Ukraine Says Drone Debris Damages Critical Facility in West

In this handout photo taken from video and released by Russian Defense Ministry Press Service on Friday, Feb. 17, 2023, the Russian army's 120 mm mortars fire at Ukrainian troops at an undisclosed location. (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP)
In this handout photo taken from video and released by Russian Defense Ministry Press Service on Friday, Feb. 17, 2023, the Russian army's 120 mm mortars fire at Ukrainian troops at an undisclosed location. (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP)
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Ukraine Says Drone Debris Damages Critical Facility in West

In this handout photo taken from video and released by Russian Defense Ministry Press Service on Friday, Feb. 17, 2023, the Russian army's 120 mm mortars fire at Ukrainian troops at an undisclosed location. (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP)
In this handout photo taken from video and released by Russian Defense Ministry Press Service on Friday, Feb. 17, 2023, the Russian army's 120 mm mortars fire at Ukrainian troops at an undisclosed location. (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP)

A critical infrastructure facility in western Ukraine's Khmelnytskiy region was damaged during an overnight Russian drone attack, an official said on Wednesday.

"In Shepetivka district, as a result of the downing of enemy aerial targets, they crashed on the territory of a critical infrastructure facility," a senior official in the Khmelnytskiy region, Sehiy Tiurin, said on the Telegram messaging app.

He said the blast wave damaged non-residential facilities, residential buildings and vehicles and at least 16 people had sought medical treatment for various injuries, Reuters reported.

The Ukrainian military said on Facebook that air forces destroyed all 11 Russian drones launched at Ukraine overnight.

The Khmelnytskiy region has regularly been a target of attacks by Russian drones and missiles, which analysts link to a military airfield in the region.



Israeli Government Orders Public Entities to Stop Advertising in Haaretz Newspaper

A woman reads the 13 February issue of the Haaretz daily newspaper in Jerusalem (AFP)
A woman reads the 13 February issue of the Haaretz daily newspaper in Jerusalem (AFP)
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Israeli Government Orders Public Entities to Stop Advertising in Haaretz Newspaper

A woman reads the 13 February issue of the Haaretz daily newspaper in Jerusalem (AFP)
A woman reads the 13 February issue of the Haaretz daily newspaper in Jerusalem (AFP)

The Israeli government has ordered all public entities to stop advertising in the Haaretz newspaper, which is known for its critical coverage of Israel’s actions in the Palestinian territories.
Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi said Sunday that the government had approved his proposal after Haaretz’ publisher called for sanctions against Israel and referred to Palestinian militants as “freedom fighters.”
“We advocate for a free press and freedom of expression, but also the freedom of the government to decide not to fund incitement against the State of Israel,” Karhi wrote on the social platform X.
Noa Landau, the deputy editor of Haaretz, accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of “working to silence independent and critical media,” comparing him to autocratic leaders in other countries.
Haaretz regularly publishes investigative journalism and opinion columns critical of Israel’s ongoing half-century occupation of lands the Palestinians want for a future state.
It has also been critical of Israel’s war conduct in Gaza at a time when most local media support the war and largely ignore the suffering of Palestinian civilians.
In a speech in London last month, Haaretz publisher Amos Schocken said Israel has imposed “a cruel apartheid regime” on the Palestinians and was battling “Palestinian freedom fighters that Israel calls ‘terrorists.’”
He later issued a statement, saying he had reconsidered his remarks.
“For the record, Hamas are not freedom fighters,” he posted on X. “I should have said: using terrorism is illegitimate. I was wrong not to say that.”