German federal prosecutors said today (Friday) that they had charged 7 people suspected of belonging to the Palestinian Hamas movement in Berlin with joining a foreign terrorist organization and preparing an attack, including seeking to obtain weapons.
German security forces have repeatedly warned that various armed groups have called for violence against Jews in Germany since the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.
German domestic intelligence said that the plot, which was foiled, showed that Hamas or individuals affiliated with it were trying to “establish secret logistical networks in Germany to purchase weapons and plan attacks,” according to what was reported by the Reuters news agency.
The Public Prosecution stated that the men, on orders from senior Hamas leaders, obtained a fully automatic rifle, 13 pistols, and more than 700 rounds of ammunition to carry out a planned attack in Germany or Austria in October 2025, on the second anniversary of the Hamas attack on Israel that started the war in the Gaza Strip.
The prosecution added that the planned attack was targeting representatives of Israel, Jews, or supporters of Israel. All suspects remain in custody.
Canada has offered to strengthen Ukrainian air defenses and contribute to replenishing Ukraine's stock of drones, while the two countries pledged to deepen their alliance during a current visit by President Volodymyr Zelensky. Prime Minister Mark Carney hosted Zelensky in the city of Calgary, located in the western province of Alberta, where the Canadian leader grew up in a community that includes many people of Ukrainian descent. “Canada will always be with you,” Carney told Zelensky.
Carney and Zelensky signed a declaration under which the two countries committed to concluding a partnership in the security and economic fields that would extend for a hundred years. The agreement, which will be negotiated in the coming months, aims to establish a formal framework for cooperation in a range of areas, including defence, strategic minerals and energy. “Our countries have been interconnected since 1893,” Carney said, referring to the wave of Ukrainians who immigrated to the then-nascent Canadian nation. The number of Canadians of Ukrainian origin in Alberta is estimated at about 350,000 people.
Carney continued: “The Ukrainians have contributed to the reconstruction of Canada, and the Canadians will help in the reconstruction of Ukraine.”
The announced support includes a contribution of 350 million Canadian dollars (260 million US dollars) provided through the American multinational “Jump Start” program to support Ukraine, which provides services, training and equipment quickly.
Ukraine stresses its urgent need to improve air defense capabilities in the face of increasing Russian strikes using ballistic missiles. Carney said, as reported by the French press, that Canada had also offered to provide 450 million Canadian dollars in the form of loan guarantees to boost Ukrainian energy supplies. These funds will help repair damaged infrastructure, increase storage capacities, and improve electricity supplies to hospitals.
Carney said that the goal of supporting the energy sector is to “help Ukrainians get through the winter,” while the country suffers from periodic power outages amid often severe cold.
Carney said that Canada is actively seeking to increase its stock of drones, announcing a deal under which 30 percent of new Canadian production will be directed to Ukraine.
Carney added: “As Russia escalates its brutal air war that indiscriminately targets civilians, Ukrainian air defense systems are gaining critical importance.” He added: “Earlier today, Canada and Ukraine finalized an agreement to supply vital air defense interceptor missiles... The equipment package, worth 350 million Canadian dollars, will contribute to protecting the people of Ukraine, its infrastructure and its airspace.”
Carney did not mention the types of interceptor missiles that would be supplied or when their flow would begin. “Thank you for this package,” Zelensky said. “It is extremely important, especially right now.”
Canada, one of Ukraine's most prominent supporters, has pledged to provide total aid exceeding 25.5 billion Canadian dollars since the start of the Russian invasion in February 2022, including military aid worth 8.5 billion Canadian dollars. Carney also stated that Canada aims to increase the production of drones to be able to manufacture millions of units over the next two years, noting that a third of this quantity will be allocated to Ukraine. Zelensky stressed Ukraine's need for more technology and funding to produce sufficient numbers of drones to confront large-scale Russian attacks.
Zelensky told reporters, “These drones will go immediately to Ukraine, directly to the battlefield, directly to our people, to our soldiers... to save our children and our families.”
When asked about the possibility of holding negotiations to reduce the intensity of the fighting, Zelensky said that he did not expect any serious talks during the current election period in Russia.
But he said he looked forward to meeting US President Donald Trump in New York in late September, likely on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, as Washington seeks to revive long-stalled talks to end the war. Zelensky said: “But at the end of September, I think we will have the opportunity to meet with the American side in New York.” He added: “I believe that... I can be more open after the New York meeting with President Trump.”
After meeting with Carney in Calgary, Zelensky headed to Banff, the famous national park, where he will speak at a cabinet retreat for Carney's Liberal government. Zelensky will then head to Toronto, the largest city in Canada, and to North Bay in northern Ontario.
On the ground, Russia announced, on Friday, that it shot down 777 Ukrainian drones overnight over about 15 Russian regions and the Crimean Peninsula, in attacks that resulted in the deaths of two people, according to the authorities. The Russian Ministry of Defense stated, in a statement, that “air defense systems intercepted and destroyed 777 Ukrainian drones last night.”
In the Tula region, located about 200 kilometers south of Moscow, the governor of the region, Dmitry Milyaev, wrote on the Telegram application that two people were killed and three others were injured as a result of drone attacks.
For his part, the governor of the Volgograd region (south), Andrei Bocharov, said in a statement that two people were transferred to the hospital following a Ukrainian missile attack that targeted a residential building.
Two people were killed and four others were injured in a Russian drone strike that targeted a gas station in the Ukrainian capital, Kiev, according to what the city's mayor announced on Friday.
However, it is not possible to independently verify these reports.
Concern is growing in the Ukrainian capital about new Russian attacks targeting gas stations, a tactic that Russian forces have long used in areas closest to the front lines.
Kiev Mayor Vitali Klitschko said on social media: “Two people were killed as a result of the morning attack on a gas station in Kiev.” Emergency services broadcast scenes showing the gas station courtyard completely burned, with plumes of smoke rising from it following the attack. The Ukrainian oil company "Ukrnafta" announced that two of its gas stations were subjected to two simultaneous strikes on Friday morning.
“These are another deliberate strike on civilian facilities that provide people with fuel and basic goods,” CEO Bohdan Kokura wrote on social media. He added, as reported by the French press: “There is no military target in such attacks. This is terrorism directed against the civilian population.” For weeks, Kiev has been subjected to Russian attacks with a new type of faster drones equipped with jet engines, which were also used to target logistics centers and warehouses.
The speed of these aircraft is about 600 kilometers per hour, which makes their interception by Ukrainian air defense systems more difficult. “The main goal of these strikes is to paralyze economic activity and make transporting anything anywhere an extremely difficult task,” Igor Kozy, a military expert at the Institute for Euro-Atlantic Cooperation in Kiev, told local television.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was quoted this week as saying that it is possible that Ukraine's war will slow down this winter. After meetings with Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, President Trump's peace envoys, Zelensky revealed that the United States is trying to mediate a de-escalation of the war, at least during the winter months.
In an analysis published by the American “National Interest” website, Stavros Atlamazoglou, a journalist specializing in military affairs, quoted Zelensky as saying in an interview with the “Axios” website that the weeks before winter provide a window for diplomacy to achieve a reduction in escalation, or even an end to the conflict through negotiation.
Any de-escalation would be a temporary measure to allow negotiators time to achieve a broader peace agreement that would end the largest and bloodiest conflict on the European continent since the end of World War II. But this requires the participation of two parties.
Russia represents the most important party due to Moscow's previous refusal to enter into good faith negotiations with Ukraine and the United States. Russian President Vladimir Putin is demanding major territorial concessions and the disarmament of Ukraine, among other demands, which has prevented any meaningful discussions.
Atlamazoglou quoted Zelensky as saying in additional statements to the press: “The issue related to lands remains pivotal, and I believe that these complex issues can only be resolved at the level of leaders.” But the main thing today is that we have the opportunity to discuss everything; “Security guarantees, Ukraine’s future, and the prosperity plan.”
On the other hand, Ukraine relies heavily on continued military and economic support from the United States, NATO, and the European Union. There is a high demand for air defense weapon systems and interceptor aircraft.
Zelensky said: “We are counting on support for air defense and the energy sector. Adding huge quantities of American liquefied natural gas and the ability to use it.”
Putin is counting on the winter months to make the Ukrainian people pay the highest price, according to President Zelensky.
However, at the same time, Zelensky indicated that Putin did not want to antagonize President Trump before the important midterm elections this year. But here lies the trap: The Russian leader is likely to buy time, engaging in talks without any real intentions of ending the conflict peacefully.
Low temperatures, ice and snow walls mean that operations using mechanical equipment during the winter months are not as easy as the summer months. What is certain is that the battlefield is at its worst during the rains in the fall and the melting of the snow in the spring. But winter brings its own challenges to fighters, and does not facilitate expanded offensive operations.
Russia took advantage of the winter months to launch attacks on urban centers and vital infrastructure in Ukraine. However, the Ukrainian people have withstood intense Russian blitzes each winter.
Over the past four years, military operations along the Line of Contact have slowed down during that time of year, and the warring parties have relied primarily on long-range weapons fire and swooping (one-directional) drones to carry out their combat operations.
On the other hand, the discovery of war-related objects in the Black Sea, where the frequency of drone attacks between the two sides is increasing, has more than doubled in 6 months, according to what Ambrey, a company specializing in maritime risk assessment, said Thursday.
In its report, Ambrey indicated that a third of these objects found contained active explosive charges. These objects include unexploded ordnance, drones, and other unmanned vehicles that have washed up on shore, or were floating in the open sea.
The report stated that 56 objects of this type were discovered in the Black Sea between March and August, compared to 27 objects in the previous six months.
This increase was concentrated in waters belonging to Romania, Bulgaria and Turkey. An additional 8 detections were reported during the first seven days of September.
Thomas Alexa, chief analyst for Europe at Ambre, told Agence France-Presse on Thursday: “More and more of these systems are being shot down, or being disrupted by electronic warfare, and thus falling into the water.”
He warned that “crews cannot distinguish with the naked eye between a fake (misleading) airframe and a real one, and they should not attempt to do so.” Alexa reviewed a case in which a foreign object was stuck in fishermen's nets.
He also referred to footage he saw of a marine facility using one of its watercraft to push a marine drone away from it. Alexa explained that facilities for extracting energy resources at sea face a particular danger, noting “grave concern” about this situation. He said: “Unlike ships, these facilities are fixed, which makes them vulnerable to the influence of water currents and any objects washed near them.”
The report revealed that unmanned vehicles, not sea mines, have become the main danger in the Black Sea basin, and the recorded numbers of detection cases are likely lower than the actual numbers. In its analysis, Ambrey relies on information it collects from commercial ships, in addition to other sources and information derived from open sources.
