For now, links to reports from Reuters, the Kyiv Post, the Associated Press and Tass; others are accessible by clicking on their initials below. (GAZA entry for this date, so far, is HERE.) — MCM

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Russia’s Putin says Ukraine shot down plane, deliberately or in error. From Reuters. MOSCOW — Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday that a Russian military plane that crashed near the border with Ukraine was shot down by Ukrainian air defences, whether on purpose or by mistake. Moscow accuses Kyiv of downing the Ilyushin Il-76 plane in Russia’s Belgorod region on Wednesday and killing 74 people on board, including . . . READ MORE . . .

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‘Why hide the bodies?’ – Ukraine demands proof from Russia as POW mystery deepens. From Kyiv Post.  Kyiv has questioned why Russia has so far failed to provide proof of its claim that 65 Ukrainian POWs were on board a military plane shot down near Belgorod on Wednesday. “There are . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine says corrupt officials stole $40 million meant to buy arms for the war with Russia. From AP.  KYIV — Employees from a Ukrainian arms firm conspired with defense ministry officials to embezzle almost $40 million earmarked to buy 100,000 mortar shells for the war with Russia, Ukraine’s security service reported. The SBU said late Saturday that . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russia open to substantive proposals for diplomatic settlement in Ukraine — MFA. From Tass. MOSCOW — Russia remains open to truly substantive proposals for a diplomatic settlement of the situation around Ukraine, said Alexey Polishchuk, the head of the Second Department of the CIS countries at the Russian Foreign Ministry. He said there’s . . . READ MORE . . .

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MAY BE CONTINUED