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The Shelling Continues

Russian Forces are continuing to shell Eastern Ukraine's industrial area

Russian forces are now stepping up their shelling of eastern Ukraine's industrial heartland as they try to push forward with their offensive in the eastern region. It's the focus of their fighting in this 3 month war.

The grinding battles that are occurring in the Donbas area, where Ukrainian and Russian soldiers are battling in the towns, have forced many people to flee their homes and towns. Rayisa Rybalko said, "We haven't been able to see the sun for three months. We are almost blind because we were in darkness for three months." She hid her family in their basement at first; afterwards she went to a bomb shelter that was at a local school. She has since fled the town with her family.

U.S. President Biden travelled to Tokyo, where he and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida condemned Russia's invasion into Ukraine. President Biden also signed legislation giving Ukraine $40 billion more in support to help defend itself from the Russian attack.

The Polish President Andrzej Duda recently traveled to Kyiv to support Ukraine's European Union aspirations and addressed Ukraine's parliament, where he received a standing ovation after he thanked the lawmakers for allowing him to speak where "the heart of a free, independent and democratic Ukraine beats."

Poland has become a strong ally of Ukraine, as they have welcomed millions of Ukrainian refugees. They have also become a gateway for all the western humanitarian aid and weapons for Ukraine. It has also been an important spot for all of the foreign fighters who have volunteered to fight the Russian forces with the Ukraine fighters.

With the Western support for both financial and for weapons to defend themselves, it has been the key to Ukraine's survival. They have helped Ukraine who needs the weapons as they are out numbered by the Russian Forces but are fighting them off and pushing them back. Moscow is setting more limited goals in Ukraine now, setting their sights on trying to enlarge the area that Russia had held previously since 2014.

The Ukrainian forces are dug in all around the main city of Sievierodonetsk that is in their control in the Luhansk province of the Donbas. Russia is escalating efforts to seize it.

Ukrainian military said that the Russian forces have been unsuccessful in their attack on Oleksandrivka, which is a village just outside of Sievierodonetsk.

President Zelenskyy said that 50 to 100 Ukrainian soldiers were killed each day in the east.

May 2022 His Grace Magazine! Page 13

An Attack on Iran?

Israel to Conduct a Large Military Drill on a Simulated Attack on Iran's Nuclear Sites

Israel's military will be holding a large scale drill that will be simulating an attack on the Iranian nuclear sites.

These air exercises are going to take place over the Mediterranean Sea. This will happen during the fourth week of Israel's "Chariots of Fire" drill. It simulates a regional conflict that involves many fronts, including the Iranian backed terror group, Hezbollah. They're located on Israel's northern border.

Also, as Israel practices for repeated strikes that would take place inside Iran, Israeli forces are also expecting to simulate a plan for when Iran and its allies in the Middle East strike back.

United States are expected to use their refueling planes in the training exercises. Israel's TV station channel 13 said that cooperation between the United States and Israel in this drill is unparalleled and it's also sending a message to Iran. Middle East expert Ellie Cohanim, said, "I think what's historic is that the Biden administration is having America's military participate specifically on refueling Israeli jets, which is something very important."

Benny Gantz who is Israeli Defense Minister, had met in Washington with the Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan to discuss the Iranian threat. Benny Gantz said, "We must act decisively against Iran's mounting regional aggression in a variety of ways, this includes strengthening a practical coalition under United States leadership together with regional partners."

Before Benny Gantz left for Washington, he told a policy conference in Israel that Iran is moving very quickly and they are approaching their nuclear objective. He said, "Iran continues to accumulate irreversible knowledge and experience in the development, research, production and operation of advanced centrifuges. It stands just a few weeks away from accumulating fissile material that will be sufficient for a first bomb, holds 60 kilos of enriched material at 60%, it produces metallic uranium at the enrichment level of 20% and prevents the IAEA from accessing its facilities."

This large approaching drill is their goal to develop a credible military choice against Iran should the negotiations in Vienna to restore the 2015 Iranian nuclear deal fails. The deal, that had strict limits put on Iran's nuclear program in exchange for sanction relief, fell apart in 2018 when President Trump's administration pulled out of the deal. President Trump backed out of the deal because he said it was "poorly negotiated" and still "allowed Iran to continue enriching uranium," which is a key component for a nuclear bomb.

President Biden's administration has argued that President Trump's decision to pull out of the deal only sped up Iran's nuclear development, as they said Tehran was no longer required to honor the promises they made in the deal.

The Biden administration rejected Iran's demands to be taken off the US terror list, unless Tehran makes adjustments on the issues of their nuclear program.