First, links to reports from Reuters, Agence France-Presse, National Public Radio, the Associated Press, Tass, and the Kyiv Independent; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. — MCM
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Russia says Ukraine fired missile towards Moscow, hit Crimea with drones. From Reuters. MOSCOW — Russia said today Ukraine had fired a missile towards Moscow and attacked Crimea with 42 drones, in what would be one of the biggest known coordinated Ukrainian air attacks to date on Russian-held territory. The Russian defence ministry said a modified S-200 missile had been shot down over the Kaluga region, which . . . READ MORE . . .
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‘Absolute lie’: Kremlin rejects it ordered Prigozhin’s death. From AFP. The Kremlin today rejected rumours it had ordered the death of Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin, presumed to have died in a plane crash Wednesday between Moscow and St. Petersburg, two months after leading a mutiny in Russia. Speculation. . . READ MORE . . .
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Russia expert says it would make sense that Putin was behind the death of Prigozhin. Reported by Michael Levitt,Tinbete Ermyas and Ari Shapiro | NPR Ari Shapiro of NPR with Fiona Hill, senior policy advisor at the Brookings Institute and former White House advisor, about the apparent death of Wagner Group leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin. Click HERE to listen and read.
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NATO-member Norway to donate F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine, becoming third country to do so, by Jan M Olsen | AP COPENHAGEN, Denmark — NATO-member Norway will donate several F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said Thursday, amid Kyiv’s difficult counteroffensive against Russia. Speaking in Kyiv . . . READ MORE . . .
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Ukraine marks Independence Day and vows to keep fighting Russia as it remembers the fallen, by Susie Blann | AP KYIV — Ukraine on Thursday marked its second Independence Day since Russia’s full-scale invasion, with officials vowing to keep up their fight to drive out the Kremlin’s forces and local people remembering their fallen . . . READ MORE . . .
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The GOP candidates’ differing takes on the war in Ukraine. Reported by Brian Mann and Tom Bowman | NPR Last night, eight of the Republican candidates running for president took the debate stage for the first time. They had one major point of disagreement: Russia’s war on Ukraine. Click HERE to listen and read.
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Economic sanctions against Russia not achieving desired result — German foreign minister. From Tass. BERLIN The economic sanctions imposed by Germany and other Western countries over the Ukrainian conflict are not having the desired result on Russia, according to Germany’s Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock. The sanctions against Russia “should have had an economic effect. However, this is not the case,” she was quoted as saying by the DPA agency. READ MORE . . .
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Belarus Weekly: Lukashenko says Russian invasion of Ukraine through Belarus was ‘unexpected,’ by Maria Yeryoma | The Kyiv Independent Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko admitted that Russian forces invaded Ukraine from Belarus at the start of the full-scale invasion in February 2022. He claimed Russian troops were in Belarus as part of planned military exercises and that their crossing the Ukrainian border from of Belarus on Feb. 23 and 24 of last year was “unexpected,” adding . . . READ MORE . . .
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MAY BE CONTINUED