Ukraine says it has targeted an oil tanker in the Mediterranean Sea, claiming it belonged to the Russian shadow fleet.
The vessel, the Qendil, was empty when it was struck on Friday in neutral waters in the Mediterranean Sea with aerial drones for the first time, an official at the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) said in a written statement.
Marine tracking websites showed that the oil tanker was located 2,000 km from Ukraine off the coast of Libya when it was attacked.
The unnamed Ukrainian official did not specify exactly where the tanker was at the time of the attack or when it occurred.
However, overhead footage provided by the source showed a small explosion on the deck of a tanker. Reuters confirmed the vessel shown in the video was the Qendil by comparing it with file imagery, but could not verify the time or location.
An earlier statement by the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service revealed that the British special services, in cooperation with NATO countries, had devised a scheme to cause an environmental disaster in the international waters for a massive raid on Russia’s “shadow fleet.”.....more below
US Army Secretary Dan Driscoll is preparing to leave the Trump administration after what a new report has described as months of tension with Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, potentially triggering another change at the army’s top echelons.
According to the Friday report by The Wall Street Journal, Driscoll is expected to step down before the end of the year and could leave his post earlier. The newspaper cited people familiar with discussions over his departure.
The Journal reported that Driscoll and his family vacated the official residence assigned to the army secretary at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall this summer, a move that could indicate he was preparing to leave the position.
The reported departure would come at a time of continuing uncertainty at the top echelons of the army.
Hegseth abruptly removed Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George in April, while Trump has not yet nominated a permanent successo....more below
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The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) warns the enemies that any act of aggression against the Islamic Republic will not go unanswered.
In a statement on Thursday, the IRGC issued a “stern warning” to the enemies after US forces launched strikes against the southern Iranian port city of Bandar Abbas.
Following the US military attack on a point on the outskirts of Bandar Abbas Airport with aerial projectiles, the IRGC carried out new strikes targeting the US air base from which the attack originated in the wee hours of Thursday, it added.
“This response is a serious warning to the enemy that they should know the act of aggression will not go unanswered,” the IRGC emphasized.
The elite military force warned of a “more decisive” response if the enemy repeated any act of aggression.
It also said the responsibility for the consequences of any IRGC response lies with the aggressor.
The statement comes after the IRGC Navy on Thursday forced an American tanker to turn back. The tanker ...
