Category World News

At least nine people have been killed and 124 others have been injured in a sudden Russian drone and missile attack on Ukraine’s capital Kyiv, including a six-year-old boy, according to Ukrainian authorities.

According to city military commander Tymur Tkachenko, the Russian barrage damaged 27 buildings in Kyiv’s four districts on Thursday. People who had been buried beneath the rubble were being found by rescue teams.

Russia’s most recent deadly attack on Ukraine came after President Trump gave Moscow a 10- or 12-day ultimatum on Monday to end its fourth-year Ukrainian invasion or face sanctions.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the president of Ukraine, claimed on Thursday that Russia carried out the attack using more than 300 drones and eight missiles after posting a video of the ruins burning on social media.

Russia’s response to our desire for peace, shared with America and Europe, was once again seen in the world, Zelenskyy wrote. Without strength, peace is impossible, because of this. However, our partners have all the resources to force Moscow to negotiate and to force them to do so.

Andrii Sybiha, the foreign minister, described the day as “horrible morning in Kyiv.”

According to Sybiha, “the brutal Russian strikes damaged schools and hospitals and destroyed entire residential structures.”

According to Charles Stratford, a reporter for Al Jazeera from Kyiv, “this is unquestionably one of the largest attacks we’ve seen in recent weeks,” according to the report.

He claimed that “a large residential area with box flats all around” was struck, adding that “the majority of the windows in those flats have been blown out.”

The power of this attack was so great that people were flung out of their apartment buildings, said interior minister Ihor Klymenko.

One of the damaged buildings’ residents, Yana Zhabborova, heard the explosions, which blew off the windows and doors of her home.

Zhabborova, a 35-year-old mother of a 5-year-old and a 5-month-old, said, “It is just stress and shock that there is nothing left.”

The attack targeted and hit Ukrainian airfields, ammunition depots, and businesses connected to what the government of Kyiv called the military-industrial complex, according to the Russian Defense Ministry.

Later, the Ukrainian air force claimed that 288 of the 309 drones used in the attack and three of the eight missiles were intercepted and jammed by its air defenses.

According to Governor Oleg Melnichenko and a SBU official, Ukrainian drones later struck an electronics factory in Penza, western Russia. The factory, which produces combat control systems for the Russian military, reportedly caught fire, according to the official. Melnichenko confirmed that the structure had caught fire.

According to Russian Railways, the state rail operator, drone wreckage also caused some trains to stop in the Volgograd region.

The Ministry of Defense of Russia reported on Thursday that it had overnight shot down 32 Ukrainian drones.

Russia claimed to have taken control of Chasiv Yar, a strategically important military base for Ukrainian forces in the east.

According to a statement from Russia’s Defense Ministry, the Donetsk region town “was liberated by Russian forces.” Regarding the alleged retreat, Ukraine has not made any comments.

The town’s capture, which had been the site of months of fighting, would be Russia’s most recent locality to fall under its incremental but steady territorial expansion, if confirmed.

The fall of the hilltop town now allows Russian forces to advance on the country’s last remaining civilian strongholds in Donetsk, including the garrison cities of Kramatorsk and Sloviansk, which are significant logistical centers for the Ukrainian military and are home to a large number of civilians who have, up until now, not fled the fighting.

The Kremlin has made the Donetsk region’s occupation a top military priority, and it has claimed that Russia’s industrial region is a part of it as far back as 2022.

Since the start of its invasion, Kyiv has been attempting to stop Russia’s summer offensive, which has advanced into regions on the eastern front line largely spared.

Following a Russian attack on a military training camp on Thursday that left at least three Ukrainian soldiers dead.

Following the strikes on Thursday, Sybiha demanded that Moscow put the most pressure on Moscow to end the conflict it started in February 2022.

According to Sybiha, “President Trump has been very generous and patient with Putin, trying to find a solution.”

However, according to Sybiha, Russian President Vladimir Putin “does not care about any attempts to put an end to the killing.” He only aims to kill and destroy. Because this war criminal’s entire existence is based on this pointless conflict, which he cannot win but refuses to end.

The UK calls on Israel to start negotiations on a two-state solution and take decisive action to put an end to the horror in Gaza.

Lebanon’s Beirut: By the time Zainab Dhaher and her family fled their southern Lebanese village in September, Israeli shelling was rampant. After driving 13 hours to Beirut, they discovered themselves once more within Israeli fire’s reach. Repetition of the displacement cycle.

“We ran out quickly,” he said. The 34-year-old mother of two recalls having to pack clothes for her children while speaking on the phone. No one helped us as we moved from place to place. No food, blankets, or anything else.

The concern persists even a few months after a November ceasefire was agreed to by the United States. Despite the truce, Israeli strikes on Lebanese territory continue, causing a number of people to worry about resuming the conflict, while Israel continues to rule important regions of the country’s south.

Despite Israel’s continued presence in some of their villages and the ongoing destruction of others, roughly 90,000 Lebanese people are unable to return home. Hezbollah targets are still being targeted by Israeli rockets, and the organization is pressing Israel to stop.

The psychological wounds from the devastating war have, however, proven more severe and persistent than any physical harm, according to Zainab, a 34-year-old mother of two.

“I’m terrified of the sound of drones. I cry when I hear the song “Ya Rayeh Sawb Bladi” by Ahmad Kaabour, “Oh, you who is going to my land,” because it reminds me of what we’ve lost. Zainab claims she can’t sleep despite the ceasefire. “I’m always worried that my kids will experience harm.” I doubt that the pain will ever go away.

And Zainab found herself turning to ChatGPT and artificial intelligence (AI) in Lebanon in the absence of a reliable, accessible mental health system.

A psychological ruin state

Lebanon has experienced a near-constant barrage of crises over the past few years, including the devastating Beirut port explosion in 2020, the deteriorating public health system, and the Israeli military’s most recent south offensive, which almost 4, 000 people were killed and tens of thousands were displaced. The population’s psychological burden is becoming more difficult to ignore in the midst of this chaos.

Mental health professionals warn of a sharp rise in anxiety, depression, PTSD, and psychosomatic symptoms in the nation, particularly among those who reside close to the southern border, journalists who report on the violence, and humanitarian workers on the ground. Mental health support is still a luxury in a nation where therapy sessions cost between $40 and $100, which is more than many people can afford.

Clinical psychologist Dr. Randa Baraja, a member of the CPRM Clinic in Beirut, claims that “there is no national strategy for psychological recovery.” “We’re seeing a resurgence of trauma, not just from the most recent conflict, but also from Lebanon’s entire history of violence, including the civil war, political assassinations, and subsequent economic collapse,” said one witness. The trauma is cumulative and affects generations.

Patients using ChatGPT as a kind of emotional crutch are on the rise, according to Baraja. We’re seeing a growing trend, she says, especially among younger people, to use AI for emotional support. They ask it to diagnose them, seek comfort, and confide in it. It shows how desperately we need someone who is simply listening, or something along those lines.

She does, however, warn about the risks. ChatGPT does not provide genuine emotional connection. The human connection that is necessary for healing cannot be replicated. Further, it can impede access to qualified assistance in more dangerous ways. Although some people believe they are improving, others are frequently not.

Zainab had that experience. She tried one after reading a Facebook post that suggested using ChatGPT to perform mental health “self-tests.” The bot’s response was alarming because it listed potential diagnoses ADHD, PTSD, and schizophrenia. She admits, “It shook me.” However, I was unable to pay for therapy. I make $400 per month working in a beauty salon. Rent alone is $1, 200. According to her, “Therapy isn’t a choice for people like me,” she says in reference to the displacement home’s lease.

ChatGPT initially appeared to be a tool. But she became more and more resentful as a result. Its responses were hollow, they said. After each conversation, I started to feel more angrier. It resembled “hurry into a void”

We left the conflict, but it continued to exist.

War’s psychological effects are difficult to reverse. One in five people in conflict-affected regions are affected by mental health conditions ranging from mild depression to severe anxiety and psychosis, according to the World Health Organization.

Economic despair amplifies the impact in Lebanon. Families are having a hard time addressing basic needs, let alone paying for therapy, with the Lebanese lira losing nearly 97 percent of its value since 2019 and rising poverty rates. Particularly in rural and underserved areas, public mental health services are inaccessible.

When Israeli forces burned her home and small business during the war, Sarah Rammal, a 22-year-old fashion entrepreneur from al-Aadaissah border town, lost it. She is now attempting to rebuild Beirut from scratch in a rented apartment there. She claims, “I felt like my life had been wiped out.” “To relieve the pain, I started ChatGPT every night.”

The routine initially worked out. Talking to a real person “felt easier.” No conclusion. But it lost its effectiveness over time. It didn’t allow me to advance. Just repeating myself with the same sense of sadness.

She eventually sought professional assistance. I felt lighter after one therapy session. AI is still used occasionally, but I now realize it isn’t a substitute.

A subdued mental health issue

The most severely affected by the most recent war were the Lebanese youth, who are already dealing with political disillusionment and economic uncertainty. According to Rani, a hotline responder for Embrace, a leading mental health NGO, young people’s calls have soared significantly in recent months.

The majority of calls are related to war. They worry about their chances in this country, she says, requesting only her first name because she is not permitted to speak to the press. More people are also mentioning using AI as a coping mechanism, according to the report. It’s simple, affordable, and free. However, it isn’t a practical solution.

The Ministry of Health of Embrace and Lebanon released a mental health app called Step-by-Step, which was created by clinical psychologists to counteract this. According to Rania, “it’s free, confidential, and personalized to individual needs.” We make an effort to help there, they say.

Siba Haidar Ahmed, a master’s student in clinical psychology, claims that many of her classmates and peers have used artificial intelligence (AI) in times of crisis. She claims that using ChatGPT frequently is not the problem. When people mistake it for therapy, they say.

AI has a temporary effect, despite its ability to provide surface-level comfort. It can inspire you with inspirational quotes or validate your feelings. However, reality strikes once the conversation is over. That sudden resumption can cause hopelessness or emptiness to increase.

The psychological recovery in southern Lebanon continues to be elusive as families try to rebuild their destroyed or damaged homes after months of shelling. Many people turn to their screens in search of comfort and algorithms-based answers.

Zainab, who is now back in her village, claims to be trying to recover, but her wounds are extensive. She continues, “We left the war.” “But the war did not leave us.”