First, reports from the New York Times, the Associated Press, Reuters, the Moscow Times, and National Public Radio; others can be accessed by clicking on the organizations’ names below. — MCM
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Attacks intensify as Russia readies new offensive, by Carlotta Gall | The New York Times Russia’s offensive in eastern Ukraine is intensifying in Donetsk provinces, with a string of towns and villages coming under bombardment in the last week as Russian troops turn their firepower further west after seizing control of the last city under Ukrainian control in Luhansk province. The attacks have mostly . . . Times subscribers can click HERE to read more.
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Putin expands fast-track Russian citizenship to all Ukraine, by Mstyslav Chernov | The Associated Press KHARKIV, Ukraine — As Russian missiles struck a key Ukrainian city, Russian President Vladimir Putin expanded a fast-track procedure for obtaining Russian citizenship to all Ukrainians today, another effort to strengthen Moscow’s influence over war-torn Ukraine. Until recently, only residents of Ukraine’s separatist eastern Donetsk and Luhansk regions, as well as residents of the southern Zaporizhzhia and the Kherson regions, large parts of which are now under Russian control, were eligible to apply for the simplified passport procedure. Ukrainian officials haven’t yet reacted . . . READ MORE . . .
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Amid Ukraine war, Russian parliament to hold extraordinary session. From Reuters. LONDON — The lower house of the Russian parliament will gather Friday for an extraordinary session, its council decided on today, just days after President Vladimir Putin warned that he had not even started to get serious in the war in Ukraine. Putin used a meeting with parliamentary leaders on Thursday to dare the United States and its allies to try to defeat Russia in Ukraine, which . . . READ MORE . . .
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Effectiveness of Ukraine’s HIMARS Fuels Concern in Russia, by Anastasia Tenisheva | The Moscow Times Pro-Kremlin figures have expressed rare public concern after Western-supplied weapons allowed Ukraine to carry out a series of successful attacks on Russian targets far behind the frontlines. The M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), which the United States started sending to Ukraine last month, appear to have been most effective at . . . READ MORE . . .
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Could Turkey block Finland and Sweden NATO membership? Reported by Peter Kenyon | National Public Radio It looks like commitments by Sweden and Finland to fight iilitant groups brought Turkey to drop objections to those countries joining NATO. But it’s still not quite a closed issue in Turkey. Click HERE to listen and read.
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TO BE CONTINUED