Massive Russian strike: explosions in Dnipro, Lutsk, and Lviv regions

"In Dnipro, Russian missiles targeted an industrial enterprise, where a fire broke out...
Lviv Mayor Andriy Sadovyi reports that the invaders targeted the city in the early hours ....an air raid alert went off throughout Ukraine overnight after Russia launched cruise missiles from the Caspian Sea region." Ukrin

Attempted Ukrainian saboteur incursion into Russia foiled

"Russian military and security forces have thwarted an attempt by a Ukrainian saboteur group to attack Bryansk Region....the botched raid had taken place near the settlement of Kurkovichi....Ukrainian shelling had killed one animal and damaged several buildings as well as a car." RT

Ex-major general of Ukraine's Security Service sentenced for treason

"Valerii Shaitanov, a former Major General of the Security Service of Ukraine (SSU), has been sentenced to 12 years in prison after being found guilty of treason, an attempted act of terrorism, and possession of ammunition.

The prosecutors proved in court that he had collected information that was a state secret and passed it on to representatives of the Russian Federation." Pravada

Ukrainians Begin To Despair As Bloody Counteroffensive Yields Small Gains

"According to the Washington Post, many citizens of Ukraine are adopting a darker mood
about the war with Russia, and national unity is beginning to fray. The change in sentiment comes as Kiev’s spring counteroffensive fails to retake significant territory despite surging casualties. One Ukrainian, Alla Blyzniuk, interviewed by the outlet, said, "[before] people were united." Now, she described, a sense of collective "disappointment."

Blyzniuk said that most soldiers sent to the front die in just two to three days." ZH

Ukraine to get German drones

"One of Germany’s leading defense contractors, Rheinmetall, is set to provide Ukraine with its
state-of-the-art reconnaissance drones in the coming months." RT

Russia fails to restore positions near Urozhayne in Shakhtarske direction

"In Shakhtarske direction, the Russians unsuccessfully tried to restore the lost positions in the area of Urozhayne, Donetsk region." Ukrin

Ukrainians paying up to $10,000 to escape draft

"Thousands of Ukrainian men have paid large sums in bribes to avoid getting drafted during

the ongoing conflict between Kiev and Moscow....The news comes as Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky launched a massive military purge, sacking all of the regional military conscription officials and citing the multiple corruption scandals rocking the country. 

The recruitment officials are set to be replaced by combat veterans, according to Kiev’s plan.....The head of the Odessa regional recruitment center Evgeny Borisov, who was arrested last month, turned out to be one of the most ‘prolific’ officials involved in draft-dodging rackets. The official is now suspected of bagging more than $5 million in bribes, charging from $2,000 to $10,000 per person for various ‘options’ to escape the draft. Borisov is believed to have been using the ill-gotten money to fund a posh lifestyle, with his family procuring a €4.2-million ($4.6-mn) villa in Spain last December, as well as other luxury assets, according to Ukrainian investigators." RT

Explosions reported in Kiev after air raid alert

"The Ukrainian military says the capital has come under attack by Kinzhal hypersonic
missiles." RT

Russian Military Turn Ukrainian Stronghold Into Blazing Inferno

"Russian forces repelled 16 enemy attacks on several fronts over the past 24 hours, and as a
result the Ukrainian military lost about 800 military personnel and several dozen pieces of equipment.

The Russian Defense Ministry has released a video of Battlegroup Yug unleashing pinpoint strikes on a Ukrainian military stronghold near Avdeevka and turning it into a blazing inferno." Sputnik

ZNPP loses power from main line, on verge of blackout

"Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant (ZNPP), temporarily seized by Russian troops, lost power from the main 750 kV external power line .After that, ZNPP had to switch to the only available backup line of 330 kV, the disconnection of which threatens ZNPP to lose external power (blackout)." Ukrin

China Confirms Troop Operations near Alaska

"The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) of China confirmed it has been conducting joint patrols
with Russia near the Alaskan coast, promised the provocative activity will only intensify, and said the U.S. was hypocritical to complain because it insists on supposedly comparable freedom of navigation patrols in the South China Sea..... rejecting American warnings that China was crossing a “red line” by conducting military drills near Alaska, fuming that America has no right to complain when it keeps “trespassing into Chinese territorial waters without permission” – a reference to China’s illegal claims to control the entire South China Sea." Breitbart

Russia launches deadly rocket attack on city of Zaporizhzhia

"At least two people have been killed and more injured after a Russian rocket attack on the
southeastern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia, near Europe’s biggest nuclear power plant...." France24

China's Economy Tips Into Deflation, Threatening Recovery From Pandemic

"China’s economy is tipping into deflation as the nation’s recovery from the COVID-19
pandemic falters.

The anxiety in China’s business sector is growing as comparisons to Japan’s “lost decades” are made.

China’s problems stem from the way it ended up dealing with the pandemic. The massive shutdowns of big cities and provinces because of just a few positive tests damaged the economy over a far longer period of time than in the West. And then when civil unrest threatened the government, it quickly lifted restrictions on movement and virtually everything else.

More than 80% of the Chinese population became infected with COVID-19 after restrictions were lifted two weeks before Christmas. China stopped counting infections and deaths months ago, but it’s believed that a million people may have died during the worst of the pandemic.

The Chinese government never offered any economic stimulus to restart the economy. 

Investors have been anxiously waiting for policymakers to inject stimulus after the powerful Politburo meeting last month, with the stock market mostly underwhelmed by the lack of concrete action." PJM

Officials likely to introduce mandatory evacuation in Kupiansk district, Kharkiv Oblast, due to intense shelling

"Civilians might be evacuated from 53 settlements located near the areas where hostilities are
taking place in the Kupiansk district, Kharkiv Oblast in Ukraine. 

Quote from Syniehubov: "The evacuation is being carried out as a preventive measure, as enemy forces have ramped up shelling in border-adjacent settlements near the front. Enemy forces continue to terrorise civilians, including by conducting airstrikes. Our goal is therefore to save the lives of as many civilians as we can.". Pravada

Ukraine Loses 370 Military in Donetsk Direction in Past 24 Hours

"Ukraine has lost up to 370 military in the Donetsk direction over the past 24 hours......The
Russian armed forces have repelled five attacks in the Donetsk direction over the given period, the ministry said, adding that another six attacks were repulsed in the Kupyansk direction, three in the Zaporozhye direction and two in the Krasny Liman direction." Sputnik