International
Ukraine strikes with its drones one of the biggest blows of the war to the Russian arsenal
Faced with the resistance of its partners to lifting the ban on using their long-range missiles against Russian territory, Ukraine once again resorted to its own drones to hit the enemy rearguard with a massive attack that hit a warehouse of missiles, ammunition and aerial bombs in the city of Toporets in the Tver region of western Russia.
According to sources of the Ukrainian espionage, the attack was a joint operation by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), the Kiev military intelligence and the special forces of the Army and reached an ammunition depot in which Iskander and Tochka-U missiles were stored, in addition to aerial bombs and ammunition for artillery.
According to the Russian Telegram channel Astra, the warehouse in question, located in the city of Toporets in the Tver region, was hit by six Ukrainian kamikaze drones around 3.30 a.m. local time (00.30 GMT).
The Ukrainian portal Militarni, specialized in defense matters, has revealed that the attacked unit is 541690 of the Main Directorate of Missiles and Artillery of Russia (GRAU), in information that includes the coordinates of the attacked tank.
According to the balance sheet offered by the Russian Ministry of Defense, 54 drones were shot down throughout Russian territory during last night’s Ukrainian attack, 27 of them over the Kursk region, the scene of a military operation in Kiev since last August 6.
The authorities of the Tver region ordered the evacuation of part of the population of the area where the anti-aircraft defenses were activated in the city of Toporets, of about 11,400 inhabitants, located 460 kilometers from the Ukrainian border and where the attacked weapons warehouse is located, which had already been the target of the Ukrainian drones on two other occasions during the war.
Access to the city was reopened on Wednesday afternoon, when the evacuees were able to return to their homes.
According to the governor of Tver, Igor Rudenia, the attack has not caused fatalities or serious injuries.
Ukraine has made attacks on military airfields and missile and air bomb deposits one of its top priorities during the last months of the war, with the aim of reducing Russian air superiority.
According to data from the Ukrainian Army, Russian warplanes launch a hundred airstrikes every day against Ukrainian positions, infrastructure and inhabited areas, often causing civilian victims.
Through the massive use of guided air bombs – conventional high-power explosives equipped with their own navigation systems that allow the planes to launch them from outside the reach of enemy defenses – Russian aviation destroys Ukrainian defensive structures to pave the way for ground troops.
Kiev has insistently asked its main allies to allow it to multiply the effectiveness of its attacks on airfields and related infrastructures located within Russia with the use of its long-range missiles for this type of attack.
Given the resistance that its partners have shown so far, Ukraine must be content with using its drones for this type of operation, which increasingly hit Russian military installations but have so far failed to significantly decimate Russian aviation.
None of the countries with the capacity to transfer long-range missiles to Ukraine has given the green light for the moment to this request from Kiev, which is welcomed by countries with less military power and by some leaders of Western supranational organizations such as NATO, whose Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, said on Monday that he “applauds” the efforts of the allies to take this step.
Speaking to a Russian radio, Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov criticized Stoltenberg for “not taking seriously” the warnings in this regard by Russian President Vladimir Putin, who said last week that giving permission to Kiev to attack Russian territory with long-range weapons will be interpreted with Moscow as a NATO entry into the war against Russia.
Peskov linked Stoltenberg’s words to the imminence of the end of his mandate at the head of the Atlantic Alliance. “It is clear that soon he will no longer have any responsibility for these words, but it is an extremely provocative and dangerous position,” he said.
International
Venezuela mobilizes forces nationwide as tensions with U.S. rise
Venezuela’s armed forces launched a “massive” nationwide deployment on Tuesday in response to what the government calls “imperialist threats” from the United States, which continues its anti-drug military operation in the region and is preparing for the arrival of its most advanced aircraft carrier.
Since late August, U.S. forces have maintained a growing presence in the Caribbean to combat alleged drug trafficking originating from Colombia and Venezuela. The operation has resulted in the bombing of 20 vessels in international waters in the Caribbean and Pacific, leaving 76 people dead.
Venezuelan authorities claim the U.S. mission is aimed at toppling President Nicolás Maduro. While insisting he seeks peace, Maduro has repeatedly warned the country is prepared to defend itself and has frequently showcased military activities.
A statement from Venezuela’s Defense Ministry said the deployment includes land, air, naval, river and missile systems; armed forces units; the Bolivarian militia; and additional police, military and civilian defense structures.
State broadcaster VTV aired speeches from military leaders in various states, along with images of troops mobilizing and equipment being positioned.
However, analysts note that these frequent and highly publicized announcements do not always lead to visible operations on the ground.
On Monday, Maduro cautioned that Venezuela has the “strength and power” to respond to any aggression, including mobilizing civilians. “If imperialism were to strike and do harm, from the moment the order is given, the entire Venezuelan people would mobilize and fight,” he warned.
International
Jara: “Real toughness” means targeting drug money in Chile’s crime fight
Left-wing presidential candidate Jeannette Jara said during Chile’s final debate on Monday that the “real tough approach” to crime is to go after the financial networks behind drug trafficking and organized crime.
Rising crime, often linked in public discourse to a surge in irregular migration, has become the top concern among Chileans and has dominated the election campaign.
Although Chile’s homicide rate has nearly tripled over the past decade — from 2.5 to 6.7 per 100,000 inhabitants — the country remains one of the safest in Latin America, according to the United Nations.
“I want to call on the right-wing candidates to join us in targeting those who control the money behind drug trafficking and organized crime. That is real tough action,” Jara, who is favored to win Sunday’s first-round vote, declared during the debate.
All eight candidates faced off on Monday night in the final televised confrontation before the election.
Polls — unavailable since they were suspended on November 2 — indicate that far-right candidate José Antonio Kast is likely to finish second behind Jara, but would hold the advantage in a potential December 14 runoff.
Kast is expected to consolidate support from three other right-wing contenders: Evelyn Matthei, Johannes Kaiser and Franco Parisi.
International
Investigation widens after Michoacán mayor’s killer shot post-arrest
Mexico’s Security Secretary Omar García Harfuch said Tuesday that the investigation into the killing of a popular mayor from the western state of Michoacán now also includes his security detail. The announcement comes after the governor said the alleged attacker — a 17-year-old — was shot dead after having already been detained.
“The municipal police officers who formed the mayor’s first security ring will give new statements,” García Harfuch said during the president’s daily morning press briefing, noting that includes the officer who admitted firing at the assailant.
He added that authorities are examining both the weapon that killed the attacker and the one that fatally shot the mayor. He did not clarify whether the 14 National Guard members assigned to the mayor’s protection are also under investigation.
Carlos Manzo, mayor of the city of Uruapan, about 400 kilometers west of Mexico City, was gunned down the night of November 1 while surrounded by dozens of people taking part in Day of the Dead festivities.
Governor Alfredo Ramírez Bedolla said Monday that investigators are trying to determine why lethal force was used on the attacker and whether it was excessive. “The killer was detained and moments later there was a struggle and a single shot that killed the assailant,” he said.
Authorities are also reviewing “what happened that led to a lapse or weakening in the mayor’s security cordon,” the governor added, noting that the eight municipal bodyguards were personally chosen by Manzo.
Venezuela mobilizes forces nationwide as tensions with U.S. rise
Jara: “Real toughness” means targeting drug money in Chile’s crime fight
Investigation widens after Michoacán mayor’s killer shot post-arrest
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
Defense Minister commends salvadoran soldier for Central American Cross Country victory
Extension of the state of emergency approved in southern Chile
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