Volodymyr Zelensky: Happy Birthday, America; UKRaine Hits RUssian Defenses From a Distance Before Risking Troops; UKR Says Its Forces Advance in All Directions of Counteroffensive; UKR Aims to Wear Down and OutSmart a RU Army Distracted by Infighting, LIVE UPDATES and MORE

Volodymyr Zelensky: Happy Birthday, America:

Ukraine is grateful to the U.S. for providing both support for and an example of liberty.

America’s Founders upended history when they forged a republic based on individual freedom and political pluralism, pledging to live as “free and independent states.” It was, and is, the greatest attempt in history to rid mankind of tyranny. They broke with centuries of subservience to create a new type of nation, one where all are equal and live free.

This majestic reality was created on July 4, 1776. On Feb. 24, 2022, we Ukrainians made the same choice. The American people stood with us and, I am sure, will stand with us to the end. Today, as Americans celebrate their freedom and independence, we celebrate with you and envision the day when every inch of Ukraine is free of the cruel tyranny that seeks to extinguish us.

A decade ago the current boss of Russia wrote that “America is not exceptional.” What he did later shows what he really meant. Many tyrants in human history have claimed global influence, but none of them could inspire the rest of the world to strive for the best in human nature. That’s why today’s Russian tyrants, like all tyrants, are fundamentally weak and their regime will crumble over time. When any tyrant hates America and denies its exceptional role in the struggle for freedom, he recognizes his own inevitable defeat. To Russian tyranny I say the world needs more, not less, American exceptionalism.

When Ukrainians took to the streets in 2014 to oust the Russian-backed dictator, they did so because they desperately wanted to be free—to be part of the West, governed by the ideals forged during the American Revolution, the idea “that all men are created equal, that they are endowed, by their Creator, with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

When Russia fully invaded Ukraine in 2022, it was an attempt not only to bring the Ukrainian people under Vladimir Putin’s dictatorial rule, but also to extinguish the ideals that inspire people to be free. Since Ukraine gained independence, Ukrainians have always supported democracy, defended the dignity of every person, and strived to live in a free world together with other European nations. —>READ MORE HERE

WSJ: Ukraine Hits Russian Defenses From a Distance Before Risking Troops:

The Russian soldiers scurried into a building carrying a rocket-propelled grenade launcher. From his command post a few miles away, Ukrainian Sgt. Heorhiy Volkov was watching a live feed from an aerial drone.

Volkov, the drone team’s commander, called an artillery unit.

“Smash it,” he said.

Ten minutes later, a shell crashed through the roof of the house, 2 miles south of the front line in the southern Zaporizhzhia region. Three Russians ran out, tracked by the drone as they fled down the street.

This is what the pause in Ukraine’s counteroffensive looks like. After encountering stiff Russian resistance to their initial ground assault earlier this month, Ukrainian commanders have largely held off sending large infantry formations and Western tanks to assault Russian positions.

Instead, Kyiv is making targeted strikes, trying to soften Russian defenses for the next attack.

Ukrainian forces are using long-range Western weapons to hit Russian supply lines deep in occupied territory. Last week, British cruise missiles struck a key bridge that the Kremlin has used to move supplies from Crimea—which Moscow seized in 2014—to the front lines in southern Ukraine.

But they are also trying to degrade the first lines of Moscow’s defenses along the front—using cheaper weaponry to hit Russian artillery pieces, ammunition depots and electronic jammers, and mapping which fields are mined.

They have also continued probing attacks, retaking the village of Rivnopil this week, although some other forays yielded little. Ukrainian officials have offered mixed assessments of how the assaults are faring so far. Some have pointed to the gains, promising more to come as the bulk of Western-trained and -equipped forces are still in reserve. Others say they are proceeding slowly to avoid heavy losses amid a lack of European and American weaponry, making clear the importance of more deliveries for both Kyiv and its allies. —>LOTS MORE HERE

Follow links below to +++++relevant+++++ and related stories:

+++++Russia-Ukraine News LATEST UPDATES: (REUTERS) (AP) (NY POST) and (WSJ)+++++

+++++Ukraine says its forces advance in all directions of counteroffensive+++++

+++++Ukraine aims to wear down and outsmart a Russian army distracted by infighting+++++

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