The Lebanon-based Hezbollah group claimed that its fighters shelled a group of Israeli soldiers on Monday, the Times of Israel reported. The group said it targeted Israeli soldiers situated southwest of Kiryat Shmona, a city in the Northern District of Israel located near the Lebanese border. No detailed information was given regarding the outcome of the assault, nor was the claim confirmed by Israel.
Israel reportedly strikes Hezbollah sites deep in Lebanon
Israel Defense Forces (IDF) launched airstrikes targeting Hezbollah positions in the Lebanese city of Baalbek, the AFP, and Lebanese media outlets reported. The Israeli military’s alleged strikes come following several Hezbollah missile, rocket, and drone attacks on northern Israel on Saturday. If confirmed, this would be the fourth time the IDF has launched attacks on Baalbek, which is located approximately 100 kilometers from the Israeli border and is considered a Hezbollah stronghold.
Russian air strikes targeted both Kyiv and the western Ukrainian region of Lviv on Sunday, news agency Reuters cited officials as saying. In response, Poland’s armed forces activated its aircraft to ensure airspace safety near the border.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko took to Telegram messaging app and stated that multiple explosions rocked the Ukrainian capital following engagement of air defence systems to repel the attack. Serhiy Popko, head of Kyiv’s military administration, said on Telegram that Ukraine’s air defence forces successfully intercepted approximately a dozen Russian-launched missiles over Kyiv and its vicinity. Preliminary reports indicate no casualties or significant damage resulting from the attacks. Ukraine also said that it hit two Russian landing ships in an overnight strike in Sevastopol, on Crimean peninsula annexed by Russia in 2014.”The Ukrainian Armed Forces successfully struck the amphibious landing ships Yamal and Azov, a communications centre, and a number of the Black Sea Fleet’s infrastructure sites,” Ukrainian armed forces’ strategic communications centre said in a statement, AFP reported. Notably, these “massive” airstrikes are part of Russia’s ongoing assault on Ukraine, which it portrays as retaliation for Ukrainian actions during its recent presidential election. U.S. Ambassador Bridget Brink raised concerns about the situation, emphasising that Ukraine remains under an air alert, with civilians advised to seek shelter due to Russia’s indiscriminate launching of drones and missiles, in violation of international law.”For the third pre-dawn morning this week, all of Ukraine is under an air alert and has been advised to seek shelter,” U.S. Ambassador Bridget Brink posted on X.At the same time, Ukraine’s news outlets reported a major attack on Lviv, with Russian missiles flying near the border with Poland. Polish armed forces responded by activating aircraft, leading to potential increased noise levels, particularly in the southeastern part of the country. Poland’s army reported that a Russian cruise missile aimed at towns in western Ukraine breached Polish airspace. Consequently, Poland’s foreign ministry announced plans to demand an explanation from Russia for this violation. Although Lviv itself was spared from direct attacks, Mayor Andriy Sadovyi said on Telegram that approximately 20 missiles and seven attack drones targeted “critical infrastructure” in the broader Lviv region.
The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) said the US forces intercepted six Houthi unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) over the Red Sea. “Five crashed into the Red Sea, and one flew inland into Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen,” CENTCOM revealed in a statement. Furthermore, the US military disclosed that Yemen’s Houthi launched several anti-ship ballistic missiles toward M/V Huang Pu, an oil tanker owned and operated by China. There were no casualties and the vessel continued on its route with minimal damage. Previously, it was reported that the Houthis pledged not to attack Chinese and Russian ships. NN: One of these days they might get lucky. Then all hell will break loose.
Hamas’ political bureau official Bassem Naim (pictured left) told Al Jazeera that the group informed mediators that it is “not ready to discuss any further proposals” on the Gaza ceasefire as Israel keeps ignoring Hamas’ key demands – a permanent ceasefire, total withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza and the return of displaced Palestinians to their homes.
“We believe it is not about a ceasefire, it is about [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu using the negotiations as a cover to gain more time to continue his plans for the complete bombardment of the rest of the Gaza Strip, including Rafah, and to relieve international pressure,” Naim underlined.
In addition, the Hamas official urged Western countries, especially the United States, to put more pressure on Netanyahu and prevent him from endangering the entire Middle East region. NN Audio File:
Oil prices are set to end this week flat after gaining around 3% last week amid robust demand and growing supply unease.This week, these factors were tempered by the prospect of a ceasefire in the Middle East and a stronger U.S. dollar that normally puts oil traders in mind of weaker demand. Profit-taking after last week’s gains also served to dampen prices.Reuters earlier today cited data from consultancy FGE that showed onshore inventories of crude oil and fuels had fallen by 12 million barrels in the first half of the month. This was a much steeper decline than the seasonal average of some 6 million barrels for the period between 2015 and 2019.“We expect oil markets to remain tight in the short term, while geopolitical risks are also likely to create some bouts of volatility,” a Standard Chartered analyst told Bloomberg. Supply disruptions in Russia continued to apply upward pressure to prices although in the last two days this was offset by the dollar’s rally. A perception of lower U.S. gasoline demand also helped temper prices, even though inventories of the fuel booked another weekly decline, per the EIA’s latest inventory report. On the other hand, there are indications that global oil inventories are in a stronger-than-usual decline, which might deepen worry about the sufficiency of supply. Meanwhile, sentiment towards oil demand may be about to change more broadly as attendants at the CERAWeek conference raised questions about peak demand forecasts that keep diverging from reality. Aramco’s chief executive earlier this week called for an end to the rush to phase out oil and gas, substituting it with adequate investment. Vitol’s chief executive Russell Hardy said his company had pushed back its forecast for peak oil demand in light of slowing EV sales growth.
MOSCOW, March 23 (Reuters) – If Ukraine is found to be behind Friday’s attack that killed at least 93 people near Moscow there should be a clear answer on the battlefield, the RIA news agency quoted Russian lawmaker and former general Andrei Kartapolov as saying on Saturday.Russia has arrested 11 people including four suspected gunmen in connection with the shooting rampage at a concert hall near Moscow, the Kremlin said on Saturday. Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak said on Friday that Kyiv had nothing to do with the attack.
Russia intercepted some Moscow attack suspects en route to Ukraine
The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) alleged that the individuals responsible for the recent concert hall attack in Moscow were heading towards the Ukrainian border at the time of their arrest, Interfax news agency reported.
The FSB further claimed that the suspects may have had connections within Ukraine.
Ukraine already denied any involvement in the incident, which the Islamic State (ISIS) claimed responsibility for, although an investigation into the attack is ongoing.
Column of an oil refinery installation is on fire in the Samara region after the fall of a drone, emergency services told RIA Novosti. “Preliminarily, there are no victims, fire crews are working,” they explained.Earlier in the Kursk region, the danger of a drone attack was announced. Also, the enterprise of Starooskolsky urban district of Belgorod region was attacked by UAVs.
Senior Ukrainian officials defended Kyiv’s attacks on oil infrastructure deep within Russian territory following a report that US officials had warned against the operation because of surging oil prices and the prospect of Kremlin retaliation.Deputy Prime Minister Olha Stefanishyna said refineries in Russia are legitimate targets providing resources to President Vladimir Putin’s war machine. Even as the strikes appeared to stop this week, the official was queried on the report in the Financial Times at a conference in the Ukrainian capital Friday. “We understand the calls by American partners,” Stefanishyna responded during a panel discussion at the Kyiv Security Forum. “At the same time, we fight with the capabilities, resources and practices that we have today.” Ukrainian forces attacked more than a dozen refineries inside Russia with explosive-laden drones this month, prompting the country’s daily oil refining rate to fall to the lowest weekly level in ten months. The successful attacks contrast with fighting on the front line, where the balance is shifting in Russia’s favor — though the damage to oil facilities poses a risk to world markets.US officials, who have long warned Kyiv against widespread strikes on Russian territory, told counterparts in Ukraine’s State Security Service, or SBU, and military intelligence that the attacks risk driving up the global oil price and provoking a response by Moscow on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, the FT reported, citing unidentified officials familiar with the discussion. Another official, Mykhailo Podolyak, an aide to President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, said the report on the US request was “fictional” — and that Ukraine has the right to destroy Russia’s “instruments of war.”
“Nobody after two years of large-scale war can dictate conditions of waging this war to Ukraine,” Podolyak said on Dozhd TV.
After the Ukrainian attacks last week, the strikes ceased after the weekend, with Russia reporting no new refinery hits after the last one took place on Sunday. The SBU declined to comment on whether the US requested a halt to the attacks .Russia meanwhile on Friday staged the largest missile and drone barrage against Ukraine’s energy infrastructure since the start of the invasion. The attack damaged the nation’s biggest hydro power plant in the southern region of Zaporizhzhia, a crucial nerve center for power generation, particularly in the winter months. NN audio:
Digital World Acquisition Corp’s shareholders voted on Friday in favor of the company merging with former United States President Donald Trump’s Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG).The merger proposal was first announced around two and a half years ago. TMTG could go public and start trading on the Nasdaq under the symbol DJT as soon as next week. Trump could gain over $3 billion from the deal. However, he won’t be able to sell his shares for the first six months. In the meantime, New York Attorney General Letitia James is preparing to potentially seize the ex-head of state’s golf course and private estate “Seven Springs.” NN: Talk about a charmed life. All his money problems are solved.
Russia and China vetoed on Friday a resolution at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), sponsored by the United States, calling for an “immediate and sustained ceasefire” in the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. The veto came amid accusations from Russia’s UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzya, who criticized the resolution’s language and accused US officials of politicizing the issue for misleading reasons.The objective of the resolution was to protect civilians and facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid to over two million Palestinians affected by the conflict. The vote saw 11 members in favor, three against, and one abstention.
US envoy urges ‘immediate and sustained ceasefire’ in Gaza
United States Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield said on Friday that her country “wants to see an immediate and sustained ceasefire” in the Gaza Strip along with the agreement that would provide the release of all the hostages held by Hamas. Speaking before the UN Security Council (UNSC), Thomas-Greenfield pointed out that “every day without a ceasefire leads to more needless suffering.”Furthermore, the diplomat called on all UNSC members to back the resolution on Gaza, proposed by the US, that “condemns Hamas for its horrific attacks and sexual violence, that makes clear that all civilians – Israeli and Palestinians – should be able to live without fear of violence, and stresses that a ground offensive in Gaza poses a great threat to civilians.” NN: No cookie today. No piece in the valley for now.