Russia in Review, May 19-26, 2023 – 5 Things to Know

Kremlin and Red Square file photo, adapted from image at state.gov

( Russia Matters – russiamatters.org) Two Russian rebel groups linked to the Ukrainian military raided a number of settlements in western Russia this week before being expelled. The rebels used U.S.-made vehicles in the raids, prompting U.S. officials to remind Kyiv that Washington doesn’t condone the use of U.S.-delivered equipment in attacks inside Russia. The U.S. intelligence community believes at […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Who are the militias raiding Russia’s Belgorod region? They have links to Ukrainian military intelligence and, in some cases, to the far right” – The Economist

European Portion of Commonwealth of Independent States

“… [Recently] two militias … oppos[ing] … Putin — the Russian Volunteer Corps and the Free Russia Legion — claimed to have ‘liberated’ several border villages [in the Russian region of Belgorod]. The groups appear to be based in Ukraine …. [and] Russia says … the militias are a front for the Ukrainian army; [but] Ukraine insists … they are […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Drafted at the DMV? Military conscription goes digital in Russia” – Christian Science Monitor/ Fred Weir

Kremlin and River

“Russia is integrating its military draft with its digitized, pervasive bureaucracy. That could make new mobilizations for its war in Ukraine more efficient – and much harder to evade.” “In Russia, it used to be that to get called up for military service, an eligible recruit had to be issued a draft summons in person. Not anymore. Under a new […]

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AUDIO: JRL NEWSWATCH: “What are realistic expectations for Ukraine’s military offensive?” – NPR

Map of Ukraine, Including Crimea, and Neighbors, Including Russia

“… The U.S. and other NATO nations are sending Ukraine tanks, drones and artillery … as [Ukraine] plans [its expected next] offensive. The West also recently pledged to meet Ukraine’s long-standing request for F-16[‘s], [a scenario still requiring] the Ukrainian air force [to spend months] … learn[ing] how to fly and maintain [them] …. … [T]his lengthy Ukrainian buildup has […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Russia’s military has adapted and is now a more formidable enemy for Ukraine, defense analysts say” – CNBC

European Portion of Commonwealth of Independent States

Russia’s military has been widely discredited and disparaged by the Western media since the start of its invasion of Ukraine. Russia was seen to have bungled the early phase of the war, suffering a series of setbacks and retreats. Defense analysts say Russia has adapted its tactics during the war, however, and a more structured, coordinated and reactive armed force […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Russia’s army is learning on the battlefield” – The Economist

Map of Ukraine, Including Crimea, and Neighbors, Including Russia

“A new report shows how its tactics are improving. Ukraine can still beat it.” “Russian generals have been slow to learn from … strategic errors. … botch[ing] Russia’s initial assault on Kyiv, bungl[ing] an assault on the eastern Donbas … last summer and … fritter[ing] away tens of thousands of troops … on the same front [more recently] …. But […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Russia’s New Nuclear Normal; How the Country Has Grown Dangerously Comfortable Brandishing Its Arsenal” – Foreign Affairs/ Dmitry Adamsky

Russian Mobile ICBM Parade File Photo

“… Russia’s approach to nuclear weapons has evolved since the invasion … and not in comforting ways. The war further nuclearized the Russian establishment’s strategic thought and normalized nuclear weapons in the public’s consciousness. … Evidence … indicate[s] that over the last year and a half Russia’s military has doubled down on its conceptualization of deterrence strategy, and that it […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Ukraine feels the pressure of time and rising expectations” – Financial Times

File Photo of G7 Summit in Hiroshima, with Heads of State Seated at Table with Flags, Joined by Volodymyr Zelenskiy.

“Last weekend’s G7 summit must not be the high point of international support for Kyiv.” “… [D]iplomatic and military support offered … Zelenskyy at the G7 [summit] was a big boost …. [T]he danger is that it could be remembered as the high watermark of international backing …. The U.S. and the Europeans believe … their efforts have worked … […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Brutal Battle for Bakhmut Leaves Russia With an Uncertain Victory; Nine months of attrition warfare cost both sides dearly” – WSJ

Map of Ukraine, Including Crimea, and Neighbors, Including Russia

“The nine-month battle for the small Ukrainian city of Bakhmut effectively came to an end … Sunday, as Russian forces finally captured the last significant Ukrainian strongholds …. Who has won and who has lost isn’t measured, however, in current control over the uninhabitable ruins … left from … a once prosperous city of 70,000 …. The answer will depend […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “The Line Between Support for Ukraine and War With Russia Just Gets Thinner” – The Nation/ James Bamford

Aerial View of Kremlin and Environs

“Recent Pentagon leaks reveal that the shadow war between Russia and the U.S. over Ukraine is becoming more overt — and far more dangerous.” “On the eastern wall of the Kremlin, Spasskaya Tower rises high above the old gray paving stones of Red Square. Beneath its hipped roof are the ‘Kremlin Chimes,’ a 500-year-old clock with four broad 20-foot faces. […]

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Russia in Review, May 12-19, 2023 – 5 Things to Know

File Photo of Red Square, Kremlin, Environs, adapted from image at state.gov

(Russia Matters – russiamatters.org) Chinese President Xi Jinping told leaders of the five Central Asian republics that Beijing is ready to help them strengthen “their law enforcement, security and defense” capacities. Playing host to these leaders in Xian during a two-day summit, Xi also said China would provide $3.7 billion in financing support and “free assistance” to the five republics […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “In Ukraine, Technology Only Thickens the Fog of War” – Bloomberg

Artist's Depiction of Spy Satellite in Orbit, With Stylized Depictions of Lines of Site and Data Points, adapted from image at iarpa.gov

“The deluge of satellite imagery, drone footage, social media and smart phones has generated enough information to support any story you want to tell about what’s happening on the ground.” “… [T]wo relatively new contributions to the transparency of the Russo-Ukrainian conflict are widely available satellite imagery and social network posts. … [S]atellite data from private Western providers has lent […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “The end of Ukraine aid is rapidly approaching. Reupping it won’t be easy” – Politico

U.S. Capitol in Bright Sunlight

“The $48 billion Ukraine aid package … Congress approved in December has about $6 billion left … U.S. funding for weapons and supplies could dry up by midsummer. … raising fresh concerns among lawmakers about … when the administration will ask for another major package and whether it will be enough. The funding, many members say, needs to continue … […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Russia’s top mercenary leader turns on Kremlin. What’s behind rift?” – Christian Science Monitor

Yevgeny Prigozhin file photos, adapted from images at fbi.gov

“Wagner mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin has been engaged in very public criticism of Russia’s war effort. Experts say that it’s not a challenge to Vladimir Putin, but positioning for the post-war order.” “Russia’s most successful military leader in the Ukraine war … is not [even] a soldier …. Yevgeny Prigozhin is a former convict and Kremlin-connected entrepreneur whose private … […]

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Russia Analytical Report, May 8-15, 2023 – 7 Ideas to Explore

File Photo of Red Square, Kremlin, Environs, adapted from image at state.gov

(Russia Matters – russiamatters.org) Ukraine’s counteroffensive needs to show demonstrable success for U.S. Congress to approve additional aid as the money American lawmakers set aside to fund military supplies to Kyiv is set to run out in July, according to U.S. officials interviewed by FT and Politico. Meanwhile, there is a debate underway in Washington over whether substantial gains in […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Zelensky Makes Latest Stop on Tour to Drum Up Support Ahead of Planned Offensive” – WSJ

File Photo of British Parliament Building, Big Ben, Thames, adapted from image at loc.gov

“Ukrainian president adds Britain to his tour of European nations as U.K. offers hundreds of attack drones.” “… Zelensky last week said Ukraine needed more time before it[s] … offensive because its military awaited equipment promised by Western partners … that proceeding now would cost too many lives. … [F]ace-to-face meetings with [European] counterparts … are designed to drive home […]

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It’s Victory Day – but most Russians feel anything but victorious

Map of Russia and Russian Flag adapted from images at state.gov

“My research found several misconceptions about Russians’ attitude to the Ukraine war. Here’s what people really think.” (opendemocracy.net – Jeremy Morris – May 9, 2023) Jeremy Morris is a researcher at Aarhus University, Denmark. His work covers labour relations, political economy, and the lived experience of people in Russia, Ukraine and other places since the collapse of the Soviet Union. […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Ukraine Needs More Than a $30 Billion Arsenal to Strike Back” – Bloomberg

Map of Ukraine, Including Crimea, and Neighbors, Including Russia

“Success of NATO training programs could prove critical Counteroffensive needs surprise and ‘combined arms’ approach” “Armed with … over $30 billion in weapons freshly supplied by its allies, Ukraine is gearing up for a counteroffensive that may push Russia closer to ending its war, or show neither side has enough firepower to seize the advantage. Kyiv’s troops will leverage that […]

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RUSSIALINK: “Author Ian Garner Paints a Disturbing Portrait of Russia’s ‘Generation Z'” – Moscow Times

Kremlin and River

(Moscow Times – Emily Couch – May 10, 2023) Ian Garner is a historian focusing on Soviet and Russian war propaganda. The author of “Stalingrad Lives: Stories of Combat and Survival,” he studied at the Universities of Bristol and Toronto, and at the St. Petersburg State Conservatory. “Z Generation: Into the Heart of Russia’s Fascist Youth” is available for purchase […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Russia has abandoned efforts to take more territory and is focusing on keeping defensive positions ahead of ‘landmark’ counteroffensive from Kyiv, Ukraine intelligence head claims” – The Daily Mail (UK)

Map of Ukraine, Including Crimea, and Neighbors, Including Russia

“Kyrylo Budanov, said Putin’s forces were focusing on trying to capture Bakhmut Intelligence boss said new attack will be a ‘landmark battle in Ukraine’s history’” “Russia has all but abandoned efforts to take more territory and is now focusing on defending its positions in preparation for a brutal counteroffensive by Ukraine, the head of military intelligence in Kyiv has said. […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Russia Digs In Awaiting Ukraine’s Expected Offensive” – AFP

Map of Ukraine, Including Crimea, and Neighbors, Including Russia

“Russia has boosted … defenses in occupied Ukraine ahead of Kyiv’s anticipated counterattack, wagering its position on 800 kilometers of triple-fortified lines and a gush of manpower. … Ukrainian terrain, muddied by the spring thaw, has begun to dry and Russia’s latest wave of attacks has fizzled out[.] [A] counterstrike may be weeks or … days away. The Russian defensive […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “The West should supply Ukraine with F-16s; Or Russian fighter jets may win control of Ukrainian skies” – The Economist

File photo of F-16 with Arctic colors above runway, adapted from image at defense.gov with photo credit: U.S. Air Force Photo/Airman 1st Class Jonathan Snyder

“As Ukraine prepares … for a … counter-offensive …. [h]aving finally received the tanks it had been pleading for since last year, Ukraine has increased the intensity of its demands for fighter jets. … About 30 former Warsaw Pact mig-29s are on their way from Poland and Slovakia. But what Ukraine says it needs are … American f-16s … the […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “NATO: Ukraine allies sent 1,550 combat vehicles, 230 tanks” – AP

File Photo of Leopard Tank Preparing to Ford a River, adapted from Defense.gov image with photo credit to Army Sgt. Garrett Ty Whitfield

“NATO allies and partner countries have delivered more than 98% of the combat vehicles promised to Ukraine during Russia’s invasion and war, [NATO’s] chief said Thursday, giving Kyiv a bigger punch as it contemplates launching a counteroffensive. Along with more than 1,550 armored vehicles, 230 tanks and other equipment, Ukraine’s allies have sent ‘vast amounts of ammunition’ and also trained […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Nuance in the fog: Plumbing for honesty in Russian opinion polls” – Christian Science Monitor/ Fred Weir

Aerial View of Kremlin and Environs

“What do Russians want? Sociologists struggle to make sense of responses to their opinion polls, knowing that opponents of the authoritarian government are reluctant to express themselves.” “… [M]any argue that new tools and methodologies are needed to make sense of the data, due to the intense atmosphere of wartime Russia and growing state repression of people with differing views. […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Minister: Ukraine will beat Russia in war of technologies” – AP

File Image of Stylized Eye Surrounded by Binary Code

“As Ukrainian and Russian troops fight conventional battles on the front lines, Europe’s first major war of the internet age has also sparked a war of technology as both sides vie for the advantage with their drones and satellite communications. While the two sides have kept pace with one another thus far, Ukraine’s minister in charge of technology told The […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Biden’s team fears the aftermath of a failed Ukrainian counteroffensive” – Politico

File Photo of Joe Biden at Podium in Front of U.S. and State Department Flags, adapted from image at usembassy.gov

“Behind closed doors, the administration worries about what Ukraine can accomplish” “… Ukraine’s ever-imminent counteroffensive will attempt to retake Russian-seized territory most likely in the east and south …. [I]f the impending fighting season yields limited gains, [Biden] administration officials have expressed privately [that] they fear being faced with a two-headed monster attacking it from the hawkish and dovish ends […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Russia’s economy can withstand a long war, but not a more intense one; Its defences against Western sanctions can only stretch so far” – The Economist

Diverse Paper Currency, Coins, Line Graph

“… Russia’s bureaucracy … has found ways to withstand the fusillade of sanctions …. suppl[ying] enough men and materiel to propel Russia’s invasion. … without a sharp decline in living standards, which might prompt popular unrest. But any attempt to escalate the conflict would inevitably undo these successes. Russia is having to cope with the broadest array of sanctions ever […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Russia Seeks to Deplete Ukraine’s Air Defenses Ahead of Kyiv’s Expected Offensive” – WSJ

BUK SAM file photo adapted from image at army.mil

“Renewed drone barrage comes ahead of meeting between Ukraine’s Western backers.” “… The latest drone barrage comes as Russia seeks to erode Ukraine’s air defenses ahead of a planned [Ukrainian] offensive … expected in … coming weeks. … [also] after purported [leaked] Pentagon presentations … show[ing] [that] Ukraine is running out of antiaircraft missiles, predicting Russia could achieve … [localized] […]

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Russia in Review, April 7-14, 2023 – 6 Things to Know

File Photo of Red Square, Kremlin, Environs, adapted from image at state.gov

(Russia Matters – russiamatters.org – April 14, 2023) The latest batch of leaked top-secret U.S. intelligence assessments paint a significantly grimmer picture of Ukraine’s fighting chances than one would typically find on the editorial pages of America’s leading newspapers. The leaked documents warn that Ukraine’s anticipated spring counteroffensive will likely result in “modest territorial gains” that would fall “well short” of Kyiv’s goals, […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Putin, Zelenskyy rally troops with war poised for new phase” – AP

Map of Ukraine, Including Crimea, and Neighbors, Including Russia

“Putin [reportedly] visited [Russian] command posts … in Ukraine for the second time in two months … while … Zelenskyy made his latest trip near the front line. … [T]he war approaches its 14th month [as] … Kyiv readies a possible counteroffensive with Western-supplied weapons. Some of the most significant of those weapons appeared to have recently arrived …. Ukraine […]

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RUSSIALINK: “Putin’s Occupied Ukraine Visit Seen as ‘PR Exercise’ to Counter Zelensky” – Moscow Times

European Portion of Commonwealth of Independent States

(Moscow Times – Pyotr Kozlov – April 19, 2023) President Vladimir Putin’s first trip to meet his generals in Russian-occupied Ukraine publicized by the Kremlin earlier this week was an attempt to show he is in control of the military situation and compete with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, according to analysts. This is only the second time Putin has publicly […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Leaks painted a grim picture of the Ukraine war. Here’s the reality.” – Washington Post

European Portion of Commonwealth of Independent States

“… Russia keeps feeding the grinder[,] … [reportedly] resupply[ing] their lines around Bakhmut as fast as they lose people …. But … some members of … Putin’s inner circle [reportedly] know … this protracted campaign is folly and that resistance to Putin … is slowly growing. ‘Many of those who supported the special operation yesterday are now in doubt or […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Read the Leaked Secret Intelligence Documents on Ukraine and Vladimir Putin” – Newsweek

File Image of Stylized Eye Surrounded by Binary Code

“The stark conclusion buried in the documents is that Vladimir Putin’s army has made little progress. Since last July, it has gained an average of just 2.7 kms (1.6 mi) of territory “per month” in its attack around Bakhmut. An equally startling disclosure is that the number of Russian mercenaries fighting around Bakhmut exceeds the number of regular soldiers. According […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “New Leaked Documents Show Broad Infighting Among Russian Officials” – New York Times

File Photo of Kremlin Tower, St. Basil's, Red Square at Night

“The additional documents also suggest the breach of American intelligence agencies could contain far more material than previously believed.” “… [I]nfighting inside the Russian government appears broader and deeper than previously understood, judging from … classified [U.S.] intelligence documents … leaked online. … [For example,] American intelligence officials say … [the] F.S.B.[] has ‘accused’ [Russia’s] Defense Ministry ‘of obfuscating Russian […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “The West Needs a New Strategy in Ukraine: A Plan for Getting From the Battlefield to the Negotiating Table” – Foreign Affairs/ Richard Haass, Charles Kupchan

Map of Ukraine, Including Crimea, and Neighbors, Including Russia

“The best path forward is a sequenced two-pronged strategy aimed at first bolstering Ukraine’s military capability and then, when the fighting season winds down late this year, ushering Moscow and Kyiv … to the negotiating table. The West should start by immediately expediting the flow of weapons to Ukraine and increasing their quantity and quality. … to bolster Ukraine’s defenses […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “How Russia Is Preparing Crimea for Ukraine’s Counteroffensive” – Newsweek

Map of Ukraine, Including Crimea, and Neighbors, Including Russia

“Russian troops in occupied Crimea are reportedly preparing for Kyiv’s expected spring counteroffensive …. Russian units all along the 800-mile front have been preparing new defensive positions for several months, awaiting Ukraine’s next counter push, while their comrades grind forward in bloody offensives in the eastern Donetsk region. Kyiv is hoping to maximize Russian losses in the defense, exhausting Moscow’s […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Casualties Won’t Topple Putin; But they will make his job much more difficult.” – Foreign Policy/ Timothy Frye

Aerial View of Kremlin and Environs

“… Russian losses in the war against Ukraine [reportedly] are approaching a staggering 200,000 killed or wounded, with roughly 40,000 dead. … [T]he Russian government and state media rarely mention the scale of the casualties …. [b]ut hiding losses of this magnitude will only get harder. Wounded soldiers are returning home … and those killed in action have friends and […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Ukraine ‘alters counter-offensive plans’ after Pentagon leak” – The Telegraph (UK)

BUK SAM file photo adapted from image at army.mil

“Ukrainian air force spokesman says, ‘We need jets here, and now’, as leaked documents raise fresh questions over RAF Black Sea incident.” “Ukraine has reportedly been forced to alter plans for its coming counter-offensive because of the leak of highly-sensitive US intelligence. An unnamed official close to … Zelensky … [said] Monday that Kyiv had to reconsider some of its […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “U.S. doubts Ukraine counteroffensive will yield big gains, leaked document says” – Washington Post

Map of Ukraine, Including Crimea, and Neighbors, Including Russia

“It’s a marked departure from the Biden administration’s public pronouncements about the vitality of Ukraine’s army and is likely to embolden critics calling for negotiations to end the war.” “… [T]he bleak assessment from early February warns of significant ‘force generation and sustainment shortfalls,’ and the likelihood that such an operation will result in only ‘modest territorial gains.’ … Military […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Time to get real about the Russian threat; Eastern Europeans know that unless Ukraine claims victory the Kremlin will be back for more” – The Times (UK)

Map of Europe, adapted from image at loc.gov

“… Countries closer to Russia, such as Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland, see the war quite differently. Their flinty perception … draws on deep historical traumas. … The atrocities Russia inflicts now on Ukraine echo these experiences and awaken new fears. The east Europeans’ intense support for the Ukrainian cause rests not on the desire to back a winner […]

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Russia in Review, March 31-April 7, 2023 – 5 Things to Know

File Photo of Red Square, Kremlin, Environs, adapted from image at state.gov

(Russia Matters – russiamatters.org) Three days of Xi’s talks with Macron and von der Leyen reaffirmed their rhetorical commitment to peace in Ukraine and an end to nuclear saber-rattling, but produced no concrete measures for attaining either. A readout of the trilateral talks in Beijing by the Chinese MFA said Xi told his two guests that a ceasefire in Ukraine […]

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The cost of war leaves Ukraine struggling to pay its teachers

Bookcase file photo, adapted from image at nlm.nih.gov

Ukraine has been forced to cut school grants and local authorities are now scrambling to fund teachers’ wages. (opendemocracy.net – Kateryna Semchuk – April 6, 2023) Kateryna Semchuk is Ukraine correspondent at oDR, openDemocracy’s post-Soviet space project, and an editor at Ukrainian Political Critique. She is a graduate of Paris Sorbonne IV, and is interested in political philosophy and ethics. […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Inside the Battle of Bakhmut, where troops are dying by the thousand” – The Times (UK)

Map of Ukraine, Including Crimea, and Neighbors, Including Russia

“Desperate tactics used by Ukraine and Russia to secure a crucial victory in the city are taking a mental toll on soldiers.” “… The human wave tactics that [World War II Soviet General Georgy] Zhukov pioneered — sending men to charge German buildings suicidally, with a second squad of men behind to shoot anyone who turned and fled — are […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Why Do Russians Still Want to Fight?” – New York Times/ Marlene Laruelle, Ivan Grek

European Portion of Commonwealth of Independent States

“… [N]early 200,000 Russian troops … [reportedly have been] killed or wounded … in a military operation … incompetent and ill equipped. Morale is reportedly low and complaints common. … [Y]et a significant number of Russian men are still keen to fight …. One obvious reason is fear. Men called up to the army have no choice but to obey, […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Kremlin Sees No Prospect of Chinese Mediation on Ukraine” – AFP/ Moscow Times

File Photo of Beijing Temple, adapted from image at lbl.gov

“The Kremlin on Thursday said it saw no “prospect” for China to mediate the Ukraine conflict and that it had “no other way” than to press on with its offensive. The comments came as French President Emmanuel Macron was in Beijing to try to dissuade China from supporting Moscow’s campaign. … China has outlined a proposal for peace in Ukraine, […]

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RUSSIALINK: “Anything But More Mobilization: Russia’s Stealthy Push to Find More Soldiers” – Moscow Times

Kremlin and River

(Moscow Times – Farida Rustamova, Maxim Tovkaylo – April 6, 2023) It seems the Kremlin has largely given up on gathering troops for its war in Ukraine through mobilization. Likely because Russia’s leadership remains fearful of a domestic political backlash. Instead, they have been upping efforts in recent months to encourage men to sign up voluntarily and serve as contract […]

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TRANSCRIPT: Senior Defense Official Holds a Background Briefing on Ukraine

Aerial Photo of Pentagon and Environs

(U.S. Department of Defense – April 4, 2023) STAFF: Good afternoon, everyone. Thank you for joining us today for this background call. Joining us today is (inaudible) will be on background today with attribution to “a senior defense official”. And with that, I will turn it over to (inaudible). SENIOR DEFENSE OFFICIAL: Great, thank you. Good afternoon, everyone. I am […]

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RUSSIALINK: “Eyewitnesses Describe ‘Bomb Jokes’ Moments Before Cafe Blast That Killed Military Blogger” – Moscow Times/ Giovanni Pigni

Map of Russia and Russian Flag adapted from images at state.gov

Russian military blogger Vladlen Tatarsky was laughing about bombs with his apparent assassin at an event in St. Petersburg minutes before he was killed by a bomb hidden inside a gifted statuette, eyewitnesses told The Moscow Times. Daria Trepova, who gave Tatarsky the golden figurine of himself, told the pro-war blogger in front of the dozens of attendees that security […]

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Russia in Review, March 24-31, 2023 – 3 Things to Know

File Photo of Red Square, Kremlin, Environs, adapted from image at state.gov

(Russia Matters – russiamatters.org) Russia’s new foreign policy concept declares “an era of revolutionary change” in the world order, but leaves the door open to normalizing relations with the West. To facilitate the formation of a “more just, multipolar world,” Russia will prioritize the “elimination of vestiges of dominance by the U.S.,” according to the new document, which replaces Russia’s […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “The Only Realistic Answer to Putin” – The Atlantic

Map of Ukraine, Including Crimea, and Neighbors, Including Russia

“Russia’s unprovoked invasion is impossible to justify. Now is not the time to relent in helping Ukraine.” “… Putin is trying to convince his public that this war is existential, but with little success. Russia’s existence as a strong, sovereign state is not dependent on … control of Ukraine …. That’s why, since Putin implemented a partial mobilization last fall, […]

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