Five Things to Know, May 29, 2022
(Michael Abrams/Stars and Stripes)

Five Things to Know, May 29, 2022

1.   American and French citizens paid tribute Sunday to the 10,481 people buried at Lorraine American Cemetery and to mark Memorial Day at the largest World War II cemetery in Europe. The ceremony in the rolling hills of eastern France was hosted by the American Battle Monuments Commission, which runs the cemetery and is marking its centennial, and drew hundreds of people.

2.   Explosions rattled Kyiv during daylight Monday as Russian ballistic missiles took aim at the Ukrainian capital, hours after a more common nighttime barrage of the city by drones and cruise missiles. Debris from missiles intercepted by Ukrainian air defenses fell in Kyiv’s central and northern districts during the morning, landing in the middle of traffic on a city road and also starting a fire on a building’s roof, the Kyiv military administration said. At least one civilian was reported hurt.

3.   About 200 Ukrainian soldiers have begun training on Abrams tanks at military ranges in Germany, the U.S. Army in Europe said Sunday in a statement. The Ukrainian soldiers, who comprise an armored battalion, are joined by an additional 200 soldiers focused on the unique refueling and maintenance requirements needed to keep the M1A1 Abrams system operating, the Army said.

4.   North Korea on Monday notified neighboring Japan that it plans to launch a satellite in coming days, which may be an attempt to put Pyongyang’s first military reconnaissance satellite into orbit. Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada said he ordered Japan’s Self Defense Force to shoot down the satellite or debris, if any entered Japanese territory.

5.   Vice President Kamala Harris, the first woman to deliver a commencement speech at West Point, lauded graduating cadets Saturday for their noble sacrifice in serving their country, but noted they were entering an “unsettled world” because of Russian aggression and the rising threats from China.