Russia-Ukraine war to slow down: The nearly month-long Russian war in Ukraine is on the verge of entering a stalemate, a senior NATO intelligence official said on March 21. Neither side is nearing victory or willingness to give in, as Ukrainian forces continue to prevent Russia from making progress and Russian President Vladimir Putin shows no sign of backing down. “If we’re not in a stalemate, we are rapidly approaching one,” speaking to NBC News, the unnamed NATO official said. “The reality is that neither side has superiority over the other.” Russia has not made the level of progress or the pace of progress that they had hoped from the beginning.
Significance: “It’s a stalemate, but we should note it’s a bloody stalemate,” ex-CIA Director David Petraeus, a retired general who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, said on CNN’s “State of the Union” this Sunday. “Also, arguably, it’s a battle of attrition.” Russia’s economy is cracking under the pressure of international sanctions and the costs of war, having misconceived the fight Ukraine would pose. Close watchers of Moscow and Putin, say there are increasing signs of desperation in Russia’s military campaign and siege tactics. In a Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jen Psaki, some in NATO are saying that Russia is preparing to position nuclear weapons on Belarusian soil. While there hasn’t been any confirmation, it would pose a major concern and the war would escalate once again.
Tornado leaves destruction: Communities across Texas are dealing with the extensive damage left in the wake of the Tornado that touched down on March 21. Nineteen people were hospitalized with about 1,000 homes destroyed, while others were left without power. Jack County, west of Dallas, suffered damages to as many as 80 homes and businesses when a tornado struck the county and town of Jacksboro shortly after 3 p.m. The town’s high school and elementary school were also damaged in the storm’s path. Jacksboro High School’s wall and part of the roof of the gymnasium were ripped off, exposing brick and insulation foam. At the elementary school, vehicles were overturned outside the building, Jacksboro Police Chief Scott W. Haynes said.
Significance: The storm left Texas, and continued east towards Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama where it may trigger “a regional severe weather outbreak,” according to the National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center. As it continues east, the storm system continues to spawn more twisters. A “large and extremely dangerous tornado” hit the New Orleans area Tuesday night, the National Weather Service said. Nighttime tornadoes are more than twice as likely to be deadly as daytime ones. “They are particularly dangerous not only because people sleeping can get caught off guard, but because an oncoming tornado can be shrouded in darkness, making it impossible for someone who is awake to actually see it,” CNN meteorologist Derek Van Dam said. As the “tornado season” for the Southern Plains reaches its peak time from May into early June, officials advise remembering the basic procedures for tornado warnings; getting to a safe shelter such as a safe room, basement, storm cellar or a small interior room on the lowest level of a sturdy building immediately while staying away from windows, doors and outside walls.
