Putin's threat to Europe and Israeli soldiers clashing with settlers - daily digest

**Putin threatens Europe, Israeli military clashes with settlers – daily digest**

We will introduce you to the most important events and news that happened in the world over the past day in our daily bulletin.

**Putin's threat**

Russian President Vladimir Putin has threatened to seize their ships in response to European actions. The Russian leader made this statement on Wednesday during a visit to the final stage of the Pacific Fleet exercises.

Putin said: "I would like to draw attention to the recent decisions of the European Union. We see that the governments of some countries are trying to restrict the peaceful movement of our economic operators' ships, violating international maritime law. Recently, they have come up with the possibility of seizing our ships and selling the property that was looted from us."

He added: "Of course, this is nothing more than piracy and robbery. If this is carried out in practice, we will be forced to respond in kind." According to the Russian president, this will happen anywhere Moscow considers "necessary and expedient", including in the "Pacific Fleet area".

In June, the military of European countries in the Mediterranean was given the right to inspect ships considered part of the Russian "shadow fleet". The aim is to limit Russia's ability to "finance" the war in Ukraine.

In addition, EU member states have the opportunity to seize the cargo on board a "shadow fleet" ship after it is captured. The proceeds from the sale of such cargo can be transferred to the state that carried out the arrest.

The European Union's sanctions list includes restrictions on about 700 ships belonging to the Russian "shadow fleet".

**Israeli soldiers, settlers clash**

Israeli troops clashed with Jewish settlers at a checkpoint in the West Bank.

On Wednesday morning, soldiers fired tear gas at the settlers to disperse them. But the soldiers withdrew after they were unable to drive the settlers out of the area.

A Palestinian woman living in one of the three houses under siege said the settlers had set up the checkpoint four days ago. The Palestinians have been under siege ever since.

The military said in a statement on Wednesday that it was "working to evacuate the civilians who were there."

The incident took place on the outskirts of the occupied West Bank village of Qusra, opposite Palestinian homes. The incident was a rare clash between settlers and Israeli soldiers, and comes after a sharp increase in attacks on Palestinians.

The military has also been under pressure to stop the settlers, who are encouraged by far-right ministers in Netanyahu's government.

The West Bank, which Israel captured in 1967, is home to about three million Palestinians and 500,000 settlers. The international community considers Jewish settlements there illegal.

**Total solar eclipse in Europe**

Millions of people across Europe witnessed a rare phenomenon yesterday - a total solar eclipse. The shadow of the moon, which fell between the sun and our planet, blocked out the light for about two minutes.

The eclipse on August 12 began in the northernmost part of Russia shortly after 18:00 Central European Time. The moon's shadow first covered Greenland and Iceland, then moved south and passed through the territories of Spain. By 21:00, the eclipse also came to an end with sunset in the Mediterranean Sea.

A total solar eclipse occurs when three celestial bodies are aligned. As the moon orbits the Earth, it passes between the Sun and the Earth. The moon then blocks the Sun's light and casts a shadow on the Earth's surface. People in the small area where the shadow fell witnessed the total eclipse.

For Europe, which is suffering from the scorching heat, the darkness of the day, albeit for a few moments, was welcome. However, cloudy weather, smoke from forest fires and storms slightly overshadowed the spectacle in some places.

Spain has set up special observation posts in areas where the natural phenomenon can best be observed, and a large police force has been mobilized.

**Law on special services in Germany**

A package of reforms prepared by the German Interior Ministry, which expands the powers of the special services, in particular the Federal Intelligence Service, has been approved by the government. The relevant measures must now be approved by the Bundestag.

The main innovation will allow the German special services to intervene in the event of serious threats. Currently, the main task of the special services is to collect information. The reforms also provide the German foreign intelligence service with operational powers to eliminate threats, just like the intelligence services of other countries.

In particular, agents will be able to carry out hacking attacks for national defense purposes, to purposefully disseminate false information, to destroy dangerous infrastructure and take other measures. At the same time, the use of violence against individuals abroad will remain prohibited.

The need for reforms is explained by the deteriorating security situation in Germany against the backdrop of the Russia-Ukraine war. Examples include the discovery of drones with explosives at airports, cyberattacks on energy infrastructure and espionage at defense enterprises.

"We are transforming our intelligence services into truly secret services," said German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt.

**Helicopter crashes in Texas**

Two people have died after a military helicopter crashed in the US state of Texas.

Yesterday afternoon, an urgent report of the remains of a helicopter was received in a field in the village of Salado. When officers arrived, they found the crash and a large fire "that was rapidly getting out of control." Two bodies were found at the scene.

The US military said the aircraft was an Apache attack helicopter based at the nearby Ford Hood base. The incident is under investigation and emergency response efforts are underway.

The AH-64 Apache is a multi-role attack helicopter capable of armed reconnaissance, close-quarters combat, and rapid strike. The helicopter, without weapons or additional systems, costs between $30 million and $52 million.