It looks like Putin is going after Moldava without using troops….
The fight for Bakhmut goes on….
Poland beefs up its border against Belarus….
Will the EU actually allow the Ukraine in which will piss Putin off….
Key developments
- The United States believes Russia is seeking to weaken Moldova’s government with the “eventual goal” of producing a pro-Moscow administration, John Kirby, strategic communications coordinator for the National Security Council, told reporters in a briefing Friday. “Russian actors, some with current ties to Russian intelligence, are seeking to stage and use protests in Moldova as a basis to foment a manufactured insurrection against the Moldovan government,” he said, but added that the United States sees “no immediate military threat to Moldova.”
- Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin made a surprise visit Friday to Kyiv, where she met with Zelensky and visited a military hospital. “It is really important to have a face-to-face discussion about the situation in Ukraine,” she said at a news conference, Euronews reported. “Ukraine needs both humanitarian and financial support, and above all, weapons and heavier armament.”
- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said he had a “constructive” conversation with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on the sidelines of a Group of 20 ministers’ meeting last week. In comments to Russian media, he added that they discussed the conflict in Ukraine and that all he heard “fits into the already well-known” U.S. position.
- Ukrainian energy company DTEK on Friday hit a milestone in the country’s bid to remake its energy economy and become a clean-power hub in Europe, The Washington Post reports. The company said a dozen wind turbines have been built and brought online under the challenging conditions of war, just 60 miles from the front lines.
Battleground updates
- Ukraine is “exceeding” its set goals in Bakhmut, Zelensky aide Mykhailo Podolyak said. In an interview with Italy’s La Stampa newspaper, Podlyak said Ukrainian forces have two objectives: to pin down Russian units in “wearisome battles” and to “disrupt their offensive” so Kyiv can concentrate its resources elsewhere.
- Russia used Kinzhal hypersonic missiles, which Kyiv is unable to intercept, in Thursday’s attack, Ukraine’s military said. Russia’s Defense Ministry confirmed their use. The weapons were first launched against Ukraine last March. Here’s what to know about Russia’s hypersonic missiles.
- Russia has the resources to fight in Ukraine for two more years at “the present intensity,” said Lithuanian military intelligence chief Elegijus Paulavicius, according to Reuters. Russia’s ability to wage war will also depend on external aid from countries such as Iran or North Korea, he added….