Anti-Ukrainian sentiment

Tragedy struck Ukraine's second-largest city, Kharkiv, as at least three individuals lost their lives in a devastating drone attack. The victims, initially responding to the scene, fell victim to a subsequent wave of assaults, adding to the toll of casualties. Reports also indicate several others sustaining injuries amidst the chaos.

It was 1.50 p.m., on January 16 when a 15-meter-long Houthi missile hit the Greek-owned ship Zografia off the coast of Yemen. Miraculously, no injuries were caused by the explosion and the Marshall Islands-flagged cargo ship sailed to Perama in Greece for repairs.

Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis fired missiles at two vessels in the Red Sea, they said on Tuesday, causing minor damage to a cargo ship that was sailing off the coast of Yemen's Hodeidah.

Iran said Monday it "will not hesitate" to respond in the event of U.S. attacks on its territory after the White House declined to say whether strikes on Iran were ruled out.

White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said Sunday the U.S. will press on with its retaliation against Iran-backed groups in Iraq and Syria.

Problems in the Red Sea are estimated to cost an additional $2 billion to Türkiye as personnel costs and prices of certain goods, especially electronic goods, are rising due to the Houthi attacks on ships in the waterway, according to the business associations.

The recent attacks by the Houthi rebels on ships in the Red Sea have already started to significantly affect trading activities, especially in the container segment, while creating an opportunity for Turkish manufacturers.

Iran's navy seized St Nikolas, the oil tanker associated with the Greek shipping company Empire Navigation, on Thursday in the Gulf of Oman, Iranian media reported.  The oil tanker was once at the center of a major crisis between Tehran and Washington, officials said, a seizure that further escalated tensions in the Mideast waterways.

An oil tanker once at the center of a crisis between Iran and the United States was boarded in the Gulf of Oman by "unauthorized" people in military uniforms early on Thursday morning, an advisory group run by the British military and a private security firm warned.

Bulgarian-based pro-Russian groups are planning a demonstration titled "End the war in Ukraine," allegedly recruiting Ukrainian-speaking individuals to participate in the event. The Association of Ukrainian Organizations in Bulgaria, "Mati Ukraine," (СУОБ "Мати Украйна") has raised concerns and cautioned against the rally's misleading agenda.

Kiev accused Russia on Saturday of committing a war crime by executing Ukrainian soldiers who had signalled their intention to surrender.

A short video posted on Telegram shows two men coming out of a shelter, one with his hands above his head, before lying on the ground in front of another group of soldiers.