عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
World

Ukraine Says Naval Drone Destroys Russian Helicopter for 1st Time

People attend a memorial prayer for fallen soldiers at the Lychakiv's cemetery in Lviv, Ukraine, 28 December 2024, amid the ongoing Russian invasion. EPA
People attend a memorial prayer for fallen soldiers at the Lychakiv's cemetery in Lviv, Ukraine, 28 December 2024, amid the ongoing Russian invasion. EPA
TT
TT

Ukraine Says Naval Drone Destroys Russian Helicopter for 1st Time

People attend a memorial prayer for fallen soldiers at the Lychakiv's cemetery in Lviv, Ukraine, 28 December 2024, amid the ongoing Russian invasion. EPA
People attend a memorial prayer for fallen soldiers at the Lychakiv's cemetery in Lviv, Ukraine, 28 December 2024, amid the ongoing Russian invasion. EPA

Ukrainian military intelligence said on Tuesday one of its naval drones had destroyed a Russian helicopter and damaged another one in the Black Sea.
In a battle near Cape Tarkhankut on Crimea's west coast on Tuesday, a Magura V5 maritime drone equipped with missiles hit a Russian Mi-8 helicopter, Ukraine's GUR spy agency said on Telegram.
GUR said it was the first time a Ukrainian naval drone had downed an air target. Reuters could not independently verify the report.
There was no comment from Moscow on the helicopter. Russia's Defense Ministry said on Telegram its Black Sea Fleet destroyed eight unmanned drone vessels.
The downing of a Russian helicopter by a Ukrainian naval drone was also reported by the prominent Russian military blogger, Voenny Osvedomitel. The GUR said a second Russian helicopter managed to get to the airfield after it was damaged in the attack.
In grainy footage released by GUR, a helicopter flying over water could be seen targeted by several projectiles. The aircraft is filmed falling down after the attack. Reuters could not immediately verify the video.
Following Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022, Ukraine has ramped up drone production and developed naval attack drones.
Kyiv's military has used maritime drones to strike Russian warships and facilities on the Crimean peninsula, seized and annexed by Moscow in 2014.

Most Viewed

 
 
World

South Korean Investigators Abandon Arrest of President Yoon

Members of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) carry banners and flags as they march towards the presidential residence during a rally against impeached president Yoon, in Seoul, South Korea, 03 January 2025. EPA/JEON HEON-KYUN
Members of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) carry banners and flags as they march towards the presidential residence during a rally against impeached president Yoon, in Seoul, South Korea, 03 January 2025. EPA/JEON HEON-KYUN
TT
TT

South Korean Investigators Abandon Arrest of President Yoon

Members of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) carry banners and flags as they march towards the presidential residence during a rally against impeached president Yoon, in Seoul, South Korea, 03 January 2025. EPA/JEON HEON-KYUN
Members of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) carry banners and flags as they march towards the presidential residence during a rally against impeached president Yoon, in Seoul, South Korea, 03 January 2025. EPA/JEON HEON-KYUN

South Korean investigators abandoned their attempt to arrest impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol at his residence on Friday over a failed martial law bid, citing safety concerns after a standoff with his security team.

Yoon, who has already been suspended from duty by lawmakers, would become the first sitting president in South Korean history to be arrested if the warrant is carried out.

The president, who issued a bungled declaration on December 3 that shook the vibrant East Asian democracy and briefly lurched it back to the dark days of military rule, faces imprisonment or, at worst, the death penalty.

"Regarding the execution of the arrest warrant today, it was determined that the execution was effectively impossible due to the ongoing standoff," the Corruption Investigation Office (CIO), probing Yoon over his martial law decree, said in a statement, according to Agence France Presse.

"Concern for the safety of personnel on-site led to the decision to halt" the arrest attempt, the statement said of the confrontation with Yoon's presidential security service and its military unit.

Around 20 investigators and 80 police officers were heavily outnumbered by around 200 soldiers and security personnel linking arms to block their way after entering the presidential compound, a CIO official told a briefing.

"I understand there were minor and major physical altercations," said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, adding that buses and cars were also parked to block their way.

Negotiations between the two sides ultimately faltered and the investigators decided to leave for their team's safety, although another execution of the warrant could take place after a review, the official said.

The deadline for the warrant is Monday, leaving it in limbo with just a few days remaining and Yoon defiant, vowing this week to "fight" authorities trying to question him.

Yoon's security service -- which still protects him as the country's sitting head of state -- has previously blocked attempted police raids of the presidential office.

The president himself has ignored three rounds of summons from investigators, prompting them to seek the warrant.

Yoon's legal team -- who raced to the residence and whom AFP saw were allowed inside -- said police had no right to execute the warrant at a "first-class military secret protection facility".

"We express deep regret regarding today's unlawful and invalid execution of arrest and search warrants," the president's lawyer Yoon Kab-keun said in a statement.

"I issue a stern warning and strongly urge the CIO to comply with the law."

Dozens of police buses and thousands of uniformed police had lined the street outside the compound in central Seoul to prevent clashes after rival camps faced off there on Thursday, Yonhap news agency reported.

CIO officials had wanted to arrest Yoon for questioning, after which he could have been held for up to 48 hours on the existing warrant.

A handful of Yoon's die-hard supporters, who include far-right YouTube personalities and evangelical Christian preachers, had camped outside his compound in the bitter cold, some holding all-night prayer sessions.

They chanted "Illegal warrant is invalid" as police and media gathered outside the residence.