immigration in the name of countering disinformation. [[nid:720335]]

Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
California governor vows to fight Trump's $5.1b high-speed rail rescission
Find out what's new on ST website and app. The announcement added yet another hurdle to the 16-year effort to link Los Angeles and San Francisco by a three-hour train ride. WASHINGTON - California Governor Gavin Newsom on July 17 vowed to fight an 'illegal' move by President Donald Trump's administration to cancel US$4 billion (S$5.1 billion) in federal grants for the state's ambitious but much-delayed high-speed rail project. Mr Trump's announcement on July 16 added yet another hurdle to the 16-year effort to link Los Angeles and San Francisco by a three-hour train ride, a project that would deliver the fastest passenger rail service in the United States. Mr Newsom said the move by Mr Trump's Transportation Department came as the high-speed rail project was on the verge of laying track, with 'active construction' under way on the initial 171-mile segment between Bakersfield and Merced in California's politically conservative Central Valley. The rail system, whose first US$10 billion bond issue was approved by California voters in 2008, has built more than 50 major railway structures, including bridges, overpasses and viaducts, and completed more than 60 miles (97km) of guideway. State Attorney General Rob Bonta told reporters on July 17 he was 'poised to take imminent action' on the issue, indicating the dispute would end up in court. 'California is putting all options on the table to fight this illegal action,' Mr Newsom said in a statement. The funding cancellation marked the latest confrontation between the Republican president and a Democratic governor widely viewed as a leading contender for his party's 2028 White House nomination. The two men have clashed over issues from transgender athletes and electric car rules to the use of National Guard troops during Los Angeles protests and even egg prices. 'Legally binding agreements' Mr Ian Choudri, chief executive officer of the California High Speed Rail Authority, said that canceling the federal rail grants 'without cause isn't just wrong, it's illegal'. 'These are legally binding agreements, and the authority has met every obligation, as confirmed by repeated federal reviews, as recently as February 2025,' Mr Choudri said, adding that the program has created some 15,500 jobs. The Federal Railroad Administration issued a 315-page report in June finding the project was plagued by missed deadlines, budget shortfalls and questionable ridership projections. Choudri's rail authority has called those conclusions 'misguided', saying they failed to reflect 'substantial progress made to deliver high-speed rail in California'. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy chided the project for having failed to lay a single mile of track after spending US$15 billion over 16 years. But Mr Choudri said installing track is a final step after land acquisition, environmental clearances and construction of supporting structures. Still, the project has faced its share of setbacks. The San Francisco-to-Los Angeles route was initially supposed to be completed by 2020 for US$33 billion. But the projected cost has since risen to US$89 billion to US$128 billion, and the start of service is estimated no sooner than 2030. As designed, the system would feature electric locomotives traveling at up to 354kmh, powered entirely by renewable energy. Planners said it would eliminate 200 million miles driven by vehicles on highways. 'We have to pull the plug' A second phase of the project called for extending the rail line north to Sacramento and south to San Diego. A separate project plans to link Los Angeles and Las Vegas with high-speed rail. Mr Duffy said on July 17 that he was confident the Trump administration will defeat any lawsuit challenging the department's move. 'We have to pull the plug,' he told reporters outside the department's headquarters. In 2021, Democratic President Joe Biden restored a US$929 million grant for the project that Trump revoked in 2019 during his first term in office after calling the project a 'disaster'. State Assembly member Corey Jackson, a Southern California Democrat who has questioned the project's soaring costs, said Newsom's call to fight the funding cut could galvanise support for Democrats from organised labour and voters in the area where the first railway jobs would be created despite its Republican leanings. 'The people of San Joaquin Valley will now know that their economic engine is coming from the Democratic Party,' Mr Jackson said. 'This is also a message to our labour friends. Democrats continue to deliver these high-paying jobs. Republicans continue to try to kill them.' Mr Rufus Jeffris, senior vice-president of the Bay Area Council, a business-sponsored policy group in the San Francisco area, pointed to economic benefits associated with high-speed rail and called the funding cut unfortunate. REUTERS