TYB
>Cabinet Meeting
https://www.decaturmetro.com/rare-frog-takes-french-space-agency-to-court-a-legal-leap-for-wildlife/
Rare Frog Takes French Space Agency to Court: A Legal Leap for Wildlife
9 October 2025
Decatur Metro has uncovered that the French National Centre for Space Studies will be facing legal proceedings in Cayenne’s court of law (French Guiana) for damaging the habitat of protected species, with unwavering support from the state.
A so-called “biodiversity sanctuary” where protected species are deliberately destroyed? On its website and during free tourist tours at Kourou, the Guiana Space Centre (CSG) praises its virtuous multi-year management plans and collaborations with the scientific and associative community.
However, off-camera, the story is quite different. At the end of 2022, the Cayenne prosecutor’s office initiated a judicial investigation targeting the National Centre for Space Studies (Cnes), which manages the CSG, for the destruction of sensitive habitats and protected species during unauthorized construction activities.
The public institution will be heard in the Cayenne court on December 1st as part of a guilty plea hearing—a form of “conciliation” process between the parties.
Following an investigation with the local investigative media Guyaweb and Agence France Presse (AFP), Decatur Metro unveils the behind-the-scenes details of this case.
The construction activities under scrutiny took place from February to September 2022 and involved the Callisto project, spearheaded by Cnes along with the German and Japanese space agencies, aimed at developing reusable rockets.
This “test launcher” would be located on the former Diamant launch pad, used by France for rocket launches in the 1970s.
Despite its degraded state, this savannah was home to multiple habitats and protected species, including a breeding site for the ocellated leptodactyl (Leptodactylus chaquensis), an extremely rare frog classified as endangered on the French red list of threatened species.
According to Cerato, the herpetological association of French Guiana, a pond located on the CSG site and discovered in early 2022, concentrated 13% of the known population of this animal, highlighting its “major importance for understanding the species and simply for its survival.”
The association, which initiated the legal proceedings, has since become a civil party to the case.
The prosecutor suspects Cnes knew about the presence of the species before construction began on March 14, 2022.
Judicial sources describe phone conversations about this between the General Directorate for Territories and the Sea (DGTM), responsible for the investigation, and the public institution, between March 8 and 10.
Instead of halting these illegal activities and regularizing the situation—by proposing, for instance, avoidance and compensation measures as is customary in the case of a “protected species exemption”—the Cnes management decided to continue the earth-moving in the area.
“Any industrial halt would have a financial impact. Unless expressly requested, we will continue these works,” wrote Nathalie Fuentes, one of the project managers for Callisto based in Toulouse, to her teams in an email dated March 22 that we have seen.
After eight months of illegality, the construction ceased on September 13, 2022, following several inspections by the French Office for Biodiversity (OFB) and the DGTM, just as Cnes had received a draft administrative order from the prefecture, which was eventually published two months later.
“The Cnes environmental service tries to do its job as best as it can, and we note improvements, but it feels like they have to bow down to the management’s directives, which prioritize industrial and economic goals first,” observed Rémi Girault, a botanist specializing in savannahs, and former president of Guyane Nature Environnement.
The ecological stakes are indeed significant. Across the 650 km² it owns in French Guiana, Europe’s spaceport encompasses 23.8% of the existing savannahs in French Guiana, a biodiversity-rich ecosystem where 16% of the known flora of the territory is found on just 0.3% of its area.
“These are the spaces most threatened by coastal urbanization. Beyond the CSG, the unauthorized destruction of savannahs is frequently lamented, often based on poorly conducted inventories or ineffective compensation measures,” explains Rémi Girault.
Other elements in the case raise questions about Cnes’ good faith. As early as 2019, teams from the space center had cleared the area involved in the Callisto project under the guise of a waste cleanup operation, without declaring these works to the prefecture.
1/2
Internal exchanges we have access to suggest that, as one of the Cnes managers wrote, it was an operation aiming “not to be hindered by any protected species.” This could skew the inventories by Biotope, conducted a few months later.
The Callisto case is not the first instance of the space sector infringing on biodiversity conservation. In an opinion dated July 20, 2022, which we have obtained, the Regional Scientific Council for Natural Heritage of French Guiana (CSRPN) described the case as being “far from the first at the CSG site” and condemned a “form of contempt for environmental issues.”
In 2016, Cnes had already been ordered by state services for unauthorized works on the Ariane 6 launch pad.
Moreover, the public institution will be judged on October 6 for a related infringement in the Callisto case concerning the development of a so-called PV2 photovoltaic park, covering an area of 4.7 hectares for a capacity of 5 MW.
Judicial sources claim that the plot in question had undergone advanced works to prepare archaeological excavations without waiting for the necessary authorizations, including the famous “protected species exemption.”
A November 2021 inventory by Biotope identified twelve species with “strong to very strong” conservation concerns.
Like Callisto, this project carries significant economic weight. The park is funded by a France Relance grant of 5 million euros, which was contingent on one condition: the park had to be operational by the end of 2023.
Was this enough to justify the premature start of the works? When asked, Cnes chose not to respond to our questions and stated only that it would “defer to the court’s decision.”
Beyond the contempt Cnes shows for environmental law, these cases reveal that, despite potentially criminal activities reported by their teams, the upper echelons of the state in French Guiana have shown great leniency towards the space sector.
Once the construction was halted following the OFB investigation, email exchanges between the general secretariat of the prefecture and the DGTM management, which we have seen, show that the state did everything to expedite the resumption of work and support Cnes through this crisis, given the substantial sums at stake.
“Please try to restrain the OFB, as this is a project of major regional interest,” requested Mathieu Gatineau, former general secretary of the prefecture, in an email dated October 6, 2022, addressed to the DGTM, referring to the investigation on PV2.
In the same exchange, Ivan Martin, director of the DGTM, reassured his correspondent about the Callisto case by explaining that his teams would not “inspect” the Diamant site following the order, to avoid any “administrative sanction.”
“The state is putting 9 billion on the table for the development of space. […] We do not weigh much […] It may not be regulatory, but we need to find a way to support the works,” Ivan Martin already summarized in an email dated September 22, 2022, a few days after the construction was halted.
These pressures have not prevented Cnes from ending up in court. However, its legal journey appears unique in several respects.
In the Callisto case, Cnes was initially offered by the prosecutor’s office a public interest judicial agreement. This agreement included a fine of 10,000 euros, 20,000 euros in damages, and repair measures over three years.
As a legal entity, Cnes could have faced a fine of up to 750,000 euros.
The sum proposed by the prosecutor’s office seems all the more trivial given the recommendations of the independent expert appointed by the court, who estimated the ecological damage at 9.7 million euros and the years of restoration needed between 23 and 57 years.
This first agreement, deemed too favorable to Cnes, was overturned by the Cayenne court in July 2024. The legal future of Cnes now hangs in the balance at the hearing on December 1st, where the civil party hopes to have the facts of the Callisto case reclassified as an ecocide offense and taken to criminal court.
Contacted at the end of our investigation, neither Cnes, nor the state services, nor Mr. Gatineau, now posted at the prefecture of Bouches-du-Rhône, nor the former substitute prosecutor who originated the public interest judicial agreement, responded.
The prosecutor’s office chose not to speak before October 6 to ensure the “serenity of the debates.”
2/2
Blast off with the 'Space Gal' Emily Calandrelli for Arm and Hammer's Baking Soda Rocket Day
OCtober 9, 2025
The volatile, back-and-forth relationship between baking soda and vinegar is one we all know well. Every time the two get together, you can count on a serious — and seriously fun — reaction.
But if you’re still mixing your chemical-reaction cocktails to make miniature volcanoes, today is the day to point those erupting bubbles in the other direction.
Today, we’re using baking soda and vinegar to make rockets.
Thursday (Oct. 9) is Arm and Hammer's second annual Baking Soda Rocket Day. Thousands of students across the U.S. are planning to break last year's record of launching the most baking soda bottle rockets in a single day.
To help them reach that goal, Arm and Hammer partnered with science communications expert Emily "The Space Gal" Calandrelli.
Thursday's nationwide event — part of World Space Week, which runs from Oct. 4 to Oct. 10 — is expected to take place across 14,000 schools.
"The goal is to help inspire this STEAM confidence in kids, so that they start thinking like a scientist," Calandrelli told Space.com. (STEAM stands for "science, technology, engineering, art and math.")
From aerospace engineer to television host to Blue Origin astronaut (and the 100th woman to reach space), Calandrelli has built her career around simplifying STEAM concepts through engaging, kid-friendly activities. The bottle rocket is one of her favorites.
"I think the fact that it is just so explosive and easy to make — those two in combination make for the perfect science experiment," Calandrelli said.
The hands-on experiment/rocket building activity mixes baking soda and vinegar — a classroom-classic acid-base reaction that releases carbon dioxide gas — to propel a two-liter bottle (outfitted with your design of nose cone and fins) high into the air.
"Last year for Baking Soda Rocket Day, the coolest thing I saw were friends working together to launch their rocket," Calandrelli said. "It was like they had pride in the rocket that they built, and they were just friends creating something together."
In addition to being The Space Gal, Calandrelli is also The Space Mom. Her daughter is at the perfect age for experiments like this.
"I'm trying to instill a sense of community and science for her as she grows up," Calandrelli said. "It's events like this that create that community, because all of a sudden you have a friend who has a shared interest, which is science or space or creating things with your hands, or inventing things. And I think when you have this nationwide event like Baking Soda Rocket Day, that can be the launching point of your community in this field."
This year's Rocket Day is expanding beyond the classroom. Among the thousands of participating schools, three flagship events are being held in New York, Texas and Florida.
Calandrelli will lead from a school in Queens, where she will release a video to guide students through the construction and launch instructions.
In Texas, former NASA astronaut Mike Foreman will join local students with representatives from Space Center Houston to help walk them through the experiment while sharing what it's like to fly atop an actual rocket.
Students at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex will not only get to build a bottle rocket with the rest of the nation, they will also have the opportunity to participate in other STEAM-focused activities.
Rocket Day’s debut last year reached more than 180,000 students nationwide, according to a press release.
To follow along today and build your own baking soda bottle rocket, download this handy, step-by-step instruction guide, and check out the Baking Soda Rocket Day website.
https://www.space.com/astronomy/earth/blast-off-with-the-space-gal-emily-calandrelli-for-arm-and-hammers-baking-soda-rocket-day
https://www.youtube.com/@EmilysScienceLab
https://www.armandhammer.com/en/baking-soda-science#steam-learning-section
https://www.iflscience.com/seti-paper-responds-to-claims-interstellar-object-3iatlas-might-be-an-alien-spacecraft-81100
https://eartharxiv.org/repository/view/9820/
https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/comets/3i-atlas/
https://avi-loeb.medium.com/
SETI Paper Responds To Claims Interstellar Object 3I/ATLAS Might Be An Alien Spacecraft
October 9, 2025
Apaper from a SETI (search for extraterrestrial intelligence) Institute scientist has directly addressed claims that interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS is an alien spacecraft.
On July 1, 2025, the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) detected an object moving through the Solar System on an escape trajectory. Follow-up observations soon confirmed that we were looking at our third interstellar visitor, after ʻOumuamua and 2I/Borisov, although it looks quite different from the previous two. It's an interesting object, perhaps from an earlier age of the universe and a different part of the galaxy, and even spacecraft around Mars and Jupiter are getting in on the action observing it.
There have been a few suggestions – although not from the majority of scientists – that the object could not be natural at all.
Soon after the object was discovered, and before we could take a proper look at it, Harvard theoretical physicist, cosmologist, and astronomer Avi Loeb suggested in a paper that it could be an interstellar probe sent by an intelligent species, potentially with the goal of destroying Earth.
In the first paper, which he states in an accompanying blog post is largely a "pedagogical exercise" and "fun to explore, irrespective of its likely validity", he suggested that the object could be hostile, as outlined in the "Dark Forest" hypothesis.
In short (though you should read the book on which it is based, you will not regret it), given the finite resources in the universe, and our lack of knowledge of any other civilization's intent, any lifeform may want to pre-emptively attack any other form of life they discover, before it becomes a threat to their own civilization. According to Loeb's paper, the object could be here for that purpose.
"The low retrograde tilt of 3I/ATLAS’s orbital plane to the ecliptic offers various benefits to an Extra-terrestrial Intelligence (ETI), since it allows the object access to our planet with relative impunity," Loeb, Adam Hibberd, and Adam Crowl write in that paper.
"The eclipse by the Sun from Earth of 3I/ATLAS at perihelion, would allow it to conduct a clandestine reverse Solar Oberth Manoeuvre, an optimal high-thrust strategy for interstellar spacecraft to brake and stay bound to the Sun.
An optimal intercept of Earth would entail an arrival in late November/early December of 2025, and also, a non-gravitational acceleration of ∼ 5.9 × 10-5 au day-2, normalized at 1 au from the Sun, would indicate an intent to intercept the planet Jupiter, not far off its path, and a strategy to rendezvous with it after perihelion."
Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence, and Loeb did not provide this, instead arguing that given the potential consequences of a dark forest strike (Earth goes kablooey), we should consider it, and any planetary defense measures we could take if it were the case.
While speculation like this is enjoyable in a sci-fi context, it has been less than helpful for more conspiracy-minded citizens of Earth. As well as people out there who believe an alien spacecraft is going to approach Earth in late November or early December (per Loeb's suggestion), there are also people who believe that we are being told a spacecraft is approaching as a cover-up for something else. People are getting real weird with it.
In the paper addressing these claims, which has not yet been peer reviewed, SETI scientist and senior lecturer at the Geoscience Department of Universiti Teknologi Petronas, AKM Eahsanul Haque, outlines why it is likely a natural object.
"Loeb et al. found that the retrograde orbital plane of 3I/ATLAS is quite near to 129the ecliptic, with a 0.2% likelihood that this alignment is not just a coincidence," Haque writes, adding that the alignment is not impossible for interstellar objects, even if it is statistically rare.
"The galactic disk, which is where most stars are, is nearly in line with the solar system's ecliptic plane. It is plausible that ISOs that are thrown out of other systems may naturally follow paths that are similar to these."
1/2
"The hyperbolic trajectory, which has an eccentricity of around 6.1, and the high speed of about 58 kilometers per second 134are both consistent with gravitational ejection from a distant star system, according to the measurements 135made in 1I/'Oumuamua and 2I/Borisov.
Also, it is important to note that the low likelihood of close encounters with Venus, Mars, and Jupiter, which is about 0.005%, is not only for man-made objects. Natural comets can also have similar dynamics because of changes in gravity."
Other papers, of course, treat it as an interstellar comet, but do not address these alien technology claims specifically.
Loeb and colleagues flagged up a lack of identifiable chemicals as evidence that the comet could be artificial, according to Haque, but comparing the spectral slope with D-Type asteroids and interstellar comet 2I/Borisov, he finds they demonstrate consistency with these other natural objects.
In Loeb's initial paper and blog post, he states that "detection of a non-gravitational acceleration could also indicate an intent to intercept Jupiter, not far off the path of 3I/ATLAS, and a strategy to rendezvous with it after perihelion."
2I/Borisov underwent a little non-gravitational acceleration, meaning a change of speed that was not caused by gravitational interactions alone, which astronomers put down to outgassing.
"Seligman et al. also found a slight change in the light curve over about four days, showing that the structure is stable and there is no evidence of acceleration beyond what gravity would cause," Haque explains.
"This differs from the results of 1I/‘Oumuamua, which showed a small, non-gravitational acceleration thought to be caused by outgassing. The fact that 3I/ATLAS did not display such acceleration is a strong argument against the idea of artificial propulsion."
Since that first paper, Loeb has claimed that a lack of non-gravitational acceleration observed so far could be a sign that there is a "major anomaly" with its mass, and again that the explanation could be aliens.
"The mass of 3I/ATLAS scales with its diameter cubed. If the nucleus diameter of 3I/ATLAS will be found to be larger than 5 kilometers in the HiRISE image, then an origin associated with the interstellar mass reservoir of rocky material will be untenable," he wrote in a blog post. "An alternative technological origin could explain the rare alignment of the trajectory of 3I/ATLAS with the ecliptic plane (having a random chance of 1 in 500, as discussed here), and the detection of nickel without iron — as found in industrially-manufactured alloys."
In short; if it accelerates it might be aliens, if it doesn't accelerate it might be aliens. While alien spacecraft are an undeniably fun topic to talk about, scientists have a much more likely explanation for the object, which is backed up by the evidence. It is a comet.
“It looks like a comet. It does comet things. It very, very strongly resembles, in just about every way, the comets that we know,” Tom Statler, NASA’s lead scientist for Solar System small bodies, said to The Guardian about such claims.
“It has some interesting properties that are a little bit different from our solar system comets, but it behaves like a comet. And so the evidence is overwhelmingly pointing to this object being a natural body. It’s a comet.”
Based on its trajectory, spectra, and comet-like properties, Haque suggests that it could be "a lithified clastic fragment from an exoplanetary sedimentary basin".
For his own part, Loeb has moved from saying that the idea is purely a teaching exercise, to placing pretty high odds that the object is an alien spacecraft.
"As of now, I assign a 30–40% likelihood that 3I/ATLAS does not have a fully natural origin, based on its seven anomalies that I listed here.
This low-probability scenario includes the possibility of a black swan event akin to a Trojan Horse, where a technological object masquerades as a natural comet," he writes in a new post, adding that his percentages are likely to shift as we get more information on the object.
More information on the object is highly-anticipated by other astronomers too, not because it might be aliens, but because it is an interesting comet from another part of the galaxy, which could operate as a 10-billion-year-old time capsule from an earlier age of the universe. Surely that's enough?
2/2
>pls need live cabinet meeting links posted
President Trump Hosts a Cabinet Meeting, Oct. 9, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uUdwiR2s8JQ
Drones attack Russia's Rostov Oblast, allegedly targeting an oil depot, media reports
October 9, 2025 6:08 pm
Drones allegedly targeted an oil depot in the village of Matveyev Kurgan in Russia's Rostov Oblast on Oct. 9, according to the Astra Telegram channel, citing local media and eyewitnesses.
Footage circulating online appears to show drones flying over the Neklinovsky district toward the Matveev-Kurgan oil depot, followed by thick plumes of smoke rising from the site after impact.
The Matveev-Kurgan oil depot supplies fuel to a range of organizations across various sectors and also operates its own network of filling stations for retail fuel.
Rostov Governor Yury Slyusar said three drones were shot down in the Matveyev-Kurgan district by air defense systems. The attack reportedly damaged windows, facades, and roofs of nearby homes, as well as five vehicles.
No casualties have been confirmed as of yet, according to Slysar.
Ukraine has not commented on the reported incident, and the Kyiv Independent could not independently verify the claims.
Rostov Oblast is a region in southern Russia that borders eastern Ukraine, with parts of the oblast located less than 100 kilometers (60 miles) from the front line of the ongoing war.
The region has become a key logistical and military hub for Russian operations in Ukraine, housing supply routes, military bases, and fuel infrastructure.
Rostov Oblast has been repeatedly targeted by drone attacks since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022.
https://kyivindependent.com/drones-attack-russias-rostov-oblast-allegedly-targeting-an-oil-depot-media-reports/
https://united24media.com/latest-news/massive-fire-erupts-after-reported-ukraines-fp-1-drone-attack-on-russian-oil-depot-in-rostov-region-12352
https://www.euronews.com/2025/10/09/ukraines-new-missiles-and-drones-cause-gas-shortages-in-russia-zelenskyy-says
Putin Blames Ukraine Drone for Russia Shooting Down Passenger Jet
updated Oct 09, 2025 at 09:30 AM EDT
Russian President Vladimir Putin said his country's air defenses shot down an Azerbaijani passenger jet in December 2024, killing 38 people, because his forces had tracked Ukrainian drones across the border.
The Kremlin leader said there were "several causes" of the "tragedy", and the first was a Ukrainian drone in the sky.
Putin's comments at a meeting with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on Thursday were reported by the Russian state news agency TASS. The two were in Tajikistan’s capital, Dushanbe, for a summit of the former Soviet nations.
The incident—not the first passenger plane to be hit since Russia first invaded Ukraine in 2014, the most famous example being Malaysia Airlines Flight 17, which was shot down by Russian-backed forces as it flew over Donetsk in July 2014, killing 298 people—highlights the severe danger posed to flights that travel close to active war zones.
The Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 8243 crashed on December 25, 2024, while on a flight from Baku to Grozny, the regional capital of the Russian republic of Chechnya.
Azerbaijani authorities said the jet was accidentally hit by fire from Russian air defenses, then crashed as it tried to land due to the damage in western Kazakhstan, killing 38 of 67 people aboard.
According to Putin, the two Russian air defense missiles did not strike the plane directly, but exploded in the sky nearby, causing the damage that led to the crash, Vedomosti reported. Putin said he will compensate Azerbaijan over the incident, per Vedomosti.
"At this point, we can generally talk about the causes of this tragedy. It is connected with several circumstances, and the first is that a Ukrainian drone was in the sky," Putin said as he sat down with Aliyev, TASS reported.
"We were tracking three such drones that crossed the border of the Russian Federation during the night on the day of the tragedy."
Days after the crash, Putin apologized to Aliyev for what he called a “tragic incident,” but stopped short of acknowledging responsibility.
Aliyev, meanwhile, criticized Moscow for trying to “hush up” the incident. The controversy over the crash has roiled the previously warm ties between Moscow and Baku.
Their relations were further destabilized by deaths of ethnic Azerbaijanis rounded up by police in a Russian city in June and a series of arrests of Russians in Azerbaijan.
https://www.newsweek.com/putin-ukraine-drone-russia-shot-down-plane-azerbaijan-10853123
PORT OF DOOM Horror moment enormous blasts light up night sky as Putin’s suicide drones slam Ukraine port ‘bringing in Western ammo’
Published: 05:13, 9 Oct 2025
TERRIFYING apocalyptic explosions lit up Ukraine’s sky last night during a brutal Russian blitz.
Putin pummelled the port of Chornomorsk, south of Odesa, which is thought to have received a large shipment of Western ammo.
Footage shows drones slamming down followed by numerous fireball explosions.
Clouds of flame and smoke erupt into sky, briefly turning night into day. Thunderous explosions ring out as the drones keep coming.
A dockside warehouse appeared to be the target, amid suspicions that a new supply of ammunition or weapons had ignited.
The port was hammered by at least 20 Shahed drones, reportedly not long after the arrival of a new cargo shipment from Turkey.
The destruction of a large package of foreign weapons is potentially a major blow to Ukraine’s war effort.
Chaos at Chornomorsk came after Putin’s top war commander General Valery Gerasimov vowed new “targeted, massive strikes against Ukrainian military installations and military-industrial complex facilities”.
Putin, on his 73rd birthday this week, threatened that the war will go on indefinitely, saying: “We must ensure the unconditional fulfilment of all objectives, the achievement of all the goals facing the troops during the special military operation.”
Ukraine‘s official report said the strikes at Chornomorsk struck a “port infrastructure facility” and that “containers with vegetable oil, vehicles, and wood fuel pellets were burning”.
However, suspicion has swirled that the attack actually hit a stash of weapons, possibly from the West, which blew up spectacularly.
Russian war channel Ramzai said the secondary explosions were from “a military cargo arriving from Turkey“.
It said: “The attack on the terminal was swift, immediately after unloading containers with weapons and ammunition.
“Odesa hasn’t seen or heard such a detonation in a long time.”
Five people were injured in the strikes, according to Ukrainian officials. Fierce attacks also targeted the Sumy border region.
A 66-year-old man was killed by a Russian aerial bomb in Bilopillia, and a 44-year-old local in the Mykolaiv district.
The war-ravaged region shouldered 98 Russian attacks on 32 targets within 24 hours.
Ukraine, meanwhile, struck the Lukoil-Korobkovsky gas processing plant in the city of Kotovo, Volgograd region, triggering an inferno.
A blaze broke out near the Yefimovka pumping station, as Ukraine continues to target Russian oil facilities.
Ukraine’s strikes were the latest in a long-distance bombing campaign which has brought the Russian economy to its knees.
Some 85 energy-linked targets – including dozens of oil refineries – have been hit by Ukraine in two months, with fuel rationing and even petrol coupons being introduced in the worst-hit areas.
https://www.the-sun.com/news/15315653/blasts-light-sky-drones-ukraine-port-western-ammo/
EU parliament calls for readiness to down of Russian aircraft, drones over member states' territory
October 9, 2025 6:04 pm
The European Parliament on Oct. 9 adopted a resolution condemning Russia's ongoing "escalatory actions," calling for tougher responses to violations of EU airspace, including shooting down unauthorized drones and aircraft.
The announcement comes amid heightened concerns across Europe over the presence of unauthorized drones near critical infrastructure, particularly in the wake of increased geopolitical tensions and frequent airspace violations involving Russia.
The resolution passed with 469 votes in favor, 97 against, and 38 abstentions, according to an official statement on the parliament's website.
Lawmakers placed full responsibility on Russia for recent airspace violations involving EU and NATO members, particularly Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Romania.
The resolution also denounced unauthorized drone incursions over critical infrastructure in Denmark, Sweden, and Norway, and accused Russia of engaging in sabotage and hybrid warfare that amounts to "state terrorism."
The parliament called for coordinated defense measures, enhanced military cooperation with Ukraine, especially in drone technology and countermeasures, and stricter sanctions.
It also urged the EU to impose additional restrictions on third countries aiding Russia's war efforts, specifically citing China's role in supplying dual-use goods.
MEPs voiced support for the proposed "drone wall" along the EU's eastern border and backed initiatives aimed at bolstering surveillance and defense capabilities on the eastern flank.
"Encouraging any initiative which enables the EU and its member states to take 'coordinated, united and proportionate action against all violations of their airspace, including shooting down airborne threats,' MEPs welcome the concept of an EU drone wall and the Eastern Flank Watch initiatives," the resolution stated.
The parliament also reiterated its support for establishing a European Defense Union and called for closer civil-military coordination in protecting EU airspace.
The decision follows a wave of unexplained drone activity across Europe, fueling fears of possible Russian involvement in hybrid warfare and reigniting concerns over NATO's security.
The sightings follow a string of airspace disruptions, including two consecutive incidents at Munich International Airport on Oct. 3. Similar drone-related shutdowns were also reported recently at Oslo Airport in Norway and Copenhagen Airport in Denmark.
Russian drones and aircraft also violated the airspace of multiple NATO member states, escalating regional security concerns in the previous month.
In early September, Polish forces shot down several Russian drones that had entered their airspace. A Russian drone was also detected over Romanian territory a few days later, though Bucharest opted not to engage it.
Three Russian MiG-31 fighter jets briefly entered Estonian airspace on Sept. 19, remaining there for 12 minutes before being intercepted by NATO forces.
https://kyivindependent.com/eu-parliament-condemns-russian-escalatory-actions-calls-for-possible-downing-of-hostile-aircraft/
Ukraine seeks US natural gas after Russia drone strikes
10/09/2025 06:52 AM EDT
The Ukrainian government is asking the United States to increase shipments of natural gas to stave off what it is calling a potential humanitarian crisis after a Russian drone attack last week devastated its natural gas network, the head of Ukraine’s state-run energy company Naftogaz said Wednesday.
Russia’s attacks last week destroyed natural gas pipeline connections to Ukrainian cities ahead of what is expected to be a harsh winter.
Naftogaz executives have spoken with officials at the Department of Energy, the Export-Import Bank and the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation to request natural gas compressors and other equipment and the possibility of receiving loans of U.S. liquefied natural gas cargoes, company officials said.
“Our gas production and infrastructure has suffered significant damage,” Naftogaz Chief Executive Sergii Koretskyi told POLITICO. “These maniacal terrorist strikes are aimed solely at one thing — depriving Ukraine of gas, heat and light.”
Administration officials did not immediately respond to questions. The Trump administration has grown frustrated with Russia and its continued attacks on Ukraine after President Donald Trump pressed for a peace deal.
paywall
https://www.eenews.net/articles/ukraine-seeks-us-natural-gas-after-russia-drone-strikes/
Within 24 hours: major IDF pullback in Gaza as troops prepare for hostage transfer risks
October 9, 2025 09:45
To expedite the hostage release process, the IDF will withdraw within the next 24 hours to the updated “yellow line,” the first designated pullback zone — including from Khan Younis, not just Gaza City.
The large-scale operation will involve hundreds of soldiers, tanks, armored vehicles, and infrastructure being moved eastward. By tomorrow, the move is expected to leave Hamas in control of most of Gaza’s urban centers for the first time since the war began.
Despite the withdrawal, the IDF will maintain security control along the Philadelphi Corridor bordering Egypt, as well as in several enclaves near Beit Hanoun and Rafah.
According to the new deployment plan, the army will also retreat from most sections of the Baitor routes — the Morag and Magen Oz axes — established earlier in the war as part of Operation Gideon A.
Defensive fortifications along those roads are already being dismantled and relocated one to two kilometers east toward the border.
The IDF is also expected to demolish its positions in Khan Younis overnight to prevent Hamas from reclaiming military assets left behind.
The current pullback is slightly deeper than the existing buffer zone but does not reach as far as the “yellow line” proposed by the United States last week, following Hamas’ demands during cease-fire negotiations.
Preparations for hostage release under heavy security
For the upcoming hostage handover, a special IDF unit will receive the released captives inside Gaza from the Red Cross, similar to previous exchanges.
From there, they will be taken to a processing and medical screening center near Re’im base, and then airlifted by Yas’ur or Yanshuf helicopters to hospitals across Israel.
If any hostage is deemed in critical condition, the IDF will bypass the border reception phase and fly them directly to a hospital. In other cases, military ambulances will transport them for further examinations.
The bodies of deceased hostages will also be transferred to the special IDF team inside Gaza, then brought across the border for forensic identification before families are notified.
Fears of mob attacks on hostage convoys
Despite coordination with Hamas and the Red Cross, Israeli defense officials warn that crowds in Gaza may attempt to swarm the hostage vehicles before or during the transfer.
The IDF has issued stern warnings to Hamas and is preparing contingency plans, including the use of air strikes and crowd dispersal measures—and, in extreme cases, ground intervention—if such mass assaults occur.
The pullback marks one of the final operational phases of the war, as Israel moves toward implementing the cease-fire and securing the release of all hostages under the U.S.-brokered agreement.
https://www.ynetnews.com/article/rkjlv8splx
https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/idf-chief-ceasefire-deal-is-ray-of-light-army-created-the-conditions-for-it/
https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2025-10-09/ty-article-live/netanyahu-cabinet-to-convene-thursday-to-approve-gaza-deal-return-all-hostages/00000199-c6bc-d5c1-ad9d-d7fda1180000
https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/on-eve-of-ceasefire-katz-says-he-told-idf-to-respond-with-great-force-against-hamas-attacks/
40k ft view?