The Wagner Group staged a revolt against Russia, and a bridge collapse in Montana sent a hazardous freight train into a river. These stories and more highlight the rundown for Monday, June 26, 2023.
Dust settles in Russia following Wagner group revolt
Russia’s defense minister made his first public appearance since a mercenary group fighting for Russia in its war with Ukraine turned on Russia. Wagner Group chief Yevgeny Prigozhin ordered his mercenaries to march on Moscow Saturday. The Wagner Group was even able to take over a Russian city before a deal with Russia’s government to end the revolt was reached less than 24 hours later.
Under the deal, Prigozhin will move to Belarus. Neither he nor his Wagner Group mercenaries will be prosecuted.
Some analysts called the revolt the greatest challenge to Russian President Vladimir Putin in his more than 20 years in power. They added it may create a whole new dynamic regarding the war in Ukraine.
“The fact that this deal appears to have given Prigozhin a sort of free pardon to retire into Belarus and that the Wagner mercenaries will be absorbed into regular Russian army is perhaps a surprise, but it’s also why I think this saga isn’t finally over,” former UK ambassador to the UN Sir Mark Lyall Grant said Sunday, June 25. “Because I find it very hard to believe that Prigozhin will have a quiet peaceful retirement in Belarus.”
North Koreans rally against the United States
More than 120,000 people in North Korea took part in a massive anti-U.S. rally. The rally came as the country observed the 73rd anniversary of the start of the Korean War.
The war was triggered by a North Korean surprise attack. However, the North continues to blame the U.S. for provoking the war.
The weekend rally came at a time of swelling North Korean nationalism, as the country boasts an expansion of its nuclear weapons and missile programs. Since 2022, North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un has fired more than 100 missiles to test the country’s ability to conduct nuclear strikes on the U.S. and South Korea.
Hazardous train plunges into river after bridge collapse
A bridge over the Yellowstone River collapsed in Montana, causing a freight train carrying hazardous materials to plunge into the water below. The train cars were carrying hot asphalt and molten sulfur.
Officials temporarily shut down drinking water intakes downstream. Small communities use reservoirs full of treated water from the Yellowstone River. All water treatment plants have since resumed operations.
The cause of the bridge’s collapse is under investigation. The river had been full with recent heavy rains, but it’s unclear if that was a factor.
Tornadoes in the Midwest, extreme heat in the South
Video captured a fast-moving tornado as it tore through residential buildings just south of Indianapolis. At least one person died and about a dozen homes were damaged in the storm system. Hundreds of thousands of people were left without power overnight Sunday and into Monday morning.
In Minnesota and North Dakota, there were reports of as many as 18 tornadoes.
Meanwhile in the South, tens of millions of Americans are under excessive heat warnings. In Texas, temperatures remain in the triple digits. The Central Plains is expected to experience a similar heat wave later this week.
D.C. airports ground flights over air traffic control issue
Flights at Washington D.C.’s two major airports were paused Sunday evening for about an hour. There was a problem at a major air traffic control facility on site.
Operations were restarted after repairs to a communications power panel were made. The Federal Aviation Administration offered no further details on what caused the need for repairs.
The aviation industry has been heavily scrutinized after a series of mishaps. These include near-misses on the tarmac and outages shutting down operations for hours.
A San Antonio airport employee was ingested into the engine of a Delta airplane on Friday, June 26. This is the second type of this incident in six months after another crew worker was ingested into a plane at an Alabama airport on Dec. 31, 2022.
Ford vehicles under investigation
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) opened an investigation into Ford vehicles that could roll away even when placed in park. In 2022, Ford recalled nearly 300,000 Explorer SUVs and added a software update to fix the glitch.
NHTSA said its received complaints even after repairs were made. One complaint came from a driver who struck a utility pole. The driver said their car would slam to a complete stop at speeds of up to 30 to 40 miles per hour.
The original recall covered certain 2020 through 2022 Explorer models. Ford said they are working with NHTSA to resolve the matter.