Latest news with #droneAttack
Times of Oman
17-06-2025
- Politics
- Times of Oman
Cross-border attacks continue between Iran, Israel amid diplomatic push for de-escalation
Tehran: The exchange of attacks between Israel and Iran continued on Tuesday in a dangerous escalation threatening the region, amid regional and international efforts to contain the crisis. Iran's Tasnim News Agency reported on Tuesday that an Israeli drone launched an attack with four missiles on an industrial area in the city of Tabriz, northwestern Iran. The agency stated, "An Israeli aggression drone targeted an industrial zone in Tabriz with four missiles, resulting in an explosion in the area." It added that Iranian air defences continue to intercept Israeli targets in the city's airspace. Meanwhile, an Iranian security official announced on Tuesday the downing of an Israeli drone in the Kashan area of Isfahan province, near the Natanz nuclear facility. Akbar Salahi, the security deputy of Isfahan's governor, told reporters that locally made "3 Khordad" air defence systems intercepted an Israeli drone in one of the defensive layers around the Natanz nuclear site, in addition to shooting down several small flying objects in Isfahan. The fortified Natanz facility had previously been targeted in multiple attacks by Israel last Friday, leading to radioactive and chemical contamination that "did not leak outside the facility," according to Iranian authorities. In another development, an Israeli strike on the headquarters of Iran's state television in Tehran on Monday killed at least three people, according to a toll broadcast by the station on Tuesday. The channel reported that "three television employees were killed and others were wounded in the Israeli attack," without specifying the number of injuries. On the other hand, Israeli media reported that Iran launched a missile barrage this morning, hitting several areas in Haifa, Tel Aviv, and Herzliya, causing casualties and material damage. Israeli outlets stated that Herzliya came under intense missile fire, with between 20 and 30 missiles launched from Iran, one of which directly struck an eight-storey residential building, causing significant damage and thick plumes of smoke. Israeli emergency services reported that 10 people were injured while heading to shelters following the missile launches. Tehran and other Iranian cities have been under widespread attack by Israeli forces since last Friday, with Iran responding with repeated missile strikes on Israeli territory. Amid the escalating tensions, GCC Secretary-General Jassim Al-Budaiwi discussed the latest developments in the Middle East and de-escalation efforts with United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres. The GCC Secretariat General stated in a statement on Tuesday that the two officials reviewed several regional and international issues of mutual concern, primarily the developments in the war between Israel and Iran and ongoing efforts to achieve calm and enhance security and stability. Al-Budaiwi affirmed the GCC states' commitment to supporting international and UN efforts, as reflected in the statement issued by the 48th extraordinary ministerial meeting of the GCC held on Monday regarding regional developments. He stressed that the ministerial statement emphasised the necessity of an immediate ceasefire to preserve regional security and stability, urging all parties to work jointly toward de-escalation and adopt diplomacy as an effective means to resolve conflicts while exercising maximum restraint to spare the region and its people the dangers of war. For his part, Guterres commended the GCC's positive role in supporting de-escalation efforts and promoting regional security, according to the statement. He reiterated the UN's aspiration to strengthen cooperation with the GCC in various priority areas. Separately, leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) industrial nations called for de-escalation and a "broader cessation of hostilities" in the Middle East. In a statement following a meeting in Canada last night (Monday), the G7 leaders said, "We, the G7 leaders, reaffirm our commitment to peace and stability in the Middle East, as well as the importance of protecting civilians."
LBCI
15-06-2025
- Politics
- LBCI
Tehran police headquarters hit in Israeli attack: Iran media
Iranian media said an Israeli strike hit the Tehran police headquarters in the city center on Sunday, as the two foes exchanged fire for a third day. "The Greater Tehran Police Command was hit by one of the enemy's drones," ISNA news agency reported, citing a police statement. It added that the attack caused "minor damage" and injured "a number" of police personnel. AFP
Reuters
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
Ukraine's military says it struck Russia's Tambov gunpowder plant
KYIV, June 11 (Reuters) - The Ukrainian military said on Wednesday that it had struck a major Russian gunpowder plant in the western Tambov region overnight, 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.
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Yahoo
Russian drones hit maternity hospital in Odesa
The Russians hit a maternity hospital, an emergency medical station and residential buildings in the city of Odesa on the night of 9-10 June. Source: Odesa Mayor Hennadii Trukhanov; Oleh Kiper, Head of Odesa Oblast Military Administration Quote: "The administrative part of the maternity hospital was damaged in a nighttime drone attack. Luckily, there were no casualties." Details: Kiper said the Russians had hit a maternity hospital, an emergency medical station and residential buildings. "Regarding the maternity hospital: no injuries, patients and staff managed to evacuate in time," he added. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
CNA
05-06-2025
- Politics
- CNA
Commentary: Ukraine drone attack was ingenious – and a nightmare scenario come true
SINGAPORE: Ukraine has held out against a stronger adversary for more than three years, thanks to its ability to wage asymmetric warfare. Even so, the drone attack deep inside Russia on Sunday (Jun 1) was particularly audacious. Multiple drone swarms launched from container trucks hit four airbases thousands of kilometres from the frontlines and destroyed several Russian long-range bombers. For some, it was a "genius" move; for others, it confirms a nightmare scenario. Ukraine's Operation Spider's Web is a classic example of how technology has rewritten the playbook of war, and how long-range strikes into enemy territory can be conducted cheaply and quietly with disproportionate results. Beyond Russia, the attack would have sent reverberations among defence planners around the world. For some time now, even though some analysts have warned that something like this was not beyond the realm of possibility given the technology already available, it would have undoubtedly been a shock to see it put into practice so successfully and on such a scale. Everyone and their valuable military assets can be vulnerable to such threats. WHAT WENT DOWN IN OPERATION SPIDER'S WEB Hundreds of drones, each carrying an explosive munition, struck bases deep inside Russia – with the farthest one, Belaya, located in Siberia, just north of Russia's border with Mongolia and more than 4,000km from the Ukraine. These bases were likely chosen due to their housing of long-range, high-value Russian air assets such as bombers and surveillance aircraft. The former have been lobbing cruise missiles at Ukraine with impunity since the start of the Russian invasion in February 2022. Ukraine's intelligence service revealed the drones were smuggled into Russia on specially designed racks housed inside modified standard shipping containers. They were driven to spots near the air bases by unwitting Russian truck drivers. The Ukrainians added that the drones were mostly flown autonomously, with video feeds and some operator input sent via the Russian mobile phone network. One of their videos appears to suggest this was the case, with the drone hovering above the wing of a Russian Tu-95MS bomber and gingerly adjusting its position before plunging down near where the plane's wing met its fuselage. This is one of its most vulnerable spots – the location of its fuel tanks. Another video released by Ukraine that has been geolocated by open-source intelligence (OSINT) investigators to Olenya air base in northern Russia showed three more Tu-95MS bombers and a transport aircraft burning fiercely. UNCONVENTIONAL MEANS, DEVASTATING RESULTS The attack is the latest demonstration of Ukraine's ingenuity and ability to harness technology and use unconventional methods to exploit a stronger adversary's vulnerabilities. The Ukrainians claimed to have hit 41 Russian aircraft, though a United States assessment put the number closer to 20, of which about 10 were destroyed. Given that Russia's long-range bomber fleet has been estimated to be about 80 aircraft, the loss of almost 13 per cent of the force represents a significant blow to this area of Russian military capabilities. This was not the first time Ukraine has used drones to strike Russian bases far from the frontlines. Previous occasions have utilised larger, longer-ranged drones launched from Ukraine. But these attacks have lower rates of successes against defended targets as the drones are bigger and more easily detected and targeted by air defences. Still, these have had some success, particularly with attacks on Russian ammunition storages that have triggered spectacular explosions and fires and deprived their enemy of bombs and other explosives. They have also forced the Russians to base their aircraft further from Ukraine, which imposes a cost: increased transit times to and from operating areas, increased strain on aircraft and crews, which reduced the number of missions that can be flown. HEADACHE TO DEFEND AGAINST So what are the options for militaries seeking to protect valuable assets if conventional air defences would struggle to detect and destroy such drones? There are a range of anti-drone systems (or Counter Unmanned Aircraft Systems, C-UAS) available, ranging from guns and missiles to electronic jammers that disrupt the signals between the drone and its operator. Other solutions are also being developed, such as the use of laser (directed energy) weapons to destroy the drone. Each has its downsides, however. Missiles are an expensive way to down drones that can be cheaper by orders of magnitude, while they, like guns, are limited by the amount of ammunition each system can be carried. Directed energy weapons have high power requirements which means they tend to have a large physical footprint. Japan has built and tested a 10-kilowatt directed energy C-UAS system that is mounted on a large eight-wheeled truck. Thus, a sufficiently large drone swarm has the potential to overwhelm missile-, gun- and energy-based C-UAS systems with their sheer numbers. Another issue is scaling, particularly in large countries like Russia, where literally thousands of systems need to be acquired to adequately protect every likely target. If the swarm uses the local mobile phone network to operate, as the Ukrainians are claiming, then jammers would be of limited utility as they operate on other frequencies. Both sides in the war have also been increasing the use of fibre-optic drones in the battlefields of eastern Ukraine, where operators control their drones via a fibre-optic cable attached to the drone that can stretch for tens of kilometres, meaning they cannot be jammed by electronic means. The other possible solution against the threat is what is termed passive defences. These include the building of hardened shelters that provide all-round protection for high-value assets that are at the very least capable of protection against smaller munitions explosive devices. It will take a lot of effort and will not come cheap, but the flipside is, what is the cost of leaving high value military assets like aircraft vulnerable to a threat that is no longer just hypothetical? It is a question that all countries will be quickly trying to answer now.
