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Year: 2025

Charting the past year of Russian drone and missile attacks on Ukraine

Charting the past year of Russian drone and missile attacks on Ukraine

On Sunday, Russia launched its largest drone and missile attack since the war began, firing a total of 823 projectiles into Ukraine. The attack killed at least four people, wounded 44, and caused damage to a key building in Kyiv’s government district, making it the first on the site since the full-fledged war began in February 2022. Ukraine’s air force said Russia fired 810 drones and decoys, as well as 13 cruise and ballistic missiles. They added that nine missiles and about 60 drones had made it through their air defences and landed in Ukraine. Smoke rises over a Ukrainian government building after Russian drone and missile strikes in Kyiv on September 7, 2025 [Serhii Korovainyi/Reuters] The air force said 33 locations were struck across Ukraine, with officials saying that Russian strikes damaged civilian and residential infrastructure in Kyiv, Sumy, Dnipro, and Zaporizhzhia cities; Kremenchuk in Poltava province; Kryvyi Rih in Dnipropetrovsk province; Sloviansk in Donetsk province; and parts of Chernihiv and Cherkasy provinces. How many drone strikes has Russia launched? Since the start of the year, Russia has launched at least 37,000 air attacks on Ukraine, according to a tally by the Center for Strategic and International Studies. According to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), Russia has intensified drone strikes following Ukraine-Russia bilateral talks in Istanbul, Turkiye, on May 15. The talks, pushed by United States President Donald Trump, did not yield any breakthrough. Advertisement Between January and May 2025, Russian drone strikes averaged about 120 strikes per day. From May to August, drone strikes averaged 185 per day. What types of drones is Russia using? Russia is mainly using Shahed-type drones in their attacks. At the start of the war, these low-cost weapons were primarily supplied by Iran. The number of Russian drones has risen significantly, with Moscow scaling up its production of Shahed-type drones, known as Gerans (Russian analogues of the Iranian missiles), Garpiyas (made with Chinese components), and Gerberas (low-cost decoys that mimic Shaheds on radar but carry little or no explosives, intended to deplete Ukraine’s expensive interceptor missiles). Russia is producing these drones in Tatarstan and has opened a new production line at the Izhevsk Electromechanical Plant, where it already produces Garpiya drones, according to the ISW. In June 2025, Ukrainian defence intelligence suggested that Russia was capable of producing an average of 170 Shahed-type drones per day (about 5,100 per month) and planned to increase production to 190 drones per day by the end of 2025. The Russian-made Geran-1 (also known as Shahed 131) and Geran-2 (also known as Shahed 136) are low-cost, with a price range of $20,000-$50,000 for domestic production, but have a high impact. The Shahed-131 is a smaller munition with a range of 700-900km (435-560 miles), while the larger Shahed-136 has a range of at least 2,000km (1,243 miles). They are known for flying at low altitudes and slow speeds. That means they can be shot down by individual soldiers, but they can also be used against front-line positions and are more manoeuvrable than faster missiles. Some of Russia’s homegrown drones include the Lancet kamikaze drone, designed for precision strikes, the ZALA family of reconnaissance and attack drones, and several reconnaissance models such as the Orlan-10, Supercam and Merlin-VR. However, Russia is predominantly relying on Shahed-type drones, and — alongside those — is also using cruise missiles and ballistic missiles. Russian soldiers prepare a Lancet drone for action in an undisclosed location in Ukraine [Russian Ministry of Defence via AP] What type of air defence system has Ukraine used against Russian air attacks? Ukraine has employed several tactics and weapons to take down or disable drones, including modern air defence systems alongside mobile fire teams and electronic warfare. Man-portable air defence kits (MANPADS), heavy machineguns and German-made IRIS-T and US-made NASAMS and SHORAD missile defence systems have also been used against drone attacks, intensifying in recent weeks. Advertisement Ukraine has had the most success in downing drones with the German radar-assisted Gepard anti-air 35mm gun and domestically-developed interceptor drones, according to Ukrainian drone warfare expert Olena Kryzhanivska. Chancellor Olaf Scholz gets off a German self-propelled anti-aircraft gun Flakpanzer Gepard during a visit to the training programme for Ukrainian soldiers near Oldenburg, Germany, on August 25, 2022 [Axel Heimken/Pool via Reuters] Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has made domestically produced weapons a top priority, saying in July that within six months, the country’s domestic arms production should aim to reach 50 percent of its needs. Ukraine has also used the US-made Patriot system against ballistic and cruise missiles, providing a critical layer of defence against long-range attacks, including from some of Russia’s most advanced missiles. What are the latest developments on the ground? Currently, Russia controls one-fifth – 114,500sq km (44,600sq miles) – of Ukrainian land, with about 88 percent of the Donbas under its control and three-quarters of Zaporizhia and Kherson oblasts. For most of this year, the war has settled into a grinding impasse with heavy losses on both sides; however, in August, Russian forces made significant gains, advancing about 10km (6 miles) beyond the front lines. Adblock test (Why?)

Nineteen killed in Nepal protests against corruption and internet bans

Nineteen killed in Nepal protests against corruption and internet bans

Published On 9 Sep 20259 Sep 2025 Nepal has lifted its social media ban one day after protests turned deadly, with at least 19 people killed by security forces as demonstrators rallied against internet restrictions and government corruption. Police fatally shot 17 people in Kathmandu, according to spokesman Shekhar Khanal, with two additional deaths reported in eastern Nepal’s Sunsari district. Officers deployed rubber bullets, tear gas, water cannons and batons when protesters broke through barbed wire barriers attempting to reach Parliament. Approximately 400 people sustained injuries, including more than 100 police officers. Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak resigned following the violence. “I had been there for a peaceful protest, but the government used force,” said 20-year-old Iman Magar, who was struck in his right arm. “It was not a rubber bullet but a metallic one, and it took away a part of my hand. The doctor says I need to undergo an operation.” Emergency vehicles rushed the wounded to hospitals throughout the city. “I have never seen such a disturbing situation at the hospital,” said Ranjana Nepal, information officer at the Civil Service Hospital. “Tear gas entered the hospital area as well, making it difficult for doctors to work.” The social media ban triggered widespread anger, particularly among younger Nepalis who depend on these platforms for communication. Amnesty International reported that authorities used live ammunition against protesters, while the United Nations called for a transparent investigation. Advertisement Millions of Nepalis use platforms like Instagram for entertainment, news, and business purposes. “This isn’t just about social media – it’s about trust, corruption, and a generation that refuses to stay silent,” wrote the Kathmandu Post newspaper. “Gen Z grew up with smartphones, global trends, and promises of a federal, prosperous Nepal. For them, digital freedom is personal freedom. Cutting off access feels like silencing an entire generation.” Nepal has previously restricted online platforms, blocking Telegram in July over fraud concerns and implementing a nine-month TikTok ban that ended last August when the company agreed to comply with local regulations. Adblock test (Why?)

Why Trump broke with RFK to defend the importance of vaccines

Why Trump broke with RFK to defend the importance of vaccines

If there’s one thing that Donald Trump absolutely, positively despises, it’s bad publicity. And after RFK Jr. got absolutely hammered at that hearing the other day–including by a member of the leadership, Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso–he realized that he had to cut his losses. What was he going to do, say ignore those Republican senators, like Bill Cassidy, who’s a doctor, like Barrasso, when he says that vaccines work and he’s deeply concerned that Kennedy misled the Hill during his confirmation hearings? So after months of letting him “go wild,” in his words, Donald has broken with Bobby. REPUBLICAN DOCTORS CLASH WITH RFK JR OVER VACCINES IN TENSE SENATE SHOWDOWN “You have some vaccines that are so incredible. I think you have to be very careful when you say some people don’t have to be vaccinated…,” the president said. “Look, you have vaccines that work. They just pure and simple work. They’re not controversial at all, and I think those vaccines should be used, otherwise some people are going to catch it, and they endanger other people,” The president has had enough. What’s more, Kennedy’s family–including his sister Kerry and former congressman Joe Kennedy III–demanded he resign, along with every Democrat on the Senate committee. There’s some chatter that Kennedy may be let go after a decent interval.  Trump really likes him, and the magic of the Kennedy name, but let’s face it, he’s damaged goods right now. He also was poorly briefed, or didn’t do his homework. Remember that he cut a deal in exchange for dropping out of the presidential race, and offered the same arrangement to Kamala Harris. When asked how many Americans had died of COVID, I instantly knew it was 1.2 million. RFK said he didn’t know. Asked whether the COVID vaccine had been helpful, he mumbled that he’d have to look at the data. There’s plenty of data available.  And that’s the problem. The greatest achievement of Trump’s first term, as even his detractors admit, was Operation War Speed, bringing the COVID vaccine to market at the height of the pandemic. JOE KENNEDY III BLASTS RFK JR. AFTER FIERY SENATE HEARING, FUELING KENNEDY FAMILY INFIGHTING: ‘HE MUST RESIGN’ But Kennedy is the same anti-vaccine crusader he’s always been. He has called COVID “the most dangerous vaccine” ever. He’s insisted that vaccines cause autism, completely debunked by mainstream science.  CDC performed miserably during the pandemic, but Kennedy fired CDC chief Susan Monarez just one month after praising her appointment, and then called her a liar for supposedly admitting she was not trustworthy. So RFK was in effect denigrating Trump’s huge accomplishment by firing the mainstream members of a vaccine panel and replacing them with vaccine skeptics or outright anti-vaxxers. Kennedy’s view is that everyone else is conflicted because of ties to Big Pharma and that only he is pure. But his actions speak louder than his words. INTO THE ARENA: HOSTILE DEMOCRATS, SKEPTICAL REPUBLICANS TEAR INTO KENNEDY ON THE HILL Meanwhile, the president won a double victory at the Supreme Court. The justices, in what Politico says were 6-3 rulings, gave ICE the ability to carry out “roving” arrests and raids in California against those believed to be illegal immigrants. SCOTUS also said the president can fire FTC member Rebecca Slaughter, one of two Democratic commissioners he dismissed in March at the supposedly independent agency. Then Trump checks the conservative media. The Wall Street Journal editorial page, in a piece titled “Operation Warped Speed,” asks whether RFK is suffering from long COVID. The usually supportive New York Post called RFK a “paranoid kook” with a “tinfoil hat” that is “blocking out all sense.” So Trump got mostly booed at the U.S. Open, along with some cheers. Big deal. He’s endured far worse. But having the nation’s highest court on your side is worth its weight in gold, Trump’s favorite decorating glitter. Footnote: The Wall Street Journal has obtained Trump’s birthday message to Jeffrey Epstein, which he repeatedly insisted he never sent, prompting him to sue the paper. Against the backdrop of a sketch of a naked woman–with Trump’s signature in the pubic area–there is this exchange:Donald: We have certain things in common, Jeffrey.Jeffrey: Yes we do, come to think of it.Donald: Enigmas never age, have you noticed that?Jeffrey: As a matter of face, it was clear to me the last time I saw you.Donald: A pal is a wonderful thing. Happy Birthday–and may every day be another wonderful secret. By itself, I don’t think it’s that big a deal. Lots of friends and acquaintances were solicited to send messages for Epstein’s 50th birthday. He could have owned it. But Trump *still* insists it’s fake. By vehemently insisting it wasn’t conceivable that he sent such a message, Trump now has a mess on his hands.

US court upholds sexual assault defamation order against Trump

US court upholds sexual assault defamation order against Trump

Appeals court upholds $83.3m verdict against Trump for defaming E Jean Carroll over her 2019 sexual assault claims. Published On 8 Sep 20258 Sep 2025  A federal appeals court has refused to throw out an $83.3m jury verdict against US President Donald Trump for damaging the reputation of the writer E Jean Carroll in 2019 when he denied her rape claim. The US Circuit Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in Manhattan on Monday rejected Trump’s argument that the January 2024 verdict should be overturned because he deserved presidential immunity from Carroll’s lawsuit. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list “We hold that the district court did not err in any of the challenged rulings and that the jury’s duly rendered damages awards were reasonable in light of the extraordinary and egregious facts of this case,” the US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit wrote. Neither the White House nor Trump’s personal lawyers in the case immediately responded to requests for comment. The Second Circuit court on June 13 upheld Carroll’s separate $5m jury verdict against Trump in May 2023 for a similar defamation and sexual assault suit. Carroll, 81, a former Elle magazine columnist, accused Trump of attacking her around 1996 in a Bergdorf Goodman department store dressing room. Trump first denied her claim in June 2019, telling a reporter that Carroll was “not my type” and had concocted the story to sell a book called What Do We Need Men For? – a memoir about her life. Trump essentially repeated his comments in an October 2022 Truth Social post, leading to the $5m verdict, though the jury did not find that he had raped Carroll. E Jean Carroll exits the New York Federal Court on Friday, September 6, 2024, after US President Donald Trump appeared in court, in Manhattan, New York City [Eduardo Munoz Alvarez/AP] The $83.3m award comprised $18.3m of damages for emotional and reputational harm, and $65m of punitive damages. Advertisement In his latest appeal, Trump argued that the US Supreme Court’s July 2024 decision providing him with substantial criminal immunity shielded him from liability in Carroll’s civil case. He added that he had spoken about Carroll in 2019 in his capacity as president, and that failing to give him immunity could undermine the independence of the executive branch of the US government. Trump also said US District Judge Lewis Kaplan, who oversaw both trials, had made other mistakes, including by striking out his testimony that, in speaking about Carroll, “I just wanted to defend myself, my family, and frankly the presidency.” In June, Carroll released another memoir, called Not My Type: One Woman vs a President, about her legal battles against Trump. Adblock test (Why?)

Brazil’s Lula says US warships in Caribbean are a source of ‘tension’

Brazil’s Lula says US warships in Caribbean are a source of ‘tension’

US naval forces have unsettled some in South America who see them as a precursor to possible intervention in Venezuela. Published On 8 Sep 20258 Sep 2025 Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has criticised the deployment of United States naval forces to the Caribbean, calling them a source of strain that could undermine peace in the region. The South American leader expressed concern on Monday over the concentration of US forces, seen by some as a possible prelude to an attack on Venezuela. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list “The presence of the armed forces of the largest power in the Caribbean Sea is a factor of tension,” Lula said during the opening of a virtual BRICS summit. The US has said its military forces are in the region to counter drug trafficking. But the deployment has been paired with US threats against the government of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, whom US President Donald Trump’s administration has accused of being closely linked with drug trafficking groups. The Trump administration has provided no evidence for those claims and has often used vague allegations of connections to drug trafficking or criminal groups to justify extraordinary measures both at home and abroad. Last week, the US carried out an unprecedented lethal attack on what the Trump administration said was a boat transporting drugs from Venezuela. Analysts have said the extrajudicial strike, which killed 11 people, was likely illegal, but US officials have promised to carry out more attacks in the region. Maduro has said the deployment is part of an effort to depose his government and called on the military and civilians to make preparations for a possible attack. Advertisement BRICS meeting As the Trump administration takes aggressive steps to advance its priorities on issues such as trade, immigration and drug trafficking, some countries are seeking to bolster ties with powers like China. Addressing the virtual BRICS conference via video call on Monday, Chinese President Xi Jinping called for more cooperation in areas such as technology, finance and trade, according to the official Chinese news agency Xinhua. “The closer the BRICS countries cooperate, the more confidence, options and effective results they will have in addressing external risks and challenges,” he was quoted as saying. Officials from India – a country, like Brazil and China, that has become a recent target of the Trump administration’s severe tariff policies – also called for greater collaboration. “The world requires constructive and cooperative approaches to promote trade that is sustainable,” External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said in comments published by India’s Ministry of External Affairs. “Increasing barriers and complicating transactions will not help. Neither would the linking of trade measures to nontrade matters.” The virtual conference came a week after leaders from China, Russia, India and other Eurasian nations gathered in Tianjin, China, where they presented a vision of a new international order at a moment of widening rifts between partner nations and the US. Adblock test (Why?)

Trump cheers West Point’s cancellation of award ceremony for Tom Hanks

Trump cheers West Point’s cancellation of award ceremony for Tom Hanks

Actor Tom Hanks’s planned West Point honour is cancelled as President Donald Trump praises moves against critics of his administration. Published On 8 Sep 20258 Sep 2025 United States President Donald Trump has praised a decision by the prestigious military academy West Point to cancel a ceremony honouring Oscar-winning actor Tom Hanks, a frequent critic of Trump. Trump, who has sought to purge critics from government institutions and crack down on dissent, celebrated the move in a social media post on Monday. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list “Our great West Point (getting greater all the time!) has smartly cancelled the Award Ceremony for actor Tom Hanks. Important move!” Trump said. “We don’t need destructive, WOKE recipients getting our cherished American Awards!!!” Hanks, who has starred in numerous films set during World War II and been an avid supporter of veterans of the armed services, has been a sharp critic of Trump. He was set to receive the Sylvanus Thayer Award from the West Point Association of Graduates (WPAOG), which is granted to people whose accomplishments further the US national interests and ideals of the military academy. The famous actor was set to receive the award at a WPAOG ceremony on September 25, and the Washington Post has reported that it is unclear whether Hanks will still receive the award without the accompanying ceremony. Known for his leading role in the World War II film Saving Private Ryan, Hanks has been at the forefront of efforts to dramatise and commemorate US efforts during that conflict. He also produced several popular miniseries depicting US forces in various theatres during World War II, such as Band of Brothers, The Pacific, and Masters of the Air. Advertisement Hanks – who also served as a national spokesperson for the World War II memorial campaign and was chair of the D-day museum capital campaign – had expressed excitement about visiting West Point. “To have my first ever visit to the Academy be to accept such an honour as the Thayer Award is simply astounding,” a WPAOG statement had quoted Hanks as saying. Earlier this year, the Trump administration ordered West Point to discard books and resources on topics such as transgender people, diversity, and anti-racism. Adblock test (Why?)