Russia conducts missile drills in Sea of Japan, Israel says fighting with Hamas is “near an end”, 100 kidnapped in Nigeria

Russia summons US Ambassador to protest Sevastopol attack, China waives visas for Polish citizens, NATO wants to start a total war with Russia, Belarus is ready to use tactical nuclear weapons... are some of the outstanding international events in the past 24 hours.

Several religious sites in the Dagestan region of Russia were attacked, causing many casualties. (Source: X)

The World & Vietnam Newspaper highlights some of the day's international news highlights.

Russia-Ukraine

*Russia launches missile attack on eastern Ukraine, nearly 40 casualties : On June 24, Vadym Filashkin - Governor of Donetsk region appointed by Ukraine - said a Russian missile attack on the town of Pokrovsk in eastern Ukraine killed at least 4 people and injured 34 others.

On Telegram, Mr. Vadym Filashkin also stated that the Russian army launched two missiles, destroying a private house and damaging 16 other houses. (Reuters)

*Ukraine confirms Russia attacked Odessa: Regional Governor Oleh Kiper said that on the morning of June 24, Russia attacked civilian infrastructure in the port city of Odessa, southern Ukraine, injuring at least 3 people.

A 19-year-old man and two middle-aged men were taken to hospital for treatment, Kiper said on his Telegram account. The Ukrainian Interior Ministry released images of a huge plume of smoke rising from the scene, where emergency workers were trying to extinguish the fire.

However, Russia denied the accusation of attacking civilians or civilian infrastructure in Ukraine. (AFP)

Asia- Pacific

*Russia-South Korea relations worsen due to Seoul's participation in sanctions against Moscow: On June 24, Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev emphasized that Russia's relations with South Korea will worsen due to Seoul's participation in sanctions against Moscow.

"Seoul is loudly criticizing the new treaty between Russia and North Korea. We will strictly implement this treaty, including the provisions on common security. However , relations between Russia and South Korea will deteriorate further, due to their (Seoul) thoughtless participation in sanctions against Russia," Medvedev wrote on Telegram. (Sputniknews)

*Chinese Coast Guard "drives away" Japanese ships near disputed islands: On June 24, the Chinese Coast Guard announced that they had taken "necessary control measures" and "driven away" four Japanese fishing boats and several patrol boats that entered the "territorial waters" of the Diaoyu Islands (an area that Tokyo also claims sovereignty over and calls the Senkaku Islands) between June 20 and 24.

Earlier, Japan accused two Chinese coast guard ships of entering Japanese territorial waters off the Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands on June 23. When the two coast guard ships tried to approach a Japanese fishing boat, Japan Coast Guard (JCG) patrol boats ensured the safety of the vessel and warned the two Chinese ships to leave the area. According to the JCG, Chinese official ships were spotted in waters near the Senkaku Islands for the fourth consecutive day. (Reuters)

*Philippines to continue supply mission in South China Sea: Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro said on June 24 that Manila will continue its supply mission to soldiers stationed at the Second Thomas Shoal outpost in the South China Sea, despite the incident last week when a Chinese Coast Guard ship deliberately caused trouble.

Speaking at a press conference at the Philippine Presidential Palace, Mr. Teodoro emphasized: “It was not a misunderstanding or an accident. We do not take it lightly. It was an illegal use of force.”

A day earlier, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. declared that the Philippines has no intention of inciting war and always aims to resolve disputes peacefully. (Reuters)

*South Korea calls for increased security cooperation with NATO: South Korean Defense Minister Shin Won-sik on June 24 called for increased security cooperation with NATO, saying the move would strengthen Seoul's war deterrence capabilities.

The remarks came after South Korea was invited to attend a NATO summit in Washington next month for the third consecutive year, amid growing ties between Seoul and the 32-member military alliance.

If South Korea faces "serious security concerns," he believes NATO countries will "certainly" provide support, Shin Won-sik said, noting that many of the countries that sent troops to support South Korea during the 1950-53 Korean War are NATO members. (Yonhap)

*China condemns terrorist attacks in Dagestan: On June 24, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning stated: "China opposes all forms of terrorist acts and condemns the brutal attacks on civilians and law enforcement officials in Russia's Dagestan."

On the evening of June 23, unidentified gunmen opened fire on two churches, a synagogue and a traffic police station in the cities of Derbent and Makhachkala. The attacks left 15 law enforcement officers and four civilians, including an Orthodox priest, dead. The Russian Investigative Committee said law enforcement officers had eliminated six gunmen involved in the attacks. (Sputniknews)

Europe

*Russian Foreign Ministry summons US Ambassador to protest attack in Sevastopol: The Russian Foreign Ministry announced on June 24 that it had summoned US Ambassador to Russia Lynne Tracy to express concern regarding Kiev's missile attack on Sevastopol.

In a statement, the Russian Foreign Ministry stressed that the country will take retaliatory measures against the US's actions encouraging Kiev to take military action.

The statement affirmed that Washington bears the same responsibility as Kiev for the missile attack on civilians in Sevastopol. (Sputniknews)

*EU threatens to "close the door" to Georgia's accession: EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell warned on June 24 that the bloc would close the door to Georgia if the country's government continued down the old path.

“The door to Georgia becoming a member of the European Union is open. But if the government continues… to do what it is doing, this door will close,” Mr. Borrell stressed.

On May 14, the Georgian parliament passed a law on transparency on foreign influence, drawing harsh criticism from the EU and threats to suspend the country's EU integration process. Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili vetoed the law on May 18. (Sputniknews)

*China unilaterally exempts visas for Polish citizens: On June 24, Chinese President Xi Jinping announced that the country has decided to implement a unilateral policy of 15-day visa exemption for Polish citizens.

Xi Jinping made the statement during talks at the Great Hall of the People with Polish President Andrzej Duda, who is on a state visit to China. (Sputniknews)

*NATO wants to start a full-scale war with Russia: Politician Florian Philippot, leader of the French Patriots party, described the attack by Ukrainian forces on the beaches of Sevastopol - the largest city in the Crimean peninsula - as an escalation.

On the social network X, Mr. Philippot wrote: "The June 23 attack by Ukraine on civilians in the crowded beach area of Sevastopol, which left many dead, including two children, is a terrible escalation! ..

Hawks in NATO want total war, but none of the three blocs of candidates running in the French National Assembly have said anything about it. French politicians have called for an end to all supplies to Ukraine and for France to leave NATO. (AP)

*Russian Pacific Fleet conducts artillery and missile drills: As part of the joint drills, warships of the Russian Pacific Fleet fired naval artillery and anti-aircraft missiles in the Sea of Okhotsk and the Sea of Japan.

Joint tactical exercises of the Pacific Fleet's military groups took place from June 18-28 in the Pacific Ocean, the Sea of Japan and the Sea of Okhotsk under the general command of the Pacific Fleet Commander - Admiral Viktor Liina.

Nearly 40 ships, boats and support vessels, about 20 aircraft and helicopters of the Pacific Fleet's naval aviation forces took part in the exercises. Marine units of the Pacific Fleet and combat crews of the Bal and Bastion coastal defense missile systems were also mobilized. (Sputnik)

*EU approves 14th package of sanctions against Russia: The European Council on June 24 confirmed the approval of the 14th package of sanctions against Russia.

The EU statement added that the new package expands individual restrictions, including 116 individuals and entities "responsible for actions that undermine or threaten the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine".

In addition, the EU also banned companies from using the System for Transfer of Financial Messages (SPFS), an alternative to the global payment system SWIFT.” (Sputniknews)

*Belarus declares readiness to use tactical nuclear weapons: Belarusian Defense Minister Viktor Khrenin said on June 23 that the joint military exercise between his country and Russia demonstrated that the Belarusian army is ready to use tactical nuclear weapons if necessary.

“The exercises, conducted together with our Russian colleagues, demonstrate the high combat readiness of our servicemen, their high level of training and their ability to perform these tasks,” Khrenin told Belarusian television channel CTV , stressing that the Belarusian military is “capable and ready” to use nuclear weapons if necessary. (Sputniknews)

Middle East-Africa

*Israel kills senior Hamas weapons expert: On June 24, the Israeli army announced that it had killed a senior Hamas weapons expert in the Gaza Strip.

The Israeli military said in a statement that it used aircraft to attack and kill Muhammad Salah, the head of projects at the Hamas Weapons Production Center. The Israeli military is continuing to carry out targeted operations based on intelligence in the Rafah area and central Gaza.

Israel launched a large-scale offensive in the Gaza Strip in retaliation for a Hamas attack on 7 October 2023, which left around 1,200 people dead and 250 hostages. According to Gaza health authorities, the Israeli offensive has caused a severe humanitarian crisis and killed around 37,600 people in the enclave. (Al Jazeera)

*Iran's parliament wants to blacklist the Canadian military: The official news agency IRNA reported that on June 23, the Iranian parliament passed a motion asking the government to consider the Canadian military a "terrorist" entity.

According to IRNA, the proposal was made at a public session of the parliament in the capital Tehran, in response to the Canadian government's move on June 19 to declare Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps a "terrorist organization." During the session, 250 Iranian parliamentarians signed a statement condemning the Canadian government's "hostile" move to blacklist the IRGC, IRNA said.

Iranian lawmakers voiced full support for the IRGC, describing the Canadian government's actions as "unwise and contrary to all international laws and regulations," and called on Iran's Foreign Ministry to use all available political and international means to condemn Canada's move. (Al Jazeera)

*Israeli Prime Minister declares that the tense battle with Hamas is "coming to an end": Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on June 23 that the tense phase of the country's military campaign against the Hamas movement in the Gaza Strip is "coming to an end".

In an interview with Channel 14 (Israel), Mr. Netanyahu affirmed: “The tense phase of the war against Hamas is coming to an end. It is coming to a stop. (But) it does not mean that the war is coming to an end, but that the tense phase of the war is coming to an end in Rafah.” (Al Jazeera)

*More than 100 people kidnapped in northern Nigeria: At least seven people were killed and 100 kidnapped on the evening of June 22 when gunmen attacked a rural community in the northwestern Nigerian state of Katsina, local residents and police said on June 23.

Residents said gunmen on motorbikes arrived at Maidabino village in Katsina’s Danmusa administrative area and opened fire, forcing residents to flee. Some locals said more than 100 women and children were kidnapped. The gunmen also damaged property and took away livestock.

Meanwhile, Katsina state police spokesman Abubakar Aliyu Sadiq confirmed the attack and seven deaths but did not say whether anyone was missing. Armed gangs frequently attack communities in the north-west, kidnapping residents and schoolchildren for ransom. (AFP)

America-Latin America

*US controls missiles attacking Crimea: On June 24, the Russian Foreign Ministry said that the missiles used in the June 23 attack on the Crimean peninsula were programmed and guided by US experts based on intelligence data from US satellites and a nearby Washington reconnaissance drone.

Earlier, the Russian Foreign Ministry summoned the US Ambassador to accuse both Kiev and Washington of being responsible for the bloody attack on the city of Sevastopol in Crimea that killed at least four people and injured 151 others. (Reuters)

*Venezuela warns Canada to “stop destabilizing” the Caribbean region : Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yván Gil on June 23 affirmed that Canada “has nothing to comment” regarding the Essequibo territorial dispute between Venezuela and neighboring Guyana.

Foreign Minister Gil urged the Canadian government to focus on its own problems “and stop being a destabilizing factor in the Caribbean region” to the benefit of ExxonMobil. This was Venezuela’s response after Canadian High Commissioner to Guyana Mark Berman expressed concern about tensions between Caracas and Georgetown. The Canadian official said the government was concerned about tensions between Guyana and Venezuela and expressed support for Georgetown. (AFP)

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