International
Russia protests before the US ambassador for a Ukrainian attack on Crimea with ATACMS missiles
Russia protested on Monday before the U.S. ambassador, Lynn Trace, for the use of ATACMS missiles with cluster bombs in the Ukrainian attack perpetrated on Sunday against the Crimean port of Sevastopol that resulted in four civilians killed.
“The United States (…) bears the same responsibility as the Kiev regime for this evil act,” the Russian Foreign Ministry denounced in a statement.
According to Russian diplomacy, the United States “is waging a hybrid war against Russia and has become part of the conflict by supplying the Ukrainian Army with the most modern weapons, including ATACMS missiles with cluster bombs used against the population of Sevastopol.”
He also denounced that “the choice of objectives and the creation of flight missions (of missiles) is carried out by US military specialists.”
Foreign Affairs declared to the ambassador that “these actions of Washington, which are intended to encourage the pro-Nazi authorities of Ukraine to continue the war actions until the last Ukrainian, by allowing Russian territory to be attacked, will not go unpunished.”
“We will respond without fail,” Russian diplomacy warned.
This Sunday, Ukrainian forces launched five ATACMS missiles against Sevastopol, the base of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, four of which were shot down by Russian air defenses.
The fifth deviated from its course, according to Defense, and exploded on the coast of the peninsula, killing four civilians and injuring more than 150.
According to Telegram channels, a missile exploded on a beach where a large number of people rested on Sunday, taking advantage of the summer heat.
The Russian Ministry of Defense immediately blamed Washington for the attack for supplying Kiev with the ATACMS missiles launched by the Ukrainian Army and authorizing their use against Russian territory.
“The responsibility for this deliberate missile attack against the civilian population of Sevastopol lies above all with Washington, which supplied these weapons to Ukraine, and also the Kiev regime, from whose territory this attack was launched,” he said on Telegram.
The government of US President Joe Biden gave Ukraine permission at the end of May to attack targets in Russian territory using weapons provided by the United States, but only if they were military targets in the Russian border area near the area of the northeastern Kharkov region.
However, this authorization, as confirmed to EFE by a US official, does not extend to long-range missiles such as the Army Tactical Missile System known as ATACMS and used on Sunday in Sevastopol, according to Russian authorities.
The counselor of the Ukrainian presidential office Mikhail Podoliak said today, regarding the death this Sunday of four civilians in a Ukrainian attack on Crimea, that the peninsula is “a foreign territory (for the Russians) occupied by Russia in which there are hostilities and a large-scale war.”
“There are no no ‘beaches’, ‘tourist areas’ and other fictitious signs of ‘peaceful life’ in Crimea. Crimea is definitely a foreign territory occupied by Russia, where there are hostilities and a large-scale war. The same war that Russia unleashed with genocidal and invading purposes,” Podoliak wrote on his social network account X.
The counselor of the Ukrainian presidency added that “Crimea is also a large military camp and warehouse with hundreds of direct military targets that the Russians try to hide and cynically cover with their own civilians.”
International
U.S. Senate Rejects Budget, Bringing Government Closer to Shutdown Amid DHS Dispute
The U.S. Senate voted on Thursday against a budget proposal in a move aimed at pressuring changes at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), following the killing of two civilians during a deployment of immigration agents in Minneapolis.
All Senate Democrats and seven Republican lawmakers voted against the bill, which requires 60 votes to advance, pushing the country closer to a partial government shutdown that would cut funding for several agencies, including the Pentagon and the Department of Health.
The rejection came as Senate leaders and the White House continue negotiations on a separate funding package for DHS that would allow reforms to the agency. Proposed measures include banning Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from wearing face coverings and requiring them to use body-worn cameras during operations.
The vote took place just hours after President Donald Trump said he was “close” to reaching an agreement with Democrats and did not believe the federal government would face another shutdown, following last year’s record stoppage.
“I don’t think the Democrats want a shutdown either, so we’ll work in a bipartisan way to avoid it. Hopefully, there will be no government shutdown. We’re working on that right now,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting at the White House.
International
Trump Says Putin Agreed to One-Week Halt in Attacks on Ukraine Amid Extreme Cold
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he secured a commitment from Russian President Vladimir Putinto halt attacks against Ukraine for one week, citing extreme weather conditions affecting the region.
“Because of the extreme cold (…) I personally asked Putin not to attack Kyiv or other cities and towns for a week. And he agreed. He was very pleasant,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting broadcast by the White House.
Trump acknowledged that several advisers had questioned the decision to make the call.
“A lot of people told me not to waste the call because they wouldn’t agree. And he accepted. And we’re very happy they did, because they don’t need missiles hitting their towns and cities,” the president said.
According to Trump, Ukrainian authorities reacted with surprise to the announcement but welcomed the possibility of a temporary ceasefire.
“It’s extraordinarily cold, record cold (…) They say they’ve never experienced cold like this,” he added.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky later commented on the announcement, expressing hope that the agreement would be honored.
International
Storm Kristin Kills Five in Portugal, Leaves Nearly 500,000 Without Power
Storm Kristin, which battered Portugal with heavy rain and strong winds early Wednesday, has left at least five people dead, while nearly half a million residents remained without electricity as of Thursday, according to updated figures from authorities.
The revised death toll was confirmed to AFP by a spokesperson for the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority (ANPEC). On Wednesday, the agency had reported four fatalities.
Meanwhile, E-Redes, the country’s electricity distribution network operator, said that around 450,000 customers were still without power, particularly in central Portugal.
Emergency services responded to approximately 1,500 incidents between midnight and 8:00 a.m. local time on Wednesday, as the storm caused widespread disruptions.
The Portuguese government described Kristin as an “extreme weather event” that inflicted significant damage across several regions of the country. At the height of the storm, as many as 850,000 households and institutions lost electricity during the early hours of Wednesday.
Several municipalities ordered the closure of schools, many of which remained shut on Thursday due to ongoing adverse conditions.
Ricardo Costa, regional deputy commander of the Leiria Fire Brigade, said residents continue to seek assistance as rainfall persists.
“Even though the rain is not extremely intense, it is causing extensive damage to homes,” he noted.
In Figueira da Foz, a coastal city in central Portugal, strong winds toppled a giant Ferris wheel, underscoring the severity of the storm.
U.S. Senate Rejects Budget, Bringing Government Closer to Shutdown Amid DHS Dispute
Trump Says Putin Agreed to One-Week Halt in Attacks on Ukraine Amid Extreme Cold
Storm Kristin Kills Five in Portugal, Leaves Nearly 500,000 Without Power
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
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