"North Korea became something of a widespread punchline Wednesday when a ballyhooed launch of the nation’s fancy new naval destroyer ended up, well, destroyed.
And North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is steaming mad about it....the 5,000-ton naval destroyer — an impressive spectacle — met its demise due to a snafu from trying to get into the water.
A hitch with the ramp at the northeastern port of Chongjin caused the whole destroyer to become unbalanced, crushing the bottom of the ship. It got stuck before ultimately falling into the water on its side." WJ
"Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on May 24 cast doubt on the Vatican as a possible venue for future peace talks with Ukraine, saying the Catholic seat would not be an appropriate platform for negotiations between two Orthodox Christian nations.Previously, Pope Leo XIV expressed his willingness to host the next round of peace talks in the Vatican. Several of Ukraine's partners, including the United States, have suggested that the Vatican could become a neutral platform for further negotiations.
"Imagine the Vatican as a venue for negotiations," Lavrov reportedly said during a speech at the Diplomatic Academy in Moscow. “It would be a bit inelegant for Orthodox countries to use a Catholic platform to discuss issues on how to remove the root causes (of the war)."
Lavrov added that he believed "it would not be very comfortable for the Vatican itself to host delegations from two Orthodox countries in these circumstances." KI
"Russian forces launched a massive assault on multiple fronts across Ukraine over the past 24 hours, with 204 combat engagements recorded.
The aggressor carried out airstrikes near Krasychka and Velyka Pysarivka in the Sumy region; Zoria, Novotoretske, Sofiivka, Koptieve, Dovha Balka, Poltavka, Shakhove, Pokrovsk, Novopavlivka, Oleksandro-Kalynove, Myrnohrad, Sukhyi Yar, Novopil,Perebudova, and Komar in the Donetsk region; Dachne in the Dnipropetrovsk region; Novodarivka, Huliaipole, Malynivka, Novoandriivka in the Zaporizhzhia region; and Kozatske in the Kherson region.
On the Kharkiv axis, the enemy attempted to break through Ukrainian defensive lines five times near Vovchansk, Stroivka, Kutkivka, and Vovchanski Khutory.
On the Kupiansk axis, five assaults were recorded, with Ukrainian defenders repelling attacks near Petropavlivka, Zahryzove, and Nova Kruhliakivka.
On the Lyman axis, enemy forces launched 23 attacks, trying to penetrate Ukrainian defenses near Kopanky, Lypove, Ridkodub, Zelena Dolyna, Kolodiazi, Torske, Novomykhailivka, and in the direction of Karpivka, Hryhorivka, Hrekivka, and Olhivka.
On the Siversk axis, three enemy attempts to advance were made near Bilohorivka, Vyimka, and Pereizne.
On the Kramatorsk axis, Russia's invading forces launched four attacks west of Andriivka and toward Predtechyne and Bila Hora.
On the Toretsk axis, the enemy conducted 16 assaults near Druzhba, Dyliivka, Krymske, Toretsk, Shcherbynivka, Petrivka, and toward Pleschyivka and Yablunivka.
On the Pokrovsk axis, Ukrainian forces repelled 65 enemy assaults near Zoria, Nova Poltavka, Myroliubivka, Yelyzavetivka, Lysivka, Udachne, Malynivka, Sukhyi Yar, Novoserhiivka, Muravka, Troitske, Dachenske, Kotlyne, Kotliarivka, Horikhove, Novoukrainka, Oleksiivka, and Andriivka.
On the Novopavlivka axis, the enemy carried out 14 attacks near Kostiantynopil, Bahatyr, Odradne, Shevchenko, Vesele, Vilne Pole, Novosilka, Zelene Pole, and Novopil.
On the Orikhiv axis, Russian forces attacked Ukrainian positions four times near Stepove, Mali Shcherbaky, and in the direction of Novoandriivka.
On the Huliaipole and Dnipro River axes, the enemy did not conduct active offensive operations.
On the Kursk axis, the enemy conducted 12 airstrikes, dropped 16 guided bombs, and shelled Ukrainian positions 246 times, including six times using multiple rocket launchers. Ukrainian defenders repelled 39 enemy assaults." Ukrin
"The Russian military has carried out a successful strike against a drone and missile production plant in the Ukrainian capital, Kiev, the Defense Ministry in Moscow has said. Other targets included a surveillance center and a US-made Patriot air defense system." RT
