First, links to reports from National Public Radio, the Associated Press, Reuters, Agence France-Presse, and Tass; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. — MCM
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Ukraine’s defense minister hopes allies will supply his country with fighter jets. Reported by Joanna Kakissis | NPR Ukraine’s defense minister says he’s optimistic Western allies will supply his country with advanced fighter jets, even as Ukrainian forces are poised to start training on tanks they’ve been promised. Click HERE to listen and read.
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Talk of fighter jets for Kyiv puts strains on Western unity, by Susie Blann | AP KYIV — Ukraine’s push for fighter jets to help beat back Russia’s invasion force risks straining the unity of Ukraine’s Western allies, amid fears that the move could escalate the conflict and draw them deeper into the war. Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov was due today in Paris where discussions . . . READ MORE . . .
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Major new Russian assault in Ukraine unlikely to achieve breakthough, UK says, by Dan Peleschuk | Reuters * Biden says ‘no’ when asked about F-16s for Ukraine * Zelenskiy says Moscow seeks ‘revenge’ * UK says Russia assaults Vuhledar with at least a brigade * Russia’s gains this month biggest since mid-2022 | KYIV — A large Russian force has advanced hundreds of metres in a major new assault on a Ukrainian-held bastion in southeastern Ukraine this week, though it is unlikely to force a significant breakthrough there, Britain said today. Russian officials claimed the advance had secured a foothold in the coal-mining town . . . READ MORE . . .
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Russia claims capture of village north of Bakhmut in Ukraine. From AFP. MOSCOW: The Russian military today claimed to have captured the village of Blagodatne north of the eastern Ukrainian town of Bakhmut that has been the epicentre of heavy fighting. The defence ministry said its forces “liberated the settlement of Blagodatne of the Donetsk . . . READ MORE . . .
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Fighting near Artyomovsk ‘a real hell’ – Ukrainian officer. From Tass. KIEV — The deputy commander of the Svoboda battalion of Ukraine’s National Guard, Vladimir Nazarenko, has said that for five or six months attacks have continued non-stop in the Bakhmut area [the Ukrainian name of Artyomovsk]. “The weather is changing, which, by the way, greatly . . . READ MORE . . .
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Norway to send Leopard tanks to Ukraine ‘as soon as possible.’ From AFP. KONGSBERG: Norway will send part of its fleet of German-made Leopard 2 battle tanks to Ukraine “as soon as possible”, indicating perhaps late March, its defence minister said Monday. The country has 36 Leopard 2 tanks, but has not said how many . . . READ MORE . . .
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NATO chief urges Seoul to send military support to Ukraine, by Kim Tong-Hyung | AP SEOUL — NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg on Monday called for South Korea to provide direct military support to Ukraine, saying Kyiv is in urgent need of weapons to fight off the prolonged Russian invasion. South Korea, a growing arms exporter with a well-equipped, U.S.-backed military, has . . . READ MORE . . .
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The mayor of a Ukrainian city is in Washington looking for help to rebuild. Reported by Michele Kelemen | NPR Reports of Russian atrocities in Bucha was a turning point in the war. It galvanized public opinion worldwide. Now, the city’s mayor is in Washington, D.C., asking for help as they try to rebuild. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.
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TO BE CONTINUED