• In what has become a recurring reality of the nearly 18-month war, Russia and Ukraine again traded drone attacks in the early hours of Wednesday. Associated Press (LR: 3 CP: 5)
• Ukrainian officials said that Russia deployed 20 drones over the country, 11 of which they said they destroyed. They added that nine were destroyed over the Odesa region while two were brought down over the region of Zaporizhzhia. Ukrainska Pravda (a)
• Oleh Kiper, head of the military administration in the Odesa region, said that drones hit grain infrastructure in the region, sparking a blaze that has since been contained. There were no reports of civilian casualties. Ukrainska Pravda (b)
• Meanwhile, Ukraine's drone attack on Moscow marked the sixth straight night of such attacks on the Russian capital. Barrons
• Moscow mayor Sergey Sobyanin said that three drones were deployed by Ukraine, adding that all of them were brought down by air defenses in or near the capital. One of them struck the Neva Tower in the Moscow City district, Sobyanin said, causing damage to the 11th, 12th, and 13th floors. There were no reports of civilian casualties. TASS (a)
• However, Russian officials in the Belgorod region that borders Ukraine said that three civilians were killed following a drone attack in the village of Lavy in the Valuysky District. Officials said that explosive devices were released from the drones. TASS (b)
• Following Wednesday's attacks, a US State Dept. spokesperson told Reuters that the US does not encourage or enable Ukrainian attacks inside Russia — a position it has repeatedly stated throughout the war. However, the official added, it was up to Ukraine to decide how it chooses to defend itself. Reuters (LR: 3 CP: 5)

Pro-establishment narrative:

• This invasion is an egregious violation of international law. Putin's ultimate aim is to restore the Soviet empire, even if it takes massive bloodshed and false pretexts such as calling the 2014 Ukrainian revolution after an election a "coup." This unprovoked attack is the latest chapter in Putin's Orwellian attempt to rewrite history.
  PBS NewsHour (LR: 3 CP: 5)

Establishment-critical narrative:

• NATO and the US have ignored Russia's security concerns by breaking its promise not to expand eastward in return for German reunification. These concerns are legitimate and taking them seriously would have avoided the Ukraine tragedy.
  National Security Archive

Nerd narrative:

• There is a 3% chance that in 2023 there will be another war with more casualties than the Russia-Ukraine War, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
  Metaculus (LR: 3 CP: 3)