Ceuta death toll rises to 67 as Spain condemns EU critics and plans sea barrier
Spain raised the death toll in the Ceuta border crisis to 67 and announced a new sea barrier, while Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez accused some EU members of selfishness and called for emergency talks. In Ukraine, a Russian overnight attack killed nine people, and President Zelenskyy warned that depleted Patriot interceptor stocks are encouraging further strikes.
The Spanish government has confirmed that 67 people died during days of mass border crossings into the North African enclave of Ceuta. Officials said a containment barrier will be built from the breakwater into the sea to prevent future attempts. The announcement came as authorities reported that the city was gradually returning to normal, with shops and traffic resuming after large crowds dispersed.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez sent a letter to Brussels criticising several EU states for what he called a selfish, polarising and illegal reaction to the crisis. According to El País, some governments had attacked Spain and called for its temporary exclusion from the Schengen area, a move he said contradicted European and humanitarian law and the principle of EU solidarity. Sánchez insisted that Madrid had restored border control, provided humanitarian assistance and returned almost all irregular migrants within 48 hours, working closely with Morocco but with very little help from European partners. He urged an emergency meeting of EU interior ministers.
Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska echoed the criticism, accusing some countries of ignorance and bad faith. He stressed that Morocco acted as a reliable partner, not a threat. Foreign Minister José Albares said virtually all who entered had already been returned, and stressed that travelling from Ceuta or Melilla to the mainland still requires police identification checks.
Meanwhile, nine people were killed and 22 injured in a Russian missile and drone barrage on Kyiv overnight. Russia said the strike targeted military-industrial sites. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Kyiv intercepted only one of 27 ballistic missiles because Patriot interceptor stocks were exhausted, and that Russia launched 35 missiles and 185 drones overall. He appealed to allies to supply more interceptors, warning that shortages encourage further attacks. Two days earlier, a separate attack killed 10 and injured more than 50.
In other European news, firefighters in southwestern France continued battling a massive wildfire, and Greek emergency crews fought a blaze near Porto Germeno, northwest of Athens, which damaged homes. Several countries face fire risks amid extreme heat and drought.
