For now, links to reports from Tass, Reuters, the Associated Press and National Public Radio; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. Then, via the Greanville Post, commentary first published last December by the Real News Network. — MCM

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UN Security Council meeting on Ukraine today. From Tass. UNITED NATIONS — The United Nations Security Council will hold a meeting today, at 10 p.m. Moscow time, on the situation in Ukraine, which will be attended by top diplomats from a number of countries, Russian First Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations Dmitry Polyansky said on Sunday. The meeting was requested by the British mission. . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russia halts grain deal, says no link to bridge attack it blames on Ukraine, by Guy Faulconbridge | Reuters  * Russia halts grain deal * Putin’s prestige project damaged again * Two parents dead, girl injured * Russia blames Ukrainian security forces * Ukrainian media says Ukraine organised attack | MOSCOW — Russia said on today that it had halted participation in a landmark UN-brokered deal which allowed Ukrainian grain to be exported through the Black Sea, just hours after Moscow said Ukraine had attacked the Crimean Bridge. Two people were killed and . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russia blames Ukraine for attack on key Crimea military supply bridge that kills 2. From AP.  Traffic on a key military supply bridge connecting Crimea to Russia’s mainland came to a standstill today after one of its sections was blown up, killing two people and wounding their daughter. Russian officials blamed the attack on Ukraine, but Kyiv officials didn’t openly admit it. The strike on the 19-kilometer bridge was carried out by two Ukrainian sea drones, according to . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russia halts wartime deal allowing Ukraine to ship grain. It’s a blow to global food security, by Courtney Bonnell | AP  LONDON — Russia halted an unprecedented wartime deal on today that allows grain to flow from Ukraine to countries in Africa, the Middle East and Asia where hunger is a growing threat and high food prices have pushed more people into poverty. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov . . . READ MORE . . .

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Explosions reported on key bridge linking annexed Crimea and Russia’s mainland. Reported by Charles Maynes and Steve Inskeep | NPR  At least two people have died and another was injured after what Russian authorities are calling an “emergency” on a key bridge linking the Russian mainland to annexed Crimea. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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How the war machine took over the Democratic Party. Chris Hedges of The Real News Network talks with former U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich of Ohio in a half-hour conversation first featured by Scheer Post last Dec. 16 and republished Saturday by the Greanville Post. Click HERE to watch and listen.

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MAY BE CONTINUED

For today, links to reports from Agence France-Presse, Tass, and the Associated Press; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. Next, via Consortium News, commentary first published three days ago. Then, from Substack, commentary first published five days ago. Finally, commentary first published eight days ago in the Washington Post and linked to HERE and HERE.  — MCM

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Ukraine says ‘on the defence’ near eastern Kupiansk. From AFP. Ukraine said today its forces were on the defensive against Russian assaults near the eastern city of Kupiansk, while noting gradual progress near the hotspot city of Bakhmut. “For . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russian Armed Forces foil Kiev’s drone attack on Sevastopol — Defense Ministry. From Tass. MOSCOW — The Russian military has foiled an attempt by the Ukrainian military to attack facilities near Sevastopol; no casualties or damage were reported, the Russian Defense Ministry said today. Earlier . . . READ MORE . . .

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Putin says Russia has ‘sufficient stockpile’ of cluster bombs as Ukraine gets its own supply from U.S., by Elise Morton | AP  KYIV — Russian President Vladimir Putin said in an interview published tday that Russia has a “sufficient stockpile” of cluster munitions, and warned that Russia “reserves the right to take reciprocal action” if Ukraine uses the controversial weapons. He said Russia has not used cluster bombs in its war in Ukraine so far. The use of cluster bombs by both Russia and Ukraine has been widely documented, including . . . READ MORE . . .

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Remilitarized Germany playing long game in Ukraine, by  M.K. Bhadrakumar | Indian Punchline / Consortium News German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has pledged a new arms package worth €700 million, including additional tanks, munitions and Patriot air defense systems, putting Berlin, as he said, at the very forefront of military support for Ukraine. Fundamentally, however, Germany’s motivation is traceable to the crushing defeat by the Red Army and has little to do with Ukraine as such. The Ukraine crisis . . . READ MORE . . .

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The dissolution of NATO may be the only way to prevent WWIII, by Dennis Kucinich | Substack Here are (at least) 10 reasons why NATO ought to be disbanded: 1. NATO was formed in 1949 to protect Europe against the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union ended in 1991.  NATO fulfilled its founding purpose thirty-two years ago. 2.  NATO has . . . READ MORE . . .

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Amid promising signs in Ukraine, uncertainties abound, by David Ignatius | The Washington Post President Biden on Monday [July 10] heads to a NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, in what seems an enviable position: The alliance is stronger than ever before; its ally Ukraine is slowly advancing on the battlefield and receiving more weapons every week; and Russia is in disarray at home. Yet . . . READ MORE . . .

First, links to reports from Reuters, Agence France-Presse, Tass, National Public Radio, the Kyiv Independent, and the Associated Press; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. Then, commentary by a Berkshire Eagle columnist and an Eagle review of and an AP news story about a new documentary film. — MCM

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Zelenskiy warns of Russian efforts to halt Kyiv’s troops. From Reuters. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy warned Ukrainians that Russia was throwing all its resources into a campaign to stop Kyiv’s troops from pressing their counter offensive, and a top general reported new progress on the southern front. But Ukrainian military analysts suggested . . . READ MORE . . .

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Korea will ‘expand scale’ of aid to Ukraine, president says. From AFP. SEOUL — South Korea’s President Yoon Suk Yeol pledged today to ‘expand the scale’ of his country’s humanitarian and non-lethal military assistance to Ukraine, after a summit with President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv. Yoon said humanitarian aid would be increased to $150 million in 2023, from $100 million last year. . . . READ MORE . . .

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How many Russians have died in Ukraine? New data estimates soldier casualties. Mary Louise Kelly of NPR speaks with Mika Golubovsky, English-language editor for one of two independent Russian media outlets. Golubovsky talks about the how the outlets — Meduza and Mediazona — arrived at the estimated total number of Russian soldiers killed in Ukraine so far: approximately 47,000. Click HERE to listen and read.

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Moscow condemns Kiev’s attempts to attack Russian nuke plants – diplomat. From Tass. MOSCOW — Moscow “resolutely condemns” Kiev’s plans to use terrorist methods against Russian nuclear power plants that may cause a large-scale nuclear disaster in Europe, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said today. She spoke in the wake of a Ukrainian drone attack on the Russian town of Kurchatov where the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine says it destroyed Russian S-400 missile system used in deadly strike on Kramatorsk. From the Kyiv Independent. Ukraine’s military said today that it destroyed a Russian S-400 missile system that was used to launch a June strike on Kramatorsk, which killed 13 people, including three children. According to the Operational North Command, an American-provided HIMARS, short for High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, was used . . . READ MORE . . .

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Why allowing Ukraine to ship grain during Russia’s war matters to the world, by Courtney Bonnell | AP  LONDON — Agreements that the United Nations and Turkey brokered with Ukraine and Russia to allow food and fertilizer to get from the warring nations to parts of the world where millions are going hungry have eased concerns over global food security. But they face increasing risks. Moscow has . . . READ MORE . . .

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Putin looks weak after his Prigozhin flip-flop, by James Brooke | The Berkshire Eagle Immediately after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan quelled a military coup attempt in 2016, he detained 77,000 people, including 10,000 soldiers. When Russian President Vladimir Putin faced a similar military mutiny last month, he went on national television calling the mutineers “traitors.” But five days later, he . . . READ MORE . . .

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An unflinching look at seemingly endless suffering in Ukraine, by Leonard Quart | The Berkshire Eagle  This month, Frontline is showing “20 Days in Mariupol” on PBS. Mstyslav Chernov — a Ukrainian videographer, photographer, photojournalist, filmmaker, war correspondent and novelist — directed the documentary that traces the Russian siege of the port city of Mariupol that began in March 2022 in all its horrifically violent and intimate detail. Mariupol is . . . READ MORE . . .

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What to know about the harrowing Ukraine war doc ’20 Days in Mariupol.’ From AP. NEW YORK — Theatergoers in select cities will soon be able to watch “20 Days in Mariupol,” the visceral documentary on Russia’s early assault on the Ukrainian city. The 94-minute film is a joint production by The Associated Press and PBS “Frontline” and has been met with critical acclaim and . . . READ MORE . . .

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MAY BE CONTINUED

For today, links to reports from Agence France-Presse, Tass, the Kyiv Independent, Reuters, and the Associated Press; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. Next, a link to an investigative report from a Substack account, which may require a subscription to access. Finally, via Popular Resistance, a link to commentary from Educate!  — MCM

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Ukraine says advanced nearly 2 km along southern front this week. From AFP. Kyiv said today its troops had advanced nearly two kilometres along the southern front over the past week as Ukraine pushes ahead with its counteroffensive. Mykola Urshalovych, a senior representative of the National Guard . . . READ MORE . . .

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NATO summit shows Russia needs to meet special operation’s goals — diplomat. From Tass. MOSCOW — Analysis of the latest NATO summit’s results leads to a conclusion that Russia needs to fulfill the goals of its special operation in Ukraine, strengthen its armed forces and develop ties with allies, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko said Thursday. “I can . . . READ MORE . . .

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Biden says Putin won’t use nukes; U.S. cluster munitions already in Ukraine, by Alexander Khrebet | The Kyiv Independent * Ukraine receives cluster munitions from US, says commander * Biden: ‘No real prospect of Putin using nukes’ * Ukraine confirms striking on Russian military barrack in occupied Berdiansk * EU parliament adopts plan to increase ammunition production for Ukraine | The U.S. has already delivered the cluster munitionsit had pledged as part of the latest $800-million aid package to Ukraine just a week ago, Oleksandr Tarnavskyi, the commander for Tavria military sector, said Thursday.  “We just got them . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russia’s Putin snubs Prigozhin, Biden jokes about poison, by Guy Faulconbridge | Reuters MOSCOW — Russian President Vladimir Putin offered Wagner mercenaries the opportunity to keep fighting at a meeting just days after their failed mutiny but suggested Yevgeny Prigozhin be moved aside in favour of a different commander, the Kommersant newspaper said. Mystery surrounds . . .  READ MORE . . .

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For a group of Ukrainian women, painting is a form of therapy to help them cope with loss, by Hanna Arhirova | AP  KYIV — Iryna Farion’s artwork depicts two intertwined trees held together by their roots, as though in embrace, and a radiant yellow sun shining against a moody blue background. “I feel like it’s me and my husband, who was killed in the war,” Farion says of the trees. “They are like two . . . READ MORE . . .

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Fear and loathing on Air Force One, by Seymour Hersh | Substack Last week Jake Sullivan, President Biden’s national security adviser, called in a few journalists to insist that Putin’s squabble with Yevgeny Prigozhin, the leader of the Wagner militia, was an armed mutiny that showed weakness in the Russian’s leader command and control of his military. There’s simply no evidence for such assertions. If anything, . . . READ MORE . . .

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NATO’s big climb down, by Moon of Alabama | Educate!  From the: Vilnius Summit Communiqué issued by NATO heads of state and government participating in the meeting of the North Atlantic Council in Vilnius 11 July 2023: “11. We fully support Ukraine’s right to choose its own security arrangements. Ukraine’s future is in NATO. We reaffirm . . . READ MORE . . .

 

First, links to reports from Reuters, the Associated Press, National Public Radio, Agence France-Presse, and Tass; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. Then, via Popular Resistance, an analysis published in late June by The Grayzone. — MCM

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Russian general says top military brass betrayed soldiers fighting in Ukraine, by Guy Faulconbridge | Reuters MOSCOW  — A Russian general said he had been dismissed as a commander after telling the military leadership about the dire situation at the front in Ukraine where he said Russian soldiers had been stabbed in the back by the failings of the top military brass. Major General Ivan Popov, who commanded the 58th Combined Arms Army, said . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine repels large Russian missile and drone attack that injures civilians in Kyiv, by Hanna Arhirova | AP  KYIV — Ukrainian officials said air defenses shot down 20 Iranian-made drones fired by Russia mostly at the Kyiv region early this morning, but wreckage fell on four districts of the capital, wounding two people and destroying several homes. The latest barrage by . . . READ MORE . . .

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NATO summit: Mixed news for Ukraine, hope for Sweden and a response to Russia, by Lorne Cook | AP  VILNIUS — U.S. President Joe Biden and his NATO counterparts wrapped up a two-day summit Wednesday with pledges of long-term support for Ukraine but no offer of the country’s protection under the alliance’s security umbrella. Results from the meeting in Lithuania, a nation . . . READ MORE . . .

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A big question during the NATO summit: Who’s in and who’s not? Steve Inskeep of NPR talks with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg about breakthroughs at the summit, and if the alliance is better poised to defend against further aggression from Russia or others. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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NATO pledges its support for Ukraine, but gives it no timeline for membership. Reported by Eleanor Beardsley | NPR  President Biden said NATO countries will help Ukraine defend itself against Russia now and into the future, even as they did not offer a clear pathway for Ukraine to join the alliance. Click HERE to listen and read.

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Russia says F-16 jets in Ukraine will be seen as ‘nuclear’ threat. From AFP. Russia will regard Western F-16 fighter jets sent to Ukraine as a “nuclear” threat because of their capacity to carry atomic weapons, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said today. He spoke of a U.S. plan to transfer F-16s to Ukraine, although Washington has not . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russia’s position on required issues for Ukraine settlement remains unchanged — Lavrov. From Tass. MOSCOW — Russia maintains its stance on the issues that are required for the resolution of the situation in Ukraine, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said today. “Our position . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ground vehicles are the new frontier in Ukraine’s drone war, by Max Hunder | Reuters * Unmanned aerial vehicles have played big role in war * Ukraine innovators now turning to ground drones * Russia, too, is experimenting with combat robots * Aim is to save lives and boost battlefield capabilities | KYIV — After the role of unmanned aerial vehicles in the Ukraine war expanded dramatically since Russia invaded 16 months ago, attention is turning to ground drones that developers say could be the next frontier in military innovation. Among the Ukrainian engineers working in the sector . . . READ MORE . . .

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An independent audit of U.S. funding for Ukraine, by Heather Kaiser, Anya Parampil and Max Blumenthal | The Grayzone Though many Americans likely believe that U.S. dollars allocated for Ukraine are spent directly on supplies for the war effort, the lead author of this report, Heather Kaiser, conducted a thorough review of Washington’s budget for the 2022 and 2023 fiscal year and discovered that is far from the case. U.S. taxpayers may . . . READ MORE . . .

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TO BE CONTINUED

For today, links to reports from Reuters, the Associated Press, Tass, and National Public Radio; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. Finally, via Popular Resistance, recently published commentary from Indian Punchline and Consortium News. — MCM

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Russia launches more air strikes on Kyiv and elsewhere in Ukraine as NATO meets, From Reuters. Russia launched a wave of kamikaze drone attacks on Kyiv and other cities for a second night in row, Ukraine’s military said today, hours before President Volodymyr Zelenskiy was due to meet NATO leaders at a summit in Lithuania. Ukraine’s defence forces shot down 11 of 15 Shahed drones, according to . . . READ MORE . . .

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NATO prepared to back Ukraine in its fight against Russia — but not to extend membership, by Chris Megerian, Lorne Cook and Seung Min Kim | AP  VILNIUS, Lithuania — NATO leaders gathered today to launch a highly symbolic new forum for ties with Ukraine, after committing to provide the country with more military assistance for fighting Russia but only vague assurances of future membership. The new NATO-Ukraine Council is a permanent body where the 31 allies and Ukraine can hold consultations and . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine, Russia report heavy fighting in east, south. From Reuters. Ukraine’s military on Tuesday reported heavy fighting in the east and southeast, the main theatres of its drive to recapture land seized by Russian invaders, saying its forces had repelled dozens of enemy attacks. Russian accounts from the front line also outlined clashes, including . . . READ MORE . . .

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Kiev lost over 26,000 during its so-called counter-offensive — Russian minister. From Tass. MOSCOW — Starting from June 4, the armed forces of Ukraine lost over 26,000 servicemen and more than 3,000 items of military hardware during their so-called counter-offensive, Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said in a briefing. In his words, Russian troops destroyed . . . READ MORE . . .

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What’s happening at the NATO summit. Reported by Eleanor Beardsley | NPR  Thirty-one countries are meeting in the capital of the Baltic country of Lithuania for a crucial NATO summit that is taking place in the midst of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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U.S. domestic instability might make the world a more dangerous place, diplomat says. A Martinez of NPR talks with veteran diplomat Richard Haass about prospects for peace in Ukraine, NATO’s potential, global threats and the future of U.S. foreign policy. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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What to expect from NATO Summit 2023, by M.K. Bhadrakumar | Indian Punchline  The trajectory of the Ukraine war hangs in the balance. All eyes are on the U.S. President Joe Biden’s arrival in Vilnius for the NATO summit meeting (June 11-12.) Biden got a big boost already . . . READ MORE . . .

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NATO summit, a theater of the absurd, by Scott Ritter | Consortium News The NATO alliance’s 33rd summit is an event that has come to symbolize the military organization’s increasingly difficult task of transforming political will into tangible reality. Since the Wales Summit of 2014, when . . . READ MORE . . .

 

First, links to reports from the Associated Press, Reuters, Agence France-Presse, Tass, National Public Radio, and Common Dreams; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. Then, commentary from antiwar.com. — MCM

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Zelensky says NATO’s ‘absurd’ plans for Ukraine fall short, by Chris Megerian, Seung Min Kim and Karl Ritter | AP  VILNIUS — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy today blasted as “absurd” the absence of a timetable for his country’s membership in NATO, injecting harsh criticism into a gathering of the alliance’s leaders that was intended to showcase solidarity in the face of Russian aggression. The broadside . . . READ MORE . . .

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As Russia’s war on Ukraine drags on, what is NATO and what is it doing to help? by Lorne Cook | AP  VILNIUS — NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg — the top civilian official at the world’s biggest security alliance — routinely praises allies for helping Ukraine’s troops to fight back. But when he does, Stoltenberg is talking about individual member countries, not NATO as . . . READ MORE . . .

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NATO head sees ‘strong message’ on Ukraine’s membership bid at summit, by Sabine Siebold, John Irish and Steve Holland | Reuters VILNIUS — NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Ukraine would get a “positive message” on its path to membership today, as leaders of the Western military alliance meet to discuss the fallout from Russia’s invasion that brought war to their doorstep. Divisions among NATO’s 31 members mean . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russia attacks Kyiv and Odesa with drones before NATO summit, by Valentyn Ogirenko and Gleb Garanich | Reuters KYIV — Russia attacked Kyiv and the southern port of Odesa with drones early today, Ukrainian officials said, hours before the start of a NATO summit in Lithuania discussing security threats from Moscow. Russian forces also shelled parts of the southern region of Kherson, killing a woman in the village of . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russian military official on Ukraine blacklist shot dead on morning run, by Mark Trevelyan | Reuters A Russian military official who had commanded a submarine in the Black Sea and appeared on a Ukrainian blacklist of alleged war criminals was shot dead by an unknown assassin while on his morning run in the southern city of Krasnodar, Russia’s top investigative body said. READ MORE . . .

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First French long-range missiles already in Ukraine. From AFP. France has already made a delivery of a number of SCALP long-range cruise missiles to Ukraine, a military source said today, after President Emmanuel Macron announced the supplies. The official . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russian air defenses intercept five Ukrainian S-200 missiles — top brass. From Tass. MOSCOW — Russian air defense forces intercepted five Ukrainian S-200 missiles over the past day during the special military operation in Ukraine, Defense Ministry spokesman Lt. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said Monday in a briefing. In addition . . . READ MORE . . .

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A preview of this week’s NATO annual summit. Reported by Eleanor Beardsley | NPR  On Tuesday, the 31 members of the NATO alliance will meet for their annual summit — the second summit held since Russia’s full scale invasion of Ukraine. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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Ukraine joining NATO came up in 2008. 15 years later it’s still under discussion. Reported by A Martínez and Greg Myre | NPR  Ahead of NATO’s summit, Ukraine’s president makes the case for security guarantees. He also arranged for commanders released by the Russians to return to Ukraine against the wishes of Russia. Click HERE to listen and read.

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Putin met with Wagner founder and his mercenaries just days after they led a mutiny. Reported by Charles Maynes | NPR  Russian President Vladimir Putin met Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin and nearly three dozen of his mercenary commanders for talks in Moscow late in June. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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Key Dems oppose Biden’s move to send cluster munitions to Ukraine, by Kenny Stancil | Common Dreams Several high-ranking House Democrats have joined human rights groups in expressing dismay over President Joe Biden’s decision to supply Ukraine with cluster munitions — weapons that more than 120 countries have banned due to their devastating and long-lasting impacts on civilians. Biden said Friday his move to send cluster bombs to Ukraine as . . . READ MORE . . .

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Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist has seen the lasting harm of cluster bombs. Reported by Kira Wakeam, Ashley Brown and Mary Louise Kelly | NPR  Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Lewis Simons, who reported from Asia and the Middle East for decades, talks about the legacy of cluster bombs in Laos. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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Can Washington be saved from itself at the NATO summit? by Ted Galen Carpenter | antiwar.com The Kremlin has made it clear since President George W. Bush first proposed NATO membership for Ukraine that such a step would cross a bright red line concerning Russia’s vital security interests. Yet policymakers in the Bush, Obama, Trump, and Biden administrations . . . READ MORE . . .

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MAY BE CONTINUED

Below, a link to a 22-minute excerpt of an interview for Reason TV conducted around 10 days ago. The headline is Reason TV’s. A longer, wider-ranging version of it is HERE. — MCM

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RFK Jr. CONFRONTED with vax data. Nick Gillespie and Zack Weissmuller of Reason TV speak with presidential candidate Robert f. Kennedy Jr. on government and vaccine mandates including those put into effect against Covid-19. Click HERE to listen to and watch 22-minute conversation.

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

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Putin met with Wagner chief in Moscow after failed mutiny, says Kremlin.  From AFP. The Kremlin said today that President Vladimir Putin had met with Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin on June 29 in the Kremlin, days after the mercenary group attempted to topple Russia’s military leadership. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov added that Putin also “listened to accounts given by [Wagner] commanders”. READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine attempts attack on Russian territory, all missiles destroyed. From Tass. MOSCOW — The Kiev regime made an attempt on Sunday to deliver several missile strikes on Russian territory, with all the missiles downed or deflected, no casualties and minimal damage, the Main Staff of Russia’s Aerospace Forces says. According to preliminary data, the Ukrainian military delivered strikes by Soviet-made S-200 surface-to-air missiles reequipped for attacking ground targets. READ MORE . . .

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Ukrainian forces advance in south, hold ‘initiative,’ says Zelenskiy. From Reuters. Ukrainian troops pressed on with their campaign to recapture Russian-held areas in the southeast as President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said in a broadcast that his country’s forces had “taken the initiative” after an earlier slowdown. The Ukrainian military said today its troops have so far retaken 169 square kilometres (more than 65 square miles) on the southern front and 24 sq km around the eastern city of Bakhmut since its counteroffensive began last month. READ MORE . . .

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Retired Army Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling weighs in on the U.S. sending cluster munitions to Ukraine. Ayesha Rascoe of NPR speaks with retired Army Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling how cluster munitions work and what he thinks of the Biden administration’s controversial decision to send them to Ukraine. Click HERE to listen and read.

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How many Russians have died in Ukraine? Data shows what Moscow hides. By Erka Kinetz | AP  BRUSSELS — Nearly 50,000 Russian men have died in the war in Ukraine, according to the first independent statistical analysis of Russia’s war dead. Two independent Russian media outlets, Mediazona and Meduza, working with a data scientist from Germany’s Tübingen University, used . . . READ MORE . . .

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MAY BE CONTINUED