Drones damage Russia oil facility

"An explosion from two drone attacks in Russia’s Pskov region near Belarus damaged an oil pipeline facility with no casualties reported." AlJazeera

Why Are US Military Personnel Heading To Peru?

"The goal of the operation is to provide “support and assistance to the Special Operations of the Joint Command of the Armed Forces and National Police of Peru,” including in regions recently engulfed in violence. The plenary session of Peru’s Congress last Thursday (May 18) authorised the entry of US troops onto Peruvian soil with the purpose of carrying out “cooperation activities” with Peru’s armed forces and national police. Passed with 70 votes in favor, 33 against and four abstentions, resolution 4766 stipulates that the troops are welcome to stay any time between June 1 and December 31, 2023.

The protesters’ demands included:

. The protesters’ demands included:

• The release of Castillo
• New elections
• A national referendum on forming a Constitutional Assembly to replace Peru’s current constitution, which was imposed by former President Alberto Fujimori following his self-imposed coup of 199

Peru is currently under the control of an unelected government that is heavily supported by Washington but overwhelmingly rejected by the Peruvian people. The crackdown on protests in the south of the Peru by the country’s security forces — the same security forces that US military personnel will soon be joining — has led to dozens of deaths.

EU and US interest in Latin America is rising rapidly as the race for lithium, copper, cobalt and other elements essential for the so-called “clean” energy transition heats up. It is a race that China has been winning pretty handily up until now.

Peru is not only one of China’s biggest trade partners in Latin America; it is home to the only port in Latin America that is managed entirely by Chinese capital. And while Peru may not form part of the Lithium Triangle (Bolivia, Argentina and Chile), it does boast significant deposits of the white metal. By one estimate, it is home to the sixth largest deposits of hard-rock lithium in the world. It is also the world’s second largest producer of copper, zinc and silver, three metals that are also expected to play a major role in supporting renewable energy technologies. Ecuador, is undergoing a major political crisis that is likely to spell the end of the US-aligned Guillermo Lasso government and a handover of power to Rafael Correa’s party and its allies.

And the US government and military have made no secret of their interest in the mineral deposits that countries like Peru hold in their subsoil. In an address to the Washington-based Atlantic Council on Jan 19, Gen. Laura Richardson, head of the U.S. Southern Command, spoke gushingly of Latin America’s rich deposits of “rare earth elements,” “the lithium triangle — Argentina, Bolivia, Chile,” the “largest oil reserves [and] light, sweet crude discovered off Guyana,” Venezuela’s “oil, copper, gold” and the fact that Latin America is home to “31% of the world’s fresh water in this region.” ZH

Lukashenko Confirms Russian Tactical Nukes Already Being Transferred To Belarus

"Moscow is moving forward with plans to station tactical nuclear weapons in neighboring
Belarus. The two longtime allies which form what they call a 'union state' signed a deal Thursday to formalize deployment of Russian nukes on Belarusian soil. All of this comes dangerously as Ukraine's cross-border sabotage attacks on Russian territory have clearly escalated." ZeroHedge

Russian attack on Dnipro

"At least one person has been killed and 15 injured in a Russian missile attack on a medical
facility in Dnipro." Ukrin

Denmark and Netherlands to lead European coalition in providing F-16 training for Ukrainian pilots

"Denmark and the Netherlands, in cooperation with the United States, will start developing a
framework for comprehensive training of Ukrainian pilots on fourth-generation aircraft, in addition, Norway, Belgium, Portugal and Poland have offered to contribute to the training....including the F-16." Ukrin

Egypt, Saudi Arabia Reportedly Looking to Buy Chinese Weapons

"China is reportedly currently in talks with Saudi Arabia and Egypt to sell the two Arab states a variety of new weapons, including the Chengdu J-10C, the fighter jet that forms the backbone of the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF)." Sputnik

UN ‘concerned’ over Ukrainian attack on Belgorod

"The United Nations has voiced concerns over a recent cross-border attack on Russia’s
Belgorod Region, while saying it was unable to confirm who carried out the operation. Russian officials have condemned the incursion as a “terrorist act” organized by Kiev to divert attention from its battlefield failures.

Asked about this week’s border raid during a Tuesday press briefing, a representative for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the agency was aware of the incident, urging all parties to avoid any further escalation.

The Russian Defense Ministry said on Tuesday that the incursion was repelled, with at least 70 Ukrainian militants killed, and several armored vehicles and pickup trucks destroyed in the process." RT

AI Generated Hoax of Pentagon Explosion Causes Markets to Dip

"A fake image showing the aftermath of an explosion near the Pentagon in Washington D.C.,
home to the U.S. Department of Defense, apparently created by AI technology, went viral on social media early this morning.

The image showed a cloud of smoke near buildings that appeared to be close to the Pentagon, leading many accounts to speculate that there had been an explosion near the building.

The official account of the Arlington, VA fire and EMS department quickly clarified that reports of an explosion near the building were fake.

Markets fell by 0.26 percent in the brief minutes after claims about an explosion spread, although they quickly bounced back." Breitbart

Russian missile destroys apartment block in Avdiivka, civilians trapped under rubble

"Following Russia’s air strike on the Donetsk region’s Avdiivka, people are likely to have
been trapped under the rubble of a 9-storey apartment block." Ukrin

Ukraine hits two Russian control points, eight air defense systems

"Ukraine’s Air Force in the past day delivered 14 strikes on enemy clusters, as well as seven
times targeted Russian air defense systems. Another air defense system and a number of other important targets were hit by rocket and artillery forces." Ukrin

Zelensky failed to show up for meeting – Lula

"Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has said his Ukrainian counterpart, Vladimir Zelensky, had failed to show up for a scheduled bilateral meeting at the G7 summit in Hiroshima, Japan. 

“I had an interview, a bilateral one with [Zelensky] here in this room at 3:15 pm. We waited and received the information that he was late,” the president, who is commonly referred to as Lula, said." RT

Ukraine’s Air Force launched 10 strikes on enemy positions: Russia fires back

 "Ukraine’s Defense Forces have launched 10 air strikes on Russian personnel and military
equipment clusters. Meanwhile, Russian troops launched seven missile strikes and 70 air strikes, and opened fire with multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS) 48 times. Casualties among civilians were reported." Urkin

Zelensky Arrives in Hiroshima to Lobby G7 Nations for More Military Aid

"Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in Japan for talks with the leaders of the
world’s most powerful democracies, a personal appearance meant to galvanize global attention as the nations ratcheted up pressure on Moscow.......Japan said Zelenskyy’s inclusion stems from his “strong wish” to participate in talks with the bloc and other countries that will influence his nation’s defense against Russia." Breitbart

Biden Set to Send Another $375 Million in Weapons to Ukraine

"The United States is to hand over another $375 million in so-called “military aid” to Ukraine,
officials in both the Biden and Zelensky administrations have claimed.

President Joe Biden is set to announce the new injection of guns and ammo imminently, with his government repeatedly shovelling billions of dollars worth of munitions into the country since it was invaded by Russia last year." Breitbart

Zelenskky hails Biden’s decision on F-16 jet training for Ukraine

"Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has welcomed United States President Joe
Biden’s decision to support the training of Ukrainian pilots on US-made F-16 fighter jets, saying it would “greatly enhance our army in the sky”." AlJazeera