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U.S. Veteran Journalist, Investigating Ukraine Military, Murdered in Kiev

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Titawny Cook, 41, had traveled to Kyiv to write about life in a country pummeled by bombings, ground skirmishes and widespread power outages since Russia invaded in February 2022. A U.S. Marine Corps veteran raised in the East Bay, Cook had dreamed of becoming a war correspondent and documenting the suffering in Ukraine, his mother Christine Cook said, even though he knew the assignment would be dangerous.

Having served in Iraq, Cook wanted to bring his experience and expertise to document the conflict in Ukraine, according to his mother. Getting to the war-torn country wasn’t easy: Titawny Cook had to convince administrators at Chabot, the community college he attended in Hayward, to sponsor the trip so that he could secure a press pass. . .

Over time, Cook linked up with Ukrainian soldiers who had returned from the front lines to hear their stories and understand the battle conditions. Throughout the assignment, he communicated with his mother via the Signal smartphone app, which allowed them to exchange texts and chat over video.

In recent weeks, Christine Cook said, her son somehow roused the suspicions of people in his circle. She didn’t know how the tension flared up, but she said Titawny was unable to quell it because of the language barrier. When she last spoke with him on July 25, he said he believed someone was inside his fifth-floor apartment with a gun. He gave her the name and phone number of another friend to call for help. . .

Later, she received a call from a woman who had found her son’s phone on the street. Then, on the morning of July 26, an official at the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv called, saying that police had found her son lying unconscious. They transported him to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead. The location and circumstances of his death were not clear.

(Read more from “U.S. Veteran Journalist, Investigating Ukraine Military, Murdered in Kiev” HERE)

Romania Confirms Russian Drones in Its Airspace

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Russia launched 38 Shahed kamikaze drones at Ukraine overnight, three of which strayed into Romania’s airspace, Romanian and Ukrainian ministries have confirmed.

Ukraine’s air defense systems managed to shoot down 25 of the drones, the Ukrainian air force said in a statement on Thursday. Three of the Shaheds crossed the border with Romania, bordering Ukraine’s Odesa region, which was heavily bombed overnight, the air force said.

“More heinous attacks have been perpetrated by Russia against Ukrainian civilian infrastructure,” Romanian Foreign Minister Luminiţa Odobescu said in a post on X. “Debris has been found on Romanian territory. We have informed and are coordinating with our Allies on this matter. Romania strongly condemns these irresponsible actions,” Odobescu said.

As the Russian drones were attacking ports in the Odesa region, residents of Romania’s Tulcea area heard multiple blasts and were warned by authorities that fragments of drones might fall to the ground, local media reported. The authorities asked the public not to panic, saying the Russian drones “were not specifically targeting Romania.” (Read more from “Romania Confirms Russian Drones in Its Airspace” HERE)

Hungary’s Orban Says Anti-LGBTQ Russia Stands to Gain as ‘Irrational’ West Loses Power

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Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on Saturday Russia’s leadership was “hyper rational” and that Ukraine would never be able to fulfil its hopes of becoming a member of the European Union or NATO. . .

“In the next long decades, maybe centuries, Asia will be the dominant center of the world,” Orban said, mentioning China, India, Pakistan and Indonesia as the world’s future big powers.

“And we Westerners pushed the Russians into this bloc as well,” he said in the televised speech before ethnic Hungarians at a festival in the town of Baile Tusnad in neighboring Romania. . .

Orban, whose own government has passed a number of anti-LGBT measures, said Russia had gained clout in many parts of the world by cracking down on LGBTQ+ rights.

“The strongest international appeal of Russian soft power is its opposition to LGBTQ,” he said. (Read more from “Hungary’s Orban Says Anti-LGBTQ Russia Stands to Gain as ‘Irrational’ West Loses Power” HERE)

Photo credit: Flickr

Chinese and Russian Bombers Seen Off Coast of Alaska

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On Wednesday, Chinese and Russian nuclear-capable bombers ventured into the Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) off the coast of Alaska. This marked the first known incursion by Chinese H-6 bombers into this strategic buffer zone, prompting a swift response from both the United States and Canada.

According to the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), the simultaneous appearance of Chinese and Russian bombers in the Alaskan ADIZ is a significant development. While the ADIZ itself is not sovereign airspace, and such incursions do not constitute an act of war, they are provocations that necessitate a robust defensive posture.

NORAD’s command reported intercepting and tracking two Russian TU-95 bombers and two Chinese H-6 bombers. U.S. forces deployed F-16 and F-35 fighters to monitor the situation, while Canada responded with its CF-18 fighters.

While the Russian bombers have entered the Alaskan ADIZ before—most recently in May—this incident stands out as it involved a Chinese military presence. The joint patrol of Russian and Chinese bombers, which was confirmed by Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman Col. Zhang Xiaogang, marks the eighth such strategic air patrol between the two nations since 2019. Zhang emphasized that the patrol was designed to enhance coordination between the two air forces.

China’s increasing assertiveness in the Arctic region has been a point of contention for several years. Declaring itself a “near-Arctic state,” China has sought to expand its influence and involvement in Arctic affairs, often using terms like “polar Silk Road” to describe its ambitions. This effort aligns with Beijing’s broader strategy to secure access to Arctic resources and integrate the region into its global infrastructure initiatives.

The Pentagon has expressed growing concern over the expanding cooperation between China and Russia in the Arctic. A recent Department of Defense report highlighted the increasing alignment of these two major powers in the region as a significant strategic challenge:

While significant areas of disagreement between the PRC and Russia remain, their growing alignment in the region is of concern

Aide to Dem Megadonor Reportedly Suggested Trump Rally Shooting Might Have Been ‘Staged’

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A top adviser to Democratic megadonor Reid Hoffman appeared to suggest in an email to various media outlets that the failed assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump may have been “staged,” Semafor reported Sunday.

Dmitri Mehlhorn sent an email to a group of “sympathetic” journalists at 7:34 p.m. on Saturday encouraging them to consider the possibility that the shooting had been “staged” for the benefit of Trump, Semafor reported. Hoffman has donated millions to pro-Democrat political committees, funded lawsuits against conservatives and joked about killing the former president the day before the failed assassination attempt.

One “possibility — which feels horrific and alien and absurd in America, but is quite common globally — is that this ‘shooting’ was encouraged and maybe even staged so Trump could get the photos and benefit from the backlash,” Mehlhorn reportedly wrote to members of the press, according to Semafor. “This is a classic Russian tactic, such as when Putin killed 300 civilians in 1999 and blamed it on terrorists to ride the backlash to winning power.”

Mehlhorn, who Politico described as Hoffman’s “right hand man,” co-founded a fund called “Investing in US” with the Democratic megadonor, according to Semafor.

“I know I am prone to bias on this, but this is a classic Putin play and given the facts seems more plausible,” Mehlhorn continued in his email, Semafor reported. “Look at the actual shot. Look at the staging. Look at how ready Trump is to rally; this pampered baby shit his pants when an eagle lunged at his food. Look at how quickly Trump protects himself at the expense of others, but showed few of those lifelong instincts in this moment. And consider how often Putin and his allies run this play.” (Read more from “Aide to Dem Megadonor Reportedly Suggested Trump Rally Shooting Might Have Been ‘Staged’” HERE)

It Turns Out That Western Sanctions on Russia’s Booming Oil Industry May Be Falling Flat

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The West has sought to crack down on Russia’s oil sector through crippling sanctions in response to the country’s invasion of Ukraine, but new data indicates that a key goal of the sanctions is not being achieved, Bloomberg News reported Monday.

The price for Russian Ural crude oil deliveries from a major Black Sea port to Asian buyers has fallen to its lowest mark since October 2023, while theoretical delivery costs — a metric that isolates the impacts of sanctions specifically — has also decreased, according to Bloomberg, which cites market research from a company called Argus Media. The price decreases allow Russian companies to keep a larger share of revenues earned from sales to buyers in China and India, and indicate that a key goal of the West’s massive sanctions package targeting Russia — increasing delivery costs — is not being met.

Russia is expected to rake in $9.4 billion in revenues from oil and gas in June alone, a 50% increase from the same period in 2023, Reuters reported.

Currently, it costs about $7.2 million to deliver one million barrels of Russian Ural crude to northern China by way of the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk, according to Bloomberg. As of early April, the same delivery would cost $10.4 million.

The part of those costs that are thought to be directly attributable to the West’s sanctions have also decreased, down to about $2.8 million from approximately $6.8 million in April, according to Bloomberg. Additionally, the per-barrel price premium on oil shipped from the Baltic Sea to India has fallen by about 45%, currently sitting at $4 after being as high as $7.40 in April. (Read more from “It Turns Out That Western Sanctions on Russia’s Booming Oil Industry May Be Falling Flat” HERE)

Over 15 Killed in Suspected Terror Attacks on Russian Synagogues, Church, Police Post

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More than 15 cops and several civilians, including a priest, were killed when gunmen attacked two synagogues, an Orthodox church and a police post in a suspected coordinated terror attack in Russia.

Russian officials said the assaults against the church and one of the synagogues occurred in the coastal city of Derbent, with both catching fire, according to state media. Another synagogue and the traffic police post were hit in Makhachkala, the largest city in the same Dagestan region, according to Russian authorities.

Russia’s National Anti-Terrorist Committee said five gunmen were “eliminated” while the head of Dagestan Republic, Sergei Melikov, announced six “bandits” were “liquidated.”

“All the circumstances of the incident and the persons involved in the terrorist attacks are being established, and their actions will be given a legal assessment,” the federation said in a statement.

Melikov vowed the probe wouldn’t stop until “all sleeping cells” of the militants were found as he urged residents to stay calm. (Read more from “Over 15 Killed in Suspected Terror Attacks on Russian Synagogues, Church, Police Post” HERE)

Deadly Attacks Intensify Between Russia and Ukraine, Russia Blames U.S. for Crimea Missile Strike

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In a tragic escalation of the ongoing conflict, Russian authorities reported six deaths and over 100 injuries from Ukrainian drone and missile attacks on Sunday. Simultaneously, Russia’s aerial bombardment of Kharkiv in northeastern Ukraine resulted in at least one death and multiple injuries.

Among the casualties in Russia were five individuals, including two children, who were struck by debris from Ukrainian missiles shot down over Sevastopol, a port city in Russia-annexed Crimea. Mikhail Razvozhayev, Sevastopol’s Moscow-installed governor, confirmed these fatalities. Additionally, one person was killed in Grayvoron city in Russia’s Belgorod region, which borders Ukraine, according to regional Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov.

The Health Ministry, via Russian state news agency RIA Novosti, reported that 124 people were wounded in Sevastopol. The falling rocket fragments triggered a forest fire covering over 150 square meters and ignited a residential building. A fifth missile also exploded over the city, causing further panic and damage.

In response, Russia’s Defense Ministry placed blame on both Ukraine and the United States for the missile strikes, asserting that U.S.-supplied ATACMS missiles were utilized in the Ukrainian assault. As a result of the devastation, Razvozhayev declared Monday a day of mourning in Sevastopol, leading to the cancellation of public events.

The Russian Ministry of Defense also reported that air defenses had intercepted 33 Ukrainian drones over Russia’s western Bryansk, Smolensk, Lipetsk, and Tula regions overnight. Fortunately, these incidents did not result in casualties or damage.

Meanwhile, Kharkiv faced renewed attacks from Russia, resulting in the death of at least one person and injuries to 11 others on Sunday. Mayor Ihor Terekhov indicated that the city was targeted by a guided bomb, leaving about half of Kharkiv without electricity due to the strike. This assault followed a Saturday attack where Russia dropped four aerial bombs on Kharkiv, hitting a five-story residential building and killing three people. Regional Governor Oleh Syniehubov noted that 41 people were still receiving treatment for their injuries as of Sunday.

U.S. Soldier Gordon Black Sentenced to Nearly Four Years in Russia’s Penal Colony: Report

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A US soldier detained in the Russian city of Vladivostok on charges of theft and threats to kill his girlfriend was found guilty on Wednesday and sentenced to three years and nine months in a Russian penal colony, Russian agencies reported.

Gordon Black, a 34-year-old US staff sergeant who was detained on May 2 in Vladivostok in Russia’s far east, pleaded not guilty on Monday to charges of threatening to kill his girlfriend but admitted he was “partially” guilty of stealing from her.

Black’s defense lawyer will appeal the verdict, said RIA agency, which reported the judge handing down the sentence of “imprisonment of three years and nine months” for both charges.

The agency reported that prosecutors had asked for a prison sentence of four years and eight months, while the defense asked for Black to be acquitted of all charges.

Black “partially” acknowledged his guilt on the charge of stealing 10,000 roubles ($113) from his girlfriend Alexandra Vashchuk’s purse but said that “there was no intent,” RIA reported. (Read more from “U.S. Soldier Gordon Black Sentenced to Nearly Four Years in Russia’s Penal Colony: Report” HERE)

Photo credit: Flickr

Vladimir Putin Praises ‘Dignity and Courage’ of North Korea

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Russian strongman Vladimir Putin praised the “dignity and courage” of the communist regime of North Korea, one of the most repressive governments on Earth, in an article published in the state-run Rodong Sinmun newspaper on Tuesday.

Putin is expected to arrive in Pyongyang on Tuesday night after a brief stop in the far-east Russian city of Yakutsk. Moscow and Pyongyang both confirmed that Putin would visit the country on Monday, squeezing in a stop to meet dictator Kim Jong-un before a planned visit to communist Vietnam.

Reports in Russian state media indicate that Putin and Kim will engage in “intensive” discussions on trade and defense and that Putin is planning on signing a “comprehensive” agreement with North Korea on various issues. The reports did not offer any specificity on what the agreement would include.

North Korea has enjoyed friendly relations with Russia for years that have grown in the past two years in response to Kim Jong-un vocally supporting Putin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Kim made his first trip outside the country to Russia, meeting with Putin, in September in the eastern city of Vladivostok and inviting him to Pyongyang.

“Putin accepted the invitation with pleasure and reaffirmed his will to invariably carry forward the history and tradition of the Russia-DPRK [North Korea] friendship,” North Korean state media reported at the time. (Read more from “Vladimir Putin Praises ‘Dignity and Courage’ of North Korea” HERE)