NON-GOVERNMENT organization EcoWaste Coalition has called for stronger efforts against cosmetics with mercury ingredients after it found another such skincare product being sold in the local market.
“The unceasing trade of cosmetics with hidden mercury ingredients points to the need to strengthen compliance and enforcement strategies, including strict customs controls,” EcoWaste Coalition National Coordinator Aileen A. Lucero said in a statement on Tuesday.
“Aside from sustained regulatory actions, an active campaign promoting acceptance of our brown skin is very much needed to encourage Filipinos not to use chemical whiteners to alter our natural skin tone and to resist colorism,” she added.
The group issued the statement after it found Feique Herbal Extract Whitening Anti-Freckle Set made in Guangzhou City, China, being sold offline and online. The group first discovered the cosmetic product in 2014.
“This dangerous product can also be obtained from local and China-based online sellers,” she added.
The day and night creams of the product contained mercury measured at 2,955 and 4,060 parts per million (ppm), respectively.
Under the ASEAN Cosmetic Directive, the use of mercury in cosmetic products such as skin lightening cosmetics is prohibited. The directive also sets a trace amount limit of one ppm for mercury as a contaminant in cosmetics.
“An examination of the Feique product label shows that it will expire on Dec. 12, 2026, indicating that it was manufactured after the 2020 phase-out deadline for such mercury-added cosmetics under the Minamata Convention on Mercury,” Ms. Lucero said. — Revin Mikhael D. Ochave
IN LINE with the vision of its chairman Manny V. Pangilinan, the Philippine Badminton Association has revived its grassroots development program across the country starting in August in Pampanga.
The program will be staged in 10 provinces all over the nation through local tournaments for different age groups.
Aligned with international standards and drawing inspiration from successful badminton nations such as Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, and others, PBAD will also introduce a juniors ranking system, according to PBAD Secretary-General Epok Quimpo.
This is on top of the Philippine National Ranking System, which is currently being set up and can already be seen on the PBAD website.
This series of programs has been geared towards producing future Olympians in the molds of Asuncion siblings Kenny and Kennevic, who are Olympians themselves, and while helping to revitalize the sport.
“Recognizing the significance of identifying and developing talent from an early age, PBAD aims to cultivate future champions who will proudly represent the Philippines on the international stage with this program,” said MVP Sports Foundation Executive Director Jude Turcuato.
The PBAD will also be sending delegates to the Badminton Asia Juniors Championship set in Yogyakarta, Indonesia from July 7 to 16.
As part of the program, PBAD is proud to incorporate Badminton Asia’s Shuttle Time Program. This globally recognized initiative promotes inclusivity and introduces badminton to children through fun and engaging activities, ensuring the sport reaches a wider audience and inspires future generations. — Joey Villar
THE PHILIPPINE Athletics Track and Field Association (PATAFA) has high hopes two more Filipinos would follow the footsteps of world pole vault No.3 EJ Obiena and qualify in next year’s Paris Olympics.
“We’re hoping at least three qualified entries already, not just via universality slot,” said PATAFA Secretary-General and Executive Director Edward Kho.
Mr. Kho was referring to hurdler Eric Cray, who is seeking to make it to the Olympics one final time, and long jumper Janry Ubas, a Southeast Asian Games gold winner who has secured an invite to see action in Europe for a chance to earn his Paris Games berth.
“Eric Cray is really gunning his second Olympics and pouring everything that he has left in him para mag-qualify in most likely his last Olympics,” Mr. Kho yesterday told The STAR.
For Mr. Cray, who owns a total of eight SEA Games golds, to make the Olympic cut, he needs to breach the 48.70-second standard in the 400m hurdles during the one-year qualifying window that started last Saturday.
“He’s 49.53 now and he’s inching closer to the Olympic standard,” said Mr. Kho of Mr. Cray’s time.
Mr. Ubas, for his part, would have two pathways to the quadrennial event — one is clear the standard at 8.27m or gain ranking points and climb the ladder by competing in sanctioned meets.
And that is why Mr. Ubas has lined up several competitions in Europe, potentially in Italy, Germany or Finland late this month as well as the Asian Championships in Bangkok, Thailand.
“Janry (Ubas) is making big strides. And he is now being noticed that’s why he got the invitation to compete in Europe. We’re just hoping he gets his visa from the Italian embassy in time,” said Mr. Kho. — Joey Villar
NEWLY-MINTED president of the Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines (ABAP) Congressman Robbie Puno (1st District, Antipolo) and ABAP Chairman Ricky Vargas pose with SEAG boxing medal winners, led by gold medalists Carlo Paalam and Nesthy Petecio, and their coaches during a welcome luncheon for Puno at Teachers Camp in Baguio City last Saturday. Also in attendance are MVP Sports Foundation officials Jude Turcuato, Maita David and Art Aro, and ABAP Secretary-General Marcus Manalo (right) and executive assistant to the president Karina Picson. (ABAP photo)
WIN the Olympic gold.
Deputy Speaker Robbie Puno has this as his ultimate objective when he was formally introduced to the national team as the new Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines (ABAP) president after succeeding the late Ed Picson.
“Our goal is to make it to the Olympics via the Asian qualifying events, and win the gold in Paris,” said Mr. Puno.
Mr. Puno, who is concurrent vice chair of the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas and an instrumental figure in the passage of House bills that naturalized Marcus Douthit, Andray Blatche, Angelo Kouame and Justin Brownlee, was introduced by Ricky Vargas, a former ABAP chief himself.
Tokyo Games silver medalists Nesthy Petecio and Carlo Paalam were also in attendance along with national coach Pat Gaspi, ABAP secretary-general Marcus Manalo and executive assistant to the president Karina Picson.
Mr. Puno’s wife, Chiqui Roa-Puno, a former legislator and television host, and son, Nick, were also present.
Mr. Puno said he is a big fan of Muhammad Ali and Manny Pacquiao.
“I’ve loved watching Ali since and, of course, I’ve also been a fan of our very own Manny Pacquiao,” he said.
Mr. Puno then joined by Mr. Vargas, MVP Sports Foundation officials Jude Turcuato, Maita David and Art Aro in handing over incentives to boxing medalists in the recent Southeast Asian Games in Phnom Penh. The Philippines took home four gold medals, five silvers and one bronze.
Mr. Vargas, also the chairman of the Philippine Basketball Association and vice president of SBP, provided some explanation for Mr. Puno’s appointment.
Mr. Vargas spoke of the Olympic Games next year as being on its “fourth cycle” since 2009 when ABAP calculated it would take that much time before it strikes gold. — Joey Villar
LYDIA de Vega-Mercado, one of the greatest, if not the greatest, athletes the Philippines has produced, will soon have her monument at the exact same place where Filipinos witnessed her golden triumphs — the Rizal Memorial track oval
“We want to put a sculpture, a statue para sa kaniya (for her),” said Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) Board Member Olivia “Bong” Coo in yesterday’s Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum at the PSC building referring to the late former Asian sprint queen.
Ms. Coo, a legendary athlete herself being a former world champion bowler, said they hope to finish everything by October where the agency pays her a formal tribute to Ms. De Vega-Mercado.
She said it was just fitting that the statue will be built at the same area where Ms. De Vega-Mercado staged some of her many epic victories including three Southeast Asian Games gold medals—two in 1981 and another one a decade later. — Joey Villar
KAI Sotto plunged to his first official NBA training camp with the Orlando Magic ahead of the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, Nevada this weekend.
The 7-foot-3 Filipino pride banged bodies with his teammates in the Magic’s 22-man roster, thrusting the first step to another shot at making the NBA after going undrafted last year.
The Magic posted photos of Mr. Sotto wearing the team’s official training gear — one in shooting motion and another unloading a right skyhook against lottery pick Anthony Black — in Day 1 of their camp for the Summer League.
Mr. Black, from Arkansas, is Orlando’s No. 6 pick in the just-concluded draft headlined by tower sensation Victor Wenbanyama of the San Antonio Spurs.
Jett Howard, drafted No. 11, is the other top rookie of the Orlando Magic seeing action in the Summer League with Dylan Murphy, the coach of NBA G League affiliate team Osceola Magic, calling the shots.
The Summer League fires off on Saturday (Manila time) but Orlando will not debut until Sunday against the Detroit Pistons featuring No. 4 pick Ausar Thompson from Overtime Elite.
Orlando will also slug it out against the Indiana Pacers, New York Knicks and the Portland Trailblazers in the next days.
Indiana will have No. 9 pick (from Washington Wizards) Jarace Walker while Portland will be headlined by the third overall rookie pick Scoot Henderson. — John Bryan Ulanday
LONDON — Defending men’s champion Novak Djokovic and women’s top seed Iga Swiatek started their Wimbledon campaigns in ominous fashion on Monday as rain temporarily halted play on the outside courts but expected climate protests failed to materialise.
Mr. Djokovic, 36, has only lost twice at Wimbledon in a decade and began the Centre Court program with a 6-3 6-3 7-6(4) win over Argentine Pedro Cachin after a 70-minute delay despite the roof being closed as ground staff labored to dry the turf.
The Serbian jokingly wiped the grass with a towel during a frustrating break in play before ground staff deployed leaf blowers to get the job done and allow Mr. Djokovic to get his quest for an eighth Wimbledon title off to flying start.
French Open champion Ms. Swiatek put down a marker on her least favorite surface as she powered past China’s Zhu Lin 6-1 6-3, the contest finishing under the Court One roof due to rain.
World number one Ms. Swiatek, who last month claimed her third Roland Garros crown in four years and is eyeing a fifth Grand Slam title, meets Spain’s Sara Sorribes Tormo next.
There were mixed fortunes for two highly-rated Americans on day one. Fourth seed Jessica Pegula advanced with a blustery 6-2 6-7(8) 6-3 win over fellow American Lauren Davis.
But 19-year-old seventh seed Coco Gauff’s hopes were shattered as she lost 6-4 4-6 6-2 to compatriot Sofia Kenin, the former Australian Open champion who came through qualifying.
FAMILIAR FACE Earlier, the All England Club gates swung open for the start of the grasscourt major with some notable absentees but one very familiar face in Mr. Djokovic fixing his eyes on more records.
Wimbledon’s favorite son Roger Federer, now retired, the injured Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams, also retired, are hard acts to follow and fans will lament their absence.
Australian maverick Nick Kyrgios, who pushed Mr. Djokovic hard in last year’s men’s final and whose spiky presence inevitably spices the fortnight, is also missing having pulled out with a wrist injury on the eve of the slam.
But Wimbledon remains rich in plots, not least Mr. Djokovic’s quest to match Margaret Court’s record 24 Grand Slams, equal Mr. Federer’s eight Wimbledon crowns and move alongside the Swiss and Bjorn Borg’s record of five successive titles.
The Serbian began in serene fashion, although he was as mystified as everyone else by the lengthy stoppage after light rain got onto the surface before the roof slid shut.
Five-time champion Venus Williams made her record 24th appearance in the women’s singles, aged 43. But any hope of rolling back the years was ended by Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina who won 6-4 6-3 in a high-profile battle of the wildcards.
EXCITED CROWDS Wimbledon began with heightened security and longer-than-usual wait times in the famous queue outside the grounds because of the threat of climate change protests.
There was no repeat of events at Lord’s last week when activists tried to throw orange powder on the pitch at the Ashes cricket test but fickle British weather caused more of a problem with several first-round matches not completed.
But there was still plenty for the capacity crowd to enjoy.
Italian eighth seed Jannik Sinner impressed as he trounced Argentina’s Juan Manuel Cerundolo 6-2 6-2 6-2 while fourth seed Casper Ruud of Norway had a little more trouble, dropping a set on his way past French qualifier Laurent Lokoli. — Reuters
As expected, Venus Williams exited to vigorous applause at Centre Court yesterday. She hadn’t won a title at Wimbledon since 2008, hadn’t played a match in the second week of the sport’s premier event in six years, hadn’t actually emerged triumphant against first-round opponent Elina Svitolina — and yet the close to 15,000 on hand still saw fit to give her a standing ovation. Her mere presence, even as a wild card entry, was all the fans needed to shower her with love and affection. For a long time now, she has not had anything left to prove. And for a long time now, she has kept putting in the work — and, yes, dedication — required to compete.
Indeed, Williams is an old 43, with brittle bones and an autoimmune syndrome that drains energy from her body. Nonetheless, the fire that enabled her to claim seven major championships, including five at the All England Club, remains. Yesterday was no exception. Never mind that she suffered yet another injury at the start of the year. Forget that Svitolina, at 76th, was a semifinalist just four years ago and currently 482 spots above her in world rankings. As far as she was concerned, the set-to was there for the taking.
For a while there, it appeared as if Williams had the fight to at least take Svitolina to the limit. She prevailed in the first two games of the contest and looked forward to pressing the momentum. Unfortunately, she tumbled to the court a mere 12 minutes after her campaign started. And though she carried on valiantly after staying down on the grass for a while, she no longer had the mobility to keep close. She would take only five more games the rest of the way. The numbers told the story: eight double faults, a scant 53% of first serves in, 15 and 16 less receiving and total points won.
Williams notably took home the cheers in the aftermath. That said, she barely acknowledged them as she walked off the playing area and to the locker room. Perhaps she regretted that she let a grand opportunity go to waste. As she said in her post-mortem, “I’ve played through a lot of injuries and won a lot of matches injured. It’s almost a specialty of mine. I just couldn’t figure it out today.” In any case, her impact is no less clear. She may have been one and done in her record 24th appearance in Wimbledon, but her legend continues to grow.
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is a consultant on strategic planning, operations and human resources management, corporate communications, and business development.
Left to right: Tuguegarao Councilor Charo Soriano, Senator Grace Poe’s Chief-of-Staff Brian Poe Llamanzares, Tourism Promotions Board COO Marga Nograles, Pasay City Mayor Imelda Calixto Rubiano, LAZADA CEO Carlos Barrera, DICT Usec Anna Mae Lamentillo, DILG Usec Margarita Gutierrez, and Pinuno Party-list Congressman Howard Guintu
Last Sunday, a fun run with 11,000 participants was held in Pasay City. At the Lazada Fun Run, Pasay City Mayor Imelda Calixto Rubiano presented the prestigious “Inspiring Young Filipino” Recognition during the highly anticipated 2023 Lazada Run awarding ceremony, along with Lazada Philippines CEO Carlos Barrera.
Awardees included Tuguegarao Councilor Charo Soriano, Senator Grace Poe’s Chief-of-Staff Brian Poe Llamanzares, Tourism Promotions Board COO Marga Nograles, DICT Undersecretary Anna Mae Lamentillo, DILG Undersecretary Margarita Gutierrez, and Pinuno Party-list Congressman Howard Guintu.
This accolade was bestowed upon the group of individuals who have demonstrated exceptional dedication and service to the Filipino community. Aimed to recognize the invaluable contribution of these next generation of public servants, this will hopefully inspire the youth of today to take part in the important task of nation-building.
The Inspiring Young Filipino Recognition serves as a testament to the commitment and vision of these remarkable individuals who have devoted themselves to making a positive impact in their respective fields. The honorees have displayed exemplary leadership, innovation and compassion, and have become beacons of inspiration for the Filipino youth.
Lazada Run City Host Mayor Imelda Calixto Rubiano led the recognition of the Young Inspiring Filipinos for 2023, and said, “I am honoredto recognize a few young individuals who have made significant contributions to nation-building. They serve as inspiration to the youth present today to continue to make positive contributions to our country,” Ms. Rubiano enthused.
In photo: Lazada CEO Carlos Barrera taking a selfie with DICT Usec Anna Mae Lamentillo
Lazada Philippines CEO Carlos Barrera affirmed this by saying, “The Lazada Run is a celebration of your fitness journey with us, and of being part of a bigger community who share the same passions. We are so inspired to see Filipinos like you, who have grown the fitness communities in spaces where there weren’t much options or representation before, and how you’re reshaping how Filipina strength is being seen here in the country today.By encouraging health and well-being among Lazadians, we’re able to always give our best as we work hard to make the Filipino’s daily life easier — and it all starts here at our home.”
DICT Undersecretary Anna Mae Lamentillo says age shouldn’t stop you from pursuing public service, “I am thankful for this recognition by Lazada Philippines. I’ve always believed that age or gender should never be a deterrent when you want to achieve something, especially if it’s for the good of society. In receiving this award, I express my continuing commitment in engaging the youth to be active participants in nation-building.”
Senator Grace Poe’s Chief-of-Staff, Brian Poe Llamanzares, says that young leaders have a critical role in government. “There is an increasing number of young leaders entering government. This is our chance to make the changes we want to see for our generation and beyond. We should always remember we are here to serve the people. I’m thankful for this award, I know I have to do much more to live up to this recognition.”
Aside from serving full time in the Senate, Mr. Poe-Llamanzares has been advocating for sustainability through his A Sustainable Future book tour, while assisting those in need through his family foundation FPJ Panday Bayanihan.
In photo: (left to right) Congressman Howard Guintu, Lazada CEO Carlos Barrera, DILG Usec Margarita Gutierrez, Senator Grace Poe’s Chief-of-Staff Brian Poe Llamanzares, Tuguegarao Councilor Charo Soriano
DILG Undersecretary Margarita Gutierrez, who has been handling the new and improved holistic anti-drug campaign of Secretary Benhur Abalos, says, “We, at DILG, have always emphasized that the war against illegal drugs needs a whole-of-nation approach where everyone’s efforts is recognized and appreciated. We value the support of both public and private sectors in the Department’s Buhay Ingatan, Droga’y Ayawan (BIDA) Campaign. We are one in celebrating the Lazada Run as the company continues to improve the lives of Filipinos through their products and services.”
About the award:
Lazada gave a list of young individuals to management; the list was composed of public servants, and those involved in nongovernment organizations that benefit our youth. Lazada wanted to honor a group of individuals during the run in the hopes that the youth will take inspiration from them who have dedicated time in nation-building despite their young age. The recognition aims to nurture a community of next-gen leaders who will contribute positively to nation-building.
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The addition of Vulnerability and Patch Management powered by OPSWAT, enables businesses to tighten their defenses
ESET, a global leader in cybersecurity, today announces the upcoming availability of a significant enhancement to its unified cybersecurity platform, ESET PROTECT. The enhancement is designed to address both current and future digital security challenges for businesses worldwide. ESET has partnered with OPSWAT, a global leader in IT, OT, and ICS critical infrastructure cybersecurity solutions to bring integrated vulnerability and patch management into the ESET PROTECT Platform. ESET Vulnerability and Patch Management has been added to existing ESET PROTECT Complete along with a brand-new tier – ESET PROTECT Elite – to better safeguard organizations struggling to keep up with a constantly evolving threat landscape and ensure their systems are correctly patched.*
With centralized management from the ESET PROTECT Cloud console, organizations can easily assess security threats and manage patches across the entire network, ensuring timely detection and remediation of the latest zero-day vulnerabilities. Automated scanning and a wide range of filtering options enable organizations to quickly identify and focus on the security issues that mean the most to them. Further, with automatic and manual patching options, businesses can ensure that their endpoints are updated with the latest security patches in a timely manner.
“Threat actors are taking advantage of unpatched vulnerabilities as many businesses continue struggle with managing patches and updates across their entire network, leaving their endpoints vulnerable to attacks. It can also be difficult for them to identify and prioritize vulnerabilities based on severity,” comments Pamela Ong, Sales Director – APAC, ESET. “Many organizations want solutions that will keep them safe, but not all know what to look out for. At ESET, we strive to provide easy-to-use, enterprise- grade security solutions to businesses of all sizes. The addition of ESET Vulnerability and Patch Management will give our customers flexibility and control so that their endpoints can be optimally patched promptly through customizable patching policies. This helps them minimise the risk of attack and disruption, keep cost down and at the same time meet various regulatory, ISO, and cybersecurity insurance requirements.”
ESET Vulnerability and Patch Management scans thousands of popular applications, such as Adobe Acrobat, Mozilla Firefox, and Zoom Client, for over 35,000 common vulnerabilities and exposures (CVEs). Vulnerabilities can be filtered and prioritized based on exposure score, severity, and score over time. ESET Vulnerability and Patch Management provides a constantly evolving inventory of patches with patch name, version of the app, CVE, patch severity/importance, and affected applications. Businesses can launch immediate updates and begin patching via customizable options or manually when a patch has
been identified. They can simplify the patching process further by prioritizing critical assets and scheduling the remainder to off-peak times to avoid disruption. Organizations can take advantage of the Vulnerability and Patch Management multitenancy functionality to enjoy full visibility over the entire network, yet be focused on a dedicated area.
ESET’s unified cybersecurity platform, ESET PROTECT, is a single-pane-of-glass cloud console that provides centralized visibility, management, and insight. The ESET PROTECT Platform integrates balanced breach prevention, detection, and response capabilities with the company’s industry-leading managed and professional services and threat intelligence. It is simple, modular, adaptable, and continuously innovated. With the launch of ESET PROTECT Elite, there are now four subscription tiers to the ESET PROTECT Platform for businesses of all sizes:
● ESET PROTECT Entry – an entry-level solution with competitive pricing that includes endpoint protection, server security, and the ESET PROTECT Cloud console.
● ESET PROTECT Advanced – providing first-class endpoint protection with advanced threat defense technology and full disk encryption.
● ESET PROTECT Complete – includes the new ESET Vulnerability and Patch Management capability, cloud application protection, and mail security to minimize cyber risks.
● New ESET PROTECT Elite – provides increased visibility and decreased cyber risks, ESET Vulnerability and Patch Management, ESET’s native extended detection and response (XDR) capability, plus robust multifactor authentication.
“As cyberattacks keep evolving and the industry becomes increasingly complex, our offerings have transitioned to reflect changing business needs and a transitioning threat landscape. With the launch of ESET Vulnerability and Patch Management, we provide a pathway to swift remediation, helping keep disruption, and costs, down to a minimum for businesses,” added Pamela Ong.
To learn more about the ESET PROTECT Platform, visit www.eset.com.
*For ESET end users this functionality will be technically enabled in late July 2023.
Spotlight is BusinessWorld’s sponsored section that allows advertisers to amplify their brand and connect with BusinessWorld’s audience by enabling them to publish their stories directly on the BusinessWorld website. For more information, send an email to online@bworldonline.com.
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LONDON — British banks faced fresh criticism on Monday for the savings rates they offer to cash-strapped customers, in the latest intervention by parliament’s influential Treasury Select Committee.
The committee said it had written to the country’s “Big Four” banks — Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds and NatWest — asking if they believed their savings rates provided “fair value” and if customer inertia, or reluctance to change accounts, was being exploited.
“With interest rates on the rise and our constituents feeling squeezed by rising prices, it is only right that the UnitedKingdom’s (UK) biggest banks step up their measly easy-access savings rates,” Harriett Baldwin, chair of the committee, said in a statement. “The time for action is now.”
British banks have come under pressure from lawmakers and consumer campaigners for not passing on the extent of higher Bank of England rates to savings customers.
The Treasury committee had on June 8 criticized easy-access savings rates of between 0.7% and 1.35% at a time when the central bank had raised the base rate to 4.5%. The base rate was raised to 5.0% on June 22, the highest since 2008.
Finance minister Jeremy Hunt also said last week banks were too slow to pass on increases in central bank rates to savers and that the problem needed to be resolved.
Ms. Baldwin added she believed banks were failing in their “social duty” to encourage customers to save.
HSBC said it had increased its savings rates more than a dozen times since the start of 2022, while Barclays said it regularly reviewed saving product rates.
NatWest declined to comment, while Lloyds did not respond to a request for comment.
Top executives from the banks were grilled by the Treasury committee on savings rates during a session in February.
A spokesperson for bank lobby group UK Finance said rates on savings products were determined by a number of factors, including whether someone wanted to have instant access or not.
“Savings rates have increased and we always encourage people to shop around for the product and interest rate that is suited to their needs,” the spokesperson added.
The Treasury committee said it had also written to regulator the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) asking if banks had responded to the pressure applied on them and what enforcement action could be taken under a “consumer duty” coming into force later this month.
The FCA said it would report by the end of the month on how well the cash savings market was supporting savers and had already asked major lenders to explain the extent of their pass-through of interest rates. — Reuters
Army soldier figurines are displayed in front of the Ukrainian and Russian flag colors background in this illustration taken, Feb. 13, 2022. — REUTERS/DADO RUVIC/ILLUSTRATION
MOSCOW — Russia said on Tuesday that Ukraine had attacked Moscow with at least five drones that were all either shot down or jammed, though one of the capital’s main airports had to reroute flights for several hours.
Four Ukrainian drones were shot down by Moscow air defenses while a fifth was jammed and crashed into the Odintsovo district of the Moscow region, the Russian defense ministry said. No one was injured.
Russian news agencies reported that two drones were intercepted near a village 30 km (19 miles) southwest of the Kremlin. One drone was detected in the neighboring Kaluga region.
Landings and takeoffs at Moscow’s Vnukovo were restricted for several hours early on Tuesday before normal operations resumed after 0500 GMT. A number of flights from Russia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt were diverted.
One drone was shot down in the area of the town of Kubinka, some 63 km (40 miles) west of Moscow, RIA reported. A Russian air base is near Kubinka.
Russia’s foreign and defense ministries denounced the attack as terrorism.
“The Kyiv regime’s attempt to attack an area where civilian infrastructure is located, including the airport, which incidentally also receives foreign flights, is yet another act of terrorism,” said foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova.
“The international community should realize that the United States, Britain, France — permanent members of the UN Security Council — are financing a terrorist regime,” she said.
There was no immediate comment from Kyiv. Ukraine almost never publicly claims responsibility for attacks inside Russia or on Russian-controlled territory in Ukraine.
High-profile drone attacks deep inside Russia, the world’s largest country, have increased over recent months with attacks on the Kremlin in May and on Russian oil infrastructure last month.
After May’s drone attack on the capital, President Vladimir Putin said Ukraine was trying to scare and provoke Russia, adding that the capital’s air defenses would be strengthened.
“At this moment, the attacks have been repelled by air defense forces,” Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said on his Telegram messaging channel. “All detected drones have been eliminated.” — Reuters
