Novorossiysk Hit by Ukrainian Drones as SCO Summit Kicks Off in Kazakhstan

Last night, the Russian Black Sea port of Novorossiysk was attacked by surface drones, according to local authorities. Car traffic on the Crimean bridge, connecting the Russian-annexed Ukrainian peninsula with the Krasnodar region, was temporarily halted for about an hour. Local residents reported powerful explosions and a fire in a mountainous area above the city, as noted by UNIAN. However, there has been no response from the Ukrainian authorities regarding the attack.

The Russian Ministry of Defense announced that their air defenses destroyed ten drones over Russian territory. Specifically, five unmanned aerial vehicles were taken down over the Belgorod region, four over Bryansk, and one over the Moscow region.

In related news, the US will permit Ukraine to target Russian positions at greater distances if the Russian forces attempt to expand the front. This was indicated by Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs James O'Brien during a hearing in the Foreign Relations Committee of the House of Representatives. Currently, the US limits the use of American weapons in Russia to 100 kilometers from the Ukrainian border, which is significantly less than the full range of ATACMS, which exceeds 300 kilometers.

The Pentagon is set to announce a new 2.3 billion USD arms and ammunition package, as stated by US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. Ukraine anticipates receiving the first of the F-16 fighter jets from its European partners this month. In response, Russia has intensified missile strikes on Ukrainian airports in recent days.

The war in Ukraine will be a key topic at the two-day summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) starting today in Kazakhstan. Russian President Vladimir Putin has arrived in the capital, Astana...