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Local firefighters climb Space Needle steps in remembrance of 9/11
Sep 11, 2025, 12:34 PM
Today marks 24 years since the September 11 terrorist attacks.
Almost 3,000 people died in the World Trade Center buildings, the Pentagon, and a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Millions more live with the impacts of that day.
Several events across the country are commemorating the lives lost, including here in Seattle.
Bothell, Renton, and other local fire departments all climbed 848 steps up the Space Needle on Thursday in honor of the 343 firefighters and first responders who died on 9/11.
Firefighters from various South Carolina Departments also participated, both for the 9/11 victims and in honor of those who died in a 2007 Charleston fire that killed nine first responders.
Bothell firefighter Kelly Melton is one of those climbers. She is also completing a personal pledge to climb 110 flights of stairs 343 times, so that she can take the time to honor each life lost.
Today, she is climbing for Jeffrey Walls. He was an FDNY rookie with Ladder Nine on 9/11. He died during that call.
“It’s all about never forgetting and keeping their memories alive,” Melton said.
She says each climb is a reminder of those who never went home.
“Now that I’ve learned about each of them, I’m walking through a corridor of people that I’ve gotten to know,” Melton said.
She tells us it’s time to pass the torch of remembrance to the next generation, starting with today’s rookies
Bothell firefighter Kacey Moore is climbing the Space Needle for the first time in full gear.
“I’ve never done this before, so I am really excited. I think it’s going to be a really great experience… just paying honor to the firefighters,” Moore said.
Members of the 23rd Brigade Engineer Battalion from JBLM also climbed the stairs twice to honor the fallen first responders.
https://mynorthwest.com/local/space-needle-steps/4130694
https://www.space.com/space-exploration/ill-be-damned-if-thats-the-story-we-write-acting-nasa-administrator-duffy-vows-not-to-lose-moon-race-to-china
'I'll be damned if that's the story we write': Acting NASA Administrator Duffy vows not to lose moon race to China
September 12, 2025
NASA's acting administrator is pushing back against recent claims that the agency is losing ground to China in the race back to the moon.
Sean Duffy addressed employees in an internal NASA town hall last week, just one day after Senate testimony suggested that China may land astronauts at the lunar south pole before the U.S. does so.
"I'll be damned if that is the story that we write," Duffy said. "We are going to beat the Chinese to the moon. We are going to do it safely. We're going to do it fast. We're going to do it right."
Duffy's remarks were a direct response to testimony delivered at a Sept. 3 Senate Commerce Committee hearing titled "There's a Bad Moon on the Rise."
During the hearing, several witnesses, including former NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine and Mike Gold, the former acting associate administrator for NASA's Office of International and Interagency Relations, warned that China's lunar exploits could soon surpass America's.
NASA's Artemis program aims to return astronauts to the moon as a proving ground for future missions to Mars. Artemis 2 is the program's first crewed test flight of the Orion spacecraft, and will carry the first humans to visit the moon since the final Apollo mission in 1972.
Artemis relies on the massive Space Launch System (SLS) rocket. Artemis 2's SLS will soon complete its assembly inside the Kennedy Space Center's Vehicle Assembly Building, and is scheduled to launch no earlier than February 2026.
The mission is designed as a lunar flyby, ferrying NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Christina Koch and Victor Glover, as well as Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut Jeremy Hansen, on a free-return trajectory around the moon and back to Earth.
If NASA sticks to its current schedule, Artemis 3 will be the first mission of the program to land astronauts on the lunar surface — specifically, near the moon's south pole.
NASA has slated Artemis 3 to launch sometime in 2027, but it's unclear if the agency will meet that target.
China is working on a similar timeline and is making real progress, a point that several witnesses made during the Sept. 3 Senate hearing.
"It is highly unlikely that we will land on the moon before China," Bridenstine told lawmakers. Both he and Gold expressed concern that delays in Artemis and budget uncertainty could allow China to reach the moon first and define international norms there.
"If they get there first, we will see a global realignment that will impact our economy, our tax base, our ability to innovate, and our national security in terms of diplomacy and geopolitics that will affect security and many other aspects of our daily lives," Gold said.
But Duffy struck a more confident and optimistic tone.
"NASA won't beat China to the moon," he said during the Sept. 4 town hall, quoting the previous day's testimony. "That was shade thrown on all of NASA."
Duffy told employees that the Trump administration is fully behind Artemis, despite NASA's broader budget challenges. "If I bring up NASA … the President's eyes light up," Duffy said.
Trump's fiscal year 2026 (FY 26) budget request cut NASA's budget by a historic 24%, with 47% of funding to agency science programs eliminated.
Congress restored those cuts to match NASA's FY 25 allocations, but those revisions have not been finalized, and it's not clear if they will be.
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One program that is expected to receive full funding, however, is Artemis.
Duffy tied the Artemis program to broader national ambitions, echoing previous statements from President Trump, who said the U.S. is committed to pursuing "a manifest destiny to the stars."
The phrase "manifest destiny," historically linked to 19th-century U.S. expansionism and White colonialism, has drawn criticism in the past for evoking themes of conquest rather than peaceful exploration.
Duffy was joined on the town hall by recently appointed NASA Associate Administrator Amit Kshatriya, who used the event to lay out a sharp sense of urgency and direction.
Kshatriya said NASA must stay focused on public service, which is central to the agency and all of its activities.
"We don't work for profit. We work for the people," he said. "The people have given us their treasure, and we need to make sure that we understand that obligation and what that actually means."
He said that agency leaders, himself included, are accountable for protecting the agency's missions and must be prepared to step aside if they can't deliver.
"You give me an obligation to protect the country and protect our missions and protect our assets… and we're not able to do it, then my job is to humbly say, 'I'm sorry, sir,' and give you a plan to bring somebody else," he said to Duffy.
Kshatriya told employees that NASA needs to shift its internal culture from analysis to action. "We want you to have the black pen, not the red pen," he said. "That's what this agency does. We build things. We make things."
Duffy echoed the need for speed and decisiveness, emphasizing that risk must be managed, not feared. "Sometimes we can let safety be the enemy of making progress," he said. "We have to be able to take some leaps."
Amid concerns from NASA's workforce over project cuts and layoffs already underway —
NASA is losing nearly 4,000 employees to Trump's "deferred resignation program" — Duffy said that, while the agency's overall budget has decreased, the president has increased funding specifically for space exploration.
"I think we have enough money to accomplish our mission," he said, referring to Artemis. "If we don't, I'll ask for more."
He also stressed that costs must come down. "At $4 billion a launch, it becomes very challenging to have a moon program," Duffy said, citing the current price per SLS mission.
Kshatriya said that everything NASA does must directly support Artemis, Mars, or science that enables human exploration. "If what you're doing doesn't help us get to the moon or beyond," he said, "stop doing it."
He expanded on that a bit, saying that other projects contribute to NASA as a whole, and therefore still serve to lift up Artemis.
"Even though you might not be directly connected to the mission because of the work you enable, you help the agency be more efficient. You help the agency be more successful. You are connected to the mission as well," Kshatriya said.
Duffy said that NASA needs everyone still on board to bring their full effort. "We need all of you. We need this team, this intelligence, this drive," and he acknowledged that the agency has fallen behind in some respects.
"We have burned time, and that means now we are under pressure," he said. "We are not going to let this storied history of NASA be written that we lost the second space race," Duffy told employees.
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Aurora alert! Butterfly-shaped 'hole' in sun's atmosphere could spark geomagnetic storm Sept. 13-14
September 12, 2025
A colossal butterfly-shaped coronal hole has opened in the sun's atmosphere and is currently spewing a fast-moving stream of solar wind toward Earth that could trigger a moderate geomagnetic storm and dazzling auroras this weekend.
The high-speed solar wind from this striking feature, spanning some 310,000 miles (500,000 kilometers) across, is expected to reach Earth around Sept. 14.
Space weather forecasters anticipate active to G1 (minor) geomagnetic storm conditions with a possibility of G2 (moderate) geomagnetic storm levels being reached between Sept. 13 and 14, according to the U.K. Met Office.
NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center has issued a slightly more cautious estimate, anticipating peaks of only G1 conditions. But the potential for stronger activity remains if the solar wind's embedded magnetic field lines up favorably with Earth's.
Geomagnetic storms are classified using a G-scale, which ranks their intensity from G1 (minor) to G5 (extreme). Auroras occur when solar wind interacts with Earth's magnetic field.
The charged particles from the sun collide with gases in the upper atmosphere, such as oxygen and nitrogen, transferring energy to them. This energy is released as light, producing the colorful displays seen in the night sky.
The stronger the solar wind, the more dynamic and widespread the auroras can become.
The Russell-McPherron effect
This weekend's storm watch comes at an especially potent time of year for aurora hunters. Around the spring and autumn equinoxes, Earth's orientation in space makes it easier for the planet's magnetic field to connect with the interplanetary magnetic field carried by the solar wind.
This seasonal boost to geomagnetic activity is known as the Russell-McPherron effect, first described in 1973 by geophysicists Christopher Russell and Robert McPherron.
During equinoxes, the sun shines directly over Earth's equator, giving both hemispheres equal day and night. At the same time, Earth's magnetic poles line up in such a way that incoming solar wind streams can connect more effectively with the magnetosphere.
For most of the year, Earth's tilt causes the magnetic fields of Earth and the sun to be slightly misaligned, which helps to deflect some of the incoming charged particles. But around the equinoxes, the natural buffer weakens.
As a result, space weather disturbances, such as those from coronal holes or coronal mass ejections (CMEs), can deliver a stronger punch.
Long-term studies have shown that geomagnetic storms are roughly twice as likely during equinox months as they are around the solstices in June and December.
With the autumnal equinox coming up on Sept. 22, conditions are primed for even modest solar wind streams to produce brighter and more widespread auroras than they otherwise might.
If a G2 storm does develop this weekend, auroras could be visible at mid- to high-latitudes across the Northern Hemisphere, including Canada, Alaska, Scandinavia and northern parts of the U.K.
In the Southern Hemisphere, auroras may light up the skies over Antarctica, with a slim chance of visibility from Tasmania and southern New Zealand, according to the Met Office.
As always with space weather, forecasts carry uncertainty and auroras can be fickle. The true strength of this weekend’s storm depends on the solar wind's precise conditions when it reaches Earth.
Still, with a butterfly-shaped coronal hole blasting our way and the equinox effect boosting aurora odds, you may still wish to keep your eyes and cameras on the sky.
https://www.space.com/stargazing/auroras/aurora-alert-butterfly-shaped-hole-in-suns-atmosphere-could-spark-geomagnetic-storm-sept-13-14
https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJP6XPt2eVM (Sun Causes Earthquakes, New Sunspots | S0 News Sep.12.2025)
https://spaceweathernews.com/
https://avi-loeb.medium.com/the-sunward-glow-in-the-hubble-image-of-3i-atlas-is-ten-times-longer-than-it-is-wide-3a5cff257a94
https://www.cbsnews.com/boston/news/interstellar-objects-alien-technology-avi-loeb/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgo9_sAGo1w
https://arxiv.org/pdf/2509.07771
The Sunward Glow in the Hubble Image of 3I/ATLAS is Ten Times Longer Than It is Wide
September 12, 2025
In a new analysis (accessible here ) of the Hubble Space Telescope image of the interstellar object 3I/ATLAS that I co-authored with my brilliant colleague, Eric Keto, the glow of scattered sunlight appears twice as long from the object towards the Sun than it is in the directions perpendicular or opposite to the Sun — where the extent of the glow appears to be the same.
This sunward extension of the glow around 3I/ATLAS is opposite in direction to the tail of scattered sunlight that is commonly observed for comets.
The physics behind these cometary tails is simple: dust particles with a size comparable to the characteristic wavelength of sunlight, ~0.5 micrometer, scatter that light and hence are pushed by solar radiation pressure away from the Sun.
As a result, comets display tails of reflected sunlight that point away from the Sun. If so, why does 3I/ATLAS exhibit an anti-tail?
An even more remarkable fact about the anti-tail of 3I/ATLAS is that it is noticeable as a factor of 2 in a very unfavorable projection.
The line-of-sight connecting 3I/ATLAS to Earth was misaligned with the line connecting 3I/ATLAS to the Sun by only 10 degrees on July 21, 2025, when the Hubble image was taken.
This means that we are seeing the extension of the glow nearly edge-on, smaller by a geometric factor of the sine of 10 degrees. The geometric correction factor for this projection is 1/sin(10 degrees)=5.76.
This implies that if we were to board a spacecraft and hover vertically to the sunward direction above the elongated glow of scattered sunlight around 3I/ATLAS, we would see it extending ten times farther towards the Sun than its width or tail.
This is a remarkable elongation that was not discussed in the scientific literature prior to our new paper.
We explain the scattered sunlight around 3I/ATLAS as a result of ice fragments and not the commonly assumed refractory dust.
These ice fragments are evaporated by sunlight, but since most of them are launched from the sun-facing side of 3I/ATLAS, the largest among these ice fragments survive a distance that is ten times longer towards the Sun than sideways or backwards.
There might be other explanations for this 10-fold extension of the glow around 3I/ATLAS towards the Sun, but one thing is clear: its existence is unprecedented.
During an interview titled “Question Everything” which was featured yesterday on CBS News (with the video available here and the full report here), I explained that 3I/ATLAS deserves special attention because of the following five anomalies:
· The retrograde trajectory of 3I/ATLAS is aligned with the ecliptic plane of the planets around the Sun to within 5 degrees, with a chance probability of 1 in 500 (as discussed here).
This coincidence brings 3I/ATLAS to pass within several tens of millions of kilometers from Mars, Venus and Jupiter.
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· The diameter of the nucleus of 3I/ATLAS has an upper limit of 46 kilometers (as derived here), which would make it a million times more massive than the interstellar comet 2I/Borisov.
On October 3, the HiRISE camera on the Mars Reconnaissance orbiter will be able to image 3I/ATLAS with a pixel resolution of 30 kilometers, providing the best limit on the diameter of its nucleus.
· For a couple of months after its discovery — when 3I/ATLAS was at a heliocentric distance of 3–4.5 times the Earth-Sun separation, it featured a glow which extended towards the Sun and not in the opposite direction — as discussed above.
This feature of an anti-tail was never observed before for comets (as analyzed here).
· The plume of gas around 3I/ATLAS is composed primarily of carbon dioxide — CO2 (87% by mass) with traces of carbon monoxide — CO (9%), and water — H2O (most of the remaining 4%), as derived here.
It also features nickel without iron (as known to exist in industrially-produced nickel alloys) and cyanide, both rising sharply with decreasing heliocentric distance (as reported here).
· 3I/ATLAS is characterized by an extremely deep and narrow negative polarization of −2.77 percent with a low inversion angle of 6.41 degrees (as reported here).
This polarimetric behavior is significantly different from all known comets, either interstellar or bound to the Solar System. 3I/ATLAS is the first object known with this combination of low inversion angle and extreme negative polarization.
Its anomalous polarization might be the result of the very elongated configuration of scattered sunlight around it with a 10:1 aspect ratio.
In the existing scientific literature on 3I/ATLAS, each of these anomalies is shoved under the carpet of traditional thinking in the context of a dusty water-rich comet.
This is not surprising as it follows the mindset of Ecclesiastes 1:9,
“What has been will be again,
what has been done will be done again;
there is nothing new under the sun.”
However, the combination of the above five anomalies argues for something more interesting.
Let us harvest as much data as possible about 3I/ATLAS from all available telescopes on Earth and in space, since we might discover something new when 3I/ATLAS passes under the Sun.
It is conceivable that Ecclesiastes, like any other human, was wrong. We should question everything.
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Vandenberg Space Force Base Holds a 9/11 Memorial Ruck Event
Sept. 11, 2025
Twenty-four years ago today, the United States faced a defining moment in its history as the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks claimed the lives of 2,977 Americans and forever altered the nation’s course.
The tragedy sparked the global war on terrorism, leading to nearly 7,000 U.S. service members killed and over 60,000 wounded in combat.
On this solemn anniversary, Americans pause to honor the lives lost and the countless men and women who sacrificed to protect the nation and root out evil.
At Vandenberg Space Force Base, Guardians, Airmen, and civilian personnel gathered for a ceremony to remember the fallen and reflect on the courage displayed on that fateful day.
“We remember the firefighters, the police officers, the EMTs, and the countless citizens who displayed extraordinary courage in the face of unimaginable chaos on that terrible day,” said Col. James Horne III, commander of Space Launch Delta 30.
Following the ceremony, participants embarked on a 24-hour ruck march to honor the weight of history and the sacrifices made to defend freedom.
The ruck march, symbolic of the burden carried by those who protect the nation, served as a poignant reminder of the responsibility to preserve America’s way of life.
“Let the weight on your backs be a reminder of the weight of history, the weight of responsibility, the weight of remembrance, and the weight of freedom and sacrifice required to defend and protect our beloved country,” Col. Horne said in his address.
Participants carried the memory of the fallen with each step, embodying the resilience and unity that emerged from the ashes of tragedy.
As the nation reflects on the events of September 11, the legacy of those who perished and those who answered the call to serve endures.
From the first responders who ran toward danger to the service members who fought in distant lands, their sacrifices remind us of the cost of freedom and the enduring strength of the American spirit.
https://www.vandenberg.spaceforce.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/4301448/vandenberg-space-force-base-holds-a-911-memorial-ruck-event/
Ukrainian strikes target Russian civilians – officials
12 Sep, 2025 07:01
Ukrainian forces have killed a civilian woman and injured seven people, five of them civilians, in two separate incidents overnight, regional officials reported on Friday morning.
The deadly strike took place in Belgorod Region, according to Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov, who offered no details except the gender of the victim.
The second incident in Bryansk Region involved a series of attacks against a passenger bus, Governor Aleksandr Bogomaz reported.
Russian officials have accused the Ukrainian military of deliberately targeting civilians in border areas, including workers repairing damage from the conflict and ambulances responding to emergencies.
Ukrainian forces are also deploying long-range kamikaze drones to strike deeper inside Russia. Overnight, Russian air defenses intercepted 221 UAVs, the Defense Ministry said.
Most were downed over Bryansk Region, but some reached as far as Moscow and Leningrad regions, where nine and 28 interceptions were reported, respectively.
https://www.rt.com/russia/624558-bryansk-region-bus-attack/
Peace talks with Kiev on hold – Kremlin
12 Sep, 2025 11:28
Direct negotiations between Russia and Ukraine remain possible but are currently suspended, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday.
Three rounds of negotiations took place this year in Istanbul, Türkiye, the last of which was conducted in July.
Asked about a potential new in-person meeting or possible online communication, Peskov said, “Our negotiators have the opportunity to use those channels. But at this point one could describe the contacts as being paused.”
Speaking at a press briefing, Peskov urged people not to “wear rose-tinted glasses,” saying that the peace process is a complicated matter that cannot produce “lightning results.”
“The Russian side maintains its commitment for pursuing peaceful dialogue and peaceful resolution,” he added.
Peskov also agreed with remarks by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, who earlier this week accused EU leaders and Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky of stalling the peace process.
Lukashenko made the comments during a meeting with US President Donald Trump’s envoy John Coale in Minsk, as he praised Washington’s mediation efforts.
According to Peskov, “the Europeans do stand in the way, and that is no secret.”
Russian officials have said Zelensky is refusing to make the necessary compromises because he seeks to remain in power despite Ukrainian forces suffering setbacks on the battlefield.
European NATO members, according to Moscow, are condoning Zelensky’s behavior and are actively lobbying the US to support Ukraine because otherwise they would be forced to acknowledge that their approach to the conflict is misguided.
https://www.rt.com/russia/624568-kremlin-peace-talks-pause/
Ukraine threatening nuclear plants – Russian envoy
12 Sep, 2025 16:06
Ukraine has stepped up attacks on Russia’s Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant and recently targeted other such facilities, the country’s Permanent Representative to the International Organizations in Vienna Mikhail Ulyanov said on Wednesday.
“Kiev continues to threaten the safety of the Zaporozhskaya NPP and to strike both the plant and the nearby city of Energodar.
Over the past three months, the scale of these attacks has increased dramatically, and in recent weeks they have become almost daily,” Ulyanov stated.
Russian officials have repeatedly accused Ukraine of nuclear terrorism over the strikes. The plant has been the target of drone attacks on multiple occasions in recent years.
Commenting on a report submitted by International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi to the agency’s governing board, Ulyanov has urged member states to hold Kiev accountable.
He added that in August Ukrainian forces also launched drone strikes on nuclear plants in Russia’s Smolensk and Kursk regions, calling on the board to deliver “a tough and unambiguous assessment of these reckless actions.”
“The continued silence and refusal to call a spade a spade only emboldens Kiev to commit further crimes,” he warned. “The consequences of such actions could be extremely serious.”
The Zaporozhye facility is operated by Russian personnel and hosts IAEA observers. However, the UN agency treats it as Ukrainian in its reports, as it does not recognize the 2022 referendum in which the region voted to join Russia.
Ulyanov praised Grossi for acknowledging “stress among Zaporozhskaya NPP employees, and not just among staff at Ukrainian facilities,” noting that Russian workers and their families face “constant provocations and threats from Ukraine.”
He also welcomed the IAEA’s recognition of problems at Kiev-controlled plants, arguing that this has made its reporting more balanced.
In his latest update, Grossi described conditions at Zaporozhye as “precarious” and said that four Ukrainian-operated plants are “extremely vulnerable.”
https://www.rt.com/russia/624573-iaea-zaporozhye-plant-impunity/
NATO launches “Eastern Sentry” to bolster posture along eastern flank
updated: 12 Sep. 2025 17:50
On Friday (12 September 2025), NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) General Alexus G. Grynkewich held a joint press conference to outline NATO’s response to the violation of Polish airspace by Russian drones two days earlier.
Mr Rutte announced the launch of “Eastern Sentry,” a military activity aimed to bolster NATO’s posture along the eastern flank.
Commencing in the coming days, Eastern Sentry will involve a range of Allied assets and feature both traditional capabilities and novel technologies, including elements designed to address challenges associated with drones.
“Eastern Sentry will add flexibility and strength to our posture,” said the Secretary General. He thanked General Grynkewich for his responsive leadership both in the context of the incursions on 10 September and in guiding the design of this new activity, as well as Admiral Pierre Vandier, Supreme Allied Commander Transformation, for his role in promoting innovative solutions to new challenges, including those posed by the use of drones.
At a meeting of the North Atlantic Council on Wednesday (10 September 2025), Allies discussed the situation in light of Poland’s request for Article 4 consultations.
Mr Rutte noted that while this was the largest concentration of violations of NATO airspace, “what happened on Wednesday was not an isolated incident.
Russia’s recklessness in the air along our eastern flank is increasing in frequency.”
The Secretary General highlighted that NATO’s core task to deter aggression and defend every Ally underlines the importance of safeguarding the eastern flank.
“This is why we have forward land forces deployed in eight countries, with contributions from every Ally supporting these contingents, and plans in place to scale up our presence if and when required,” he said.
He added that Allies across Europe and North America work together every day on strengthening air defences and protecting critical undersea infrastructure in the Baltic Sea.
https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/news_237601.htm
https://x.com/NATO/status/1966539435769548904
https://shape.nato.int/news-releases/eastern-sentry-to-enhance-natos-presence-along-its-eastern-flank
Trump Suggests Russian Drone Attack a ‘Mistake,’ Poland Calls it ‘Deliberate’ | Tomasz Płudowski
September 12, 2025
Bohdan Nahaylo, editor-in-chief of the Kyiv Post, said that Ukraine believes Russia is testing NATO’s resolve, while the United States, under Trump’s leadership, continues to hesitate to take decisive action.
Incidents involving Russian drones violating Polish airspace prompted a collective response from NATO air forces for the first time, demonstrating growing cooperation between member states.
There are also conspiracy theories suggesting that the drones originated in Ukraine, but most experts consider this unlikely and potentially damaging to Ukraine’s relations with its allies.
Belarus’ sudden release of 52 political prisoners, including foreigners, is seen as part of Lukashenko’s attempt to gain leverage and assert his presence on the international stage.
Overall, the event is viewed as a wake-up call for NATO to strengthen its defenses and possibly extend its air coverage over Ukraine.
https://www.kyivpost.com/videos/60003
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tGEBAEdnuPI
'I'm not gonna defend anybody' — Trump says days after Poland shoots down Russian drones
September 12, 2025 5:17 pm
U.S. President Donald Trump said he was "not gonna defend anybody" when asked about Russia's latest drone incursion into Poland during an interview with Fox News on Sept. 12
Earlier, on Sept. 10, 19 Russian drones crossed into Poland's airspace during a large-scale attack on Ukraine.
Warsaw's military shot down several unmanned aircraft in what was the first time a NATO country had engaged with Russian drones since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Trump was asked what he would do about Russian President Vladimir Putin after reports of the Russian drone incursion into Poland.
"I'm not gonna defend anybody but they were actually knocked down and they fell. But you should not be close to Poland anyway," Trump said.
Asked whether his patience with Putin was running out, the U.S. president replied, "Yes, it is running out fast."
Asked what clamping down on Putin could look like, Trump said his approach would involve "hitting hard with sanctions to banks and having to do with oil and tariffs also."
Despite repeatedly setting deadlines for Putin to agree to a ceasefire or join peace talks, and issuing multiple threats to tighten sanctions against Russia if he refused, Trump’s administration has not introduced any new measures to pressure Moscow.
"It's amazing. When Putin wants to do it, Zelensky didn't. When Zelensky wanted to do it, Putin didn't. Now Zelensky wants to do it and Putin is a question mark," Trump added, speaking about possible peace talks.
Trump's comments come a day after he told reporters that the drone incursion "could have been a mistake," though he expressed frustration with the situation.
"Regardless, I'm not happy with anything to do with that whole situation," he said at the time. He first reacted on Truth Social, posting: "What's with Russia violating Poland's airspace with drones? Here we go!"
Poland said its air force intercepted and shot down at least three Russian-made drones after 19 entered its territory overnight on Sept. 10, an incident European officials described as a deliberate test of NATO's resolve.
Warsaw has since triggered NATO's Article 4 consultations. Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski rejected Trump's suggestion the incursion was accidental, writing on social media: "No, it wasn't a mistake."
Prime Minister Donald Tusk added, "We would also wish that the drone attack on Poland was a mistake. But it wasn't. And we know it." Russian officials have denied responsibility.
President Volodymyr Zelensky urged the European Union to respond with the 19th sanctions package.
Trump has floated the prospect of a tougher U.S. response, earlier. He said on Sept. 7 he was ready to launch a new phase of sanctions and planned to speak "very soon" with Putin, a month after holding peace talks with the Russian leader in Alaska.
While the administration has threatened sweeping penalties on Russia's oil exports, it has largely avoided fresh sanctions since Trump took office in January, apart from imposing secondary tariffs on Indian imports of Russian oil in August.
https://kyivindependent.com/im-not-gonna-defend-anybody-trump-says-days-after-poland-shoots-down-russian-drones/
https://kyivindependent.com/ukrainian-drone-shot-down-while-approaching-moscow-mayor-says/
Key Russian oil hub suspends operations after Ukrainian drone strike, SBU source says
September 12, 2025 2:20 am
Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) drones struck Primorsk, Russia’s largest oil-loading port on the Baltic Sea, overnight on Sept. 12, a source in the agency told the Kyiv Independent.
Primorsk in Leningrad Oblast serves as a key hub for Russia's "shadow fleet" of aging tankers used to avoid sanctions, the source said. Roughly 60 million tons of oil pass through the port every year, bringing Russia roughly $15 billion, the source added.
After the Ukrainian drone strike, fires broke out at one of the vessels and a pumping station, forcing the suspension of oil shipments, according to the source. This could allegedly cost Russia up to $41 million a day.
SBU drones also successfully struck three oil pumping stations that are part of a pipeline system funneling crude to the Ust-Luga port terminal in Leningrad Oblast, the source claimed.
Primorsk lies roughly 100 kilometers (60 miles) from St. Petersburg and over 900 kilometers (550 miles) north of the Ukrainian border.
The statement comes after Russian officials and media reported a large-scale drone attack targeting Leningrad Oblast, Moscow, and other areas overnight on Sept. 12.
Russian air defenses intercepted 221 Ukrainian drones across the country, the Russian Defense Ministry claimed the morning after the strike.
Residents of Leningrad Oblast reportedly said the attack was one of the most massive strikes on the region since the start of the full-scale war in 2022.
Around 30 drones were shot down over Leningrad Oblast, regional Governor Alexander Drozdenko said.
Drone debris crashed at separate locations in Tosno, a town 53 kilometers (33 miles) southwest of St. Petersburg, but caused no casualties or damage, he claimed.
Fragments and wreckage also landed in other villages in the region, including Vsevolozhsk, Pokrovskoye, and Uzmino.
Earlier in the night, Drozdenko said that air defenses were at work over the Pushkinsky district of St. Petersburg.
The attack caused a fire on a vessel in the Primorsk Port, Drozdenko reported. He claimed the fire was extinguished and that there is no threat of flooding or oil spills.
Drozdenko later reported that the attack caused a fire to break out at a pumping station in Primorsk. He said it was extinguished without casualties.
The drone threat in the region forced St. Petersburg's Pulkovo Airport to shut down — an increasingly common procedure amid intensifying Ukrainian drone strikes. Nearly 50 flights have been disrupted or canceled due to the closure.
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Drones also targeted the Russian capital. At least nine Ukrainian drones have been shot down near Moscow, Mayor Sergey Sobyanin said.
Sobyanin said on Telegram that emergency crews were headed to the site where the drone debris fell. The mayor did not provide details as to where the drones were shot down or provide information on any damage.
Russian Telegram channels, citing resident accounts, reported explosions in the communities of Mozhaysk and Dedovsk in Moscow Oblast, located just west of the outskirts of the capital.
Another wave of drones attacked the Russian city of Smolensk, according to officials and local residents. Smolensk Oblast Governor Vasily Anokhin said air defense units were repelling a drone attack over the region, but gave no further information.
Smolensk residents reported explosions in the city. In footage posted to social media, eyewitnesses claimed that the drones targeted a nearby Lukoil facility.
Video shows smoke and flames rising from a large fire at an undisclosed site. Anokhin did not mention oil facilities or any possible targets in his report.
The Russian Defense Ministry claimed that 85 drones were downed over Bryansk Oblast, 42 over Smolensk Oblast, 28 over Leningrad Oblast, 18 over Kaluga Oblast, 14 over Novgorod Oblast, and nine over the Moscow and Oryol oblasts.
Drones were also shot down over Belgorod, Rostov, Tver, Pskov, Tula, and Kursk oblasts, the ministry said.
The Kyiv Independent could not verify the claims.
Ukraine has previously launched drones towards Moscow with limited success in engaging military targets in the region.
Ukraine has also deliberately shifted its drone strategy in recent months to disrupt Russian aviation operations and make the war visible to the Russian population.
The attack on Russia comes just days after Russia launched a record drone and missile attack on Kyiv, killing a woman and her newborn child and injuring 20 others.
The attack also damaged Ukraine's Cabinet of Ministers building in central Kyiv for the first time in the full-scale war.
Russia has increased drone attacks on Ukrainian cities in recent months, regularly launching over 500 attack drones in one night.
Overnight on Sept. 10, Russian drones violated Polish airspace, forcing Poland's Air Force to down the drones for the first time since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine began.
Nineteen Russian drones were recorded crossing into Poland, in what Polish officials describe as a "deliberately targeted" attack.
German media outlets Spiegel and Welt reported on Sept. 11 that the Russian drones shot down were reportedly headed for Rzeszow Airport, a key logistics hub for aid to Ukraine.
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Ship catches fire in Russian oil port of Prymorsk after drone attack
12.09.2025 12:31
On Thursday night, the port of Prymorsk in the Leningrad region of the Russian Federation was attacked by drones, resulting in a fire on one of the ships and a pumping station.
According to Ukrinform, this was reported by the Russian BBC service, citing a statement by the region's governor, Alexander Drozdenko.
The head of the Leningrad region reported that the fire on one of the ships in the port of Prymorsk had been extinguished. There is no threat of flooding or oil spills as a result of the attack, Drozdov said.
He also reported that more than three dozen drones had been shot down over the region, adding that debris had been found in the cities of Vsevolozhsk and Tosno, as well as in two villages.
According to him, there were no casualties as a result of the attack.
In addition to the ship, a pumping station caught fire in the port of Prymorsk after the drone attack, Drozdov said later.
Primorsk is Russia's main oil port in the Gulf of Finland, connected by oil pipelines from oil-producing regions in northern European Russia and Siberia.
Meanwhile, Rosaviatsiya announced the closure of airports in Pskov, Ivanovo, and Yaroslavl, and also confirmed the closure of Pulkovo Airport in St. Petersburg.
According to Mediazona, late in the evening on September 11, residents of the Smolensk region recorded a video of a fire at the Lukoil oil depot in the village of Kardymovo.
However, after the attack, the region's governor, Vasily Anokhin, reported that there were no casualties or damage to infrastructure.
Read also: Ukraine hits Russian Black Sea Fleet warship near Novorossiysk
The Russian Ministry of Defense claimed to have intercepted and destroyed 221 drones on the night of September 11-12 over the territories of thirteen regions of the aggressor country.
As reported by Ukrinform, on September 5, the Unmanned Systems Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine attacked the Ryazan oil refinery in Russia.
https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-ato/4035710-ship-catches-fire-in-russian-oil-port-of-prymorsk-after-drone-attack.html
https://www.newsweek.com/map-us-drone-bases-japan-2128731
Map Shows US Drone Bases Near Pacific Adversaries
Sep 12, 2025 at 8:35 AM EDT
The United States further expanded the presence of military drones in Japan, its key ally in the Western Pacific, to monitor adversaries—Russia, China and North Korea.
Lieutenant Commander Chloe Morgan, a U.S. Indo-Pacific Command spokesperson, told Newsweek that unmanned aircraft provide "continuous intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities" that enhance security across the Indo-Pacific theater.
Newsweek has e-mailed the Russian and Chinese foreign ministries for comment. North Korea's embassy in Beijing did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Why It Matters
Facing growing threats posed by Russia, China and North Korea, the U.S. military has forward-deployed some of its most-capable units—including missile-armed destroyers, stealth fighter jets and unmanned aircraft—in Japan as part of its 50,000-strong forces.
Japan—formed by four main islands and a number of southwestern outlying islands—plays a key role in containing America's adversaries under the island-chain strategy, aiming to project U.S. and allied military power to deter and defend against aggression.
Tokyo has territorial disputes with Beijing and Moscow over the Senkaku Islands and the Northern Territories, respectively. North Korea frequently test-fires missiles toward the Japanese archipelago, prompting the U.S. ally to strengthen its defense posture.
Latest Deployment
Japan's Defense Ministry announced on August 29 that American RQ-4B Global Hawk drones—operated by the U.S. Air Force and deployed from Andersen Air Force Base in Guam—will be stationed at Misawa Air Base in September for about a month.
Citing its U.S. counterpart, Japan's Defense Ministry said the drone deployment aims to further strengthen intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance activities around Japan.
When reached for comment, the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command spokesperson confirmed last week that a Global Hawk drone is deployed at Misawa Air Base but declined to provide further details regarding aircraft movements, citing operational security.
The U.S. Air Force says the Global Hawk is classified as a "high-altitude, long-endurance, remotely piloted aircraft." Equipped with a sensor system, it provides an "all-weather, day-or-night" intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capability.
Meanwhile, a Japanese Defense Ministry document dated October 2024 shows that a fleet of three Global Hawk drones was deployed at Yokota Air Base in Japan in May 2023. The U.S. drones later temporarily returned to their home station in Guam.
While a Global Hawk drone is deployed at Misawa Air Base, a recent Defense Ministry document—shared by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government on social media on August 28—still lists the drone's deployment at Yokota Air Base, near Tokyo, as "ongoing."
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Persistent Presence
In addition to the aforementioned locations in Japan, the U.S. currently deploys two other types of drones in the country, a Newsweek map shows. The drones—operated by the Air Force, the Marine Corps and the Navy—are stationed at Kadena Air Base.
Located on Japan's southwestern island of Okinawa, Kadena Air Base is a major U.S. air power hub in the contested Western Pacific, as it is the closest American air base to Taiwan, a self-ruled island claimed by China despite never having been governed by it.
According to documents provided by U.S. and Japanese military authorities, a fleet of eight MQ-9A Reaper drones—operated by the U.S. Air Force—was deployed at Kanoya Air Base on Kyushu, Japan's southernmost main island, in November 2022.
The drone fleet was relocated to Kadena Air Base in November 2023. As of last month, the deployment was listed as "ongoing" in a Japanese Defense Ministry document.
Meanwhile, since August last year, the U.S. Marine Corps has deployed its own Reaper drones—up to six aircraft—at Kadena Air Base. The deployment, originally scheduled for a year, has been extended indefinitely, according to the same Japanese document.
In April, Japan's Defense Ministry announced that an unspecified number of MQ-4C Triton drones—operated by the U.S. Navy and designed for long-endurance maritime patrol—will be deployed at Kadena Air Base, with no end date set for the deployment.
The U.S. Navy previously deployed the MQ-4C Triton aircraft at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni between July and October 2022, according to a map provided by Japan's Defense Ministry.
What People Are Saying
The U.S. Air Force's 18th Wing said in a press release in October 2023:
"Kadena's strategic position makes it an invaluable location to stage [intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance] operations, enabling access to numerous potential flashpoints across the Indo-Pacific region."
Japan's defense white paper 2025 read: "In addition to Japan's own efforts, cooperation and collaboration with our ally and like-minded countries is critical.
The Alliance with the United States is a key pillar of our national security policy and the cornerstone of peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region."
What Happens Next
It remains to be seen whether the U.S. military will deploy additional manned and unmanned aircraft to Japan, strengthening the alliance's posture in Northeast Asia.
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IDF says it struck 500 targets in Gaza City this week in preparation for takeover
September 12, 2025 5:54 pm
The Israeli Air Force struck over 500 targets in Gaza City this week in five main waves, as part of preparations for an upcoming major ground offensive against Hamas in the area, the military says.
The first three waves focused on Gaza City’s Daraj, Tuffah and Sheikh Radwan neighborhoods. In recent days, the IDF says it expanded its strikes to the Shati camp and additional areas in Sheikh Radwan.
The strikes have destroyed several high-rise towers that the IDF says were being used by Hamas for surveillance, as sniper posts, to store weapons, and some of which had tunnels running underneath them.
Ahead of the strikes, the IDF issued warnings to Palestinian civilians residing in the area.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/idf-says-it-struck-500-targets-in-gaza-city-this-week-in-preparation-for-takeover/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qrndOfIQMkY
https://www.israelhayom.com/2025/09/12/idf-storms-terrorists-west-bank-villages/
https://www.thenational.scot/news/25460974.idf-dragging-away-every-palestinian-man-can-capture/
IDF says it nabbed suspected terror cells working for Iran’s IRGC in Syria
September 12, 2025 2:08 pm
Several suspects detained by Israeli troops in southern Syria in recent months were in terror cells and operating on behalf of Iran’s Unit 840, a clandestine unit within the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ elite Quds Force, the IDF said Friday.
The members of the terror cells who were nabbed in the series of recent raids had been directed by Unit 840 to carry out attacks against Israel, according to the IDF.
In March and April, two Unit 840 field operatives, identified as Zeidan al-Tawil and Muhammad al-Kuryan, were arrested in Syria, the IDF said.
In recent weeks, the military said, Israeli forces also arrested operatives of several other terror cells, whose members had been activated by Salah al-Husseini and Muhammad Shuayb, IRGC operatives who were killed in Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon in July.
The IDF said Husseini and Shuayb were among “the most prominent operatives” involved in smuggling weapons from Iran to the West Bank, as well as to Lebanon and Syria.
The interrogations of the Syrian suspects revealed that not all of them knew whom they were working for, “and that their recruitment to work with Unit 840 was in many cases done without revealing the unit’s true motives, but rather through financial bribery,” the military said.
Israel has been involved militarily in Syria since the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime in December 2024. In the immediate aftermath, the IDF occupied Syria’s demilitarized zone and destroyed most of the Assad military’s facilities in a widespread bombing campaign.
Since the fall of the Assad regime, the IDF has been deployed to nine posts inside southern Syria, mostly within the UN-patrolled buffer zone.
Israeli troops have been operating in areas up to around 15 kilometers (9.3 miles) deep into Syria since December, aiming to capture weapons that Israel says could pose a threat to the country if they fall into the hands of “hostile forces.”
In recent months, the IDF said ground troops had conducted over 300 “routine operations” in southern Syria, including arresting suspected terror operatives, preventing “enemy entrenchment” and thwarting arms smuggling to Lebanon.
Under Assad, Syria had been a thoroughfare for Tehran’s arms deliveries to its Lebanese proxy Hezbollah. Iran has also smuggled arms to terror groups in the West Bank through Syria via both Jordan and Lebanon.
Israel has carried out hundreds of strikes in Syria since the overthrow of Assad, despite initiating an unprecedented dialogue with the new authorities. However, in recent months, such airstrikes in Syria have been increasingly rare.
On Wednesday, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir indicated that the Israeli military was behind rare airstrikes in Syria earlier in the week.
The strikes on Monday reportedly hit a military base near Homs and targets near the coastal city of Latakia and the historic city of Palmyra.
“In recent days, we have struck in several arenas simultaneously. In Syria, we thwarted capabilities that posed a threat to our freedom of action,” Zamir said at a Navy officers’ graduation ceremony.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/idf-says-it-nabbed-suspected-terror-cells-working-for-irans-irgc-in-syria/
Over 20 Palestinian terror suspects arrested in Israeli crackdown following Jerusalem bus attack
Updated: SEPTEMBER 12, 2025 15:49
More than 20 Palestinian terror suspects have been arrested in the Ramallah-area villages of Al-Qubeiba and Qatanna in recent days, the IDF said on Friday.
The IDF, led by the Benjamin Brigade, launched Operation 'Protect Jerusalem,' following the attack at a bus station in the country's capital last week.
The terrorists responsible for killing six Israelis in a Jerusalem shooting attack on Monday came from those two villages.
Security personnel confiscated weapons, cartridges, military equipment, and ISIS flags.
IDF confiscates weapons, terror funds in West Bank
Other terror suspects were arrested in separate raids around the northern West Bank. Weapons and tens of thousands of shekels were seized.
While destroying the homes of two Jerusalem terrorists, the military confirmed it searched more than 700 targets, and confiscated 38 "airsoft," non-deadly weapons and weapon parts.
Additionally, as part of the operations, five houses belonging to terrorists were destroyed. During activities in the central and northern areas of the West Bank, 21 wanted individuals were arrested.
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-867270