International
Ukraine destroys another key bridge in the Russian region of Kursk and takes another locality
The Ukrainian Army claims that it has destroyed a second bridge in the Russian region of Kursk where its detachments are “reinforcing” positions, Air Force Commander Mykola Oleshchuk reported on his Telegram channel. In addition, he has taken the Russian town of Otruba.
Oleshchuk posted a video on that social network where he apparently shows what he described as a “precise” air strike on the structure of the bridge.
Although Oleshchuk did not specify the location of the damaged structure, the Russian Telegram channel ‘Mash’ said that it was a bridge over the Seim River, near the town of Zvannoye.
He also stated that the attack used HIMARS (multiple rocket launcher system) supplied by the United States, according to information from local Russian media that cannot be independently verified.
If this attack is confirmed, it would be the second bridge destroyed by Ukrainian forces in recent days, which will further hinder Russia’s ability to replenish troops to defend itself from Ukraine’s incursion.
Another bridge over the Seim River in the Glushkovsky district in the Russian region of Kursk was attacked on August 16, as confirmed by Alexey Smirnov, interim governor of the region.
For its part, Russia affirmed that “this is not the time” to negotiate with Ukraine in view of its offensive in the Russian border region of Kursk, but insisted that Moscow’s conditions for the settlement of the conflict “are not annulled.”
“No, (the conditions) are not canceled, but right now it would be inappropriate to start a negotiation process,” Kremlin adviser Yuri Ushakov told the Telegram Shot channel.
He insisted that at the current stage of Ukraine’s incursion into Kursk, Russia is not going to talk to the authorities of that country.
Ushakov thus referred to the conditions of Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the war in Ukraine, which go through the withdrawal of Kiev forces from four regions annexed by Moscow in September 2022.
Russian forces captured 19 Ukrainian soldiers during the defense of the Russian region of Kursk from the Ukrainian offensive, the state agency RIA Novosti reported.
Almost two weeks after the start of Ukraine’s cross-border offensive in the Russian region of Kursk, Ukrainian troops claim to control about 1,000 square kilometers of Russian territory and more than 80 settlements in the region and continue to move forward.
One of the objectives of the Ukrainian incursion into Kursk is to create a plug zone in the territory of the aggressor country, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has confirmed.
“Right now, the main task of our defensive actions is to destroy as much as possible of the Russian potential, of its war potential, and maximize our counterattacks,” Zelenski said in his last night speech.
“This includes the creation of a plug zone in the aggressor’s territory: our operation in the Kursk region,” he explained.
Everything that inflicts damage to the Army, the State, the defense or the economy of the Russian Federation helps Ukraine to prevent the expansion of the war and put an end to it with “a just peace for Ukraine,” Zelenski emphasized.
On the other hand, Ukrainian forces have taken the Russian town of Otruba and 11.5 square kilometers of its surroundings after penetrating the Russian region of Kursk crossing the border in another area, 35 kilometers from the initial incursion, Ukrainian military analysts say.
The take of Otruba was confirmed by the Ukrainian analysis platform DeepState on Sunday at the last minute.
According to the map of the fights, there are several more localities that are in the running, including Tiotkino and the territories near Popovo-Lezhachi, so in total there are six square kilometers that are being contested in that area.
These fighting is taking place west of the Glushkovo district of the Kursk region, about 35 kilometers away from the area that Ukraine already controls in the Russian region, east of that district.
To the east of the Glushkovo district, Ukraine captured the towns of Snagost and Apanasivka, Deepstate also reported on Sunday night, and its forces have also made advances in Olgovka, near Korenevo, to the north.
As a result, Ukraine already controls or disputes more than 1,200 square kilometers of Russian territory in Kursk, according to Deepstate.
However, families with minors will have to leave the city of Pokrovsk, in the eastern Ukrainian region of Donetsk, due to the danger posed by the Russian advance towards the important logistical node, the authorities announced.
Russia has lost more than 600,000 of its soldiers, between dead and wounded, since the beginning of its large-scale invasion that began almost two and a half years ago, said the General Staff of the Ukrainian Army.
In addition, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) warns of the deterioration in the safety of the Ukrainian nuclear power plant in Zaporijia, under Russian occupation and with the reactors turned off since 2022, after the impact this weekend of a drone with an explosive charge near the plant.
“Nuclear power plants are designed to withstand technical, human and external events, even extreme failures, but they are not built to resist a direct military attack,” explains the director general of the IAEA, the Argentine Rafael Grossi, in a statement.
The Ukrainian Air Force also stated that last morning it has managed to successfully intercept the 11 kamikaze-type drones launched by Russia from the Kursk and Primorsko-Akhtarsk regions.
For its part, the Russian Army took the Ukrainian town of Zalizne, known to the Russians as Artiomovo, in its advance towards the city of Toretsk, one of the objectives of the Russian offensive in the annexed region of Donetsk, as reported today by the Russian Ministry of Defense in its daily war report.
International
Vatican speeds up Sistine Chapel preparations for upcoming conclave
Work is accelerating inside the Sistine Chapel as the Vatican prepares for the papal conclave set to begin on Wednesday. The preparations include the installation of a wooden floor, the setup of a stove for burning secret ballots, and the iconic chimney that will signal the election results.
A nearly five-minute video released by the Vatican on Saturday shows technicians assembling scaffolding beneath Michelangelo’s frescoes and laying a false wooden floor, where large tables will be placed to accommodate the 133 cardinals expected to vote.
Elsewhere in the chapel, workers are installing the heavy stove that will be used to burn the ballots. The footage, dated Friday, also shows firefighters climbing the tiled roof to prepare the chimney flue, which will emit either white smoke when a new pope is elected, or black smoke if no decision has been reached.
“This is a key stage for the Catholic Church,” said Silvio Screpanti, deputy director of Vatican infrastructure, on the Vatican’s official website. The stove has been discreetly tested, and in case of any issues, a technician will remain in a nearby technical room with a remote control to manage the stove, which now operates electronically.
A team of five electricians, five technicians, and two florists will remain on-site throughout the conclave. After taking an oath, they will stay within Vatican grounds with no outside contact, including with their families.
Some of these workers have participated in previous conclaves, while younger staff will receive guidance from more experienced colleagues, ensuring a smooth transition for future conclaves.
International
Venezuela achieves 22% drop in maternal mortality in first months of 2025
Maternal mortality in Venezuela decreased by 22% during the first four months of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024, Vice President Delcy Rodríguez announced on Saturday.
The significant reduction is attributed to a combination of public health policies focused on primary care, obstetric surveillance, and the promotion of community health, Rodríguez explained during a broadcast on the state television channel, following a meeting of the Sectoral Vice Presidents Council.
“These are lives saved thanks to the joint efforts of medical teams, community brigades, and the national healthcare system,” she said.
Contributing factors include the strengthening of prenatal care programs, free access to safe childbirth services, and the deployment of mobile medical units in remote areas. Additionally, emergency obstetric protocols were reinforced and specialized staff received further training.
The council meeting also addressed other areas of government action.
In the economic sphere, officials reviewed progress in the “13 Productive Engines” initiative, designed to boost key sectors such as agriculture, energy, tourism, and the pharmaceutical industry. The goal is to stimulate domestic production, generate foreign currency, and reduce external dependency.
In education, over two million students participated in the 19th edition of the National School Sports Games, held between March and April. Authorities highlighted the importance of these events in supporting the comprehensive development of the nation’s youth.
The government also assessed the national rain mitigation plan, which includes structural and preventive measures such as drainage maintenance, reinforcement of vulnerable areas, and the activation of early warning systems.
International
Trump signs order to end federal funding for NPR and PBS
U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Thursday to halt federal funding for two public media outlets, PBS television and NPR radio, accusing them of being biased.
NPR and PBS are partially funded by American taxpayers but rely heavily on private donations.
Trump has long maintained a hostile relationship with most media outlets, which he has referred to as the “enemy of the people.”
An exception is the conservative Fox News channel, some of whose hosts have played important roles in the administration of the Republican magnate.
“National Public Radio (NPR) and Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) receive taxpayer funding through the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB),” Trump said.
“Therefore, I direct the CPB board and all executive departments and agencies to cease federal funding for NPR and PBS,” he added.
The Republican leader argued that “neither of these entities provides a fair, accurate, or impartial portrayal of current events to the taxpayer citizens.”
At the end of March, Donald Trump called on Congress to end public funding for these two “horrible and completely biased networks.”
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