For today, links to reports from Agence France-Presse, National Public Radio, the Associated Press, the Kyiv Independent, the Kyiv Post, and Reuters, and to an interview, via the Greanville Post, from YouTube; other information is accessible by clicking on names and initials below. (GAZA entry for this date is HERE.) — MCM
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Russia says downed 19 Ukrainian drones overnight. From AFP. Russia shot down 19 Ukrainian drones over four different regions and the Black Sea overnight, the Russian Defense Ministry said today. “An attempt by the Kyiv regime to . . . READ MORE . . .
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FROM FEB. 8 Ukraine shakes up its military leadership. Reported by Joanna Kakissis | NPR Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy fired his top general in the biggest military leadership change since start of war in 2022. The two men had reportedly been feuding for months. Click HERE to listen and read.
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Ukraine’s new army chief says his immediate goals are better troop rotation and high-tech weapons, by Samya Kullab and Alex Babenko | AP KYIV — Ukraine’s new military chief said today his immediate goals are to improve the rotation of troops out of the front lines and harness the power of new technology in the fight against Russia’s invasion. Col. Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi spoke a day after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy put him in charge of the . . . READ MORE . . .
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Zelenskyy replaces Ukraine’s army’s leader almost 2 years into war with Russia. Steve Inskeep of NPR talks withChristopher Miller of the Financial Times about what a shakeup at the top of Ukraine’s military signals for the war with Russia. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.
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Who is General Syrskyi, Ukraine’s new chief commander? by Dinara Khalilova | The Kyiv Independent President Volodymyr Zelensky has dismissed Commander-in-Chief Valerii Zaluzhnyi and replaced him with Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi, who had previously served as the commander of Ukraine’s Ground Forces and the Khortytsia Operational and Strategic Group fighting in the country’s east. Zelensky called Syrskyi . . . READ MORE . . .
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Mixed reactions in Ukraine following Zaluzhny’s dismissal, From Kyiv Post. President Zelensky on Thursday announced the dismissal of Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Gen. Valery Zaluzhny. Oleksandr Syrsky, the former commander of the Ground Forces, has been appointed as the new commander-in-chief. Zelensky praised Syrsky as “the most experienced Ukrainian commander.” Kyiv Post brings to your attention reactions from public . . . READ MORE . . .
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Putin urges U.S. to push Ukraine to talks, hints at possible swap of imprisoned WSJ reporter. From AP. Russian President Vladimir Putin used an interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson to urge Washington to recognize Moscow’s interests and persuade Ukraine to sit down for talks. Putin also said that Russia stands ready to negotiate a potential prisoner exchange that . . . READ MORE . . .
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Putin tells Tucker Carlson Russia has no interest in attacking Poland or Latvia, by David Ljunggren, Ronald Popeski and David Brunnstrom | Reuters Russian president Vladimir Putin said in an interview that aired on Thursday that Russia will fight for its interests “to the end” but has no interest in expanding its war in Ukraine to other countries such as Poland and Latvia. In his first interview with an American journalist since before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine nearly two years ago, Mr Putin said Western leaders had come to realise . . . READ MORE . . .
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FROM JAN. 16 Michael Hudson on Russia, Iran and the Red Sea: NATO’s war economy collapses. Danny Haiphong of YouTube and Patreon and Substack interviews the economist and author Michael Hudson on geopolitical and economic issues including U.S. foreign policy, the war in Ukraine, the war in Gaza and its context, NATO, and Europe. Click HERE for further introducton and to listen and watch. Click HERE for Wikipedia’s biography of Hudson.