International press review
Headline: Ukraine's army struggles as Russia steps up attacks in Donbass
Audio 05:00
Smoke rises above a 2S1 Gvodika shell launcher of pro-Russian troops firing in the direction of Sievierodonetsk, May 24, 2022. REUTERS - ALEXANDER YERMOCHENKO
By: Véronique Rigolet Follow
4 mins
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“
Ukrainian troops are overwhelmed by Russia
” which is attacking “
forty towns in the east of the country
” in force, reports the
Washington Post
.
“
Russian forces have clearly taken the upper hand
”, admit Ukrainian officials who fear “
a difficult month ahead
”, underlines the
Guardian
, while fighting in the east of the country has reached “
their maximum intensity
”.
Under the rolling fire of Russian artillery, the strategic city of Sievierodonetsk "
could experience the same disastrous fate as Mariupol
", worries for its part
El Pais
.
And President Zelensky to denounce “
a genocide
”, while the brutality implemented in the Donbass, but also in Kharkiv, in the northeast of the country, sends shivers down the spine.
La Repubblica
thus reports “
that a Russian soldier boasts on the telephone of cleaning the basements where civilians are hiding in Kharkiv by throwing grenades inside
”, an audio interception captured by the Ukrainian intelligence services.
Is the Donbass already “
largely controlled by pro-Russian forces about to fall?
asks part of the press.
Not sure, explains a military specialist in
Le Temps
, which puts Russian advances in the east of the country into perspective, with “
tactical victories but a strategic disaster to come
”.
While "
the Russian reserves in material and men are running out in the offensive on the Luhansk region, the conquest of Donetsk, the other republic of Donbass looks extremely complicated
".
The morale of the Russian troops would also be down, underlines for its part
Le Soir
which reports "
that 115 Russian soldiers of the national guard have thus been dismissed
by a court in Russia for having "
refused to participate in the offensive in Ukraine
".
Police under fire 3 days after Uvalde massacre in Texas
“
The grief of the Uvalde families is compounded by anger and frustration
,” says the
Washington Post,
while “
the passivity of law enforcement is questioned in the new account of the course of the massacre
”.
“
The police officers who intervened at the school retreated as soon as Salvador Ramos shot them
”, underlines the
Wall Street Journal
and then they prevented the families from coming to the aid of their children “
by pinning them to the ground and handcuffing them
”.
"
Only the arrival of a special unit
", an hour later, could put an end to the killing by shooting down the shooter, reports for its part the
New York Times
which denounces "
the contradictory and partial account of the authorities
".
And while the parents of the “
19 little victims are completing their funeral
”, the
Times
tells us again , the congress of the powerful arms lobby, the NRA, opens this May 27 in Houston, with the only response to this new carnage “
the armament of teachers
”.
Proposal already rejected by the two main teachers' unions, notes the American daily.
Teachers who will participate in the major national demonstration scheduled for June 11 in Washington to demand "
tightening of gun regulations
".
London will tax the profits of oil giants to help households
After months of refusal, "
Boris Johnson's Conservative government has finally resolved to tax the profits of oil and gas companies at 25%
", explains
Le Temps
.
“
Every British household will thus benefit from a reduction of 400 pounds sterling (470 euros) on its gas and electricity bill this winter
”, underlines the
Times.
It is a "
real lifeline
", greets the
Daily Express,
"
for 8 million households who are bearing the brunt of the soaring cost of living
".
It is also a way "
to divert attention from the
'Partygate' scandal", comments the
Daily Mirror
, which speaks of the "
spectacular reversal
" of the government, on a measure that Labor has long demanded, notes for its part the
Financial Times,
but which "
deeply divides the conservative camp
".
The UN secretariat victim of a serious cyberattack
Information reported by the Swiss daily
Le Temps
, which explains that the United Nations secretariat had to “
warn this week the 193 member countries of the organization against messages allegedly sent by its leader Antonio Guterres.
These fraudulent messages were transmitted from American telephone numbers
”, and would have affected many diplomatic representatives, still tells us
Time
.
The United States has opened an investigation.
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