Notes and Essays -- John Brown

By Faris Tanyos, July 1, 2025 /7:17 EDT/  CBS News   The United States is halting some weapons shipments to Ukraine amid its war with Russia, the White House confirmed Tuesday. White House spokesperson Anna Kelly told CBS News in a statement that the "decision was made to put America's interests first following" a Defense Department "review of our nation's military support and assistance to other countries across the globe." A U.S. official told CBS News the move was over concerns about U.S. military stockpiles falling too low. The Trump administration did not immediately confirm which weapons were being pulled from delivery or the scale of the pullback.   The U.S. has provided Ukraine with tens of billions of dollars in military aid since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Soldiers from a fiber-optic drone unit of the 93rd Brigade test the drones before going to the front lines in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine, on June 17, 2025.  JOSE C...

Photos of the leader were the first shared with North Koreans showing the country’s Ukraine war contributions, with more deployments ahead By Dasl Yoon, The Wall Street Journal , July 1, 2025 4:10 am ET; article contains a video    Performers on stage in front of a screen showing North Korean leader Kim Jong Un draping coffins with the national flag.   Photo:  krt/Reuters Key Points: --Kim Jong Un held a public commemoration for North Korean troops who died fighting for Russia. --The event, which included a video of Kim mourning, likely aims to prevent dissent over troop deployments. --North Korea has deployed troops to aid Russia, with around 600 soldiers having died and thousands wounded. SEOUL— Kim Jong Un held the first public commemoration for North Korean troops who died fighting in  support of Russia’s war  with Ukraine, in a ceremony likely aimed at preparing the population for further such deployments. The disclosure occurred at a glitzy Pyong...

Towns and troops long accustomed to merciless bombardment are adjusting to an even denser pattern of attacks. Photographs by  Tyler Hicks Text by  Maria Varenikova Tyler Hicks and Maria Varenikova reported from eastern Ukraine. The New York Times , July 1, 2025,  7:31 a.m. ET Even miles from the front line, anything that moves in eastern Ukraine is a target. That’s because as Russia’s summer offensive gains momentum, it is increasingly relying on drones of all kinds to gain control over Ukraine’s territory. Under attack by drones, Ukrainian soldiers are struggling to maintain supply lines around the towns of Kostiantynivka, Pokrovsk and Kupiansk. There is greater peril for civilians remaining in their homes, and for the humanitarian groups trying to evacuate them. Some Russian drones strike at ranges up to 24 miles. Senior Lt. Yevhen Alkhimov, a spokesman for the 28th Separate Mechanized Brigade, said movement to and from positions now posed the greatest risk for his sold...