First, links to reports from Reuters, the Associated Press, Agence France-Presse, Tass, and National Public Radio; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. Then, commentary from the Los Angeles Times. — MCM
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Ukraine war, already with up to 354,000 casualties, likely to last past 2023 – U.S. documents, by Guy Faulconbridge | Reuters * Purported U.S. intelligence shows vast casualties on both sides * War of attrition in Donbas heads for ‘stalemate’, document says * U.S. worried Ukrainian attack inside Russia may stir China | MOSCOW — As many as 354,000 Russian and Ukrainian soldiers have been killed or injured in the Ukraine war which is grinding towards a protracted conflict that may last well beyond 2023, according to a trove of purported U.S. intelligence documents posted online. Reuters has not been able to independently verify the documents and some countries, including Russia and Ukraine, have questioned . . . READ MORE . . .
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U.S., Ukraine say many war secrets safe from intel leaks, by Ellen Knickmeyer and Hanna Arhirova | AP WASHINGTON — Ukraine’s leaders say they don’t see a major U.S. intelligence leak as gravely damaging future offensives. A key reason: They have long held back on sharing their most sensitive operational information, doubting Washington’s ability to keep their secrets safe. “If military operations . . . READ MORE . . .
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Ukraine GDP shrank 29.1 percent In 2022: Official data. From AFP. Ukraine’s economy contracted by 29.1 percent in 2022, the state statistics service said, as the country has been ravaged by Russia’s assault. By comparison, the pro-Western country’s gross domestic product grew 3.4 percent in 2021. The World Bank has said that Ukraine needs $411 billion for its reconstruction and recovery in . . . READ MORE . . .
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Wagner assault teams capture three urban areas in Artyomovsk – top brass. From Tass. MOSCOW — The assault teams of the Wagner private military company captured three urban quarters in Artyomovsk in the Donetsk area over the past day during the special military operation in Ukraine, Defense Ministry spokesman Lt. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said on Wednesday in a report that included statistics of other areas . . . READ MORE . . .
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Brazil’s President Lula travels to China to find support to help end war in Ukraine. Reported by Carrie Kahn | NPR Brazil President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is in China looking for support from Beijing for Brasilia’s “peace club” of countries planning to help end the war in Ukraine. Click HERE to listen and, later, read more.
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Finland joins NATO, but can it help Ukraine? by Emma Ashford | Los Angeles Times Officials at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization were celebrating at their headquarters in Brussels on April 4 as the alliance welcomed Finland into its fold. In joining NATO, Finland has abandoned a 75-year tradition of military neutrality, throwing its lot in with the West against an increasingly isolated Russia. But U.S. and European policymakers should not exaggerate what’s . . . READ MORE . . .
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MAY BE CONTINUED