Friday Briefing: Ukraine takes a Russian town
Good morning. We’re covering Ukraine’s advance in Russia and the first case of a dangerous form of mpox outside Africa. Plus, Brazil’s rooms for maids are disappearing.
Ukraine claimed to have captured a Russian townPresident Volodymyr Zelensky claimed yesterday that Ukrainian troops had taken full control of the Russian town of Sudzha. If confirmed, it would be Ukraine’s first capture of a Russian town since the incursion began 10 days ago. Ukrainian state television broadcast a report from Sudzha, showing soldiers tearing down a Russian flag from a building. Ukraine also said it had launched a large-scale drone attack on military airfields deep inside Russia, damaging at least two of them. Russia’s Defense Ministry said that Ukraine had launched 117 drones on multiple Russian regions, including those housing the airfields. Satellite imagery verified by The Times showed two bases in Savasleyka and Borisoglebsk that had sustained damage. It was unclear if any aircraft were hit. Both airfields are over 200 kilometers inside the country’s borders. Analysis: U.S. officials said the incursion shows how Ukraine’s army has improved its warfare skills. This offensive was developed in secret, devised to divert Russian troops away from the front lines in Ukraine and seize territory to use as a bargaining chip.
Sweden reported a case of the new form of mpoxSweden reported the first case outside Africa of a dangerous form of mpox, in a person who had traveled to the continent. This new version of mpox is generally thought to cause more severe illness and to have a much higher mortality rate. Here’s what you need to know. The World Health Organization on Wednesday declared a global health emergency as an epidemic concentrated in the Democratic Republic of Congo worsened. The country has reported 15,600 cases and 537 deaths, most of them among children under 15. The virus recently spread to a dozen other African countries. Context: The last time the W.H.O. declared a global emergency was in 2022, when the disease was still called monkeypox. That outbreak affected nearly 100,000 people worldwide, primarily gay and bisexual men, including more than 32,000 in the U.S.
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