First, links to reports from the Associated Press, National Public Radio, Reuters, and Agencia EFE; others are accessible by clicking on their initials below. NOTE: For today’s previous post, scroll further down or click HERE. — MCM

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Political leader in Ecuador is killed less than a week after presidential candidate’s assassination, by Regina García Cano | AP  GUAYAQUIL, Ecuador — The unprecedented violence shaking Ecuador claimed the life of another political leader Monday, bringing the number of politics-related slayings within the last four weeks to three, including that of a presidential candidate. The fatal shooting of Pedro Briones, a local leader of Revolución Ciudadana, the party of former President Rafael Correa, was confirmed by Luisa González, the frontrunner in Sunday’s special presidential election and member of the same party. READ MORE . . .

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Argentine peso plunges after rightist who admires Trump comes first in primary vote, by Daniel Politi | AP  BUENOS AIRES — The Argentine peso plunged Monday after an anti-establishment candidate who admires former President Donald Trump came first in primary elections that will help determine the country’s next president. Javier Milei rocked Argentina’s political establishment in a nation battered by economic woes. Milei wants to replace the peso with the dollar, and says that Argentina’s Central Bank should be abolished, that climate change is a lie and has characterized . . . READ MORE . . .

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Argentina braces for more economic upheaval after a major political shakeup. Reported by Carrie Kahn | NPR  Argentina’s battered peso took a dive after an outsider far-right candidate won the most votes in Sunday’s presidential primary election. Click HERE to listen and read.

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Santiago Peña, Paraguay’s new president, faces tricky balancing act, by Daniela Desantis and Lucinda Elliott | Reuters ASUNCION — Paraguay’s new president Santiago Pena took office today, a clean-cut economist for the conservative Colorado party who will need to juggle ties with Taiwan, pressure from farmers, rising crime and a U.S. probe into his political mentor. Pena, 44, scored a strong win in April elections against a center-left opposition challenger, and helped his secure a majority in both chambers of Congress. READ MORE . . .

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Santiago Peña asume como presidente de Paraguay y promete prosperidad y presencia Internacional. De AP. — El economista Santiago Peña asumió hoy como nuevo presidente de Paraguay con la promesa de promover la prosperidad para todos en su país y llevar a la nación sudamericana a ser un protagonista en la escena internacional. Peña, de 44 años, se convirtió en el mandatario más joven desde el retorno a la democracia y mantiene la continuidad en el poder del conservador Partido Colorado en Paraguay, un país que . . . LEA MÁS . . .

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Peña asume la Presidencia dispuesto a consensuar y convertir a Paraguay en protagonista. De EFE. ASUNCIÓN — El economista Santiago Peña, quien juró hoy como el presidente 51° de Paraguay, llamó a generar consensos y manifestó su aspiración de convertir a su país en “protagonista en el concierto de las naciones”, por cuenta de su acceso al agua, su seguridad alimentaria y suficiencia energética. Con 44 años, Peña, del gobernante Partido Colorado, fue investido ante . . . LEA MÁS . . . 

For today, links to reports from the Associated Press, Reuters, Tass, Agence France-Presse, and National Public Radio; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. NOTE: For later post of this blog today, click HERE or scroll up. — MCM

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Russia unleashes a missile barrage on Ukraine, killing and wounding civilians, by Illia Novikov and Dasha Litvinova | AP  KYIV — Russian forces unleashed a barrage of missiles on regions across Ukraine early today, killing civilians and damaging civilian infrastructure. The barrage came just hours before top Russian military officials and their counterparts from Asia, the Middle East and Africa gathered outside Moscow for . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russia air strikes target western Ukraine, killing three, by Andrew Perun | Reuters  LVIV, Ukraine — Russian air strikes hit two western regions of Ukraine bordering NATO member Poland and other areas today, killing three people in a factory and wounding more than a dozen, Ukrainian officials said. Local media said the attacks were the largest air assault on the Lviv region since the Russian invasion in February 2022. READ MORE . . .

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Russian forces repel five Ukrainian counterattacks in Kupyansk area over day — spokesman. From Tass. MOSCOW — The Russian battlegroup West has repelled five Ukrainian counterattacks in Kupyansk area over day, Sergey Zybinsky, the battlegroup’s spokesman, has told Tass. “In order to regain lost positions in the Kupyansk area, the enemy . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russian defence minister says Kyiv’s miliary resources ‘almost exhausted’. From AFP. MOSCOW — Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu said today that Ukraine’s military resources were “almost exhausted”, as Kyiv wages a gruelling counter offensive to recapture lost territory. “Despite comprehensive assistance from the West, Ukraine’s armed forces . . . READ MORE . . .

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As the war in Ukraine continues, China’s defense minister visits Russia, Belarus. Reported by Charles Maynes | NPR  China Defense Minister Li Shangfu is visiting Russia and Belarus this week. Click HERE later to listen and read.

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Remembering the Ukrainian musical duo the Similar Girls, killed by a Russian missile. Reported by Joanna Kakissis | NPR  A Russian missile has killed a promising young musical duo as Ukraine pleads for more air defense weapons from its western allies. Click HERE to listen and, later, read..

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

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Russia targets Odesa again but Kyiv says it shot down all the missiles and drones, by Susie Blann | AP  KYIV — Russia launched three waves of nighttime air attacks against the southern Ukraine port city of Odesa, officials said today, though the Ukrainian air force saidd it intercepted all 15 incoming Shahed drones and eight Kalibr missiles. Falling debris . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine says recaptured 3 square km around Bakhmut last week. From AFP. Ukraine said today its forces had recaptured a clutch of territory around the war-battered eastern town of Bakhmut last week, wresting back land taken by Russian forces this summer. Kyiv launched a highly-anticipated . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russia double sinks, Kremlin blames loose monetary policy. From Reuters. MOSCOW — President Vladimir Putin’s economic adviser rebuked the central bank today as the rouble slid past 101 per U.S. dollar, blaming its 30% year-to-date slump on loose monetary policy and revealing growing discord among Russia’s monetary authorities. The rouble has lost around a quarter of its value against the dollar since Putin sent troops into . . . https://www.gdnonline.com/Details/1288609READ MORE . . .

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German finance minister in Kiev on unannounced visit, first time since military op began. From Tass. BERLIN — German Finance Minister Christian Lindner arrived in Kiev on an unannounced visit to hold political talks with the Ukrainian leadership, the DPA news agency reported. The visit marks the first visit to Ukraine since the beginning of the special military operation by Linder. Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and Defense Minister Boris Pistorius have . . . READ MORE . . .

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Frontline soldiers outraged over embezzlement and draft-dodging charges among officials, by Julia Struck | The Kyiv Post  Mounting allegations that funds intended for the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) have been misdirected by government officials have spurred the State Bureau of Investigations (DBR) to probe assertions that three delegates from the Kyiv City Council have evaded military service. The probe . . . READ MORE . . .

First, links to reports from the Associated Press, Reuters, and Tass; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. Finally for today, via Popular Resistance, commentary from a Substack account. — MCM

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7 killed in Ukraine’s Kherson region, including a 23-day-old baby girl, by Susie Blann | AP  KYIV — Seven people including a 23-day-old baby girl were killed in Russian shelling in Ukraine’s southern Kherson region today, the country’s Internal Affairs Ministry said. Artillery shelling in the village of Shiroka Balka, on the banks of the Dnieper River . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russian warship fires warning shots on cargo ship in Black Sea, by Guy Faulconbridge | Reuters MOSCOW — A Russian warship today fired warning shots at a cargo ship in the southwestern Black Sea as it made its way northwards, the first time Russia has fired on merchant shipping beyond Ukraine since exiting a landmark UN-brokered grain deal last month. Russia in July halted participation . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russian naval ship stops Palau-flagged ship in Black Sea for inspection — top brass. From Tass. MOSCOW — The Russian naval ship Vasily Bykov forcibly stopped the Palau-flagged dry cargo ship Sukru Okan heading for the Ukrainian port of Izmail for inspection, Russia’s Defense Ministry said today. “At about 6:40 a.m. Moscow time on August 13 . . . READ MORE . . .

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Amid ‘staggering’ Ukrainian toll, Biden seeks billions more for Ukraine, by Aaron Maté | Substack  The Biden administration is asking Congress for an additional $24 billion for the Ukraine proxy war, more than half of it in military aid. The request comes one week after a CNN poll showed, for the first time, that a majority of Americans oppose additional funding to Kiev. For a White House committed to ensuring a Russian “quagmire” in Ukraine, public opinion is of secondary . . . READ MORE . . .

For today, links to reports from Reuters, the Kyiv Independent, the Associated Press, Tass, and the Kyiv Post; others are accessible by clicking on its initials below. — MCM

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Russia says it thwarts Ukrainian rocket attack on Crimean Bridge, downs drones. From Reuters. Russia’s Defence Ministry said today that Ukraine had tried unsuccessfully to strike the Crimean Bridge across the Kerch Strait with S-200 rockets, but that no damage or casualties had been caused. The 12-mile (19-km) bridge, which links Russian-annexed Crimea to Russia, has . . . READ MORE . . . 

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Governor: Russian attacks in Kherson Oblast injure at least 2, by Daria Shulzhenko | The Kyiv Independent  Russian troops have been shelling Kherson Oblast since this morning, injuring at least two civilians, the regional governor Oleksandr Prokudin reported. The shelling hit a residential house in the village of Poniativka, causing multiple wounds to a 70-year-old resident, Prokudin said. According to . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russian Orthodox priests face persecution from state and church for supporting peace in Ukraine, by Kostya Mankox | AP  ANTALYA, Turkey — Standing in an old Orthodox church in Antalya with a Bible in one hand and a candle in the other, the Rev. Ioann Koval led one of his first services in Turkey after Russian Orthodox Church leadership decided to defrock him following his prayer for peace in Ukraine. Last September, when . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine conflict to spin out of control if Kiev gets Taurus missiles — German MP. From Tass. BERLIN — The German government’s supplies of Taurus cruise missiles to the Kiev regime will lead to an uncontrolled escalation of the Ukrainian crisis, Sahra Wagenknecht, member of the Bundestag for The Left, said. “The delivery [by the German government] of Taurus cruise missiles to Ukraine would . . . READ MORE . . .

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‘The See-Saw Effect,’by Pete Shmigel | The Kyiv Post SNAPSHOT: The war see-sawed with Russian momentum near Kupyansk in the north and Ukrainian momentum near Urozhaine in the south. Russia continued its terroristic missile and artillery attacks on Ukrainian civilian centers, including the second deadly bombing of Zaporizhzhia in two days. ANALYSIS: The allied invasion at D-Day and then Normandy involved . . . READ MORE . . .

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

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Russian missile debris falls on Kyiv children’s hospital, no casualties – Ukraine. From Reuters. KYIV — Missile fragments crashed into the grounds of a children’s hospital in Kyiv today and explosions rocked the Ukrainian capital as air defences responded to a morning Russian air strike. Explosions were also reported in the western region of Khmelnytskyi where . . . READ MORE . . . 

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Russia says strike hit foreign mercenary base in Zaporizhzhia. From AFP.  Russia’s defense ministry said today its forces hit a location where “foreign mercenaries” were quartered in Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region, after Kyiv said a Russian missile struck a hotel on Thursday evening, leaving one dead and 16 injured. Local media . . . . . . READ MORE . . .

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Turkey may host third round of international consultations on Ukraine — Hurriyet daily. From Tass. ANKARA — Turkey may play host to the third round of consultations on resolving the Ukraine crisis following the last meeting in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Turkish daily Hurriyet reported. According to its article, the next meeting is scheduled for October. READ MORE . . .

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As tensions mount, Poland plans to deploy troops to its border with Belarus. Reported by Sarah McCammon and Rob Schmitz | NPR  Poland is planning to send ten thousand troops to its border with Belarus to counter what the government sees as a security threat from Russia’s ally, and host to Wagner militia fighters. Click HERE to listen and read.

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MAY BE CONTINUED

Links to reports in English and Spanish from the Associated Press, and from Reuters and National Public Radio; others are accessible by clicking on its initials below. NOTE: Click HERE or scroll down for today’s first entry. — MCM

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Anti-corruption presidential candidate is assassinated in Ecuador as country reels from violence, by Gonzalo Solano and Regina Garcia Cano | AP  QUITO — An Ecuadorian presidential candidate who recently pledged to root out corruption and lock up the country’s “thieves” was fatally shot at a political rally in the capital as the South American country reels from drug-related crime and violence. Fernando Villavicencio, 59, who was known for speaking up against cartels, was assassinated Wednesday, less than two weeks before a special presidential election. He was not a front-runner, but . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ecuador en estado de emergencia tras asesinato de candidato presidencial que denunciaba corrupción, por Gonzalo Solano | AP  QUITO — Ecuador permanecía el jueves en estado de emergencia nacional tras el asesinato del candidato presidencial Fernando Villavicencio, un hecho sin precedentes que ha sumido al país en uno de los momentos más aciagos de su historia democrática. El presidente Guillermo Lasso publicó en su cuenta de X, que el crimen del candidato será investigado por la Agencia Federal de Investigaciones de Estados Unidos (FBI, por sus siglas en inglés) que “aceptó nuestra petición y en las próximas horas una delegación llegará al país”. LEA MÁS . . .

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Ecuador in shock after presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio assassinated, by Alexandra Valencia | Reuters QUITO — One dead suspect and six others arrested in the assassination of Ecuadorean presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio are Colombians, Ecuadorean police said tday, and the government said it was pursuing the “intellectual authors” of the murder. The fatal shooting on Wednesday night . . . READ MORE . . .

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Slain Ecuador candidate fearlessly took on drug cartels and corruption, by Gabreila Molina and Megan Janetsky | AP  QUITO — The Ecuadorian presidential candidate fatally shot at a political rally fearlessly took on his country’s criminal networks and the political elite that he accused of corruption at the hands of organized crime. Fernando Villavicencio, a journalist before entering politics, waged a yearslong . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ecuador reels after leading presidential candidate is assassinated. Reported by Simeon Tegel | NPR  With just over a week to go until election day, Ecuador is under a state of emergency and in shock after the assassination of a presidential candidate at a campaign rally. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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

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Mass evacuation ordered in Kharkiv region amid escalating Russian attacks. From the Kyiv Post. A mandatory evacuation has been ordered in 37 settlements in the Kupyansk district in north-eastern Ukraine due to an increase in Russian attacks in the region. Oleh Synegubov, the head of the Kharkiv Regional Military Administration, said this afternoon the evacuation could affect more than 11,000 civilians, including approximately 600 children. “The enemy has . . . READ MORE . . .

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Northeast Ukraine town urges evacuation in face of Russian advance.  From AFP. Authorities in the northeastern Ukrainian town of Kupiansk urged vulnerable residents to leave the area today citing an uptick in Russian attacks on the settlement. The evacuation order came as Poland is planning to move up to 10,000 additional troops to the border with Belarus to support . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russia intercepts drones heading for Moscow for the second straight day. From AP. LONDON — Russian air defense systems today shot down two drones heading toward Moscow for the second straight day, officials said, with the attack disrupting flights at two international airports as Ukraine appeared to step up its assault on Russian soil. One drone was downed in the Kaluga region southwest of Moscow and another near a major Moscow ring road, according to . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine’s navy announces Black Sea humanitarian corridor but says Russian threat remains. From Reuters. KYIV — Ukraine’s navy said a new temporary Black Sea “humanitarian corridor” had started working today and that the first ships were expected to use it within days. Oleh Chalyk, a spokesperson for the Ukrainian navy, said . . . READ MORE . . . 

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Russia says ‘improved’ positions along front in Kharkiv region. From AFP. The Russian army said today it had improved its positions on the front line in northeastern Ukraine around Kupiansk, where Kyiv has reported increasing Russian attacks. “In the . . . READ MORE . . .

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Peaceful settlement possible if Kiev stops hostilities, terrorist attacks — diplomat. From Tass.  MOSCOW — A peaceful settlement in Ukraine is possible only if Kiev stops hostilities and terrorist attacks, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin said today. “On our behalf, we continue maintaining our principled stance that . . . READ MORE . . .

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We meet female soccer players in Ukraine who are training during wartime. Reported by Jenna McLaughlin | NPR  Many of the players on one Ukrainian professional women’s soccer team have experienced hardships of war, but they’re still watching the Women’s World Cup and cheering on their favorite players. Click HERE to listen and read.

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

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Huge blast at Moscow area factory adds to Russian jitters as new drone attacks are blamed on Ukraine, by Daria Litvinova and Emma Burrows | AP  TALLINN, Estonia — An explosion today on the grounds a factory north of Moscow that makes optical equipment for Russia’s security forces injured 45 people, six of them severely, officials said. The blast occurred at a warehouse storing fireworks on the grounds of the Zagorsk optics manufacturing plant, according to . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russia shoots down two combat drones headed for capital: Moscow mayor. From AFP. Russian air defences have shot down two armed drones headed for Moscow, the city’s mayor said, the latest in a surge of drone attacks on Russia’s capital city. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said early today that one drone was downed in the Domodedovo area on the southern outskirts of the city, while the second . . . READ MORE . . .

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Poland, Ukraine to form joint military unit, says Shoigu. From Tass. MOSCOW — Poland is planning to form a joint Polish Ukrainian military unit ostensibly for security, but with the ulterior motive of occupying western Ukraine, Russian Defense Minister Army General Sergey Shoigu today. He drew attention to the dangers associated with Poland’s militarization . . . READ MORE . . .

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Dnipro Devils ‘raid Russian-occupied river town,’ by Pete Shmigel | The Kyiv Post  Ukraine’s special forces have reportedly conducted a daring raid of a settlement on the occupied left-bank of the Dnipro River, as Kyiv may be spreading out its slow-paced summer offensive. According to the independent Institute for the Study of War (ISW) and its sources, early  Tuesday Ukrainian forces landed up to seven boats – each carrying around six to seven soldiers – near the settlement of Kozachi Laheri, then broke through Russian defensive lines, and advanced . . . READ MORE . . .

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3 years after anti-Lukashenko protests, Belarusians in Ukrainian army seek to enact change through force, by Milàn Czerny | The Moscow Times  Some Belarusians are opposing the Russian invasion of Ukraine by enlisting with the Ukrainian army. One of them, Andrzej Kshetussky, estimates that approximately 400 Belarusian fighters are currently on the frontlines. Members of the Kastus Kalinouski Regiment speak with one another in the Belarusian language. In the past week alone, four of its fighters in the have been killed. READ MORE . . .

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From drone videos to selfies at the front, Ukraine is the most documented war ever. Reported by Greg Myre | NPR  When I started covering wars back in the 1980s, a typical day was often like this: You woke up in a place with no electricity, no phone service, no television or newspapers. The Internet didn’t exist. You started every day from scratch. My experience in Ukraine has been different. Very different. Click HERE to listen and read.

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First, links to reports from the Associated Press, Tass, the Moscow Times, and the Kyiv Post; other articles are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. Then, a link to commentary from a U.S. presidential candidate’s website. — MCM

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Russian missiles kill 7 in Ukrainian city and Kyiv accuses Moscow of targeting rescue. From AP. KYIV — The death toll from two Russian missile strikes that hit apartment blocks and other buildings in an eastern Ukrainian city climbed to seven, with 81 people injured, authorities said today, as officials accused the Kremlin’s forces of targeting rescue workers. The dead . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukrainian presidential office moves to clarify provisions of its ‘peace formula.’ From Tass. MOSCOW — The office of Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky has released a document titled “Ukraine’s Peace Formula Philosophy,” which clarifies each of the ten points of Kiev’s initiative to resolve the conflict. In particular, the document . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russia pulls thousands of Soviet-era military vehicles from major storage facility. From the Moscow Times. Russia’s largest known military equipment storage facility has been stripped of nearly half of the Soviet-era tanks and armored vehicles that were stored on its grounds before Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, The Moscow Times’ Russian service reported, analyzing satellite imagery of the storage site. The Vagzhanovo military equipment depot — located . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russia’s helicopter losses mount further. From the Kyiv Post. Despite being billed by the Kremlin as the world’s best helicopter gunship, Russia may have just lost its 40th Ka-52 Alligator. According to the latest release from the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU), the latest doomed chopper . . . READ MORE . . .

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This is the future the Biden administration risks, by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. | Kennedy 2024  According to U.S. National Security Council official Fiona Hill and former Israeli PM Naftali Bennett, Ukraine and Russia agreed on the terms of a negotiated peace in March 2022. Russia pledged to retreat to pre-invasion lines and Ukraine pledged not to join NATO in exchange for security guarantees from a number of Western countries. Leaders from Washington and London arrived to scuttle the deal and . . . READ MORE . . .

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