First, links to reports from Agence France-Presse, Reuters, Tass, National Public Radio, and the Associated Press; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. Next, links to commentary from Common Dreams, Responsible Statecraft, and the Libertarian Institute. Then, a link to AP’s Spanish version of one of yesterday’s reports. — MCM
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Russia claims destroyed Ukraine’s ‘last warship.’ From AFP. “On May 29, a high-precision strike by the Russian Air Force on a ship anchorage site in the port of Odesa destroyed the last warship of the Ukrainian Navy, the ‘Yuri Olefirenko’,” the Russian army said today.
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Ukrainian shelling kills five, drone sparks fire at refinery – Russian officials. From Reuters. MOSCOW / KYIV — Ukrainian shelling killed five people in a village in the Luhansk region of eastern Ukraine, Moscow-installed officials said today, while a drone attack caused a fire at an oil refinery in southern Russia. Ukrainian artillery also hit a Russian town close to the border for the third time in a week, damaging buildings and vehicles and injuring four people, Russian officials said . A day after . . . READ MORE . . .
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IAEA chief announces plans to visit Moscow, Kiev. From Tass. UNITED NATIONS — Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Grossi expressed hope that he will visit Kiev and the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) and also possibly Moscow soon. Grossi gave no exact timeframes. He said . . . READ MORE . . .
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Russia is hit with more air strikes. Does this point to an escalation in the war? Reported by A Martínez and Greg Myre | NPR For well over a year, Russia has carried out air strikes across Ukraine. Now Russia finds itself on the receiving end, including drones that hit apartment buildings in Moscow. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.
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Moscow drone attack exposes Russia’s vulnerabilities, fuels criticism of military. From AP. A drone attack that targeted Moscow on Tuesday exposed glaring breaches in its air defenses and underlined the capital’s vulnerability asmore Russian soil comes under fire amid expectations of a Ukrainian counteroffensive. The attack, which lightly damaged three apartment buildings, angered Russia’s hawks, who scathingly criticized President Vladimir Putin and the military brass for failing to protect the heart of Kremlin power more than 500 kilometers (310 miles) from the front line. . . . READ MORE . . .
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Ukrainian fighters lay the groundwork to reclaim land south of the Dnipro River. Reported by Joanna Kakissis | NPR Four soldiers in Ukraine’s south have spent months making clandestine trips across the river dividing Ukrainian and Russian forces, preparing for a counteroffensive to reclaim occupied land. Click HERE to listen and read.
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Could Russia’s economy finally be feeling the heat because of sanctions over the war? Reported by Stacey Vanek Smith | NPR Russia’s economy has remained resilient in the face of sanctions and other trade and financial restrictions, but that could be changing now as economic challenges mount. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.
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Deal that allows Ukraine to export grain across the Black Sea has been extended. Michel Martin of NPR speaks with European Commissioner for Transport Adina Valean about efforts to help Ukraine export grains and agricultural products. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.
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When will U.S. join global call to end Ukraine war? by Medea Benjamin and Nicolas J.S. Davies | Common Dreams When Japan invited the leaders of Brazil, India and Indonesia to attend the G7 summit in Hiroshima, there were glimmers of hope that it might be a forum for these rising economic powers from the Global South to discuss their advocacy for peace in Ukraine with the wealthy Western G7 countries that are militarily allied with Ukraine and have so far remained deaf to pleas for peace. But . . . READ MORE . . .
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NATO members mull secret plans for responding to Russia attack, by Ian Davis | Responsible Statecraft The lack of transparency that characterizes NATO’s long-range military planning processes poses a serious challenge to democratic oversight. That applies in particular to the regular tri-annual meetings of the military alliance’s most senior generals, the Chiefs of Defence. The latest of these meetings took place on May 10 in Brussels. While media coverage . . . READ MORE . . .
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Democrats in Congress demand more aggressive Ukraine policy, by Kyle Anzalone | The Libertarian Institute Several members of the Democrat Party in Congress are urging the White House to provide Kiev with significantly more military support. One representative wants the Joe Biden administration to place “non-combatant observers” on the ground in Ukraine. Rep. Jason Crow (D-CO) called for . . . READ MORE . . .
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Rusia dice que drones causan leves daños en edificios en Moscú y culpa a Ucrania, por Susie Blann y Joanna Kozlowska | Agencia AP KIEV — Un inusual ataque con drones despertó a Moscú a primeras horas del martes, causando apenas ligeros daños pero obligando a evacuar edificios residenciales que recibieron impactos en la capital rusa por primera vez durante la guerra contra Ucrania. El Kremlin, mientras tanto, continuó con su incesante bombardeo sobre Kiev con una tercera . . . LEA MÁS . . .
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MAY BE CONTINUED