Category: JRL NewsBlog

JRL NEWSWATCH: “What is the war in Ukraine teaching Western armies? It shows the importance of dispersal, firepower and stockpiles” – The Economist

Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
File photo

“… The pivotal role of artillery is a sobering thought for western European armies, whose firepower has dwindled dramatically since the end of the cold war. … Ukraine[] … started the war with over 1,000 barrel artillery systems (those with long tubes) and 1,680 multiple-rocket launchers — more than Britain, France, Italy, Spain and Poland [combined] … the largest artillery […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “EU Asks Members to Set Russia Oil-Price Cap at $60” – WSJ

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Europe, EU, Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Oil, Gas, Energy, Sanctions, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Oil Well file photo

“Move is an attempt to squeeze the Kremlin’s oil revenues while keeping global supplies steady.” “The European Commission, the [EU]’s executive body, [reportedly] has asked the [EU]’s 27 member states to approve a … Russian oil [price cap] of $60 a barrel …. significantly below the international benchmark … Brent …. … [T]he [G7] … nations [would] need to sign […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “EU Says It Can’t Seize Frozen Russian Central-Bank Assets for Ukraine; Brussels hopes to set aside a portion of the funds to pay for Ukraine’s reconstruction” – WSJ

Europe, EU, Headlines, International Law, JRL NewsBlog, Sanctions, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
EU Map adapted from cia.gov image

“… Pressure had been building … for Brussels to come up with ways to seize Russian assets and hold top Russian leaders accountable for the war [in Ukraine]. European Commission officials … said that because of … state immunity, they were unable to confiscate central-bank assets, but were now proposing that member states and their international partners establish a fund […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Target Crimea: Partisans are mobilizing, and Russians are trying to sell their holiday homes — as fear grows that the war is closing in on the peninsula” – Politico.eu

Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Map of Ukraine, Including Crimea, and Neighbors, Including Russia

“… [P]eople in Crimea describe growing tension across the Black Sea peninsula … increasingly expect[ing] … direct hostilities. … [S]aboteur and partisan groups [reportedly] are … readying in the territory …. Frustration and panic are surging … Ukrainian forces have been increasing the tempo of military activity in and near Crimea using both aerial and innovative marine drones to swarm […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “A Kazakh Gorbachev? Why some expect change from new leader” – Christian Science Monitor

Central Asia, Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Almaty file photo, adapted from image at state.gov

“Amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Kazakhstan is set to redefine its foreign relations. While Astana cannot sever its ties with Moscow, it now has an opportunity to engage more broadly with the world.” “… Russia’s … invasion of Ukraine has been disquieting for many countries of [Central Asia and environs], none more so than Kazakhstan, which resembles Ukraine in having […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “There’s No Peace in Ukraine Without Russian Retreat; Calls for diplomacy are misplaced and naive.” – Foreign Policy

Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Map of Ukraine, Including Crimea, and Neighbors, Including Russia

“… [After] Ukrainian battlefield successes … far from reassuring Kyiv’s backers of Ukraine’s ability to liberate all its occupied territory, diplomatic pressure has been building … to push Ukraine into negotiations …. This is a mistake. … [T]he only way peace can be achieved is through the decisive defeat of Russia. Those who fear that Russia will be humiliated miss […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Vladimir Putin’s Red Lines, War Aims Shift in Ukraine” – WSJ

Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Nuclear, Missile Defense, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Map of Ukraine, Including Crimea, and Neighbors, Including Russia

“Russian leader is seen improvising after setbacks. ‘A degree of desperation,’ one academic says.” “… Russia’s repeated ultimatums and U-turns … [and] ever-shifting war aims[] have reinforced the belief among Western government officials that [] Putin is being forced to improvise in a war that has slipped out of his control…. [But] nonetheless they must take what [Putin] says seriously, […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Europe accuses U.S. of profiting from war; EU officials attack Joe Biden over sky-high gas prices, weapons sales and trade as Vladimir Putin’s war threatens to destroy Western unity.” – Politico

Arms Trade, Military Aid, Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Europe, EU, Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Oil, Gas, Energy, 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

“… Top European officials are furious with Joe Biden’s administration … accus[ing] … Americans of making a fortune from the war, while EU countries suffer. … The biggest point of tension [recently]… has been Biden’s green subsidies and taxes that Brussels says unfairly tilt trade away from the EU and threaten to destroy European industries. Despite formal [European] objections … […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Zelenskyy vows Ukraine will withstand Russian attacks on power networks; ‘We must return all lands,’ Ukrainian president tells the FT” – Financial Times

Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Oil, Gas, Energy, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Screenshot file photo of Volodymyr Zelensky Gesturing, from Congressional Teleconference, adapted from image at doggett.house.gov

“… Zelenskyy said Russia’s new strategy to destroy Ukraine’s infrastructure … would not weaken the country’s resolve to liberate all occupied land, describing the conflict as a ‘war of strength and resilience.’ … insist[ing] there would be no lasting resolution to the war unless Russia withdrew from all [Russian-occupied] territories …. Kyiv has been pushing back at perceived pressure to […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Cracking open ‘The Nutcracker’s’ dark Russian past; Behind the holiday classic lies an unsavory history that may change the way you think about it” – Washington Post

Headlines, History, Soviet Union, JRL NewsBlog, Life in Russia, Culture, Arts, Poland, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
File Photo of Ballerina and Male Ballet Dancer in The Nutcracker. adapted from image at defense.gov, with credit U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Chris Harper

“… The fruits of a violent imperial system lie behind the work’s bright, bouncy ‘Chinese’ dance … and its slow, seductive ‘Arabian’ scene…. At ‘The Nutcracker’s’ premiere … [in] 1892, in St. Petersburg, the ballet paid homage to the czar and his empire …. If you look at some of the forces giving rise to it, and that still live […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “High fuel prices could kill more Europeans than fighting in Ukraine” – The Economist

Environment, Europe, EU, Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Oil, Gas, Energy
Map of Europe, adapted from image at loc.gov

“Russia is using energy as a weapon. How deadly will it be?” “To win … in Ukraine … Putin needs the West to stop supporting his adversary. His best opportunity to drive a wedge between them will arrive this winter. … In August [] Putin turned off … a big pipeline to Europe. Fuel prices surged, squeezing the economies of […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Negotiations can’t end the Russia-Ukraine war until one side has lost” – Los Angeles Times

Headlines, Human Rights, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Map of Ukraine, Including Crimea, and Neighbors, Including Russia

“… A negotiated solution would … have dire consequences for civilians trapped under Russian occupation. … Ukraine would be expected to give up not just land, but also people. Virtually every settlement … liberated by Ukraine reveals horrifying evidence of torture chambers, large-scale sexual violence, murders of civilians, disappearances and countless other crimes. … Any cease-fire or a peace deal […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “What Will Russia Without Putin Look Like? Maybe This.” – New York Times

Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Russia Regions Map

“Russia’s current condition — militarized, isolated, corrupt, dominated by the security services and hemorrhaging talent as hundreds of thousands flee abroad to escape service in a horrific war — is bleak. In hopes of an end to this grim reality, some wait expectantly for … Putin to leave office. To change the country, however, it is not enough for [] […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Cold and dark: Kyiv readies for ‘worst winter of our lives’” – AP

Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Oil, Gas, Energy, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Power Plant Transformers Outdoors, adapted from image at energy.gov

“… The situation in Ukraine’s … major cities has deteriorated drastically following the largest missile attack on the country’s power grid on Tuesday. … Ukrenergo reported that 40% of Ukrainians were experiencing difficulties, due to damage to at least 15 major energy hubs …. [w]arning that electricity outages could last anywhere from several hours to several days …. Blackouts were […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Ukraine tells allies it may not be able to recover from more Russian attacks on energy systems” – Politico 11.16.22

Europe, EU, Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Oil, Gas, Energy, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Power Plant Transformers Outdoors, adapted from image at energy.gov

“Ukrainian officials are asking the U.S. and Europe for parts to fix its electric grid and gas systems.” “… Ukrainian officials have … asked … American counterparts and more than half a dozen European countries for assistance preparing for a prolonged period with limited electricity and gas …. Ukraine needs key components like generators, pipes and valves to repair … […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “How Was Russia Able to Launch Its Biggest Aerial Attack on Ukraine?” – New York Times

Arms Trade, Military Aid, Headlines, Iran, JRL NewsBlog, Military, North Korea, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Iskander Missile with Launch file photo

“Western and Ukrainian officials have said Moscow’s stockpile of missiles was dwindling. But the assaults this week raise questions about that.” “The 96-missile barrage fired across Ukraine on Tuesday was Russia’s biggest aerial attack of the war …. Whether… long planned, as Ukrainian commanders say … a deadly response to Kyiv’s recapture of … Kherson … [it] raises questions about […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Russia needs a respite, so the West must help Ukraine fight on” – The Economist

Arms Trade, Military Aid, Europe, EU, Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Map of Ukraine, Including Crimea, and Neighbors, Including Russia

“The mishap in Poland should concentrate minds on tackling the cause of the conflict” “The rocket that landed in Poland on November 15th, killing two people, was … not … from Russia. But the Ukrainian interceptor which fell to the ground would never have been launched were it not for Russia’s brutal aerial assault on Ukraine that day — its […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Putin’s Regime is ‘Cracking’ as Elites Panic: Former U.S. Ambassador” – Newsweek

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Media, Internet, Social Media, Television, Military, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Russia & the West, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
File Photo of Red Square, Kremlin, Environs, adapted from image at state.gov

“An argument on Russian state television is a ‘good sign’ that the country’s leadership is cracking, according to [] former U.S. [A]mbassador [McFaul]. Russia [reportedly] has threatened to nationalize assets of Western companies … pull[ing] resources from the country following its [Ukraine] invasion …. Hundreds of companies have already left Russia after expressing dissatisfaction with the war … [I]f the […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “U.S. officials think Ukraine could negotiate with Russia. Some Europeans aren’t so sure.” – NBC

Baltics, Europe, EU, Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
European Portion of Commonwealth of Independent States

“‘There is clearly alarm among central Europeans that this is the beginning of a process that will force Ukraine to accept a deal,’ one analyst said.” “A split appeared to be opening this week among Ukraine’s supporters …. Some U.S. political and military officials have questioned whether the war could ever be concluded through force, with diplomatic talks the inevitable […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Kherson’s newly liberated residents wonder: Who collaborated with the Russians?” – Los Angeles Times

Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Map of Ukraine, Including Crimea, and Neighbors, Including Russia

“… Kherson, the only provincial capital captured by Russia since it invaded in February, is back in Ukrainian hands, though Moscow’s forces are still close enough to remain a menace. … [J]oy over the reclamation of Kherson … is tempered by punishing hardships … hunger and shortages of medicine as well as scant electricity, running water and communications. Criminal and […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Secret Signs Show Putin’s Own Henchmen Are Turning on Him” – Daily Beast

Headlines, Human Rights, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Spies, Spy Allegations, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Vladimir Putin file photo, adapted from screenshot of video at shareamerica.gov

“‘ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN’; Some are said to be fleeing the country, while others reportedly came extremely close to ousting him this week.” “Nearly nine months into Russia’s war against Ukraine, it seems some of … Putin’s strongmen are laying the groundwork to abandon ship. A human rights group that works closely with Russian inmates and investigates abuses by the security […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Deaths in Poland Are a Warning for Everyone” – Foreign Policy

Headlines, Human Rights, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Poland, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Map of Poland and Environs

“Errant missiles from Ukraine are a reminder that wars can always escalate accidentally.” “If you think the risks of escalation in the Ukraine war are trivial, the tragic deaths of two Polish citizens from an errant Ukrainian air defense missile on Tuesday should give you some pause. … [E]ven if the adversaries are trying to be careful, big wars are […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Every Ukrainian knows both patriots and collaborators” – Washington Post

Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Map of Ukraine, Including Crimea, and Neighbors, Including Russia

“I couldn’t be more thrilled that Ukraine has finally liberated my hometown of Kherson. … [T]here are still countless problems ahead[] … no water, gas or electricity[,] [p]eople … hungry and cold. … [T]hen there are the moral and political problems — such as alleged collaborators. … I’ve never doubted that most people in Kherson are loyal to Kyiv. But […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Anger on the front lines and anxiety at home as Russia’s mobilization is mired in problems” – CNN

Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
European Portion of Commonwealth of Independent States

“Russia’s first mobilization since World War II … is generating dissent and protest on the front lines – and back home. With the Russian government touting that at least 50,000 of the recently drafted are now in Ukraine, a long list of complaints is emerging: Lack of leadership from mid-ranking officers, tactics that lead to heavy casualties, non-existent training, promised […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Russia’s economy enters recession with 4% contraction” – Financial Times

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Europe, EU, Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Sanctions, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Diverse Paper Currency, Coins, Line Graph

“Western sanctions after invasion of Ukraine contribute to sharpest downturn since pandemic.” “… The contraction follows sweeping restrictions from the U.S. and Europe on Russia’s energy and financial sectors, including a block on half of the central bank’s $640bn in foreign exchange reserves. About 1,000 western companies followed suit, curtailing … Russian operations, while hundreds of thousands of people left […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “In the global meme wars, it’s time to side with the elves against the trolls” – Washington Post/ Thomas Kent

Europe, EU, Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Media, Internet, Social Media, Television, Nonprofits, Activists, NGO's
File Image of Laptop Computer, Tables and Mobile Device, adapted from image at energy.gov

“The Kremlin’s intensive use of lies and conspiracy theories to defend its invasion of Ukraine has once again dramatized the need for smart policies to counter disinformation. …Perhaps it’s time we learned something from Eastern Europe’s online armies of nongovernment activists — many of them volunteers. They possess authenticity and expertise that outside governments cannot match. … Volunteer activists fight […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Accounts of Torture Emerge From Kherson, Ukraine’s ‘City of Fear’” – New York Times

Headlines, Human Rights, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Map of Ukraine, Including Crimea, and Neighbors, Including Russia

“Just days after the southern city of Kherson was liberated after eight months of Russian occupation, accounts of beatings, torture and disappearances are emerging.” “Olena Naumova’s descent into two weeks of terror began in late August, when three Russian soldiers with automatic rifles banged on her door in … occupied … Kherson. She said they ordered her to turn over […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Russia and Ukraine close in on grain deal extension” – Financial Times

Agriculture, Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Sanctions, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Wheat in Field, adapted from image at usda.gov

“Negotiators are confident agreement will be reached before programme expires on Saturday” “Russia and Ukraine are close to agreeing to extend a deal securing Kyiv’s grain exports via its Black Sea ports … a crucial step to alleviating a global food crisis triggered by the conflict. … In exchange … Russia will be able to use a pipeline that transports […]

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AUDIO: JRL NEWSWATCH: “This Ukrainian hotline helps Russian soldiers surrender” – NPR

Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Map of Ukraine, Including Crimea, and Neighbors, Including Russia

“A Ukrainian hotline that helps Russian soldiers sent to the frontline surrender has been used thousands of times. Its traffic increased after Russia announced a partial mobilization of civilians. …” Click here for: “This Ukrainian hotline helps Russian soldiers surrender” – NPR

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “‘Well over’’100,000 Russian troops killed or wounded in Ukraine, U.S. says” – Washington Post

Afghanistan, Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
European Portion of Commonwealth of Independent States

“More than 100,000 Russian troops — and about as many Ukrainian troops — are estimated to have died or been injured in the war so far, according to [Joint Chiefs Chairman] Gen. Mark A. Milley. … Some 40,000 civilians have also been killed or injured in the war, [he] said. … Milley’s figure is a sharp increase from the Pentagon’s […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “The Russian Empire Must Die: A better future requires Putin’s defeat — and the end to imperial aspirations” – The Atlantic

Headlines, History, Soviet Union, JRL NewsBlog, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
File Photo of Red Square, Kremlin, Environs, adapted from image at state.gov

“… The cultural weight of the past is heavy, and the habits of autocracy — especially the habit of living in fear — persist. The attraction of power is also strong. … and the next government of Russia might well be even more repressive …. Countries evolve, sometimes creating better governments … sometimes worse …. Empires fall: The Russian empire […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Russia’s Election Interference Went as Well as Their War in Ukraine” – Newsweek

Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Media, Internet, Social Media, Television, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Multilingual Polling Place Sign from U.S. Election Polling Place

“… Vladimir Solovyov started his radio show Full Contact (Polny Contakt) … Tuesday … saying, ‘Happy interference in the U.S. elections day.’ … [A]nother Putin ally, Yevgeny Prigozhin, who founded the Wagner mercenary group … fighting in Ukraine, said Russia … previously interfered in U.S. elections ‘carefully’ and ‘surgically,’ …. Elizabeth Van Wie Davis, author of Shadow Warfare: Cyberwar Policy […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Russia’s Shrinking Budget Surplus Limits Putin’s War Options” – WSJ

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Diverse Paper Currency, Coins, Line Graph

“As its budget surplus melts away, so does the Kremlin’s ability to support the embattled economy and fund its offensive in Ukraine.” “Russia’s war in Ukraine and … sanctions … are depleting Moscow’s coffers, hurting … Putin‘s ability to support the economy and fund the military. … add[ing] pressure on the Kremlin, which had been using ample energy revenues … […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Here’s the sad truth about election-related disinformation” – Washington Post

Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Multilingual Polling Place Sign from U.S. Election Polling Place

“Russian interference is so 2016. While this year’s midterms revealed that disinformation threats from foreign adversaries remain real as ever, they have also shown great danger right here at home. The elections went off … with relatively few snags, and few allegations of fraud (so far) compared with the aftermath of the 2020 presidential contest. Yet even before the vote, […]

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VIDEO: JRL NEWSWATCH: “‘You can come home now:’ Ukraine’s recovery teams work to ensure no fallen soldiers are left behind” – CNN

Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, Videos
Map of Ukraine, Including Crimea, and Neighbors, Including Russia

“… On today’s battlefields, [Leonid] Bondar’s skills [recovering the remains of fallen soldiers] are a vital part of the embattled nation’s war efforts as it resists Moscow’s invading forces, finding and bringing home Ukraine’s fallen heroes. … [He modestly] plays down his role, saying he does it for the fighters’ families and for the country. By late August, Ukraine’s military […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Can Ukraine Survive the Winter? What the Country Needs to Hold Out” – Foreign Affairs

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Europe, EU, Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Oil, Gas, Energy, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Map of Ukraine, Including Crimea, and Neighbors, Including Russia

“… Russia has repeatedly targeted civilian infrastructure …. successfully attack[ing] 40 percent of Ukraine’s power grids with … missiles and Iranian drones. … bomb[ing] energy facilities, including hydroelectric dams, leaving more than one million Ukrainians without electricity. In Kyiv, [reportedly] 80 percent of residents are without water …. Economists project … Kyiv’s economy will shrink by at least 35 percent […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “In one Ukrainian village, occupation ended — and the feud began” – Washington Post

Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Map of Ukraine, Including Crimea, and Neighbors, Including Russia

“… Neighbors have pointed fingers against neighbors, severing relationships spanning generations. Amid … accusations and denials, some villagers have fled …. Intelligence agents have asked questions about who did what, but so far have provided no justice to those who feel betrayed. As the tide of the war has shifted, the Ukrainian military has swept into villages and towns, driving […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “U.S. Quietly Asks Banks to Keep Some Ties With Russia, Even as Congress Balks” – Bloomberg

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Portion of U.S. Treasury Department Building Facade, North Side, with Sculpture of Alexander Hamilton

“Treasury, State prod JPMorgan, Citi to bank some Russian firms; Congress lambasted banks for continuing to do work in country.” “… [T]he country’s largest banks are caught in the push-pull between the Biden administration and Congress on sanctions. Behind the scenes, the Treasury and State Departments [reportedly] have urged banking giants including JPMorgan and Citigroup to keep doing business with […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “They Talk the Talk, But Do Russia’s Hawks Have Any Real Influence?” – Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Tower and Building Inside Kremlin

“It’s difficult to discern any real growth in the influence of the hardliners. They are trying to push Putin down a narrow corridor of escalation, but there are no signs that the president is actually listening to them.” “The longer Russia’s invasion of Ukraine continues, the more prominent the party of war becomes …. Hardly a day goes by without […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “U.S. privately asks Ukraine to show it’s open to negotiate with Russia” – Washington Post

Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Map of Ukraine, Including Crimea, and Neighbors, Including Russia

“The encouragement is aimed not at pushing Ukraine to the negotiating table, but ensuring it maintains a moral high ground in the eyes of its international backers.” “While U.S. officials share their Ukrainian counterparts’ assessment that Putin, for now, isn’t serious about negotiations, they acknowledge that … Zelensky’s ban on talks with him has generated concern in parts of Europe, […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Russian Army Threatening to Shoot Deserters Amid Low Morale: U.K.” – Newsweek

Headlines, Human Rights, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
European Portion of Commonwealth of Independent States

“The Russian army is likely threatening to shoot deserters amid low morale as the war against Ukraine continues to expose weaknesses within … Putin’s military, according to a[] [British] assessment …. [T]he UK defense ministry said … that Russian forces have likely started deploying ‘barrier troops’ or ‘blocking units’ to deal with their own retreating soldiers … unwilling to fight […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “What Could Bring Putin Down? Regime Collapse Is More Likely Than a Coup” – Foreign Affairs

Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Tower and Building Inside Kremlin

“Can … Putin lose the war in Ukraine and retain power? As Ukraine’s driving counteroffensive erodes Russia’s position on the battlefield, that question is getting increasing attention. Discussion has focused on the possibility of a coup, whether an armed insurrection by disgruntled Russian generals or a mutiny by Kremlin insiders. Although not impossible, neither … is … very likely. … […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Why Putin prefers ‘War-War’ to ‘Jaw-Jaw’” – Lawrence Freedman

Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Map of Ukraine, Including Crimea, and Neighbors, Including Russia

“… In one fundamental sense little has changed in this war since the end of February. Ukraine is determined to resist the Russian invasion and is both confident in its ability to do so and fearful of the dire consequences should it fail. For the war to end Russia must accept that it cannot subjugate Ukraine and must give up […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Russian Retreat in Ukraine Exposes Collaborators — and the Finger-Pointing Begins” – WSJ

Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Map of Ukraine, Including Crimea, and Neighbors, Including Russia

“Many citizens thought the occupiers were there to stay. Some fought back, others actively supported them, while the majority just tried to survive.” “… Ukraine sought to undermine Russia’s hold over occupied areas with strict anti-collaboration laws. Voluntarily joining Russia’s education system on occupied territories can be punished with up to three years’ imprisonment. … [A] managerial role in the […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Russia rejoins wartime deal on Ukrainian grain exports” – AP

Agriculture, Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Wheat in Field, adapted from image at usda.gov

“Diplomatic efforts salvaged a wartime agreement … allow[ing] Ukrainian grain and other commodities to reach world markets, with Russia saying Wednesday it would stick to the deal after Ukraine pledged not to use a designated Black Sea corridor to attack Russian forces. … Russia suspended its participation in the grain deal over the weekend, citing allegations of a Ukrainian drone […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “It’s Time to Bring Russia and Ukraine to the Negotiating Table” – New York Times

Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Nuclear, Missile Defense, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Map of Ukraine, Including Crimea, and Neighbors, Including Russia

“… Ukraine is advancing on the battlefield and is growing only more determined to expel Russian troops. … [T]he Kremlin reinforces its beleaguered forces …, pounds Ukrainian cities and critical infrastructure, and hints at the possible use of nuclear weapons. … [T]he United States and its allies are speeding more weapons to Ukraine …. Ukraine, with the West’s help, has […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “In Russia, patriotic critics speak out on Ukraine war failures” – Al Jazeera

Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Kremlin and River

“While loyal to the Kremlin, a rising number of nationalist critics are taking aim at military commanders as they chart the Ukraine conflict on social media.” “… [There is] a burgeoning group of ‘patriotic’ critics in Russia who support the war, but are concerned by Moscow’s handling of it. They generally avoid criticising Putin directly and instead frequently take aim […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “The Kremlin got its 300,000 troops. But how did Russian society fare?” – Christian Science Monitor

Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Regions, Cities, Municipalities, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Map of Russia and Russian Flag adapted from images at state.gov

“Russia’s chaotic mobilization of troops has ended, its goals largely met. But the public is still coming to grips with the psychological stresses of the process – and of the ongoing war in Ukraine.” “Under Russia’s Constitution, men have the right to seek alternative service if their health or personal beliefs preclude being drafted into the army. … [T]he Movement […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Ukrainians grapple with power outages as winter approaches” – AP

Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Power Plant Transformers Outdoors, adapted from image at energy.gov

“… Russia has destroyed about 40% of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, affecting 16 regions, according to the Ukrainian government. … [In the latest such attack on] Monday … a massive barrage of Russian cruise missile and drone strikes hit Kyiv, Kharkiv and other cities, knocking out water and power supplies in apparent retaliation for what Moscow alleged was a Ukrainian attack […]

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AUDIO: JRL NEWSWATCH: “In the battle for Kherson, Ukrainian infantry officers say don’t underestimate Russia” – NPR

Headlines, JRL NewsBlog, Military, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Map of Ukraine, Including Crimea, and Neighbors, Including Russia

“Ukrainian forces have … recaptur[ed] wide swaths of Ukrainian territory in the east and northeast. … now … bracing for what could be one of their toughest battles … for the strategically important southern city of Kherson. … For … Ukrainians, taking back this regional capital would be huge for morale — and a strategic win. … set[ting] the stage […]

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