This happened overnight: Extreme heatwaves strike the Balkans, drones over Crimea and an American bill targeting Russia

It happened while you were sleeping. Here’s what global agencies reported on the night from Thursday to Friday.

• Serbia and Croatia called on their citizens to avoid going outside due to exceptionally high temperatures, peaking on Friday. A red weather warning was issued, and people were advised to stay indoors. The Serbian government also instructed employers to protect workers working outdoors from the intensifying heatwave, added the Hina agency. "Meteorologists forecasted temperatures of around 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) throughout Serbia as winds from North Africa pushed a hot and dry front across the Balkans," informs Reuters, citing meteorologists' forecasts. It added that last night, doctors in Belgrade intervened more than 100 times, mainly due to health issues among people suffering from heart conditions, particularly vulnerable to temperature increases. The Oslobodjenje newspaper reported that the heatwave peak will occur on Friday when the Balkans, especially Croatia, will be covered with Saharan sand.

• The first drones appeared over the occupied Crimea on Thursday just after 7 PM GT. Sirens wailed in Sevastopol, Saki, and at Cape Tarkhankut. Then, things heated up on Russian territory.

• Two American senators prepared a bill after Putin’s visit to North Korea, declaring Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism. They believe that passing such a bill would be a blow to the Russian economy.

• John Kirby, the spokesperson for the American National Security Council, stated that the USA will prioritise the delivery of missiles for the Patriot and NASAMS air defence systems to Ukraine.