WESTERN PERSPECTIVE Russian attack kills 17 in east Ukraine as Blinken visits Kyiv, officials say At least 17 people were killed and 32 wounded in a Russian attack on a crowded market in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kostiantynivka on Wednesday as U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Kyiv, Ukrainian officials said. Footage circulated online by presidential officials showed people falling to the ground or running for cover after a huge explosion in front of them, seconds after some looked up to the sky when they heard what sounded like a missile approaching. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy condemned the attack,…

WESTERN PERSPECTIVE Ukraine's defence systems engaged in repelling air attack over Kyiv - Ukraine's military Ukraine's air defence systems were engaged early on Wednesday in repelling a Russian air attack on Kyiv, the capital's military administration said on the Telegram messaging app. Reuters' witnesses heard several blasts which sounded like air defence systems being deployed. All of Ukraine was under air raid alerts as of 0550 a.m. (0250 GMT). ** Ukrainian intercepts show Russian soldiers’ anger at losses, disarray Ukraine’s counteroffensive was in its second month when Andrey, a Russian soldier, called his wife to say his unit was taking…

RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE Ukraine's counteroffensive has 'failed' – Putin Ukraine’s ongoing counteroffensive has not “stalled” but failed, Russian President Vladimir Putin declared on Monday. With Ukrainian losses mounting and Kiev ramping up its conscription efforts, Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu affirmed his commander-in-chief's assessment. The Ukrainian operation “is not stalled; it is a failure,”Putin declared, following talks with his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in the resort city of Sochi. “At least, this is how it looks today,” he continued. “Let’s see what happens next. I hope this will continue to be the case.” In early June, Kiev launched its long-awaited counteroffensive…

RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE Russian warplanes sink speedboats with Ukrainian landing force – Moscow Russian warplanes have prevented yet another landing attempt by Ukrainian forces, destroying four US-made military speedboats and their crews in the Black Sea west of the Crimean Peninsula, the Defense Ministry said on Monday morning. Russian Black Sea Fleet naval aviation aircraft “destroyed four US-made Willard Sea Force high-speed military boats with landing groups of the Armed Forces of Ukraine,” the military said. The landing force was reportedly heading towards Cape Tarkhankut, the westernmost part of the Crimean Peninsula, in yet another botched landing attempt, according to the …