Europe

MOSCOW, July 16./TASS/: Russian air defenses have intercepted three HIMARS rockets, two S-200 missiles and downed 13 Ukrainian drones in the past 24 hours, Defense Ministry Spokesman Igor Konashenkov told a briefing on Sunday.

"Air defense systems intercepted three HIMARS MRLS rockets and two S-200 surface-to-air missiles reequipped into attack weapons to hit ground targets in the past 24 hours," he said.

BRUSSELS, July 16 (NNN-PRENSA LATINA) — The European Union (EU) and the Office of the Historian of the City of Havana (OHCH) are promoting a project to implement a smart city model in Havana, Nelys García, director of the Office of the Historian of the City of Havana, said.    

Invited to participate in the civil society forum “EU-Latin America and the Caribbean, partners for change,” which ended on Friday, the director of International Cooperation at the Office told Prensa Latina that the event is a space to address bi-regional collaboration.

PRISTINA, July 16 (Reuters) - Kosovo has bought a batch of Turkish-made Bayraktar drones, its leader said on Sunday, at a time when it faces unrest in the north where ethnic Serbs refuse to recognise Pristina authorities.

In a Facebook post showing him in front of a drone with his defence minister, Prime Minister Albin Kurti said latest security spending was making the country safer.

KYIV, July 16 (Reuters) - Fighting in eastern Ukraine has "somewhat intensified" as Ukrainian and Russian forces clash in at least three areas on the eastern front, a senior Ukrainian defence official said on Sunday.

Separately, the Ukrainian military indicated it had taken control of part of a southeastern village in Donetsk region, near a string of small settlements Ukraine recaptured in June.

"The enemy made an unsuccessful attempt to regain lost positions in the northern part of Staromayorske," the general staff of Ukraine's armed forces said in a regular update.

LONDON (AP) — British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said Sunday he plans to resign at the next Cabinet reshuffle after four years in the job.

Wallace has served as defense secretary under three prime ministers and played a key role in the U.K.'s response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

He told The Sunday Times his departure was due to the strain his job had put on his family. He also said he would stand down as a lawmaker at the next general election.

MADRID (AP) — More favorable weather conditions have helped firefighters slow down the advance of a wildfire on La Palma in Spain’s Canary Islands that has forced the evacuation of more than 4,000 residents, authorities said Sunday.

The blaze, which started Saturday, has affected an area of about 4,600 hectares (11,300 acres) and burned some 20 houses and buildings.

Authorities urged people not to go near the area on the northwest side of the island.

(AP) --- The first phase of Ukraine’s counteroffensive to recapture Russian-occupied territory began weeks ago without fanfare. Apart from claiming that its troops are edging forward, Kyiv has not offered much detail on how it’s going.

Taking place mostly out of sight of impartial observers, the fighting in eastern and southern Ukraine pits troops equipped with new Western-supplied weapons against Kremlin forces that spent months digging formidable defenses and honing tactics.

Here’s a look at what’s happening after more than 16 months of war:

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin said in an interview published Sunday that Moscow has a “sufficient stockpile” of cluster munitions, and warned that Russia “reserves the right to take reciprocal action” if Ukraine uses the controversial weapons.

MOSCOW, July 15. /TASS/: Moscow resolutely condemns Kiev’s plans to use terrorist methods against Russian nuclear power plants that may cause a large-scale nuclear disaster in Europe, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Saturday.

The Russian diplomat issued this statement in the wake of a Ukrainian drone attack on the town of Kurchatov where the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) is located.

MOSCOW, July 15. /TASS/: The African leaders on a Ukraine peace mission will have an opportunity to talk with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the upcoming Russia-Africa summit in St. Petersburg in late July, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told TASS on Saturday.