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The Sun
13-07-2025
- General
- The Sun
Huge blaze rages at former RAF site with 12,000 tonnes of hay on fire as smoke fills the sky
A MASSIVE fire broke out at an old RAF base this morning. Fire crews rushed to Wigsley Old Airfield in Nottinghamshire at 1.25am. 5 5 5 Around 12,000 tonnes of hay bales and standing corn were ablaze. There were about 10 fire engines and multiple rural firefighting vehicles tackling the flames. Three engines remain on scene, where they're creating fire breaks to extinguish the blaze. The brigade said crews will be on scene for the next few days to fully extinguish the fire and determine a cause. RAF Wigsley was built between 1941-1942 as a satellite base for the Royal Air Force. It was operational from February 1942 and closed in July 1958. There are still buildings from the war on the site today. 5 5
Time of India
09-07-2025
- General
- Time of India
13 die as Gujarat bridge collapses, 6 vehicles fall into Mahi river
Around 7.30 am, a large slab of the 43-year-old bridge over the Mahisagar River gave way. The bridge connected Vadodara and Anand districts, serving as a vital link between Central Gujarat and Saurashtra VADODARA: At least 13 people, including two children, died Wednesday morning when six vehicles plunged 50 to 60 feet into Mahi river after a key section of a 39-year-old bridge caved in near Mujpur village, 27km from Vadodara. The collapse reignited memories of the Morbi tragedy in Oct 2022, when a 19th-century suspension bridge gave way after renovation, killing 135 and injuring 56. Investigations blamed shoddy repairs and rushed timelines. Built in 1986, the bridge near Mujpur links central Gujarat to Saurashtra and is heavily used by trucks and tankers from industrial zones in Padra and Ankleshwar. Many commuters favour it to avoid tolls on Ahmedabad-Vadodara Expressway. A 15- to 20-metre segment of the 830m-long bridge gave way around 7.30am, sending three trucks, a pick-up van, an auto-rickshaw, and a seven-seater vehicle crashing into the water below. A large tanker truck teetered dangerously at the edge before being pulled to safety. Residents of nearby Dabka and Mujpur villages, jolted awake by the sound of collapsing concrete and cries for help, mounted rescue efforts for nearly an hour before teams from Vadodara fire brigade and NDRF arrived. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like An engineer reveals: One simple trick to get internet without a subscription Techno Mag Learn More Undo By late evening, 13 bodies had been pulled from the river. The victims were from Vadodara, Anand, and Panchmahal districts. Five injured survivors are being treated at SSG Hospital in Vadodara. "I was on my way to Anand. The truck suddenly began shaking violently. Before I could grasp what was happening, the bridge collapsed and I plunged into the river," said driver Ganpat Solanki, who survived the fall. Vadodara district panchayat member Harshadsinh Parmar had flagged concerns about the Gambhira bridge's condition to state govt in Aug 2022, prompting inspections. Funds were sanctioned recently, with a new Rs 212-crore bridge project in the pipeline. President Droupadi Murmu, PM Narendra Modi, and CM Bhupendra Patel expressed condolences. Gujarat govt announced Rs 4 lakh in compensation for families of the deceased, while Centre pledged Rs 2 lakh from PM's National Relief Fund. The injured will receive Rs 50,000 from both state and Centre. Wednesday's tragedy added to growing calls for mandatory structural audits, stricter bridge maintenance, and accountability for years of neglected infrastructure. A 30-year-old iron footbridge over Indrayani river near Kundamala in Pune collapsed on June 15, killing four and injuring over 50. Age, overcrowding, and ignored safety warnings were cited as reasons.
Scottish Sun
27-06-2025
- Politics
- Scottish Sun
Russians advance slower than a SNAIL with 50k pinned down as Putin's summer offensive mired in Ukraine's ‘dronegrinder'
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THE Russian invasion of Ukraine has been advancing at an incredibly slow pace - with Kyiv's "dronegrinder" warfare miring Putin's summer offensive. The rate at which Moscow is capturing land has been dubbed "slower than a snail" - all while the human cost of Russian casualties is sky high. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 8 Ukrainian soldiers of 43rd artillery brigade fire self-propelled howitzer towards Russian positions Credit: AP 8 Ukrainian service members firing an anti-tank guided missile weapon system Credit: Reuters 8 Firefighters try to extinguish after a Russian drone attack in Kharkiv Credit: Getty After 448 days of fighting inside Chasiv Yar in Donetsk Oblast, the Russians reportedly only managed to take control of 50 per cent of the city. Which means the troops, on average, are only able to take 0.00629 square miles of land per day - which is a painfully low conversion rate. Even snails, which have a speed of 0.03 miles per hour, can cover more land than what the Russians have gained in the region. Meanwhile, Kyiv has ramped up its defences as it seeks to thwart Vladimir Putin's final killer summer offensive, which military analysts say could start as early as July. Ukraine's fierce resistance forced Russian troops to stop in the Sumy region's border area, Kyiv's military Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrsky revealed. The military boss said that the Ukrainian armed forces managed to tie down a 50,000-strong force and stabilise the frontlines "as of this week". It comes after Putin cemented his territorial ambitions by proclaiming "all of Ukraine" belonged to Russia and threatening to seize Sumy. Syrsky added: "In the Pivnichnoslobozhanskyi and Kursk sectors, we've managed to tie down about 50,000 Russian troops, including elite airborne and marine brigades." Some 125,000 Russian soldiers are reportedly massing along the Sumy and Kharkiv frontiers, according to Ukraine's military intelligence. Ukrainians have now tasked a special defence group to strengthen fortifications near the frontlines, build anti-drone corridors and 'kill zones' Vladimir Putin rages 'all of Ukraine is ours' as he threatens to seize key city while Kyiv slams tyrant as 'deranged' Though the Russian forces recently seized Andriivka (north of Sumy City) and advanced southeast of Oleksiivka, according to the ISW assessment. Putin's battlefield casualties have soared past the bloody one million milestone after 40 months of meatgrinder war. Ukraine's fierce resistance forced Russia to pay a mighty toll for every inch of land it has taken, and its advances remain painfully slow. The staggering milestone includes troops who have been killed or wounded so severely that they cannot fight on. According to the Ukrainian General Staff, one million Russian military troops have been put out of action since February 24, 2022, with 628,000 of those casualties occurring in the last six months. Burning through a million troops has won Putin just 20 per cent of Ukraine's total territory - mainly in southern and eastern areas - which is a humiliating conversion rate. A defiant Ukraine stunned the world with its new-age drone warfare, which now kills more Russians than conventional battlefield techniques, such as artillery firing and battle tanks. One-way attack drones now account for almost 80 per cent of all the casualties in the war, with experts now dubbing it a "dronegrinder" war. Inside Operation Spiderweb By James Halpin, Foreign News Reporter UKRAINE'S shock sleeper drone blitz on Russia's bomber fleet has delivered a hammer blow to Vladimir Putin's nuclear arsenal. The SAS-style strike against four airfields deep inside Russia is reminiscent of the most daring raids of the WW2 that turned the tide against the Nazis. Volodymyr Zelensky oversaw Operation Spiderweb - much like Winston Churchill did as Britain struck deep behind enemy lines. Putin's doomsday bomber fleet is now crippled with 41, or a third, of his most prized aircraft lying in smouldering wrecks on tarmac. Ukraine said the sneak attack was worth $7bn (£5.2bn) in damage to Russia - caused by only 117 cheaply made drones. Ukraine's spies spent 18 months putting the plan into action and struck on the eve of fresh peace talks in Istanbul. The drones and the containers were smuggled into Russia separately and were pieced together right under Vlad's nose. Clueless lorry drivers then parked the containers next to Russian airbases - where they sat and waited in plain sight. Then, on the morning of June 1, the fleet of flying bombs rose over the far reaches of Russia - and the most daring military operation of the war began. Nondescript shipping containers parked in laybys and verges had attracted little attention - before their lids blew open and the drone swarms poured out. The craft buzzed as they took off into the air and only had to travel a short distance to their valuable targets. Each of the 117 drones had their own dedicated pilot and Russia had little defences to protect their bases and stop them. Drones with cameras sent video back to HQ in Ukraine of the moment craft struck their targets and explosions ripped into the sky. Thick black smoke climbed high, with civilians near the bases sending video of Ukraine's successes around the world. The furthest strike was Belaya Air Base - so far inside Russia that the closest neighbouring country is Mongolia. Olenya Air Base near Finland and Ivanovo and Dyagilevo near Moscow were also struck in the country's west. IS PUTIN BLUFFING? Some senior commanders in Ukraine believe the Russian attack on Sumy could be a feint and that Moscow is actually preparing to attack further south to push further into the Donbas. If so, Russia is likely to attack through three areas near each other in the Donbas - Kramatorsk, Kostiantynivka, and Pokrovsk. Vlad already controls more than 95 per cent of Luhansk, but capturing Donetsk would cement his control over the Donbas region and achieve a war aim, albeit a scaled-down one. The Donbas is an important industrial and mining area - and some 200,000 to 300,000 people still live in four cities controlled by Ukraine. Moscow's military planners will be weighing up whether they want to fight through the cities like they did in Bakhmut or encircle them by going around through farmland. 8 Kramatorsk is the closest city to the front line and is under constant attack by Russia. Brutal fighting is going on in the city - with a recent kamikaze drone strike that managed to get inside an armoured vehicle carrying Ukrainian soldiers. Russia has an opportunity to conduct a pincer movement around Kostiantynivka with its soldiers controlling land to the east and west of the city. Instead of attacking the city directly, the could bypass it and attack Druzhkivka behind it - thereby cutting Kostiantynivka and any Ukrainian soldiers still there off. In nearby Pokrovsk, Russia already has a salient, a bulge, out from the front line after a previous advance. The Pokrovsk front line is also very near Dnipropetrovsk Oblast - a region of Ukraine the Kremlin hasn't yet officially claimed. A successful breakthrough there might mean Putin can actually expand his war goals. 8 Russian soldiers lined up Credit: Reuters THE SOVIET RHETORIC It comes after Putin reaffirmed his long-held claim that Russians and Ukrainians are "one people". He declared: "In that sense, all of Ukraine is ours. "There is a saying: wherever a Russian soldier sets foot, that is ours," he added. The narrative is central to Putin's rhetoric, which he has used to justify his invasion of Ukraine. He reiterated his demand that Kyiv accept the realities of Moscow's territorial gains and abandon plans to join Nato. Putin said: "We aren't seeking Ukraine's surrender, we want them to recognise the realities on the ground," adding that Moscow has repeatedly warned Kyiv to make a deal. 8 Members of Ukraine's White Angel police unit evacuate people from Pokrovsk Credit: Reuters 8 Ukrainian soldiers fly a drone near Pokrovsk Credit: Getty Asked about Moscow's goals in Ukraine, Putin threatened to take Sumy - a key Ukrainian city - as part of the creation of a "buffer zone". He repeated that Moscow was "advancing on all fronts" and that his troops had penetrated up to seven miles into the Sumy region. Putin said: "We have to create a security zone along the border. "We have no objective to take Sumy, but in principle I do not rule it out... They pose a constant threat to us, constantly shelling the border areas." Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga described Putin's comments as "deranged" and called for Kyiv's allies to slap "devastating sanctions" on Russia.
Scottish Sun
20-06-2025
- Politics
- Scottish Sun
Vladimir Putin rages ‘all of Ukraine is ours' as he threatens to seize key city while Kyiv slams tyrant as ‘deranged'
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) TYRANT Vladimir Putin cemented his territorial ambitions by proclaiming "all of Ukraine" belonged to Russia and threatening to invade more land. Ukraine slammed Putin's comments as "deranged" and called for Kyiv's allies to slap "devastating sanctions" on Russia. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 10 Ukrainian soldiers of 43rd artillery brigade fire self-propelled howitzer towards Russian positions Credit: AP 10 An explosion of a drone lights up the sky over the city during a Russian drone strike Credit: Reuters 10 Russian President Vladimir Putin attends the main session of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) Credit: Getty 10 Speaking at Russia's flagship economic forum in Saint Petersburg, Putin reaffirmed his long-held claim that Russians and Ukrainians are "one people". He declared: "In that sense, all of Ukraine is ours. "There is a saying: wherever a Russian soldier sets foot, that is ours," he added. The narrative is central to Putin's rhetoric, which he has used to justify his invasion of Ukraine. However, he said Russia is ready to recognise Ukraine's sovereignty. But he reiterated his demand that Kyiv accept the realities of Moscow's territorial gains and abandon plans to join Nato. Putin said: "We aren't seeking Ukraine's surrender, we want them to recognise the realities on the ground," adding that Moscow has repeatedly warned Kyiv to make a deal. Asked about Moscow's goals in Ukraine, Putin threatened to take Sumy - a key Ukrainian city - as part of the creation of a "buffer zone". He repeated that Moscow was "advancing on all fronts" and that his troops had penetrated up to seven miles into the Sumy region. Putin said: "We have to create a security zone along the border. Putin has lost a MILLION men - Ukraine has killed so many it is running out of ammo "We have no objective to take Sumy, but in principle I do not rule it out... They pose a constant threat to us, constantly shelling the border areas." Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga described Putin's comments as "deranged" and called for Kyiv's allies to slap "devastating sanctions" on Russia. "The only way to force Russia into peace is to deprive it of its sense of impunity," he wrote in a post on X. Putin's widening territorial ambitions are likely to roil Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who has accused Moscow of not wanting to end the fighting. The two sides held rounds of direct talks in Istanbul in May and in June, but Kyiv accused Moscow of sending "dummy" negotiators with no real power to enact a peace deal. Putin has declined to take part in the peace talks in person and on Thursday said he would only meet Zelensky during a "final phase" of negotiations on ending the three-year conflict. He has also insisted that Ukraine give up territory it already controls for peace. Kyiv says it cannot and will not accept Russian occupation of any part of its land. 10 Firefighters try to extinguish after a Russian drone attack in Kharkiv Credit: Getty 10 Ukrainian service members firing an anti-tank guided missile weapon system Credit: Reuters 10 Artillerymen of the 15th Operative Purpose Brigade Kara-Dag firing towards Russia Credit: Reuters It comes as Putin's battlefield casualties have soared past the bloody one million milestone after 40 months of meatgrinder war. Ukraine's fierce resistance forced Russia to pay a mighty toll for every inch of land it has taken, and its advances remain painfully slow. The staggering milestone includes troops who have been killed or wounded so severely that they cannot fight on. According to the Ukrainian General Staff, one million Russian military troops have been put out of action since February 24, 2022, with 628,000 of those casualties occurring in the last six months. Burning through a million troops has won Putin just 20 per cent of Ukraine's total territory - mainly in southern and eastern areas - which is a humiliating conversion rate. Despite the devastating losses which have already ripped a scar in Russian society, experts fear that Putin is likely unaffected by the numbers. Zelensky confirmed that Moscow has been attempting to gain ground in the border regions of Sumy in the northeast. Even with the death toll climbing higher by the day Putin appears to be doubling down. The bloody milestone comes as Putin calls for a major upgrade to Russia's ground forces, Ukrainian outlet Pravda reports. 10 The Kremlin tyrant declared them the 'dominant force' in modern warfare and demanded faster development of 'advanced weapons systems' with 'the highest tactical and technical specifications.' In a meeting on the state armaments programme, Putin also directed resources toward strengthening Russia's navy, further signalling his long-term military ambitions. It all comes as Russia is reportedly building up a 50,000-strong force alongside the border of Kharkiv amid fears of a fresh summer offensive to attack the city. With the US backing out of direct negotiations to broker a peace deal and Putin stalling ceasefire talks, experts fear a major Russian offensive could mobilise in the coming weeks. The Ukrainian military in April reported that the Kremlin was amassing troops to prepare for a fresh assault on Kharkiv - Ukraine's second largest city. Military analysts believe he is trying to press home his advantage and capture more Ukrainian land. They warn that Putin only has a "four-month window" to get a breakthrough in Ukraine this year. And this could be the beginning of Russia's summer offensive targeting the border city of Kharkiv - the "fortress" city of Ukraine which put up the maximum resistance at the start of the invasion. 10 Fire burns in the debris of a private house that was destroyed in a Russian rocket strike Credit: Reuters
Scottish Sun
14-06-2025
- Politics
- Scottish Sun
With a million Russians dead & wounded – Putin won't hesitate pouring ANOTHER million into meatgrinder war, insiders say
Watch our interviews with Russia experts who discuss the latest in the war DRENCHED IN BLOOD With a million Russians dead & wounded – Putin won't hesitate pouring ANOTHER million into meatgrinder war, insiders say EVIL Vladimir Putin would not think twice before flooding another million soldiers to die on the battlefield, defence experts have warned. It comes as Putin's battlefield casualties have soared past the bloody one million milestone after 40 months of meatgrinder war. Advertisement 10 Firefighters try to extinguish after a Russian drone attack in Kharkiv Credit: Reuters 10 Ukrainian soldiers of 43rd artillery brigade fire self-propelled howitzer towards Russian positions Credit: AP 10 An explosion of a drone lights up the sky over the city during a Russian drone strike Credit: Reuters 10 Ukraine's fierce resistance forced Russia to pay a mighty toll for every inch of land it has taken, and its advances remain painfully slow. The staggering milestone includes troops who have been killed or wounded so severely that they cannot fight on. According to the Ukrainian General Staff, one million Russian military troops have been put out of action since February 24, 2022, with 628,000 of those casualties occurring in the last six months. Burning through a million troops has won Putin just 20 per cent of Ukraine's total territory - mainly in southern and eastern areas - which is a humiliating conversion rate. Advertisement Despite the devastating losses which have already ripped a scar in Russian society, experts fear that Putin is likely unaffected by the numbers. And that's because mass sacrifice is ingrained in his Soviet-style battle plan. Russian people are also too scared to stand up to the monster they've created and would rather die killing Ukrainians Ukrainian government source Leading defence expert Philip Ingram told The Sun: "Putin does not care about the numbers. He has a huge number of people ready to go to war. "Though he has been having difficulties in recruiting soldiers full-time, he is recruiting soldiers from rural Russia on contracts and paying them heavily. Advertisement "Russia is sending waves and waves of soldiers, often without the support of artillery and other fire weapons. They are being slaughtered." Mr Ingram said the Russian population may not be aware of the actual casualty rate of the war, which is being kept away the Kremlin's propaganda machine. Putin's Ukraine war toll tops 1 MILLION Russians dead & wounded 40 months into 'days-long operation'…with no end in sight, with Stephen Hall He explained how soliders are being recruited from isolated parts of Russia where the population is often poor with low literacy levels. And how Putin is "buying their silence" by offering them "life-changing compensations". Advertisement The expert said: "Soldiers are coming in from vast parts of Russia where there is no connectivity. Their literacy levels are extremely low. "What's keeping them coming is the amount of compensation they are getting, which is often life-changing. "It means they or their families would never have to work again for the rest of their lives. "That's how Vladimir Putin is buying their silence; he seems to have the population behind him. Advertisement Russia expert Bill Borwder told The Sun that Putin would lose "another five million soldiers" if it helps him to stay in power. Putin will sacrifice one, two or even five million Russians just to make sure that he stays in power Bill Browder He said: "Part of the reason that Putin is at war is not because he wants a piece of Ukraine ot he's upset with NATO. "He's at war because he's desperately afraid of his own people, and the best way of having his people have their anger deflected is have them angry at some foreign adversary. "Putin is so scared for losing his own life, he's ready to sacrifice one, two or even five million Russians just to make sure that he stays in power." Advertisement A Ukrainian government source told The Sun: "Putin doesn't care and never cared for the people of Russian Federation, be it ethnic Russians or representatives of other minorities. "For him, it is a matter of personal survival and he would be willing to send anyone to death - from a Russian soldier to a Ukrainian child - for his own miserable existence. "Unfortunately, Russian people in majority are also too scared to stand up to the monster they've created, and would rather die killing other nation's people than risk their lives standing up against it." 10 Firefighters try to extinguish after Russian drone attack in Kharkiv Credit: Getty Advertisement 10 Ukrainian service members firing an anti-tank guided missile weapon system Credit: Reuters 10 Servicemen of Armed Forces prepare to fire a self-propelled howitzer towards Russian troops Credit: Reuters 10 Artillerymen of the 15th Operative Purpose Brigade Kara-Dag firing towards Russia Credit: Reuters 10 Advertisement Dr Stephen Hall, politics lecturer at the University of Bath, said that as far as the warmongering dictator is concerned, things are heading in the right direction, so he will keep on condemning young Russians to their deaths. He told The Sun: "Putin believes he's winning the war. The Russian army is moving forward like it or not. "He believes that he can outlast the West, that the West is weak." Russia's strategy, Dr Hall said, has been one of "meat assault". Advertisement This relies on the logic that if you flood the front line with overwhelming numbers, "eventually some will get through". Dr Hall said Putin has learned this strategy from his ruthless Soviet predecessors in World War Two. Their idea was "ten men to every rifle", which meant: "You pick up the rifle of a fallen soldier. You keep going, you get shot. You're next. Your buddy picks up your rifle. "The Soviet army would eventually push through. So that remains the case in Russia." Advertisement Russians 'know how to suffer', which allows the regime to continue with its meatgrinder tactics Dr Stephen Hall And that approach suits Putin just fine, because he "doesn't care about his men", Dr Hall said. He said the Russian people "know how to suffer", which allows the regime to continue with its meat-grinder tactics. The Kremlin also meets less resistance from the Russian people than a million losses should merit, because it simply lies to them, Dr Hall said. He said: "They're simply not going to be told, especially in the poorer areas where Russia is recruiting - like Buryatia and Bashkortostan and elsewhere." Advertisement NO STOPPING Even with the death toll climbing higher by the day — over 1,140 Russian soldiers killed or wounded on Tuesday — Putin appears to be doubling down. The bloody milestone comes as Putin calls for a major upgrade to Russia's ground forces, Ukrainian outlet Pravda reports. The Kremlin tyrant declared them the 'dominant force' in modern warfare and demanded faster development of 'advanced weapons systems' with 'the highest tactical and technical specifications.' In a meeting on the state armaments programme, Putin also directed resources toward strengthening Russia's navy, further signalling his long-term military ambitions. Advertisement It all comes as Russia is reportedly building up a 50,000-strong force alongside the border of Kharkiv amid fears of a fresh summer offensive to attack the city. 10 With the US backing out of direct negotiations to broker a peace deal and Putin stalling ceasefire talks, experts fear a major Russian offensive could mobilise in the coming weeks. The Ukrainian military in April reported that the Kremlin was amassing troops to prepare for a fresh assault on Kharkiv - Ukraine's second largest city. Advertisement Meanwhile, President Volodymyr Zelensky also said that Moscow has been attempting to gain ground in the border regions of Sumy in the northeast. Military analysts believe he is trying to press home his advantage and capture more Ukrainian land. They warn that Putin only has a "four-month window" to get a breakthrough in Ukraine this year. And this could be the beginning of Russia's summer offensive targeting the border city of Kharkiv - the "fortress" city of Ukraine which put up the maximum resistance at the start of the invasion.
