Day News Recap: Ukraine hit by fresh Russian strikes as US tightens pressure on Moscow

Russia launched a large overnight barrage of drones and missiles across Ukraine, with officials reporting civilian deaths in Kharkiv and Kherson, while a Russian glide bomb also hit an apartment block in Sumy, killing two people and injuring seven.  🔗  🔗

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Washington stepped up pressure on Moscow by signing a sweeping sanctions package targeting Russian officials, banks and a shadow tanker fleet used to move energy exports, and by approving a proposed $2.68 billion air defence sale to Ukraine.  🔗  🔗

Security concerns around Ukraine widened beyond the battlefield, with Russian drone activity near the western border raising alarm for officials travelling to and from Kyiv and fresh incidents reported close to Poland and Moldova.  🔗

In the Middle East, Israeli artillery shelling injured two people in southern Lebanon as troops advanced towards border towns and briefly withdrew, while Israel also sought a $2.8 billion bomb transfer and its media reported severe equipment and troop shortages.  🔗  🔗  🔗

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Iran sent new conditions to the United States in an effort to restart stalled peace talks, executed a man convicted of spying for Mossad over missile site intelligence, and drew huge crowds in Tehran for a government rally that unveiled a new volunteer force linked to defence.  🔗  🔗  🔗

Elsewhere in the region, a blast at a military site in Syria's Deir Az Zor province killed 11 soldiers, and smoke and flames were seen near Riyadh's main airport as major flight disruptions continued in Saudi Arabia.  🔗  🔗

Yemen's humanitarian crisis deepened, with the United Nations saying more than 112,000 people have been displaced as fighting intensifies, and thousands are now fleeing to Djibouti.  🔗

In the Americas, Cuba suffered a nationwide blackout after a grid fault and poor weather caused a total disconnection, while Bolivia ratified a $1.9 billion IMF deal and ended diesel subsidies despite protest threats.  🔗  🔗 Mexico's Claudia Sheinbaum said she had a very good call with Donald Trump as talks continued over tariff relief.  🔗

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In Europe and the wider transatlantic arena, the United States and Denmark reached a Greenland security agreement that would expand the US military presence on the island, even as Trump claimed the deal would give Washington permanent security control.  🔗  🔗 The US is also weighing a major troop reduction in Europe amid NATO tensions, Germany received its first F 35 fighter jet, and France's Emmanuel Macron is due in Saint Pierre and Miquelon for talks with Carney on maritime sovereignty.  🔗  🔗  🔗

Other developments included Turkiye revoking Bank Mellat's Istanbul operating licence, the US lifting sanctions on Eritrea, Australia declining to join West Bank sanctions talks, UEFA rejecting Ireland's request over future draws with Israel, and Russia's election and political crackdown, including a powerful cyberattack on Moscow's voting system, a State Duma vote, and the designation of filmmaker Andrey Zvyagintsev as a foreign agent.  🔗  🔗  🔗  🔗  🔗  🔗  🔗

In the United States, Virginia opened early in person voting for the 2026 midterms, the Pentagon resumed mandatory testosterone testing for service members aged 30 and older, and Trump said he was banning CNN, MSNOW and Politico from the White House while warning leakers over Iran coverage.  🔗  🔗  🔗  🔗

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