Russia Entrenches In Ukraine

“The ruble is now an official currency in the southern Kherson region, alongside the Ukrainian hryvnia,” the AP reports.

“Residents there and in Russia-controlled parts of the Zaporizhzhia region are being offered expedited Russian passports. The Kremlin-installed administrations in both regions have talked about plans to become part of Russia.”

Washington Post: “Russian President Vladimir Putin is digging in for a long war of attrition over Ukraine and will be relentless in trying to use economic weapons, such as a blockade of Ukrainian grain exports, to whittle away Western support for Kyiv.”