Today’s Headlines and Commentary

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Moscow faced global outrage and accusations of war crimes in Ukraine after the withdrawal of Russian forces from some Kyiv suburbs left civilians to find the corpses of hundreds of their neighbors strewn throughout the streets of their towns and cities, reports the Associated Press. Images show injured, lifeless bodies left out in the open or in poorly dug mass graves. The atrocities allegedly committed by Russian forces in these towns and cities quickly prompted western countries such as Germany and Lithuania to expel Russian diplomats and ambassadors. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenksyy traveled to the town of Bucha to see the “genocide” and “war crimes” committed by the Russians against Ukrainian civilians. Zelenskyy said, “Dead people have been found in barrels, basements, strangled, tortured.” Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov claimed that the footage of dead civilians in Bucha was a “stage-managed anti-Russian provocation” ordered by the United States as a plot to place blame on Russia, saying “Who are the masters of provocation? Of course the United States and NATO,” according to Reuters. 

The humanitarian aid convoy agreed upon last week by Ukrainian and Russian forces has yet to reach the besieged southern port city of Mariupol because of continued attacks by Russian forces, writes the New York Times. The humanitarian convoy traveled 140 miles from Zaporzhzhia toward Mariupol before being forced to turn back “after arrangements and conditions made it impossible to proceed.” Despite the establishment of a cease-fire agreement to make way for the convoy to safely make its way to Mariupol, Russian forces have repeatedly stopped and raided the trucks carrying aid.Thousands of civilians are trapped in Mariupol with limited access to food, water and electricity.

Ukrainian intelligence suggests that China executed a major cyberattack against Ukraine’s military and nuclear facilities just days before Russian forces invaded the country, according to the Hill. According to Ukrainian intelligence reports, Chinese state-backed hackers attempted to infiltrate and hack over 600 websites belonging to the Ukrainian government and other key institutions, including Ukraine’s defense force, the national bank and the railway authority. Hackers reportedly intended to target and disable Ukrainian defense and critical infrastructure.

Viktor Orbán was elected to his fourth term as Hungary’s prime minister, reports Politico. His right-wing Fidesz party is projected to win two-thirds of the seats in Hungary’s parliament. Orbán holds ties to Moscow and claims to have a close relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin. In his victory speech, Orbán reaffirmed his pro-Kremlin status, saying, “We never had so many opponents," he said, quoted by AFP. "Brussels bureaucrats ... the international mainstream media, and the Ukrainian president,” according to Axios. Orbán reportedly heavily centered his campaign around the Russian war in Ukraine and cast himself as a figure of stability during unprecedented times. 

Saudi Arabian forces and Iran-backed Houthi fighters agreed to a two-month truce to halt fighting in Yemen, writes the Wall Street Journal. The cease-fire agreement would be the first halt in fighting between the two groups in Yemen since 2016. The truce is scheduled to begin on Saturday. Houthi rebels claim they will stop missile and drone attacks on Saudi oil facilities. In turn, Saudi forces agreed to halt its renewed airstrike and military campaign across Yemen. The U.N. special envoy for Yemen reported, “The aim of this truce is to give Yemenis a necessary break from violence, relief from the humanitarian suffering and most importantly hope that an end to this conflict is possible.”

The U.S. transferred an Algerian man to his home country from Guantánamo Bay after his repatriation was delayed for five years, according to the New York Times. Sufyian Barhoumi was captured in Pakistan in March 2002 and held prisoner at Guantánamo Bay without trial. Thirty-seven detainees remain at the facility, 18 of whom are approved for release to the custody of another country pending arrangements made by U.S. diplomats.

A mass shooting in Sacramento, California, early Sunday morning killed six people and injured 12, reports the Sacramento Bee. The shootings took place in downtown Sacramento near night clubs and city landmarks such as the Golden 1 Center and the California state Capitol. Investigators recovered a stolen handgun at the scene and have confirmed there were multiple shooters. Sacramento Police Chief Kathy Lester reported that the level of violence was “unprecedented in [her] 27 years with the Sacramento police department.”

ICYMI: This Weekend on Lawfare

Vladimir Rauta and Alexandra Stark examined the potential implications of arming an insurgency in Ukraine. 

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