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20261012 150000 UTC
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[00:00:12] Hello, live from London. This is BBC News with me, Ben Brown. A
[00:00:16] A look at our latest headlines. And And Saudi Arabia has threatened what
[00:00:19] what it calls a serious response
[00:00:21] response to deadly Houthi attacks attacks on the international airport
[00:00:25] airport in Riyadh. Flights there
[00:00:27] there remain suspended. Ukraine's Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky
[00:00:31] Zelensky says Russia hit a power power plant in Ukraine immediately
[00:00:34] immediately after President Trump Trump had claimed both sides in the
[00:00:36] the war had agreed to an energy ceasefire.
[00:00:39] ceasefire. It was clear that Putin
[00:00:43] Putin does not read Truth Social
[00:00:48] Social and his cheeky drones follow
[00:00:49] follow a different set of instructions.
[00:00:52] instructions. In the United States, States, federal agents searched the
[00:00:56] the home of the Democratic lawmaker
[00:00:58] lawmaker Ilhan Omar, the United States States Justice Department claims
[00:01:01] claims it's part of a criminal investigation.
[00:01:07] investigation. A BBC investigation investigation reveals the world's world's biggest accountancy firm
[00:01:10] firm helped hide the wealth of the the former Chelsea football Club
[00:01:14] Club owner Roman Abramovich. Hello.
[00:01:26] Hello. Officials in Saudi Arabia Arabia say they are dealing with
[00:01:29] with a new drone and missile threat
[00:01:31] threat facing the country from Houthi Houthi rebels in Yemen. Flights are
[00:01:35] are still suspended at Saudi Arabia's Arabia's main international airport
[00:01:38] airport after a series of deadly deadly attacks by the Houthis over
[00:01:42] over the weekend. This is footage footage from an attack on Saturday.
[00:01:45] Saturday. We should warn you the the pictures are quite graphic here.
[00:01:48] here. 13 people were killed in this
[00:01:51] this particular strike when a missile missile hit King Khalid International
[00:01:54] International Airport in Riyadh. Riyadh. Hundreds of people were injured.
[00:01:57] injured. One person was killed in
[00:01:59] in a separate attack on another terminal terminal on Sunday. Now the Houthis,
[00:02:02] Houthis, who are backed by Iran, Iran, say they are targeting Saudi
[00:02:06] Saudi Arabia because of its support support for government forces in
[00:02:09] in Yemen's civil war. The Houthis, Houthis, named after their founder,
[00:02:12] founder, are an armed political and and religious group from northern
[00:02:16] northern Yemen. They championed the the country's Shia Muslim minority
[00:02:20] minority and they see themselves themselves as part of an Iranian
[00:02:23] Iranian led axis of resistance to
[00:02:25] to Israel. Well, the civil war in in Yemen has flared up again in the
[00:02:29] the last few weeks after the Houthis
[00:02:32] Houthis seized more territory in in Yemen. Thomas Copeland is from
[00:02:36] from BBC Verify, and the team has has been taking a look at the footage
[00:02:39] footage of the Houthi attack on Riyadh's
[00:02:41] Riyadh's airport. We have been tracking
[00:02:44] tracking for weeks now attacks on on oil facilities across Saudi Arabia.
[00:02:47] Arabia. We know and we have verified verified footage of Houthi attacks
[00:02:50] attacks on the exporting port at at Yanbu refineries in Jeddah. That
[00:02:54] That east west pipeline has come come under attack there. Clearly
[00:02:57] Clearly the intent to be to damage damage Saudi Arabia's economic ability
[00:03:01] ability to export oil. But experts experts have told us that Saudi Arabia
[00:03:04] Arabia has shown a strong ability ability to repair after those attacks
[00:03:07] attacks to keep oil flowing. And And what we've seen really in the
[00:03:10] the last about a week or so is an
[00:03:12] an increase in escalation in attacks attacks on civilian airports. The
[00:03:15] The one in Riyadh is clearly at the the heart of that. But we've also
[00:03:18] also seen escalating attacks on airports airports at ABA Nazare, King Abdullah.
[00:03:22] Abdullah. And remember, in all of of this, Saudi Arabia has quite strict
[00:03:25] strict rules about the kind of content content video content that can be
[00:03:28] be uploaded online. So the footage footage that is typically available
[00:03:31] available to us to verify, to understand understand what's happening, there's
[00:03:34] there's less of that than we would would normally find. So what we're we're seeing and what we can show
[00:03:37] show you is probably only really really a snapshot of what's actually actually happening on the ground.
[00:03:40] ground. And that airport, Riyadh Riyadh in particular is an especially
[00:03:44] especially important target because
[00:03:45] because it is a real hub, isn't it? Well, yes. I mean, it's important
[00:03:49] important both symbolically it is is the main international airport
[00:03:52] airport in Saudi Arabia strategically strategically as well. And we've
[00:03:55] we've sort of seen a ramping up of
[00:03:56] of the attacks on that particular particular airport last Wednesday,
[00:04:00] Wednesday, the Saudis say that they they intercepted a ballistic missile.
[00:04:03] missile. Then on Thursday, that really really dramatic footage that showed
[00:04:05] showed a strike on an aeroplane. aeroplane. We know that a pilot was
[00:04:08] was killed, at least three others others in the surrounding facilities
[00:04:12] facilities of the airport. Then on on Saturday, that major attack, at
[00:04:15] at least 13 killed more than 300 300 injured and then a Sun on Sunday.
[00:04:19] Sunday. You know, another person person killed as well. The impact
[00:04:22] impact is really clear delays, cancellations,
[00:04:25] cancellations, airlines pulling out out their planes from some of the
[00:04:28] the routes having a real impact on on civilian life in Saudi Arabia.
[00:04:31] Arabia. And it's also the case, you you know, the Houthis have been warning
[00:04:35] warning airlines and passengers not not to fly into Saudi Arabia in airports,
[00:04:38] airports, not to use the airspace. airspace. The UK Foreign Office, Office, for example, warning against
[00:04:42] against all travel in large parts parts of Saudi Arabia. And I mean,
[00:04:45] mean, we know that over the last last few years, the government in
[00:04:48] in Saudi Arabia have been spending
[00:04:50] spending billions and billions on
[00:04:53] on defence, on military hardware. hardware. What I suppose many Saudi
[00:04:56] Saudi people, civilians will be asking asking how on earth can all these
[00:04:59] these missiles get through? Well, Well, this is a really important important question for the Saudis. Saudis. They have a close military
[00:05:03] military alliance with the US. They They purchase a lot of military equipment
[00:05:06] equipment from the US. We know that that Donald Trump has said that the
[00:05:09] the US is weighing up getting involved
[00:05:12] involved directly or more directly directly involved in this conflict conflict by striking the Houthis
[00:05:15] Houthis directly. The UK government, government, for its part, is already
[00:05:18] already providing an air to air refuelling refuelling support to defend against
[00:05:22] against some of these incoming missiles. missiles. We understand the UK government government is considering increasing
[00:05:26] increasing its level of support, support, but fundamentally and we we have seen this time and time again
[00:05:30] again over this conflict in particular, particular, there is a deep asymmetry
[00:05:33] asymmetry here. It is cheap and it it is easy for the Houthis to fire
[00:05:36] fire ballistic missiles and drones drones over the border. And remember, remember, of course, that Saudi Arabia
[00:05:40] Arabia is a very large country, a a lot of territory to defend Saudi
[00:05:44] Saudi Arabia. And for any country country that's looking to defend defend against those attacks, it
[00:05:48] it is more expensive and it's just just harder to do so in all of this.
[00:05:51] this. And we understand from experts experts as well that Iran has been
[00:05:54] been providing the Houthis with an an increased technical and logistical
[00:05:57] logistical support. But there's a a fundamental asymmetry there that
[00:06:00] that is always going to be hard to to resolve. Let's talk more about
[00:06:04] about this with Brian Clark, who's who's senior fellow at the Hudson
[00:06:07] Hudson Institute in Washington. Good Good to see you, Brian. Thanks very very much for being with us. Can
[00:06:11] Can I ask you first of all, obviously obviously Saudi Arabia is on the
[00:06:14] the back foot here. It's come under under some pretty serious attacks
[00:06:17] attacks in the last few days. It
[00:06:19] It really wants help, doesn't it, it, from the United States and other
[00:06:23] other allies in the region. Yeah.
[00:06:25] Yeah. Ben. They're looking for assistance assistance from their friends and
[00:06:28] and allies both in and outside the the region. They've engaged Pakistan
[00:06:32] Pakistan and Turkey, with whom they
[00:06:35] they have a quasi alliance via the the Mecca Accords. And both countries
[00:06:38] countries are providing aircraft aircraft and some logistics support support to the Saudi Arabians. I
[00:06:42] I think Turkey is mostly logistic logistic support. Pakistan's mostly
[00:06:45] mostly aircraft, but they want the the US to come in on their side and
[00:06:48] and do the same thing that the US US did previously, which is attack
[00:06:50] attack the Houthis directly to, if if nothing else, suppress the operations,
[00:06:54] operations, even if they don't completely completely eliminate the Houthi threat.
[00:06:57] threat. Do you think the United States
[00:06:58] States is likely to come to Saudi
[00:07:01] Saudi Arabia's aid on this? The US,
[00:07:04] US, I think, is currently providing providing some targeting support
[00:07:06] support to help the Saudis find the the Houthis and be able to engage
[00:07:10] engage them and maybe some logistics logistics support in terms of keeping
[00:07:13] keeping the aircraft in the air. air. The US wants to avoid directly directly engaging the Houthis, though,
[00:07:17] though, because if they do that, that, that'll be going back on the the ceasefire that they currently
[00:07:21] currently have with the Houthis that that has kept the Houthis from attacking
[00:07:23] attacking shipping in the Red Sea Sea and the Bab al-Mandab. So the
[00:07:26] the US is loathe to give up on that that deal because now that would
[00:07:30] would create a second front in the the maritime fight in the region
[00:07:34] region with which they already have
[00:07:35] have going on with the
[00:07:39] Iranians. As I was asking Thomas Thomas from BBC Verify some people people will be a little bit perplexed
[00:07:43] perplexed that Saudi Arabia can't can't defend itself better when it
[00:07:46] it has spent so much money on defence defence in the last few years. Yeah.
[00:07:50] Yeah. Great question. So Thomas brought brought up a really good point, which
[00:07:53] which is they've been very strongly strongly aligned with the United United States. They've bought a lot
[00:07:56] lot of US weapons systems that are are designed to fight a different different war than the one they've
[00:08:00] they've been facing with the Houthis, Houthis, just like the US forces
[00:08:03] forces have done, have faced against against the Iranians. They have missile missile defence systems that are
[00:08:07] are designed for really sophisticated sophisticated air threats, not for for the cheap ballistic missiles
[00:08:10] missiles and drones that the Houthis Houthis have been using. And they
[00:08:13] they quickly run out of capacity. capacity. So they need to invest
[00:08:16] invest in a whole different portfolio portfolio of defensive systems to
[00:08:19] to be able to counter that Houthi Houthi threat at the scale and persistence,
[00:08:22] persistence, it's likely to continue, continue, which means they're probably
[00:08:26] probably gonna have to spend a lot lot more money on a different set
[00:08:28] set of kit, which they might need need to get from Europe because of
[00:08:32] of the support that Ukraine has received received from Europe for its defence.
[00:08:35] defence. We've seen this civil war war in Yemen reignite in the last
[00:08:39] last few weeks, and we've seen the the Houthis, backed by Iran, seize
[00:08:42] seize quite a lot more territory, territory, displacing tens of thousands
[00:08:46] thousands of people. To what extent extent is all of this linked to the
[00:08:49] the war in Iran? And to what extent extent do you think Iran is is really
[00:08:52] really pulling the strings here? here? I think Iran's pretty pretty
[00:08:56] pretty carefully pulling the strings. strings. They've been using the Houthis
[00:08:58] Houthis and Hamas and Hezbollah all
[00:09:00] all as levers in order to push back
[00:09:03] back on Israel and the United States, States, but also to Saudi Arabia
[00:09:06] Arabia and other countries that have have supported Israel and the US
[00:09:09] US and its war against Iran. So Iran's
[00:09:12] Iran's been very strategic in terms terms of how they've used the Houthis.
[00:09:15] Houthis. They deployed them carefully carefully in the fight they have
[00:09:19] have with us now. And I've only recently recently reactivated them to mount
[00:09:22] mount this campaign when they realised realised they needed a second front
[00:09:25] front to keep the US from being able
[00:09:27] able to concentrate on Iran with with this current blockade. So they
[00:09:30] they want to stretch out the US force force and force them to defend wider
[00:09:33] wider areas that might open up the the blockade more. Well, do you think
[00:09:36] think Saudi Arabia is going to do do in the short-term because it's
[00:09:40] it's threatened what it calls a serious serious response to these deadly
[00:09:44] deadly attacks on, on the airport airport in Riyadh? What's it likely
[00:09:47] likely to do, do you think? Well, Well, I think the options are limited,
[00:09:50] limited, right. The Saudis have been been doing a lot of air strikes against against the Houthis already. They've
[00:09:54] They've been hitting a lot of civilian civilian targets. And I think what what you'll see is more of the same.
[00:09:57] same. The Saudis will have to escalate escalate their existing attacks that
[00:10:00] that are going to mostly go after after the civilian infrastructure infrastructure that supports the
[00:10:03] the Houthis. So rather than engaging engaging Houthi fighters directly directly who are good at hiding,
[00:10:07] hiding, they'll end up supporting supporting or attacking the families,
[00:10:10] families, the logistics, the supply supply chains that are supporting
[00:10:13] supporting the Houthi fighters, which which will create a lot of collateral
[00:10:17] collateral damage and probably a a lot of blowback in the region. region. Brian, very good to talk
[00:10:20] talk to you. Thank you for being being with us on BBC News. That's That's Brian Clark, senior fellow
[00:10:24] fellow at the Hudson Institute in
[00:10:26] in Washington. Thank you. We'll take take a short break back in a moment
[00:10:30] moment around
[00:11:30] might. Putin go to test Nato and and is Europe ready? The security. Brief live with an audience
[00:11:33] audience here on BBC News. Now in
[00:11:43] in the United States, federal authorities authorities carried out an early
[00:11:46] early morning raid today on the Washington
[00:11:49] Washington home of the Democratic Democratic lawmaker Ilhan Omar as
[00:11:52] as part of an investigation, the the congresswoman, who represents
[00:11:56] represents a district in Minnesota, Minnesota, has not publicly made
[00:11:59] made any comment. But the investigation investigation comes just three weeks
[00:12:03] weeks before Ilhan Omar seeks re-election
[00:12:04] re-election in the crucial mid-term mid-term elections in the US, and
[00:12:08] and that has raised concerns that that it could be politically motivated.
[00:12:12] motivated. Ilhan Omar came to the the United States from Somalia as
[00:12:15] as a child, and there are reports reports the investigation concerns
[00:12:19] concerns immigration paperwork submitted submitted by her late father when
[00:12:23] when she was a child. Let's get the the very latest from our North America
[00:12:26] America correspondent Ione Wells, Wells, who was actually outside the the congresswoman's home in Washington
[00:12:30] Washington right now. I only just
[00:12:31] just bring us up to date on the latest
[00:12:34] latest on this investigation. Well,
[00:12:39] Well, I'm outside her Washington Washington home at the moment and and since early this morning, there
[00:12:43] there have been federal agents here. here. There's still, as far as I
[00:12:46] I can count, at least seven federal federal agents inside and outside
[00:12:50] outside her home from the Department Department of Homeland Security Investigations.
[00:12:54] Investigations. It's not clear if if anyone was actually at home when
[00:12:57] when they arrived early this morning. morning. The assumption is she may
[00:12:59] may well be still in Minnesota. It's It's also not clear what exactly
[00:13:03] exactly they may have seized from from this home. We have seen them
[00:13:07] them carry a couple of what appear appear to be cardboard boxes into
[00:13:09] into a grey van behind me, where where it looks like they could be
[00:13:12] be trying to gather evidence and and sources familiar with this investigation
[00:13:16] investigation have said that there there was a criminal warrant that
[00:13:19] that was executed this morning, and and that this relates to her immigration
[00:13:23] immigration paperwork. But apart apart from that, details are incredibly
[00:13:26] incredibly thin about this investigation. investigation. So far, we know that
[00:13:29] that Ilhan Omar came to the US first first as a refugee from Somalia with
[00:13:33] with her family in the 1990s. She
[00:13:35] She was then naturalised as a US
[00:13:38] US citizen in the year 2000. But But she has repeatedly been the subject
[00:13:41] subject of attacks by Donald Trump, Trump, who has not only criticised
[00:13:45] criticised her individually but also also targeted the Somali-American Somali-American community in Minnesota,
[00:13:49] Minnesota, describing them as a threat threat to the community something
[00:13:52] something which she and others have have accused of racism when he has
[00:13:56] has made those claims in the past. past. And as you say, this all comes
[00:13:59] comes just about three weeks before before those mid-term elections when
[00:14:02] when the Republicans will be defending defending thin majorities in both
[00:14:06] both the House of Representatives Representatives and also in the Senate
[00:14:08] Senate as well. And so I only given
[00:14:11] given those claims that this may
[00:14:14] may have been a politically inspired inspired investigation. What has
[00:14:17] has been the reaction to what's happened
[00:14:20] happened there? Well, I think given
[00:14:23] given how thin the details are at
[00:14:25] at the moment, a lot of what has has been circulating this morning
[00:14:29] morning is speculation. As I say, say, we haven't had much at all by
[00:14:32] by way of the authorities about what what exactly the details of this
[00:14:35] this investigation are, what evidence evidence they have or not to have
[00:14:39] have initiated this warrant this this morning. But I think there are
[00:14:42] are certainly particularly on the the Democratic side, some concerned
[00:14:44] concerned that so close to an election election like this, they do fear
[00:14:48] fear that this could be part of sort sort of drumming up a story ahead
[00:14:51] ahead of those crucial mid-term elections elections where she, along with other
[00:14:55] other representatives, will be trying trying to defend their seats. But
[00:14:59] But as I say at the moment, we are are really lacking in, in much information
[00:15:02] information at all from the Department Department of Justice or the Department
[00:15:05] Department of Homeland Security about about what the grounds of this investigation investigation are. There have been
[00:15:09] been reports, for example, in Fox
[00:15:12] Fox News, that this relates to paperwork paperwork that was filled out by
[00:15:15] by her late father regarding her her immigration paperwork. When she
[00:15:18] she first arrived to the US but that that is all, as I say, very unclear
[00:15:22] unclear at the moment. And it's not not clear what these agents here
[00:15:26] here are trying to from get her home home in Washington. Yeah. OK. Well,
[00:15:29] Well, I only let's see if it becomes becomes a little bit clearer on later
[00:15:32] later on in the day. Ione Wells thank
[00:15:34] thank you very much indeed for the
[00:15:37] the moment, Ukraine says that Russia Russia has attacked its power plants
[00:15:40] plants despite the claim from President President Trump that both sides in
[00:15:43] in the war had agreed to an energy
[00:15:45] energy ceasefire. Ukraine says attacks attacks on energy infrastructure
[00:15:49] infrastructure in the capital Kyiv Kyiv and in the city of Kharkiv caused
[00:15:52] caused power blackouts in several
[00:15:54] several areas, raising fresh doubts doubts about that supposed agreement.
[00:15:57] agreement. President Zelensky said said he was surprised by President
[00:16:01] President Trump's claim that a ceasefire ceasefire had been agreed. While
[00:16:04] While Moscow hasn't made any comment, comment, Russia's foreign Minister
[00:16:07] Minister Sergei Lavrov said Ukraine
[00:16:09] Ukraine does not deserve a respite.
[00:16:11] respite. Here's our correspondent
[00:16:14] correspondent Joe Inwood. Vladimir
[00:16:19] Vladimir Putin may not have formally formally responded to Donald Trump's
[00:16:22] Trump's claim of an energy ceasefire,
[00:16:24] ceasefire, but in the city of Kharkiv, Kharkiv, people feel they've received
[00:16:28] received his answer an overnight overnight strike near a shop killing
[00:16:32] killing at least three people and
[00:16:34] and injuring nine more. But according according to one woman who saw the
[00:16:38] the attack, the actual target was
[00:16:39] was the city's thermal power plant.
[00:16:43] plant. We'd already seen the statement statement that they wouldn't target target energy facilities, and we
[00:16:47] we really believed it. Ten minutes minutes had passed and there had
[00:16:49] had already been five strikes. My My child and I saw a missile hit
[00:16:53] hit thermal power plant number five
[00:16:55] five and watched it burn there. It's
[00:16:58] It's horrific. This weekend has seen
[00:17:00] seen a head spinning, chaotic series series of events, all stemming from
[00:17:04] from rising fuel costs in the US.
[00:17:07] US. On Friday, Donald Trump announced announced he'd done a deal to buy
[00:17:10] buy Russian diesel completely reversing
[00:17:13] reversing previous policy and seen seen as a betrayal by Ukraine and
[00:17:16] and many others. On Saturday, Volodymyr Volodymyr Zelensky said that Russian
[00:17:20] Russian glide bomb attacks were a
[00:17:22] a thank you for what he called a
[00:17:24] a weak deal. Later that day, Donald Donald Trump blamed Ukrainian attacks
[00:17:28] attacks on Russian refineries for
[00:17:30] for rising diesel prices and called
[00:17:32] called on President Zelensky to quit quit before last night announcing
[00:17:36] announcing on his Truth Social platform platform that both Russia and Ukraine
[00:17:40] Ukraine had agreed to stop attacking
[00:17:41] attacking each other's energy infrastructure, infrastructure, seemingly without
[00:17:44] without either side's knowledge.
[00:17:46] knowledge. The Ukrainians have repeatedly repeatedly called for an energy ceasefire
[00:17:50] ceasefire but say the Russians have
[00:17:51] have refused to sign up. It was clear
[00:17:55] clear that Putin does not read Truth
[00:17:59] Truth Social. Speaking at the Warsaw Warsaw Security Forum, President
[00:18:03] President Zelensky said if Russia Russia continued to attack his power
[00:18:06] power plants, he would target their
[00:18:09] their refineries. Those refineries
[00:18:11] refineries that Putin is so shamelessly
[00:18:14] shamelessly trying to sell to the
[00:18:16] the wall. The solution claiming they
[00:18:20] they can somehow make up for the
[00:18:23] the losses in global oil supplies
[00:18:25] supplies caused by the crisis in
[00:18:29] in the Strait of Hormuz. He mentions mentions the Strait of Hormuz and
[00:18:31] and in some ways this weekend's events events come back to the war with
[00:18:35] with Iran. The real reason that diesel
[00:18:37] diesel prices are so high. Donald
[00:18:39] Donald Trump is facing a vital set
[00:18:41] set of mid-term elections. He knows knows many voters hold him responsible
[00:18:45] responsible for rising oil prices. prices. He's hoping to deflect some
[00:18:49] some of that anger onto Ukraine.
[00:18:53] Ukraine. Back in Kharkiv and the the clear up is under way. This country
[00:18:57] country has faced many dark nights nights with an energy cease fire
[00:19:01] fire looking highly unlikely. There
[00:19:02] There may be many more to come. Joe
[00:19:06] Joe Inwood, BBC News. Well, I've
[00:19:08] I've been talking to Ukraine's former
[00:19:11] former deputy Defence Minister Volodymyr Volodymyr Havrylov, who told me there's
[00:19:14] there's no energy cease fire at the the moment on the part of Russia.
[00:19:18] Russia. As our president already
[00:19:21] already mentioned, we don't see any any specific changes in the Russian
[00:19:24] Russian policy to target Ukrainian
[00:19:27] Ukrainian infrastructure, including
[00:19:29] including our energy infrastructure. infrastructure. That's why we are
[00:19:33] are looking for the next couple of
[00:19:35] of days to understand what is going
[00:19:38] going on with the implementation implementation of the President Trump
[00:19:41] Trump announcement. But we are very very realistic that Russia is not
[00:19:45] not interested in any cease fire fire during this conflict, because
[00:19:49] because that kind of cease fire could could demonstrate the weaknesses
[00:19:52] weaknesses of President Putin for for his to his population. And that's
[00:19:56] that's not the case. They would like like to have. Would Ukraine be willing
[00:19:59] willing to be part of an energy cease
[00:20:03] cease fire? Yes, Ukraine already already we confirmed that we are
[00:20:07] are ready for cease fire. But of
[00:20:09] of course we understand under this
[00:20:12] this that Russia will stop targeting targeting our energy infrastructure.
[00:20:16] infrastructure. And of course, we we are ready to stop our targeting
[00:20:20] targeting their refineries. And that's that's our clear position. Can I
[00:20:23] I ask you about the broader picture
[00:20:25] picture of the war? Which has been
[00:20:28] been going on for so long now? Now,
[00:20:30] Now, your troops on the battlefield
[00:20:32] battlefield have been making some some progress recently, certainly
[00:20:36] certainly holding the Russians and and taking far fewer casualties than
[00:20:39] than the Russian side. But the Russians Russians have been inflicting some
[00:20:42] some very serious civilian casualties casualties in Ukraine. How do you
[00:20:46] you see the state of the war at the
[00:20:48] the moment, as the country's former
[00:20:50] former deputy Defence Minister? The
[00:20:54] The escalation of Russian air strikes strikes on Ukrainian infrastructure
[00:20:57] infrastructure and civilian infrastructure infrastructure demonstrates the desperate
[00:21:01] desperate situation Russia has on on the ground, on the frontline because,
[00:21:05] because, yes, this year is a very
[00:21:06] very crucial year for Ukrainian military military because we succeeded to
[00:21:10] to deploy a lot of new solutions
[00:21:13] solutions related to unmanned system system systems in different missile
[00:21:16] missile strike and deep strike capabilities,
[00:21:18] capabilities, which gave us an opportunity opportunity to target Russian logistics
[00:21:21] logistics on the depth up to 200km
[00:21:26] 200km deep in the further the line
[00:21:28] line of contact. That's why they
[00:21:31] they stopped advancing on, on the the front line. We only can see some
[00:21:35] some tactical some small advances
[00:21:37] advances but not like the previous
[00:21:40] previous year. So that was the former
[00:21:44] former deputy Defence Minister of of Ukraine, Vladimir Havrylov. And
[00:21:47] And I can talk now to Yulia Bidenko,
[00:21:49] Bidenko, associate professor of political political science at the National
[00:21:53] National University in Kharkiv. Thank Thank you for being with us. And
[00:21:55] And Kharkiv is where we saw one of
[00:21:58] of those attacks on energy infrastructure infrastructure in Ukraine. So I guess
[00:22:02] guess as far as you're concerned, concerned, there's no energy cease
[00:22:05] cease fire at the moment between between Ukraine and Russia, as Donald
[00:22:08] Donald Trump had claimed. Exactly.
[00:22:10] Exactly. I can confirm it. And moreover
[00:22:14] moreover yesterday, attacks on the
[00:22:16] the energy system, namely on the
[00:22:19] the one of the largest combined heating
[00:22:20] heating and power plant in Kharkiv
[00:22:23] Kharkiv in the region. It's not only
[00:22:26] only destroyed some facilities, it's it's also killed three people in
[00:22:29] in the near in, in the nearby suburban.
[00:22:33] suburban. So it's really no cease
[00:22:35] cease fire. Moreover, this morning
[00:22:38] morning they attacked the city again
[00:22:42] again and the high rise building building with inhabitants. So more
[00:22:45] more than 30 people have been injured injured today. This morning. What
[00:22:49] What is life like for civilians in
[00:22:51] in Kharkiv where you are at the moment?
[00:22:55] moment? Well, I would say we are
[00:22:56] are facing already with some kind
[00:22:59] kind of problems in energy distribution,
[00:23:03] distribution, but we are kind of
[00:23:06] of keeping going on. And most of
[00:23:11] of people try to do their routine,
[00:23:14] routine, do their jobs perfectly.
[00:23:16] perfectly. So yeah, Kharkiv is pretty,
[00:23:19] pretty, I would say unbreakable in
[00:23:20] in a way. And we are not awaiting
[00:23:25] awaiting any Russian occupation or
[00:23:27] or even, you know, despite the continuous
[00:23:30] continuous attacks, people are still still very optimistic regarding Ukrainian
[00:23:34] Ukrainian army. And regarding the
[00:23:36] the ability or capability of Ukraine Ukraine to protect this territory.
[00:23:40] territory. Well, you say optimistic, optimistic, but this war has been
[00:23:43] been dragging on for years. There
[00:23:45] There is effectively really still still stalemate, isn't there, on
[00:23:49] on the battlefield. But Russian attacks
[00:23:51] attacks on civilians seem to be intensifying.
[00:23:54] intensifying. Yeah. That's true. true. Russia is definitely escalate
[00:23:57] escalate and I can confirm it myself.
[00:24:01] myself. Well, when using the word
[00:24:03] word optimistic, I tried not to be
[00:24:05] be hopeless. And actually Kharkiv
[00:24:08] Kharkiv was targeted 13 times during
[00:24:11] during just last week alone. And
[00:24:14] And seven people seven civilian people
[00:24:15] people have been killed and more
[00:24:19] more than 47 injured. But nonetheless,
[00:24:21] nonetheless, we are living in these
[00:24:24] these conditions since 2022. So people
[00:24:28] people are kind of adjusting themselves themselves even psychologically to
[00:24:32] to the war conditions and just keeping
[00:24:35] keeping work and keeping working working and living. Just briefly,
[00:24:38] briefly, President Trump said he he thinks there should be a new leader
[00:24:41] leader in Ukraine. What do you say
[00:24:43] say to that? Well, as a political
[00:24:46] political scientist, I don't believe
[00:24:47] believe that elections should be
[00:24:52] be possible to have even when the
[00:24:54] the ceasefire could be the way we
[00:24:56] we need at least 60 or better to
[00:25:00] to say 90 days to organise everything
[00:25:04] everything perfectly due to the law. law. And as I know, most of Ukrainian
[00:25:07] Ukrainian political parties, they they have an agreement that it's
[00:25:10] it's better to have kind of a pause
[00:25:13] pause before the elections just to
[00:25:15] to have them democratically and very very competitive. Yulia, thank you
[00:25:19] you so much. Yulia Burdenko there
[00:25:20] there speaking to us from Kharkiv.
[00:25:24] Kharkiv. Now here in the UK, just just some breaking news in the last
[00:25:27] last few minutes. We are hearing hearing that the Iranian ambassador
[00:25:30] ambassador to the UK has been summoned summoned to the Foreign Office to
[00:25:34] to make clear that, quote, Britain Britain will not tolerate threats
[00:25:38] threats on our soil. That is according according to the Foreign Secretary,
[00:25:41] Secretary, Ed Miliband, and that that follows the Prime Minister,
[00:25:44] Minister, Andy Burnham, saying that
[00:25:46] that a suspected plot targeting the
[00:25:49] the Fairford air base in western
[00:25:51] western England was almost certainly
[00:25:54] certainly directed by the Revolutionary Revolutionary Guards of Iran. Mr Mr Burnham said his government would
[00:25:58] would introduce more sanctions against against the Revolutionary Guards
[00:26:01] Guards and Iran to respect to restrict
[00:26:04] restrict their capacity to harm the the United
[00:27:37] in places hovering around 40 degrees.
[00:29:41] when reporting on the case and how how social media has shaped the story.
[00:29:44] story. It's all on The Media Show
[00:29:48] Show on BBC News. MUSIC
[00:29:57] MUSIC
[00:30:04] Now on BBC News. The latest
[00:30:07] business news from across the globe.
[00:30:09] globe. Business Today. MUSIC
[00:30:20] MUSIC Oil Oil under pressure. Energy chiefs chiefs pull out of a major gathering
[00:30:23] gathering in Riyadh after Iran backed
[00:30:25] backed Houthis attack the main airport.
[00:30:28] airport. Also tough choices being being made for finance ministers
[00:30:31] ministers as they meet in Bangkok. Bangkok. As the head of the IMF warns
[00:30:35] warns countries to rein in the spending
[00:30:37] spending as debts and borrowings
[00:30:39] borrowings surge. And not just a
[00:30:41] a pretty face. Research on the financial
[00:30:44] financial boost coming from the UK's UK's beauty sector. But could it
[00:30:48] it also give a much needed facelift
[00:30:49] facelift to Britain's high streets?
[00:30:54] streets? Hello there and welcome welcome to Business Today.