First, links to reports from the Associated Press, Reuters, Agence France-Presse, and Tass; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. Then, links to two articles opposing U.S. policy toward Russia, the first in the context of NATO expansion and the second focusing on Washington’s prioritizing warfare over diplomacy. — MCM

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Russia launches ‘exceptional’ air attack on Kyiv as Europe, China look to exert influence, by Samya Kulla | AP  KYIV — Ukrainian air defenses thwarted an intense Russian air attack on Kyiv early today, shooting down all 18 missiles aimed at the capital with the help of Western-supplied weapons, officials said. Loud explosions boomed over Kyiv as the nighttime attack combined Russian missiles launched from the air, sea and land in an apparent attempt to overwhelm Ukraine’s air defenses. No casualties were reported. The barrage . . . READ MORE . . .

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Kyiv says it shoots down volley of hypersonic missiles, by Gleb Garanich and Sergiy Karazy | Reuters  * First time Kyiv has claimed to shoot down multiple Kinzhals * Putin had touted the nuclear-capable missile as a world beater * Ukraine preparing major counteroffensive * Already claims biggest battlefield gains for six months | KYIV — Ukraine said today it had shot down six Russian hypersonic Kinzhal missiles in a single night, thwarting a superweapon Moscow had previously touted as all but unstoppable. It was the first time Ukraine had claimed to have struck an entire volley of multiple hypersonic missiles, and if confirmed would be a demonstration of the effectiveness of newly deployed Western air defences. READ MORE . . .

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Russia says ‘all targets hit’ in overnight barrage on Ukraine. From AFP. Russia says that all the targets assigned by its military in an overnight missile barrage on Ukraine had been hit, after Kyiv announced it had downed nearly 20 Russian missiles. The defense ministry in Moscow says long-range precision-strike missiles had targeted . . . READ MORE . . .

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Situation in Artymovsk ‘tense’, but Russian forces continue to advance, says DPR head. From Tass. MOSCOW — The acting head of the Donetsk People’s Republic, Denis Pushilin, said today there were “fewer and fewer high-rises” in Artymovsk (Ukrainian name Bakhmut) controlled by the Ukrainian units.” READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine says recaptured 50 sq. km. near Bakhmut in recent days. From AFP. A Ukrainian deputy defence minister said today that Kyiv’s troops have pushed Russian forces from chunks of territory around the embattled city of Bakhmut in the east of the country. “In the last few days,” Ganna Malyar said, “our troops liberated around 20 square kilometers (7.7 square miles) in the north and south of the outskirts of Bakhmut. At the same time, . . . READ MORE . . .

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Why are we in Ukraine? On the dangers of American hubris, by Benjamin Schwarz and Christopher Layne | Harper’s Magazine From the early Nineties, Washington’s message to Moscow could not have been clearer or more disquieting: Normal diplomacy among great powers was obsolete. Russia was expected to acquiesce to a new world order created and dominated by the United States. The radical expansion of NATO’s writ reflected . . . READ MORE . . .

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Why RFK’s candidacy matters to the conservative cause, by David Stockman | antiwar.com  There is nothing more stupid, pointless, unnecessary and morally repugnant than Washington’s proxy war against Russia in Ukraine. Owing to that folly, Ukrainians in their tens of thousands are being slaughtered and what was once the breadbasket and industrial heartland of eastern Europe is being smashed to smithereens. And all because . . . READ MORE . . .

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MAY BE CONTINUED

First, links to reports from Reuters, Tass, the Associated Press, and Agence France-Presse; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. Then, links to two Spanish-language versions of AP reports. Finally for today, from 1945, links to two recent military analyses. — MCM

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Ukraine hails its first offensive success in defence of Bakhmut, by Dan Peleschuk | Reuters — Ukraine’s military today hailed recent advances around Bakhmut as its first successful counterattack in the battle against Russian forces fighting for control of the eastern city. But Kyiv also . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine steps up efforts in all areas, but it is not counteroffensive, says DPR head. From Tass. MOSCOW — Ukraine has stepped up efforts along the entire line of engagement, but it is not yet a counteroffensive announced by Kiev, acting head of the Donetsk People’s Republic Denis Pushilin said today. “We had to prepare for this . . . READ MORE . . .

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France pledges more military aid as Ukraine’s Zelenskyy makes surprise Paris visit to meet Macron, by John Leicester and Frank Jordans | AP  PARIS — France pledged additional military aid for Ukraine on Sunday, including light tanks, armored vehicles, training for soldiers and other assistance as the Ukrainians gear up for a counteroffensive against Russian forces, following surprise talks in Paris between the Ukrainian and French presidents. READ MORE . . .

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Kremlin says shot down new Storm Shadow missile fired by Kyiv. From AFP. Russia’s defense ministry said today it had downed a long-range Storm Shadow missile fired by Ukrainian forces that had been provided by the UK. “Air defense systems intercepted seven HARM anti-radar missiles, one Storm Shadow long-range cruise missile” as well as 10 projectiles fired by HIMARS, Russian defense ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said in a briefing, referring to the last 24 hours.

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Kremlin says new UK weapons for Ukraine will only cause ‘further destruction.’ From AFP. The Kremlin said today new British weapons due to be supplied to Kyiv will only cause “further destruction,” as Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky visits the UK for talks with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. “Britain aspires . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russian missile strike kills 4 in Ukraine as Zelensky visits UK, by Joshua Melvin and Jitendra Joshi | AFP  A Russian missile strike killed four people and hit a hospital in eastern Ukraine, officials said today, as President Volodymyr Zelensky won the promise of “hundreds” more missiles and drones on a visit to Britain. But elsewhere . . . READ MORE . . .

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Zelenskyy: la contraofensiva no pretende atacar territorio ruso, por Frank Jordans | AP  BERLÍN — Ucrania prepara una contraofensiva diseñada para liberar zonas ocupadas por Rusia, no para atacar territorio ruso, indicó el domingo el presidente de Ucrania, Volodymyr Zelenskyy. El periódico Washington Post citó documentos no revelados anteriormente procedentes de un conjunto de filtraciones de los servicios de inteligencia estadounidenses que sugieren . . . LEA MÁS  . . .

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Gran Bretaña promete más armas a Ucrania durante la gira de Zelenskyy, por Jill Lawless y Danika Kirka | AP  LONDRES — El presidente de Ucrania, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, estaba el lunes en Gran Bretaña dentro de su gira relámpago por Europa. Londres, firme aliado de Kiev, prometió cientos de misiles más y drones de ataque en un esfuerzo de cambiar el rumbo de la guerra. La guerra, Zelenskyy señaló, es un asunto de “seguridad no sólo para Ucrania, es importante para . . . LEA MÁS  . . .

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Ukraine’s long-expected offensive: Why it won’t beat Putin, by Daniel Davis | 1945  Ukraine has a complex reality it must face: U.S., UK, and EU senior leaders have voiced over the past few days strong support for Ukraine and their widely reported upcoming offensive. Reading some of the off-headline comments they’ve made, however, exposes the growing realization . . . READ MORE . . .

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Putin can’t hide this: The Ukraine war crushed the Russian military, by Peter Suciu | 1945  The Russian military in Ukraine is increasingly unlikely to be able to mount successful operations as a combined ground force, according to a British Ministry of Defence intelligence update, which . . . READ MORE . . .

 

First, links to reports from Agence France-Presse, the Associated Press, Reuters, Tass, and (from yesterday and today) National Public Radio; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. Finally, a link to an AP report from yesterday. — MCM

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Russia says two military commanders killed in eastern Ukraine. From AFP. Russia said today that two of its military commanders had been killed in combat near the frontline hotspot of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine. In a rare announcement of its losses on the battlefield, the Russian Defense Ministry said the commander of the 4th motorized rifle brigade, Vyacheslav Makarov, and the deputy commander of the Army Corps for military-political work, Yevgeny Brovko, had been killed in fighting in eastern Ukraine. The announcement came as . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine troops, Western arms targeted in strikes: Russia. From AFP. Moscow said today that Russian forces had struck Western arms depots and Ukrainian troops in the western city of Ternopil and the eastern town of Petropavlivka. Russia’s armed forces “delivered a strike with high-precision long-range . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukrainian president says counteroffensive does not aim to attack Russian territory, by Frank Jordans  | AP  BERLIN — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said today his country is preparing a counteroffensive designed to liberate areas occupied by Russia, not to attack Russian territory. He said Ukraine’s goal is to free the territories within its internationally recognized borders. “We don’t attack Russian territory, we liberate our own legitimate territory.” READ MORE . . .

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Zelenskiy in Berlin: we can make Russia’s defeat ‘irreversible,’ by Pavel Polityuk and Sarah Marsh | Reuters KYIV — President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said today Kyiv and its Western supporters could make Russia’s defeat in the war in Ukraine “irreversible” this year, as he thanked Germany for its military support. The Ukrainian leader told a joint news conference with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin that Kyiv would always be grateful to Germany for its support during Russia’s . . . READ MORE . . .

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Kremlin believes it’s obvious that Kiev is complicit in murdering Russians. From Tass. MOSCOW — Russia is confident that Ukraine is complicit in attacks on Russians, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Friday. He was responding to a statement by Kirill Budanov, the head of the main intelligence directorate at the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, that Kiev was ready to kill Russians around the world. READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine’s currency is being bolstered with financial support from other nations. Reported by Julian Hayda | NPR  Financial assistance to Ukraine will help shore up the country’s currency, which has maintained strong buying power despite the war. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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Ukraine is expected to make a counteroffensive to take back Crimea. Reported by Eleanor Beardsley | NPR  Ukraine’s counteroffensive is expected any day, and there’s a debate about whether taking back Crimea is a good idea for Ukraine to do. Click HERE to listen and read.

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Zelenskyy meets Pope Francis at Vatican and seeks backing for Ukraine’s peace plan. From AP. ROME — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had private talks with Pope Francis at the Vatican on Saturday, later saying he sought support for Ukraine’s peace plan from the pontiff, who in the past has offered to try to help end the full-scale war launched by Russia a year ago. Earlier in the day, Zelenskyy received from Italian officials pledges of open-ended . . . READ MORE . . .

First, links to reports from Reuters, the Associated Press, Tass, and Agence France-Presse; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. Next, a link to a column in today’s Berkshire Eagle by its foreign affaires writer. Finally for today, from Consortium News, military analysis in a discussion and a related article. — MCM

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Russia acknowledges retreat north of Bakhmut, Wagner boss calls it a ‘rout’, by Olena Harmash and Ivan Lyubysh-Kirdey | Reuters  * Russia says some troops north of Bakhmut pull back to regroup * ‘A rout, not a regrouping,’ says mercenary head * Russia says 1,000 men, 40 tanks involved in Ukrainian assault * Ukraine military says its forces advance | KYIV — Moscow acknowledged on Friday that its forces had fallen back north of Ukraine’s battlefield city of Bakhmut after a new Ukrainian offensive, in a retreat that the head of Russia’s Wagner private army called a rout. The setback for Russia comes . . . READ MORE, see map . . .

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Zelenskyy, in Rome for talks with pope, hears Italian president say, ‘We’re at your side,’ by Frances D’Emilio | AP  ROME — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in Rome today for talks with Italian officials and Pope Francis, who has said the Vatican has launched a behind-the-scenes initiative to try to end the war launched last year by Russia. Francis recently said . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russian assault teams liberate one quarter in Artyomovsk’s northwest – top brass. From Tass. MOSCOW — Russian assault teams have liberated one quarter in the northwestern part of the city of Artyomovsk (called Bakhmut in Ukraine), Defense Ministry spokesman Lt. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said today. . . . READ MORE . . .

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Moscow says Kyiv using U.K. missiles to hit ‘civilian targets.’ From AFP. Moscow said today that Kyiv used British long-range missiles to target civilian sites in the eastern city of Luhansk, wounding six children. “Storm Shadow air-to-air missiles . . . READ MORE . . .

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Germany unveils 2.7 bn euro weapons package for Ukraine. From AFP. Germany is preparing a new weapons package for Ukraine worth 2.7 billion euros, reportedly Berlin’s largest since Russia invaded last year, the defence ministry said today. “We all hope for a rapid end to this terrible . . . READ MORE . . .

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Drinks group Pernod Ricard announces Russia pullout. From AFP. French drinks giant Pernod Ricard said Friday it had stopped exporting all its brands to Russia and would no longer distribute them following public pressure over its business activities there. The group, which . . . READ MORE . . .

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For Russia, it’s 1916 all over again, by James Brooke | The Berkshire Eagle  Today, as Russia’s battlefield casualties soar in Ukraine, many Russians sense the nation again is watching a regime lose its grip. Essayists hark back to the dark days of World War I, when battlefield failures and bread riots combined to topple Czar Nicholas II from the gold and silver throne that Romanovs occupied for three centuries. READ MORE . . .

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‘Depleted Ukranium.’  Elizabeth Vos and Joe Laria of Consortium News talk with journalists John Pilger and Phil Miller about the announcement that Britain would send depleted uranium shells for use with Challenger 2 tanks in Ukraine, a  move escalating nuclear tensions with Russia — President Vladimir Putin threatened days later to place tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus. The U.K. move comes amid indications that Kiev is increasingly desperate, to the point of being willing to risk scorching the earth it is fighting for. Click HERE to read and to watch the interview.

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

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Ukraine secures logistics hub near Bakhmut as Russia says it repelled attacks. From AP. KYIV — The territorial gains made this week by Ukrainian forces in the hotly contested eastern city of Bakhmut have secured an important logistics hub, Ukrainian military commanders said this week. The battle for Bakhmut, once a salt-mining town . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine’s long-awaited spring counteroffensive against Russia is on hold. Leila Fadel of NPR talks with retired U.S Army Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges about whether a delay hurts Ukraine’s effort. Ukraine’s president says more weapons are needed before a spring counteroffensive begins. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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Communities torn as Ukraine turns its back on Moscow-linked church, by Max Hunder | Reuters  * Ukraine targets branch of church it says is linked to Moscow * The branch denies such ties, says it is victim of witch hunt * Many parishes switching to church endorsed by Kyiv | KARYSHKIV, Ukraine — Tensions have surfaced in villages across Ukraine as authorities have cracked down on the Ukrainian Orthodox Church following Russia’s invasion. More than 60 criminal cases have been opened against its clergy, many of them suspected of collaboration and spreading pro-Russian . . . READ MORE . . .

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Kiev attempts 26 attacks in Soledar area, all of them repelled, Russian top brass reports. From Tass. MOSCOW — The Ukrainian military attempted over 20 attacks along the 95 km engagement line in the Soledar tactical area, with all the offensives repelled by Russian forces, Russia’s Defense Ministry spokesman Lt/ Gen. Igor Konashenkov said today in a briefing. “The Ukrainian . . . READ MORE . . .

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MAY BE CONTINUED

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

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Ukraine says its counteroffensive now delayed; Britain says it’s sent cruise missiles to Kyiv, by Susie Blann and Jill Lawless | AP  KYIV — President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in remarks broadcast today that Kyiv is delaying its long-awaited counteroffensive against Russia’s occupying forces, saying that while such a campaign would succeed, too many Ukrainian lives would be lost. The broadcasts came shortly before Britain said it has sent air-launched cruise missiles to Ukraine that would allow pilots to target locations deep behind the front line. A . . . READ MORE . . .

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Wagner boss Prigozhin: Ukrainian offensive has started around Bakhmut flanks. From Reuters. MOSCOW — The founder of Russia’s Wagner Group mercenary force Yevgeny Prigozhin said today that Ukrainian units had begun their counterattack, and were approaching Bakhmut from the flanks. On Wednesday, both Prigozhin and the Ukrainian military said that Kyiv’s forces had routed a Russian army unit near . . . READ MORE . . .

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Western weapons, experience harden Ukrainian air defenses against Russian onslaught, by David Rising and Hanna Arhirova | AP  NEAR KYIV — By the time Kyiv residents hear the air-raid sirens signaling an imminent Russian attack, Ukraine’s air-defense units are already on the move. From camouflaged positions, they dart out by truck to farm fields around the capital, ready to take down enemy drones or missiles. The units have intercepted every drone and missile fired at the capital since April 28, when . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine says Russian forces pulling back after Bakhmut attacks. From AFP. A senior Ukrainian military official said Wednesday Russian forces had dropped back from some areas near Bakhmut after limited counterattacks by Kyiv’s forces in the longest-running battle of Moscow’s invasion. Commander of Ukrainian ground forces Oleksandr Syrskyi said . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine needs ‘a bit more time’ to prepare for counteroffensive – Zelensky. From Tass. LONDON — The Ukrainian army needs a little bit more time to prepare for Kiev’s much-vaunted counteroffensive, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky said in an interview with European media outlets, including the BBC, published today. “With . . . READ MORE . . .

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Erdogan, Putin may discuss results of grain deal talks – source. From Tass. ANKARA — The Presidents of Turkey and Russia, Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Vladimir Putin, may discuss the results of grain deal talks in Istanbul in a phone conversation if necessary, a source in Ankara said today. “This . . . READ MORE . . .

First, 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, via Popular Resistance, two items of news and analysis; the first is from The Grayzone, the second from the Oronoko Tribune. — MCM

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Ukraine unit says Russia flees Bakhmut outskirts. From Reuters. KYIV — A Ukrainian military unit said today it had routed a Russian infantry brigade from territory near Bakhmut, claiming to confirm an account by the head of Russia’s Wagner private army that the Russian forces had fled. The Russian ministry of defence . . . READ MORE . . .

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Arman Soldin, journalist working for AFP news agency, killed in Ukraine. From AP. PARIS — French international news agency Agence France-Presse says its Ukraine video coordinator was killed Tuesday during a rocket attack near the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut. The Agency said Arman Soldin, 32, was with a team of AFP journalists traveling with Ukrainian soldiers when the group came under fire with . . . READ MORE . . .

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Kremlin expresses ‘sadness’ over AFP journalist’s death, says circumstances unclear. From AFP. The Kremlin said today it was saddened by the death of AFP journalist Arman Soldin in east Ukraine, but that the circumstances of his killing under rocket fire near Bakhmut were unclear. “We . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine’s occupied nuke plant faces possible staffing crunch, by Susie Blann | AP  KYIV — Russia plans to relocate around 2,700 Ukrainian staff from Europe’s largest nuclear plant, Ukraine’s atomic energy company claimed today, warning of a potential “catastrophic lack of qualified personnel” at the Zaporizhzhia facility in Russia-occupied southern Ukraine. Workers who . . . READ MORE . . .

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Brazil to offer to act as go-between for settling Ukraine conflict at G7 summit, Lula says. From Tass. RIO DE JANEIRO — Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said on Tuesday he plans to offer Brasilia’s services as a mediator for settling the Ukrainian conflict on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Hiroshima, Japan, later this month. “The continuation of . . . READ MORE . . .

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Over $8 bn of Russian central bank assets held in Switzerland: Bern. From AFP. A total of 7.4 billion Swiss francs ($8.3 billion) of reserves and assets of the Russian central bank are being held in Switzerland, \-the Swiss economic affairs ministry said today. Transactions related to . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russia marks Victory Day — although celebrations are scaled back. Reported by Steve Inskeep and Charles Mayness on yesterday’s NPR “Morning Edition”  The annual event commemorates the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two. But it’s hard to watch without thinking about that other war — Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Click HERE to listen and read.

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Neo-nazi terror threat grows as Ukraine fighters arrested in France, by Kit Klarenberg | The Grayzone  On April 24, two French neo-Nazis were jailed for 15 months, nine of which were suspended, for possessing assault rifle ammunition. The pair had returned to Paris from Ukraine two days earlier, and were arrested at customs. Both were on the radar of French domestic spying agency DGSI, which . . . READ MORE . . .

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New report: How CIA schemes color revolutions around the world, by Yuan Hong | Orinoco Tribune / Educate!  For a long time, the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency has plotted “peaceful evolution” and “color revolutions” as well as spying activities around the world. Although details about these operations have always been murky, a new report released by China’s National Computer Virus Emergency Response Center and Chinese cybersecurity company 360 on May 4 unveiled the main technical means the CIA has used to scheme and promote unrest around the world. According to the report, . . . READ MORE . . .

First, links to reports from the Associated Press, Reuters, Agence France-Presse, and Tass; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. Finally for today, a link to commentary from GlobalResearch. — MCM

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Putin tells WWII event West is waging a ‘real war’ on Russia. From AP. President Vladimir Putin declared today that the West has unleashed “a real war” against Russia, reprising a familiar refrain at scaled-down Victory Day celebrations. His remarks came just hours after Moscow fired its latest barrage of cruise missiles at targets in Ukraine. Ukrainian authorities said air defenses destroyed 23 of 25 missiles launched. The Russian leader has repeatedly sought  . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russia targets Kyiv on Victory Day, parade pared back amid shortages at the front. From Reuters. * Russia marks Victory Day with new air strikes on Ukraine * Putin says West has unleashed war on Russia * EU executive leader visits Ukraine for Europe Day * Kyiv says most Russian missiles shot down | Russia fired cruise missiles at Kyiv today and paraded troops across Red Square for its annual celebration of victory in World War Two, pared back amid shortages of manpower and weaponry at the front after a failed winter campaign in Ukraine. In a fiery 10-minute speech, President Vladimir Putin thundered against “Western global elites” and said . . . READ MORE . . .

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China warns against EU sanctions over Russia: Minister. From AFP. China today warned the European Union against imposing sanctions on Chinese companies over Russia, saying it would take action to protect their interests. Referring to discussions within the EU . . . READ MORE . . .

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U.S. announces $1.2 bn in new military aid for Ukraine. From AFP. The United States today announced a new $1.2 billion security assistance package for Ukraine to boost the country’s air defenses and provide it with additional artillery ammunition. The package . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russian forces strike Ukrainian army reserves, ammo depots by precision weapons. From Tass. MOSCOW — Russian forces delivered a massive strike by seaborne and airborne precision weapons against the Ukrainian army’s reserves and ammunition depots, hitting all the designated targets over the past day in Ukraine, Defense Ministry spokesman Lt. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said today in a briefing. “During the past night . . . READ MORE . . .

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As Russia stumbles in Ukraine, confusion is unveiled, by Patrick Bond | Global Research  There are many complicated aspects of what we are recognising as an ultra-anti-imperial logic, that twist quite quickly into pro-Putin propaganda, because after all as the ultra slogan has it, “my enemy’s enemy is my friend”! As in everything in life, we have to separate wheat from chaff. So for those who don’t like so-called “Campist” – or “Tankie” – reading material, do not continue reading. But if you are still reading, consider . . . READ MORE . . .

First, links to reports from the Associated Press, Reuters, Agence France-Presse, and Tass; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. Then, via Consortium News, a link to an email interview from CovertAction Magazine between two authors.  — MCM

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Ukraine shoots down 35 drones over Kyiv as attacks kill 4, by Susie Blann | AP  KYIV — Ukraine air defenses shot down 35 Iranian-made drones over Kyiv in Russia’s latest nighttime assault, as attacks across Ukraine by the Kremlin’s forces killed four civilians, officials said today. The bombardments came as Moscow enforced tight security on the eve of traditional Red Square commemorations marking the defeat of Nazi Germany in  . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russia rains missiles across Ukraine ahead of May 9 Victory Day holiday, by Gleb Garanich and Valentyn Ogirenko | Reuters  * Ukraine says it shot down all drones in latest wave  * Says Russia trying to capture Bakhmut by May 9  * Marks 1945 defeat of Nazis on May 8 in break with Moscow | Russia launched its biggest wave of drone strikes on Ukraine for months on Monday, escalating attacks in the run-up to its May 9 Victory Day holiday celebrating the defeat of Nazi Germany, which Kyiv marked a day earlier in a new break with Moscow. It was the biggest drone swarm yet in a  Russian air campaign unleashed 10 days ago after a lull since early March. . . . READ MORE . . .

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Wagner group to get more ammo after Bakhmut pull-out threat. From AFP. The leader of Russia’s paramilitary Wagner Group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, said that he had received “a promise” of more ammunition from the Russian army on Sunday, following his unprecedented public threat to pull his forces from the embattled Ukrainian town of Bakhmut due to a lack of ammunition. “They promised . . . READ MORE . . .

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Fire at warehouse in Odessa Region covers over 6,000 square meters – Ukrainian military. From Tass. MOSCOW — A fire covering over 6,000 square meters broke out an enterprise warehouse in Ukraine’s Odessa region after several explosions happened there, Ukrainian armed forces’ Southern operational command spokeswoman Natalya Gumenyuk said today. During the night, explosions were reported in Odessa and the region. Later . . . READ MORE . . .

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EU proposes new round of Russia sanctions over Ukraine. From AFP. Brussels is proposing to EU member states an 11th round of sanctions over Russia’s war on Ukraine aimed at cutting down on evasion, a spokesman says. “This package . . . READ MORE . . .

 

Ukraine’s big mistake, by Natylie Baldwin | Covert Action  Renfrey Clarke is an Australian journalist. Throughout the 1990s he reported from Moscow for Green Left Weekly, of Sydney. He is the author of The Catastrophe of Ukrainian Capitalism: How Privatisation Dispossessed & Impoverished the Ukrainian People published by Resistance Books in 2022. Here is my interview with him in April. N.B: You point out in the beginning of your book that Ukraine’s economy had significantly declined by 2018 from its position at the end of the Soviet era in 1990. Can you explain what Ukraine’s prospects looked like in 1990? And what did they look like just prior to Russia’s invasion? R.C.: In researching this book I found a 1992 Deutsche Bank study arguing . . . READ MORE . . .

First, links to reports from Tass, Reuters, the Associated Press, Agence France-Presse, and National Public Radio; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. Then, from AP, translations into Spanish of two of its reports from the past week. Finally for today, via the Greanville Post, commentary from Black Mountain Analysis. — MCM

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Russia’s FSB thwarts Ukrainian drone attack on airfield in Ivanovo region – statement. From Tass. MOSCOW — Russia’s Federal Security Service and the Interior Ministry have thwarted a drone attack on an airfield in the Ivanovo Region of Russia, the FSB said in a statement. “In conducting active search measures in Russia, a sabotage group was exposed, which was supervised by . . . READ MORE . . .

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Wagner group signals it will stay in Bakhmut after Prigozhin threatened to pull forces. From Reuters. The head of Russia’s Wagner mercenary group today appeared to ditch plans to withdraw his forces from Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine after receiving promises overnight that they would get all the arms needed to capture the devastated city. Yevgeny Prigozhin, who has publicly heaped scorn on Russia’s Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and the top army brass over their conduct of the war . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russia says bomber who injured novelist acted for Ukraine, by Dasha Litinova | AP  TALLINN, Estonia — Russia’s top investigative agency on Saturday said the suspect in a car bombing that injured a prominent pro-Kremlin novelist and killed his driver has admitted acting at the behest of Ukraine’s special services. The blast that hit the car of Zakhar Prilepin, a well-known nationalist writer and . . . READ MORE . . .

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Putin focused on consolidating Ukraine gains: U.S. intelligence chief. From AFP. Russian forces in Ukraine are so degraded they cannot mount any significant offensive moves and are focused for now on consolidating control of occupied territory, the U.S. intelligence chief said Thursday. As Ukraine prepares for its own offensive in the coming months, Russian President Vladimir Putin still likely aims to prolong the conflict until Western support . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine farmers risk losing their lives or livelihoods, by Samya Kullab | AP  Across Ukraine, the war has forced grain growers into a vicious dilemma. Farmers in areas now free from Russian occupation are risking their lives to strip their land of explosives before the critical spring planting season. Even then, they must cope with soaring production and transportation costs caused . .. READ MORE . . .

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In Ukraine, an American volunteer is laid to rest. Reported by Julian Hayda | NPR  An American volunteer in the Ukrainian Foreign Legion is laid to rest in Kyiv. Click HERE to listen and read.

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Funeral held in Ukraine for American man killed in action, by Nicolae Dumitrache | AP  KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Soldiers from the International Legion of Ukraine said farewell Friday to an American military veteran they served with, who was killed a month ago in the fierce struggle to prevent the eastern city of Bakhmut from falling into Russian hands. In a funeral service at Kyiv’s St. Michael’s Cathedral . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ucrania derriba misil hipersónico ruso con Patriot de EEUU, por David Rising | AP  KIEV — La Fuerza Aérea de Ucrania dijo el sábado que derribó un misil hipersónico ruso sobre Kiev utilizando un sistema de defensa Patriot estadounidense recién adquirido, la primera vez que se sabe que el país logra interceptar uno de los proyectiles más modernos del arsenal de Moscú. El comandante de la Fuerza Aérea, Mykola Oleshchuk, señaló en un mensaje en Telegram  . . . LEA MÁS . . .

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Jefe de Grupo Wagner amenaza con sacar sus tropas de Bájmut, por David Rising | AP  KIEV — El propietario de la compañía militar privada rusa Grupo Wagner amenazó el viernes con retirar sus tropas las próxima semana de la prolongada batalla por Bájmut, una ciudad del este de Ucrania, y acusó al mando militar ruso de dejar a sus fuerzas sin municiones y provocar numerosas bajas. Yevgeny Prigozhin, un conocido empresario millonario que desde hace mucho . . . LEA MÁS . . .

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Operational update 4: The Ukrainian counteroffensive, by Aleks | Black Mountain Analysis  First, I want to reiterate a basic fact. The West is deliberately burning Ukraine and its human potential down with a “Scorched Earth” policy. If Ukraine was acting independently, and its goal would be to defeat Russia by bogging it down in a bloody insurgency war that would last years, it would not think about large-scale offensives but rather a well-developed plan of withdrawal battles and ambushes. Instead, there is a certain pool of Ukrainian manpower available to the West, with which the West aims to achieve as many goals as possible until the manpower is eventually annihilated. And it will certainly be . . . READ MORE . . .