The Washington Post correspondents visited Donbas, which is fast becoming the hottest spot in the war. In two days, they toured the Donetsk oblast, approaching the positions of the Russian invaders at a distance of several kilometers. Journalists wrote about how Ukrainian military defenses effectively (the front line on the border with the "LDPR" has not changed, despite constant Russian shelling) and strengthen defenses, how volunteers help them with equipment and other necessities, and how thousands of civilians are evacuated from potential hotspots. "I do not want to live under Russia," one of the heroes in the article explains.
The Atlantic published an overview of how the war in Ukraine is upending EU politics. According to the piece, elections both in France and Hungary are heavily influenced by events in Ukraine. The elections in Hungary are taking place today, so we will soon be able to see the immediate effect of their results on European politics and Hungarian perception of the Russian war. While the Hungarian opposition uses events in Ukraine against the current prime minister Orban calling him “the last Putinʼs friend”, French president Macron received the advantage of being “perhaps the only viable candidate who hasnʼt been seen as too sympathetic to the Kremlin” referring to Marine Le Pen, Macronʼs main rival, who has received funding from Putin for her previous campaigns.
American Popular Science outlet published an overview of tactical nuclear weapons in the light of the nuclear threat coming from Russia. While strategic nuclear weapons are designed for total war and are to be used in a long-range attack able to destroy cities and regions in one shot, tactical nuclear weapons are smaller, shorter-range weapons that could function as a kind of super artillery. Today Russia maintains an estimated arsenal of 1,912 items of such weapons, and multiple writers in the US have theorized about their potential application in Ukraine. Overall, even though tactical nuclear weapons are way less powerful than strategic nuclear bombs, the escalation ladder approach says nuclear tactical weapons are the rung separating conventional battle from a nuclear war.
Multiple foreign media have covered shootings from the horrible massacre in Bucha. The New York Times published an overview of reactions to evidence of massive Russian war crimes in Bucha from the world leaders. Unfortunately urges to speed the investigation by the International criminal court might not bring many results as it would be extremely difficult to hold Russian leaders to account there because the court lacks enforcement powers. Similarly, prosecution at the International Court of Justice is also possible, but any ruling would need to be enforced by the United Nations Security Council, where Russia holds veto power. On the other hand, Bucha reports helping to justify further assistance to Ukraine including the potential provision of more surface-to-air missiles and strengthening EU sanctions against Russia.