Newswatch – Page 6 – Johnson's Russia List

JRL NEWSWATCH: “Russians Are Unraveling Before Our Eyes; A wave of fresh humiliations has the Kremlin struggling to control the narrative” – Foreign Policy/ Alexey Kovalev

June 8, 2023 JRL Russia List Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Media, Internet, Social Media, Television, Military, Militias, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War

“[After militant incursions into Russian territory,] [c]ombined with … Moscow drone attack[s], it’s now clear … Russia’s war has come home to roost … The Ukrainians have also been stepping up their drone attacks on oil refineries, airfields, and other critical sites deep inside Russia. … [T]he Russians seem to be unraveling. … [such as with] the bitter conflict between […]

JRL NEWSWATCH: “Russian Elite Is Souring on Putin’s Chances of Winning His War” – Bloomberg

June 8, 2023 JRL Russia List Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War

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

“Even some who support the invasion and want to intensify the fight against Ukraine have become deflated about Russia’s prospects.” “… [D]eepening gloom … grip[s] Russia’s elite about … Putin’s war in Ukraine, with even the most optimistic seeing a ‘frozen’ conflict as the best available outcome …. Many within the political and business elite [reportedly] are tired of the […]

JRL NEWSWATCH: “Nova Kakhovka Dam in Ukraine: Ten guidelines for writing about catastrophe” – Timothy Snyder

June 8, 2023 JRL Russia List Headlines, Human Rights, JRL NewsBlog, Media, Internet, Social Media, Television, Military, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War

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

“1. Avoid [bothsidesing] this manmade humanitarian and ecological catastrophe …. 2. Russian spokespersons claiming … Ukraine did something … is not … [describing] the real world. … * * * 5. [If citing Russian propaganda, include considerations of what has been said inside Russia itself.] … Russian propagandists have … long argu[ed] [in favor of blowing up] Ukrainian dams … […]

JRL NEWSWATCH: “U.S. had intelligence of Ukrainian plan to attack Nord Stream project – Washington Post” – Reuters

June 7, 2023 JRL Russia List Europe, EU, Germany, Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Oil, Gas, Energy, Spies, Spy Allegations, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War

“The United States learned of a Ukrainian plan to attack the Nord Stream natural gas pipelines three months before they were damaged … The Washington Post reported … citing [online] leaked information …. [washingtonpost.com/national-security/2023/06/06/nord-stream-pipeline-explosion-ukraine-russia/] The CIA [reportedly] learned last June, through a European spy agency, that a six-person team of Ukrainian special operations forces intended to blow up the Russia-to-Germany […]

JRL NEWSWATCH: “Cologne court fines pro-Russia Ukrainian” – DW

June 7, 2023 JRL Russia List Europe, EU, Germany, Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War

“Elena Kolbasnikova, a Ukrainian national who lives in the western German city of Cologne and has spoken out in support of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, argues that she has a right to freedom of speech.” “A Ukrainian national … liv[ing] in Cologne … hop[ing] to get a Russian passport …, Elena Kolbasnikova was looking at a [German] prison sentence … […]

JRL NEWSWATCH: “De-colonising Russia and the independence movements threatening Putin” – The Herald (Scotland)

June 6, 2023 JRL Russia List Headlines, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Regions, Cities, Municipalities

“… The buzzword for the future of Russia is ‘decolonisation.’ For many people this means a challenge to the current state’s imperialistic mindset, in respect of both its neighbours and the minority nations inside its borders. For others, the term has come to mean dismemberment. … The current Federation has some 190 or so ethnic groups, and most are not […]

JRL NEWSWATCH: “Why Support for Putin’s War Is Rife in Russia’s Worst-Hit Regions” – Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

June 6, 2023 JRL Russia List Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War

European Portion of Commonwealth of Independent States

“Belgorod, Bryansk, and Kursk — known in the 1990s as the communist ‘red belt’ — are now a support belt for Putin’s ‘special operation.’” “In Russia’s Belgorod region, which borders Ukraine, 1,150 apartments in a single district were damaged last week in recent incursions and shelling. It might seem that the arrival of hostilities on Russian territory should prompt Russians […]

JRL NEWSWATCH: “How much is Russia spending on its invasion of Ukraine? By historical standards, it’s a puny amount. That tells you three big things” – The Economist

June 5, 2023 JRL Russia List Budget, Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War

“… Russia’s budget is murky — especially its military one. … However … consult[ing] … various experts[] … our own analysis … come[s] up with … 3% of GDP. … Three reasons explain why Russia is spending so little. The first is political. Many within the Russian government would like to continue to portray the war … as a ‘special […]

JRL NEWSWATCH: “Ukraine’s Next Target: Russian Trenches” – WSJ

June 5, 2023 JRL Russia List Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War

“Moscow’s forces have spent months creating lines of physical defenses to impede Kyiv’s expected offensive.” “… Satellite images show that the Russians have constructed an elaborate network of obstacles—including antitank trenches, concrete barriers known as dragon’s teeth and layers of advanced minefields—in southern Ukraine, where Kyiv is expected to attack. For Ukraine’s long-awaited offensive to be successful, its troops will […]

JRL NEWSWATCH: “Ukraine military urges ‘silence’ ahead of expected counteroffensive” – Reuters

June 5, 2023 JRL Russia List Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War

“The Ukrainian military on Sunday renewed its plea for operational silence around a long-awaited counteroffensive …. Anticipation has mounted around what is expected to be a broad attack by Ukrainian forces to retake Russian-occupied territory in the east and south. … Kyiv’s Western allies in recent months have provided weapons, armour and ammunition for the counteroffensive, which military experts have […]

JRL NEWSWATCH: “Putin and the Psychology of Nuclear Brinksmanship” – Foreign Affairs

June 2, 2023 JRL Russia List Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Nuclear, Missile Defense, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations

Russian Tactical Missile on Mobile Launcher, adapted from image featured by army.mil and defense.gov

“The War in Ukraine Hinges on One Man’s Thoughts and Feelings.” “Shortly after the West rebuked Russia for its 2022 invasion of Ukraine and imposed financial sanctions … Putin … put[] … nuclear forces on high alert. The Kremlin has issued many more nuclear threats, some oblique … some explicit …. Even before the war … Russia … reversed its […]

JRL NEWSWATCH: “Biden shows growing appetite to cross Putin’s red lines” – Washington Post

June 2, 2023 JRL Russia List Arms Trade, Military Aid, Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations

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

“Despite warnings that arming Ukraine will start a world war, President Biden continues to push the Russian leader’s limits — a strategy that brings risk and reward.” “… A key reason for brushing aside Putin’s threats, U.S. officials say, is a dynamic that has held since the opening days of the war: Russia’s president has not followed through on promises […]

JRL NEWSWATCH: “Olympic sports leaders meet amid uncertainty over Russians competing at 2024 Paris Games” – AP

June 2, 2023 JRL Russia List Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Sports, Olympics, World Cup

Olympic Rings Lit at Night, adapted from image at state.gov

“Complex questions about if — and how — Russian athletes could return to … competition[] ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics looked far from being resolved when sports governing bodies met Wednesday. Different sports have varying sporting, political and logistical pressures, and there’s a lack of clarity about how to define neutral status for Russian and Belarusian athletes that is […]

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Leave a comment JRL NewsBlog, Newswatch, Olympics, Russia, Russian News, Sports

JRL NEWSWATCH: “Letter from Moscow: When war suddenly explodes over your roof” – Christian Science Monitor/ Fred Weir

June 2, 2023 JRL Russia List Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War

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

“In Moscow, it can be easy to ignore the devastating but faraway war in Ukraine. But that changes quickly when drones and anti-aircraft missiles start exploding in the skies overhead one morning.” “It’s been frustrating to report from Russia over the past 16 months, when the story has largely been one of prevailing calm, quiet, and outright normalcy, even as […]

JRL NEWSWATCH: “For NATO, Ukraine’s Status Is the Elephant in the Room” – Newsweek

June 1, 2023 JRL Russia List Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, NATO, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War

“… [T]here is a long-standing NATO policy … that countries aspiring to join NATO must first resolve their territorial disputes. … [L]et’s assume … that Ukraine’s counteroffensive plays out … with a Russian defeat. … [and] that Russia withdraws … from Ukrainian territory, including Crimea …. NATO will then have to deal with the Ukraine question … [with] three broad […]

JRL NEWSWATCH: “Not partners, but on same page: Russia, West push Armenian-Azeri peace” – Christian Science Monitor/ Fred Weir

June 1, 2023 JRL Russia List Armenia, Azerbaijan, South Caucasus, Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations

Map of Azerbaijan and Environs, adapted from image at cia.gov

“Even while starkly divided over the war in Ukraine, Russia and the West show hints of being able to find common ground on other issues of importance, as evidenced by an imminent Armenian-Azeri peace treaty.” “A peace deal to end the bitter, three-decade-long conflict over the fate of the Armenian-populated enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh inside Azerbaijan appears almost within reach. … […]

JRL NEWSWATCH: “Imagining Russia’s future after Putin: Possible outcomes of a defeat in Ukraine” – Chatham House

June 1, 2023 JRL Russia List Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Foreign Policy, Security, Visas, Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections

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

“… If Russia suffered … defeat in Ukraine and … Putin were removed as president, by the end of 2027 core features of Russia’s state system would be recognizable on the basis of what we see today. But even a managed leadership succession would unleash considerable uncertainty, leading to a broad spectrum of plausible [political, economic and foreign policy] outcomes […]

JRL NEWSWATCH: “Putin is terrified of Ukraine’s counteroffensive” – The Telegraph

June 1, 2023 JRL Russia List Arms Trade, Military Aid, Headlines, Iran, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War

“Airstrikes on Kyiv were an attempt to undermine morale. Instead, they will have strengthened it.” “Putin is in a panic over the expected Ukrainian counteroffensive, which may already be in its preliminary ‘battlefield-shaping’ stage. He doesn’t know … when the offensive will be launched, where it will strike or whether it will succeed. … [H]e does know … that if […]

JRL NEWSWATCH: “Satellite data show Ukraine’s forces are testing Russia’s defences” – The Economist

June 1, 2023 JRL Russia List Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War

“The attacks may be part of the highly anticipated counter-offensive.” “Ukraine’s armed forces are turning up the heat. In the past two weeks our analysis … has detected 907 fires likely to be war-related in Russian-held territory in Ukraine. … more than four times as many as in the two weeks before …. The last time something like this happened […]

RUSSIALINK: “Russian Officials, Pro-Kremlin Figures Offer Mixed Response to Moscow Drone Attack” – Moscow Times

June 1, 2023 JRL Russia List Headlines, Military, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War

(Moscow Times – May 30, 2023) Russian officials and pro-Kremlin voices were split over Tuesday’s unprecedented drone attack on Moscow and its surrounding areas, with some downplaying the attack and others sharply criticizing the country’s defense capabilities. President Vladimir Putin called the incident a provocation by Kyiv but appeared calm in televised comments, saying that Moscow’s air defense systems “worked […]

RUSSIALINK: “Russia Lays Mines at ‘Industrial Level’ Ahead of Ukrainian Counteroffensive” – Moscow Times

June 1, 2023 JRL Russia List Headlines, Military, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War

Russian Landmine TM-62, adapted from image at army.mil

(Moscow Times – Brawley Benson – May 31, 2023) When Ukrainian forces launch their long-awaited counteroffensive this summer, they will be up against multiple lines of Russian fortifications stretching hundreds of miles from the Black Sea to Ukraine’s northern border. The military hazards include trenches and anti-tank obstacles, but Russian soldiers have also been busy laying thousands of landmines. “What […]

JRL NEWSWATCH: “Russia Denounces West Over Drone Strike on Moscow” – New York Times

June 1, 2023 JRL Russia List Britain, UK, United Kingdom, Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations

“Kremlin officials said Ukraine’s allies should have condemned the strike, and argued again that its real war was with the West.” “A day after a drone strike on Moscow, Kremlin officials jumped on the refusal of Ukrainian allies to denounce the attack as proof that Russia’s real war was with the West. … While none of Ukraine’s allies went so […]

JRL NEWSWATCH: “Executive Summary: Russia’s Use of Uncrewed Systems in Ukraine” – CNA

May 31, 2023 JRL Russia List Aviation, Drones, Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War

“Consistent with Russian military doctrine, the Russian military has used uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) extensively in intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) operations in Ukraine. … [giving drones] prominent roles in artillery, counter-battery, and precision strikes missions. … ISR drones play a central role in much of the Russian … targeting process, [but] it appears … the rate of response is […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “The key to victory in Ukraine? Taking the long view” – Washington Post

May 31, 2023 JRL Russia List Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations

“… [F]ighting in Ukraine is unlikely to subside any time soon; in Washington and Europe, officials are laying plans to add … to Kyiv’s defense capabilities over the next decade, assuming Russia’s aggressive designs will persist. [] Putin has … put Russia’s defense industry on a wartime production footing[] … [and] has indicated … he is willing to call up […]

JRL NEWSWATCH: “Ukraine’s commander in chief hints counteroffensive could be imminent in slick video” – CNN

May 31, 2023 JRL Russia List Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War

“… [T]he commander in chief of Ukraine’s armed forces ratcheted up speculation that a long-awaited [Ukrainian] counteroffensive … could be imminent. ‘The time has come to take back what is ours,’ said … Gen. Valerii Zaluzhyni [in an online video posted to Telegram] …. following weeks of speculation …. Zaluzhyni’s post made no explicit mention of an impending military operation […]

RUSSIALINK: “‘Almost Nothing Had Changed’: Anti-War Russians Risk First Trips Home Since Invasion” – Moscow Times

May 31, 2023 JRL Russia List Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Life in Russia, Culture, Arts, Military, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Regions, Cities, Municipalities, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War

(Moscow Times – Kirill Ponomarev – May 28, 2023) When animation artist Varvara returned to Russia earlier this year for the first time since fleeing abroad after the Kremlin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the main emotion she felt was surprise. Not by how much had changed in her homeland after over a year of war — but by how little. […]

JRL NEWSWATCH: “Finally, Can We Ask Who Really Colluded With Russia?” – WSJ

May 31, 2023 JRL Russia List Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Media, Internet, Social Media, Television, Spies, Spy Allegations, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations

“If the crime is promoting distrust in institutions, the evidence is strongest against the FBI and media.” “… In response to fake and possibly planted Russian intelligence, the FBI improperly and insubordinately meddled in the Clinton email case (as per the inspector general) in a way that accidentally helped elect [] Trump. This story, still hidden in a classified appendix […]

JRL NEWSWATCH: “The Russian Red Line Washington Won’t Cross – Yet” – The Atlantic

May 30, 2023 JRL Russia List Arms Trade, Military Aid, Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations

“Ukraine wants long-range missiles to regain Crimea and end the war. Why won’t Washington supply them?” “… Despite repeated pleas, the United States has not given Kyiv land-based missiles capable of hitting Russia. … Sustained Ukrainian attacks inside Russia’s territory could violate Putin’s red lines in a way that previous strikes haven’t. So could repeatedly hitting Crimea, the peninsula that […]

JRL NEWSWATCH: “Barely Noting War in Public, Putin Acts Like Time Is on His Side” – New York Times

May 30, 2023 JRL Russia List Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Militias, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War

“Vladimir V. Putin of Russia looks like a commander in absentia, treating the war in Ukraine as unfortunate but distant. His options have narrowed, but he is still betting on outlasting his foes.” “… [F]ighters stormed across the border into southwestern Russia … prompting two days of the heaviest fighting on Russian territory in 15 months …. Yet … Putin, […]

JRL NEWSWATCH: “Russia’s Medvedev: Ukraine conflict may last for decades, no talks with Zelenskiy” – Reuters

May 30, 2023 JRL Russia List Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War

“[S]enior [Putin] ally [Medvedev] … said … Friday the conflict in Ukraine could last for decades and that negotiations … were impossible as long as … Zelenskiy was in power. … ‘This conflict will last for a very long time. For decades, probably. This is a new reality,’ Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev was quoted as saying by […]

JRL NEWSWATCH: “Ukraine claims Russia is plotting ‘a provocation’ at nuclear plant, offers no evidence” – AP

May 30, 2023 JRL Russia List Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Nuclear Energy, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War

“… Friday … the intelligence directorate of Ukraine’s Defense Ministry claimed … Russian forces would strike the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, the biggest in Europe, and then report a radioactive leak … to trigger an international probe that would pause … hostilities and give … Russian forces … [needed] respite … to regroup ahead of [an anticipated Ukrainian] counteroffensive. In […]

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

May 26, 2023 JRL Russia List Georgia, Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War

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 […]

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

May 26, 2023 JRL Russia List Education, Academia, Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations

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 […]

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

May 25, 2023 JRL Russia List Arms Trade, Military Aid, Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, NATO, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations

“… 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 […]

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

May 25, 2023 JRL Russia List Germany, Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War

“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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Leave a comment Germany, Government, JRL NewsBlog, Newswatch, Politics, Putin, Russia, Russian News, Slider, Ukraine

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

May 25, 2023 JRL Russia List Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War

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 […]

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

May 25, 2023 JRL Russia List Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations

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 […]

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

May 24, 2023 JRL Russia List China, Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Headlines, India, JRL NewsBlog, Oil, Gas, Energy, Sanctions, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations

“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 […]

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

May 22, 2023 JRL Russia List Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War

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 … […]

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

May 18, 2023 JRL Russia List Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Science, Technology, Engineering, Spies, Spy Allegations, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations

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 […]

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

May 18, 2023 JRL Russia List Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations

“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 … […]

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

May 17, 2023 JRL Russia List Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Spies, Spy Allegations, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations

“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] […]

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

May 17, 2023 JRL Russia List Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War

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 … […]

JRL NEWSWATCH: “The Economist explains: Who blew up the Nord Stream pipelines? Lots of blame, no hard evidence” – The Economist

March 11, 2023 JRL Russia List Germany, Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Spies, Spy Allegations, Terrorism, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations

“Last September, when explosions damaged Nord Stream 1 and 2 … evidence of a culprit was scant. Some European governments suspected Russia. … Putin had been threatening to cut off energy supplies to Europe in retaliation for sanctions …. Russia … blamed America and Britain. Six months later American intelligence officials … [and] German and British news organisations[] have suggested […]

JRL NEWSWATCH: “‘Havana syndrome’ not caused by energy weapon or foreign adversary, intelligence review finds” – Washington Post

March 2, 2023 JRL Russia List Chemical Weapons, Biological Weapons, ChemBio, Headlines, Health, Epidemics, Substance Abuse, JRL NewsBlog, Spies, Spy Allegations, Terrorism, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations

“After a years-long assessment, five U.S. intelligence agencies conclude it is ‘very unlikely’ an enemy wielding a secret weapon was behind the mysterious ailment” “… State Department personnel … in U.S. embassies are among those who have reported symptoms …. Despite the new conclusions, Secretary of State Antony Blinken [reportedly] remains of the view that something happened to those employees […]

JRL NEWSWATCH: “Why the War Will Continue: One year in, the war in Ukraine shows no sign of ending.” – Council on Foreign Relations/ Richard Haass

February 24, 2023 JRL Russia List Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, NATO, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations

“… Putin’s calculation that the benefits of invading would dwarf the costs became a formula for disaster. Putin now finds himself playing for time. Unable to defeat Ukraine’s military, he is attacking economic and civilian targets, hoping to break the will of Ukrainians. … [and perhaps hoping that] European governments … [and] the U.S.[] rethink the costs of supporting Ukraine. […]

JRL NEWSWATCH: “How to End Putin’s Forever War: An armistice like the one that ended fighting in the Korean War is a viable alternative to stalemate and attrition in Ukraine” – The Nation

February 24, 2023 JRL Russia List Headlines, History, Soviet Union, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War

“… Last fall, [Joint Chiefs Chairman] Gen. Mark Milley … estimated … both Russia and Ukraine have lost roughly 100,000 soldiers, with an additional 40,000 civilians killed. …. Putin, a vicious autocrat, will not be deterred by further bloodshed. … [additionally] replenish[ing] … soldiers lost in the war by enlisting mercenaries through the Wagner Group, a private military with close […]

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VIDEO: JRL NEWSWATCH: “Biden vows to ‘defend literally every inch of NATO’ territory: ‘Article 5 is a sacred commitment'” – Fox

February 23, 2023 JRL Russia List Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, NATO, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations

“President Biden said that countering Russia is not just about protecting Ukraine, but freedom itself” “… Biden addressed the group of European nations known as the Bucharest Nine (B9) on Wednesday, stressing the need to stand up to Russian aggression and emphasizing the United States’ commitment to NATO allies. Biden’s appearance at the B9 meeting in Warsaw came as part […]

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Leave a comment Europe, Joe Biden, JRL NewsBlog, NATO, Newswatch, Russia, Russian News, U.S.-Russian Relations

JRL NEWSWATCH: “Isolated, out of touch, but clinging on: how Russians see Putin” – The Sunday Times (UK)

February 21, 2023 JRL Russia List Headlines, Human Rights, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War

“A year on from the disastrous invasion of Ukraine, the Kremlin could be just one crisis away from collapse.” “… Putin is notorious for asking Russian historians how he will be judged a hundred years hence. With his invasion of Ukraine, he has ensured that he will be assessed a failure, an example of the way hubris can devour any […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Ukraine Has Held Off Russia’s Invasion — So Far. Here’s How” – Council on Foreign Relations/ Thomas Graham

February 21, 2023 JRL Russia List Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War

“Ukraine has withstood and repelled the mighty Russian military through Western support, Russian blundering, and its own resourcefulness. However, the circumstances could be changing. … Commander Zelenskyy: Zelenskyy personified the grit. His unvarnished nightly addresses from Kyiv turned him into a charismatic wartime leader …. [I]mpassioned speeches to foreign audiences kept Ukraine in the world’s eye and persuaded Western leaders […]

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