Latvia sends soldiers to boost security on border with Belarus

"Latvia’s defence minister has ordered the army to help guard the country’s border with
Belarus amid what was described as “hybrid threats” facing the country and as a reported 96 attempts were made by people to cross the border in 24 hours." AlJazeera

Lithuania border dust up with Belarus

"Belarus criticised Lithuania’s decision to close two of its six border crossings with the country amid concern about the presence of Russia’s Wagner mercenary group in Belarus. Minsk said the move was “unfriendly”." AlJazeera

US imposed sanctions on three entities over alleged weapons deals between North Korea and Russia

"The US imposed sanctions on three entities over alleged weapons deals between North Korea
and Russia. The three – Versor, Verus and Defense Engineering – are linked to Slovakian national Ashot Mkrtychev, who was sanctioned in March for attempting to facilitate arms deals between Russia and North Korea." AlJareeza

Netherlands slides into recession

"The Dutch economy has entered a recession after falling for two consecutive quarters,
Statistics Netherlands (CBS) revealed." RT

NATO Suggests For First Time Ukraine Could Cede Territory

"A NATO official has suggested Ukraine could cede some territory to Russia in exchange for
joining the Western military alliance.

The comments were made by Stian Jenssen, chief of staff for NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, and reported by the Norwegian newspaper VG. "I think that a solution could be for Ukraine to give up territory, and get NATO membership in return," he said, adding that it should be up to Ukraine when and on what terms to negotiate." ZH

US role in Pakistan chaos is obvious

"A recently leaked secret diplomatic cable revealed that the United States had pressed Pakistani diplomats to seek the removal of Prime Minister Imran Khan in 2022. Khan, who was ousted from office later that year, was not a supporter of the US or its geopolitical agenda, and had sought closer ties with both China and Russia.

Ejected from the leadership, Khan was quickly arrested and then banned from participating in politics. Then, within the same week, Pakistan signed a new defence agreement with the US, affirming age-old ties between Washington and the Pakistani military.

The US has engaged in a subtle regime change operation in Pakistan; an unusual choice given its simultaneous pursuit of stronger ties with India. This shows the ambitions of the US to play the two countries against each other and assert its own military domination over the South Asian region, using India as a pawn in its struggle against China, while simultaneously blocking the strategic rise of India by using Pakistan as a counterweight to it.

Under the leadership of Imran Khan, Pakistan’s foreign policy increasingly took on an anti-Western stance. He embraced China wholeheartedly, distancing himself from the US while increasing defence ties with Beijing. In addition, Khan also sought closer economic ties with Russia, having visited Moscow on the day the military operation in Ukraine began." RT

Ukrainian marines release footage showing liberation of Urozhaine

"Ukrainian

marines have released footage showing the liberation of the village of Urozhaine in the eastern Donetsk region." Ukrin

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