All the latest developments from the war in Ukraine.
Wikipedia and Apple fined over 'false information' in Russia
ADVERTISEMENTA Russian court on Thursday imposed fines on Apple and Wikipedia for failing to remove material considered “false information” about Russia’s military actions in Ukraine.
The magistrate's court, which handles administrative violations and low-level criminal cases, fined the Wikimedia Foundation 3 million rubles (€30,000) for material on Russian-language Wikipedia pages that violated a law against discrediting Russia's army and spreading false information about the Ukraine conflict, the Interfax news agency reported.
Apple was also found guilty of failing to delete podcasts and apps with such information and fined the company 400,000 rubles (€4,000).
Since sending troops into Ukraine in February 2022, Russia has enacted an array of measures to punish any criticism or questioning of the military campaign.
Some critics have received severe punishments. Opposition figure Vladimir Kara-Murza was sentenced this year to 25 years in prison for treason stemming from speeches he made against Russia's actions in Ukraine.
Russia urged not to weaponise hunger
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is set to denounce the use of food as a "weapon of war" at the UN Security Council with Russia in sight, according to officials.
The US took over the monthly presidency of the Security Council on Tuesday, declaring the fight against food insecurity stemming from conflicts a priority.
Washington intends to adopt a "joint declaration condemning the use of food as a weapon of war", which has already been signed by more than 75 countries, an official speaking on the condition of anonymity told AFP.
Blinken "is not looking to turn this meeting... into a face-to-face meeting with Russia," but Moscow will clearly be in the crosshairs over its invasion of Ukraine and recent withdrawal from the Black Sea grain deal.
In July, Russia refused to extend an agreement which lifted a blockade on Ukrainian exports of cereals, fuelling price rises that are hitting poor countries hard.
"Since Russia left the agreement, the price of cereals has started to rise again, more than 17%," said the US official.
Ukraine shoots down drone bound for Kyiv
Ukrainian air defences intercepted more than a dozen drones launched at Kyiv overnight from Wednesday to Thursday, according to a military official.
Ukrainian forces "detected and destroyed nearly 15 aerial targets", said the head of the capital's military administration, Sergey Popko.
He wrote on Telegram they were Iranian-made "Shahed" (Martyr) drones, which are built using stolen Western technology, as revealed by Conflict Armament Research, a UK-based organisation.
It was the 820th air alert in Kyiv since Russia invaded last February, said Popko. The attempted assault lasted three hours.
"According to the information available at the moment, there were no casualties or damage in the capital," he added.
The night before Ukraine's army said it shot down more than 10 drone drones bound for the capital, with falling debris causing minor damage to buildings.
In July, Dr Jade McGlynn, Research Fellow in War Studies at King's College London, told Euronews Russia was deliberately "terror bombing" civilians in a bid to "break their will" to fight.
ADVERTISEMENTShe expressed doubts this strategy would work, however, suggesting it could in fact steel public resistance.
India to participate in summit on starting Ukraine peace talks
India will participate in a weekend meeting hosted by Saudi Arabia to find a way to start negotiations to end the Ukraine war.
Jeddah invited India to the two-day meeting and its "participation is in consonance with our long-standing position that dialogue and diplomacy is the way forward,” Arindam Bagchi, the spokesman for India's External Affairs Ministry, told reporters in New Delhi on Thursday.
Bagchi did not say who would represent the country at the summit. "We will let you know when I am in a position to do so,” the spokesman said.
The head of Ukraine’s presidential office, Andriy Yermak, confirmed Sunday that a Ukrainian-organised peace summit would take place in the Middle East.
ADVERTISEMENTUkraine, the United States, Brazil, India, South Africa and several other countries are expected to take part.
Ukraine has in the past described its 10-point peace plan as including the restoration of Ukraine’s territorial integrity, the withdrawal of Russian troops, the release of all prisoners, a tribunal for those responsible for the aggression and security guarantees for Ukraine.
Russia denounces Ukrainian 'terrorist attack' on capital
Russia said on Thursday it had shot down six Ukrainian drones targeting Moscow, amid a rise in tit-for-tat attacks on the capital.
Russian forces "prevented overnight an attempt by the Kyiv regime to carry out a terrorist attack with drones over the Kaluga region", some 180 km southwest of Moscow, the Russian Defence Ministry said in a statement.
Kaluga governor Vyacheslav Chapcha wrote on Telegram the drones were intercepted over his region and that this was not their target.
ADVERTISEMENTThe incident did not cause "victims or damage", added the Defence Ministry.
Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian territory have multiplied in recent weeks, often hitting Moscow and the annexed Crimean peninsula.
On Tuesday, a Ukrainian drone struck a building in Moscow's business district, already hit in a similar attack over the weekend. It caused minor surface damage.