US News

• A US intelligence report has concluded that headaches and other symptoms US diplomats have said they experienced, known as “Havana Syndrome,” is not the work of a hostile foreign power using a mysterious energy weapon. AWC
• Yesterday the House Energy, Technology, and Federal Relations Committee of the Montana House of Representatives passed H.B. 527, the Defend the Guard Act, and the bill will proceed to the House floor. AWC
• An Army officer died while deployed to Thailand for war games. Fox

Russia

• American weapons provided to Ukraine have been captured by Russia on the battlefield, a top Department of Defense official told Congress on Tuesday. Over the past year, Washington has provided Kiev with nearly $45 billion in military aid. The Institute 
• The inspector general for the Afghan War said the White House is replicating its failed Afghan War policies in Ukraine on Tuesday. John Sopko, Special Inspector General for Afghan Reconstruction (SIGAR), warned about American-made weapons falling into the wrong hands. The Institute 
• NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg reaffirmed on Tuesday that the alliance wants to eventually admit Ukraine, a promise first made in 2008 that was a major motive in Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decision to launch the war. AWC
• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his nightly address on Monday that the situation around the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut is getting “more and more difficult” as Russian forces are closing in. AWC
• Russian authorities on Tuesday reported a series of Ukrainian drone attacks across the country, including one that fell within 60 miles southeast of Moscow, hundreds of miles from the Ukrainian border. AWC
• An economic advisor to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Wednesday that Ukrainian forces might pull out of the eastern city of Bakhmut, where they have been taking heavy losses. AWC
• Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov on Wednesday left the door open on continued contacts with the US on New START even though Russia has officially suspended its participation in the treaty. AWC
• Belarus’ exiled opposition claimed on Sunday that “partisans” in Belarus destroyed a Russian A-50 military surveillance aircraft in an airfield near Minsk. AWC
• A series of antiwar protests over the weekend saw Western European citizens in mass demanding their governments pursue diplomacy with Russia and halt arms shipments to Kiev. As the current conflict in Ukraine turned one year old, major demonstrations – which saw people united across the political spectrum – were seen in Germany, France, and Italy. The Institute 

China

• China expressed it was unhappy over the latest congressional visit to Taiwan in a letter to Rep. Jake Auchincloss (D-MA), who was part of the bipartisan delegation that was led by Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA). AWC
• The Joe Biden administration is pressuring allies to sanction China if Beijing decides to send arms to Russia, Reuters reported on Wednesday. Top American officials have claimed the Chinese government is considering providing weapons for Moscow’s war in Ukraine. The Institute 

Middle East

• A new International Atomic Energy Agency report was leaked on Tuesday, stating that IAEA inspectors found uranium at 83.7% enrichment in Iran. An unspecified number of such particles were found. The report confirmed Iran is not stockpiling any uranium enriched to more than 60% purity. AWC
• Speaking to the US House Armed Services Committee, Undersecretary of Defense Colin Kahl falsely testified that Iran could make enough weapons-grade uranium for a bomb in “about 12 days.” AWC
• On Monday, State Department Spokesperson Ned Price would not acknowledge Israel’s nuclear weapons arsenal, actually referring questions on the subject to the Israeli government itself. AWC
• The State Department on Monday reaffirmed its opposition to countries upgrading their ties with the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, even if it is an effort to aid Syria’s earthquake relief. AWC
• The House this week voted overwhelmingly in favor of a resolution to maintain sanctions on Syria following a devastating earthquake that has killed at least 5,900 people in the country, The Cradle reported on Wednesday. AWC
• A suspected US drone strike hit Yemen’s Maarib province, AFP reported Wednesday, citing sources in the Saudi-backed Yemeni government. AWC