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: “‘Get out’: Influx of Russians to Georgia stokes old enmities” – CNN

File Photo of Tbilisi, Georgia and Environs, adapted from image at state.gov

“… [T]he arrival of more than 100,000 Russians in [Georgia] since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine … has left Georgians uncertain whether to welcome them as friends or shun them as foes. … Despite gaining independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, a potential European future [for Georgia] is still struggling to be born. Georgia’s stance towards Russia […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy makes surprise commencement address at Johns Hopkins” – Baltimore Sun

Screenshot file photo of Volodymyr Zelensky Gesturing, from Congressional Teleconference, adapted from image at doggett.house.gov

“The Johns Hopkins University celebrated its commencement … with a surprise speech from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy via livestream …. and [awarded] Zelenskyy an honorary doctorate …. The Class of 2023 offered him a standing ovation after the address …. Zelenskyy offered … a message centered around time, … ‘the most valuable resource on the planet.’ … He said the […]

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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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JRL NEWSWATCH: “China Draws Russia Closer While Pushing Ukraine Peace Plan” – New York Times

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

“Xi Jinping meets Russian premier among meetings signaling pushback against Western pressure” “China and Russia moved to solidify their partnership with high-level meetings … in a departure from recent efforts by Beijing to play down its alignment with Moscow as it seeks to play … peacemaker in Ukraine. … Xi Jinping met Wednesday in Beijing with Russian Prime Minister Mikhail […]

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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: “German spy chief sees no ‘cracks’ in Putin system” – Deutsche Welle

Vladimir Putin file photo, adapted from screenshot of video at shareamerica.gov

“Disputes in Russian society do not pose a threat to Vladimir Putin’s government, says Bruno Kahl, head of Germany’s foreign intelligence service. He argues Moscow has enough recruits and equipment for the war.” “… Kahl argued that public criticism of the management of the war amount to routine disputes within Russian society and do not pose a threat to the […]

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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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VIDEO: JRL NEWSWATCH: “Before the Durham report, TV networks allowed Russiagate booster Adam Schiff to claim ‘evidence’ of collusion” – Fox

Adam Schiff file photo, adapted from image at congress.gov

“CNN, MSNBC, ABC, CBS, NBC repeatedly invited the top Democrat during the Mueller investigation” “… Durham’s conclusion was that since the original probe, … Crossfire Hurricane, was based on ‘raw, unanalyzed and uncorroborated intelligence,’ the FBI was wrong in fast-tracking a full investigation …. While the DOJ was largely silent … there was no one in Washington as vocal about […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “The Outcome of the War in Ukraine Depends on China and India” – The Nation

Asia Map

“Whether Americans like it or not, this country will have little choice but to begin planning for an emerging world order.” “… Amid the seemingly never-ending catastrophe of the war in Ukraine, it’s become increasingly evident that China and India are likely to shape its final resolution. Russia can’t keep fighting without … [their] support … thanks to their refusal […]

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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: “Durham Exposes Robert Mueller’s Failure; The new report exposes how the original Russia probe covered up the FBI’s offenses” – WSJ

FBI Headquarters File Photo

“Special counsel John Durham’s report on the Russia collusion fiasco deserves more attention … [C]ritics are dismissing it for one big reason: The 306 pages describe the great failure of original special counsel Robert Mueller. … [who] hunted for evidence that [] Trump was a Russian mole but couldn’t find it. Now the Durham report makes clear … the Mueller […]

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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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Nearly Three Out of Five Russians Say Religion Doesn’t Play a Major or Even Any Role in Their Lives, Levada Center Poll Finds

File Photo of Russian Orthodox Cathedral with Man in Religious Garb in Foreground

(Paul Goble – Window On Eurasia – Staunton, May 16, 2023) Despite the obvious tilt toward Russian Orthodoxy that the Putin regime has displayed especially in recent months, Russians as a whole do not see religion as an important part of their lives, according to the results of a new survey released by the Levada Center sociological center. While 14 […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Notes of a Russian Visitor; The director of PEN Moscow is worried about Russophobia” – The Nation/ Nadezhda Azhgikhina

Stylized Russian and U.S. Flags, 200, 1807-2007

“… [I]n the spring of 1991, I first came to New York, to attend the Glasnost in Two Cultures conference of women writers in Russia and North America. … my first real trip abroad. Going to America at the time was like going to the moon for Soviet people. … Thirty years ago, Russians and Americans discovered each other. … […]

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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: “Russia’s economy is still marching along. Here’s how to slow it down.” – Washington Post

Cash, Calculator, Pen

“The air is seeping out of Russia’s sanctions-beleaguered economy, but not fast enough to impede … Putin’s calamitous war in Ukraine or to inconvenience most Russians. … Washington and its allies retain potent ways to undercut the Kremlin’s war-making capacity over time — if [sanctions] are honed and intensified[,] [accompanied by] [b]etter coordination and tighter enforcement … sharpening the war’s […]

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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: “Russian Officials Unnerved by Ukraine Bloodshed Are Contacting CIA, Agency Says; Russian-language video on Telegram aims at Russians ‘on the fence’” – WSJ

“Russian-language video on Telegram aims at Russians ‘on the fence’” The Wall Street Journal reports: “The [CIA’s] semipublic campaign to convince Russians disaffected by the war in Ukraine to spy for Washington has borne fruit, CIA officials said … as the spy agency released a new video aimed directly at Russian government officials. Since last fall, the CIA and [FBI] […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “U.S. assessing potential damage of Patriot missile defense system following Russian attack near Kyiv” – CNN

Patriot Missile Launch file photo

“A U.S.-made Patriot system [reportedly] was likely damaged, but not destroyed, as the result of a Russian missile barrage in and around Kyiv early Tuesday …. Ukrainian officials said … they successfully intercepted all six hypersonic missiles fired by the Russians …. Ukraine currently has two Patriot air defense systems in the country, one donated by the US and the […]

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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: “Serhii Plokhy’s new book traces Vladimir Putin’s road to war” – The Economist

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

“The Ukrainian historian shows how the Kremlin’s bloody campaign has backfired.” “The Russo-Ukrainian War. By Serhii Plokhy. W.W. Norton; 400 pages … [a] useful account of the origins and early progress of Russia’s war against Ukraine … very much worth reading ….” “…[T]he first six chapters  [lay] out an excellent survey of unresolved regional tensions, going all the way back […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Latvia battles to curb Russian media influence” – DW

Map of Baltics and Environs, Including Kaliningrad

“Latvia is fighting to counter the spread of Moscow’s disinformation. Given its large Russian-speaking community, this is a tough task.” “… Latvia gained its long-awaited independence in the 1990s … then became a member of the [EU] and NATO. But … the country’s Soviet past still has a potent impact …. Even before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine … Latvian […]

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RUSSIALINK: “Russian Oil Exports Hit Post-Invasion High – IEA” – Moscow Times

Oil Wells file photo, adapted from image at usda.gov

(Moscow Times – May 16, 2023) Russia’s oil exports rose in April to the highest level since its invasion of Ukraine, boosting revenues by $1.7 billion despite Western sanctions, the International Energy Agency said Tuesday. The Paris-based organization said Russian exports increased by 50,000 barrels per day to 8.3 million bpd last month, estimating that the country did not fully […]

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Russia’s Prime Minister Mishustin: A Quiet Technocrat Who Toes the Line and Gets Results

File Photo of Mikhail Mishustin Seated and Gesturing, in Profile, with Flag in Background, from https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/64/Vladimir_Putin_with_Mikhail_Mishustin_(2019-05-06)_03.jpg, from Kremlin.Ru with Creative Commons License 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

(Russia Matters – russiamatters.org – RM Staff – May 11, 2023) Ever since Mikhail Mishustin was hoisted from his job as tax chief to become Russia’s prime minister in 2020, analysts have said he would not be a potential successor to Vladimir Putin after the president’s term ends next year. This take was hard to argue against. As Carnegie’s Tatiana […]

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Russia in Review, May 5-12, 2023: 7 Things to Know

(Russia Matters – russiamatters.org) Moscow blaming West at every turn: Vladimir Putin attacked the West on May 9, claiming that Russia’s future depended on the outcome of the war in Ukraine, as he attended a slimmed-down military parade to mark victory over Nazi Germany in WWII, MT reports. “A real war has once again been unleashed against our motherland,” he […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Zelensky interview transcript: ‘Ukraine must win'” – Washington Post

Screenshot file photo of Volodymyr Zelensky Gesturing, from Congressional Teleconference, adapted from image at doggett.house.gov

“…  [W]e don’t plan a counteroffensive for months. … a priority issue for us, so we had to be prepared in advance with our plans. …. Our partners understand this …. There are [a number of] issues … The first … is, of course, ammunition. … a resource without which a counteroffensive is impossible. … [W]ithout this resource, the defense […]

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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’s Dogged Effort to Get Weapons to the Battlefield, Not the Black Market” – New York Times

File Photo of HIMARS Missile Being Launched, adapted from image at army.mil

“They can’t track every shell, but at a time of heightened scrutiny in Washington they know they can ill afford slips with the big ticket items.” “… Rocket launchers, precision-guided missiles and billions of dollars’ worth of other advanced American weapons have given Ukraine a fighting chance against Russia …. [I]n Washington, against a looming government debt crisis and growing […]

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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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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Biden administration hunts for high-value Russians for potential prisoner swap” – CNN

File Photo of Prison Cell and Bars with Shaft of Light, adapted from image at fbi.gov

“The Biden administration [reportedly] is scouring the globe for offers that could entice Russia to release two wrongfully detained Americans, Evan Gershkovich and Paul Whelan …. The U.S. [reportedly] does not currently have any high-level Russian spies in its custody … [and therefore is] approaching allied countries [holding] Russian spies …. U.S. officials [reportedly] have also been surveying allies without […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Biden’s CIA Assist in the 2020 Presidential Election; The agency, not only retirees, turns out to have worked on the Hunter excuse letter.” – WSJ

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

“… It seems … [Joe] Biden … [on election day] owed thanks not only to a cabal of former intelligence officials, but [also] to the [CIA][,] … [according to the] [U.S.] House committees detailing the origins of the October 2020 disinformation letter about Hunter Biden’s laptop. … Joe Biden’s campaign helped engineer a statement from 51 former U.S. spies 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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The Future of Ukraine’s Political Consensus

Screenshot file photo of Volodymyr Zelensky Gesturing, from Congressional Teleconference, adapted from image at doggett.house.gov

(Kennan Institute – wilsoncenter.org/program/kennan-institute – Oleh Haiko – Senior lecturer at V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University – May 10, 2023) President Zelensky has successfully consolidated Ukrainian society in the fight against Russia. The end of the counteroffensive is likely to bring a fresh focus on societal discontent and renewed calls for a more effective government. Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine […]

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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: “Fed’s Jerome Powell Tricked by Russian Pranksters Posing as Zelenskiy” – Bloomberg

Federal Reserve Bank Building, adapted from image at gao.gov

“Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell held a call with a pair of Russian pranksters posing as … Zelenskiy, according to video shown on Russian state television. Apparently thinking he was speaking to Zelenskiy, the video shows Powell answering questions on topics ranging from the outlook for inflation to the Russian central bank. There were several clips lasting about 15 minutes […]

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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: “Rush of diplomacy could be pivotal for Ukraine, Russia” – The Hill

File Photo of UN Building with Flags

“High-level meetings in Washington and New York … could have wide-reaching implications for the war between Ukraine and Russia, geopolitical hotspots like Taiwan and the South Pacific, and the global economy and international finance. With … Lavrov at the U.N. to preside over the Security Council and meet with United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, and Guterres then traveling to Washington […]

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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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RUSSIALINK: “Russian Central Bank Holds Key Rate at 7.5%” – Moscow Times

File photo of Russian paper currency, adapted from image at csce.house.gov

(Moscow Times – April 28, 2023) Russia’s Central Bank decided Friday to hold its key interest rate at 7.5% for the fifth time in a row, noting that inflationary expectations remained high. “Over the medium-term, the balance of risks has not changed significantly and is still biased towards pro-inflationary ones,” the Bank said in a statement. Still, the Russian economy […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Kremlin Extends Global Influence With Russian Nuclear-Power Juggernaut” – WSJ

File Image of Radioactive Atom, adapted from image at lanl.gov

“Russia’s atomic-energy giant Rosatom does business around the world, including with the U.S. and allies like Turkey.” “… Rosatom State Atomiс Energy Corp.[] has expanded its global reach in recent years and is the world’s leader in constructing and operating nuclear projects abroad, working on 34 power units in 11 countries from China to Egypt to Hungary. In recent decades, […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Russia can fund war in Ukraine for another year despite sanctions, leaked document says” – Washington Post

Cash, Calculator, Pen

“U.S. intelligence holds that Russia will be able to fund the war in Ukraine for at least another year, even under … unprecedented sanctions, according to leaked U.S. military documents. … While some of Russia’s economic elites might not agree with the country’s course in Ukraine, and sanctions have hurt their businesses, they are unlikely to withdraw support for … […]

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