Two Injured in Ukrainian Drone Attack in Moscow Region, Nearly 50 Flights Disrupted 

Damage is seen in a building following a drone attack in Moscow last week. (AP)
Damage is seen in a building following a drone attack in Moscow last week. (AP)
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Two Injured in Ukrainian Drone Attack in Moscow Region, Nearly 50 Flights Disrupted 

Damage is seen in a building following a drone attack in Moscow last week. (AP)
Damage is seen in a building following a drone attack in Moscow last week. (AP)

At least two people were injured on Monday when parts of a Ukrainian drone destroyed by Russian air defenses fell on a house in the Moscow region, the regional governor said. 

Nearly 50 plane flights in and out of the capital were disrupted after Russia said it jammed a Ukrainian drone in the Ruzsky district west of the capital and destroyed another one in the Istrinsky district nearby. 

Arrivals and departures from Moscow's four main airports - Vnukovo, Domodedovo, Sheremetyevo and Zhukovsky - were restricted, disrupting 45 passenger planes and two cargo planes, Russian aviation authority Rosaviatsia said. 

Russian officials have repeatedly cautioned that military drones flying over Moscow - which along with its surrounding region has a population of nearly 22 million people - could cause a major disaster. 

Drone air strikes deep inside Russia have increased since two drones were destroyed over the Kremlin in early May. Drone strikes on the Russian capital have become increasingly common in recent months. 

It is unclear what impact the drone attacks will have on perceptions of the war among the Russian population. Polling indicates support for the Russian military operation in Ukraine remains high, around 75%, though there are questions over how accurate polling is in Russia. 

Ukraine typically does not comment on who is behind attacks on Russian territory, although officials have publicly expressed satisfaction over them. 



Rome's Chief Rabbi Criticizes Pope Francis over Israel Remarks

FILE PHOTO: Rabbi Riccardo Di Segni speaks with Pope Francis during an inter-religious prayer for peace at the Colosseum in Rome, Italy, October 25, 2022. REUTERS/Remo Casilli/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Rabbi Riccardo Di Segni speaks with Pope Francis during an inter-religious prayer for peace at the Colosseum in Rome, Italy, October 25, 2022. REUTERS/Remo Casilli/File Photo
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Rome's Chief Rabbi Criticizes Pope Francis over Israel Remarks

FILE PHOTO: Rabbi Riccardo Di Segni speaks with Pope Francis during an inter-religious prayer for peace at the Colosseum in Rome, Italy, October 25, 2022. REUTERS/Remo Casilli/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Rabbi Riccardo Di Segni speaks with Pope Francis during an inter-religious prayer for peace at the Colosseum in Rome, Italy, October 25, 2022. REUTERS/Remo Casilli/File Photo

Rome's chief Jewish rabbi on Thursday sharply criticised Pope Francis over the pontiff's recent ramping up of criticism against Israel's military campaign in Gaza, in an unusually forceful speech during an annual Catholic-Jewish dialogue event.
Francis has unfairly focused his attention on Israel compared to other ongoing world conflicts, including those in Sudan, Yemen, Syria and Ethiopia, said Rabbi Riccardo Di Segni, spiritual leader of Rome's Jewish community since 2001.
"Selective indignation ... weakens the pope's strength," Reuters quoted Di Segni as saying.
"A pope cannot divide the world into children and stepchildren and must denounce the sufferings of all," he said. "This is exactly what the Pope does not do."
Francis, leader of the 1.4-billion-member Roman Catholic Church, has recently been more outspoken about Israel's military campaign against Palestinian militant group Hamas. Last week, he called the humanitarian situation in Gaza "very serious and shameful".
A complex ceasefire accord between Israel and Hamas emerged on Wednesday, and is scheduled to start on Sunday.
Relations between the Catholic Church and Judaism have improved in recent decades, after centuries of animosity. The event on Thursday, held at a Catholic university, was organized to mark the 36th annual World Day of Catholic-Jewish Dialogue.
One of the organizers, Rev. Marco Gnavi, a Catholic priest, expressed surprise at Di Segni's comments.
He said he felt "discomfort" because of the rabbi's words.