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LVIV, Nov 5 (Reuters) - Ukraine rained 15 cruise missiles on Russia's shipyard in the Crimean port city of Kerch on Saturday, damaging one ship, Russian defence ministry said, in an attack that could further undermine Moscow's striking capabilities. Moscow has often attacked Ukraine in the course of the 20-month-long war with Kalibr missiles. Sergei Aksyonov, the Russian-installed head of Crimea, said there were no casualties in the Saturday attack on the shipyard in Kerch in Crimea. According to some Ukrainian war monitoring Telegram channels, a small Russian cruise missile carrier the Askold, was damaged in the attack. In September, the Russian defence ministry said that the Askold ship of the Black Sea Fleet was engaged in destroying Ukrainian targets in the waters off Crimea.

Persons: Mykola Oleshchuk, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Sergei Aksyonov, Maria Starkova, Elaine Monaghan, Lidia Kelly, Philippa Fletcher, Ros Russell, Andrew Heavens, Daniel Wallis Organizations: Air Force, Russian Navy, Kalibr, Ukraine's Air Force, Sea Fleet, Reuters, Black, Thomson Locations: LVIV, Ukraine, Crimean, Kerch, Moscow, Russian, Ukrainian, Crimea

On Tuesday an Israeli strike at the Jabalia refugee camp in north Gaza killed dozens of people according to hospital authorities, leaving a moonscape of craters. In Khan Younis, Farida Abu Azzam was taking her husband to hospital for his cancer treatment. In a shelter for displaced people in a U.N. school in Khan Younis, Salwa Najar stood by her son Majed's bedside, wiping his face. A cousin had taken them to Hilal Hospital in Khan Younis, the biggest city in the southern part of the tiny enclave. "Gaza hospitals are crowded with injured people who are filling the hospital beds," she said.

Persons: Mohammed Al, Masri, Nasr, Khan Younis, Israel, Farida Abu Azzam, Akram al, Qara, Salwa Najar, Majed's, Najar, puffy, Nahed Abu Taeema, Nidal al, Angus McDowall, Philippa Fletcher Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, Turkish Friendship, Hospital, Nasser Hospital, Thomson Locations: Gaza, Israel, Hamas, Khan, Egypt, Khan Younis

☆ The drones fighting cat and mouse battles behind Russian front lines in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( Max Hunder | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/6] Serviceman of the 15th Separate Artillery Reconnaissance Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, callsign Buryi, 30-years-old, checks a Shark drone before launching, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kharkiv region, Ukraine, October 30, 2023. On this occasion the drone that had found the target for the artillery unit was temporarily incapacitated when Russian electronic jamming systems interrupted the video transmission. Ukraine uses an array of drones from established local manufacturers and startups as well as Western suppliers, both to locate targets and hit them directly. The crew said Ukrainian-made drones were usually easier to repair if damaged, as they could be quickly sent back to the manufacturer. "Artillery has been the god of war for a long time, and artillery reconnaissance is the eyes of the gods," said Soliara, the rumble of cannon fire audible in the distance.

Persons: Alina Smutko, Oleksandr Popov, Max Hunder, Mike Collett, White, Philippa Fletcher Organizations: Artillery Reconnaissance Brigade, Armed Forces of, REUTERS, Artillery Reconnaissance, Reuters, Shark, Star Wars, Artillery, Thomson Locations: Armed Forces of Ukraine, Ukraine, Kharkiv region, Ukraine Russia, KHARKIV, Ukrainian, Kharkiv, Russia

☆ Iran Warns of 'Harsh Consequences' if Gaza Attacks Continue
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( Nov. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

DUBAI (Reuters) - Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian warned on Wednesday of "harsh consequences" if attacks continue on the Gaza Strip, the latest in a series of warnings from the country, which backs Hamas in Gaza and militias elsewhere in the region. "If an immediate ceasefire doesn't take place in Gaza Strip and the rapid attacks by U.S. and Zionist Regime continue then the consequences would be harsh," he said in Ankara. The country says it supports Hamas but did not play any role in the militants' attack on Israel last month. Both it and Turkey have condemned Israel's subsequent bombardment of Gaza. Amirabdollahian added that an imminent trip to Turkey by Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi is on the agenda.

Persons: Hossein Amirabdollahian, Amirabdollahian, Ebrahim Raisi, Andrew Cawthorne, Philippa Fletcher Organizations: Reuters, Iran's, Zionist Regime, The, Turkish, Dubai Newsroom Locations: DUBAI, Gaza, Ankara, The United States, Israel, Turkey

☆ Ukraine Says Russian Warplanes Drop Explosives on Black Sea Shipping Lanes
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( Nov. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

(Reuters) - Ukraine said on Wednesday Russian warplanes had dropped "explosive objects" into the likely paths of civilian vessels in the Black Sea three times in the last 24 hours, but that its fledgling shipping corridor was still operating. Ukraine is trying to build up a new shipping lane without Russian approval to revive its vital seaborne exports. "The occupiers are continuing to terrorise the paths of civilian shipping in the Black Sea with tactical aviation, dropping explosive objects into the likely paths of civilian vessel traffic," the southern military command said. However, the navigation corridor continues to function under the watch of the defence forces," it said. They say dozens of cargo vessels had travelled the route since it began operations in August.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Tom Balmforth, Philippa Fletcher Organizations: Reuters, Wednesday Russian Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Kyiv, British

☆ Iran warns of 'harsh consequences' if Gaza attacks continue
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

REUTERS/Mike Segar/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsDUBAI, Nov 1 (Reuters) - Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian warned on Wednesday of "harsh consequences" if attacks continue on the Gaza Strip, the latest in a series of warnings from the country, which backs Hamas in Gaza and militias elsewhere in the region. "If an immediate ceasefire doesn't take place in Gaza Strip and the rapid attacks by U.S. and Zionist Regime continue then the consequences would be harsh," he said in Ankara. The country says it supports Hamas but did not play any role in the militants' attack on Israel last month. Both it and Turkey have condemned Israel's subsequent bombardment of Gaza. Amirabdollahian added that an imminent trip to Turkey by Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi is on the agenda.

Persons: Hossein Amirabdollahian, Mike Segar, Amirabdollahian, Ebrahim Raisi, Andrew Cawthorne, Philippa Fletcher Organizations: Iranian, United Nations General Assembly, REUTERS, Rights, Iran's, Zionist Regime, The, Turkish, Dubai Newsroom, Thomson Locations: Israel, U.N, New York City, U.S, Rights DUBAI, Gaza, Ankara, The United States, Turkey

Overall EU support for Ukraine has totalled almost 83 billion euros since Russia invaded in February 2022, the Brussels-based executive European Commission said this week. Slovakia's Robert Fico, attending his first EU summit since being appointed for his fourth term as prime minister on Wednesday, adopted a similar line. Orban has also said he would not endorse in its current form the proposed EU budget revision, which includes the 50 billion in new aid for Kyiv. Fico said there was endemic corruption in Ukraine and demanded that any new EU aid include guarantees that the funds not be misappropriated, according to a statement from his office. "The questions are, what type of aid and how it is used, how we are sure, the European Union is sure, that this aid is used efficiently," he said.

Persons: Fico, Orban, Olaf Scholz, Slovakia's Robert Fico, Vladimir Putin, Nikolai Denkov, Jan Strupczewski, Phil Blenkinsop, Bart Meijer, Tassilo Hummel, Marine Strauss, Krisztina, Jason Hovet, Miranda Murray, Gabriela Baczynska, Philippa Fletcher Organizations: Ukraine New, Union, EU, Ukraine, European Commission, Russia, Kyiv, European Union, European, Bulgarian, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Ukraine New Slovak, Ukraine BRUSSELS, Russian, Hungary, Slovakia, Brussels, Russia, SLOVAKIA, HUNGARY Hungary, Budapest, Bratislava, European Union

☆ Hamas vows 'full force'; Israel says troops still on the ground in Gaza
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( James Mackenzie | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Israel said on Saturday morning its troops, sent in on Friday night, were still on the ground. The country had earlier made only brief sorties into Gaza during three weeks of bombardment to root out Hamas militants who killed more than 1,000 Israelis on Oct. 7. "The forces are still in the field and continuing the war" Israel," Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari told a news briefing on Saturday morning. Gaza was under an almost complete blackout, with internet and phone services cut for more than 12 hours by Saturday morning. "In addition to the attacks carried out in the last few days, ground forces are expanding their operations tonight," he said.

Persons: GazaTedros, Israel, Daniel Hagari, Khan Younis, Mohammed Salem, Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Hagari, James Mackenzie, Nidal, Michelle Nichols, Rami Ayyub, David Brunnstrom, Grant McCool, Raju Gopalakrishnan, William Mallard, Philippa Fletcher Organizations: WHO, Palestinian Red Crescent Society, Hamas, REUTERS, World Health Organisation, Twitter, Palestinian, Thomson Locations: Gaza Israel, Gaza, JERUSALEM, Israel, Palestinian

☆ UN organisations plead for unimpeded Gaza aid 'on our knees'
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-24 | by ( Gabrielle Tétrault-Farber | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Displaced Palestinian kids, who fled their houses amid Israeli strikes, take shelter in a tent camp at a United Nations-run centre, after Israel's call for more than 1 million civilians in northern Gaza to move south, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip. Trucks of aid began moving into Gaza from Egypt on Saturday after intense diplomatic efforts, but the agencies say they are far from enough. Fuel, which has not been sent to the Gaza Strip along with the humanitarian aid, was crucial, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) said. Brian Lander, deputy head of emergencies at the World Food Programme, said that some 465 trucks of humanitarian aid were needed per day to support the population in Gaza prior to the conflict. Brennan said one-third of hospitals in the Gaza Strip were now non-functional at a time when the medical burden is enormous, and that some two-thirds of clinics are not functioning.

Persons: Khan Younis, Abu Mustafa, Trucks, Jeremy Laurence, Tamara Alrifai, Brian Lander, Rick Brennan, Brennan, Gabrielle Tétrault, Farber, Mohammed Benmansour, Yusri Mohamed, Rachel More, Janet Lawrence, Philippa Fletcher Organizations: United Nations, UN, Human Rights, United Nations Relief, Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, WHO, WHO Regional, Eastern, Thomson Locations: Gaza, GENEVA, Israel, Egypt, East

☆ Egypt peace summit may struggle to foster unity on Gaza conflict
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Israeli soldiers patrol an area near Israel's border with the Gaza Strip, in southern Israel October 19, 2023. The hastily-convened Cairo Peace Summit as the conflict still rages will bring together several Arab and European heads of state and government, alongside foreign ministers. They will meet as Israel readies a ground assault on Gaza following the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas that killed 1,400 people. More than 4,100 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's counteroffensive, amid a growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The summit is scheduled to be opened by the Egyptian president at 10 a.m. Saturday (0700 GMT).

Persons: Amir Cohen, Zhai Jun, Mikhail Bogdanov, Olaf Scholz, Rishi Sunak, Emmanuel Macron, Charles Michel, Josep Borrell, Abdel Fattah al, Sisi, Jordan's King Abdullah, Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, Joe Biden's, William Maclean, Edmund Blair, Philippa Fletcher, Diane Craft Organizations: REUTERS, Cairo Peace Summit, British, EU, European, Israel, U.S, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Israel's, Gaza, Israel, Egypt, U.S, Cairo, China, Middle, Russia, United States, EU, Washington, Lebanon, Iranian, Rafah, Sinai

☆ EU migration ministers address militant Islamist attacks, risks from Israel-Hamas war
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-19 | by ( Gabriela Baczynska | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

A teacher was slain in northern France last week in an attack President Emmanuel Macron condemned as "Islamist terrorism". The killings occurred at a time of heightened security concerns across much of Europe linked to the Israel-Hamas war. The attack in Brussels underlined persistent failings of the EU's troubled migration and asylum systems, including security gaps and ineffective returns. The EU, a bloc of 450 million people, has recorded some 250,000 irregular arrivals this year, in large part aided by smugglers. Last year, the EU took in several million refugees for Russia's war in the neighbouring Ukraine.

Persons: Darrin, Morocco Broad, Emmanuel Macron, Israel, Gabriela Baczynska, Philippa Fletcher Organizations: Geo, Medecins Sans Frontieres, REUTERS, France Ministers, Palestinian, EU, Thomson Locations: Italy, Libya, Belgium, France, Israel, Egypt, Morocco, BRUSSELS, Europe, Brussels, EU, Gaza, Afghanistan, Syria, Tunisia, Tunis, Ukraine, East, Africa

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi attends a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of Russia-Africa summit in Saint Petersburg, Russia, July 26, 2023. The border between Egypt's Sinai Peninsula and the Gaza Strip is the site of the only crossing from the Palestinian territory that is not controlled by Israel. Sisi said the Egyptian people would "go out and protest in their millions... if called upon to do so" against any displacement of Gaza's residents to Sinai. Egypt is wary of insecurity near its border with Gaza in northeastern Sinai, where it faced an Islamist insurgency that escalated a decade ago. Any transfer of Palestinians to Sinai would mean "that we move the idea of resistance, of combat, from the Gaza Strip to Sinai, and so Sinai would become the base for launching operations against Israel", Sisi said.

Persons: Abdel Fattah al, Sisi, Vladimir Putin, Alexei Danichev, Olaf Scholz, Osama Hamdan, Jordan, John Kirby, Joe Biden, Biden, Israel, Nayera Abdallah, Nadine Awadalla, Ahmed Mohamed Hassan, Aidan Lewis, Gareth Jones, Philippa Fletcher Organizations: Sputnik, Rights, West Bank, United, Volunteers, Islamic Jihad, Thomson Locations: Russia, Africa, Saint Petersburg, Rights CAIRO, Sinai, Gaza, Cairo, Israel, Egypt, Beirut, Rafah, United States

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi attends a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of Russia-Africa summit in Saint Petersburg, Russia, July 26, 2023. "Egypt rejects any attempt to resolve the Palestinian issue by military means or through the forced displacement of Palestinians from their land, which would come at the expense of the countries of the region," he said. Sisi said the Egyptian people would "go out and protest in their millions ... if called upon to do so" against any displacement of Gaza's residents to Sinai. Egypt is wary of insecurity near its border with Gaza in northeastern Sinai, where an Islamist insurgency intensified a decade ago. Any transfer of Palestinians to Sinai would mean "that we move the idea of resistance, of combat, from the Gaza Strip to Sinai, and so Sinai would become the base for launching operations against Israel", Sisi said.

Persons: Abdel Fattah al, Sisi, Vladimir Putin, Alexei Danichev, Olaf Scholz, Osama Hamdan, Jordan, Joe Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu's, Israel, John Kirby, Biden, Nayera Abdallah, Nadine Awadalla, Amr Abdallah Dalsh, Sherif Fahmy, Mohamed Abdel, Ahmed Mohamed Hassan, Aidan Lewis, Gareth Jones, Philippa Fletcher, Alistair Bell, Grant McCool Organizations: Sputnik, Rights, West Bank, U.S, Israeli, United, Volunteers, Cairo University, State, Thomson Locations: Russia, Africa, Saint Petersburg, Rights CAIRO, Sinai, Gaza, Cairo, Israel, Egypt, Beirut, Rafah, United States, Dubai, Ghany

☆ Israel troops kill two Palestinian teens in West Bank amid Gaza anger
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( Ali Sawafta | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/2] A Palestinian holds a Molotov coctail during clashes with Israeli forces near Ramallah in the Israeli-occupied West Bank October 18, 2023. REUTERS/Ammar Awad Acquire Licensing RightsRAMALLAH, West Bank, Oct 18 (Reuters) - Israeli forces shot dead two Palestinian teenagers near Ramallah in the West Bank on Wednesday during widespread protests against Israel's bombing of the Gaza Strip, Palestinian officials said. Israel's bombardment of Gaza has inflamed tensions in the West Bank, the other Palestinian territory under Israeli occupation. The West Bank is home to the Palestinian Authority (PA) which is dominated by Hamas rivals Fatah and 87-year-old Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. The West Bank borders Jerusalem which houses sites sacred to Muslims, Christians and Jews and is a flashpoint for internecine violence.

Persons: Molotov, Ammar Awad, Salah, Fatah, Mahmoud Abbas, Abbas, Ali Sawafta, Henriette Chacar, Yomna Ehab, John Davison, Alex Richardson, Christina Fincher, Philippa Fletcher Organizations: West Bank, REUTERS, Israel's, Palestinian, Residents, Reuters, Hamas, Al, Palestinian Authority, Israel, West, Thomson Locations: Ramallah, RAMALLAH, West, Gaza, Israel, Shuqba, West Bank, Nablus, Ahli, Palestinian, Jerusalem, Aqsa, Jerusalem's

On Monday, rocket-warning sirens sounded in several towns in southern Israel, the Israeli military said. Authorities in Gaza said at least 2,750 people had so far been killed by the Israeli strikes, a quarter of them children, and nearly 10,000 wounded. But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said in a statement: "There is currently no truce and humanitarian aid in Gaza in exchange for getting foreigners out." Hamas has told people to ignore Israel's message and residents fear Israeli air strikes in southern Gaza too. In southern Gaza, five members a family were killed in Khan Younis refugee camp.

Persons: Daniel Hagari, Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu's, Izzat El Reshiq, Sameh Shoukry, Lisi Niesner, Joe Biden, Gazans, Khan, Suhail Baker, Baker, Abu Ahmed, Antony Blinken, Issam Abdallah, Nidal al, Ari Rabinovitch, Dan Williams, Henriette Chacar, Dedi, Maayan Lubell, Emily Rose, James Mackenzie, John Davison, Parisa, Humeyra Pamuk, Hatem Maher, Ahmed Tolba, Omar Abdel, Nandita Bose, Rami Ayyub, Katharine Jackson, Michelle Nichols, Angus MacSwan, Miral Fahmy, Philippa Fletcher Organizations: Hamas, Authorities, Reuters, United, Palestinian, REUTERS, Washington, U.S, Ambulance Service, United Nations, ISRAEL U.S, Sunday, Thomson Locations: Israel, Gaza Gaza, GAZA, JERUSALEM, CAIRO, Gaza, Hamas, Egypt, Rafah, United States, U.S, Lebanon, Al, Quds, Gaza City, Khan Younis, BLINKEN, ISRAEL, Iran, American, Iranian, Jerusalem, Dubai, Razek, Cairo, Washington

Summary LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:"Civilians of Gaza City, evacuate south for your own safety...and distance yourself from Hamas terrorists who are using you as human shields," Israeli military says. The Israeli military said it would operate "significantly" in Gaza City in coming days and civilians should only return when advised. "Civilians of Gaza City, evacuate south for your own safety and the safety of your families and distance yourself from Hamas terrorists who are using you as human shields," the military said. "Hamas terrorists are hiding in Gaza City inside tunnels underneath houses and inside buildings populated with innocent Gazan civilians." [1/16]Palestinians flee their homes amid Israeli strikes, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in Gaza City, October 13, 2023.

Persons: Yoav Gallant, Gilad Erdan, Israel, Cross, Fabrizio Carboni, Antony Blinken, Mohammed Salem, Blinken, Jordan's King Abdullah, Mahmoud Abbas, Hassan Nassrallah, Lloyd Austin, Austin, Benjamin Netanyahu, Mount Herzl, Khan Younis, Ibrahim Hamdan, Henriette Chacar, Dedi, Maayan Lubell, Emily Rose, Michelle Nichols, Emma Farge, Jeff Mason, Humeyra Pamuk, Steve Gorman, Dan Whitcomb, Michael Martina, Michael Perry, Michael Georgy, Philippa Fletcher, Howard Goller, Diane Craft, Nick Macfie Organizations: Hamas, United Nations, Shifa, International Committee, Food Programme, ICRC, U.S, NATO, REUTERS, Palestinian Authority, West Bank, United Arab, U.S . Defense, Washington, United, Police, FBI, Mount, Thomson Locations: Gaza City, Gaza, JERUSALEM, TEL AVIV, Israel, Japan, United States, Palestinian, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, United Arab Emirates, Iran, Lebanon, Turkey, UAE, Turkish, U.S, Paris, Amsterdam, London, New York, Los Angeles, Jerusalem, Gazans, Geneva, Washington, Tel Aviv

☆ 'Between a warzone and pure hell': Israeli describes kibbutz attack
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-09 | by ( Emily Rose | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] Israeli security gather near a rifle at the site of a battle following a mass infiltration by Hamas gunmen from the Gaza Strip, in Sderot, southern Israel October 8, 2023. The Kfar Aza kibbutz where he and his family live lies close to Gaza, an impoverished Palestinian enclave under Israeli blockade. "They didn't stop shooting at our home." By evening they had lost phone contact with his wife's parents, who live nearby. And my wife's parents are nowhere to be found," he told Reuters in Herzliya north of Tel Aviv, where they are staying with relatives.

Persons: Ronen, Avidor Schwartzman, Kfar, Schwartzman, Emily Rose, Philippa Fletcher Organizations: REUTERS, Israel's, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Gaza, Sderot, Israel, Kfar Aza, Herzliya, Tel Aviv

Ukrainian 500 hryvnia banknotes and a U.S. 100 dollar banknote are seen in this picture illustration taken in Kiev, Ukraine, October 31, 2016. But concerns that international backing for Ukraine may be waning and few indications that the conflict is close to abating have brought fresh momentum into debt talks, the sources said. Most of Ukraine's bilateral lenders have suspended repayment obligations until 2027 - and some analysts had expected Ukraine might ask its bondholders for a matching extension. FROM DEBT REWORK TO FRESH FUNDSAs part of a debt restructuring, Ukraine would issue new bonds to existing holders once losses on existing debt had been agreed upon. In addition to issuing bonds as part of the debt restructuring, Ukraine also told investors it is weighing options to raise fresh additional financing, the sources said.

Persons: Valentyn, Yuri Butsa, Butsa, Brady, Karin Strohecker, Olena, Philippa Fletcher Organizations: REUTERS, Kyiv, International Monetary Fund, Bank, Monetary Fund, Fund, U.S, Thomson Locations: U.S, Kiev, Ukraine, Israel, Gaza, Marrakech, Rosario, London, Kyiv

☆ Sweden announces more military aid to Ukraine but no fighter jets for the moment
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

STOCKHOLM, Oct 6 (Reuters) - Sweden will send Ukraine a new military support package, worth 2.2 billion crowns ($199 million) and consisting mainly of artillery ammunition, Defence Minister Pal Jonson said on Friday. Jonson told a news conference the government had also formally tasked the armed forces with looking into whether Sweden would be able to send Jas Gripen fighter jets to Ukraine. He however also reiterated that Sweden would for domestic security reasons need to become member of NATO before it would be able to potentially spare any fighter jets. Sweden hopes to join the NATO defence alliance during the fall after its accession has been held up by member states Turkey and Hungary. The new military aid package will be Sweden's 14th to Ukraine since Russia's invasion, taking the total value of the Nordic country's such aid to just over 22 billion crowns.

Persons: Pal Jonson, Jonson, Jas, Palson, Emmanuel Macron, Olaf Scholz, Rishi Sunak, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Anna Ringstrom, Louise Breusch Rasmussen, Essi Lehto, Philippa Fletcher Organizations: Jas Gripen, NATO, British, Thomson Locations: STOCKHOLM, Sweden, Ukraine, Turkey, Hungary, Granada, Europe, United States, Russia, U.S, Copenhagen

☆ 'Half the village is gone': Ukraine hamlet reels after missile strike
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-06 | by ( Max Hunder | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Valeriy Kozyr, 61, cries as he sits next to graves after losing his daughter and other relatives in a Russian military strike, at a cemetery outside the village of Hroza, Kharkiv region, Ukraine. Moscow denies targeting civilians in its full-scale invasion, a position it repeated on Friday in response to the Hroza strike. "On one side, the neighbours are gone, and on the other side a woman is gone." 'HALF THE VILLAGE GONE'As darkness fell on Thursday, dazed emergency crews carried bodies placed in white bags on to the back of a pickup truck. "Half the village is gone, families are gone," said Kozyr, standing beside his wife as she wept.

Persons: Valeriy Kozyr, Thomas Peter Acquire, Kozyr, Olya, Volodymr Zelenskiy, Serhiy Bolvinov, Valentyna Kozienko, Oleksandr Mukhovatyi, Andriy Kozyr, Valeriy, Andriy, Mike Collett, Philippa Fletcher Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, Regional, Local, Thomson Locations: Russian, Hroza, Kharkiv region, Ukraine, Russia, Moscow, Kharkiv, Ukrainian

☆ Sweden pledges more military aid to Ukraine, considers fighter jets
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Swedish Defence Minister Pal Jonson walks to pose for a family photo with other attendees during the informal EU ministerial meeting on defence in Toledo, Spain August 30, 2023. REUTERS/Isabel Infantes/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsSTOCKHOLM, Oct 6 (Reuters) - Sweden will send Ukraine a new military support package worth 2.2 billion crowns ($199 million) - consisting mainly of artillery ammunition - and is looking into sending fighter jets, Defence Minister Pal Jonson said. But he reiterated that Sweden would for domestic security reasons need to become member of NATO before it would be able to potentially spare any fighter jets. The new military aid package will be Sweden's 14th to Ukraine since Russia's invasion, taking the total value of the Nordic country's such aid to just over 22 billion crowns. "It is now important that more countries step up to support Ukraine."

Persons: Pal Jonson, Isabel Infantes, Jonson, Jas, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Anna Ringstrom, Louise Breusch Rasmussen, Essi Lehto, Philippa Fletcher Organizations: Swedish, REUTERS, Rights, NATO, Thomson Locations: Toledo, Spain, Rights STOCKHOLM, Sweden, Ukraine, Turkey, Hungary, Granada, Russia, Europe, U.S, Copenhagen

☆ UN rights team to investigate Hroza attack, Kyiv says death toll 52
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-06 | by ( Max Hunder | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

"Fifty-two people died as a result of this missile attack. One person died in a medical facility," Oleh Synehubov, governor of the Kharkiv region, told Ukrainian television. A three-day mourning period was announced in the wider Kharkiv region as villagers cleared grave sites for their relatives and rescuers continued their work at the scene, looking for body parts among piles of bricks, wood and metal. The Kremlin reiterated on Friday that it does not attack civilian targets, distancing itself from a strike that resulted in one of the biggest civilian death tolls of the more than 19-month-old war. [1/5]People lay flowers paying tribute to the victims at a site of a Russian military strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in the village of Hroza, Kharkiv region, Ukraine October 6, 2023.

Persons: Synehubov, Valeriy Kozyr, Valentyna Kozienko, Thomas Peter Acquire, Antonio Guterres, Elizabeth Throssell, Volker Turk, OCHR, Throssell, Dmitry Peskov, Olena Harmash, Timothy Heritage, Philippa Fletcher Organizations: Kyiv, Police, REUTERS, United Nations, Human Rights, UN, Thomson Locations: Ukrainian, Kharkiv region HROZA, Ukraine, Hroza, Kharkiv, Russian, Kharkiv region, Russia, Odesa

And if you do, you should stand with me," Sunak said, referring to what he described as 30 years of political short-termism. "It may be helpful, but it won't be sufficient" to help them win the next election. Chris Hopkins, political research director at the polling firm Savanta, said he could not see how Sunak could win. Cabinet ministers have given speeches to sparsely populated rooms and some party members have openly talked what they may do in opposition. Writing by Elizabeth Piper; editing by Kate Holton and Philippa FletcherOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Sunak, Goldman Sachs, Andy Street, Suella Braverman, pollsters, John Curtice, Chris Hopkins, Savanta, Liz Truss, Nigel Farage, Steve Tuckwell, Elizabeth Piper, Kate Holton, Philippa Fletcher Organizations: Conservative, Conservatives, Labour, University of Strathclyde, European Union, Republican Party, London's Labour, Thomson Locations: MANCHESTER, England, Manchester, British, Birmingham, West Midlands, United States

☆ Some veterans say Ukraine needs to face up to prospect of long war
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-04 | by ( Dan Peleschuk | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

"Guys, sooner or later it will catch up with you," said Yabchanka, who was back home in western Ukraine waiting for his wounded leg to heal before returning to his unit. Ukrainians still often dismiss Russian troops as incompetent after battlefield failures in 2022 and the recruitment of thousands of convicts to fill their ranks. No change to overall mobilisation plans has been announced and analysts say the government has to consider the broader economy and social stability. Yabchanka, who sports a Cossack-style moustache and hairstyle, said those who are close to someone fighting tend to be more realistic. "This is someone's husband, someone's son, someone's father," he said.

Persons: Oleksandr Yabchanka, Yabchanka, Vinci, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Adriana Romanko, Dad, Bohdan Krotevych, someone's, he's, Dan Peleschuk, Michael Collett, White, Philippa Fletcher Organizations: Vinci Wolves, Battalion, Fighters, Armed Forces of, Democratic Initiatives Foundation, Azov Brigade, Thomson Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Lviv, Russian, Armed Forces of Ukraine

In 2021, the year before Moscow launched its invasion of Ukraine, defence spending totalled 3.57 trillion roubles, 14.4% of total spending. In 2022, the share of defence spending rose to 17.7%, data on Russia's electronic budget page showed earlier this year. That may mean that defence spending will also be significantly higher than first envisaged. Moscow doubled its target for defence spending in 2023 to 9.7 trillion roubles, Reuters reported exclusively in August, citing a government document. EDUCATION, HEALTHCARE FREEZEAs defence spending in 2024 triples from pre-invasion levels, the share of spending on "national security", which covers funding for law enforcement agencies, is also rising, set to reach 9.2% in 2024, the documents showed.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Mikhail Metzel, Anton Siluanov, Siluanov, Donets, Dmitry Peskov, Darya, Alexander Marrow, Philippa Fletcher Organizations: Sputnik, REUTERS, Defence, Reuters, CIS, Renaissance, Thomson Locations: Moscow, Russia, Kremlin, Ukraine, Russian

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