First, links to reports from Reuters, the Associated Press, Tass, and National Public Radio; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. Then, a link to commentary from the Moscow Times. — MCM
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Xi could visit Russia next week, sources say, as Bakhmut battle rages. From Reuters. * Chinese president’s visit may come sooner than expected * Ukrainian commander says forces repel Bakhmut attacks * Wagner chief says Russian forces are advancing * Both sides report mounting enemy casualties | KYIV — Chinese President Xi Jinping is planning to visit Russia as soon as next week, people familiar with the matter said today, while Moscow and Kyiv both reported intense fighting in the war’s bloodiest battle over the eastern city of Bakhmut. Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has already publicly invited Xi to Moscow without specifying a date, would be likely to portray it . . . READ MORE . . .
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U.S. says intelligence shows Russia stirring unrest in Moldova, by Aamer Madhani and Stephen McGrath | AP WASHINGTON — White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby says intelligence shows that actors, some connected with Russian intelligence, are seeking to stage and use protests in Moldova as a basis to foment an insurrection against Moldova’s new pro-Western government. He said . . . READ MORE . . .
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U.S. turns to new ways to punish Russian oligarchs for the war, by Fatima Hussein | AP WASHINGTON — The U.S. has begun an aggressive new push to inflict pain on Russia’s economy and specifically its oligarchs with the intent of thwarting the Kremlin’s invasion of Ukraine. From the Treasury Department to the Justice Department, U.S. officials will focus on . . . READ MORE . . .
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Three civilians killed, 9 more wounded in LPR’s Perevalsk in shelling by Ukrainian troops. From Tass. LUGANSK — Three civilians were killed and nine more, including children, were wounded in the city of Perevalks in the Lugansk People’s Republic (LPR) as a result of shelling by Ukrainian troops, Vitaly Mikhailov, head of the Perevalsk district administration, said on Sunday. “According to . . . READ MORE . . .
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Ukraine’s farmlands are affected by the toxic remnants of war. Michel Martin of NPR speaks with Purdue University professor Joseph Hupy about soil toxicity in Ukraine farmlands as a result of the war. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.
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Russia’s bite no longer matches its bark in Ukraine, by Mikhail Vinogradov | The Moscow Times The tougher the rhetoric of the Russian regime, the more starkly obvious the contrast between its words and actions. In his recent state-of-the-nation address President Vladimir Putin threatened to conduct nuclear tests, among other things. Moscow’s radical rhetoric failed to materialize into mega-strikes on Ukrainian territory or any other major developments. The Kremlin’s words and deeds had parted ways . . . READ MORE . . .
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MAY BE CONTINUED