Latest news with #OpenSourceCentre
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
12 hours ago
- Science
- First Post
Latest satellite images confirm Iran now expanding its Fordow site after US bombings
Signs of 'fresh earth movement,' including new access roads and clusters of crater zones are visible at the Fordow site read more Latest satellite images show Iran might be working to expand the Fordow nuclear facility days after the site was targeted by US B-2 stealth bombers. Images released by Maxar Technologies reveal that heavy machinery has been moved into the site, and signs of additional earthwork are visible. There are signs that tunnel entrances may have been deliberately sealed off before the US bombers dropped Massive Ordnance Penetrators (MOPs) on the underground site. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Fordow was among the three nuclear sites that US bombers targeted overnight on June 21–22 under Operation Midnight Hammer. Now, signs of 'fresh earth movement,' including new access roads and clusters of crater zones are visible at the Fordow site. Significance The US administration has claimed that the bombings ' obliterated ' the underground facility at Fordow; however, satellite images indicate Iran may have already moved enriched uranium 'to a safe location'. An analysis by the Open Source Centre in London also suggested that visuals show that Iran may have been preparing the site for a strike. However, it is unclear exactly what, if anything, was removed from the facility. What do the new images reveal? In recent imagery, earth-moving equipment is visible near the northern tunnel complex. Bulldozers are shifting soil around a ridgeline crater, with new access paths evident. Imagery from June 19-20 showed several bulldozers and trucks near the tunnel entrance, likely part of an effort to block or reinforce access points. In the new images, the entrances appear filled with dirt, and debris from MOP impacts is noticeable in several areas. Can Iran still build a nuclear bomb? With the high probability that Iran has moved its stockpile of enriched uranium elsewhere, there are chances that the nation could build a nuclear weapon. However, Ronen Solomon, an Israeli intelligence analyst, told The Telegraph that even if Iran had moved its uranium, it would be 'like having fuel without a car', adding: 'They have the uranium, but they can't do a lot with it unless they have built something we don't know about on a small scale.'
Business Insider
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Business Insider
Israel's trying to wipe out Iran's nuke program. It won't be an easy kill.
Israel launched an air assault against Iran early Friday morning that officials said is intended to damage Tehran's nuclear program. Hundreds of Israeli warplanes participated in a series of widespread airstrikes targeting sites associated with Iran's nuclear and missile programs, as well as military leaders and air defense systems, in a major escalation that has already drawn a retaliatory attack from Tehran. Specifically, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that his forces "struck at the heart" of the country's nuclear enrichment and weaponization programs, and targeted its main enrichment facility at Natanz. The extent of the damage is unclear so far, but analysts said it appeared to be limited based on satellite imagery. Netanyahu had long pushed for a military approach to Iran's nuclear program, as opposed to the deal that the Trump administration was hoping to settle to prevent Tehran from building nuclear weapons. Iran has said that its nuclear program is for civilian purposes. However, military and nuclear experts say firepower alone won't be enough to completely wipe out Iran's nuclear program. It has many scientists with nuclear expertise and has stored its most critical facilities in bunkers buried deep underground. This makes the facilities particularly challenging targets that, from the air, can only be reached by the largest bunker busters, which Israel lacks, or repeated strikes in the same spots. Natanz, home to Iran's largest uranium enrichment site, is located several floors underground in the center of the country. The Israel Defense Forces said its airstrikes damaged an underground area of the facility that contains an enrichment hall with centrifuges, electrical rooms, and additional infrastructure. Satellite imagery captured on Friday revealed what appears to be significant damage at Natanz, but only on the surface. Overnight, Israeli strikes reportedly targeted strategic Iranian sites, including the Natanz nuclear facility, Iran's primary center for uranium enrichment. High-resolution imagery from @AirbusDefence, captured on June 13, 2025, reveals significant damage to the facility. — Open Source Centre (@osc_london) June 13, 2025 Iran's other main enrichment site, Fordow, is buried even deeper in the side of a mountain and is the country's most "hardened" facility, said Darya Dolzikova, a senior research fellow for proliferation and nuclear policy at the UK-based Royal United Services Institute think tank. In comments shared with Business Insider, Dolzikova said Fordow has not been affected by the Israeli strikes, nor have other locations. "Should Iran make a decision to produce a nuclear weapon, it would likely do that at hardened and potentially still secret sites," she said. It's unclear what air-to-ground munitions Israel used to strike Natanz and the other targets affiliated with Iran's nuclear program. However, it would take a very large bunker-buster bomb to reach underground and destroy the more hardened sites. The likely best weapon for the job is the US military's GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator, one of the most powerful non-nuclear bombs and the largest bunker buster in America's arsenal at 15 tons. These munitions can only be carried by the B-2 Spirit stealth bomber and the B-21 Raider in development. Israel doesn't have bomber aircraft capable of carrying the largest bunker-buster munitions. The IDF shared footage showing its fighter jets — F-35s, F-16s, and F-15s — taking off and landing during the strikes. Weapons experts pointed out that some of the aircraft appear to be carrying 2,000-pound guided bombs. Israel's F-15I, though, can carry 4,000-pound anti-bunker bombs. Military analysts with RUSI estimated in March that the Fordow site could be as deep as 260 feet underground, likely beyond the reach of even America's MOP. Damaging it would almost certainly require repeated strikes, likely over days or weeks. US officials said Washington was not involved in the Israeli strikes. Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned Iran not to retaliate against American forces in the region, something Tehran and its allies have done in the past. The US Navy has one aircraft carrier and six surface warships in the Middle East right now. These assets are capable of providing air defense in the event of a larger Iranian response. So far, Tehran has retaliated by launching dozens of drones at Israel. Beyond the nuclear sites, Israeli officials said forces also went after other high-profile Iranian targets, including its top scientists, senior military commanders, air defenses, and ballistic missile program.
The Advertiser
11-06-2025
- Politics
- The Advertiser
Ukrainian army says it struck Russian gunpowder plant
The Ukrainian military says it has struck a major Russian gunpowder plant in the western Tambov region, causing a fire at the site. The Ukrainian military characterised the plant as one of the main facilities in Russia's military industrial complex. "It produces gunpowder for various types of small arms, artillery and rocket systems," it said in a statement on Telegram. Tambov regional Governor Yevgeny Pervyshov said early on Wednesday that Russian defences had repelled a "massive attack" by Ukrainian drones on the town of Kotovsk, which independent Russian media identified as the site of a gunpowder plant. He said one downed drone had caused a fire but no casualties, and the situation was under control. Pervyshov also told people not to film and publish images of air defence operations and attempted attacks, as this would provide "direct assistance to the enemy". The Tambov gunpowder plant produces propellant powders used in charges for ammunition for 122 mm and 152 mm howitzers, according to a report from the Royal United Services Institute and the Open Source Centre. The Ukrainian military also said that it recorded explosions at an ammunition depot in Russia's Kursk region and an airfield depot in Russia's Voronezh region. Reuters was not able to independently confirm the incidents. Ukraine accepted the bodies of 1212 of its fallen soldiers from Russia after days of dispute, the Ukrainian agency dealing with prisoners of war said on Wednesday. The soldiers died in battles in Russia's Kursk region and the Ukrainian regions of Kharkiv, Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson, the agency said. Russia received 27 killed soldiers in return, Russian chief negotiator Vladimir Medinsky said. "Now they can be laid to rest in a Christian manner," he wrote on Telegram. Russia has for days accused Ukraine of failing to accept the remains, and called on Ukrainian authorities to comply with agreements reached between the warring parties in talks in Istanbul at the beginning of the month. Russia transported the bodies ready for handover over the weekend in what it termed a "humanitarian action" while Ukraine said that no agreement on a handover date had been reached. The Istanbul talks provided for the return of the remains of more than 6000 fallen soldiers from Russia to Ukraine. Work on implementing the Istanbul agreements will continue, Medinsky said, with an exchange of seriously wounded prisoners of war to take place on Thursday. Ukraine and Russia had already exchanged an unspecified number of prisoners in recent days. In Istanbul, it was agreed that each side would release in stages 1200 prisoners - those under 25, the seriously wounded and the seriously ill. Ukraine has been defending itself against a Russian invasion for more than three years. During the war, there have been repeated exchanges of prisoners and the return of bodies. A Russian drone strike on the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv killed at least two people and injured dozens, local media reported early on Wednesday. with DPA The Ukrainian military says it has struck a major Russian gunpowder plant in the western Tambov region, causing a fire at the site. The Ukrainian military characterised the plant as one of the main facilities in Russia's military industrial complex. "It produces gunpowder for various types of small arms, artillery and rocket systems," it said in a statement on Telegram. Tambov regional Governor Yevgeny Pervyshov said early on Wednesday that Russian defences had repelled a "massive attack" by Ukrainian drones on the town of Kotovsk, which independent Russian media identified as the site of a gunpowder plant. He said one downed drone had caused a fire but no casualties, and the situation was under control. Pervyshov also told people not to film and publish images of air defence operations and attempted attacks, as this would provide "direct assistance to the enemy". The Tambov gunpowder plant produces propellant powders used in charges for ammunition for 122 mm and 152 mm howitzers, according to a report from the Royal United Services Institute and the Open Source Centre. The Ukrainian military also said that it recorded explosions at an ammunition depot in Russia's Kursk region and an airfield depot in Russia's Voronezh region. Reuters was not able to independently confirm the incidents. Ukraine accepted the bodies of 1212 of its fallen soldiers from Russia after days of dispute, the Ukrainian agency dealing with prisoners of war said on Wednesday. The soldiers died in battles in Russia's Kursk region and the Ukrainian regions of Kharkiv, Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson, the agency said. Russia received 27 killed soldiers in return, Russian chief negotiator Vladimir Medinsky said. "Now they can be laid to rest in a Christian manner," he wrote on Telegram. Russia has for days accused Ukraine of failing to accept the remains, and called on Ukrainian authorities to comply with agreements reached between the warring parties in talks in Istanbul at the beginning of the month. Russia transported the bodies ready for handover over the weekend in what it termed a "humanitarian action" while Ukraine said that no agreement on a handover date had been reached. The Istanbul talks provided for the return of the remains of more than 6000 fallen soldiers from Russia to Ukraine. Work on implementing the Istanbul agreements will continue, Medinsky said, with an exchange of seriously wounded prisoners of war to take place on Thursday. Ukraine and Russia had already exchanged an unspecified number of prisoners in recent days. In Istanbul, it was agreed that each side would release in stages 1200 prisoners - those under 25, the seriously wounded and the seriously ill. Ukraine has been defending itself against a Russian invasion for more than three years. During the war, there have been repeated exchanges of prisoners and the return of bodies. A Russian drone strike on the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv killed at least two people and injured dozens, local media reported early on Wednesday. with DPA The Ukrainian military says it has struck a major Russian gunpowder plant in the western Tambov region, causing a fire at the site. The Ukrainian military characterised the plant as one of the main facilities in Russia's military industrial complex. "It produces gunpowder for various types of small arms, artillery and rocket systems," it said in a statement on Telegram. Tambov regional Governor Yevgeny Pervyshov said early on Wednesday that Russian defences had repelled a "massive attack" by Ukrainian drones on the town of Kotovsk, which independent Russian media identified as the site of a gunpowder plant. He said one downed drone had caused a fire but no casualties, and the situation was under control. Pervyshov also told people not to film and publish images of air defence operations and attempted attacks, as this would provide "direct assistance to the enemy". The Tambov gunpowder plant produces propellant powders used in charges for ammunition for 122 mm and 152 mm howitzers, according to a report from the Royal United Services Institute and the Open Source Centre. The Ukrainian military also said that it recorded explosions at an ammunition depot in Russia's Kursk region and an airfield depot in Russia's Voronezh region. Reuters was not able to independently confirm the incidents. Ukraine accepted the bodies of 1212 of its fallen soldiers from Russia after days of dispute, the Ukrainian agency dealing with prisoners of war said on Wednesday. The soldiers died in battles in Russia's Kursk region and the Ukrainian regions of Kharkiv, Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson, the agency said. Russia received 27 killed soldiers in return, Russian chief negotiator Vladimir Medinsky said. "Now they can be laid to rest in a Christian manner," he wrote on Telegram. Russia has for days accused Ukraine of failing to accept the remains, and called on Ukrainian authorities to comply with agreements reached between the warring parties in talks in Istanbul at the beginning of the month. Russia transported the bodies ready for handover over the weekend in what it termed a "humanitarian action" while Ukraine said that no agreement on a handover date had been reached. The Istanbul talks provided for the return of the remains of more than 6000 fallen soldiers from Russia to Ukraine. Work on implementing the Istanbul agreements will continue, Medinsky said, with an exchange of seriously wounded prisoners of war to take place on Thursday. Ukraine and Russia had already exchanged an unspecified number of prisoners in recent days. In Istanbul, it was agreed that each side would release in stages 1200 prisoners - those under 25, the seriously wounded and the seriously ill. Ukraine has been defending itself against a Russian invasion for more than three years. During the war, there have been repeated exchanges of prisoners and the return of bodies. A Russian drone strike on the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv killed at least two people and injured dozens, local media reported early on Wednesday. with DPA The Ukrainian military says it has struck a major Russian gunpowder plant in the western Tambov region, causing a fire at the site. The Ukrainian military characterised the plant as one of the main facilities in Russia's military industrial complex. "It produces gunpowder for various types of small arms, artillery and rocket systems," it said in a statement on Telegram. Tambov regional Governor Yevgeny Pervyshov said early on Wednesday that Russian defences had repelled a "massive attack" by Ukrainian drones on the town of Kotovsk, which independent Russian media identified as the site of a gunpowder plant. He said one downed drone had caused a fire but no casualties, and the situation was under control. Pervyshov also told people not to film and publish images of air defence operations and attempted attacks, as this would provide "direct assistance to the enemy". The Tambov gunpowder plant produces propellant powders used in charges for ammunition for 122 mm and 152 mm howitzers, according to a report from the Royal United Services Institute and the Open Source Centre. The Ukrainian military also said that it recorded explosions at an ammunition depot in Russia's Kursk region and an airfield depot in Russia's Voronezh region. Reuters was not able to independently confirm the incidents. Ukraine accepted the bodies of 1212 of its fallen soldiers from Russia after days of dispute, the Ukrainian agency dealing with prisoners of war said on Wednesday. The soldiers died in battles in Russia's Kursk region and the Ukrainian regions of Kharkiv, Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson, the agency said. Russia received 27 killed soldiers in return, Russian chief negotiator Vladimir Medinsky said. "Now they can be laid to rest in a Christian manner," he wrote on Telegram. Russia has for days accused Ukraine of failing to accept the remains, and called on Ukrainian authorities to comply with agreements reached between the warring parties in talks in Istanbul at the beginning of the month. Russia transported the bodies ready for handover over the weekend in what it termed a "humanitarian action" while Ukraine said that no agreement on a handover date had been reached. The Istanbul talks provided for the return of the remains of more than 6000 fallen soldiers from Russia to Ukraine. Work on implementing the Istanbul agreements will continue, Medinsky said, with an exchange of seriously wounded prisoners of war to take place on Thursday. Ukraine and Russia had already exchanged an unspecified number of prisoners in recent days. In Istanbul, it was agreed that each side would release in stages 1200 prisoners - those under 25, the seriously wounded and the seriously ill. Ukraine has been defending itself against a Russian invasion for more than three years. During the war, there have been repeated exchanges of prisoners and the return of bodies. A Russian drone strike on the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv killed at least two people and injured dozens, local media reported early on Wednesday. with DPA
West Australian
11-06-2025
- Politics
- West Australian
Ukrainian army says it struck Russian gunpowder plant
The Ukrainian military says it has struck a major Russian gunpowder plant in the western Tambov region, causing a fire at the site. The Ukrainian military characterised the plant as one of the main facilities in Russia's military industrial complex. "It produces gunpowder for various types of small arms, artillery and rocket systems," it said in a statement on Telegram. Tambov regional Governor Yevgeny Pervyshov said early on Wednesday that Russian defences had repelled a "massive attack" by Ukrainian drones on the town of Kotovsk, which independent Russian media identified as the site of a gunpowder plant. He said one downed drone had caused a fire but no casualties, and the situation was under control. Pervyshov also told people not to film and publish images of air defence operations and attempted attacks, as this would provide "direct assistance to the enemy". The Tambov gunpowder plant produces propellant powders used in charges for ammunition for 122 mm and 152 mm howitzers, according to a report from the Royal United Services Institute and the Open Source Centre. The Ukrainian military also said that it recorded explosions at an ammunition depot in Russia's Kursk region and an airfield depot in Russia's Voronezh region. Reuters was not able to independently confirm the incidents. Ukraine accepted the bodies of 1212 of its fallen soldiers from Russia after days of dispute, the Ukrainian agency dealing with prisoners of war said on Wednesday. The soldiers died in battles in Russia's Kursk region and the Ukrainian regions of Kharkiv, Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson, the agency said. Russia received 27 killed soldiers in return, Russian chief negotiator Vladimir Medinsky said. "Now they can be laid to rest in a Christian manner," he wrote on Telegram. Russia has for days accused Ukraine of failing to accept the remains, and called on Ukrainian authorities to comply with agreements reached between the warring parties in talks in Istanbul at the beginning of the month. Russia transported the bodies ready for handover over the weekend in what it termed a "humanitarian action" while Ukraine said that no agreement on a handover date had been reached. The Istanbul talks provided for the return of the remains of more than 6000 fallen soldiers from Russia to Ukraine. Work on implementing the Istanbul agreements will continue, Medinsky said, with an exchange of seriously wounded prisoners of war to take place on Thursday. Ukraine and Russia had already exchanged an unspecified number of prisoners in recent days. In Istanbul, it was agreed that each side would release in stages 1200 prisoners - those under 25, the seriously wounded and the seriously ill. Ukraine has been defending itself against a Russian invasion for more than three years. During the war, there have been repeated exchanges of prisoners and the return of bodies. A Russian drone strike on the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv killed at least two people and injured dozens, local media reported early on Wednesday. with DPA
Perth Now
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Perth Now
Ukrainian army says it struck Russian gunpowder plant
The Ukrainian military says it has struck a major Russian gunpowder plant in the western Tambov region, causing a fire at the site. The Ukrainian military characterised the plant as one of the main facilities in Russia's military industrial complex. "It produces gunpowder for various types of small arms, artillery and rocket systems," it said in a statement on Telegram. Tambov regional Governor Yevgeny Pervyshov said early on Wednesday that Russian defences had repelled a "massive attack" by Ukrainian drones on the town of Kotovsk, which independent Russian media identified as the site of a gunpowder plant. He said one downed drone had caused a fire but no casualties, and the situation was under control. Pervyshov also told people not to film and publish images of air defence operations and attempted attacks, as this would provide "direct assistance to the enemy". The Tambov gunpowder plant produces propellant powders used in charges for ammunition for 122 mm and 152 mm howitzers, according to a report from the Royal United Services Institute and the Open Source Centre. The Ukrainian military also said that it recorded explosions at an ammunition depot in Russia's Kursk region and an airfield depot in Russia's Voronezh region. Reuters was not able to independently confirm the incidents. Ukraine accepted the bodies of 1212 of its fallen soldiers from Russia after days of dispute, the Ukrainian agency dealing with prisoners of war said on Wednesday. The soldiers died in battles in Russia's Kursk region and the Ukrainian regions of Kharkiv, Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson, the agency said. Russia received 27 killed soldiers in return, Russian chief negotiator Vladimir Medinsky said. "Now they can be laid to rest in a Christian manner," he wrote on Telegram. Russia has for days accused Ukraine of failing to accept the remains, and called on Ukrainian authorities to comply with agreements reached between the warring parties in talks in Istanbul at the beginning of the month. Russia transported the bodies ready for handover over the weekend in what it termed a "humanitarian action" while Ukraine said that no agreement on a handover date had been reached. The Istanbul talks provided for the return of the remains of more than 6000 fallen soldiers from Russia to Ukraine. Work on implementing the Istanbul agreements will continue, Medinsky said, with an exchange of seriously wounded prisoners of war to take place on Thursday. Ukraine and Russia had already exchanged an unspecified number of prisoners in recent days. In Istanbul, it was agreed that each side would release in stages 1200 prisoners - those under 25, the seriously wounded and the seriously ill. Ukraine has been defending itself against a Russian invasion for more than three years. During the war, there have been repeated exchanges of prisoners and the return of bodies. A Russian drone strike on the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv killed at least two people and injured dozens, local media reported early on Wednesday. with DPA
