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Daily Mirror
7 hours ago
- Health
- Daily Mirror
Brit amputee injured in Russian drone strike treated by Ukrainian prosthetics charity
The vehicle of a British volunteer in Ukraine was struck by a Russian drone, leaving him with life-changing injuries. Now the charity wants to highlight all of those injured. Eddy Scott, a 28-year-old Brit from Dorset, travelled to Ukraine in October 2022 as a humanitarian volunteer. A former sailor, he delivered drinking water to frontline towns, repaired war-damaged homes, and assisted medical teams. In January this year, while helping to transport civilians out of Pokrovsk, his humanitarian van was targeted and struck by an FPV drone. Everyone survived the explosion, but Eddy sustained severe injuries, losing his left arm and leg. According to the charity Superhumans, which specialises in prosthetics and reconstructive surgery, over 80,000 people have lost limbs as a result of the ongoing conflict. With the help of Superhumans, Eddy says he is making good progress in his rehabilitation. However, the charity reports that war-related injuries are increasing by 15 percent each year. To highlight the growing number of casualties and draw attention to the ongoing impact of the war, Superhumans has replaced the lamp on the statue of healthcare pioneer Florence Nightingal e in London with a prosthetic painted in the colours of the Ukrainian flag. The initiative has received support from Sir Richard Branson and Virgin Unite, as well as heavyweight boxing champion Oleksandr Usyk. Additional artificial limbs have also been placed around the statue's base, each featuring a QR code that leads viewers to a video series titled "Ukraine: Defending Freedom," sharing personal narratives of patients at the Superhumans Centre. Olga Rudnieva, CEO of the charity, stated: "We want to keep attention on the war in Ukraine and highlight the ongoing battle we're having to supply those in need. "In the modern era, the development of prosthetics means that people can get back to living life normally and it's our aim, in an abnormal circumstance, to get people feeling themselves again." The Superhumans war trauma centre was built in just four-and-a-half months while Lviv faced ongoing attacks in 2022. Since then, it has provided services to more than 2,000 patients and this year has extended its reach to Dnipro and Odessa. Eddy Scott emphasised, "It is so important that we continue to talk about Ukraine. So many people have forgotten that this war is still happening. All of us are tired, but it doesn't mean that we can stop." Representing Virgin Unite, Sir Richard Branson stated: "Ukraine's fight is not just for its own future, but for the ideals of freedom and democracy everywhere. "Since Russia's invasion, the Ukrainian people have paid a terrible price. They've sacrificed their limbs, homes, and lives. It's easy, from a distance, to feel fatigue or helplessness. "But we cannot look away. Freedom is never free, and Ukraine is paying the cost on all our behalf. Let's keep standing together for Ukraine."
Euronews
9 hours ago
- Politics
- Euronews
Russian strikes hit Ukraine day after Trump's 50-day peace ultimatum
Russian forces launched drone attacks across several regions in Ukraine overnight into Tuesday, bringing the death toll since Sunday to five, according to regional authorities. In Dnipro, an apartment building, six houses and a school were damaged by drone debris, but no injuries were reported. Several districts in the surrounding Dnipropetrovsk region were also hit by Shahed-type and FPV drones, injuring a 63-year-old woman in the Nikopol district, according to regional governor Serhii Lysak. In Zaporizhzhia, a 60-year-old woman and a 66-year-old man were injured during Russian attacks against the Polohy district, according to Governor Ivan Fedorov. A hangar and an administrative building were damaged in the strike on Zaporizhzhia, City Council Secretary Regina Kharchenko reported. She added that a fire also broke out on the roof of a multi-story residential building. Kharchenko noted that the fire was quickly extinguished and no casualties were reported. A 57-year-old woman was killed in a Russian strike on Kharkiv, regional governor Oleh Syniehubov reported. Nine other town in the regions were also targeted, injuring a further nine people, including two children, Syniehubov added. Twelve people were injured during Russian attacks in Sumy, including a 14-year-old girl, regional authorities reported. A university in the city was hit by three Russian drones, injuring five staff members and a 19-year-old student, according to authorities. A medical facility, cars and non-residential buildings were also damaged. Russia also launched a missile attack on the town of Shostka in the Sumy region, damaging a medical facility and injuring another 14-year-old girl, the regional military administration reported. Several residential buildings were reported damaged. Russia claimed on Monday that its forces had struck Ukrainian military-industrial facilities, while Ukraine reported repelling Russian attacks on multiple fronts. The Russian Defence Ministry reported that over the past 24 hours, Russian forces had taken control of two villages in eastern Ukraine, one in the Zaporizhzhia region and one in the Donetsk region. The ministry also claimed Russian air defence forces destroyed three Ukrainian aerial bombs and shot down 120 drones. Trump's 50-day ultimatum US President Donald Trump and NATO chief Mark Rutte announced further arms deliveries for Ukraine on Monday, that the US will manufacture and European NATO countries will pay for. Trump also said he is giving Russia 50 days to reach a peace deal, or face what he said would be "very severe" economic sanctions. While some believe strict tariffs on Moscow could be a game changer, the postponement until September struck others as being too long. Russia is making a summer push to break through the 1,000-kilometre front line and its drones and missiles are hammering Ukrainian cities more than at any time in the past three years. For Russia, Trump's delay of new sanctions is a reprieve. Senior Russian lawmaker Konstantin Kosachev commented: "Oh, how much can change both on the battlefield and with the mood of those leading the US and NATO in 50 days." Russian state television pointed out that Trump's decision would bring a bigger financial burden for Europe. Russia currently holds about 20% of Ukraine. Ukraine's depleted army has recently been losing more territory, but there is no sign of a looming collapse of the front line, analysts say. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he spoke to Trump after the Republican leader's Oval Office announcement Monday, expressing gratitude for the decision to send more Patriot air defence missiles that are vital to defend Ukrainian cities. "We discussed…the necessary measures and decisions to provide greater protection for people from Russian attacks and strengthen our positions," Zelenskyy said on Telegram. "We agreed to talk more often and coordinate our steps in the future."
Int'l Business Times
11 hours ago
- Politics
- Int'l Business Times
Ukraine Covers Frontline Roads With Anti-drone Nets
A ravaged car with its engine destroyed and doors riddled with shrapnel lay on the side of the road near Dobropillia, a sleepy town not far from the front line in eastern Ukraine. Hit by a small, remote-controlled drone, the mangled chassis was a stark reminder of why Ukraine is hurrying to mount netting over supply routes behind the sprawling front line to thwart Russian aerial attacks. As Russia's invasion grinds through its fourth year, Moscow and Kyiv are both menacing each other's armies with swarms of cheap drones, easily found on the market and rigged with deadly explosives. AFP reporters saw Ukrainian soldiers installing green nets on four-metre (13-foot) poles spanning kilometres (miles) of road in the eastern Donetsk region, where some of the war's most intense fighting has taken place. "When a drone hits the net, it short-circuits and it cannot target vehicles," said 27-year-old engineering brigade commander Denis, working under the blazing sun. "We are shifting into a so-called drone war," Denis told AFP. FPV (first-person view) drones have already seriously wounded a few of his men. Some are armed with shotguns to shoot them down. The Russian army has also been deploying nets. "We weave nets like spiders! For extremely dangerous birds without feathers," the Russian defence ministry quoted a soldier with the call sign "Ares" as saying in April. An earlier article by pro-Kremlin media outlet Izvestia also showed soldiers mounting netting close to the front. Drones are also a worry for towns and cities. Since early July, the town of Dobropillia, around 20 kilometres (12 miles) from the front line, has become a target for Russian FPV drone attacks. During a recent visit to the civilian hub -- where some 28,000 people lived before the war -- AFP journalists saw residents on the streets rush for cover in shops when a drone began buzzing overhead. When the high-pitched whirring had died down and the threat disappeared, one woman exiting a shelter picked up her shopping bags and glanced upwards, returning to her routine. Every day, victims come to the small town's hospital. According to the hospital's director, Vadym Babkov, the enemy FPVs "spare neither medical workers nor civilians". "We are all under threat," Babkov added. In Russia's Belgorod border region, which frequently comes under Ukrainian fire, authorities have retrofitted ambulances with metal anti-drone cages -- a technology once reserved for tanks and personnel carrier vehicles. "Civilians have got used to it," Denis told AFP. Olga, a waitress in a small cafe and mini-market in Dobropillia, has devised her own way to cope with the constant drone threat. "When I drive and feel that a drone is going to attack me, I open all the windows to avoid glass shards hitting me," the 45-year-old told AFP. The atmosphere in the town had become "frightening", Olga said. The shop next to Olga's was recently hit by an FPV drone, leaving its owner in a coma. "Now we jump at every gust of wind," Olga said. "The day has passed -- thank God. The night has passed and we wake up with all our arms and legs intact -- thank God." But she doesn't know for how long. "Everything hangs in the air now," she said. We're living day by day." Some Ukrainian servicemen use shotguns to down the drones AFP
Forbes
04-07-2025
- Forbes
First Known Attack By Underwater FPV Destroys Russian River Crossing
The submerged FPV, arrrowed, seconds before it detonated Following the drone war in Ukraine you get used to seeing some unusual things, from drones dropping Roman-era caltrops to burst tires to four FPVs lashed together to create a heavy lift drone. But this video of an underwater FPV destroying a Russian river crossing is definitely a first. (H/T to Tim White for spotting). Shrike Strike Submerged Shrike Special Edition In one sense this was no surprise. Back in February we reported on the Shrike Special Edition, a new version of Ukraine's Shrike FPV attack drone capable of landing in water, submerging, and then taking off again. The new drone was even demonstrated in a video released by Ukrainian drone expert Serhii Flash. At the time, it looked like the idea was for a new class of ambush drone, one that could lurk in ponds, lakes, flooded ditches, reservoirs and other watery hiding places and would be virtually impossible to spot. However, as the video shows, it has other uses too. Posted on Telegram by the Northen Eagle Battalion of the 151st Motorized Rifle Brigade, the video shows a river crossing in the Kharkiv region which has already been destroyed once. The remains of a road bridge can be seen in the water. The Russians have improvised a foot crossing over the gap with three logs the size of telegraph poles. Enhanced view of the underwater FPV used by Northern Eagles The video shows an FPV underwater nestled close to one end of the crossing. The drone blows up, with video pulling back to show that the crossing has been destroyed. (The caption says 'Underwater FPV…Destroying an enemy crossing'' and there is a link to donate to buy more drones). This might cause the Russians some inconvenience, but destroying three logs is not a major loss and the target could as easily have been attacked with a bomber drone or just a conventional FPV. Why expend a special drone to blow up some logs? Ambush Or Test Run? One possibility is that the Shrike was put in position to wait for soldiers to attempt to cross, and that hiding underwater was the best way to conceal it. Waiting in ambush uses power, and the drone's battery will have been running down. As the power bars started to dip, the operator may have chosen to detonate the drone rather risk it falling into enemy hands. (Some if not all FPVs are now rigged to explode if tampered with so letting them be captured is not always a bad idea, but nobody wants the Russians to capture a new design). There is also the possibility that this was a trial run, a test to see whether the submersible FPV could hit a bridge target in actual combat conditions. In this case the operator may have deliberately chosen a time when there were no Russian soldiers around to make the attack as straightforward as possible. One surprising feature is that the Shrike is downstream of the crossing. This is odd because the obvious way to attack a crossing like this would be to land upstream of the crossing and let the current carry it into place (like the floating bridge-busting bombs used in the Caroline Moon operation in Vietnam). It may be that the approach from that side was not possible, but the operator managed to get the drone precisely in position anyway. The video shows that submersible FPVs can destroy a target at or below water level. Knocking out three logs may not be significant, but successfully demonstrating a technology that can attack one of the toughest targets is far more important. The Kerch Bridge was damaged by explosives placed by a large underwater drone. A fleet of ... More submersible FPVs might carry out the same type of mission. In this case a single drone was used on one-way mission. But the submersible drone could have placed the explosives and then returned to get more, like the minelaying drones which are widely used. Have several Shrikes ferrying explosives to the same spot underwater and you can start talking about attacking serious targets like bridge supports which are usually challenging for air power. And flying drones may have a much better chance of bypassing defenses than robot submarines Underwater Evolution As we wrote previously, there are a lot of submersible multicopter drones out there in the consumer and academic sectors and even a few military ones. Some are designed to propel themselves underwater as well as in air. This tends to be very inefficient, but as this Chinese TJ Flying Fish shows, multicopters can submerge, and travel and maneuver underwater with high precision. Communication underwater is an issue but not an insoluble one. Small drones bring a transformational ability to rapidly deliver payloads several miles away with extreme precision. When this expands to include underwater targets, it opens up a whole new set of possibilities. This includes the intriguing possibility that FPVs could now target Russian submarines. The river crossing attack appears to be the first recorded underwater strike by an amphibious drone. Four months after being unveiled, the technology has been proven to work. Now we will see how it is used.
Leader Live
03-07-2025
- Politics
- Leader Live
Attempt to overturn approval of 300 homes in Hawarden rejected
A notice of motion was brought before Flintshire County Council by Cllr Alasdair Ibbotson of Flintshire Peoples Voice suggesting a number of incidents during the planning meeting on June 11, where the Castle Green development was approved, had fuelled concerns about the decision-making process. These included one councillor stating they had not read any of the objectors emails and another, before the meeting, referring to residents emails as 'c**p'. 'The planning committee meeting on the 11th of June marks, what we can surely all agree, is a new low,' he told the meeting of full council on Wednesday. 'The decision on the Ash Lane site was a farce from the very start – before the meeting had even begun – to the finish. 'We began with one councillor showing utter contempt for residents by calling objectors emails 'the c**p from Mancot residents'. If that language was used by a planning committee member about a developer there is no question a developer would take legal action to overturn the decision on the basis of prejudice. 'We then had a second councillor claim they had refused to read objections by the public as he had been instructed not to by planning officers.' Fellow FPV Cllr Sam Swash, who has represented opponents of the development in his Mancot ward, also spoke out. 'While that farce played out right in front of the residents who's lives it would affect, crucial planning considerations were brushed aside or conveniently ignored,' he said. 'Considerations that the very same committee used to reject other applications in the same meeting. 'Applications have been refused in Oakenholt and Northop Hall on grounds of overdevelopment, lack of infrastructure, inappropriate scale and density. Yet when those exact same issues were raised in relation to Ash Lane they were dismissed without meaningful engagement. 'Why? Because the site is allocated in the Local Development Plan.' Cllr Ibbotson's motion called for the council to apologise to residents, to recognise that not every proposal on land included in the Local Development Plan (LDP) be approved and that the Ash Lane decision be reversed. Read more: At the planning meeting on June 11 an apology for remarks made prior to the meeting – which were heard in the chamber – was made by Cllr Paul Cunningham to attendees. Cllr Allan Marshall – who was not named in the motion – told full council that the claim he had not read objections was incorrect. 'If they go back to the webcast and listen to what I said, they will see they've got it wrong. 'I've checked it, this is what I said: 'Firstly I have to declare that I have received over 160 emails regarding this development over the past few weeks. As instructed during the planning committee training I have not read any of them. I have responded with standard text to some, but not all, of them'.' Cllr Marshall later clarified that he had read objections formally posted in the planning portal – where all official documents relating to an application can be viewed. Chief planning officer Andy Farrow, addressing his final full council meeting before his retirement, assured elected members that due process had been followed in what he admitted had been a challenging planning committee meeting. 'The primary concern is that we follow the process,' he said 'There's been some slightly disrespectful things said about the way that meeting was held but I have to give credit to the chair on the day Cllr Gladys Healey – it was a challenging meeting but we did follow process. 'We've been through the evidence in terms of this site with respect to the Local Development Plan and concluded the principle of residential development on that site was acceptable. 'The meeting has been referred to as a farce. Just because you don't get the outcome you want doesn't mean it was a farce. What matters is that the process was followed and I saw nothing at that meeting or subsequently that shows process hasn't been followed.' Mr Farrow went on to clarify that members are not told not to read emails of objection but rather to ensure they respond without indicating the objection has influenced their thinking on an application, as this could be seen as prejudicial predetermination. Deputy leader of the council, Cllr Richard Jones supported Mr Farrow and the planning committee in responding to the motion. 'The planning committee meeting was certainly a difficult and emotional one,' he told councillors. 'But the committee did follow the established processes when considering all representations, dealing with third-party speakers and ultimately reaching a decision on the application taking into account all material considerations. 'Despite the concerns expressed in the notice of motion, planning committee took a reasonable and legitimate decision on the Ash Lane application. Whilst the composer of the motion may not be satisfied with the decision, if the process was flawed or the committee have erred in terms of law, that decision should be challenged by a judicial review.' Flintshire councillors rejected the motion 29-9, meaning the decision to approve the Ash Lane development remains valid.
