On Tuesday evening, a Russian missile strike on a crowded pizza restaurant in Kramatorsk, Ukraine killed at least nine people, including three children, and injured dozens more. The attack has been condemned by the international community and the Ukrainian government has called for an investigation. Former U.S. ambassador to Russia, Jon Huntsman, believes the attack is a sign of Russian President Vladimir Putin's humiliation and the "final saga" of his rule.
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At least ten people, including three children, were killed in a missile attack on a popular pizza restaurant in Kramatorsk, Ukraine on Tuesday evening. The attack has been widely condemned by Ukrainian authorities, and has sparked international outrage. Rescue workers are still searching through the rubble of the destroyed building, and the Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs has arrested a man they believe was involved in directing the missile strike.
Russian President Vladimir Putin thanked the nation for standing together in the face of a short-lived armed rebellion led by Yevgeny Prigozhin and his Wagner mercenary group. Steps were taken to "neutralize the threat" and "avoid a lot of bloodshed," and Putin thanked the government and citizens for rallying behind "the fate of the Fatherland." The rebellion ended with Prigozhin's troops retreating, and Putin emphasized that time was taken to give those who made a mistake a chance to think again and understand their actions.
Tensions in Russia remain high as Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the Wagner mercenary group, threatened to march to Moscow in a challenge to President Vladimir Putin's authority. Former Texas Rep. Will Hurd criticized the Biden administration's response of "actively monitoring" the situation, calling for more proactive measures. Intelligence reports suggest that the mutiny was going forward, but ultimately failed, leaving the future of the region uncertain.
The British military has reported that Russia is training combat dolphins in the annexed Crimean peninsula to counter Ukrainian forces, investing heavily in security at the Black Sea Fleet's main base at Sevastopol. Imagery shows a near doubling of floating mammal pens in the harbor which likely contain bottle-nosed dolphins, and the animals are "highly likely intended to counter enemy divers." It is unclear how effective the dolphins will be, but it is clear that Russia is investing heavily in its defences.
Hunter Biden has agreed to plead guilty to two counts of willful failure to pay federal income taxes on over $1.5 million in income earned in 2017 and 2018. He will also enter a pretrial diversion agreement on a gun charge, and his attorney has stated that the five-year investigation into Hunter is resolved. The plea agreement is expected to be finalized in the coming weeks, though it is unclear if Hunter Biden will face any jail time or other penalties.
Hunter Biden, son of President Joe Biden, has reached a tentative agreement with the U.S. Attorney in Delaware to plead guilty to two misdemeanor tax charges and a felony gun possession charge. The plea agreement is expected to include a provision for probation for the tax violations, and drug use is acknowledged as a factor in the gun crime. The U.S. Attorney has been investigating Hunter Biden since 2018, and the plea agreement is still subject to approval by a judge.
Ukrainian forces have made a major breakthrough in their counteroffensive against Russian-occupied areas in the Zaporizhzhia region, with the settlement of Piatykhatky now under Ukrainian operational control. Despite "colossal losses" suffered by the Ukrainian forces, the offensive yielded a result, with U.K. military officials reporting that Russian losses are at their highest level since the peak of the battle for Bakhmut in March. Ukrainian forces have made small advances, but the counteroffensive is ongoing and it remains to be seen if they can continue to make gains.