Vladimir Putin’s Ukraine invasion, day 53: Russian air and artillery strikes pounded a number of Ukrainian cities in a single day Sunday and into Monday, together with the far western metropolis of Lviv, after the Kremlin claims to have focused almost 300 army areas throughout the territory of its democratic neighbor.
Not less than seven individuals have been killed in Lviv, and one other 11 have been wounded, Mayor Andriy Sadoviy stated on Monday. Reuters experiences they’re the primary victims of the conflict within the western metropolis for the reason that invasion started. Lviv is simply 40 miles from the Polish border, and has been seen as a comparatively safer refuge—in comparison with extra frontline scenes of devastation like Kharkiv within the east and Mariupol within the south.
Ukrainians in Mariupol are defying a “give up or die” ultimatum from Russia, with “the final recognized pocket of resistance in a seven-week siege… holed up in a sprawling metal plant laced with tunnels,” based on the Related Press, which experiences many civilians—together with youngsters—are hiding within the Azovstal metal mill as nicely.
“We’ll combat completely to the tip, to the win, on this conflict,” Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal instructed ABC’s “This Week” on Sunday.
Reminder: Russia has three weeks till its Could 9 “Victory Day” parade, marking the defeat of Nazi Germany in 1945. The Kremlin is reportedly hoping to lock down as many features as it could inside Ukraine in time for that annual march of army {hardware} by Moscow’s Purple Sq.. The parade will undoubtedly really feel totally different this yr, since a lot Russian {hardware} has been documented in numerous states of devastation and disrepair (together with greater than 500 tanks) by Ukrainian forces since late Feb.
And talking of Russian weapons, India’s air drive simply canceled a deal to purchase 48 Russian Mi-17 helicopters from Moscow, India At present reported Saturday. Officers in New Delhi reportedly harassed that the choice has nothing to do with Russia’s disastrous first few weeks of the conflict in Ukraine; as a substitute, the choice allegedly facilities on India’s need to make protection tools indigenously reasonably than depend on services in Kazan, Russia, which is the place Mi-17s are produced and manufactured. A bit extra to that, right here.
Kyiv’s Western allies started shifting new armor and weapons to Ukraine on Friday. That features T-72 tanks, RM-70 a number of launch rocket programs, Mi-17 helicopters, and extra—Overseas Coverage reported. (You might keep in mind Russia instructed U.S. officers final week that Moscow is especially upset over any motion of a number of launch rocket programs to Ukraine. The U.S. wasn’t sending any; however its allies, after all, may do as they happy with their MLRS; and certainly at the very least one ally has ignored Moscow’s warning.)
Protection continues under the fold…
From Protection One
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Aviator Most cancers Invoice Would Push VA to Examine Toxins Air Crews Confronted, Assess Hyperlinks to Cancers // Tara Copp: Floor crew and flight crew cancers can be reviewed. So would the fuels, chemical substances, and emissions they have been uncovered to.
Protection Enterprise Temporary // Marcus Weisgerber: Protection Enterprise Temporary: B-52 manufacturing unit will get new work; One-on-one with AIA’s new head of worldwide affairs; Retiring Air Drive basic to run Tennessee public college district; and extra.
Welcome to this Monday version of The D Temporary, dropped at you by Ben Watson with Jennifer Hlad. When you’re not already subscribed to The D Temporary, you are able to do that right here. On this present day in 1930, the British Broadcasting Company made the extraordinarily uncommon announcement in its 8:45 p.m. information bulletin that, “There isn’t any information.” Piano music from the Wagner opera Parsifal was performed by the rest of the 15-minute information block.
New ballot numbers present People overwhelmingly assist “all measures short of war” relating to assist for Ukraine’s army. That’s based on new survey information from the Chicago Council, printed Friday. Survey says: “People assist offering army (79%) and financial (78%) help to Ukraine, imposing sanctions on Russia (77%), and taking in Ukrainian refugees (74%),” utilizing information from greater than a thousand respondents polled in late March.
That additionally consists of 62% who assist sending extra U.S. troops to NATO-member nations in Japanese Europe; “And a majority (56%) assist sending U.S. troops to defend a NATO ally like Latvia, Lithuania, or Estonia if Russia have been to invade them.”
However there’s some warning relating to extra immediately confrontational strikes: “Solely 4 in ten (41%) assist a no-fly zone over Ukraine, even when it’d set off a direct US-Russia battle,” the report’s authors write, “and simply over a 3rd (36%) favor sending U.S. troops to Ukraine to assist the Ukrainian authorities defend itself in opposition to the Russian invasion.”
Relating to paying extra on the pump right here stateside, “Not less than for now,” People surveyed say they’re “tolerant of gas-price will increase as a part of the results of these sanctions.”
And an finish to sanctions in opposition to Russia? That shouldn’t occur till Russia withdraws its troops, 67% of People say. Nevertheless, most “doubt that sanctions will likely be sufficient to influence Moscow to withdraw troops from Ukraine.” Learn the complete report (PDF) right here.
Growing: White Home and allied officers are planning a “long-term isolation” of Russia. This concerted effort includes “new insurance policies throughout nearly each facet of the West’s posture towards Moscow, from protection and finance to commerce and worldwide diplomacy,” the Washington Submit reported Saturday. It may imply a revised Nationwide Safety Technique; but it surely’s unclear if the administration’s Nationwide Protection Technique, which the Submit experiences was “despatched final month in labeled kind to Congress,” will likely be altered. Extra right here.
By the best way: Get to higher perceive how Moscow makes use of “Russophobia” in opposition to its critics and opponents on this 2017 report from Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. It’s aged impressively nicely within the almost 5 years because it was written (hat tip to former CIA-er John Sipher). Right here’s an excerpt we discovered notably illuminating: “Coined by a Nineteenth-century Slavophile poet, revived and popularized by a Soviet-era dissident nationalist, the time period [‘Russophobia’] has since morphed into a strong weapon within the present Kremlin’s rhetorical arsenal—deployed primarily to obscure criticism of Vladimir Putin’s regime by smearing, stigmatizing, and discrediting the messenger,” RFE/RL’s Brian Whitmore wrote. “Extra subtly, it’s also used to underscore a way of Russian exceptionalism, suggesting, in impact, that Russia not solely has a particular tradition, however one that’s beneath fixed assault.” Extra right here.
Starting Tuesday, NATO members will conduct annual cyber conflict video games often called Locked Shields on the alliance’s Cooperative Cyber Protection Centre of Excellence, primarily based in Estonia. The Wall Road Journal has a short bit about this yr’s video games, right here.
Associated studying:
SecDef Austin welcomes his Philippine counterpart on the Pentagon this afternoon. As is commonly customary with Austin, there’s no press convention deliberate for this assembly with Protection Minister Delfin Lorenzana, who’s scheduled to reach on the constructing round 2:30 p.m. ET.
Pakistan’s air drive killed at the very least 45 individuals in cross-border strikes on japanese Afghanistan on Saturday, together with separate targets in Kunar and Khost provinces.
Context: “On Thursday, seven Pakistan military troopers have been killed in North Waziristan, within the northwest space of the nation, by militants working from Afghanistan,” the New York Instances reported Sunday, citing Pakistan’s international ministry. “The general public killed within the airstrikes had been displaced from [Pakistan’s] North Waziristan, based on locals.”
Taliban spokesman Bilal Karimi condemned the assaults on Twitter, warning Islamabad “to not repeat such errors, in any other case it can have dangerous penalties.” Former president Hamid Karzai additionally launched an announcement condemning the assaults, calling them “a violation of worldwide regulation, a violation of Afghanistan’s nationwide sovereignty and a criminal offense in opposition to humanity.” Pakistan’s international ministry replied Sunday, saying in an announcement, “Pakistan has repeatedly requested [the] Afghan Authorities in [the] previous couple of months to safe [the] Pak-Afghan border area. Terrorists are utilizing Afghan soil with impunity to hold out actions inside Pakistan.” Extra right here.
Turkey’s army simply launched a brand new offensive in opposition to Kurds in northern Iraq. Already, 4 Turkish troops have allegedly died within the combating, which Ankara says additionally killed 19 Kurdish fighters in jet, helicopter, drone, and artillery strikes.
It’s often called “Operation Claw Lock,” and it’s reportedly occurring over northern Iraq’s Metina, Zap, and Avashin-Basyan areas, based on the Related Press.
ICYMI: “Final week, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met with Masrour Barzani, the prime minister of Iraq’s autonomous Kurdish area, which controls the areas that have been attacked,” AP writes. Extra right here.
And lastly: In rising tech information, Amazon and the U.S. Air Drive have each positioned their hopes on a brand new plane the New York Instances calls “The Battery That Flies.”
Topline learn: The airplane doesn’t want jet gas and produces no carbon, however proper now, the ability provide solely lasts about an hour. After the cost almost ran out on the flight the NYT’s Ben Rider Howe took, he wrote, “I questioned how many individuals would take pleasure in flying in an electrical airplane. That take off is enjoyable. However then you definately do begin to fear in regards to the touchdown.” Extra, right here.