To begin, links to reports from the Associated Press, Reuters and TeleSUR; click on the news agencies’ names below for other stories. Then, links to two commentaries by Caitlin Johnstone. — MCM
– – –
After 3 months, Russia still bogged down in Ukraine war. From the Associated Press. When Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, it had hoped to overtake the country in a blitz lasting only days or a few weeks. Many Western analysts thought so, too. As the conflict marked its third month today, however, Moscow appears to be bogged down in what increasingly looks like a war of attrition, with no end in sight and few successes on the battlefield. READ MORE . . .
– – –
Russia launches all-out assault to encircle Ukraine troops in east, by Pavel Polityuk | Reuters KYIV/SLOVYANSK, Ukraine — Russian forces were launching an all-out assault to encircle Ukrainian troops in twin cities straddling a river in eastern Ukraine today, a battle which could determine the success or failure of Moscow’s main campaign in the east. . . . [A]uthorities in the second-largest city Kharkiv were expected to open the underground metro, where thousands of civilians had sheltered for months under relentless bombardment. The reopening is a symbol of Ukraine’s biggest military success over the past few weeks. . . . But the decisive battles of the war’s latest phase are still raging further south, where Moscow is attempting to . . . READ MORE . . .
– – –
Russia Shoots Down Three Ukrainian Fighter Jets. From TeleSUR. Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov confirmed Monday that Russian forces shot down three Ukrainian fighter jets and 13 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) overnight. While two Ukrainian SU-25 fighters were shot down in the Kherson region, one of them went down near Kharkov, he said. “Russian forces also destroyed a . . . READ MORE . . .
– – –
Peaceful Life Returning to Mariupol — City Head. From TeleSUR. Peaceful life is being established to Mariupol after it was completely liberated from Ukrainian forces, Konstantin Ivashchenko, the city head, told reporters on Saturday. [Ivananschenko has been the city’s de facto mayor since April 6, following its capture by the Donetsk People’s Republic and Russian troops, according to Wikipedia.] Russian Defense Ministry Spokesman Major-General Igor Konashenkov said Friday that Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu had informed President Vladimir Putin about the end of the operation to liberate completely the Azovstal plant and Mariupol from Ukrainian militants. READ MORE . . .
– – –
Russian Warns of Mounting Threats to Its Security. From TeleSUR. By the end of this year, Russia will establish 12 new military units in the Western Military District to face the growing threat from the NATO and the United States, Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said. At a meeting of the National Defense Management Center in Moscow on Friday, he said the United States and NATO have gradually increased their activities along Russia’s western borders over the past few years and tensions continue to . . . READ MORE . . .
– – –
Sergey Lavrov: Russia Is Under a Hybrid War from the West. From TeleSUR. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Saturday that currently those who want to carry out an independent foreign policy are under pressure from Washington. In particular, he alluded to the European Union (EU) which in security matters “is gradually merging with NATO”. He denounced . . . that all countries capable of carrying out an independent policy are currently under attack by the United States. . . . Lavrov also indicated that Moscow was the target of a “total hybrid war” by the West, but would resist sanctions by forging deeper alliances with China, India, and others. “The collective West has declared a total hybrid war on us . . . the consequences will be felt by all, without exception,” he . . . READ MORE . . .
– – –
A battlefield assessment — three months after Russia invaded Ukraine. Reported by Leila Fadeland Greg Myre | National Public Radio When Ukraine was invaded, many expected quick Russian victory. The war is three months old, with both sides digging in and no end in sight. Many analysts say the trends now favor Ukraine. Click HERE to listen and, tomorrow, read.
– – –
U.S. National Guardsmen trained Ukrainian soldiers and it seems to have paid off. Reported by Jay Price | NPR Behind some of the success of the Ukrainian military against Russia is a little-known U.S. initiative, one built around state national guards. Click HERE to listen and, tomorrow, read.
– – –
Twitter to Ramp Up Censorship of ‘Misinformation’ about the Ukraine War, by Caitlin Johnstone | caitlinjohnstone.com Twitter has published what it calls a “crisis misinformation policy” announcing that it will be actively reducing the visibility of content found to be false which pertains to “situations of armed conflict, public health emergencies, and large-scale natural disasters.” If you’ve been paying attention to the dramatic escalations in online censorship we’ve been seeing in 2022, it will not . . . READ MORE . . .
– – –
MSM Is Empire Fanfic for Children: Notes From the Edge of the Narrative Matrix, by Caitlin Johnstone | caitlinjohnstone.com It’s often a long, awkward process learning that literally everyone in both mainstream political factions serves the oligarchic empire. For most people you have to get your hopes dashed over and over again by your heroes before learning this lesson, and even then many don’t. It runs counter to everything . . . READ MORE . . .
– – –
TO BE CONTINUED