First, links to reports from Agence France-Presse, Reuters, Tass, National Public Radio, and the Associated Press; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. Next, links to commentary from Common Dreams, Responsible Statecraft, and the Libertarian Institute. Then, a link to AP’s Spanish version of one of yesterday’s reports. — MCM

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Russia claims destroyed Ukraine’s ‘last warship.’ From AFP. “On May 29, a high-precision strike by the Russian Air Force on a ship anchorage site in the port of Odesa destroyed the last warship of the Ukrainian Navy, the ‘Yuri Olefirenko’,” the Russian army said today.

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Ukrainian shelling kills five, drone sparks fire at refinery – Russian officials. From Reuters. MOSCOW / KYIV — Ukrainian shelling killed five people in a village in the Luhansk region of eastern Ukraine, Moscow-installed officials said today, while a drone attack caused a fire at an oil refinery in southern Russia. Ukrainian artillery also hit a Russian town close to the border for the third time in a week, damaging buildings and vehicles and injuring four people, Russian officials said . A day after . . . READ MORE . . .

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IAEA chief announces plans to visit Moscow, Kiev. From Tass. UNITED NATIONS — Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Grossi expressed hope that he will visit Kiev and the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) and also possibly Moscow soon. Grossi gave no exact timeframes. He said . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russia is hit with more air strikes. Does this point to an escalation in the war? Reported by A Martínez and Greg Myre | NPR  For well over a year, Russia has carried out air strikes across Ukraine. Now Russia finds itself on the receiving end, including drones that hit apartment buildings in Moscow. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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Moscow drone attack exposes Russia’s vulnerabilities, fuels criticism of military. From AP. A drone attack that targeted Moscow on Tuesday exposed glaring breaches in its air defenses and underlined the capital’s vulnerability asmore Russian soil comes under fire amid expectations of a Ukrainian counteroffensive. The attack, which lightly damaged three apartment buildings, angered Russia’s hawks, who scathingly criticized President Vladimir Putin and the military brass for failing to protect the heart of Kremlin power more than 500 kilometers (310 miles) from the front line. . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukrainian fighters lay the groundwork to reclaim land south of the Dnipro River. Reported by Joanna Kakissis | NPR  Four soldiers in Ukraine’s south have spent months making clandestine trips across the river dividing Ukrainian and Russian forces, preparing for a counteroffensive to reclaim occupied land. Click HERE to listen and read.

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Could Russia’s economy finally be feeling the heat because of sanctions over the war? Reported by Stacey Vanek Smith | NPR  Russia’s economy has remained resilient in the face of sanctions and other trade and financial restrictions, but that could be changing now as economic challenges mount. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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Deal that allows Ukraine to export grain across the Black Sea has been extended. Michel Martin of NPR speaks with European Commissioner for Transport Adina Valean about efforts to help Ukraine export grains and agricultural products.  Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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When will U.S. join global call to end Ukraine war? by Medea Benjamin and Nicolas J.S. Davies | Common Dreams  When Japan invited the leaders of Brazil, India and Indonesia to attend the G7 summit in Hiroshima, there were glimmers of hope that it might be a forum for these rising economic powers from the Global South to discuss their advocacy for peace in Ukraine with the wealthy Western G7 countries that are militarily allied with Ukraine and have so far remained deaf to pleas for peace. But . . . READ MORE . . .

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NATO members mull secret plans for responding to Russia attack, by Ian Davis | Responsible Statecraft The lack of transparency that characterizes NATO’s long-range military planning processes poses a serious challenge to democratic oversight. That applies in particular to the regular tri-annual meetings of the military alliance’s most senior generals, the Chiefs of Defence. The latest of these meetings took place on May 10 in Brussels. While media coverage . . . READ MORE . . .

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Democrats in Congress demand more aggressive Ukraine policy, by Kyle Anzalone | The Libertarian Institute Several members of the Democrat Party in Congress are urging the White House to provide Kiev with significantly more military support. One representative wants the Joe Biden administration to place “non-combatant observers” on the ground in Ukraine. Rep. Jason Crow (D-CO) called for . . . READ MORE . . .

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Rusia dice que drones causan leves daños en edificios en Moscú y culpa a Ucrania, por Susie Blann y Joanna Kozlowska | Agencia AP  KIEV — Un inusual ataque con drones despertó a Moscú a primeras horas del martes, causando apenas ligeros daños pero obligando a evacuar edificios residenciales que recibieron impactos en la capital rusa por primera vez durante la guerra contra Ucrania. El Kremlin, mientras tanto, continuó con su incesante bombardeo sobre Kiev con una tercera . . . LEA MÁS . . .

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MAY BE CONTINUED

First, links to reports from the Moscow Times, the Associated Press, Reuters, National Public Radio, Agence France-Presse, and Tass; others are accessible by clicking on their initials below. Then, links to two articles by an India Punchline commentator, published Sunday and yesterday. — MCM

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Moscow hit by swarm of drones in wartime first. From the Moscow Times. Moscow was targeted by a swarm of drones early this morning, marking the first time that unmanned aerial vehicles have struck residential areas of the Russian capital since the country’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine last year. The attack on Moscow, more than 1,000 kilometers from Ukraine, came as Kyiv was hit by another barrage . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russia says drones damage Moscow buildings in pre-dawn attack, blames Ukraine, by Susie Blann and Joanna Kozlowska | AP  KYIV — Russian air defenses stopped eight drones converging on Moscow, officials said today, in an attack that authorities blamed on Ukraine, while Russia pursued its relentless bombardment of Kyiv with a third assault on the city in 24 hours. The Russian defense ministry said five drones were shot down and the systems of three others were jammed, causing . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine war comes to Moscow as both capitals hit by drones, by Guy Faulconbridge and Pavel Polityuk | Reuters * Two injured in Moscow, one dead in Kyiv attacks * Worst raid on Russian capital since world war – politician * Kyiv suffers 17 air attacks in May * Four dead in latest strikes around Ukraine | MOSCOW / KYIV — Ukrainian drones struck Moscow today but were neutralised, Russia said in what one politician called the worst attack on the capital since World War Two, while Kyiv was also hit by air for the third time in 24 hours. Since Russia sent troops into its neighbour in February last year, the war has largely been fought inside Ukraine. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russian authorities reported several drone attacks on the capital Moscow. Reported by Leila Fadel and Charles Maynes | NPR  (Audio will be available later today.) Russia launched a pre-dawn air raid on Ukraine’s capital Tuesday, killing at least one person while Moscow authorities said the Russian capital was attacked by drones. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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Kremlin says Moscow drone attack a ‘response’ to recent Ukraine strikes. From AFP. The Kremlin said today that an unprecedented drone attack on Moscow was a “response” by Kyiv to a recent Russian hit in Ukraine. “It is completely clear that we are talking about response acts by the Kyiv regime to very effective strikes on a command centre [in Ukraine],” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, without clarifying where the Russian strike took place.

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Ukrainian army lost 16,000 troops, 400 tanks over past month – Shoigu. From Tass. MOSCOW — “Russian forces continue to inflict an effective fire impact on the enemy,” Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said today. “Its losses this month alone totaled over 16,000 troops, 16 aircraft, 5 helicopters, 466 drones, over 400 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, and 238 field artillery pieces and mortars.” Shoigu added . . . . READ MORE . . .

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Post-Bakmut scenario in Ukraine war, by M. K. Bhadrakumar | India Punchline / Educate! Conventional military doctrine says that an army attacking an entrenched force will need at least three times more soldiers than the defending force in fortifications. But Wagner fighters numbering 32,000 fighters faced off with a NATO proxy force almost four times bigger in numbers and equipped with modern weaponry. The shock over the crushing defeat was writ large on the faces of U.S. President Biden and Ukrainian President Zelensky in Hiroshima, Japan, on May 21. READ MORE . . .

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Erdogan’s mediatory role in Ukraine cannot be wished away, by M. K. Bhadrakumar | India Punchline Among the host of implications for international security stemming out of Turkish President Recep Erdogan’s election victory in the runoff on Sunday, what stands out is his mediatory role in the Ukraine conflict. The Japanese government in its congratulatory message to Erdogan expressed the hope for cooperation to bring closer a peaceful solution to the Ukraine conflict and ensure security in the region. Moscow walked . . . READ MORE . . .

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MAY BE CONTINUED

For today, links to reports from the Associated Press, Reuters, Agence France-Presse, the Moscow Times, and Tass; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. — MCM

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Russia strikes Kyiv in daylight after hitting Ukrainian capital with a more common nighttime barrage, by Hanna Arhirova | AP  KYIV — Explosions rattled Kyiv during daylight today as Russian ballistic missiles took aim at the Ukrainian capital, hours after a more common nighttime barrage of the city by drones and cruise missiles. Debris from missiles intercepted by Ukrainian air defenses fell in Kyiv’s . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russia hits Ukrainian military facility and Odesa port in air strikes, by Valentyn Ogirenko and Gleb Garanich | Reuters KYIV — Russia put five aircraft out of action in an attack on a military target in western Ukraine and caused a fire at the Black Sea port of Odesa in heavy air strikes early today, Ukrainian officials said. The attacks there and in the capital city today were part of a new wave of increasingly frequent and intense air strikes launched by Moscow this month as Kyiv prepares . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine says downed all 11 Iskander missiles launched by Russia. From AFP.  Ukraine said it had downed all the Russian missiles fired on the country today in a second wave of attacks. “A total . . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russia Issues arrest warrant for U.S. senator Lindsey Graham. From the Moscow Times. Russia has issued an arrest warrant for United Statee senator Lindsey Graham for “Russophobic statements,” Russian media reported today. Russian officials and state-conotrolled media have slammed Graham for comments he made Friday in Kyiv with . . . READ MORE . . .

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‘Clumsy excuses’: Russian Foreign Ministry on claim Graham’s words taken out of context. From Tass. MOSCOW — Reports by Reuters that remarks by U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (Republican, South Carolina) made during a meeting with Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky may have been taken out of context represent “clumsy, shameful excuses,” a statement by the Russian Foreign Ministry . . . READ MORE . . .   

On May 15, John Durham, Special Counsel for the U.S. Department of Justice, released the results of an investigation into the FBI’s investigation into alleged links between the 2016 Trump campaign and Russia. The report condemned the FBI probe. Here are links to two commentaries for ScheerPost on the report and its consequences, both published last week. — MCM

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Why the conspiracy theory about Trump and Russia won’t go away, by Chris Hedges | ScheerPost  There is no report, investigation or new revelation, including the recent release of Special Counsel John Durham’s “Report on Matters Related to Intelligence Activities and Investigations Arising Out of the 2016 Presidential Campaigns” that will implode the myth that Russia was responsible for the election of Donald Trump. Myths are impervious to facts. They fulfill an emotional yearning. They are a short circuit from reality . . . READ MORE . . .

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John Durham and the burying of American history, by Patrick Lawrence | ScheerPost  There are certain things I do not quite get since Special Counsel John Durham’s report on the epically corrupt conduct of Donald Trump’s enemies during the 2016 election campaigns went to Congress last week. Many things, actually. For all the ground Durham covers in his 306–page report, I don’t get why he left a lot of things undone and unexamined . . . . And then there are a few things I do get. Chief among these . . . READ MORE . . .

First, from GlobalResearch, a link to an article and a video. — MCM

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The ‘Covid Pandemic’ was the result of extensive media propaganda: ‘Nobody is safe, be AFRAID!’ by Matt Orfalea, Paul Craig Roberts and Michel Chossudovsky | Global Research From the outset in January 2020 we have been accused by the mainstream media of  “spreading disinformation”. Who was spreading “fake news”? Who was behind the fear campaign? Amply documented, there never was a Covid-19 pandemic. “Least we forget how intensely . . . Click HERE to read more, and HERE to watch video.

First, links to reports from the Associated Press, Agence France-Presse, and Tass; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. — MCM

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Russia launched ‘largest drone attack’ on Ukrainian capital before Kyiv Day; 1 killed, by Susie Blann and Elise Morton | AP  KYIV — Ukraine’s capital was subjected to the largest drone attack since the start of Russia’s war, local officials said, as Kyiv prepared to mark the anniversary of its founding today. At least one person, a 41-year-old man, was killed. Russia launched the “most massive attack” on the city overnight Saturday with . . . READ MORE . . .  

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‘Most important’ drone attack on Kyiv since war began: Authorities. From AFP. Russia carried out the “most important” drone attack on Kyiv overnight Saturday-Sunday since the start of the invasion, military authorities said. Forty of the 54 drones launched targeted the capital, killing two people and wounding three. The attack “took place over several waves and the air raid alert lasted more than . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine claims Russia is plotting ‘a provocation’ at nuclear plant, by Susie Blann | AP  KYIV — Ukraine’s military intelligence has claimed Friday, without offering evidence, that Russia is plotting a “large-scale provocation” at the nuclear power plant it occupies iin Zaporizhzhia in the southeast of the country with the aim of disrupting a looming Ukrainian counteroffensive. The intelligence directorate of Ukraine’s Defense Ministry . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russia ready for peace talks with Ukraine, but on its conditions – ambassador. From Tass. LONDON — “We want peace, but on certain conditions, of course,” Russian Ambassador to Great Britain Andrew Klein said today in an interview with the BBC today. ”For us, two things . . . READ MORE . . .

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Lavrov slams West’s plans to send F-16s to Kiev as ‘unacceptable escalation.’ From Tass. MOSCOW — “Certainly, this is an unacceptable escalation. I hope there are sensible people in the West who understand that,” Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said today. “Western political analysts have been discussing how to decolonize Russia.” “They mean dividing our country. I hope sensible people will abandon their reckless support for the neo-Nazi regime which was created . . . READ MORE . . .

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TO BE CONTINUED

First, links to reports from Tass, Reuters, the Associated Press, and Agence France-Presse; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. Then, a link to commentary by the Berkshire Eagle’s foreign affairs columnist, — MCM

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Oil pipeline administrative building damaged by explosion in Pskov Region – authorities. From Tass. PSKOV, Russia — In an attack of two drones an explosion occurred in Pskov Region’s Nevelsky District this morning, damaging an oil pipeline administrative building, Governor Mikhail Vedernikov said, adding that no one was injured in the incident. READ MORE . . .

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Russian air defenses intercept two Storm Shadow missiles, 19 HIMARS rockets – top brass. From Tass. MOSCOW Russian air defenses intercepted two Storm Shadow missiles, 19 HIMARS rockets, two HARM missiles and shot down 12 Ukrainian combat drones in the past 24 hours, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Lt. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said today. In addition, he said . . . READ MORE . . .

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Kyiv says Russian forces ease attacks on Bakhmut to regroup. From Reuters. KYIV — Russian forces have temporarily eased their attacks on the besieged eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut to regroup and strengthen their capabilities, a senior Kyiv official said today. READ MORE . . .

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Russia acknowledges Vatican peace initiative, says no steps yet for a mission to Moscow, by Paolo Santalucia and Nicole Winfield | AP  VATICAN CITY — Russia on Friday indicated that it views Pope Francis’ Ukraine peace initiative positively, but stressed that “at the same time, no practical steps have been taken by the Vatican side to organize the trip to Moscow.” READ MORE . . .

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Russia’s Lavrov tells China envoy ‘serious obstacles’ to Ukraine peace. From AFP. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told China’s special envoy Li Hui on Friday that there were “serious obstacles” to resuming peace talks, blaming Ukraine and Western countries. During the meeting with Li, who was China’s ambassador in Russia between 2009 and 2019 . . . READ MORE . . .

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Three strikes for Hungary? Orban’s friendliness with Russia undermines EU’s unity for Ukraine, by James Brooke | The Berkshire Eagle Hungary is blocking $540 million in European Union military to aid to Ukraine. Of the 27 countries in the EU and of the 31 countries in NATO, Hungary stands out as the sole pro-Russia outlier. In contrast to Europe’s overwhelming solidarity with Ukraine . . . READ MORE . . .

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MAY BE CONTINUED

First, links to reports from National Public Radio, the Associated Press, Reuters, Tass, Agence France-Presse, and Le Monde; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. Then, via GlobalReserch and Consortium News, a link to commentary from Declassified UK. — MCM

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Ukraine appears to have started its next big move against Russia. Reported by Tom Bowman and Joanna Kakissis | NPR  Pentagon officials met today with other nations supporting the war, and Kyiv says it’s steadfast in pushing Russia out of the country altogether. Click HERE to listen and read.

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Ukraine harasses Russian border regions, Russia strikes Dnipro clinic, by Susie Blann | AP  KYIV — Russia’s southern Belgorod region bordering Ukraine came under attack from Ukrainian artillery fire today, authorities said, hours after at least one nighttime blast rocked a Russian city in a region next to the annexed Crimea peninsula. The Kremlin’s forces, meanwhile, struck a clinic in Dnipro, in central Ukraine, killing . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine shoots down 10 missiles in Russian attacks, oil depot hit, by Olena Harmash and Gleb Garanich | Reuters KYIV — Ukraine shot down 10 missiles and over 20 drones launched by Russia in overnight attacks on the capital Kyiv, the city of Dnipro and eastern regions, Ukrainian officials said today. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s office said a fire had broken out on the outskirts of the northeastern city of Kharkiv after an oil depot was hit twice, and that equipment for pumping oil products had been damaged. Russia has intensified . . . READ MORE . . .

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One killed, 15 wounded in Russian attack on Ukrainian clinic, Zelenskiy says. From Reuters. KYIV — At least one person was killed and 15 wounded in a Russian missile strike on a clinic in the eastern Ukrainian city of Dnipro today, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said. He denounced the attack as a crime against humanity, and the Ukrainian Defence Ministry called it a serious war crime under the Geneva . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukrainian shelling of Donetsk said to wound civilians – DPR security forces. From Tass. DONETSK — Several civilians were wounded today when the Ukrainian military shelled the central Voroshilov district of Donetsk, the DPR security forces said. Earlier, a DPR mission said that at 11:15 Moscow time, Ukrainian troops launched a MLRS strike on the Voroshilovsky district of Donetsk, firing three rockets. Prior . . . READ MORE . . .

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Two drones damage buiidings in Russia’s Krasnodar city: Governor. From AFP. Two drones damaged buildings in the centre of the southern Russian city of Krasnodar, the regional governor said today, the latest in a spate of aerial attacks on regions near Ukraine. The announcement came after the governor of the western Belgorod said it was pummelled by attacks overnight . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russian partisans triumph on return from Belgorod incursion, by Thomas d’Istria | Le Monde After taking part in an unprecedented military operation launched from Ukrainian territory and crossing into the Russian border region of Belgorod, the armed groups responsible – made up of Russians – are triumphant. “The Russian military command was not ready,” said . . . Click HERE to read in English, or HERE to read in French.

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Companies are finding it’s not so simple to leave Russia. Some are quietly staying put, by David Mchugh | AP  When Russia invaded Ukraine, global companies were quick to respond, some announcing they would get out of Russia immediately, others curtailing imports or new investment. Billions of dollars’ worth of factories, energy holdings and power plants were written off or put up for sale, accompanied by fierce condemnation of the war and expressions of solidarity with Ukraine. More than a year later . . . READ MORE . . .

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British warmongering is driving Europe towards catastrophe in Ukraine, by Jonathan Cook  | Declassified UK / GlobalResearch and Consortium News Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky made an unexpected trip to Britain last week on whistle-stop tour of European capitals, pleading for more powerful and longer-range weapons to use in his war against Russia. Last year, shortly after the start of the war, the then-prime minister, Boris Johnson, hurried to Kyiv – presumably . . . READ MORE . . .

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MAY BE CONTINUED

First, links to reports from Tass, Agence France-Presse, Reuters, the Associated Press, and National Public Radio; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. Next, via Popular Resistance, commentary published yesterday by Pressenza. Finally for today, via Global Research, commentary published Monday by the Strategic Culture Foundation. — MCM

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Russian naval ship repels Ukrainian drone attack in Bosporus Strait waters – top brass. From Tass. MOSCOW — The crew of the Russian naval ship Ivan Khurs repelled an attack by Ukrainian surface drones in the Bosporus Strait waters within Turkey’s exclusive economic zone, Defense Ministry spokesman Lt. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said on Wednesday. “All of the enemy’s boats . . . READ MORE . . .

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Zelensky says Russia ‘terrorizing’ Ukraine as 36 drones downed. From AFP. President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russia of terrorising Ukrainians today, as his military announced it had shot down 36 Iranian-made attack drones deployed by Moscow’s forces. Russia subjected Ukraine . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russia signs deal to deploy tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, says they stay under its control. From Reuters. MOSCOW — Russia and Belarus signed a deal today to formalise the deployment of Russian tactical nuclear missiles on Belarusian territory, a step Moscow said was driven by rising tensions with the West. “In the context. . . READ MORE . . .

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Chinese special envoy for Ukraine to visit Russia on Friday. From AFP. China’s Ukraine envoy Li Hui is due to hold talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow on Friday, the Russian foreign ministry said. “On May 26 . . . READ MORE . . .

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Head of Russian private army Wagner says his forces are handing control of Bakhmut to Moscow, by Susie Blann | AP  KYIV — The head of the Russian private military contractor Wagner claimed today that his forces have started pulling out of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine and handing over control to the Russian military, days after he said Wagner troops had captured the ruined city. Yevgeny Prigozhin . . . READ MORE . . .

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What are realistic expectations for Ukraine’s military offensive? Reported by Greg Myre | NPR  Major military operations are normally shrouded in secrecy. But Ukraine’s planned offensive against Russia has been part of a lively public debate for months. This has created a wide range of expectations. For all the public chatter about the offensive . . . Click HERE to listen and read.

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Putin’s war in Ukraine is headed toward a conclusion, while Biden’s war in Ukraine is just beginning to heat up, by Mark Lesseraux | Pressenza / Educate!  Fifteen months ago, I began writing a series of articles about what was taking place in Ukraine and what was likely to take place in the future there if a peace settlement was not reached. I’m sorry to say that most of the things that I and a small contingent of other outlier journalists warned were very likely to occur, have happened. This piece . . . READ MORE . . .

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The EU is over-invested in the Ukrainian war-project, by Alastair  Crooke | Strategic Culture Foundation Ukraine is not a stand-alone foreign policy issue, but rather the pivot around which Europe’s economic prospects will rotate. The European Union . . . READ MORE . . .

For today, links to reports from Reuters, the Associated Press, Agence France-Presse, and Tass; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. Then, links to two articles featuring the now-devastated eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut. Finally, commentary published yesterday by Common Dreams and relayed today by Consortium News. — MCM

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Mercenary Prigozhin warns Russia could face revolution unless elite gets serious about war, by Guy Faulconbridge | Reuters MOSCOW — Yevgeny Prigozhin, founder of the Wagner mercenary group, warned that Russia could face a revolution similar to those of 1917 and lose the conflict in Ukraine unless the elite got serious about fighting the war. He said he did not believe a so-called optimistic view that the West would get tired of war and China would broker a peace deal. Instead, he said, Ukraine was preparing . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russia’s Wagner boss says more than 20,000 of his troops died in Bakhmut battle, by Susie Blann | AP  KYIV — The head of the Russian private army Wagner says his force lost more than 20,000 fighters in the drawn-out battle for Bakhmut, with about 20% of the 50,000 Russian convicts he recruited to fight in the 15-month war dying in the eastern Ukrainian city. The figure was in stark contrast . . . READ MORE . . .

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China’s Xi offers Russia ‘firm support’ in ‘core interests.’ From AFP. Chinese President Xi Jinping today offered Beijing’s support on Moscow’s “core interests” at a meeting with Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin. China and Russia have in recent years ramped up economic and diplomatic cooperation, growing even closer since Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine despite Beijing’s insistence that it is neutral . . . . READ MORE . . .

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Kremlin spokesman sees no prerequisites for Ukrainian peace process. From Tass. MOSCOW — It would be too early to speak about a peaceful solution of the Ukrainian conflict because no prerequisites for this scenario are currently in place, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has told TASS in an interview when asked which one of various reconciliation plans, put forward by other countries, would be preferable for Russia. “Any negotiations with Russia are prohibited [in Ukraine].” READ MORE . . .

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Will Bakhmut prove to be Russia’s Pyrrhic victory? by James Brooke | The Berkshire Eagle As Russia braces for Ukraine’s expected summer counteroffensive, its military has been weakened by months of severe losses in the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut. Realizing that Bakhmut was key to decimating Russia’s military, Ukrainian leaders adopted the slogan last winter: “Hold Bakhmut.” A provincial city of negligible strategic value . . . READ MORE . . .

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Bakhmut memories, by Yasha Levine | Substack News is that after about a year Russia has finally taken Bakhmut — with huge losses on both sides, possibly in the tens of thousands, and the near total destruction of the city itself. We’ll see if it holds. Looking at the photos of this annihilated town, I realized that I keep forgetting I visited Bakhmut once. It was nine years ago, in August 2014 — not long after the separatist militia backed up by Russia, was booted out of there. Back then . . . READ MORE . . .

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The war in Ukraine was provoked—and why that matters to achieve peace, by Jeffrey Sachs | Common Dreams The Biden team uses the word “unprovoked” incessantly. Mainstream media friendly to Biden parrot the White House. There were in fact two main U.S. provocations. The first was the U.S. intention to expand NATO to Ukraine and Georgia in order to surround Russia in the Black Sea region by NATO countries.* The second was the U.S. role in installing a Russophobic regime in Ukraine by the violent 2014 overthrow of Ukraine’s pro-Russian President, Viktor Yanukovych. The shooting war . . . READ MORE . . .

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* See map from GlobalResearch HERE.