The presentation beginning below includes an hourlong video recording of an interview, HERE, with pioneering former Secret Service agent Abraham Bolden. — MCM

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Former JFK secret agent describes shocking lapses, current implications

By Andrew Kreig and Wayne Madsen

Abraham W. Bolden, Sr., the first African American to serve on the White House Secret Service details guarding a president, helped launch the new investigative podcast District Insiders with his powerful memories of President John F. Kennedy, left, including disturbing security threats foreshadowing JFK’s 1963 assassination.

Bolden, now 88 and living in Chicago, described in rare detail several historically important interactions with JFK, Vice President Lyndon Baines Johnson (LBJ) and such little-known intrigues as a planned 1963 assassination shooting targeting JFK in Chicago three weeks before a similar shooting killed in Dallas on Nov. 22, 1963.

Bolden, loyal to JFK during a period when the president’s background and policies enraged some Americans, sought to alert his chain of command to security threats he had witnessed, including a volcanic temper tantrum by LBJ five months before JFK’s death. Authorities instead framed Bolden with perjured testimony on corruption charges in 1964 and promptly imprisoned him for six years.

The District Insider hosts, both investigative reporters long based in Washington, D.C., recognized during the show Bolden’s remarkable courage and patriotism along with Biden’s boldness granting a pardon. Most officials and mainstream media since 1963 have ignored, downplayed or otherwise suppressed any suggestion conflicting with the FBI’s steadfast view, first expressed soon after JFK’s murder in 1963, that former U.S. Marine Lee Harvey Oswald, shown at left, killed JFK, acting alone.

Current implications of such secrecy are important as well. Neither investigators nor the public, for example, have been able to get clear-cut answers about Secret Service operations — and massive missing text messages — during the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol that endangered the lives of Vice President Mike Pence, members of Congress and Capitol staff, including police officers.

During the interview, Bolden shared in his first-ever detailed public description how he overheard through a closed door while guarding the Oval Office that an enraged LBJ threatened and cursed the president and his brother, Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy (RFK), with language including “You bastards trying to send me to jail?”

Bolden, who had experienced pioneering job hires as a Black Pinkerton detective and Black Illinois State policeman before JFK personally recruited him to integrate the White House Secret Service, said he was so concerned about LBJ’s outburst that he reported the remarks to a supervisor.

Only later, he said, did he understand from news accounts and historical researchers that the Vice President was probably concerned about then-ongoing state and federal investigations of the corrupt cotton broker Billy Sol Estes (shown on a Time Magazine cover) and the mysterious shooting death on June 3 that month in Texas of Henry Marshall, the U.S. Department of Agriculture agent leading the Estes probe. Authorities ruled Marshall’s death from five shots from a bolt-action rifle plus carbon monocide poisoning as a suicide until Marshall’s family and a sympathetic U.S. marshall succeeded in more than two decades of advocacy in obtaining a 1985 court ruling of homicide, not suicide.

Estes, after serving a long prison sentence, filed an affidavit in 1984 with the Justice Department swearing that LBJ had recruited him to help arrange eight murders, including those of Marshall, LBJ’s estranged sister, Josefa Johnson (1961), her boyfriend John Kinser (1951) and JFK (1963).

U.S. Justice officials failed to prosecute in any of the cases. Bolden said he hesitated until now to . . . READ MORE . . .

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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For now, links to reports from the Scheer Post, Reuters, Le Monde,  Agence France-Presse, Tass, the Associated Press, and National Public Radio; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. Next an early-April report from the Epoch Times on Ukrainian government moves against the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. Then, from the Jimmy Dore Show in early April, commentary on an NBC News reporter’s allegedly being put in danger for his report from Crimea, and an NBC interview about that report and its context. — MCM  

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Leaked document appears to show NATO special operations forces are in Ukraine, by Dave DeCamp | Antiwar.com  / The Sheer Post  A Pentagon document that has appeared on the internet as part of a trove of leaks shows the number of NATO special operations forces that are inside Ukraine, according to The Guardian. The Guardian report reads: “One slide suggested that a small contingent of less than a hundred special operations personnel from NATO members France, America, Britain, and Latvia were already active in Ukraine.” According to . .  . READ MORE . . .

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Leaked U.S. intel document claims Serbia agreed to arm Ukraine, by Jonathan Landay and Aleksandar Vasovic | Reuters  WASHINGTON / BELGRADE — Serbia, the only country in Europe that has refused to sanction Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, agreed to supply arms to Kyiv or has sent them already, according to a classified Pentagon document. Serbia’s Defense Minister Milos Vucevic today dismissed the intel as “untrue.” READ MORE . . .

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Leaked Pentagon documents: What we know about their authenticity. From Le Monde. Since March 1, the publication of several dozen documents marked “confidential” and purporting to come from the American intelligence services has taken Washington by surprise. Both the content and the apparent source of the documents, an obscure discussion forum, raise many questions at this stage with no clear . . . Click HERE to read a limited part of report in English without a subscription, and HERE to read in French.

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EU, UN and Kremlin react to video of apparent beheading of Ukrainian POW. From AFP. Click HERE, HERE and HERE for brief articles.

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All administrative buildings in Artyomovsk controlled by Russian forces – DPR head. From Tass. MOSCOW — All administrative buildings in Artyomovsk (known as Bakhmut in Ukraine) are controlled by Russian forces, acting head of the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) Denis Pushilin said on Tuesday. He said he had been to Artyomovsk and had seen hardly any building not seriously damaged there . . . READ MORE . . .

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As Ukraine war drags on, civilians’ mental health needs rise, by Elena Becatoros | AP  Hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians need psychological help as a result of the war since Russia’s invasion in February 2022 with millions of people displaced, bereaved, forced into basements for months due to incessant shelling or enduring harrowing journeys. Experts say the number is only expected to rise as the war . . . READ MORE . . .

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Following one Kharkiv kindergarten class since the Russian invasion. Reported by Elissa Nadworny | NPR  The Russian invasion spread families of one kindergarten class in Kharkiv across the world and forced families to make choices about how to deal with trauma manifesting in the country’s youngest. Click HERE to listen and read.

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How the war in Ukraine has forever changed the children in one kindergarten class. Reported by Elissa Nadworny and Claire Harbage | NPR  In the city of Kharkiv, in northeast Ukraine, a kindergarten classroom with bright yellow and green walls and long, gauzy curtains, toys and books. The lockers are filled with children’s belongings: shoes, backpacks and a drawing of a snowman. But there are no children. This is a blessing, given that . . . Click HERE to listen and read more.

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Ukraine steps up pressure on Orthodox Church, arrests top cleric, By Adam Morrow | The Epoch Times (April 4, 2023) The government in Kyiv has placed a Ukrainian Orthodox Church leader under house arrest and demanded that Orthodox monks vacate a 1,000-year-old monastery, amid a clampdown on the church. Ukrainian officials accuse the church of harboring pro-Russia sympathies and collaborating with Moscow. The church denies .  . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine puts NBC reporter on ‘kill list.’ Jimmy Dore and Jose Vega | The Jimmy Dore Show. They talk about the NBC News report in which reporter Keir Simmons interviews Crimea residents favorably disposed toward Russia. Click HERE for the segment.

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A rare look into Russian-annexed territory of Crimea. Andrea Mitchell interviews Kier Simmons on Feb. 28 program | NBC Simmons talks about his visit to Crimea one year after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Click HERE for interview and Simmons’ report.

For now, links to reports from the Associated Press, Reuters, The Hill, and Tass; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. — MCM

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Ukraine, Russia send home around 200 troops in prisoner swap, by Hanna Arhirova | AP  KYIV — More than 200 Russian and Ukrainian soldiers have returned home in a prisoner swap, the warring countries said Monday. Such exchanges represent one of the few areas of cooperation between Ukraine and Russia. The two sides have returned hundreds of each other’s soldiers, as well as the bodies of fallen troops, since the war began. Meanwhile, . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine cities pounded, U.S. scrambles to find source of leaked documents, by Pavel Polityuk | Reuters  * Ukrainian soldiers come under heavy attack in Bakhmut city * Russians launch air strikes, artillery barrages * Ukraine says counter-offensive plan not hurt by U.S. leak | KYIV — Russians forces pressed on with their offensive in the eastern Donetsk region where several cities and towns came under heavy bombardment, Ukraine’s general staff said today. Ukrainian . . . READ MORE . . .

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U.S. intelligence leak deals severe blow to Ukraine war effort, by Brad Dress and Ellen Mitchell | The Hill  The largest U.S. military leak in a decade is a serious blow to Ukraine’s war effort, creating an intelligence threat for that country’s forces ahead of an expected counteroffensive this spring. The Pentagon is still reviewing the validity . . . READ MORE . . .

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U.S. Secretary of State to discuss Ukraine, nuclear disarmament with G7 colleagues. From Tass. WASHINGTON — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken intends to discuss topics related to Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine, nuclear disarmament, and food and energy security at a meeting of G7 foreign ministers in Japan, a spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State said . . . READ MORE . . .

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Beginning below is a review written for Truthdig of Guilty of Journalism: The Political Case Against Julian Assange, by Kevin Gosztola, published in March by Seven Stories Press. — MCM

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The Case Against the Case Against Julian Assange

A review by Stephen Rohde | Truthdig

Like the Trump administration that preceded it, the Biden administration is seeking the extradition of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to stand trial on an indictment under the infamous Espionage Act of 1917. As the unprecedented U.S. prosecution of Assange reaches a critical stage, a growing number of elite media outlets, human rights advocates and press freedom organizations around the world are demanding his release. All have expressed basic agreement with Nils Melzer, former UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, who describes the case against Assange as a scandal that “represents the failure of Western rule of law.” 

Time is running out to correct this failure. Last August, Assange filed an appeal before the U.K. High Court of Justice Administrative Court arguing that his extradition would violate U.K. law because he is being prosecuted for his political opinions and protected speech; that the request itself violates the U.S.-UK Extradition Treaty and international law because it is based on “political offenses”; that the U.S. government has misrepresented the core facts of the case to the British courts; and that the extradition request and its surrounding circumstances constitute an abuse of process. If Assange loses this appeal, his last resort is the European Court of Human Rights. 

No one has covered the Assange case more tenaciously, as well as the broader attack on whistleblowers, than journalist Kevin Gosztola. In “Guilty of Journalism: The Political Case Against Julian Assange,” Gosztola expands upon his reports of Assange’s extradition hearings in London during September and October 2020, and in a clear and compelling style, recounts the key events in the case. But he also does more than that. “Guilty of Journalism” offers revelations of egregious conduct by the U.S., including the use of knowingly false testimony, illegal surveillance of Assange and his lawyers and CIA plans to kidnap and assassinate him. These disclosures compound an already shocking tale of injustice at the hands of the U.S. government. 

Opening his first chapter with the unequivocal declaration, “Julian Assange is a journalist,” Kosztola never loses sight of the extraordinary contributions WikiLeaks has made through its public disclosures since its founding in 2006. He includes an informative Appendix entitled, “Thirty WikiLeaks Files the Government Doesn’t Want You to Read,” covering climate change and the environment, corporate power, human rights abuses, regime change, foreign policy and U.S. politics.  These files, he writes, “reflect the positive impact that WikiLeaks has had by boosting our shared knowledge of a government that rules the most powerful country in the world.”

In a single volume, Kosztola succeeds in concisely describing the charges and allegations against Assange, the Chelsea Manning court-martial, the origins and history of the Espionage Act, the CIA’s war on WikiLeaks, the surveillance of Assange, FBI abuses, the federal grand jury investigation of Assange, the vital information revealed by WikLeaks, the stories of courageous whistleblowers, how the Assange prosecution threatens freedom of the press, how media organizations aided and abetted the Assange prosecution and the accusation that WikiLeaks helped Russia interfere in the 2016 election. It attains the goal Gosztola set out for himself — that of producing “a guide that will live on as a resource before, during and after Assange’s U.S. trial, should it occur.”The use of the Espionage Act, signed into law by President Woodrow Wilson two months after the U.S. entry into World War I, strongly suggests to civil libertarians and journalism groups that the Assange prosecution is politically motivated. Wilson, like Trump, . . . READ MORE . . .

For today, links to reports from the Associated Prsss, Reuters, and National Public Radio; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. — MCM

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In Ukrainian village, a family lives under cloud of shelling, by Vasilisa Stepanenko | AP  Despite the severity of the fighting in dozens of town and villages that span the 1,000-kilometer (more than 600-mile) front line in eastern Ukraine, many families have refused to leave their homes, rejecting evacuation attempts and choosing to risk their lives under bombardment. Aid groups concentrate . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine says Russian forces using ‘scorched earth’ tactics in battle for Bakhmut, by Pavel Polityuk | Reuters  * Ukrainian defenders of Bakhmut still holding out * Zelenskiy denounces Palm Sunday attacks * Russians launch air strikes, artillery barrages * Avdiivka also in Moscow’s sights | KYIV — Russian forces are pressing attacks in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region, focusing on two cities and pounding Ukrainian positions with air strikes and artillery barrages, Kyiv said today. The assault on Bakhmut, a small city in Donetsk at the edge of a chunk of Russian-controlled territory, has for months been the focus of the biggest battle of the war. Ukraine’s Armed Forces General Staff said yesterday’s fighting was heaviest along . . . READ MORE . . .

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How the U.S. intelligence leaks impact the Ukrainian government and its war stategy. Reported by A Martínez and Joanna Kakissis | NPR The U.S. intelligence leaks, some of which detail the state of the war in Ukraine, have come to light as Ukraine is preparing for a counter-offensive sometime this spring. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

 

First, links to reports from the Associated Prsss, Reuters, Tass, and National Public Radio; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. — MCM

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Pope at Easter: Pray for Ukrainian, Russian people, refugees, by Frances D’Emilio | AP  VATICAN CITY (AP) — In an Easter message highlighting hope, Pope Francis today invoked prayers for both the Ukrainian and Russian people, praised nations which welcome refugees, and called on Israelis and Palestinians wracked by the latest surge in deadly violence to forge a “climate of trust.” Francis, along with . . . READ MORE . . .

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Two killed in Russian strike on Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia, by Sergiy Chalyi | Reuters ZAPORIZHZHIA, Ukraine — A 50-year-old man and his 11-year-old daughter were killed after Russian forces struck a residential building in the southeastern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia early on Sunday, authorities said. Ukraine’s State Emergency service also reported that a 46-year-old woman . . . READ MORE . . .

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Chechnya leader says Ukrainian offensive disrupted near Zaporozhye. From Tass. GROZNY — A Chechen battalion disrupted an offensive by Ukrainian forces in the Zaporozhye direction, Chechnya’s leader Ramzan Kadyrov wrote on his Telegram channel. According to him, the battalion destroyed two tanks and an infantry fighting vehicle. Kadyrov praised . . . READ MORE . . .

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The EU is trying to sanction diamonds from Russia. Reported by Jackie Northam | NPR  A large part of the world’s supply of diamonds comes from Russia. The U.S. and Europe may try to cut off the revenue the country is raising from the gems given the war in Ukraine. Click HERE to listen and read.

First, links to reports from Agence France-Presse, Le Monde, Tass, the Associated Press, and National Public Radio; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. Then, three articles from the Berkshire Eagle by its foreign affairs writer, from Substack by a veteran investigative reporter, and from the Eagle-Tribune by the chairman of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft. — MCM

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Russia takes stock after winter offensive fails to deliver gains. From AFP. Russia’s ill-fated winter offensive has been another disappointment for Moscow. As spring arrives, Russian and Ukrainian forces are deadlocked with troops stretching from the shores of the Black Sea to northeast Ukraine — and the Kremlin has once again been forced to . . . READ MORE . . .

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The key to Ukraine’s counter-offensive: Breaching Russian lines, by Cédric Pietralunga | Le Monde  According to the military, this will be one of the decisive factors in the success or failure of the Ukrainian counter-offensive announced for the spring. Will Kyiv’s troops be able to break through the lines of fortifications hastily constructed by the Russians on the front line? Will their armored vehicles be able to . . . Click HERE  for beginning of article in English, and HERE for beginning in French.

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Missile launched from Ukraine downed over Feodosiya – Head of Crimea. From Tass. SIMFEROPOL — A missile launched from Ukraine was downed over Feodosiya on the eastern coast of Crimea, Head of the republic Sergey Aksyonov said today. In the recent weeks . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine’s coal miners dig deep to power a nation at war, by Vasilisa Stepanenko | AP  DNIPROPETROVSK OBLAST, Ukraine — Deep underground in southeastern Ukraine, miners work around the clock extracting coal to power the country’s war effort and to provide civilians with light and heat. Coal is central to meeting Ukraine’s energy needs, the chief engineer of a mining company in Dnipropetrovsk province said.“Today, the country’s energy independence is . . . READ MORE . . .

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In Kharkiv, a widower tries to repair his bombed apartment building. Reported by Joanna Kakissis | NPR  In a war-ruined district of Kharkiv, a widower tries to repair his bombed apartment building as Ukraine struggles to restore neighborhoods destroyed by Russian attacks. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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Nuclear threat looms over Ukraine, by James Brooke | The Berkshire Eagle  Russia is running out of arms. Photo experts say trainloads of Stalin-era T-54 tanks are being shipped west from a storage depot created in the Russian Far East during the Korean War. Ukrainian forensic experts say that some of the missiles that rained down on Ukraine recently were the same missiles that Ukraine shipped back to Russia in the mid-1990s. These missiles carried conventional warheads. READ MORE . . .

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The Nord Stream ghost ship, by Seymour Hersh | Substack America’s Central Intelligence Agency is constantly running covert operations around the world, and each must have a cover story in case things go badly, as they often do. It is just as important to have an explanation when things go well, as they did in the Baltic Sea last fall. Within weeks of my report that Joe Biden ordered the destruction of the Nord Stream pipelines, the agency produced a cover story and found willing takers in . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ike’s military power misgivings still ring true, by Andrew Bacevich | The Eagle-Tribune  In his farewell to the nation, President Eisenhower in 1961 took aim at the “disastrous rise of misplaced power” stemming from the “conjunction of an immense military establishment and a large arms industry.” Abetted by a pliant Congress, military and corporate leaders collaborated to advance their shared interests with the well-being of the American people consigned to . . . READ MORE . . .

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For now, links to reports from National Public Radio, Reuters, Tass, Agence France-Presse, and Le Monde; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. — MCM

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Top-secret Pentagon documents on Ukraine war appear on social media sites Twitter and Telegram. Reported by Greg Myre and Sergio Olmos | NPR The Pentagon is trying to determine how the detailed material was leaked or stolen. It includes maps of Ukraine and charts on where troops are concentrated and . . . Click HERE to listen and read more.

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Ukraine debates ways to prevent military leaks after report of breach. From Reuters. KYIV — Ukraine’s president and top security brass discussed ways to prevent leaks of military information at a meeting toiday, Kyiv said, after secret documents detailing Western help for Ukraine reportedly ended up online. A statement . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russian air defenses intercept two US-made HIMARS rockets in Ukraine operation. From Tass. MOSCOW — Russian air defense forces intercepted two rockets of the U.S.-made HIMARS multiple launch rocket system and destroyed 11 Ukrainian drones over the past day during the special military operation in Ukraine, Defense Ministry spokesman Lt. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said today in a report that included other selected statitics.  READ MORE . . .

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Any Ukraine peace talks should be about ‘new world order’: Lavrov. From AFP. Moscow wants any Ukraine peace talks to focus on creating a “new world order”, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on a visit to Turkey toiday. The top Russian diplomat also threatened to abandon a landmark grain deal, which Turkey helped broker, if obstacles to Russian exports remain. “Any negotiation . . . READ MORE . . .

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In Ukraine, a growing resistance to military enlistment, by Thomas d’Istria | Le Monde   Recruiting posters in Kyiv and other cities display portraits of soldiers with determined faces call on citizens to enlist to defend the country. One war effort operation aims to create eight new brigades. But the time when army recruitment offices were overwhelmed with requests from civilians ready to take up arms seems to be over. Read more in English HERE, and in French HERE.    

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

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Macron calls on Xi to reason with Russia for Ukraine peace, by Michel Rose and Laurie Chen | Reuters  * French President visits China with EU chief von der Leyen * EU-China relations have soured in recent years * Macron hopes Xi can use Russian ties to seek Ukraine peace * China’s peace plan for Ukraine met with scepticism * Trade ‘risks’ and business deals also on summit agenda | BEIJING — French President Emmanuel Macron urged China’s Xi Jinping today to reason with close ally Russia and help end the Ukraine war, while Xi responded by saying he hoped the two sides could hold peace negotiations as soon as possible. In closely-watched talks in Beijing, which also involve EU chief Ursula von der Leyen, Macron said the West must engage Beijing to help end the crisis and prevent ‘spiralling’ tensions that could split global powers into warring blocs. “The Russian aggression in Ukraine has . . . READ MORE . . .

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China has mediation potential, but situation with Ukraine is difficult now – Kremlin. From Tass. MOSCOW — China has impressive mediation potential, but the situation with Ukraine remains complicated, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said today. He added that Moscow, given “the position, official and unofficial, that has been communicated to Kiev” . . .  READ MORE . . .

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Russian charged with war crimes: Ukrainian kids can go home, by Edith M. Lederer | AP  UNITED NATIONS — Russia’s commissioner for children’s rights Maria Lvova-Belova, who is being sought for war crimes for deporting children from Ukraine, told a U.N. meeting Wednesday that the children were taken for their safety and Moscow is coordinating with international organizations to return them to their families. Ambassadors from Western countries boycotted the informal U.N. Security Council meeting, sending . . . READ MORE . . .

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Moscow says foiled attempt by Ukrainian ‘sabotoeurs’ to enter Russia. From AFP. Russian security forces foiled an attempt of a group of Ukrainian “saboteurs” to enter Russia, the governor of the Bryansk region that borders Ukraine said today. “Today, the border department of the FSB (security service) of the Bryansk region thwarted . . . READ MORE . . .

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Medics risk their lives In Bakhmut to treat Ukrainian soldiers and evacuate them. Reported by Eleanor Beardsley | NPR  The battle over the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut has been a deadly slugfest that has reduced it to ruins. Ukrainian medics have worked hard to support and treat wounded soldiers. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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Ukraine is asking allies for modern aircraft — an upgrade to its Soviet-era equipment. Reported by Eleanor Beardsley | NPR  Ukraine’s military is asking its allies for modern aircraft to fight Russian forces. In the meantime, it is making do with Soviet-era equipment, like the many vintage helicopters in Ukraine’s fleet. Click HERE to listen and read.

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TO BE CONTINUED