Sen. Graham says he’s optimistic on Ukraine counteroffensive

After a trip to Ukraine and meeting with President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Senate Senator Lindsey Graham said he had never been more optimistic about the ability of the Ukrainians to go on the offense and take back their territory from the Russians. Graham, a Republican, said that it is clear to me that the Russians have been bloodied and weakened. To make the counteroffensive a success, we must provide cluster munitions and additional long range artillery. At least two people were killed and 30 injured after a Russian missile hit a hospital and a veterinary clinic in Dnipro, Ukraine. Most of the 17 missiles and 31 Shahed drones launched by the Kremlin forces yesterday were shot down by Ukraine's air defense. The latest in a bombing campaign that s also targeted Kyiv 13 times so far this month.

Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia, spoke by phone with Brazilian counterpart Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. China's envoy Li Hui, charged with promoting Beijing's efforts to broker an end to Russia's war in Ukraine, met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow last week.

local officials said that buildings in central Krasnodar, a large southern Russian city, were damaged in an explosion while air defenses shot down a missile over the neighboring Rostov region. Videos shared across Russian Telegram channels showed what may have been a drone flying over Krasnodar just seconds before an explosion.

Oil rose and was headed for a modest weekly gain. Saudi Arabia and Russia have expressed differing opinions on the possibility of further production cuts from OPEC and its allies.

The man who spends $2 million a year to look 18, is Swapping blood with his father and son.