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Russian President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday that Moscow is prepared to use nuclear weapons if its sovereignty or independence is threatened, warning the U.S. again that if it sends troops to fight in Ukraine it would be considered a major escalation of the conflict.

Ukrainian front-line forces are suffering from a worrying shortage of ammunition. Repeated delays in aid from Western allies, particularly from the United States, has drastically reduced the number of Ukrainian artillery attacks against Russian positions. In some places, the number of shells fired has been reduced tenfold. Yan Boechat has the story from Ukraine’s Donbas region. Field producer: Nikol Goldman.

Russian officials reported damage Tuesday from Ukrainian drone strikes at two fuel sites in Russia, while also saying Russian forces repelled attempted cross-border ground attacks by pro-Ukrainian militias.

Russia’s military said Monday it thwarted multiple Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian territory.

As Palestinians marked the beginning of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, Israel reported Monday carrying out attacks across the Gaza Strip.

As U.S. voters prepare for a new round of primaries Tuesday, U.S. President Joe Biden and his Republican political rival Donald Trump traveled to the swing state of Georgia over the weekend to hold parallel campaign events. VOA’s Veronica Balderas Iglesias has a recap of the main arguments made by each candidate, who are closer than ever to becoming their respective parties’ 2024 presidential nominees.

Kyiv criticized a recent comment by Pope Francis that Ukraine should "have the courage to raise the white flag," meaning it should negotiate with Russia two years into Moscow’s invasion.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Tuesday welcomed a $683 million military aid package from Sweden, which comes as Ukrainian leaders continue to push for more international help in their fight against Russia's full-scale invasion.

U.S. Ambassador to Russia Lynne Tracy visited a makeshift shrine to Alexey Navalny in Moscow Sunday, to pay tribute to the late Russian opposition leader, who died at a remote Arctic penal colony Friday.

The fall of the front-line Ukrainian city of Avdiivka to Russian forces has intensified U.S. reactions from Democrats and Republicans alike on whether $60 billion in military aid for Ukraine — stalled in Congress — could allow Kyiv to push back Russian advances and steal Moscow’s momentum.

Israel on Sunday rejected international calls, including from its chief ally, the United States, for “unilateral recognition” of Palestinian statehood, saying any such agreement could only be reached through negotiations.

STATE DEPARTMENT — The United States has reinstated sanctions on Yemen's Houthi rebels effective Friday, following their continued attacks in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, endangering maritime security.