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☆ A beloved whale long suspected of being a Russian 'spy' was shot dead, animal-rights groups say
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-04 | by ( Joshua Nelken-Zitser | Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Go to newsletter preferencesSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Read previewA white beluga whale nicknamed Hvaldimir, beloved in Norway and believed to have been trained to spy for Russia, was found dead in Norwegian waters over the weekend. The animal-rights groups provided Business Insider with images of the whale's body, which appeared to show bullet holes. The lifeless body of Hvaldimir was discovered by a teenage fisherman and his father near the town of Risavika on Saturday morning. A spokesperson for the Norwegian Veterinary Institute said it couldn't comment on any results as Hvladimir's autopsy was still ongoing.

Persons: —, NOAH, they'd, Regina Haug, Hvaldimir, Vladimir Putin's, Siri Martinsen, Martinsen, Sebastian Strand, Hvladimir, Strand Organizations: Service, Business, NATO, Marine, Norwegian Veterinary Institute, of Fisheries Locations: Norway, Russia, Risavika, Petersburg

☆ U.S. targets Russia over 2024 election influence operation
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-04 | by ( Dan Mangan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The DOJ said it was seizing 32 Internet domains "used in Russian government-directed foreign malign influence campaigns colloquially referred to as 'Doppelganger,' in violation of U.S. money laundering and criminal trademark laws." Those alleged efforts include the use of RT, the English-language media network backed by Russia, to influence U.S. opinion. The Biden administration on Wednesday announced sanctions targeting Russian government-backed efforts to manipulate American opinion leading up to the 2024 election. An unidentified Russia Today anchor prepares to go on the air in the RT TV studio in Moscow, June 8, 2018. Investigations later found that there was a coordinated effort by Russia to support his candidacy over the then-Democratic nominee, Hillary Clinton.

Persons: General Merrick Garland, Kostiantyn Kalashnikov, Elena Afanasyeva, Biden, Vladimir Putin, Merrick Garland, Margarite Simonova Simonyan, Elizaveta Yuryevna, Anton Sergeyvich Anisimov, Antony Blinken, Rossiya, Blinken, Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, Harris, Donald Trump, Trump, Hillary Clinton, RT's, RT, Clinton Organizations: Justice Department, DOJ, Department of Justice, Wednesday, RT, U.S, U.S . Treasury Department, State Department, RIA Novosti, Novosti, Sputnik, U.S . Foreign, NBC News, Democratic, Republican, White House, Investigations, NBC Locations: Washington , DC, Tennessee, Manhattan, American, Russia, Moscow, Ukraine, U.S, Russian

☆ China detains artist for scathing Mao works created more than a decade ago, family says
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-03 | by ( Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

At the height of their careers, the Gao Brothers created provocative sculptures of Mao in a country notoriously sensitive about its former ruler’s legacy. Due to the “deteriorating environment” in China, Gao Zhen relocated to New York two years ago when his son, an American citizen born in the US, reached school age, Gao Qiang said. “Before he set off, his friends and family — myself included — had all reminded him to consider whether it was safe to go,” Gao Qiang said. “Our father’s death was a devastating disaster for our family.” Gao Zhen told the Southern People Weekly, a once-outspoken news outlet, in 2010. Gao Zhen’s detention shows that freedom of expression in China has shrunk significantly compared to a decade ago, Gao Qiang said.

Persons: Mao Zedong, Gao Zhen, China’s, ”, Gao Qiang, Gao Brothers, Mao, Xi Jinping, “ Miss Mao, ’, Du Yinghong, —, “, ” Gao Qiang, Gao Zhen’s, ‘ Miss Mao, Gao, David Gray, Yue Minjun, “ uglifying, Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, CNN Sunday, Chinese Communist Party, CNN, ”, Police, Reuters, Communist Party, Southern People, Ukraine, Centre Pompidou, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art Locations: Hong Kong, China, Beijing, New York, Hebei province’s Sanhe, American, Yanjiao, Hebei, Sanhe, India, “, Paris , New York, Moscow, Berlin, Paris

☆ Retired NATO commander says Ukraine's Kursk invasion proves it can succeed without Western advice
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-03 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Read previewA former NATO commander said that Ukraine's successful incursion into Russia's Kursk region shows what it can do without relying much on Western advice. It had taken and held 500 square miles of Russian territory as of last week, according to Ukraine's army chief. Gen. Philip M. Breedlove, a former NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe, told the Kyiv Post that he viewed Ukraine's operation as a success. A local volunteer looks at a building damaged by Ukrainian strikes in Kursk on August 16, 2024, following Ukraine's offensive into Russia's western Kursk region. But many allies, the US among them, still forbid Ukraine from using long-range weapons within Russia, limits Ukraine's ability to hit the highest-value targets there.

Persons: —, Philip M, Vladimir Putin, TATYANA MAKEYEVA, Breedlove, Putin, George Barros Organizations: Service, Business, NATO, Allied, Kyiv Post, Getty, US Air Force, Ukraine, Institute for Locations: NATO, Russia's Kursk, Russia, Kyiv, Ukraine, Kursk, AFP, Sudzha, Ukrainian

☆ Ukraine's surprise invasion of Russia hasn't taken the pressure off the most dire front-line battles
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-03 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Ukraine's Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi stated last week that an objective of the Kursk invasion was to redirect Russian forces away from the Pokrovsk direction. But the Kursk invasion has limited the number of troops available for reinforcement. KIRILL CHUBOTIN/Ukrinform/Future Publishing via Getty ImagesGeorge Barros, the geospatial-intelligence team lead and a Russia analyst at ISW, said that the Kursk invasion underscores how Moscow left a major portion of its international border undefended. Even though the Kursk invasion may not be forcing Russia to redirect front-line forces from Pokrovsk, that campaign will eventually culminate. These efforts have intensified since the start of the Kursk invasion.

Persons: —, Ukraine's, Oleksandr Syrskyi, Tatarigami, Diego Herrera Carcedo, Putin, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, KIRILL CHUBOTIN, George Barros, Vladimir Putin, Barros, REUTERS Barros Organizations: Service, Kyiv, Business, AP, Institute for, Getty, Ukraine, Publishing, REUTERS Locations: Russia, Moscow, Kursk, Ukraine, Kyiv, Russia's, Ukrainian, Sudzha, Russia's Kursk, Pokrovsk, Anadolu, Russian, Korenevo

☆ Putin gifted Kim Jong Un 24 purebred horses as payment for the artillery shells North Korea sent to Russia: report
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-02 | by ( Aditi Bharade | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Vladimir Putin gifted Kim Jong Un 24 purebred horses as payment for artillery shells, The Times reported. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementRussian President Vladimir Putin gifted North Korean leader Kim Jong Un two dozen purebred horses as payment for artillery shells, The Times reported. The outlet cited an announcement from veterinary authorities in Primorsky Krai, a Russian region connected to North Korea by train. The announcement noted that 24 horses were transported across the border on Sunday, The Times wrote.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong, —, Orlov Organizations: Times, Service, North, Business Locations: North Korean, Primorsky Krai, Russian, North Korea

☆ Putin gave a niece with no military experience a key defense job: UK Intel
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-02 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Vladimir Putin appointed a relative to a top defense position, reports say. The relative, Anna Tsivileva, is Russia's new state secretary of defense. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementRussian President Vladimir Putin's decision to appoint a relative to a top defense role tested "even Russian tolerance for corrupt practice," the UK's ministry of defence (MoD) said. The Kremlin announced in August that Putin had appointed Anna Tsivileva, the daughter of Putin's cousin, as the state secretary of the military.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Anna Tsivileva, —, Vladimir Putin's, Putin Organizations: Service, MoD, Kremlin, Tsivileva, Business Locations: Russia

☆ A longtime Russian ally says it's frozen its participation in Putin's NATO 'at all levels' after a year of snubs
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-02 | by ( Thibault Spirlet | Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

"Armenia has frozen its participation in the CSTO at all levels," he said, according to a translation by US think tank the Institute for the Study of War. AdvertisementHowever, he added that Armenia may "see the need to make another decision" in the future, per the ISW. Pashinyan announced his decision to leave the CSTO — a military alliance made up of Russia, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan — in February. Tensions have risen between Russia and Armenia since Putin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which Pashinyan has repeatedly refused to support. Other CSTO members have also snubbed Russia since it launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Persons: —, Vladimir Putin's, Nikol Pashinyan, Pashinyan, Putin, Dmitry Peskov, berate Putin, Thomas Graham Organizations: Service, Collective Security, Organization, NATO, Business, for, Tajikistan —, Kremlin, Yale Locations: Russian, Armenia, Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Pashinyan, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Armenia's, East

☆ The battle of Kursk has unchained Ukraine from a failing war strategy
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-24 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

At the start of August, Ukraine seemed doomed to remain on the defensive, slowly but relentlessly being ground into retreat by Russian onslaughts. But its successful new Kursk offensive has done more than seize 480 square miles of Russian territory and humiliate Putin. After nearly a year of a grim defensive battle, the Kursk operation has also allowed Ukraine to seize the initiative and force Moscow to dance to Kyiv's tune. The Russians no longer hold the initiative across the entirety of the theater, like they have for most of last year." Which means Ukraine has to find some economical way of keeping up the pressure on Russia, without losing more territory of its own.

Persons: Putin, George Barros, Barros, Vladimir Putin, " Barros, Michael Peck Organizations: Service, Defense, Foreign Policy, Rutgers Univ, Twitter, LinkedIn Locations: Ukraine, Russian, Kursk, Moscow, Donetsk, Russia, Kyiv, Kharkiv, Polohy, Zaporizhia, Zabrama, Bryansk, Belgorod, Forbes

☆ Kyiv’s incursion into Russia sends a defiant message to its Western backers: We can win this war
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-24 | by ( Tim Lister | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Just as importantly, it’s also sent a political message to Kyiv’s allies that has changed the prevailing narrative of the war - that Ukrainian forces are doomed to fight an endless rearguard action against superior Russian firepower. A Ukrainian soldier walks past at a city hall in Sudzha, Kursk region, Russia, Friday, Aug. 16, 2024. But Ukrainian forces have shown that the conflict is not a one-way street. For the Ukrainians, sustaining the operation as Russia brings more artillery and aviation to bear will become increasingly difficult. But for every passing day that Ukrainian forces control an area of Russian territory the size of Hong Kong, the Kursk incursion becomes less of a footnote.

Persons: CNN —, it’s, Vladimir Putin, “ Putin, ” Mathieu Boulegue, ”, ” Boulegue, Volodymyr Zelensky, “, ” Mick Ryan, Kursk “, Ryan –, Zelensky, ” Ryan, Boulegue, Sabrina Singh, Josep Borrell, Donald Trump, Olga Tatariuk Organizations: CNN, Institute for, Center for, Kremlin, Ukrainian, Futura, Kyiv, Ukrainian Defense Ministry, NATO, Russian, Chatham House, Special Forces, Special Forces of Locations: Russian, Kursk, Russia, Ukraine, Moscow, Washington, Australia, Kharkiv, Ukrainian, Sudzha, Germany, United States, Chatham, Glushkovo, Kursk Region, Special Forces of Ukraine, Donetsk, Pokrovsk, Hong Kong

PHOENIX — Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s campaign told a Pennsylvania court that he will be endorsing former President Donald Trump, ahead of his own Friday afternoon announcement putting to rest a tumultuous independent presidential campaign. The filing came shortly before Kennedy took the stage at an Arizona press conference where he announced the end his presidential campaign. The Kennedy campaign spent more than $8 million on campaign consulting from Accelevate 2020 LLC, a group that also does ballot-access work. Overall, the campaign effectively raised what it spent — it amassed $57.6 million and spent almost $54 million through July. Federal campaign finance records show Kennedy’s campaign spent more than $3 million on security services provided by Gavin de Becker, a prominent security consultant protecting celebrities who is also a Kennedy supporter and friend.

Persons: Robert F, Kennedy Jr, Donald Trump, Kennedy, Trump, Kamala Harris, Biden's, Harris, Vladimir Putin, —, they’d, “, ”, Nicole Shanahan, Walz, ” Shanahan, Shanahan, I’m, Gavin de Becker, Katherine Koretski, Ben Kamisar Organizations: PHOENIX, Democratic Party, Trump, Democratic, Democrat, NBC News, Accelevate, Trump Republican Locations: Pennsylvania, United States, Arizona, Glendale, Trump, New, New York, Kamala, Phoenix, Washington ,

☆ Opinion | Putin Is Losing Control of His Narrative
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-23 | by ( Serge Schmemann | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In purely military terms, Ukraine’s surprise incursion of Russia earlier this month is a dubious gamble. The more significant potential of the invasion lies on the other front — that of information, propaganda, morale, image and competing narratives. By moving into Kursk, Ukraine’s military has loudly advertised its boldness just when it looked like its troops might never regain the initiative. Mr. Zelensky calls this the “naïve illusion of so-called red lines,” and so far, his allies have not complained about the Kursk invasion. They may see little value in scolding Ukraine, the plucky David in this war, right after he has landed an audacious strike against a plodding Goliath.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Volodymyr Zelensky, Zelensky, David Locations: Russia, Moscow, Donetsk, Ukraine, Kursk, Soviet, United States

☆ Ukraine’s march into Russia exposes Putin’s crisis management problem
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-23 | by ( Clare Sebastian | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

But his track record of handling recent crises in Russia reveals a different side of his presidential persona: one of paralysis and indecision. Despite a claim of responsibility from ISIS-K, he continued to insist that Ukraine, and the West had played a role. Dmytro Kholod, commander of Ukraine’s “Nightingale” battalion, currently in Kursk, told CNN by phone on Wednesday that he has noticed a shift in the behavior of Russian troops. It is just a strategy for perpetuating war and allowing Russia to wait us all out,” said Ryan. “Now we see that when he’s really presented with a crisis, he’s not a cornered rat, he’s just like an imposter.

Persons: CNN —, Vladimir Putin, Putin, Evgeny Prigozhin, Wagner, ” Putin, Prigozhin, Yan Dobronosov, ”, Boris Bondarev, “, Mick Ryan, Ramzan Kadyrov, don’t, Andrei Belousov, Dmytro Kholod, Ukraine’s “ Nightingale, ” Ryan, he’s, Volodymyr Zelensky, Efrem, Ryan, Bondarev Organizations: CNN, Crocus, Russia’s, ISIS, US, Kyiv, Getty, of Human Rights, ”, Kremlin, Naval, Black, Institute for, Russian MoD, Russia, AP, NATO, Putin Locations: Russia, Russian, Kursk, Ukraine, Crocus City, Moscow, Ukrainian, Sudzha, AFP, Beslan, Kharkiv, Crimea, Kursk Oblast, ”

A week into Ukraine’s surprise cross-border incursion into Russia, it’s becoming increasingly clear that Moscow does not have the situation under control. The incursion — the first time foreign troops entered Russian territory since World War II — is a major embarrassment for the Kremlin. Russian President Vladimir Putin vowed to “kick the enemy out” of Russia, but his troops are yet to stop the Ukrainian advance. The first reports of Ukrainian troops crossing into Russia’s Kursk region, just north of the Ukrainian border, started to emerge late last Tuesday. Read more about what this could mean for Russia, Ukraine and the war as a whole.

Persons: it’s, Vladimir Putin, Putin, Volodymyr Zelensky, Read Organizations: Kremlin ., Kyiv Locations: Russia, Moscow, Russia’s Kursk, Ukrainian, Ukraine, Kyiv, Crimea

☆ Ukraine says its troops are advancing deeper into Russia's Kursk region
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-14 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

Ukraine said its major cross-border assault had advanced one to two kilometers (0.6-1.2 miles) in Russia’s Kursk region since the start of Wednesday and that its troops had finished clearing the Russian town of Sudzha of Moscow’s forces. Kyiv blindsided Moscow by pouring thousands of troops into the western Russian region of Kursk last week. “We continue to advance further in Kursk region. Syrskiy said the Russian border town of Sudzha was fully under Ukrainian control. The governor of Russia’s border region of Belgorod, Vyacheslav Gladkov, declared a regionwide state of emergency on Wednesday, citing continued attacks by Ukrainian forces.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Oleksandr Syrskyi, ” Zelenskiy, Syrskiy, ”, Roman Pilipey, Vladimir Putin, Kyiv’s “, Joe Biden, “, Putin, Vyacheslav Gladkov, ” Gladkov Organizations: NBC News, Getty, U.S, Moscow’s, Kyiv, Russian Defense Ministry Press Service, Red Army, Nazi Locations: Ukraine, Russia’s Kursk, Sudzha, blindsided Moscow, Russian, Kursk, Soviet, Sumy, Russia, AFP, United States, Moscow, Ukrainian, Russia’s, Belgorod, Kyiv

☆ Ukraine keeps gaining ground in its push into Russia, with 74 settlements under its control, commander says
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-14 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewUkraine has continued its push into Russia's Kursk region with 74 settlements under its control, according to its commander-in-chief. Syrskyi said his forces controlled 74 settlements in Russia's Kursk region as of Tuesday. Syrskyi also said that on Tuesday alone Ukrainian forces advanced another 1.3 miles and took control of more than 15 square miles of additional Russian territory, Ukrainian outlet The Kyiv Independent reported. It wasn't certain exactly how the Ukrainian side was defining the 74 settlements it claimed to control. AdvertisementMedics provide assistance in a vehicle in Russia's Kursk region on Sunday.

Persons: —, Oleksandr Syrskyi, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Syrskyi, ISW, Zelensky, Anatoliy Zhdanov, John Kirby, Vladimir Putin Organizations: Service, Ukrainian, Business, Independent, REUTERS, France's AFP, Institute for, Sunday, Kommersant, BBC Locations: Ukraine, Russia's Kursk, Ukrainian, Russian, Sumy region, Russia, Kursk

CNN —The Russian border region of Belgorod declared an emergency on Wednesday after new attacks by Ukrainian forces, with Kyiv claiming control of hundreds of square miles of Russian territory after its rare cross-border incursion. “The situation in the Belgorod region continues to be extremely difficult and tense,” Belgorod Gov. The declaration came after Belgorod began evacuations on Monday as a result of Ukrainian advances, following Kyiv’s surprise incursion into the neighboring Kursk region last week. It was a notable change in tactics for Ukraine and marked the first time foreign troops had entered Russian territory since World War II. Two locations in Belgorod, the city of Shebekino and the village of Ustinka, had been attacked by Ukrainian drones, he added.

Persons: Vyacheslav Gladkov, Gladkov, Aleksandr Gusev, Volodymyr Zelensky, “, Vladimir Putin, Russia –, Joe Biden, Putin, ” Organizations: CNN, Belgorod Gov, Kyiv, Kremlin Locations: Belgorod, Ukrainian, Kursk, Ukraine, Russian, Shebekino, Ustinka, Voronezh, Moscow, Bryansk, Russia

☆ Putin appointed his former bodyguard to take over Russia's military response to the Kursk invasion, local lawmaker says
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-14 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Kursk State Duma deputy Nikolai Ivanov told Russian broadcaster RTVI on Tuesday that Putin had met personally with Alexei Dyumin, who was made secretary of the State Council in May. Ivanov said Putin told Dyumin to supervise military operations in Kursk, with the primary goal of ousting Ukrainian forces that invaded the Russian border region last week. Dyumin, seated second from Putin's right, attended a leading of Russia's top brass about the Kursk invasion. Related storiesWhen the now-deceased head of the Wagner Group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, staged a rebellion against Putin, Dyumin was rumored to have been instrumental in orchestrating negotiations. wrote state media military correspondent Alexander Sladkov on Tuesday.

Persons: —, Vladimir Putin, Nikolai Ivanov, Putin, Alexei Dyumin, Aleksey Gennadyevich Dyumin, Ivanov, RTVI, Dyumin, Valery Gerasimov, Alexander Bortnikov, Yevgeny Prigozhin, It's, Rybar, Alexander Sladkov Organizations: Service, Duma, RTVI, State Council, Business, Ukrainian, Bloomberg, Federal Security Services, Russian Presidential, Putin, Wagner Group Locations: Kursk, Russian, Crimea, Tula, Washington, Ukraine, Kyiv

☆ Ukraine's surprise incursion leaves Putin scrambling to save face — and his territory
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-13 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Yuliya-Talmazan-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Yuliya Talmazan | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

Things seemed to be going so well for Vladimir Putin — at home and on the battlefield. Now Russia is the battlefield, after Ukraine’s stunning assault across the border turned the tables on Putin’s war and left his army scrambling to retake its own land. Putin convened a meeting with governors from the border regions as well as top defense and security officials on Monday. “One of the justifications that he routinely uses for the invasion of Ukraine is the security of the Russian state. The fact that Ukraine has launched this incursion into Russian territory, I think, is absolutely humiliating for him,” Fraser told NBC News.

Persons: Vladimir Putin —, Putin, Gavriil, ”, Callum Fraser, ” Fraser, “, Volodymyr Zelenskyy Organizations: Kremlin, Royal United Services Institute, NBC News, Kyiv Locations: Russia, It’s, Russian, Ukraine’s, Russia’s, London, Ukraine, Kursk

☆ Russian artist released in swap builds a new life in Germany, now free to marry her partner
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-13 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +8 min

That wasn’t an option in their native Russia, but it’s possible now that they live in Germany, which recognizes same-sex weddings. Subbotina campaigned for her partner’s release while also trying to make her life behind bars as tolerable as possible. Now, “I feel that I’m in a really free country,” Subbotina said, as they make plans for a life together in the quiet city of Koblenz in western Germany. The next day, Skochilenko was finally able to embrace Subbotina, who flew to Germany when she heard the news. Freed Russian artist Sasha Skochilenko shows a painting she made of herself in Koblenz, Germany.

Persons: Sasha Skochilenko, ” Skochilenko, Subbotina, ” Subbotina, Skochilenko, “, ”, —, “ We’ve, Vladimir Putin’s, ‘ Sonya, I’m, ‘, Andrei Pivovarov, Olaf Scholz, Freed, Michael Probst, ” They’ve, Sasha Organizations: Associated Press, Church, Russian Locations: Russia, Germany, East, Ukraine, Koblenz, St . Petersburg, Skochilenko, “, Moscow, Moscow’s, Ankara, Turkey, Freed Russian

☆ Allies want Trump to get on message and long Covid test proves elusive: Morning Rundown
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-13 | by ( Elizabeth Robinson | Elizabeth Robinson Is A Newsletter Editor For Nbc News | Based In Los Angeles. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +10 min

A study on long Covid fails to bring researchers closer to finding a diagnostic test. Why there’s no test yet for long CovidAn estimated 17 million people have long Covid, but identifying people with the condition still can't be achieved with one diagnostic test, researchers said this week. So “clinicians are left to continue doing what we have done in the past,” which is to rule out other potential health conditions rather than diagnosing long Covid, they said. The study is part of the National Institute of Health’s RECOVER Initiative, a billion-dollar-plus effort launched in 2021 to research causes and treatments of long Covid. The Freedom Caucus added that in the event of a stopgap bill, funding should be “extended into early 2025” to avoid passing a funding bill that “preserves Democrat spending.” Both demands would spark a standoff with Democratic lawmakers.

Persons: Donald Trump, Kamala Harris, Trump, Harris, Kevin McCarthy, Joe Biden, Oleksandr Syrskyi, Vladimir Putin, Putin, Aleksei Smirnov, Karen Bass, S. Organizations: Los Angeles, Trump, Former, Fox News, Kremlin, Los Angeles —, Lacrosse, Flag Locations: Florida, Ukraine, Kursk, Ukrainian, L.A, Paris, Los Angeles, Angeles, 4 e

☆ Opinion | The West Clearly Doesn’t Want to Defeat Putin
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-13 | by ( Anastasia Edel | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

As the West watches on, seemingly impotent, Russia grows ever bolder, like a bully who realizes the teacher isn’t coming. Despite having the resources to end this war on Ukraine’s terms, the West clearly lacks the will to win. But the West is wedded to its too-little-too-late approach, justified by the risk of provoking nuclear escalation from Russia. Nor has the West managed to cut off the sources of Russia’s economic might, despite rounds of sanctions. The economy is growing healthily, and the assets of Russian oligarchs remain safe in the West, even if frozen.

Persons: Vasily Nebenzya, isn’t, Vladimir Putin, ”, can’t Organizations: United Nations Security, United Nations, NATO, West Locations: Kyiv, Russia, New York, ”, Russian, Ukraine, U.S

☆ Now is the perfect time for Ukraine to be experimenting with ways to catch Russia by surprise, war analysts say
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-13 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

While it waits to amass the ammunition, manpower, and resources to launch a large-scale, well-timed counteroffensive, Ukraine should experiment with ways to take the initiative and gain momentum, war analysts say. "Ukrainian forces," they argued, "are very unlikely to be able to initiate significant counteroffensive operations in 2024 and into 2025." Such a strategy isn't necessarily new for Ukraine, which has repeatedly found ways to deal unexpected blows to Russian forces despite a grueling ground fight. "It will also protract the war and dramatically increase its costs to Ukraine and to Ukraine's supporters," they said. "Ukraine should thus seek every possible way of restoring maneuver to this war as soon as possible, daunting though that task appears."

Persons: —, AEI's Frederick Kagan, ISW's Kimberly Kagan, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Oleksandr Syrskyi, Zelenskyy, Vladimir Putin Organizations: Service, Russia, Business, American Enterprise Institute and Institute, Washington DC, Russian Ministry of Defense, Getty, MIC, REUTERS Kyiv, Kremlin Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Kursk, Russian, Anadolu, Kharkiv, Moscow, Sudzha, IZ.RU

☆ Ukraine’s Russia gambit punctures Putin’s veneer of invincibility once again
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-13 | by ( Nick Paton Walsh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —It is another coin-flip in a conflict punctuated with at least annual reminders of how frail Vladimir Putin’s Russia truly is. It is purposefully unclear exactly where Ukraine’s forces are. It is also unclear where Ukrainian forces are digging in and where they are just racing through. This time it is Putin’s own FSB, who couldn’t keep control of the borders, in Putin’s war of choice. Residents of an apartment building damaged after shelling by the Ukrainian side stand near the building in Kursk, Russia, on Sunday.

Persons: Vladimir Putin’s, Kyiv’s, Wagner, Oleksandr Syrskyi, “, ”, Lindsey Graham, Richard Blumenthal, Yevgeny Prigozhin’s, Putin, Andrew Kravchenko, Alexei Smirnov, it’s, he’s, Valery Gerasimov, Joseph Stalin, insurgencies, Putin’s, egotistically, Volodymyr Zelensky, Russia’s Putin, –, Zelensky, Ukraine’s Organizations: CNN, Kyiv, Kremlin, Armed Forces of, Bloomberg, Getty, Manpower, Residents, AP Locations: Vladimir Putin’s Russia, Kharkiv, Kyiv, Russia, Ukraine, Kursk, Rostov, Moscow, Lgov, Armed Forces of Ukraine, Donbas, Pokrovsk, Ukrainian

☆ Why Ukraine attacked Russia and other questions about Kyiv’s incursion
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-13 | by ( Ivana Kottasová | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —A week into Ukraine’s surprise cross-border incursion into Russia, it’s becoming increasingly clear that Moscow does not have the situation under control. The incursion – the first time foreign troops entered Russian territory since World War II – is a major embarrassment for the Kremlin. The first reports of Ukrainian troops crossing into Russia’s Kurs region, just north of the Ukrainian border, started to emerge late last Tuesday. By Monday, Kyiv claimed to have control over some 1,000 square kilometers (386 square miles) of Russian territory. Analysts are not expecting Ukraine to attempt to advance much further into Russian territory.

Persons: it’s, Vladimir Putin, Putin, Volodymyr Zelensky, ”, “, Alexei Smirnov, Smirnov, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Roman Pilipey, Biden, wasn’t, John Kirby Organizations: CNN, Kremlin ., Kyiv, Ukrainian, Ukraine, Kremlin, West, Getty, White House National Security Communications, Russia, European Union Locations: Russia, Moscow, Russia’s, Ukrainian, Kyiv, Ukraine, Kursk, “ Russia, Crimea, Belgorod, Bryansk, Sumy, AFP, Germany

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