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Russian Strike on Kyiv-Area Ammunition Depot Triggers Blast, Killing 37

Smoke rises under a residential area following a Russian drone strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv region, Ukraine, August 29, 2026. REUTERS/Alina Smutko
Smoke rises under a residential area following a Russian drone strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv region, Ukraine, August 29, 2026. REUTERS/Alina Smutko
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Russian Strike on Kyiv-Area Ammunition Depot Triggers Blast, Killing 37

Smoke rises under a residential area following a Russian drone strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv region, Ukraine, August 29, 2026. REUTERS/Alina Smutko
Smoke rises under a residential area following a Russian drone strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv region, Ukraine, August 29, 2026. REUTERS/Alina Smutko

At least 37 people were killed after a Russian drone attack on a Kyiv-area ammunition depot sparked a detonation, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Saturday, vowing to punish suspected negligence in the second such incident in two months. 

The deadliest Russian strike in the Kyiv area this year came as Moscow's air attacks on the Ukrainian capital and surrounding region dragged into a third straight day, killing residents, damaging homes and derailing daily life. 

Dozens were also injured and hundreds ‌evacuated from ‌the area of the strike late on Friday on the village ‌of ⁠Myla, Zelenskiy said, where ⁠nearby infrastructure including residential buildings and a facility for the elderly and people with disabilities suffered "significant damage". 

The attack sparked widespread fires, officials said. Among those killed was the head of a neighboring village who rushed to help. 

"A terrible situation and terrible negligence on the part of those who stored explosives right next to people," Zelenskiy said in a video address. 

SECOND STRIKE-RELATED DETONATION IN TWO MONTHS 

The site of Friday's blast was a military facility that ⁠held artillery shells, mines and drones, among other ammunition, he added. 

It followed ‌a similar incident in the Kyiv-area town of Vyshneve ‌last month, when 10 people were killed and hundreds of houses damaged after a strike ‌triggered secondary explosions. 

"Another such crime – after what happened in Vyshneve – is absolutely unacceptable," Zelenskiy ‌said. "I expect the details to be presented to the public promptly." 

He added that criminal cases had already been opened on charges of official negligence. Ukrainian officials rarely disclose damage to military targets from Russian attacks. 

In a statement on Saturday, Ukraine's Defense Ministry said all those responsible for weapons ‌storage should complete a full audit of their locations. 

DRONE SWARMS GRIP KYIV FOR DAYS 

Nine other regions had been targeted in ⁠overnight strikes by Russia, ⁠Zelenskiy added, saying Kyiv in particular was under "virtually non-stop attack" from jet-powered drones. 

Russia has escalated its air war on Ukraine with increasing numbers of elusive ballistic missiles and new high-speed drones, which Kyiv lacks the air defenses to shoot down. 

On Saturday, sirens blared throughout the morning and afternoon for a third straight day as Ukraine's air force warned of new waves of drones approaching the capital. 

The sound of air defenses boomed across the sky. 

Kyiv region governor Tymur Tkachenko said a 14-year-old girl was killed in a morning drone strike on the Boryspil district. In Kyiv, a 2-year-old girl was killed by a downed drone, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said on Saturday. 

Strikes in and around the city on Thursday and Friday had damaged residential buildings and storage facilities belonging to major retailers, part of what some Ukrainian officials said was a campaign aimed at "paralyzing" the city of several million. 

 

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World

Eritrean Information Minister Welcomes New Chapter of Cooperation With Washington

Eritrean Information Minister Yemane G. Meskel (X account)
Eritrean Information Minister Yemane G. Meskel (X account)
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Eritrean Information Minister Welcomes New Chapter of Cooperation With Washington

Eritrean Information Minister Yemane G. Meskel (X account)
Eritrean Information Minister Yemane G. Meskel (X account)

Eritrean Information Minister Yemane Gebremeskel welcomed the United States' decision to lift sanctions affecting his country, describing the move as reflecting "a reservoir of constructive political goodwill" and saying it could pave the way for a new chapter in bilateral cooperation, particularly in investment and trade.

In remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat, the minister said the sanctions, which had caused significant economic damage to Eritrea, had sent an important message to the international community.

The United States recently ended the national emergency related to the crisis in Ethiopia, under which sanctions had been imposed on Eritrean entities and individuals over Eritrea's military role in the war in Ethiopia's Tigray region. The conflict ended with a peace agreement in 2022. Washington said the expiration of the emergency reflected changed circumstances underlying the measures.

The US Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control subsequently removed from its sanctions list entities and individuals designated under the relevant executive order. These included the People's Front for Democracy and Justice, Eritrea's ruling party, the Eritrean Defense Forces, and the Red Sea Trading Corporation, as well as Eritrean officials.

"Restoring Lost Opportunities"

In his remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat, Gebremeskel said the sanctions that have now been lifted "were not justified by any criteria in the first place and caused significant economic damage."

"Lifting them sends an important message to the international community by removing a political impediment that was not conducive to investment and broader engagement," he said.

He said the details of future cooperation would be determined through appropriate channels and platforms, with a focus on investment and trade.

Asked about the role of Massad Boulos, the US president's senior adviser for Arab and African affairs, Gebremeskel said Boulos had met Eritrean Foreign Minister Osman Saleh on the sidelines of Saleh's recent visit to Cairo.

He said the previous meetings had been "initial discussions to lay the groundwork for broader talks at appropriate levels on comprehensive bilateral cooperation, with a focus on investment and trade," expressing hope that the lifting of the sanctions would accelerate those contacts.

On the immediate implications of lifting the sanctions, he said the move opens "prospects for restoring lost opportunities and moving forward quickly." He said Eritrea has advantages across multiple sectors and is open to investment in areas of mutual benefit, supported by an established legal and administrative framework.

He stressed that "Eritrea's international partnerships have always been based on sustainable ties that enhance mutual and equal benefits, while avoiding imbalanced advantages or structural dependency, principles that have become norms governing bilateral and multilateral cooperation."

Relations With Egypt

On relations with Egypt, he said: "Cooperation with Egypt has developed rapidly over the past decade, not only because of history and geography, but also because the two countries are located in a vital strategic region, particularly along the Red Sea maritime route, and share similar views on mechanisms for cooperation among coastal states to enhance the security of this waterway."

"Eritrea, Egypt, and other like-minded countries in the Horn of Africa and Red Sea region have moved beyond slogans toward mechanisms for joint action to strengthen regional security and stability," he added.

He stressed that "the principles of the Council of Arab and African Coastal States of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden remain a key platform for multilateral cooperation," alongside convergence in positions on resolving the conflict in Sudan and the situation in Somalia.

On Eritrea's foreign policy priorities for the next phase, he said his country's policy "has always been consistent and transparent, based on building bilateral and multilateral relations within frameworks of equal and mutually beneficial cooperation."

He rejected describing Eritrea as "isolationist," calling the characterization "a false and malicious concept promoted by its critics" that contradicts the country's strategic geographic position, economic potential, and government policies.

"Asmera will seriously seek to capitalize on new diplomatic openings to advance its core national interests," he said.

World

CNN, MS Now, Politico Sue Donald Trump over White House Ban

President Donald Trump speaks to reporters at Charlotte Douglas International Airport, Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2026, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
President Donald Trump speaks to reporters at Charlotte Douglas International Airport, Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2026, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
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CNN, MS Now, Politico Sue Donald Trump over White House Ban

President Donald Trump speaks to reporters at Charlotte Douglas International Airport, Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2026, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
President Donald Trump speaks to reporters at Charlotte Douglas International Airport, Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2026, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

CNN, MS NOW and Politico sued President Donald Trump on Monday for banning them from White House grounds, saying it violated their rights under the US Constitution to cover him.

In a complaint filed in the Washington, D.C., federal court, the media outlets said Trump can't ban them solely because he dislikes what he calls their "negative" coverage, and reserve coverage for media who offer praise. They also said the public deserves "current and complete information" about their government.

"This ban could not be a more direct assault on the First Amendment nor a more blatant violation of our most fundamental constitutional principles," the media outlets said.

According to AFP, leading US broadcasters suspended the TV "pool" coverage in solidarity with CNN.

"The public has a vital interest in receiving accurate, independent information about its government. No administration should restrict a news organization because it objects to its reporting," ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox and NBC said in a statement.

TV broadcasters rotate responsibility for filming the president at some events.

World

US Refuses Visas for Iran UN Delegation Members

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian delivers a speech in the United Nations General Assembly Hall in New York (File photo/UN)
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian delivers a speech in the United Nations General Assembly Hall in New York (File photo/UN)
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US Refuses Visas for Iran UN Delegation Members

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian delivers a speech in the United Nations General Assembly Hall in New York (File photo/UN)
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian delivers a speech in the United Nations General Assembly Hall in New York (File photo/UN)

The United States has refused to issue visas for members of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian's delegation, including his communications team, for this week's trip to the UN General Assembly, Iranian state media reported Monday.

Pezeshkian will be the highest-ranking Iranian official to enter the United States since the Middle East war began with US-Israeli strikes on Iran in February.

"In an unprecedented hostile move by the US government, (US President Donald) Trump has denied US visas to certain members of the president's high-level delegation, including members of his communications team," state news agency IRNA reported.

The Mehr news agency also carried the story, citing a spokesperson for the Iranian presidency, and added that Pezeshkian will address the UN General Assembly on Wednesday.

The US has authorized the Iranian delegation to travel for the UN General Assembly but will, like last year, put restrictions in place.

Iran's delegation will not, for instance, be allowed to purchase luxury goods or other items, the State Department said on Thursday.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, part of the delegation to the UN, left Iran on Sunday evening for a stopover in Qatar.

Iran says it has conveyed to the US, via Qatar as mediator, conditions for reopening the strategic Strait of Hormuz oil and gas shipping route, which it has choked off since the war began.

The United States, in turn, is imposing a counterblockade of Iranian ports.