Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is at U.S. military headquarters in western Germany ahead of a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, a gathering of leaders from dozens of countries assisting the government in Kyiv.
A Russian missile strike hit a commercial area in Ukraine’s major southern port of Odessa overnight, killing at least three people and injuring 13, the Ukrainian army’s southern command said early Wednesday. More victims could be trapped under rubble, it said.
Here’s the latest on the war and its ripple effects across the globe.
As Kyiv’s counteroffensive heats up, Washington holds its breath: After 16 months of war, and with billions of dollars’ worth of advanced weapons sent, Kyiv’s Western backers are hoping Ukrainian troops can make some strategic gains as they launch a long-awaited counteroffensive, writes Karen DeYoung.
“Everybody’s hopeful that, you know, you’d see overwhelming success,” Austin told reporters last week.
David L. Stern, Natalia Abbakumova, John Hudson and Kate Brady contributed to this report. » …
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