Your Thursday Briefing: A Russian Military Shake-Up
Also, Brazil investigates the riots and Australia reacts to Cardinal George Pell’s death.
Defense and Military Forces
Putin’s Efforts to Divide the West Over Ukraine Fall Flat
A cease-fire proposal seemingly aimed at splintering Western unity has instead been met with Western escalation, underscoring Moscow’s diplomatic struggles.
Ukraine Rejects Russia’s Claim of 600 Killed in Kramatorsk Attack
Russia’s Defense Ministry said it had carried out a strike that “killed 600 people,” but no evidence has emerged to support the claim.
Mali Pardons Detained Ivorian Soldiers
Ivory Coast had said the 49 soldiers were in Mali to provide security for a United Nations peacekeeping mission, but Mali had accused them of being mercenaries.
The Toll of Capturing El Chapo’s Son: 10 Soldiers, 19 Cartel Members Dead
After troops arrested a son of the notorious drug lord known as El Chapo, cartel gunmen tried to free him, resulting in a series of gun battles and thousands of troops called into the fight.
Prince Harry Claims in Memoir to Have Killed 25 in Afghanistan
After British news outlets revealed details from his memoir about his military service, Afghan officials and some in the British military expressed criticism.
US to Send $3 Billion in Aid to Ukraine, Including Bradley Fighting Vehicles
Karine Jean-Pierre, the White House press secretary, said the administration would also send $682 million to countries on NATO’s eastern flank.
What Is the Bradley Fighting Vehicle?
Often mistaken for a tank, the decades-old Bradley offers a compromise between traditional tank firepower and an armored personnel carrier.
Battered and Strained by War, Ukraine’s Economy Adapts to Survive
After 10 months of Russian destruction, Ukraine’s economy shrank by 30 percent. But companies have packed up and moved, switched products and found support abroad.
Putin Calls a 36-Hour Cease-Fire, but Ukraine and U.S. Are Skeptical
The cease-fire would coincide with the Eastern Orthodox Christmas on Saturday, but Kremlin adversaries and some analysts call it a ploy for military and political advantage.