For today, links to reports from the Associated Press, the Moscow Times, Tass, the Kyiv Post, the Kyiv Independent, and Reuters; others articles are accessible by clicking on its initials below. (GAZA entry for this date is HERE). — MCM
– – –
Top NATO military officer urges allies and leaders to plan for the unexpected in Ukraine, by Lorne Cook | AP BRUSSELS — Ukraine is locked in an existential battle for its survival almost two years into its war with Russia and Western armies and political leaders must drastically change the way they help it fend off invading forces, a top NATO military officer said today. At . . . READ MORE . . .
– – –
Russian missiles hit Ukrainian apartment buildings and injure 17 in latest strikes on civilian areas, by Illia Novikov | AP KYIV — Russia fired two missiles at Kharkiv during the night, hitting apartment buildings and a medical center and injuring 17 people in the city in northeastern Ukraine, officials said today, in Moscow’s . . . READ MORE . . .
– – –
Ukraine says downed 19 Russian drones overnight. From the Moscow Times. Kyiv said today that Russia had launched 20 Iranian-designed attack drones at targets in southern Ukraine overnight and that its air defense systems destroyed all but one. “The enemy . . . READ MORE . . .
– – –
West scales up training of Ukrainian troops — White House. From Tass. GENEVA — The U.S.-led Western coalition is scaling up its effort to train members of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, according to White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan. “The United States and our partners will continue to stand with them. We’re . . . READ MORE . . .
– – –
Russian combat units suffer brutal losses in Dnipro bridgehead battles, by Stefan Korshak | Kyiv Post Now, after more than three months, if you look at a battle map, Ukraine’s assault crossing of the Dnipro River seems to have stagnated — but on the ground there are daily, pitiless battles.According to accounts from both sides, Ukrainian Marines are deeply dug in and, backed by masses of strike drones, are firmly . . . READ MORE . . .
– – –
F-16s for Ukraine: When will they arrive and what can they do? by Dinara Khalilova | The Kyiv Independent The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon is an American air superiority fighter that Kyiv has begged for since the start of the full-scale invasion and is expected to finally start receiving this year. It’s a . . . READ MORE . . .
– – –
How one officer class offers a glimpse into Russia’s military amid Ukraine war, by Maria Tsvetkova, Polina Nikolskaya and Anton Zverev | Reuters The Ryazan Guards Higher Airborne Command School has existed for over a century. Around 170 of its graduates have been awarded the “Hero of the Soviet Union” or “Hero of Russia” medals, the highest military honour. Most of the class of 2016 . . . READ MORE . . .