Your Monday Briefing: Russia makes slow gains in the Donbas region

June 20, 2022

By Matthew Cullen

Good morning. We're covering Russia's brutal campaign to capture Sievierodonetsk and elections in France and Colombia.

Volunteers urged residents of Lysychansk, Ukraine, to evacuate on Sunday.Tyler Hicks/The New York Times

Russia gains more ground in Donbas

Russian forces mounted an assault on Sunday against Toshkivka, a key Ukrainian defensive position near Sievierodonetsk and Lysychansk, highlighting Ukraine's faltering defense of two of the last cities in the Luhansk province of the Donbas region that are not yet under Russian control.

As Russian troops have moved to surround both cities, Ukrainian forces now hold only a small portion of Sievierodonetsk. Russia's Defense Ministry did not immediately comment on Toshkivka, but said that its forces had seized Metolkine, a town just east of Sievierodonetsk.

The Institute for the Study of War, a Washington research group, said that Russia would likely be able to seize Sievierodonetsk in the next few weeks, but at a considerable cost. The slow-moving fight is sapping the morale of both sides, Western officials said, and NATO's secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg, warned that the war could grind on for years.

A brutal war: An analysis of more than 1,000 photos found that Russia has used hundreds of weapons in Ukraine that are widely banned by international treaties and that kill, maim and destroy indiscriminately.

Death toll: The war in Ukraine has exacted a staggering toll in lives lost. But no one is quite sure what that toll is — only that many, many people have been killed.

Asia: Amy Qin, a Times correspondent based in Taipei, talked with the team behind The Morning newsletter about how Russia's invasion of Ukraine has Taiwanese civilians taking China's aggression more seriously.

President Emmanuel Macron voting on Sunday in Le Touquet, France.Pool photo by Michel Spingler

Macron fails to secure a majority

The centrist coalition led by President Emmanuel Macron of France is projected to come out ahead in crucial parliamentary elections, but a strong showing from an alliance of left-wing parties and a far-right surge prevented his forces from securing an absolute majority of seats, a setback that could complicate his second term.

Projections based on preliminary vote counts show Macron's coalition winning 205 to 250 seats in the 577-seat National Assembly, the lower and more powerful house of Parliament. That's more than any other political group, but fewer than half of all seats. The lack of a majority will force Macron to reach across the aisle and may hinder his ambitious agenda.

If the projections hold, it will be the first time in 20 years that a newly elected president will have failed to muster an absolute majority in the National Assembly.

Turnout: The vote was marred by record-low turnout, a growing concern in France and a warning sign for Macron, who has promised to rule closer to the people during his second term. Only about 46 percent of the French electorate went to the ballot box, according to projections, the second-lowest level since 1958.

Voters casting their ballots in Colombia's presidential election in Bogotá on Sunday.Federico Rios for The New York Times

Colombia holds a runoff election

Colombians voted on Sunday in a presidential election that will replace a conservative establishment with a disruptive leader: either Gustavo Petro, a leftist former rebel and longtime senator, and Rodolfo Hernández, a wealthy businessman and a former mayor.

At stake is the fate of the third-largest nation in Latin America, where poverty and inequality have risen during the pandemic and polls have shown increasing distrust in nearly all major institutions. Anti-government protests sent hundreds of thousands of people into the streets last year in what became known as the "national strike."

The candidates have entered the election virtually tied in the polls, and the result could be so close that it takes days to determine a winner. Follow our live coverage, or read our profiles of Petro and Hernández. Aquí puedes leer nuestra cobertura en español.

Platforms: Petro has called for a halt to oil exploration, a shift toward developing other industries, an expansion of social programs and higher taxes on the rich. Hernández has promised "total austerity" and a clampdown on corruption.

Notable: Colombia will also elect its first Afro-Colombian woman vice president. One of the hopefuls, Marelen Castillo, was virtually unknown just months ago.

Backdrop: Amid the election, the rise of armed groups is threatening to once again tear Colombia apart.

Continue reading the main story

THE LATEST NEWS

Asia

Indian paramilitary officers detaining a protester in New Delhi on Friday.Altaf Qadri/Associated Press

Thousands of young Indians participated in violent demonstrations to protest cutbacks that they say will shatter their dreams of getting secure jobs in the military.
An assault on a Sikh temple in Afghanistan was the latest in a series of attacks that have targeted the country's religious minorities, stoking fears about the Taliban's ability to provide security.
China launched its third and most advanced aircraft carrier on Friday, bringing the country one step closer to a modern navy that can compete with that of the U.S.
The prosecution of Vietnam's most prominent environmental activist has cast doubt on the country's commitment to cut coal.

World News

A new British government program would fit some asylum seekers with GPS trackers, drawing condemnation from refugee organizations that say they are being treated like criminals.
More than 200 people were killed in Ethiopia in an attack that witnesses said had targeted mostly ethnic Amhara people.
The Democratic Republic of Congo shut its border with Rwanda after one of its soldiers, who injured two police officers in a firefight while reportedly inside Rwandan territory, was killed.
A third person was arrested in connection with the killings of a British journalist and a Brazilian expert on Indigenous groups who went missing while deep in the Amazon.
The British government approved an extradition order for Julian Assange, the embattled founder of WikiLeaks, confirming that he can be sent to the U.S. to stand trial on espionage charges.

A Morning Read

Officers eating a meal in a police van in Port Blair, the capital of the Indian island territory of Andaman and Nicobar.Atul Loke for The New York Times

In India, a country that is historically undernourished, many people are now gaining more weight, and police officers are no exception. But in the island territory of Andaman and Nicobar, the police have declared creamy curries, oily paneer and carb-rich dosas Enemy No. 1. Instead, they have embraced diet discipline and physical fitness in the ranks.

Subscribe Today

We hope you've enjoyed this newsletter, which is made possible through subscriber support. Subscribe to The New York Times with this special offer.

ARTS AND IDEAS

A shocking, perhaps prescient, movie

Living in the world's oldest society, the Japanese film director Chie Hayakawa had a question for her mother's older friends: If the government sponsored a euthanasia program for people 75 and over, would they consent to it?

Such a world — dystopian to many — is the setting for Hayakawa's first feature-length film, "Plan 75," which won a special distinction at the Cannes Film Festival this month. Most of the people she asked found it to be an attractive option that would ensure they wouldn't burden their children.

Close to one-third of Japan's population is 65 or older, and there are more centenarians per capita there than in any other nation. The country has been forced to debate about how it will care for its longest-living citizens. For Hayakawa and many others, a world like the one depicted in her movie feels shockingly plausible.

"She's just telling it like it is," said Kaori Shoji, who writes about film and the arts. "She's telling us: 'This is where we're headed, actually.'"

For more, read our full story on Hayakawa and her motivation behind the film.

PLAY, WATCH, EAT

What to Cook

Kelly Marshall for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Roscoe Betsill. Prop Stylist: Paige Hicks.

Try peach and molasses chicken with a cool glass of watermelon ginger beer, part of Nicole Taylor's 21st-century Juneteenth menu.

What to Read

"The Sex Lives of African Women" by Nana Darkoa Sekyiamah explores women's experiences, in their own words.

What to Listen to

This week's pop playlist features songs from Drake, Perfume Genius, the Beths and others.

Now Time to Play

Play today's Mini Crossword, and a clue: Opposite of leave (four letters).

Here are today's Wordle and Spelling Bee.

You can find all our puzzles here.

That's it for today's briefing. See you next time. — Matthew Cullen

P.S. The Society of Publishers in Asia announced the Carlos Tejada Award for Excellence in Investigative Reporting, an award renamed in honor of Carlos, our deputy Asia editor, who died in December.

The latest episode of "The Daily" is about the Jan. 6 hearings.

You can reach Matthew and the team at briefing@nytimes.com.

Continue reading the main story