For today, links to reports from Agence France-Presse. Tass, the Kyiv Independent, National Public Radio, and Reuters; others are accessible by clicking on their initials below. (GAZA entry for today, so far, is HERE.)— MCM

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NEWER  Ukraine says cargo ship hit mine in Black Sea, killing two. From AFP. Ukrainian authorities said today that a commercial ship arriving to collect grain hit a Russian naval mine in the Black Sea, injuring two sailors. The unnamed Panama-flagged ship was heading towards Ukraine’s Danube ports when . . . READ MORE . . .

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NEWER  Ukrainian forces shell three settlements in Russia’s Kursk Region. From Tass. KURSK, Russia — Ukrainian forces shelled settlements of Gordeyevka, Uspenovka and Tyotkino in Russia’s Kursk Region today, Governor Roman Starovoyt said, adding that Tyotkino is experiencing a partial blackout. “No residents were harmed. Five households in . . . READ MORE . . .

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NEWER  Russian attack on village in Zaporizhzhia Oblast kills 2, injures 5, by Elsa Court | The Kyiv Independent  A Russian artillery attack on the village of Bilenke in Zaporizhzhia Oblast killed two civilians and injured five others, the Prosecutor General’s Office said today. The two people who died were both fishermen, while two of the five injured . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine’s frontline children yearn for return to classroom, by Vitalii Hnidyi and Thomas Peter | Reuters  SLOVIANSK, Ukraine — The war with Russia has deprived younger students, especially, of the opportunity to start off their schooling like most of their peers elsewhere. First the coronavirus, then . . . READ MORE . . .

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How ‘blood gold’ from Africa helps fund Russia’s war on Ukraine. Reported by Scott Detrow, Emma Klein and Tinbete Ermyas | NPR  A new report details how the Wagner mercenary group uses gold mining in Africa to funnel money to the Kremlin. Jessica Berlin, a political analyst and co-author of the report, is interviewed. Click HERE to listen and read.