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President Biden defended his decision on Friday to provide Ukraine with cluster munitions, which are outlawed by many of America’s closest allies, saying it was a difficult decision but “the Ukrainians are running out of ammunition” in the fight against Russian forces. For months, Mr. Biden had wrestled with the decision to supply the weapons, which scatter tiny, deadly bomblets across the battlefield. Ultimately, the president determined that depriving Ukraine of the weapons would amount to leaving it defenseless against Russia. He said it was a temporary move to hold Ukraine over until the production of conventional artillery rounds could be ramped up. “It was a very difficult decision on my part — and by the way, I discussed this with our allies, I discussed this with our friends up on the Hill,” Mr. Biden said in an interview with CNN.

Persons: Biden, America’s, ” Mr, “ Organizations: Russian, Russia, CNN Locations: Ukraine

The United States appears to be on the verge of providing Ukraine with cluster munitions, a senior Biden administration official said. What are cluster munitions? “There’s just not a responsible way to use cluster munitions,” said Brian Castner, the weapons expert on Amnesty International’s Crisis Response Team. The New York Times has documented Russia’s extensive use of cluster munitions in Ukraine since the beginning of the invasion in February 2022. The Convention on Cluster Munitions also limits the ability of nations that have signed on to cooperate militarily with countries that employ them.

Persons: Laura Cooper, “ There’s, ”, Brian Castner, Castner, “, Ukraine —, Jerry Redfern, Mary Wareham, Cooper, Biden, Gabriela Rosa Hernández, David Guttenfelder, Oleksandr Kubrakov, ” Eric Schmitt, John Ismay, Gaya Gupta Organizations: Biden, Washington, U.S, Pentagon, National Public Radio, United Nations, Amnesty, Cluster Munitions, Getty, The New York Times, The Times, Human Rights Watch, NATO, Ukraine, Munitions, Arms Control, Ukraine’s, Brigade, ., Munich Security Locations: States, Ukraine, Kyiv, Russia, Eurasia, Tibnin, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, Afghanistan, Balkans, Laos, U.S, United, United States, LightRocket, Russian, Kramatorsk, Ukrainian

☆ Allies React Cautiously to Prospect of U.S. Cluster Weapons for Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-07 | by ( Cassandra Vinograd | Thomas Gibbons-Neff | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +8 min

Now, Mr. Biden’s aides think they have little choice. Ukraine, which has deployed cluster munitions of its own in the war, is burning through the available supply of conventional artillery shells, and it will take time to ramp up production. One American official said Thursday that it was now clear that the weapons are “100 percent necessary” to meet the current battlefield needs. The administration has also been aware that sending the weapons to Ukraine would be enormously unpopular among allies and members of Mr. Biden’s own party; over the years, many Democrats have led the charge to bar the use of the weapons by American troops. When, five days into the war, Jen Psaki, then the White House press secretary, was asked about the Russian use of unconventional weapons, including cluster munitions, she said: “We have seen the reports.

Persons: Biden, Volodymyr Zelensky, Biden’s, Jen Psaki Organizations: American, White House Locations: Ukraine, United States, Russia

The Supreme Court ruled on Friday to strike down President Joe Biden's student-loan-forgiveness plan. Republicans, who had said the plan was unfair and unconstitutional, immediately celebrated. Republican lawmakers — many of whom had been outspoken critics of the plan — were happy to see it. Rep. Virginia Foxx, the GOP chair of the Education and Workforce Committee and an outspoken opponent of Biden's plan, wished "good riddance" to Biden's "illegal, economically disastrous taxpayer-funded bailout for the wealthy." Other Republicans took aim at the plan's constitutionality and claims that the relief was unfair, talking points that the GOP seized upon after Biden first introduced the plan.

Persons: Joe Biden's, —, Bill Cassidy, Cassidy, Brown, Biden, Virginia Foxx, Biden's, Foxx, Kevin McCarthy, Nancy Pelosi's, McCarthy, Rep, Pfluger, John Thune, Thune, Eric Schmitt, shouldn't, Schmitt Organizations: Republicans, Service, Republican, Health, Education, Labor, Pensions, Biden, US Department of Education, . Nebraska, GOP, MOHELA, Workforce Committee, Twitter, White Locations: ., Rep, Texas, South Dakota, Missouri

Days after an aborted rebellion in Russia by a mercenary group presented a dramatic challenge to his leadership, President Vladimir V. Putin made highly choreographed public appearances in an effort to project power and control, even as U.S. officials said early intelligence reports suggested that a top general had been detained in connection with the failed uprising. In Moscow, Mr. Putin attended a technology fair on Thursday, sitting in a gaming chair and joking with other panelists onstage. The day before, he strode through a crowd of well-wishers in southern Russia, shaking hands, kissing a girl on the head and posing for selfies. It was a display that Russians had not glimpsed from their leader in years. But amid the Kremlin’s efforts to emphasize popular support for Mr. Putin and the message that Russia was back to business as usual, U.S. officials said that the Russian authorities appeared to have detained a general, Sergei Surovikin, the former commander of Russian forces in Ukraine, who American officials say had known in advance about the rebellion by the Wagner mercenary group.

Persons: Vladimir V, Putin, strode, “, Vladimir Putin, Sergei Surovikin, Wagner Locations: Russia, Moscow, Derbent, Ukraine

The Biden administration asked Ukrainian officials not to conduct covert attacks inside Russia as the Wagner group rebellion was underway and advised them not to do anything that would influence the outcome of events or take advantage of the chaos, according to American officials. They did not know how he intended to do that, or what he intended to do with them, said the officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive intelligence. The outreach came soon after Mr. Prigozhin began his rebellion, officials said. In urging Kyiv to exercise caution, U.S. officials did not want to give President Vladimir V. Putin an excuse to claim that Mr. Prigozhin’s rebellion was orchestrated by the United States or by Ukraine. They also said they believed that any high-profile operation by Ukrainian forces inside Russia was unlikely to have any major effect on Mr. Prigozhin’s goals, but would allow Mr. Putin to level accusations against the West, according to American assessments.

Persons: Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Prigozhin, Sergei K, Valery V, Vladimir V, Putin, Prigozhin’s Organizations: Biden, Ukrainian, West Locations: Russia, Ukraine, U.S, Kyiv, United States

A senior Russian general had advance knowledge of Yevgeny Prigozhin’s plans to rebel against Russia’s military leadership, according to U.S. officials briefed on American intelligence on the matter, which has prompted questions about what support the mercenary leader had inside the top ranks. General Surovikin is a respected military leader who helped shore up defenses across the battle lines after Ukraine’s counteroffensive last year, analysts say. He was replaced as the top commander in January but retained influence in running war operations and remains popular among the troops. American officials also said there are signs that other Russian generals may also have supported Mr. Prigozhin’s attempt to change the leadership of the Defense Ministry by force. Current and former U.S. officials said Mr. Prigozhin would not have launched his uprising unless he believed that others in positions of power would come to his aid.

Persons: Yevgeny Prigozhin’s, Sergei Surovikin, Vladimir V, Putin, Surovikin, Prigozhin’s, Prigozhin Organizations: Defense Ministry Locations: Russian, Ukraine

☆ U.S. Pedestrian Deaths Are at Highest Level in 41 Years, Report Says
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Amanda Holpuch | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In recent years, other comparable developed countries have done more to reduce pedestrian, cyclist and motorcyclist deaths, researchers say. Those safety measures have included lowering speed limits, building more protected bike lanes and requiring vehicle design safety measures that better protect people outside of a vehicle. The report’s analysis of pedestrian deaths in 2021 used data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which is not directly comparable to the state data sets because they use different criteria for pedestrian deaths. Some states, for example, may include deaths that occurred 30 days after the crash in their count, while the federal government numbers do not. The federal data included specific information about crashes, such as light conditions, driving speeds and road types.

Persons: ”, Angie Schmitt Organizations: National, Traffic Safety Administration Locations: America, United States

The column of Bradley armored vehicles rumbled forward, filled with Ukrainian soldiers, bringing a new and potent American weapon to the war’s southern front. The explosion blew off one of the vehicle’s bulldozer-like tracks, immobilizing it. The entire Ukrainian column reversed direction, pulling back. Three weeks into a counteroffensive critical to Ukraine’s prospects against Russia, its army is encountering an array of vexing challenges that complicate its plans, even as it wields sophisticated new Western-provided weapons. Not least is a vast swath of minefields protecting Russia’s defensive line, forming a killing field for Ukrainian troops advancing on the open steppe of the south.

Persons: Bradley, ”, Ashot Arutiunian Organizations: Russia

And they clearly had little interest in helping Mr. Putin avoid a major, embarrassing fracturing of his support. While it is not clear exactly when the United States first learned of the plot, intelligence officials conducted briefings on Wednesday with administration and defense officials. Still, American officials concluded that Mr. Prigozhin’s public statements were not controlled by Mr. Putin. But it was only in recent days that intelligence officials got the initial warnings that Mr. Prigozhin might take action. President Biden, speaking in October, talked of the dangers that Mr. Putin would pose if he felt cornered and said the United States was looking for “off ramps” for Mr. Putin.

Persons: Yevgeny Prigozhin, Wagner, Prigozhin, Vladimir V, Putin, Mr, Prigozhin’s, “, ”, Sergei K, Valery Gerasimov, Wagner ., Tatiana Stanovaya, Shoigu, Stanovaya, Gerasimov, Biden, Donald J, Trump Organizations: Wagner Group, United, CNN, United States, Russian Defense Ministry Press Service, Associated Press, Intelligence, Russian, Ukrainian, Mr, Ministry of Defense, Defense Ministry, Carnegie Endowment, International Locations: Rostov, Don, Russia, United States, Ukraine, St . Petersburg, Moscow, Belarus, United, U.S, Russian, Bakhmut, Wagner . Russia

In the war-torn Chechnya region, Mr. Kadyrov built up a private fiefdom while professing loyalty to no official but Mr. Putin himself. A judo sparring partner from Mr. Putin’s youth became a construction billionaire and built Mr. Putin’s landmark bridge to Crimea. And then there was Mr. Prigozhin, who has said that he met Mr. Putin in 2000 as a St. Petersburg restaurateur. In Ukraine, as Mr. Prigozhin tells it, Wagner troops were only called in after Mr. Putin’s initial invasion plan failed. But Mr. Putin seemed to vacillate on his own support for Mr. Prigozhin.

Persons: Vladimir V, Putin, Yevgeny V, Prigozhin, Putin’s, “, ”, —, “ Putin, Tatiana Stanovaya, ” Mr, Ramzan Kadyrov, Aleksandr G, Lukashenko, Mr, Wagner, tycoons, Boris N, Yeltsin, Kadyrov, Prigozhin’s, K.G.B, Donald J, Trump, Weeks, ’, Putin “, Andrei Soldatov, Prigozhin “, ” Mark Galeotti, ” Neil MacFarquhar, Valerie Hopkins Organizations: Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, ., Reuters, Federal Security Service, Kremlin, Television, Defense, Defense Ministry, Center for Locations: Russia, Moscow, Russian, Rostov, Chechnya, Belarus, Russia’s, Don, Ukraine, Putin’s, Crimea, St, Petersburg, United States, Syria, Africa, Ukrainian, Bakhmut

☆ Ukraine’s Western-Trained Brigades Begin to Enter the Fight
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( Helene Cooper | Eric Schmitt | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

They are fighting more effectively at night than their Russian counterparts, U.S. officials say. They are using American-made Bradley fighting vehicles to destroy Russian armor with anti-tank missiles. And they are deploying combined arms tactics — synchronized attacks by infantry, armor and artillery forces — that they learned from American and other Western troops. It is, finally, showtime for the 36,000 Ukrainian soldiers — nine brigades — that have been armed, equipped and trained outside of Ukraine over the past several months by the United States and its NATO allies. How these Western-trained troops perform over the next few months, military experts say, will help determine the success of Ukraine’s long-awaited counteroffensive to push Russian forces out of occupied territory.

Persons: Bradley, Biden, — Organizations: showtime, NATO Locations: Ukraine, United States, Russian

☆ Secret Navy sensors detected a possible implosion around the time the Titan’s communications failed.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-22 | by ( Eric Schmitt | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The U.S. Navy, using data from a secret network of underwater sensors designed to track hostile submarines, detected “an anomaly consistent with an implosion or explosion” in the vicinity of the Titan submersible at the time communications with the vessel were lost on Sunday, two senior Navy officials said on Thursday. But with no other indications of a catastrophe, one of the officials said, the search was continued. The data from the sensors was combined with information from airborne Navy P-8 surveillance planes and sonar buoys on the surface to triangulate the approximate location of the Titan, one of the officials said. The analysis of undersea acoustic data and information about the location of the noise were then passed on to the Coast Guard official in charge of the search, Rear Adm. John Mauger. Both of the Navy officials spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss operational details.

Persons: John Mauger, ” Organizations: U.S . Navy, Titan, Coast Guard

☆ MLB roundup: Giants walk it off vs. Padres again
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +10 min

[1/5] Jun 20, 2023; San Francisco, California, USA; San Francisco Giants celebrate with designated hitter Joc Pederson (23) after winning the game against the San Diego Padres on a walk off walk at Oracle Park. Stroman (9-4) gave up five hits, struck out five and walked one. Raisel Iglesias allowed one run in the ninth inning yet still earned his 10th save. Blue Jays 2, Marlins 0Ernie Clement broke a scoreless tie in the eighth inning by lofting a soft RBI single to center, helping Toronto beat host Miami. Cole (8-1) allowed four hits, struck out eight and walked one.

Persons: Joc Pederson, Stan Szeto, Josh Hader, Hader, Nick Martinez, Luis Matos, Patrick Bailey, Casey Schmitt, David Villar, Pederson, Tyler Rogers, Fernando Tatis Jr, Elly De La Cruz, TJ Friedl, Nolan Jones, Christian Arroyo, Adam Duvall, Masataka Yoshida, Kutter Crawford, Corey Kluber, Bailey Ober, Clayton Kershaw, Reid Detmers, Michael Busch's, Chris Devenski, Will Smith, Kershaw, Evan Phillips, Detmers, Tucker Barnhart, Mike Tauchman, Marcus Stroman, Mark Leiter Jr, Adbert Alzolay, Johan Oviedo, Framber Valdez, Alex Bregman, Jose Altuve, Ryan Pressly, Justin Verlander, Austin Riley, Matt Olson, Eddie Rosario, Ronald Acuna Jr, Spencer Strider, Raisel Iglesias, Brandon Marsh, Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber, Realmuto, Ranger Suarez, Ernie Clement, George Springer, Yimi Garcia, Jordan Romano, Tanner Scott, Miami's Luis Arraez, Daniel Lynch, Lynch, Scott Barlow, Matt Beaty, Michael Lorenzen, Kerry Carpenter, Zach McKinstry, Aaron Hicks, Hicks, Anthony Santander, Kyle Bradish, Isaac Paredes, Dylan Carlson, Jordan Montgomery, Louis, MacKenzie Gore, Gore, Gerrit Cole, Anthony Rizzo, Cole, Billy McKinney, Jarred Kelenic, George Kirby, Kirby, Andres Gimenez, Amed Rosario, Jose Ramirez, Enyel De Los Santos, Tony Kemp, Trevor May, William Contreras, Bryse Wilson, Joel Payamps, Devin Williams, Ketel Marte, Colin Rea, Austin Adams, Zach Remillard, Elvis Andrus, Eloy Jimenez, Andrus, Corey Seager, Adolis Garcia, Grant Anderson Organizations: San Francisco Giants, San Diego Padres, Oracle, Giants, The Padres, Reds, Cincinnati, The Reds, Tampa Bay Rays, Rockies, Red Sox, Twins, Boston, Dodgers, Angels, Los Angeles Dodgers, Los Angeles Angels, Cubs, Pirates, Chicago, Pittsburgh, The Pirates, Astros, Mets, Houston, New York, Braves, Phillies, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Blue Jays, Marlins, Toronto, Miami, Former Marlins, Royals, Tigers, Kansas City, Detroit, Rays, Baltimore, ORioles, Tampa, Cardinals, Nationals, Washington, The Cardinals, Montgomery, Yankees, Mariners, Cleveland, Oakland, Guardians, Brewers, Diamondbacks, Milwaukee, The Brewers, White Sox, Rangers, Texas, The Texas, Thomson Locations: San Francisco , California, USA, San Diego, Colorado, Boston, Minneapolis, Anaheim , Calif, Kershaw, Chicago, Valdez, Houston, Kansas, St . Petersburg, Fla, Seattle, Rye, N.Y, Arizona

☆ After an Epic Meltdown, Ample Hills Creamery Aims to Rise Again
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( Julia Moskin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

It was a sad day in Brooklyn when Ample Hills Creamery closed its doors. Just before last Christmas, the beloved ice cream parlor in Prospect Heights — and all 12 of its remaining scoop shops across the country — shut down after a decade-long roller-coaster ride of brand-building, bankruptcies and heartbreak. “We made every mistake it is possible to make,” said Brian Smith, who founded Ample Hills with his wife, Jackie Cuscuna, in 2011. To their own great surprise, they will reopen that original store on Wednesday, followed over the summer by three others in New York City. Schmitt put the company in receivership and sold off its assets, including a factory in Red Hook that cost nearly $7 million to build.

Persons: “, ”, Brian Smith, Jackie Cuscuna, Schmitt Organizations: Vanderbilt, Industries Locations: Brooklyn, Prospect Heights —, New York City, Oregon, Red Hook

☆ Charles Schwab forecasts up to 11% drop in second-quarter revenue
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-14 | by ( Sri Hari N S | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

June 14 (Reuters) - Charles Schwab (SCHW.N) expects its second-quarter revenue to drop by 10% to 11% due to a contraction in its net interest margin and softer trading activity, the brokerage firm said on Wednesday. The majority of these borrowings could be repaid before the end of 2024, Schwab said. Analysts have warned of a compression in net interest margins for financial firms, as the Fed's rate hikes drain excessive liquidity. Further increases in interest rates could add to pressure on Schwab's earnings, William Blair analysts Jeff Schmitt and Tyler Mulier wrote in a note. Fed policymakers on Wednesday left interest rates steady but signaled they would rise by half a percentage point by the end of the year.

Persons: Charles Schwab, Schwab, William Blair, Jeff Schmitt, Tyler Mulier, Blair, Niket Nishant, Sri Hari, Vinay Dwivedi, Maju Samuel Organizations: Federal Home Loan Bank, Federal, Thomson Locations: The Texas, Sri, Bengaluru

Here's what some Republican lawmakers are saying today about Trump:Sen. Lindsey Graham acknowledged the seriousness of the allegations of mishandling of classified documents laid out in the federal indictment of Donald Trump. Graham also invoked classified documents investigations into President Biden and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Graham said he would continue to support Trump, but would not clarify if he'd keep supporting Trump should the former president be convicted. "I intend to support the president," Graham, adding he doesn't think the case will go to trial before the election. Sen. Eric Schmitt, a Republican from Missouri, attacked the Biden administration ahead of the arraignment of Trump this afternoon.

Persons: Steve Scalise, Francis Chung, Donald Trump, Sen, Lindsey Graham, Graham, Biden, Hillary Clinton, CNN's Manu Raju, Trump, Thom Tillis, “, ”, Tillis, Donald J, Chuck Grassley, ” Scalise, Scalise, Joe Biden's, Eric Schmitt, ” Trump, Schmitt, ” Schmitt Organizations: Republican, Trump, Presidential Records, Presidential, ”, United, Biden Locations: United States, Missouri, Trump

☆ Battles Rage as Ukraine Tries to Retake Russian-Occupied Territory
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-09 | by ( Andrew E. Kramer | Eric Schmitt | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Intense fighting raged across a wide swath of southeastern Ukraine for a second day on Friday, as Ukrainian forces attacked occupying Russian troops in multiple locations, while military analysts and U.S. officials cautioned that it was far too early to gauge the success of Kyiv’s offensive. Both sides were grappling with severe flooding caused by the destruction of a major dam on the Dnipro River, but east of there, the fierce combat indicated that Ukraine’s long-awaited counteroffensive against the Russian invasion was underway, according to analysts and Western and Russian officials. Two senior U.S. officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military operations, confirmed that Ukrainian troops had, as expected, suffered casualties and equipment losses in the early fighting, but said that classified assessments quantifying the losses were still being developed. There was no information available on Russian losses, but attackers typically suffer heavier initial casualties than dug-in defenders, and analysts warned that breaking through the Russian lines would be difficult and come at a high price.

Locations: Ukraine, Dnipro

☆ Ukraine Mounts Multiple Attacks on Russian Occupiers
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( Eric Schmitt | Andrew E. Kramer | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Three senior U.S. officials, as well as military analysts, said that a long-awaited major Ukrainian counteroffensive appeared to be underway, after months spent mobilizing and training new units, and arming them with advanced Western weapons. A strong indication, they said, was the Ukrainians’ use in combat on Thursday of German Leopard tanks and American Bradley fighting vehicles. “Ukrainian forces have made some tactical gains and sustained losses.”The United States and other Ukrainian allies trained and equipped the nine brigades that were designed to lead Ukraine’s counteroffensive to recapture Russian-occupied land. Ukraine is widely expected to mount a multipronged assault along a front that arcs for hundreds of miles, focusing on a swath of the Zaporizhzhia and Donetsk regions. Ukraine’s plans target specific areas to try to break through Russian lines, but can adjust to concentrate on those thrusts that prove most successful, U.S. officials said.

Persons: American Bradley, ”, Rob Lee Organizations: Kyiv, U.S, German Leopard, Foreign Policy Research Institute Locations: Zaporizhzhia, American, Ukraine, United States, Russian, Donetsk, U.S

A critical dam on the Dnipro River in southern Ukraine broke overnight on Tuesday, endangering tens of thousands of people who live downstream. Russia said that Ukrainian forces had carried out sabotage. Located near the front line of the war in the southern Kherson region, the dam and nearby infrastructure have been damaged by shelling throughout the war. The area including the dam and the adjacent hydroelectric plant has been occupied by Russian forces since last year. President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine blamed “Russian terrorists,” while the Kremlin’s spokesman, Dmitri S. Peskov, blamed Ukrainian forces, describing what happened as sabotage.

Persons: António Guterres, Nova Kakhovka, Volodymyr Zelensky, “, Dmitri S, Peskov, ” Natalia Humeniuk, Radio Svoboda, Sergei K, John F, Kirby, Ihor Syrota Organizations: The New York Times, Engineering, Radio, Kyiv, National Security Council, Russian, of Locations: Dnipro, Ukraine, Russia, Kherson, Nova, Ukrainian, Donetsk, United States, Russian, Antonivka, Zaporizhzhia, Crimea, Kakhovka, of Culture

The Ukrainian prosecutor general's office said on Tuesday it was investigating the blast at the Nova Kakhovka dam, situated in Russian-occupied territory, as a war crime and possible act of environmental destruction, or "ecocide". Kyiv said this was a war crime, while Moscow said the targets were legitimate. WHAT DOES INTERNATIONAL LAW SAY? The Geneva Conventions and additional protocols shaped by international courts say that parties involved in a military conflict must distinguish between “civilian objects and military objectives”, and that attacks on civilian objects are forbidden. IS ENERGY INFRASTRUCTURE MILITARY OR CIVILIAN?

Persons: Dmitry Peskov, general's, Marko Milanovic, Michael Schmitt, Milanovic, Katharine Fortin, Stephanie van den Berg, Anthony Deutsch, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: Reuters, REUTERS, HAGUE, Russia, Criminal, European, of International, University of Reading, ICC, Lieber Institute for Law & Warfare, United States Military Academy West, Utrecht University, Thomson Locations: Nova, Kherson region, Ukraine, Geneva, Ukrainian, Dnipro, Russia, Moscow, Rome

During the first year of Russia’s war in Ukraine, the Biden administration fretted constantly that if Kyiv hit back inside Russian borders, President Vladimir V. Putin would retaliate against not only Ukraine, but also possibly NATO and the West. As Ukraine’s counteroffensive edges closer, a series of bold attacks in Russia, from a swarm of drone attacks in Moscow to the shelling of towns in the Belgorod region bordering Ukraine and an incursion into the country using American-made armored vehicles, have been greeted by the Biden administration with the diplomatic equivalent of a shrug. On Monday, fighters attacked at least 10 villages in the Belgorod region with heavy shelling, its governor said. Behind closed doors, senior administration officials have seemed even less fazed. “Look, it’s a war,” one senior Pentagon official said last Thursday.

Persons: Biden, Vladimir V, Putin, “ It’s, John F, Kirby, ” Organizations: Kyiv, NATO, National Security Council, Pentagon Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Moscow, Belgorod, Ukrainian

Ukrainian forces have stepped up artillery strikes and ground assaults in a flurry of military activity that American officials suggested on Monday could signal that Kyiv’s long-planned counteroffensive against Russia had begun. The fighting, which began on Sunday, was raging along several points on the front line, but farther to the east of where many analysts had expected Ukraine’s counteroffensive to launch. The Russian Ministry of Defense said on Monday that a major Ukrainian operation had begun at five locations in the eastern Donetsk region and that it had repelled the assaults and inflicted casualties on Ukrainian forces. Ukraine’s deputy minister of defense, Hanna Malyar, said on the Telegram messaging app that Kyiv’s forces in some areas were “moving to offensive actions” in the war that began when Russia invaded its neighbor 15 months ago. But she stopped short of saying it was a decisive new phase in the war.

Persons: Hanna Malyar Organizations: Russian Ministry of Defense Locations: Russia, Azov, Crimea, Donetsk

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