For today, links to reports from the Kyiv Independent, the Associated Press, Agence France-Presse, Tass, Reuters, and the Kyiv Post; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (GAZA entry for this date is HERE.) — MCM
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NATO Secretary-General Stoltenberg arrives in Kyiv in surprise visit, by Kateryna Denisova | The Kyiv Independent NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg arrived in Kyiv today for a previously unannounced visit. His third visit to Ukraine since the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion took place amid . . . READ MORE . . .
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NATO’s chief says alliance countries have moved too slowly to send Ukraine new arms against Russia, by Jill Lawless | AP NATO countries haven’t delivered what they promised to UKkraine in time, the alliance’s chief said today, allowing Russia to press its advantage while Kyiv’s depleted forces . . . READ MORE . . .
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Ukraine says resisting heavy attacks along eastern front amid Russian advance. From AFP. Ukraine said today it had thwarted over 50 Russian attacks in the eastern Donetsk region, a day after it admitted to a worsening situation on the front line. Moscow over the weekend announced . . . READ MORE. . .
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Russian forces advance in Ukraine’s east. From Reuters. MOSCOW — Russian forces advanced at points along the front line in Ukraine today, taking a village in the Donetsk region, gaining better positions in the Kharkiv region and repelling a number of Ukrainian attacks, Russia’s defence ministry said. READ MORE . . .
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Russian drone operators destroy Ukrainian positions near Semyonovka, Spornoye. From Tass. MOSCOW — Russian FPV drone operators have wiped out Ukrainian positions near the settlements of Semyonovka and Spornoye, the Russian Defense Ministry reported. READ MORE . . .
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FROM APRIL 28 Ukraine pulls back from three villages in east, Zelenskiy pleads for weapons, by Dan Peleschuk and Tom Balmforth | Reuters KYIV — Ukraine’s top commander said on Sunday Kyiv’s outnumbered troops had fallen back to new positions west of three villages on the eastern front where Russia has concentrated significant forces in several locations. This reflected . . . READ MORE . . .
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FROM APRIL 28 Ukraine’s army chief reports tactical retreat in the east, and warns of front-line pressure, by Susie Blann | AP KYIV — Ukraine’s troops have been forced to make a tactical retreat from three villages in the embattled east, the country’s army chief said Sunday, warning of a worsening battlefield situation as Ukrainian forces wait for much-needed arms from a huge U.S. aid package to reach combat zones. READ MORE . . .
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China firms go ‘underground’ on Russia payments as banks pull back, by Kateryna Denisova | Reuters The U.S. has imposed an array of sanctions on Russia and Russian entities since the country invaded Ukraine in 2022. Now the threat of extending these to banks in China is chilling the finance that lubricates even non-military trade flowing from China to Russia. This poses . . . READ MORE . . .
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New military airfield under construction in Russia’s Belgorod, investigation reveals. From Kyiv Post. According to the report of OSINT (Open-source Intelligence) researcher RedIntelPanda on the social network X, Russia has initiated the construction of a new airfield near the village of Alexeyevka in the Belgorod region. The OSINT researcher . . . READ MORE . . .