Zelensky warned of a new Russian offensive
A day after a Russian missile strike on a hardware superstore in Kharkiv, Ukraine, killed at least 16 people, according to officials there, its president, Volodymyr Zelensky, said that Moscow’s forces were massing for a new ground offensive in the northeast.
Kharkiv has seen a sharp escalation in the ferocity of aerial attacks this month, forcing many to flee. On Saturday, a second strike, which came just hours after the attack on the superstore, hit commercial infrastructure, wounding at least 25 people.
Far from the front lines, U.S. and allied intelligence officials are tracking an increase in low-level sabotage operations in Europe, saying that the acts are part of a Russian campaign to undermine support for Ukraine.
The covert operations have mostly been arsons or attempted arsons targeting a wide range of sites, including a warehouse in England, a paint factory in Poland, homes in Latvia and an Ikea store in Lithuania. People accused of being Russian operatives have also been arrested on charges of plotting attacks on U.S. military bases.
Hamas fired rockets at central Israel
Hamas launched a barrage of rockets yesterday afternoon, setting off air-raid sirens in the Tel Aviv area for the first time since at least late January. The attack showed that the group retained some long-range missile capabilities.
The Israeli military said that at least eight rockets were fired from the southern Gaza city of Rafah, where Israeli forces have been advancing. There were no immediate reports of major damage. Israel’s emergency service said that two women were lightly wounded as they fled to a bomb shelter.
In Rafah: Hours after the Hamas rocket attack, an Israeli airstrike on a makeshift tent camp for displaced Palestinians killed at least 35 people, the Gaza Health Ministry said. The Israeli military said that its operation was aimed at a Hamas compound. The Times wasn’t able to immediately confirm the details.
Cease-fire talks: Officials said that negotiations could restart in the next week, after a meeting in Paris among U.S. and Israeli intelligence chiefs and Qatar’s prime minister.
A landslide in Papua New Guinea killed hundreds
More than 48 hours after a landslide struck a densely populated region of Papua New Guinea with boulders the size of shipping containers, a U.N. official in the country said that at least 670 people were estimated to have died.
The landslide occurred around 3 a.m. on Friday, when many residents were asleep. As of Sunday afternoon, land was still sliding, rocks were falling, and the soil was cracking from increased pressure and running groundwater, hampering search-and-rescue efforts and forcing residents from their homes.
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That’s it for today’s briefing. Thank you for spending part of your morning with us, and see you tomorrow. — Justin
You can reach Justin and the team at [email protected].
Source Agencies
