[Korrespondent] 23:50 In the Dnipropetrovsk region, two enemy UAVs hit a critical infrastructure facility in Novomoskovsk, causing serious damage, said the head of the OVA Serhiy Lysak.
23:19 The Russians hit with drones from the southeast direction on critical objects in the Dnipropetrovsk region. Three UAVs were destroyed, OK Skhid reported.
23:16 On March 17, the International Criminal Court in The Hague issued an arrest warrant for dictator Vladimir Putin and Russian Children's Ombudsman Maria Lvova-Belova. They are allegedly responsible for the war crime of illegally deporting children. Yale researchers have previously cited Lvova-Belova as a key figure responsible for the forced removal of children from Ukraine. About who she is - in the material Organizer of deportation .
22:19 An air raid alert has been declared in many regions of Ukraine, local authorities and public reports are reporting an attack by Shahed drones.
20:45 Zelensky said that at today's meeting of the Headquarters, the main attention was paid to the battles in the Donbass: "Avdiivka, Bakhmut, Ugledar, Marinka, Belogorovka. The main attention is on our soldiers, how to support our brigades, how to give them more strength, opportunities, more weapons and protection."
20:42 Zelensky said in an evening video message that the ICC made a decision "on a case that has real prospects": "The International Criminal Court issued a warrant for the arrest of Putin.
| That’s nice. But who, pray tell, will bell this particular cat? |
20:27 A number of EU countries on Monday, March 20, will sign a draft agreement on the joint purchase of 155 mm artillery shells for Ukraine, Reuters reports citing a European official.
20:19 NATO estimates the loss of Russian forces in the battles in Ukraine, including those killed and wounded, at 1,500 people a day, The Guardian reports, citing a high-ranking official of the alliance. At the same time, the vast majority of losses fall on Bakhmut. The ratio of dead to wounded Russians in NATO is estimated as one to three.
As for Ukraine, it loses "an order of magnitude less" in battles, but no specific data was given. In addition, according to NATO, "several thousand" shells per day are spent on both sides.
20:13 The head of the Investigative Committee of Russia, Alexander Bastrykin, instructed to conduct a "check" in connection with the "illegal issuance of warrants for the arrest of citizens of the Russian Federation by the ICC." The Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation should identify specific individuals from among the judges of the ICC, "who made deliberately illegal decisions to issue warrants for the arrest of citizens of the Russian Federation."
19:36 Russia shows no readiness for a just peace in Ukraine, repeating its ultimatums and redoubling aggression, according to the EU statement, proclaimed during the meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council in Vienna. The European Union, in particular, reaffirmed its support for Zelensky's peace formula and recalled that it does not recognize Russia's attempts to annex Ukrainian territories.
19:18 Xi Jinping will travel to Moscow next week for talks with Putin. The Kremlin said they would discuss "comprehensive partnership and strategic cooperation." This will be the first visit by a PRC leader to Moscow after a full-scale invasion of Russian troops into Ukraine. About what the two leaders will discuss and what proposal the Chinese leader is carrying, - in the material Xi goes to Putin .
19:11 The Russians are carrying out offensive operations along virtually the entire eastern front line, trying to break through the defenses of the Ukrainian troops and move deep into their battle formations, said Alexander Syrsky, commander of the Ground Forces. According to him, the most difficult battles are taking place in the areas of Kremennaya, Torsky, Belogorovka, and Disputable, but Bakhmut remains the epicenter of hostilities - the battles for the city continue.
According to Syrsky, the enemy has used all his power and is trying to break through the defenses in several directions and completely surround Bakhmut. Fighting is going on in the north, east and south of the city, "the enemy suffers huge losses and once again rolls back without success." "Unfortunately, we are also suffering losses, but much less than our defenders inflict on the enemy. In some areas, our units have partial success," the Colonel General added.
18:49 The MiG-29 fighters provided to Ukraine will strengthen the defense capabilities, but will not protect the country from Russian air terror, Yuriy Ignat, the speaker of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, said: "This will strengthen our abilities, the aircraft perform a number of functions: patrolling the airspace of Ukraine, fighter cover (cover strike groups of attack aircraft and bombers), MiG-29 aircraft also strike with HARM anti-radar missiles against enemy air defenses and during massive missile attacks they try to intercept both cruise missiles and Shahed kamikaze drones.
At the same time, Ignat added that Soviet MiGs "are not an effective weapon against terror weapons. Their obsolete missiles, radars and aircraft radar cannot be very effective."
18:26 Peskov said about the ICC warrant that "the very posing of the question is unacceptable, we do not recognize the jurisdiction of this court."
18:20 Attorney General Andrei Kostin said that after today's decision of the ICC, first of all, measures are being taken to search for and detain suspects. To do this, the International Criminal Court appeals to States parties to the Rome Statute with a request to arrest and transfer the suspect to the ICC.
18:17 For more information on what today's decision of the International Criminal Court means, see the article Order for Putin's Arrest .
17:58 Today's decision of the International Criminal Court means that outside of Russia, Putin should be arrested and taken to court, "and world leaders will think three times before shaking his hand or sitting down at the negotiating table with him," said Prosecutor General of Ukraine Andriy Kostin. He called the decision of the ICC historic for Ukraine and the entire system of international law.
Kostin noted that the Prosecutor General's Office handed over to the ICC more than 40 volumes of materials - over 1,000 pages. In total, the deportation of more than 16,000 children from Donetsk, Luhansk, Kharkiv and Kherson regions was recorded in the proceedings, although the real figure could be much higher. 308 children managed to return home.
17:42 Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova called the decisions of the International Criminal Court on the arrest of Putin and Lvova-Belova "legally void" because "Russia is not a party to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court and does not bear obligations under it."
17:34 The Russians have been shelling Avdiyivka all day today, one person has been wounded. So, in the morning they fired three air missiles at the city, at about noon they fired at it from artillery and Gradov, and in the afternoon - from tanks, and also delivered another air missile strike, Pavel Kirilenko, head of the UVA, said.
17:21 The International Criminal Court in The Hague has issued an arrest warrant for Putin. He is accused of being responsible for war crimes committed in Ukraine. In particular, ICC judges suspect Putin of a war crime - the illegal deportation of the population, including children. They also issued an arrest warrant for children's rights commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova.
Earlier, Peskov stated that Russia does not recognize the International Criminal Court in The Hague and its jurisdiction, since the international judicial bodies allegedly did not notice the actions of "Ukrainian nationalists" in the Donbass.
17:06 Ukraine insists on an indefinite grain agreement and its automatic extension for 120 days, Shmyhal said. The Prime Minister specified that Turkey and the UN adhere to the same position. "Attempts by the aggressor to shorten the extension period is a manipulation for the sake of further blackmail and escalation of the global food crisis. We must prevent this," he stressed.
According to Shmyhal, since the start of the grain initiative, Ukraine has exported more than 24 million tons of agricultural products, but if sea routes are unblocked, this figure could be twice as high.
16:30 The ECHR granted the request of Lithuania to participate in the case of Ukraine against Russia on the basis of military aggression and human rights violations, the Lithuanian Ministry of Justice said. Lithuania entered the case as a third party along with 25 other European countries. Justice Minister Evelina Dobrovolskaya said the forthcoming decision could serve as a basis for providing legal protection to victims of Russian military aggression.
16:19 Latvia has banned the entry of 35 Russians for supporting the war in Ukraine. The stop list includes artists, journalists, bloggers and public figures - in particular, Nadezhda Babkina and Alexander Marshal, TV presenter Lera Kudryavtseva. Riga said that supporting the war in Ukraine means responsibility for the crimes committed, "therefore, the entry of such people into Latvia is unacceptable."
16:13 Russia in recent weeks has significantly increased the number of requests for the supply of goods through Kazakhstan. The Russians are asking for help to deliver everything from phones, bearings and aircraft parts to rare earth metals, Reuters reported, citing several entrepreneurs in Kazakhstan. Two sources directly linked Russia's heightened interest to reports of Turkey's plans to combat the transit of sanctioned goods.
15:39 In Crimea, on the Ak-Monai Isthmus, anti-tank "dragon's teeth" appeared, a Krym.Realii correspondent reports. This line of fortifications is located on a narrow isthmus connecting the Kerch Peninsula with the main part of the Crimea. It is located on the site between the villages of Batalnoye and Primorskoye.
15:35 Zelensky held a regular meeting of the Headquarters of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, the presidential press service reported. The meeting participants listened to Zaluzhny, commanders of operational-strategic groupings of troops, and intelligence leaders.
15:26 Russians fired at the city of Ukrainsk in Donetsk region from Hurricanes today, one person was lost, the Selydovsky city military administration reported.
15:21 Zelensky said that in a telephone conversation he thanked Slovak Prime Minister Eduard Heger for a powerful package of air and anti-aircraft weapons, including MiG aircraft, and invited him to Kiev.
15:04 Against the background of large-scale losses in Bakhmut, the Russians decided to try to break through other lines of defense of the Ukrainian forces. Read more in the material The new goal of Russia's offensive .
14:59 Kuleba said in an interview with the BBC that China is resisting direct contact between Xi Jinping and Zelensky. At the same time, he added that Beijing is unlikely to supply weapons to Russia: "I don't think that now is the moment for China ... when it is ready to arm Russia."
14:28 In the Crimea, an explosion occurred in the area with. Perevalnoye, Simferopol District, where the 126th Separate Guards Coastal Defense Brigade of the Russian Black Sea Fleet is stationed, local publics write.
14:05 The Russians have created a defense grouping in Crimea and are preparing for defensive actions, Vadym Skibitsky, a spokesman for the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, said: "The infrastructure on the temporarily occupied peninsula is maintained in combat readiness. A powerful ground and aviation component is deployed in Crimea. For example, it is about 90 combat aircraft ", 60 combat helicopters. A defense group has been created, which is carrying out measures to equip fortifications, a defense line. They are preparing for defense operations on the territory of the peninsula."
Commenting on the construction of trenches and trenches on the Crimean beaches by the occupiers, Skibitsky noted that "they have chosen the most dangerous directions where an amphibious assault operation can be carried out, and now it is there that they are preparing defensive lines."
13:56 The United States sent a new reconnaissance drone to the Black Sea, according to the Flightradar service. This is a strategic reconnaissance drone RQ-4 Global Hawk with the call sign FORTE10.
13:52 With the reduction of the curfew in Kiev from March 26, they will change the work schedule of the metro and ground public transport - that is, they will work an hour longer. Shops, shopping centers and restaurants will also be extended, Klitschko said. He added that the curfew will also be reduced in the Kyiv region.
13:24 Poland this year will receive HIMARS systems and intends to place them near the border with the Kaliningrad region of the Russian Federation, Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak said.
12:58 The execution of the Ukrainian prisoner Oleksandr Matsiyevsky by the Russian military is far from the only such case, Ombudsman Dmitry Lubinets said: "We have evidence of other executions by Russian invaders of our unarmed prisoners of war. This became known from our sources in law enforcement agencies, and subsequently published in the media. The Russians shoot openly and cynically. With the consent of the commanders and with the confidence that they will be able to escape punishment."
12:45 In the Kherson region, watermelons and melons will not be planted this year, since most of the fields are mined. Instead, watermelons will be grown in the Odessa and Kirovograd regions, said Dmitry Solomchuk, a member of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Agrarian and Land Policy.
This year, beets, carrots and potatoes will be mainly planted in Western and Central Ukraine. Farmers are increasing their area under vegetables to avoid shortages, Solomchuk added.
12:13 In addition to the MiG-29 aircraft, Slovakia will transfer the Cube air defense system to Ukraine, Prime Minister Eduard Heger specified, without naming their number.
12:06 Curfew in Kiev is planned to be reduced. A final decision has not yet been made, but most likely, from March 26, the curfew in the capital will last from 00:00 to 05:00 every day, the city's military administration said.
11:30 Danish Prime Minister Matte Frederiksen said that Ukraine's partners are discussing the supply of Western fighters for the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
11:24 The Cabinet of Ministers of Slovakia has approved the transfer of MiG-29 fighters to Ukraine , said Prime Minister Eduard Heger. Currently, we are talking about 13 such aircraft.
11:20 The EU next week will transfer to Ukraine the second tranche of macro-financial assistance in the amount of 1.5 billion euros out of a total amount of 18 billion to be allocated in 2023, said the Vice-President of the European Commission Valdis Dombrovskis. Ukraine received the first tranche of 3 billion euros in January.
11:09 Shoigu presented the Su-27 pilots who shot down the American MQ-9 Reaper drone for state awards. According to the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, they "prevented the violation of the borders of the special operation area."
10:44 The group of spies who were detained in Poland on charges of collaborating with Russian intelligence included citizens of Belarus and Ukraine, writes Rzeczpospolita. They were engaged in intelligence activities and prepared sabotage.
10:15 British intelligence reports that although Russian forces managed to gain a foothold west of the Bakhmutka River in the center of Bakhmut, the pace of the Russian offensive along the entire front line was one of the slowest since January. According to analysts, this is due to the fact that Russian forces have depleted the combat power of the deployed formations so much that they cannot even sustainably conduct local offensive operations.
Against this background, the military leadership of the Russian Federation will probably seek to restore the offensive potential of the forces after the replenishment of personnel and ammunition stocks, intelligence notes.
09:41 Chinese companies delivered thousands of CQ-A rifles, batteries, drone cameras and body armor to Russia last year, Politico writes, citing customs data. The goods were sent as dual-use products. At the same time, the CQ-A assault rifles are listed in the documents as "civilian hunting rifles" - they were delivered directly to the Tekhkrim company. Chinese drone manufacturer DJI has been supplying drone parts via the UAE. Through Turkey, Russia received 800 tons of Chinese body armor for almost $10 million.
09:37 An explosive device was found on the territory of the Druzhba oil pipeline in the Bryansk region for the second time in two days, ASTRA reports.
09:32 Beijing will adhere to an "objective position" on the situation in Ukraine and "play a constructive role in advancing the negotiations," the Chinese Foreign Ministry said. The ministry noted that Xi Jinping's visit to Russia is intended to "call for peace and promote negotiations."
09:16 Xi Jinping will visit Russia on March 20-22 at the invitation of Putin, the Kremlin said.
08:49 Moldova does not face military threats due to the fact that Ukraine, with the support of the international community, is able to defend its territory, said Foreign Minister Nicu Popescu. At the same time, he added that Moldova is "the object of a hybrid war created by Russia in an attempt to overthrow state power."
08:47 In the Donetsk region over the past day, as a result of Russian shelling, two people were killed (in Toretsk and the village of Krasnogorovka), eight more were injured. In the Kherson region, one person was injured, according to the IVA.
08:33 The Belgian Ministry of Defense will transfer 240 Volvo military trucks to the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The first batch will go to Ukraine next week.
08:28 The General Staff announced the approximate losses of the Russian Federation as of the morning of March 17.
- personnel - about 163,320 (+760) people liquidated,
- tanks - 3506 (+2),
- armored combat vehicles - 6823 (+13),
- artillery systems - 2552 (+13),
- MLRS - 504 (+1),
- air defense systems - 265 (+0),
- aircraft - 305 (+0),
- helicopters - 290 (+1),
- UAV operational-tactical level - 2145 (+0),
- cruise missiles - 907 (+0),
- ships/boats - 18 (+0),
- automotive equipment and tankers - 5401 (+7),
- special equipment - 258 (+1).
08:17 The main efforts of the Russian army are concentrated in the Limansky, Bakhmutsky, Avdeevsky, Maryinsky and Miner directions. Over the past day, the enemy made more than 70 attacks on them, the General Staff said in the morning summary .
In the occupied Melitopol, Zaporozhye region, the local "authority", together with representatives of the Russian tax service, has banned any payments and settlements to citizens who do not have a registration number of a Russian taxpayer account card. It, in turn, can be obtained only with a Russian passport.
07:21 The American Institute for the Study of War (ISW) believes that Prigozhin came up with a "Kremlin plot" against himself and his organization in order to show his own importance at the domestic political level. In particular, Prigozhin said that he received a request from the press that exposes a plot organized by Putin and Secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation Nikolai Patrushev to "undermine and neutralize the PMC Wagner."
However, ISW analysts note that they did not find information that would confirm that there were any discussions about this. The lack of external confirmation suggests that Prigozhin fabricated an alleged plot to carry out several information operations on behalf of Wagner and his own reputation, analysts say.
The ISW also believes that Russia will lose its military influence in the CSTO countries and Georgia, since it has redeployed forces from there for the war in Ukraine.
00:55 Turkey has banned aircraft of American origin, which are under the control of the Russian Federation and Belarus. The corresponding decision was made in accordance with US sanctions, the Turkish Ministry of Customs and Trade said.