Notes and Essays -- John Brown

 https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2026/06/15/russian-attack-kyiv-damages-historic-monastery-kills-least-5/

AI Overview  [this link may not be reachable] -- Ukrainians view both Poles and Russians as historical oppressors, but there is a major distinction in the scale and memory of that oppression. Russians are overwhelmingly seen as the primary, existential oppressor, while Polish rule is remembered more as a complex period of social subjugation and political domination.   The Conversation  +3 -- Russian Oppression: Viewed as Existential and Systemic Ukrainians broadly view the Russian Empire, the Soviet Union, and modern Russia as fundamental threats to their national identity. Historical grievances include centuries of Russification policies—such as the Tsarist bans on the Ukrainian language (e.g., the Valuev Circular and Ems Ukaz)—and the Holodomor, a man-made famine engineered by Joseph Stalin's Soviet regime in 1932–1933 that killed millions of Ukrainians. This history has forged a consensus in Ukraine that Russian domination was designed to eradicate Ukrainian statehood...

Ukrainian servicemen carry the coffin of Colombian fighter Jhan Sebastian Restrepo Mazo, who served in Ukraine's 413th Unmanned Systems Regiment "Raid", during a funeral ceremony, in Lviv on June 12, 2026, (Yuriy Dyachyshyn / AFP via Getty Images) Pay raises, fixed terms, and more foreigners: Ukraine announces landmark military service reforms . According to Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraine's new monthly rate is the highest salary rate for infantry in the world. EU confirms launch of formal accession talks with Ukraine and Moldova on June 15, Zelensky welcomes move. "We will open the cluster on fundamentals; the backbone of the accession process," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on June 12. "It covers the core values and principles on which the EU is built, from the rule of law to strong democratic institutions." 'High probability' of Russian missile launch from Oreshnik site over next day, Ukraine's ...

  WSJ Barron's MarketWatch IBD WSJ | Buy Side The Wall Street Journal 79 Gift unlocked article Listen (14 min) By Jane Lytvynenko,  James Marson  and Oksana Grytsenko | Photography by Emanuele Satolli for WSJ June 12, 2026 5:00 pm ET The tram creaked past deserted factories that once produced mining equipment and porcelain. The driver squinted as the sun blazed through the windshield, cracked months earlier when a Russian bomb exploded near the depot. It was summer, and the crowded tram was a contrast to the emptying city as it fell into the crosshairs of the Russian army, some 10 miles away. “These days the streetcar is like a relic around here,” said Tetyana Yuriskulova, who has been driving trams since 1994. “We’re hanging on somehow.” Tram driver Tetyana Yuriskulova Even as the Russians closed in last summer, the tram remained the artery that kept the city alive—just.  The Russian army is grinding forward slowly, churning up everything in its path. In a band of t...