For today, links to reports from the Associated Press, Agence France-Presse, Reuters, the Kyiv Post, Tass, and the Kyiv Independent, and to an interview from The Grayzone via ScheerPost and Popular Resistance; other news and commentary are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (GAZA entry for this date and an ASSANGE entry are HERE and HERE.) — MCM
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Russia fires 31 missiles at Kyiv in the first attack in 44 days, and 13 people are hurt, by Hanna Arhirova | AP KYIV — Russia fired 31 ballistic and cruise missiles at Kyiv before dawn today in the first attack on the Ukrainian capital in 44 days, officials said. Air defenses shot down all the incoming missiles, though 13 people including a child were injured by . . . READ MORE . . .
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Zelensky calls for air defenses after Russian missiles target Kyiv. From AFP. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called for the West to deliver air defense systems to Kyiv after an overnight Russian missile attack injured 17 in the capital and surrounding region. “Such terror . . . READ MORE . . .
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Kremlin will retaliate if the EU uses profits from Russian assets to arm Ukraine. From Reuters. MOSCOW — Russia will take retaliatory measures in accordance with its own interests and use every legal mechanism at its disposal if the European Union uses profits from frozen Russian assets to buy arms for Ukraine, the Kremlin said today. READ MORE . . .
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EU leaders gather with Ukraine ammunition production and Gaza aid at the top of their agenda. From AP. BRUSSELS — European Union leaders gathered today to consider new ways to help boost arms and ammunition production for Ukraine and to discuss the war in Gaza amid deep concern about Israeli plans to launch a ground offensive in the city of Rafah. Ukraine’s munition stocks are desperately low, and Russia . . . READ MORE . . .
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Russian army says captured another village in eastern Ukraine. From AFP. Moscow said today that it had captured another village in east Ukraine, around 10 kilometres (six miles) from the city of Avdiivka, which fell to Russian forces last month. It was the second village west of Avdiivka . . . READ MORE . . .
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Russia diverts troops from front line to protect Belgorod — Bloomberg, by Petro Zhyzhyian | Kyiv Post The Russian Ministry of Defense was forced to withdraw military units from the front line to protect Belgorod near the border with Ukraine, which was attacked by . . . READ MORE . . .
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Russian servicemen to kill all French soldiers in Ukraine — senior lawmaker. From Tass. PARIS — Russian servicemen will eliminate all French soldiers coming to Ukraine, State Duma Deputy Speaker Pyotr Tolstoy said. On March 19, Russian Foreign Intelligence Service Director Sergey Naryshkin said that France was already preparing . . . READ MORE . . .
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Ukrhydroenergo’s losses due to Russian attacks amount to over $3 billion, by Kateryna Hodunova | The Kyiv Independent Ukraine’s state-owned energy company Ukrhydroenergo assessed its losses stemming from Russian attacks at 3 billion euros ($3.3 billion), the company’s press service said today. Since the onset of the full-scale invasion, Russian attacks . . . READ MORE . . .
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FROM MARCH 15 Sweden closing Nordstream investigation is a shocking coverup, says investigator. From The Grayzone via ScheerPost and Popular Resistance. Max Blumenthal of the Grayzone talks with Swedish engineer Erik Andersson, who led the first independent investigation to the site of the Nordstream pipelines blast sites, on the Swedish government’s sudden closing of the investigation into the terror attack on the eve of joining NATO. Click HERE for video of interview.