The Sunday Subject — September 18, 2022

Ukraine’s armed forces have recaptured 6,000 square kilometers from Russian control, liberating more than 20 towns and villages.

The recent gains have effectively ended Russia’s plans to take control of the entire Donbas. Russian intelligence officers and military commanders stationed in Crimea have begun evacuating their families back to Russia, according to Ukrainian intelligence. Russian forces are retaliating by attacking civilian infrastructure, including power stations and water facilities. 

Swedish prime minister Magdalena Andersson has resigned amidst an unprecedented victory for the country’s far-right.

Magdalena Andersson’s center-left bloc lost narrowly to a bloc of right-wing parties in last week’s general election. Key campaign issues included gangs, crime, immigration and integration issues, and soaring electricity prices. The far-right Sweden Democrats party, once treated as a pariah, has now become the second-largest political party in terms of the vote share. Founded in neo-Nazi ideology, its candidates largely campaigned on a radical anti-immigration platform.

Fighting between Armenia and Azerbaijan broke out last week along their international border.

Armenian officials stated that Azerbaijan shelled their country’s forward positions and deployed drones, while Azerbaijan accused Armenia of intelligence-gathering. The two countries have fought two wars over the region of Nagorno-Karabakh. The most recent, in 2020, ended in Armenia’s defeat.