Ukraine, 2-28-23

First, links to reports from Reuters, the Associated Press, National Public Radio, Tass, and Agence France-Presse; others are accessible by clicking on their names and initials below. Then, links to four recent articles in the Wall Street Journal, one of which was the subject of an article, HERE, by the editor of Consortium News. Also see, just below this entry, or HERE, links to speakers at the Rage Against the War Machine rally in Washington on Feb. 19. — MCM

   

Russians tighten noose on Ukraine’s Bakhmut, Putin warns of Western espionage, by Dan Peleschuk | Reuters  * Early spring thaw turns battlefields to mud * Russian forces advance north and south of Bakhmut * Kremlin: Kyiv must accept loss of lands annexed by Russia * U.S. Treasury Secretary Yellen visits Kyiv, pledges more aid | KYIV — Russian forces today pressed forward their weeks-long drive to encircle and capture the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, where the commander of Ukraine’s ground forces described the situation as “extremely tense”. Capturing Bakhmut, scene of . . . READ MORE . . .

   

Ukraine’s northeastern front could decide new battle lines, by Samya Kullab | AP  KUPIANSK, Ukraine — “Synchronization will be important to halt Russian offensives toward Ukrainian defensive lines,” says Col. Petro Skyba, a battalion commander of the 3rd Separate Tank Iron Brigade. Grueling artillery battles have stepped up in recent weeks in the vicinity of Kupiansk, a strategic town on the eastern edge of Kharkiv province by the banks of the Oskil River. The Russian . . . READ MORE . . .

   

A look at Russia’s information war on Ukraine. Reported by Shannon Bond | NPR  In the year since Russia invaded Ukraine, the conflict has played out on the battlefield of information, too. Russia is using social media, traditional media and allies to push false narratives. Click HERE to listen and read.

   

UAV crashes in Kolomna district of Moscow Region, no damage caused – governor. From Tass. MOSCOW — An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) has crashed near the village of Gubastovo in the Kolomna district of the Moscow Region. There is no threat to the safety of local residents, the Moscow Region’s governor, Andrey Vorobyov, said today. “Apparently, a civilian infrastructure facility was its target,” he said. “The facility . . . READ MORE . . .

   

Moscow says downed Ukraine drones targeting civilian infrastructure in Russia. From AFP. Moscow said today its forces downed two Ukrainian drones that had targeted civilian infrastructure in southern Russia, the latest in a series of drone incidents inside Russia that Moscow blamed on Kyiv. “The Kyiv regime attempted to use unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) to attack civilian infrastructure in the Krasnodar region and the Adygea Republic. The UAVs were neutralised by . . . READ MORE . . .

   

Drones are giving Ukraine a wartime edge, by Jillian Kay Melchior | The Wall Street Journal Discussion about the war in Ukraine has focused recently on whether the West will supply Kyiv with tanks and jets. But consider the humble drone. Even as Russia has used Iranian-made drones to attack . . .Subscribers to the newspaper may read more.

   

The Ukraine war lesson Europe refuses to learn, by Joseph C. Sternberg | The Wall Street Journal European voters and politicians haven’t seriously discussed the question of what they are prepared not to do — in terms of social welfare projects, green-energy boondoggles or the like — to pay for Ukraine’s defense. Expect this argument to become . . . Subscribers to the newspaper may read more.

   

Ukraine’s missing soldiers hint at war’s bloody toll, by Isabel Coles and Ievgeniia Sivorka | The Wall Street Journal DNIPRO, Ukraine — After a year of fighting, Western officials put the number of dead and wounded Ukrainian soldiers at around 100,000, nearly twice the number of U.S. casualties in Iraq and Afghanistan since 9/11. The heavy toll that points to . . . Subscribers to the newspaper may read more.

   

Switzerland becomes stumbling block for Western military aid to Ukraine. From the Wall Street Journal. The Alpine nation is a major arms exporter, but its reluctance to authorize transfers of ammunition to Kyiv is frustrating . . . Subscribers to the newspaper may read more.

   

MAY BE CONTINUED