For today, links to seven reports: from Agence France-Press, Reuters, Tass, and the Associated Press; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (GAZA entry for this date is HERE.) — MCM

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Ukraine claims strike on depot storing North Korean ammo. From AFP. Kyiv said today it had struck a Russian arms depot in the border region of Bryansk that was storing hardware and ammo including munitions supplied to Moscow by North Korea. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for report from Kyiv Post.

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2,300 Ukrainian soldiers being trained in France as part of new brigade, by Kateryna Denisova | The Kyiv Independent  The French military is training and equipping Ukraine’s Anne de Kyiv brigade in France, the first instance of a foreign country training a Ukrainian brigade on its territory, the French Embassy in Kyiv said today. READ MORE . . .

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Zelenskiy says battlefield situation ‘creates opportunity’ to bring an end to war in 2025. From Reuters. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said today that the battlefield situation ‘creates opportunity’ to take steps to end the war in Ukraine no later than 2025. READ MORE . . .

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Situation in Kursk Region. From Tass. MOSCOW — Russian troops have liberated the settlements of Novaya Sorochina and Pokrovsky in the Kursk Region, the Defense Ministry said. Over the past 24 hours . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM OCT. 8  Ukraine could be facing toughest winter since invasion began, NATO chief says. From Reuters. BRUSSELS — Ukraine could be facing its toughest winter since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in February 2022, as Moscow continues to attack the country’s critical energy infrastructure, new NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said on Tuesday. “NATO must and will . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM OCT. 8  U.S. scrambled to urge Putin not to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine, Woodward book says. From AP. WASHINGTON — Journalist Bob Woodard’s new book, “War,” describes how, months into Russia’s war in Ukraine, the United States had intelligence pointing to “highly sensitive, credible conversations inside the Kremlin” that President Vladimir Putin was seriously considering . . . READ MORE . . .

For today, links to reports from the Associated Press and Reuters; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (UKRAINE entry for this date is HERE.) — MCM

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Hezbollah leader says more Israelis will be displaced as the militants extend their rocket fire, by Bassem Mroue and Tia Goldenberg | AP  BEIRUT — Hezbollah’s acting leader said today that even more Israelis will be displaced as the militant group extends its rocket fire deeper into Israel, in a defiant televised statement marking the anniversary of fighting that escalated into war last month. READ MORE . . .

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Hezbollah supports ceasefire efforts in Lebanon, deputy leader says, by Maya Gebeily | Reuters  BEIRUT — Iran-backed Hezbollah, which has suffered major blows from Israel in Lebanon, on Tuesday left the door open to a negotiated ceasefire after its arch-foe raised the stakes with fresh incursions in the south of the country. For the first time . . . READ MORE . . . 

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Hamas faces dissent in Gaza as heavy toll weakens support for war, by Nidal Al-Mughrabi and Ali Sawafta | Reuters  Reuters spoke to dozens of residents of Gaza, all of whom asked not to be identified by their full name to avoid retribution. For some . . . READ MORE . . .

For today, links to six reports: from Reuters, the Kyiv Independent, the Moscow Times, the Kyiv Post, and Tass; others are accessible by clicking on their names below. (GAZA entry for this date is HERE.) — MCM

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Russian forces reach another key frontline city, Ukraine’s military says, by Oleksandr Kozhukhar and Lidia Kelly | Reuters   Russian forces have entered the outskirts of the eastern Ukraine frontline city of Toretsk, Ukraine’s military said late on Monday, less than a week after the fall of the bastion town of Vuhledar. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for report from the Kyiv Independent.

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Over 1K evacuated after Ukraine hits annexed Crimea’s ‘larrest’ oil depot. From the Moscow Times.  More than 1,000 people were evacuated in the annexed Crimean city of Feodosia after Ukrainian strikes sparked a large fire at a major oil terminal there the day before, Russian-installed authorities said Tuesday. READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine says Russian missile strikes civilian ship in Odesa port, killing one. From Kyiv Post. Ukraine said Monday that a Russian missile struck a civilian ship flying the Palauan flag in the port of Odesa, resulting in one fatality—the second attack on a civilian vessel in the region within days. READ MORE . . .

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UK slaps sanctions on Russian forces for chemical weapons use in Ukraine. From the Kyiv Independent. The United Kingdom issued sanctions against Russian units involved in the use of chemical weapons on the battlefield in Ukraine, the country’s Foreign Office said today. READ MORE . . .

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Russia hammers Ukrainian military airfields by Kinzhal hypersonic missiles. From Tass. MOSCOW — Russian forces delivered a strike by Kinzhal hypersonic missiles at Ukrainian military airfield infrastructure over the past day in the special military operation in Ukraine, Russia’s Defense Ministry said today in a broader statement. READ MORE . . .

For today, links to four reports from the Associated Press and Reuters, followed by links to eight reports from National Public Radio; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (UKRAINE entry for this date is HERE.) — MCM

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War rages on multiple fronts as Israel marks a year since Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack, by Tia Goldenberg and Melanie Lidman | AP   RE’IM, Israel — Israelis held somber ceremonies today to mark a year since the deadliest attack in the country’s history, a Hamas-led raid that shattered its sense of security and ignited wars on two fronts with no end in sight. Hamas and Hezbollah . . . READ MORE . . .

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Israel steps up Gaza bombing on war’s first anniversary, by Nidal Al-Mughrabi and Hussam Al-Masri | Reuters  CAIRO / GAZA — Israel stepped up air and ground attacks on Hamas in Gaza, killing at least 52 people according to Palestinian medics, on the first anniversary of a war that has left most of the territory in ruins and shattered the lives of its people. Hamas said it struck Israel’s commercial capital Tel Aviv with . . . READ MORE . . .

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Gaza is in ruins after Israel’s yearlong offensive, by Joseph Krauss and Sarah el Deeb | AP  In the Gaza Strip there are hills of rubble where apartment blocks stood, and pools of sewage-tainted water spreading disease. City streets have been churned into dirt canyons and, in many places, the air is filled with the stench of unrecovered corpses. Israel’s yearlong offensive against Hamas . . . READ MORE . . .

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Israel marks Oct. 7 anniversary under shadow of escalating war, by Manuel Ausloos | Reuters  RE’IM, Israel – Israel held solemn memorials against the backdrop of continued fighting on the first anniversary of the deadliest day in the country’s history – the Hamas-led attacks on Oct 7, 2023. Israel’s enemies – the Iran-backed militant groups Hamas and Hezbollah – marked the day by raining rockets across Israel . . . READ MORE . . .

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A year later, an Israeli village grieves the biggest loss from Oct. 7. Reported by Daniel Estrin | NPR  The Israeli kibbutz grieving the biggest loss from the Hamas attacks reburies its dead and contends with questions of memory, guilt and revenge. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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A year into Israel’s war in Gaza, a woman’s grief exposes a possible war crime. Reported by Aya Batrawy and Steve Inskeep | NPR  A woman survives a year of Israeli bombardment on Gaza after an airstrike destroys her life. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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A rabbi in Detroit talks about her feelings on the war and the U.S. election. Reported by Leila Fadel | NPR  For Jewish American voters in Michigan it’s been a difficult year. Today marks a year since Hamas attacked Israel. In Detroit, Rabbi Ariana Silverman guides her community through this dark time. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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FROM OCT. 6   Remembering life in Gaza before Oct. 7. Reported by Aya Batrawy and Scott Detrow | NPR  The Middle East has changed dramatically in the year since the Hamas-led attacks on Israel. Click HERE to listen and read.

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FROM OCT. 6  Where the conflict stands, a year after the Hamas attacks in Israel. Reported by Kat Lonsdorf and Ayesha Rascoe | NPR  It’s been almost a year since Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7th. We look at how that conflict has grown. Click HERE to listen and read.

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FROM OCT. 6  In north Lebanon, those fleeing Israeli strikes say they have no safe place to go. Reported by Jane Arraf | NPR  We look at the uptick in fighting between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon after and overnight Israeli strike in Beirut. Click HERE to listen an read.

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FROM OCT. 6  Is the U.S. at risk of getting drawn into war in the Middle East? Reported by Ayesha Rascoe and Mara Liasson | NPR  We look at how the possibility of the U.S. getting drawn into a wider conflict in the Middle East could affect the presidential race, as well as how the candidates are doing in swing states. Click HERE to listen and read.

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FROM OCT. 6  Where Gaza protest voters stand ahead of early voting. Reported by Clay Masters and Scott Detrow | NPR  Donald Trump or Kamala Harris or a third-partly candidate, or no one — options for U.S. protest voters. Click HERE to listen and read.

For today, links to reports from Reuters and the Associated Press; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (GAZA entry for today is HERE.) — MCM

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Ukraine says Russian missile strike damaged vessel carrying grain in Pivdennyi port. From Reuters. A Russian missile strike damaged a civilian Saint Kitts and Nevis-flagged vessel loaded with corn in the Ukrainian port of Pivdennyi on Sunday, Ukraine’s restoration ministry said today. READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine strikes Russian oil hub as Zelenskyy says war is in ‘a very important phase,‘ by Illia Novikov and Hanna Arhirova | AP KYIV — Ukraine’s military said it struck a major oil terminal today in Crimea that provides fuel for Russia’s war effort. Both sides are facing the issue of how to . . . READ MORE . . .

For today, links to reports from Reuters and the Associated Press, and to commentary from Indian Punchline and Judging Freedom; others are accessible by clicking on their names below. (UKRAINE entry for this date is HERE.) — MCM

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Israeli strikes batter Beirut in heaviest bombardment so far, witnesses say, by Maya Gebeily, Timour Azhari and Alexander Cornwell | Reuters  BEIRUT / JERUSALEM — Israeli air attacks battered Beirut’s southern suburbs overnight and early today in the most intense bombardment of the Lebanese capital since Israel sharply escalated its campaign against Iran-backed group Hezbollah last month. During . . . READ MORE . . .

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A strike on a mosque kills 19 as Israel bombards northern Gaza and southern Lebanon, by Wafaa Shurafa and Samy Magdy | AP  DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — An Israeli strike on a mosque in the Gaza Strip early today killed at least 19 people, Palestinian officials said, as Israel intensified its bombardment of northern Gaza and southern Lebanon in a widening war with Iran-allied militant groups across the region. READ MORE . . .

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FROM OCT. 5  West Asian crisis prompts Biden to break ice with Putin, by M.K. Bhadrakumar | Indian Punchline  The U.S. president Joe Biden sprang a surprise during a press gaggle with reporters outside the White House on Thursday when he essentially didn’t rule out a potential meeting with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin at . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM OCT. 3  Going up the escalation ladder. Andrew Napolitano of Judging Freedom talks with University of Chicago professor John Mearsheimer of Substack about Israel’s war against Hezbollah and the consequences of Iran’s strike against Israel on Oct. 1, and about “how profoundly committed the Biden administration is to supporting Israeli aggression across the Middle East.” Click HERE and scroll down, or HERE, for video.

For today, links to six reports: from Reuters, the Kyiv Post, Agence France-Presse, Tass, and the Associated Press; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (GAZA entry for this date is HERE.) — MCM

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Russia targets Kyiv, Odessa in latest drone attack. From Reuters. Russia unleashed an overnight drone attack across Ukraine targeting the capital Kyiv and hitting infrastructure in the Black Sea port of Odesa, Ukrainian officials said today. The State Emergency Service said one person was wounded and . . . READ MORE . . .

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Fire erupts at Russia’s oldest military school in Moscow after reported drone strike. From Kyiv Post. A fire broke out at the Moscow Higher Combined Arms Command School today, possibly caused by a drone attack, according to . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russia says captured another village in eastern Ukraine. From AFP. Russian forces said on Saturday they had “liberated the settlement of Zhelannoye Vtoroye” in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk region. The Ukrainian name of the village is Zhelanne Druge. Kyiv said five civilians were killed by civilians in Ukraine’s south and east. READ MORE . . .

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Russia’s Battlegroup Center inflicts up to 460 casualties on Ukrainian army over past day. From Tass. MOSCOW — Russia’s Battlegroup Center continues improving its frontline positions and inflicted roughly 460 casualties on enemy troops in its area of responsibility over the past day in the special military operation in Ukraine, the Russian Defense Ministry said today. READ MORE . . .

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FROM OCT. 5  Ukraine downs a Russian warplane and Russia claims gains in the east. From AP. KYIV — Ukrainian forces said they shot down a Russian fighter plane on Saturday while Russia claimed it made gains in Ukraine’s east. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for report from Kyiv Post.

For today, links to nine reports: from the Associated Press, Reuters, National Public Radio, Morning Star, and Truthout, and to commentary from ScheerPost; other published matter is accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (UKRAINE entry for this date is HERE.) — MCM   

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Israel strikes Lebanon, hitting Beirut suburbs and the north, by Melanie Lidman and Bassem Mroue | AP  TEL AVIV — Israel expanded its bombardment in Lebanon today, hitting Beirut’s southern suburbs with 12 airstrikes and striking a Palestinian refugee camp deep in northern Lebanon for the first time. READ MORE . . .

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Israel expands airstrikes to north Lebanon as people try to flee from the south. Reported by Jane Arraf and Scott Simon | NPR  People in Lebanon are fleeing Israeli airstrikes in the south but Israel has now conducted strikes in the north as well. Click HERE to listen and read.

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A Hamas official is killed in an Israeli strike on a refugee camp. From AP. An Israeli strike on a refugee camp in north Lebanon has killed Hamas official Saeed Atallah Ali and his family, the militant group said today. The early morning strike came a day after another Israeli airstrike cut off a main highway linking Lebanon with Syria. READ MORE . . . 

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Nasrallah’s possible successor out of contact since Friday, Lebanese source says, by Maya Gebeily, Timour Azhari and Maayan Lubell | Reuters  BEIRUT / JERUSALEM —The potential successor to slain Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah has been out of contact since Friday, a Lebanese security source said today, after an Israeli airstrike that is reported to have targeted him. READ MORE . . .

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FROM OCT. 3  Hezbollah leader agreed to ceasefire hours before assassination, Lebanese foreign minister says. From Morning Star. Hezbollah agreed to a ceasefire hours before its leader Hassan Nasrallah was assassinated in an Israel air strike on Beirut, Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib said on Thursday in an interview with Christiane Amanpour on US broadcaster CNN. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for report from Truthout.

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FROM OCT. 4  Israeli politician and retired general reflects on a year of war. Reported by Mary Louise Kelly, Michael Levitt and Courtney Dorning | NPR  Yair Golan, an Israeli general now in the reserves talks about how conflicts in the Middle East have escalated since Hamas’ attack on Oct. 7, 2023. Click HERE to listen and read.

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The strikes in Lebanon may be helping Netanyahu’s popularity as a wartime leader. Reported by Scott Simon of NPR asks reporter Anshel Pfeffer, author of the biography “Bibi,” how Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is navigating this moment of conflict in the Middle East. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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FROM OCT. 4  U.S. citizens are advised to leave Lebanon amid conflict with Israel. Reported by Matt Ozug, Juana Summers and Justine Kenin | NPR  Israel’s airstrikes in Lebanon have forced more and more people from their homes. The U.S. State Department is urging American citizens in Lebanon to leave the country all together. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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FROM OCT. 3  ‘Who do you want to win?’ by Patrick Lawrence | Original to ScheerPost  A piece by a Times of London columnist merits careful consideration. Matthew Syed titles his commentary, “Israel–Hezbollah conflict hinges on a crude question: Who do you want to win?” He proposes we consider Israel’s barbarities another case of the West against the rest. Russia will invade Europe when it finished in Ukraine. China . . . READ MORE . . .

For today, links to reports from Reuters and the Associated Press; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (GAZA entry for this date is HERE.) — MCM

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Ukraine’s Zelenskiy to present ‘victory plan’ at Ramstein meeting. From Reuters. KYIV — Ukraine will present its “victory plan” at a regular meeting of its allies at Ramstein in Germany on Oct. 12, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said today —“clear, specific steps for a just end to the war.” READ MORE . . .

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FROM OCT. 4  Russia retrains ex-soldiers heading back to the battlefield. From Reuters. ROSTOV REGION, Russia — Two and a half years into its war with Ukraine, Russia is offering one-off bonuses of up to 1.9 million roubles ($20,000) — 22 times the average monthly . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM OCT. 4  Thousands of Jewish pilgrims come to Ukraine for Rosh Hashana despite official warnings, by Illia Novikov | AP  UMAN, Ukraine — Prayer chants and the sounding of traditional ram’s horns fill the air in the town of Uman, in central Ukraine, as thousands of pilgrims join . . . READ MORE . . .

 

For today, links to nine reports: from the Associated Press, Reuters, National Public Radio, Agence France-Presse, Mondoweiss, and Morning Star, and to commentary from Middle East Monitor; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (UKRAINE entry for this date and a MEDIA entry are HERE and HERE,) — MCM

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Israeli strikes cut off key crossing that thousands of Lebanese are using to flee. From AP. An Israeli airstrike has cut off a main highway linking Lebanon with Syria,  leading to the closure of a road near the Masnaa Border Crossing, from where tens of thousands of people fleeing war in Lebanon have crossed into Syria over the past two weeks. READ MORE . . .

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Khamenei says Iran and its allies will not back down from Israel, by Maya Gebeily and James Mackenzie | Reuters  Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said today that Iran and its regional proxies will not back down from Israel hours after an Israeli attack on Beirut that is thought to have targeted the heir apparent to Tehran-backed Hezbollah’s slain secretary general. READ MORE . . .

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As Israel strikes Hezbollah in Lebanon, thousands of foreign nationals try to leave. A Martínez of NPR asks Michigan state Rep. Alabas Farhat about efforts to help U.S. citizens leave Lebanon, amid continued attacks by Israel on Hezbollah. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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Iran FM says backs efforts for simultaneous Gaza-Lebanon ceasefire. From AFP. BEIRUT — Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said today his country backed efforts for a simultaneous ceasefire with Israel in both the Palestinian territory of Gaza and Lebanon. READ MORE . . .

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Yahya Sinwar, Hamas’ hunted leader, remains committed to Israel’s destruction, by Samia Nakhoul | Reuters  Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar is unrepentant about the Oct. 7 attacks a year ago, people in contact with him say, despite . . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM OCT. 3  Israeli airstrike hits a medical center in central Beirut. Reported by Jane Arraf | NPR  In Lebanon, Israeli air strikes on Thursday killed at least seven medical and rescue workers. The Lebanese government accuses Israel of targeting Lebanon’s already stretched infrastructure. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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FROM OCT. 3  Israel extends evacuation warnings in Lebanon, signaling a wider offensive, by Fadi Tamil and Jack Jeffrey Gaz | AP  BEIRUT — The Israeli military on Thursday warned people to evacuate a city and other communities in southern Lebanon that are north of a U.N.-declared buffer zone, signaling that it may widen a ground operation launched earlier this week against the Hezbollah militant group. READ MORE . . .

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FROM OCT. 2  For the first time, Congress will vote on blocking weapons to Israel, by Michael Arria | Mondoweiss / Popular Resistance  U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, an independent, announced that he had introduced legislation to block a $20 billion arms sale to Israel. The Joint Resolutions of Disapproval would . . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM OCT. 2  Palestine Action halt F-35 supply chain at Wirral weapons factory. From Morning Star / Popular Resistance  Palestine Action activists on Wednesday shut down a factory in Bromborough on the Wirral that is known to supply crucial parts for warplanes being used in Israel’s Gaza genocide. They climbed . . . READ MORE . . .

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A look at Israel’s strategic and military failures in Gaza, by Rabia Ali | Middle East Monitor  As the war in Gaza enters its second year, experts warn that Israel’s military campaign in the besieged enclave has become a strategic disaster. Despite . . . READ MORE . . .