European leaders are proposing building a drone wall on their eastern frontier to deter the growing number of Russian incursions, it emerged on Friday.
With reports of drones closing down European airports and a significant surge of Russian aircraft probes into Europe, the Ukraine war appears to be spiralling beyond its borders.
But Russia’s encroachment meant that Europe had “never been so united”, said Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk. “Russia has ill intentions towards the whole world, and those who border with it are the first to feel it,” he said on Friday.
Kremlin probes
The Kremlin appears to be no longer concentrating purely on the Ukraine front, with an active policy to test Europe’s defences either with intrusion by drones or fighter planes. Officials said Russian involvement could not be ruled out in drone disruption against airports in Denmark on Thursday.
Countries along the EU's eastern border agreed on Friday for an urgent need to create a “wall” of anti-drone defences to protect against Russian incursions, said the bloc's defence commissioner, Andrius Kubilius.
Defence ministers from EU states had agreed during video talks that the “immediate priority” should be a “drone wall, with advanced detection, tracking, and interception capabilities”, he said.
This could be comprised of regiments of mounted anti-aircraft cannons, such as the German-made Gepard, stationed on the border along with belts of air defence missiles behind them, complemented with advanced radar detection.
Escalation miscalculation?
Moves from the east began on September 9 when an armada of between 19 and 23 unarmed Russian drones was deliberately flown into Poland. At least four were shot down. Warsaw triggered Nato’s Article 4 that calls for consultations with allies before major operations when a territory has been threatened.
Ten days later, three advanced MiG-31s flew into Estonian airspace apparently to test Nato’s quick reaction alert. The aircraft were escorted away by Italian air force F-35 fighters, with Sweden and Finland also scrambling jets.
Then on Thursday, Denmark had to close several airports after multiple drones, possibly deployed from ships, flew over them in what Danish authorities have called a “hybrid attack”, possibly linked to Russia.
The Kremlin’s policy was to threaten European allies that if necessary Russia was willing to take action against Nato’s eastern front, said Natia Seskuria, European security expert at the Royal United Services Institute think tank.
“There’s also clear sign of escalation that is part of Russian strategy to intimidate Nato allies so President [Vladmir] Putin can put pressure on the West to give Russia what it wants in Ukraine,” she added. “That’s why the timing is quite important.”
Oil blitz
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s own drone strikes deep into Russia have created a shortage of diesel in Russia – vital for its armoured vehicles and transport in its Ukraine offensives – and Moscow has imposed an export ban that has already led to a rise in prices.
Kyiv’s assault on Russia’s oil infrastructure began in mid-August and, with drone production rising, they have been able to sustain it, causing a significant impact.
On Thursday, Ukraine attacked Salavat, one of Russia's biggest petrochemical sites, for the second time in a week, setting fire to a major crude distillation unit that provides 60 per cent of the plant’s production. The Salavat plant also accounts for almost 3 per cent of Russia’s total oil refining production.
The attacks are part of a pattern that has seen Kyiv strike at least 10 Russian oil refineries since August, which according to Reuters, has dealt “the biggest blow to the Russian economy since the start of the war”.
As a result, Russian’s refining capacity has shrunk by a fifth, with exports falling and production cuts under consideration.
A partial ban on diesel exports until the end of the year was announced by Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak on Thursday. These come alongside restrictions on gasoline exports.
The announcement has led to a sharp increase in international diesel prices as Russia accounts for 12 per cent of global seaborne exports with 888,000 barrels per day.
“Ukraine is conducting a calculated strategy to harm Russian critical infrastructure as we know that Russia is very much reliant on its energy resources,” Ms Seskuria told The National.
“This will have an impact on oil prices, which is of course damaging for Russia, especially within the context of fighting the war in Ukraine.”
VAT pain
The Institute for the Study of War think tank reported on Friday that Kremlin officials were “attempting to downplay” fuel shortages to domestic audiences.
“Several milbloggers from Russia’s ultranationalist community – one of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s most important constituencies − complained about the gas shortages and rising taxes on Russian citizens,” it said.
But Russian citizens have been hit with a VAT rise from 20 to 22 per cent, to make up for the shortfall in oil revenue, and the resultant rising inflation could “fuel additional social discontent in the near future”, ISW added.
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
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The Greatest Royal Rumble card as it stands
The Greatest Royal Rumble card as it stands
50-man Royal Rumble - names entered so far include Braun Strowman, Daniel Bryan, Kurt Angle, Big Show, Kane, Chris Jericho, The New Day and Elias
Universal Championship Brock Lesnar (champion) v Roman Reigns in a steel cage match
WWE World Heavyweight ChampionshipAJ Styles (champion) v Shinsuke Nakamura
Intercontinental Championship Seth Rollins (champion) v The Miz v Finn Balor v Samoa Joe
United States Championship Jeff Hardy (champion) v Jinder Mahal
SmackDown Tag Team Championship The Bludgeon Brothers (champions) v The Usos
Raw Tag Team Championship (currently vacant) Cesaro and Sheamus v Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt
Casket match The Undertaker v Chris Jericho
Singles match John Cena v Triple H
Cruiserweight Championship Cedric Alexander v tba
Results
57kg quarter-finals
Zakaria Eljamari (UAE) beat Hamed Al Matari (YEM) by points 3-0.
60kg quarter-finals
Ibrahim Bilal (UAE) beat Hyan Aljmyah (SYR) RSC round 2.
63.5kg quarter-finals
Nouredine Samir (UAE) beat Shamlan A Othman (KUW) by points 3-0.
67kg quarter-finals
Mohammed Mardi (UAE) beat Ahmad Ondash (LBN) by points 2-1.
71kg quarter-finals
Ahmad Bahman (UAE) defeated Lalthasanga Lelhchhun (IND) by points 3-0.
Amine El Moatassime (UAE) beat Seyed Kaveh Safakhaneh (IRI) by points 3-0.
81kg quarter-finals
Ilyass Habibali (UAE) beat Ahmad Hilal (PLE) by points 3-0
A State of Passion
Directors: Carol Mansour and Muna Khalidi
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Rating: 4/5
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Ain Issa camp:
- Established in 2016
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- Of the adult population, 49 per cent men, 51 per cent women (not including foreigners annexe)
- Most from Deir Ezzor and Raqqa
- 950 foreigners linked to ISIS and their families
- NGO Blumont runs camp management for the UN
- One of the nine official (UN recognised) camps in the region
Singham Again
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Rating: 3/5
Scores
Day 2
New Zealand 153 & 56-1
Pakistan 227
New Zealand trail by 18 runs with nine wickets remaining
Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha
Starring: Ajay Devgn, Tabu, Shantanu Maheshwari, Jimmy Shergill, Saiee Manjrekar
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'The worst thing you can eat'
Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.
Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines:
Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.
Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.
Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.
Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.
Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
North Pole stats
Distance covered: 160km
Temperature: -40°C
Weight of equipment: 45kg
Altitude (metres above sea level): 0
Terrain: Ice rock
South Pole stats
Distance covered: 130km
Temperature: -50°C
Weight of equipment: 50kg
Altitude (metres above sea level): 3,300
Terrain: Flat ice
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
