For today, links to four reports: from Reuters, the Associated Press and National Public Radio; others are accessible by clicking on their initials below. (UKRAINE entry for this date is HERE.) — MCM

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Israel military strikes kill 32 Palestinians in Gaza, medics say, by Nidal Al-Mughrabi, Adam Makary and Menna AlaaElDin | Reuters  CAIRO — The Israeli military said it killed a Palestinian it accused of involvement in Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel in a vehicle strike in Gaza, while medics said at least 32 Palestinians were killed in Israeli strikes across the enclave overnight and into today. The escalation comes as leaders of Hamas . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM NOV. 29  2 children and a woman crushed to death outside Gaza bakery amid food shortage. From AP. Two girls aged 13 and 17 and a 50-year-old woman were crushed to death Friday as a crowd of Palestinians pushed to get bread at a bakery in the Gaza Strip, medical officials said, amid a worsening food crisis in the war-ravaged territory. READ MORE . . .

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Post-ceasefire with Israel, Lebanon reckons with large-scale damage and displacement. Reported by Lauren Frayer and Scott Simon | NPR  Parts of southern Lebanon now look like Gaza. The World Bank estimates $8.5 billion in damage to Lebanon from the Israel-Hezbollah war. Click HERE to read and, later, read.

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FROM NOV. 29  The dynamic between Lebanon and Hezbollah is crucial for next steps in ceasefire deal. Reported by Erika Ryan, Patrick Jarenwattananon and Ari Shapiro | NPR  The ceasefire deal between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon requires Hezbollah fighters to move North, away from the border with Israel. Lebanon’s government is responsible for ensuring it happens. Click HERE to listen and read.

For today, links to eight reports: from Eurotopics, the Kyiv Independent, the Associated Press, Kyiv Post, the Kyiv Independent, the Moscow Times, and Tass, and to commentary from Consortium News and Indian Punchline; other articles are accessible by clicking on their names below. (GAZA entry for this date is HERE.) — MCM

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Trump nominates Kellogg as U.S. envoy. From Eurotopics. Retired Gen. Keith Kellogg is to become U.S.special envoy for Ukraine and Russia under Donald Trump. Kellogg was security advisor for the White House during Trump’s first term in office — and presented a plan last spring for ending the war in Ukraine. Observers in Ukraine, Russia, Spain and Germany react. READ MORE . . .

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FROM NOV. 29  Trump’s pick for Ukraine envoy backs ‘peace through strength,’ security guarantees, by Oleg Sukhov | The Kyiv Independent  U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s decision to choose Keith Kellogg as his special envoy for Ukraine and Russia is not ideal for Kyiv but is an acceptable and reasonable choice for Ukraine, analysts say. Kellogg has co-authored a peace plan that would . . . READ MORE . . .

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Zelenskyy says NATO offer for Ukraine-controlled territory could end ‘hot stage’ of war, by Susie Blann | AP  KYIV — An offer of NATO membership to territory under Kyiv’s control would end “the hot stage of the war” in Ukraine, but any proposal to join the military alliance should be extended to all parts of the country that fall under internationally recognized borders, according to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for report from the Kyiv Independent.

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’Do you want them to die without weapons?’ — Zelensky on calls to lower draft age. From Kyiv Post. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says the shortage of weapons and equipment—not personnel—is the main challenge facing the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Speaking to Sky News, he addressed calls from allies to lower the country’s draft age to . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM NOV. 29  Russia will respond to ‘each’ use of U.S.-supplied missiles, Kremlin say. From the Moscow Times. Moscow will continue attacks on Ukrainian targets “each time” Russia is hit with U.S.-supplied missiles, the Kremlin said Friday in response to U.S. President Joe Biden’s condemnation of the strike on Ukraine’s energy grid as “horrific” and “outrageous.” READ MORE . . .

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Situation in Russia’s Kursk Region. From Tass. MOSCOW — The Ukrainian army lost over 250 troops in the Kursk area in the past day, the Russian Defense Ministry said. READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine destroys 3 more Russian radar systems in Crimea, military intelligence claims, by Natalia Yermak | The Kyiv Independent  Ukraine destroyed three Russian high-value radar stations in Russian-occupied Crimea on Friday, Ukraine’s military intelligence agency said today. READ MORE . . .

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FROM NOV. 25  Biden’s Samson Option, by Patrick Lawrence | Special to Consortium News  After the Sept. 11, 2001, events, a continued commitment to American primacy was ineluctably going to prove a commitment to one or another degree of disorder.  READ MORE . . .

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FROM NOV. 28  Atlanticists mobilise to salvage NATO as Russia toughens its stance, by M.K. Bhadakumar | Indian Punchline  The American film maker and philanthropist who created the Star Wars and Indiana Jones franchises, George Lucas, once said, “Fear is the path to the Dark Side. Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering.” Within a week of Russia “testing” . . . READ MORE . . .

 

For today, links to five reports: from Reuters, National Public Radio, Middle East Monitor, and the Associated Press, and to commentary from Middle East Monitor and Middle East Eye; other articles are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (UKRAINE entry for this date is HERE.) — MCM

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Israeli tanks retreat from central Gaza camp, medics say 30 killed, by Nidal Al-Mughrabi | Reuters  CAIRO — Israeli military strikes killed at least 30 Palestinians overnight in the Gaza Strip, most of them in the Nuseirat camp at the centre of the enclave, medics said today after some tanks pulled back from an area they had raided. READ MORE . . .

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FROM NOV. 28  Another winter arrives in Gaza, but flimsy tents are all people have. Reported by Aya Batrawy | NPR  People in Gaza have had to contest with Israeli airstrikes, hunger, armed gangs of looters and — now — a rainy winter without shelter. Click HERE to listen and read.

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Ben-Gvir: There’s a historic opportunity to reclaim Gaza. From Middle East Monitor.  There is a historic opportunity “to reclaim the Gaza Strip and promote voluntary migration,” Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir was quoted as saying by Maariv newspaper on Nov. 28. He claimed such a move . . . READ MORE . . .

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Saudi Arabia abandons pursuit of U.S. defence treaty over Israel stalemate, by Samia Nakhoul and Pesha Magid | Reuters  RIYADH — Saudi Arabia has abandoned its pursuit of an ambitious defence treaty with Washington in return for normalising relations with Israel and is now pushing for a more modest military cooperation agreement, according to two Saudi and four Western officials. READ MORE . . .

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Battered by war and divisions, Lebanon faces a long list of challenges after ceasefire deal, by Kareem. Chehayeb | AP  BEIRUT — Town after town in Lebanon’s south and east as well as parts of Beirut have been destroyed, entire border villages leveled to the ground, and thousands of buildings damaged. The World Bank estimates . . . READ MORE . . .

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Israel and the West’s war on itself: The true meaning of ICC arrest warrants, by Ramzy Baroud | Middle East Monitor  It turns out that the international system has a pulse, after all, though faint, but is enough to rekindle hope that legal and moral accountability are still possible. READ MORE . . .

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FROM NOV. 28  Ceasefire in Lebanon: What now for the Axis of Resistance? by Alex MacDonald | Middle East Eye  Israel and Hezbollah have agreed to a ceasefire. With more than 3,800 dead in Lebanon in just over a year, the move comes . . . READ MORE . . .

For today, links to nine reports: from Reuters, Agence France-Presse, Kyiv Post, the Moscow Times, the Kyiv Independent, Tass, the Associated Press and National Public Radio; others are accessible by clicking on their initials below. (GAZA entry for this date is HERE.) — MCM

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Russian drone attacks injure 8 people, damages buildings, Ukraine says. From Reuters. KYIV — Russian drone attacks on Ukraine injured at least eight people and damaged residential buildings in the capital Kyiv and in the southern Odesa region overnight, officials said today. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for report from AFP.

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Ambitious Ukraine long-range strikes hit Russian air defenses, refinery, naval base, by Stefan Korshak | Kyiv Post  Dozens of long-range Ukrainian kamikaze drones hit Russian military and infrastructure targets hundreds of kilometers apart today, in one of the most . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine claims attack on oil depot in southern Russia’s Rostov region. From the Moscow Times. The Ukrainian military said today it struck an oil depot, which sparked a major fire in southern Russia’s Rostov region. Rostov region Governor Yury Slyusar said . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine’s top commander vows to boost troops on eastern front after visiting units there. From Reuters. KYIV — Ukraine’s army chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said today he would strengthen troops deployed on the eastern front with reserves, ammunition and equipment after he visited two key Ukrainian-held sites in the Donetsk region. READ MORE . . .

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Russia reportedly loses a record 2,030 troops in one day in Ukraine, by Chris York | The Kyiv Independent  Russia’s daily losses in Ukraine surpassed 2,000 for the first time, according to figures released by Kyiv today. The figures do not specify killed or wounded, though  . . . READ MORE . . .

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U.S. mercenary in-absentia arrest, Ukrainian losses: situation in Kursk Region. From Tass. MOSCOW — The Ukrainian armed forces have lost more than 340 troops in the Kursk area over the past day, the Russian Defense Ministry reported. In total . . . READ MORE . . .

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Desertion threatens to starve Ukraine’s forces at a crucial time in its war with Russia, by Samya Kullab and Volodymyr Yurchuk | AP  KYIV — Desertion is starving the Ukrainian army of desperately needed manpower and crippling its battle plans at a crucial time in its war with Russia, which could put Kyiv at a clear disadvantage in future ceasefire talks. READ MORE . . .

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FROM NOV. 28  Ukrainians try to restore a damaged power plant before harsh weather hits. Reported by Joanna Kakissis | NPR  Russian strikes continue to destroy Ukraine’s power grid, prompting nation-wide power cuts while temperatures drop. Workers at a damaged plant try to restore its operation before the winter freeze. Click HERE to listen and read.

For today, links to four reports: from National Public Radio and the Associated Press; others are accessible by clicking on their initials below. (UKRAINE entry for this date is HERE.) — MCM

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Pause in Israel-Hezbollah war may build momentum toward a ceasefire in Gaza. Rob Schmitz of NPR talks with Aaron David Miller at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace about prospects for replicating the Israel-Hezbollah truce with one in Gaza between Israel and Hamas. Click HERE to listen and read.

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With ceasefire in place, Lebanese displaced by war are returning home. Reported by Lauren Frayer and Rob Schmitz | NPR   Following the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, Lebanese refugees are returning to the south of the country to see if their homes are still standing.. Click HERE to listen and read.

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FROM NOV. 27  The Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire quiets one front but Gaza sees no end to war, by Julia Frankel | AP  JERUSALEM — For many across the Middle East, the Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire came as a relief: the first major sign of progress in the region since war began more than a year ago. But for Palestinians in Gaza and families of hostages held in the territory . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM NOV. 27  The Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire is in effect in Lebanon. Reported by Kat Lonsdorf | NPR  A ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah militants in Lebanon took effect – and appears to be holding. Israeli troops are still present in many towns in southern Lebanon. Click HERE to listen and read.

For today, links to 12 reports: from the Associated Press, Reuters, National Public Radio, Agence France-Presse, Middle East Eye, and Middle East Monitor, and to commentary from ScheerPost, transcribed from an address at the University of California, Santa Barbara; other published material is accessible by clicking on their names or initials below or otherwise highlighted. (UKRAINE entry for this date is HERE.) — MCM

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As Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire begins, displaced Lebanese return home in packed cars. From AP. A ceasefire between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah appeared to be holding as residents returned toward southern Lebanon, despite warnings from the Israeli and Lebanese military that they stay away from certain areas. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE and HERE reports from Reuters and NPR.

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Biden announced Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire — a significant Middle East development. Rob Schmitz of NPR talks with Jake Sullivan, President Biden’s national security adviser, about the U.S. role in securing a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon after months of fighting.. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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Lebanon army says reinforcing presence in south. From AFP. Lebanon’s army said it began reinforcing its presence in south Lebanon today, after Prime Minister Najib Mikati announced a cabinet decision to bolster the force’s deployment following a Hezbollah-Israel ceasefire. READ MORE . . .

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Hezbollah MP says group cooperating with army on south Lebanon. From AFP. Hezbollah lawmaker Hassan Fadlallah said today his group was cooperating with the army’s deployment to southern Lebanon under the terms of a new truce with Israel, insisting “there will be no problem there.” READ MORE . . .

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A year ago this week Israel and Hamas agreed to a brief ceasefire in Gaza. Reported by Kat Lonsdorf, Scott Neuman and Michael Levitt | NPR  It’s been one year since Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners were exchanged in a brief ceasefire negotiated in the Israel-Hamas war. We look at those released and the status of negotiations. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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Lebanon deal shatters Netanyahu’s illusions of reshaping Middle East, Hamas says. From Middle East Eye. Hamas released a statement praising Hezbollah for supporting Gaza and welcoming the ceasefire agreement between Lebanon and Israel, which it said represented a significant blow to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ambitions to “reshape” the Middle East. READ MORE . . .

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UN rapporteurs call for ‘full compliance’ with Netanyahu, Gallant arrest warrants. From Middle East Monitor. UN rapporteurs and other experts called on Tuesday for “full compliance” with the warrants issued by the International Criminal Court for the arrest of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant. READ MORE . . .

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FROM NOV. 26  Ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah set to take hold in a matter of hours. From AP. Israel has approved a United States-brokered ceasefire agreement with Lebanon’s Hezbollah, setting the stage for an end to nearly 14 months of fighting linked to the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip. Just as the deal was announced, Israeli warplanes kept up . . . READ MORE . . . Click HERE and HERE for reports from Reuters and NPR.

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FROM NOV. 1  To kill a people, by Chris Hedges | ScheerPost  Extermination works. At first. This is the terrible lesson of history. If Israel is not stopped — and no outside power appears willing to halt the genocide in Gaza or the destruction of Lebanon — it will achieve its goals of depopulating and annexing northern Gaza. It will turn southern Gaza . . . READ MORE . . .

 

For today, links to four reports: from Kyiv Post, the Kyiv Independent, and Tass, and to commentary from Substack; other articles are accessible by clicking on their names below. (GAZA entry for this date is HERE.) — MCM

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Biden secretly requests $24 billion for Ukraine aid. From Kyiv Post. U.S. President Joe Biden has secretly requested an additional $24 billion from Congress to support Ukraine and replenish U.S. weapons stocks previously sent to Kyiv, according to documents reviewed by Politico. READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine’s defense minister in Seoul – intel transfers a topic, by Julia Struck | Kyiv Post  Kyiv and Seoul have agreed to share intelligence on North Korea’s troop deployments to Russia and the transfer of weapons and technology between Pyongyang and Moscow following Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov’s visit to Seoul on Wednesday. READ MORE . . .

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FROM NOV. 26  Once liberated Kupiansk braces for worst as Russian troops approach, and future Western support looks uncertain, by Boldizsar Gyori | The Kyiv Independent  KUPIANSK — The city of Kupiansk lies at a critical junction between the Russian-occupied Luhansk Oblast and the adjacent Kharkiv Oblast, which Ukraine largely liberated in autumn 2022. Now, residents . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russian troops liberate Novaya Ilyinka community in Donbass region over past day. From Tass. MOSCOW — Russian troops liberated the community of Novaya Ilyinka in the Donetsk People’s Republic over the past day in the special military operation in Ukraine, Russia’s Defense Ministry said today in a broader statement. READ MORE . . .

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FROM NOV. 26  Biden’s last hurrah against Russia and Putin, by Seymour M. Hersh | Substack  There is a scene early on in Nathanael West’s satirical 1933 novella Miss Lonelyhearts that reeks of depression, despair, and genius. It’s hard to forget. The protagonist is a lovelorn advice columnist for a newspaper in New York City who . . . READ MORE . . .

 

For today, links to reports from Middle East Eye, the Associated Press, and National Public Radio, and to commentary from Middle East Monitor; other articles are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (UKRAINE entry for this date,, so far, is HERE.) — MCM

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Bezalel Smotrich says Israel can empty half of Gaza through ‘voluntary’ migration, by Alex MacDonald | Middle East Eye  Israel‘s far-right finance minister on Wednesday said Gaza could be emptied of half its population through “voluntary” migration within two years. Addressing a meeting of the Yesha Council, a committee overseeing . . . READ MORE . . .

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Israel bombards central Beirut as its leadership prepares to vote on ceasefire with Hezbollah, by Kareem Chehayeb | AP  BEIRUT — Israeli warplanes struck central Beirut and the city’s southern suburbs today, ahead of a planned vote by Israel’s leadership on whether to accept a U.S.-brokered ceasefire . . . READ MORE . . .

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Efforts continue to reach a diplomatic resolution to the conflict in Lebanon. Reported by Rob Schmitz and Lauren Frayer | NPR  Is a pause in the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah possible? Diplomats in Lebanon and Israel say a deal is close. Are the sticking points surmountable? Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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FROM NOV. 25  A ceasefire deal could be close as Israel-Hezbollah violence continues. Reported by Michele Kelemen | NPR  Israeli airstrikes shook Southern Beirut Monday and Hezbollah has continued to fire hundreds of rockets into Israel. Amid this violence, there are some signals of a diplomatic deal in the works. Click HERE to listen and read.

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Arrest warrants from the Hague: The ICC, Netanyahu and Gallant, by Binoy Kampmark | Middle East Monitor  The slow, often grinding machinery of international law has just received a push along with the issuing of three arrest warrants by the International Criminal Court. They are for . . . READ MORE . . .

For today, links to six reports: from Reuters, the Associated Press, Agence France-Presse, Kyiv Post, the Moscow Times, and the Kyiv Indepedent, and to three-hour discussion from Consortium News, the first two and a half hours of which focus on the Ukraine war and its dangers; bios of the three guests’ names are highlighted below. Other published material is accessible by clicking on their names or initials below.(GAZA entry for this date is HERE.) — MCM

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Russia advances in Ukraine at fastest monthly pace since start of war, analysts say, by Guy Faulconbridge and Lidia Kelly | Reuters  MOSCOW — Russian forces are advancing in Ukraine at the fastest rate since the early days of the 2022 invasion, taking an area half the size of London over the past month, analysts and war bloggers say. The war is entering what . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine says Russian attack sets a new record for the number of drones used, by Hanna Arhirova | AP  KYIV — Russia launched 188 drones against most regions of Ukraine in a nighttime blitz, the Ukrainian air force said today, describing it as a record number of drones deployed in a single attack and saying most were intercepted. READ MORE . . .

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Russian military vows retaliation after Ukraine launches new ATACMS strikes on Kursk Region. From AFP. Russia’s military today vowed to respond to new Ukrainian airstrikes against Russian territory allegedly carried out with U.S.-supplied ATACMS missiles, coming a week after the White House gave Kyiv permission to use the weapons on targets inside Russia. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for report from Kyiv Post.

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Russian military replaces senior commander in eastern Ukraine – RBC. From the Moscow Times. Russia’s military has replaced the commander of one of its six operational groups fighting in Ukraine, as part of a “planned rotation,” the RBC news website reported today, citing anonymous sources. READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine’s drones have a reputation for low cost. Buntar Aerospace wants to make them boutique, by Kollen Post | The Kyiv Independent  Over the past year, Buntar has armed itself with nearly $3 million in investment from Ukraine, the EU, and the U.S. and is building . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM NOV. 24  ‘Escalation.’ Joe Lauria and Elizabeth Vos of Consortium News talk with former CIA analyst Ray McGovern, ex-UN weapons inspector Scott Ritter and MIT professor emeritus Ted Postol about, among other things, the possibility of nuclear war between Russia and the West. Click HERE to watch and listen.