Overview
- NSW Police publicly announced the creation of a special armed‑response command on Thursday to boost rapid armed capability across the state.
- The new unit will carry long‑arm rifles, weapons with longer barrels and greater range than standard service pistols, and can be sent to major attractions and events for a visible armed presence.
- Police framed the change as a direct operational response to the recent Bondi terror attack, saying the force reviewed posture and tactics after that incident.
- Dee Why police station was placed in lockdown on Thursday after a person entered and placed a weapon on the front counter, a developing local security incident that reinforced heightened patrol measures.
- Separately, a Russian air strike on a Ukrainian apartment block killed 15 civilians, including four children, in reporting published Wednesday, underscoring the continuing civilian toll of the war.