The Tuesday edition of this Ukrainian news roundup did not appear because I screwed up.
[Korrespondent] 22:46 Erdogan said that Turkey will not take sides in military conflicts, including the Ukrainian one.
21:48 Stoltenberg did not rule out that the NATO member countries will go further in the supply of weapons and send F-16s or other Western aircraft to Ukraine. "We must continue to consider the need for greater capabilities," the secretary general said, and stressed that despite Biden's initial apparent refusal to provide American-made fighters, "no decisions have been made on the F-16."
21:27 Prince William announced that he visited a military base in Polish Rzeszow near the Ukrainian border. There he met with the British and Polish military "where he heard about their extraordinary work in support of Ukraine." The Prince also met with the Polish Minister of Defense and members of the Polish Territorial Defense Forces to learn about their support for Ukraine. The Duke praised their "passion and determination to defend our common liberties".
21:18 Xi Jinping and Putin, after talks in Moscow, resolutely reaffirmed their agreement on a number of issues and their general distrust of the United States. The parties also set their sights on the formation of a "new world order." At the same time, the Chinese leader did not directly support the war of the Russian Federation against Ukraine and did not give Putin consent to increase gas supplies from the Russian Federation. What the parties agreed on and what they could not agree on - in Xi's material in Moscow .
21:11 In Zaporozhye, a rescue operation has been completed after a Russian missile attack on an apartment building, Interior Minister Igor Klimenko said. 34 people were injured, 29 were hospitalized, including three children. One person died in the hospital.
19:22 In the Kherson region, the curfew has been reduced: from March 24, it will last from 20:00 to 6:00, said the head of the OVA Alexander Prokudin.
19:11 Zelensky said that during today's working trip, he handed over the honorary distinction of the Hero City of Ukraine to Kharkiv Mayor Igor Terekhov. Also in Kharkiv, a meeting was held on the situation in the region.
19:08 The restoration of Ukraine needs 411 billion dollars - this is 2.6 annual GDP of the state for 2022, the World Bank said. In September, the World Bank estimated the amount of damage caused by Russia's armed aggression at $349 billion. The World Bank has already allocated about $20.6 billion to restore Ukrainian infrastructure.
19:01 US aid to Ukraine is under control, Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said: "Pentagon and State Department officials in Ukraine control the targeted use of US aid to Kiev." CNN reported that House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Mike McCall will hold hearings on March 29 on oversight of aid to Ukraine.
18:53 The Russian army continues to conduct offensive operations in the Limansky, Bakhmutsky, Avdeevsky, Maryinsky and Shakhtyorsky directions. The most fierce fighting continues in the southern and northern parts of Bakhmut, and the enemy also carried out offensive operations in the Avdiivka direction in order to establish control over Avdiivka and Maryinka, the General Staff said in an evening report .
In the occupied territory of the Kherson region, local "authorities" have been threatening local residents since April to stop paying pensions if they do not have a Russian passport. In the meantime, a meeting of teachers was held at the Starobelsk professional college of the Luhansk National Agrarian University, who expressed dissatisfaction with the instruction of the "management" to all college employees to receive a Russian passport before June 1. Teachers are not given the opportunity to resign of their own free will, and the occupiers dispersed the meeting by force.
18:08 China has not yet provided significant military assistance to Russia, US State Department Secretary Anthony Blinken said: "At the moment, we do not see that they have crossed this line. I think that their diplomatic support, their political support and some material support for Russia, certainly not compatible with our desire to end this war."
17:49 Ukrainian technical specialists are carrying out work in Slovakia on the acceptance of MiG-29 fighters, Defense Minister Yaroslav Nagy said: "Technicians from Ukraine have been in Slovakia for several days, inspecting fighters and carrying out the acceptance process." According to the minister, Ukrainian specialists brought the spare parts necessary for replacement in fighters so that they could be finalized before being transported to Ukraine. Nagy noted that the process should take several weeks.
17:14 In Snegirevshchina of the Nikolaev area three people were lost, having blown up on the Russian anti-tank mine, the chief of regional police Sergey Shaikhet reported. He said that the inhabitants of the village of Sadovoe drove across the field to the forest belt to collect firewood, and at some point the car exploded. All three died on the spot.
17:10 The Russians are changing targets for their missile strikes, Deputy Head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense Vadim Skibitsky said in an interview with RBC-Ukraine: "Let's take the last strikes with unmanned aerial vehicles on the night of March 17-18 and on the night of March 21-22. We hit the bases fuels and lubricants in Novomoskovsk, Zhytomyr, and there were also hits in the Yavorovsky district. What were the main goals? The logistics system of our troops and the concentration of our equipment, which is located at the points of deployment."
Skibitsky noted that the climatic winter is already ending, and Russia has not managed to destroy the Ukrainian energy system, so now it will somewhat reorient the direction of strikes. "These can be military installations, and the concentration of troops, and the logistics system of our groupings," he specified and added that energy and critical infrastructure facilities would still remain among the enemy's targets.
In addition, hydrotechnical and treatment facilities can become targets of the enemy, the representative of the GUR added: “We are analyzing which objects the Russian Federation is reconnaissance of. Among them are hydraulic structures, bridges across the Dnieper, airfields and airports, supply routes for weapons and military equipment from the West. Russia is constantly conducting reconnaissance of these objects, including space exploration."
16:59 Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew said that the Orthodox Church of Russia shares responsibility for the war in Ukraine: "The Church and the state leadership of Russia cooperated in the crime of aggression and shared responsibility for the crimes committed, such as the shocking abduction of Ukrainian children."
The Patriarch also emphasized that interreligious dialogue should focus on ways to counter the Moscow Patriarchate: "Our interreligious dialogue should focus on ways to counter and neutralize the ability of the leadership of the Moscow Patriarchate to undermine unity and theologically legitimize criminal behavior."
16:48 Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira said that Putin would risk being arrested if he arrived in his country: "Anyone who travels to a country that is a member of the ICC may have problems, I have no doubt about it." According to him, Brazil respects and adheres to the decisions of the International Criminal Court. Vieira also confirmed that Brazil condemns the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine.
16:15 Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda announced a new batch of military aid to Ukraine, which is planned to be transferred in the coming months. It will include anti-drones, weapons, ammunition, and Lithuania will also provide military training for Ukrainian servicemen. Nauseda added that support for Ukraine is more than 1.2% of Lithuanian GDP.
16:04 The head of the National Police of the Kiev region Andrey Nebytov specified that as a result of the Russian attack on the hostels in Rzhishchev, seven people were killed, nine were injured, including one child.
16:00 Russian invaders in the occupied territory continue forced mobilization, Deputy Defense Minister Anna Malyar said. In particular, according to her, in the settlements of Starobelsk, Shchastya, Novoaidar, Nizhneteploye, Novopskov, Luhansk region, the next stage of large-scale military training of Russian troops was announced with mobilization exercises held in the spring and summer.
It is planned to call on the entire local male population of military age to participate in these mobilization activities (primarily those who have received citizenship of the Russian Federation and the "LPR"). To motivate potential conscripts, the Russians promise to hand over to the mobilized Ukrainians who have left the occupied territory. In turn, men, realizing the prospect of going to the front after undergoing military training, quit their jobs and change their place of residence.
15:52 Russia hit Zaporozhye with MLRS, because of this, they could not announce the alarm in time, Yuriy Ignat, spokesman for the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, said: “You must understand that Zaporozhye is a front-line city ... It was rocket artillery that flies very fast From launch to impact, seconds, tens of seconds.” He added that it might have been a Tornado-S.
15:44 The Russians today fired six rockets at Zaporozhye, one did not explode, said the head of the Zaporizhzhya OVA, Yuriy Malashko. According to preliminary data from the State Emergency Service, 21 people were hospitalized, including two children. One person died in the hospital. Four people were also rescued.
15:29 The number of victims of a night attack by Russians on Rzhishchev, Kiev region, has risen to seven - rescuers pulled out the bodies of three more people from under the rubble of the dormitory, Victoria Ruban, the speaker of the regional State Emergency Service, said in a commentary to the UP.
15:07 During his visit to Moscow, Xi Jinping refrained from committing himself to significantly increase purchases of Russian gas, writes Bloomberg.
14:46 Zelensky announced that he had held a meeting on the social and security situation in the Donetsk region. He listened to the report of the military command on the state of the operational situation in the zone of responsibility of the Liman operational-tactical group. Separately, they discussed the restoration of the destroyed infrastructure, ensuring the uninterrupted supply of water and electricity, etc.
14:25 The SBU reported that since the beginning of the year, ten militants, including Belarusian mercenaries, have been convicted based on the materials of military counterintelligence. The court sentenced them to eight to 15 years in prison. Among the convicts, in particular, is an employee of the Belarusian KGB. As part of the Russian private military company Redut, he fought against the Defense Forces in the Kharkov and Kramatorsk directions.
14:04 In Zaporozhye, one person was killed due to a Russian missile attack on an apartment building, 25 people are in hospitals , three of them are in serious condition, said Anatoly Kurtev, secretary of the City Council.
14:01 British Foreign Secretary James Cleverley said that the transfer of shells with depleted uranium to Kiev does not mean a nuclear escalation: "There is no nuclear escalation. The only country in the world that talks about nuclear issues is Russia. There is no threat to Russia, speech is solely about helping Ukraine defend it."
Meanwhile, Lavrov called London's decision "a step towards a significant escalation."
13:53 The Kiev School of Economics has estimated the total amount of damage to Ukraine's infrastructure due to the full-scale Russian invasion at $143.8 billion.
13:50 The United States supports and fully rely on the choice of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the defense of Bakhmut, said John Kirby, coordinator for strategic communications at the National Security Council at the White House. According to him, Washington will help Ukraine, regardless of Zelensky's priorities in the fight.
13:42 As a result of a rocket attack on an apartment building in Zaporozhye, at least 18 people were injured , including two children aged seven and nine. According to the secretary of the City Council Anatoly Kurtev, 11 people were hospitalized. The house was hit by two Russian missiles.
13:36 Speaker of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Yuriy Ignat warned about the criminal liability of the administration of telegram channels that provide the enemy with information about the location of Ukrainian air defense and its weak points. In particular, we are talking about channels that inform about the movement of enemy missiles and drones in real time. The enemy takes this information into account when planning the next missile attacks.
Ignat also said that serious decisions would probably be made in the near future, perhaps even criminal cases would be initiated.
13:15 Zelensky visited the forward positions of the Ukrainian military in the Bakhmut direction and awarded the Ukrainian defenders.
12:58 Lukashenka warned of a "terrible response" to the use of depleted uranium shells by Ukraine: "As soon as these ammunition explodes over the positions of Russian troops, you will see, the answer will be terrible. It will be a lesson for the whole planet. Russia has not only depleted uranium, you you know that very well."
12:56 The Russians fired on Zaporizhia - a rocket hit a multi-storey building. Zelensky showed a video of the strike:
12:20 Russia removes from storage Soviet T-54/55 tanks, produced in the late 1950s. The Conflict Intelligence Team notes that this is the first time this has been recorded. The vehicles were seen on trains in the city of Arseniev, Primorsky Krai, where the Central Base for the Reserve and Storage of Tanks is located. Since last summer, T-62s have been sent from it to the front.
11:39 Peskov said that Putin did not discuss the Ukrainian peace plan with Xi Jinping - there was an "exchange of opinions" on the Chinese initiative.
11:14 U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink said that Putin is not interested in peace: "After all yesterday's talks in Moscow, again Russian missiles and again drone attacks on civilians at night show very clearly how much President Putin is interested in a just peace or an end to the war which he started.
11:10 British intelligence believes that the offensive of Russian forces near Bakhmut is beginning to weaken, although the situation remains difficult. According to analysts, in recent days, Ukrainian forces launched a local counterattack west of Bakhmut to relieve enemy pressure on the H-32 highway, which is important for supplies.
At the same time, fighting continues around the city center, Ukrainian defenders remain under threat due to the cordon from the north and south. Analysts say the Russian offensive against the city is beginning to lose momentum, in part because some Russian units are being redeployed to other sectors of the front.
10:56 The United States has offered Slovakia to sell 12 new Bell AH-1Z Viper helicopters at a two-thirds discount after Bratislava sends its decommissioned MiG-29 fighters to Ukraine, Slovak Defense Minister Yaroslav Nagy said. As part of the deal, Slovakia will pay $340 million over three to four years for a package worth more than $1 billion, he said. The remainder will be covered under the US Foreign Military Financing Program. The deal also includes parts, training and over 500 AGM-114 Hellfire II missiles.
10:38 Russia will soon try to launch another offensive in several directions, said John Kirby, coordinator for strategic communications at the National Security Council at the White House. According to him, the West must do everything possible to ensure that Ukraine is ready for this, as the critical moment in the war approaches.
10:34 As part of the reform of the defense industry, according to a government decision, the Ukroboronprom concern will switch to a corporate governance model and become a joint-stock company Ukrainian Defense Industry , in which 100% of the shares belong to the state.
David Arakhamia explained that the corporatization of Ukroboronprom will create conditions for opening many joint ventures with strategic partners of Ukraine. "Corporatization gives our defense industry access to technologies, investments, financial markets, international projects. This means even more weapons for victory and even more opportunities to develop new models for the Armed Forces of Ukraine and world markets," the people's deputy added.
10:16 Ukrhydroenergo reported that in total during the full-scale war, as a result of Russian shelling, there were more than 30 hits on hydropower facilities. The preliminary amount of damage caused by the Russian army reaches about 40 billion hryvnia.
09:59 Zelensky commented on the Russian night attack: “More than 20 Iranian killing drones, and also missiles, numerous attacks. And this is just for one last night of Russian terror against Ukraine. Every time someone tries to hear the word “peace” in Moscow ", they give another order for such criminal strikes. The success of the Ukrainian forces on land, in the sky and the sea really brings peace closer. Full compliance with the sanctions regime against Russia really restores the strength of the UN Charter. Global unity can restore global stability."
09:51 Ukroboronprom reported that, in cooperation with the NATO country, it has launched the production of a 122-mm artillery shell abroad and has already managed to ship a batch of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. This is the third type of munition after the 120-mm mortar mine and the 125-mm tank projectile, produced according to Ukrainian technology and with the involvement of Ukrainian narrow-profile specialists at foreign facilities.
09:27 The head of the National Police of the Kiev region, Andriy Nebytov, specified that as a result of drones entering the hostel building, three people were killed, seven were injured, the fate of five more is unknown. The first explosions thundered around 3:00, followed by a number of more. Police and emergency services evacuated more than 200 people, one part of the hostel was almost completely destroyed, a fire started. Among the dead is an ambulance driver who came to rescue citizens.
09:18 In Crimea, the airs of several radio stations were hacked. Local "authorities" said that the reports spread about a possible evacuation from the peninsula are false.
09:16 Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said that the paragraph of the statement by Putin and Xi Jinping, which refers to the inadmissibility of nuclear war, is "a direct signal to the United States." According to him, Moscow and Beijing are calling on Washington "to take the path of de-escalation and strengthening strategic stability."
09:10 In the Donetsk region over the past day, as a result of Russian shelling, four people were killed (two in Chasovoy Yar, one each in Krasnohorivka and Bakhmut), five more were injured. Two wounded in the Kherson region, according to the IVA.
09:06 The State Emergency Service specified that on the night of March 22 in the city of Rzhishchev, Kiev region, as a result of an enemy attack by drones, the 4th and 5th floors of two five-story dormitories and a three-story educational building of a professional lyceum were partially destroyed. There was a fire on the area of 330 square meters. m, it has already been eliminated.
09:02 As a result of a night attack by drones, one of the infrastructure facilities of the Zhytomyr region was damaged, said the head of the OVA Vitaliy Bunechko. Three enemy drones were shot down by air defense units, there are no victims or injured.
08:56 The General Staff announced the approximate losses of the Russian Federation as of the morning of March 22.
- personnel - about 167,490 (+920) people liquidated,
- tanks - 3557 (+5),
- armored combat vehicles - 6887 (+8),
- artillery systems - 2589 (+3),
- MLRS - 509 (+2),
- air defense systems - 272 (+2),
- aircraft - 305 (+0),
- helicopters - 290 (+0),
- UAV operational-tactical level - 2183 (+16),
- cruise missiles - 909 (+2),
- ships/boats - 18 (+0),
- automotive equipment and tankers - 5434 (+6),
- special equipment - 270 (+4).
08:44 The Russian army is conducting offensive operations in the Limansky, Bakhmutsky, Avdeevsky, Maryinsky and Shakhtyorsky directions, in others it is defending itself. Over the past day, units of the Defense Forces repelled 114 enemy attacks on the eastern sector of the front, the General Staff said in a morning report .
08:39 Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that Britain's plans to transfer depleted uranium shells to Kiev are "another reckless provocation by London and Washington," which is aimed at "bringing the situation around Ukraine to a new round of aggression, conflict and confrontation, give a qualitatively different dimension.
Zakharova also believes that the use of depleted uranium shells is "a manifestation of genocide against the population against whom they are used, and the population that uses them."
And the speaker of the Russian State Duma, Vyacheslav Volodin, said that the supply of ammunition with depleted uranium to Kyiv "leads to a tragedy on a global scale, which will primarily affect European states."
08:26 Russians attacked Ukraine with drones at night. According to preliminary data from the General Staff, 16 out of 21 drones were shot down. In the Kiev region, as a result of the attack, a civilian object was damaged, three people were killed and seven were injured , the information is being specified, the OVA said.
About eight enemy Shahed-type UAVs were detected in the airspace around Kyiv, all of them were destroyed by air defense forces, said Sergey Popko, head of the KGVA.
07:17 In Sevastopol on the night of Wednesday, March 22, explosions thundered, after which electricity was lost in the South Bay area, local telegram channels report. According to eyewitnesses, after the explosions, the raid in the Sevastopol Bay was blocked. It is also noted that strong explosions were heard from the South and North breakwaters.
The "governor" of the city, Mikhail Razvozhaev, said that the Black Sea Fleet allegedly repulsed the attack of marine drones in Sevastopol, people and warships were not injured.
05:22 Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court Karim Khan said that Russia is using Ukrainian children as war trophies: "You must look after them. If they are not safe, you move them to a safe part of Ukraine. If this is not possible, then to a neutral country And, it seems, this is not just deportation to the Russian Federation, where they are met by strangers who have now suddenly become foster parents. And children are not property, not military booty."
Khan stressed that Russia does not deny the accusations of the ICC, but "wears them as a badge of honour." The Russian authorities also did not respond to prosecutors' attempts to negotiate. "Children are not the property of the country, which can be moved for political or ideological reasons. This should be regulated by law," Khan said.
00:43 In Washington, following the meeting between Putin and Xi Jinping, they saw no signs of an imminent end to the war in Ukraine, said John Kirby, coordinator for strategic communications of the National Security Council at the White House: "We did not see anything that Xi and Putin said, which forced would make us believe that the war in Ukraine will end soon." Kirby added that he wouldn't call the Russia-China relationship an alliance, but it's clear that both countries "would like the world to play by their rules."
The White House also stressed that Xi must urge Russia to stop invading Ukraine if he wants to play any constructive role in the conflict. According to Kirby, adherence to the UN Charter means that Russia must leave the entire territory of Ukraine.
00:19 The United States will transfer Abrams M1A1 tanks to Ukraine instead of the newer M1A2 - this will allow delivery by the fall of this year, Pentagon spokesman Pat Ryder said. He specified that such a decision was made "in close coordination with Ukraine." The United States is going to transfer 31 tanks to the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Ryder added that the tanks to be delivered have improved armor, a 120mm cannon and a heavy machine gun.
21 March
23:34 Apparently, the sharp reaction of the Russian leadership was caused not so much by the presence of depleted uranium in the composition of shells for British tanks, but by the fact that they will be able to more effectively hit Russian ones. Read more in the material Shells for the Armed Forces of Ukraine scared the Kremlin .
23:03 Japan will allocate $30 million for the supply of non-lethal weapons to Ukraine through the NATO Trust Fund, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said during a visit to Kiev. Japan will also provide $470 million in grant assistance for Ukrainian energy and other industries. According to Kishida, the funds will be used for demining, supporting broadcasting, education, strengthening public administration and protecting cultural heritage.
22:57 Zelensky said that he had spoken with Chilean President Gabriel Boric: "We have updated our states' vision of the current situation in international relations. I informed Mr. President about exactly how Russia continues its aggression. I also informed about how we can counteract Russian terror , counteract successfully".
22:49 Zelensky recalled in an evening video message that today Ukraine began to celebrate the first anniversary of the first victorious battles of a full-scale war: "It was on March 21 last year that the battle for Moshchun, a small village in the Kiev region, ended, which was the first big step of our state towards victory in this war."
22:18 Russians today fired from barrel artillery and MLRS Tornado Krasnogorovka, Chasov Yar and with. Stepnoe Ocheretinsky community of Donetsk region. In Krasnogorovka and Stepnoy, one person was killed, three more were injured. In the town of Chasov Yar, two people were killed and one injured, the regional prosecutor's office said.
22:09 In the sky over the Odessa region tonight, air defense forces shot down two X-59 guided air-to-surface missiles fired by Russian Su-35 fighters from the Black Sea, the Air Force command reported.
OK Pivden clarified that the Russians fired three X-59 missiles, one of which hit the three-story building of the UOC monastery of the Moscow Patriarchate. Four people were injured as a result of the missile attack.
22:04 Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida made an unexpected trip to Ukraine to meet with President Zelensky. For the sake of this, he secretly flew out of India and arrived in Kyiv through Warsaw. The visit of the Japanese prime minister to Ukraine took place against the backdrop of a meeting between Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Putin in Moscow. Kishida also became the last leader of the Big Seven, who has not yet visited Kyiv. Read more about the significance of the visit in the material What does the arrival of the Prime Minister of Japan mean .
21:46 Explosions in Dzhankoy damaged the junction station, its use is currently impossible, OK Pivden speaker Natalya Gumenyuk said on Svoboda Live: "We understand that they will try to restore what is damaged as soon as possible, because the railway communication is a way to deliver heavy weapons and personnel, but we continue to work, including on fire control, to ensure that these efforts are futile." Gumenyuk stressed that this attack is "one of the elements of a plan that precedes active actions."
21:12 The Russians launched a missile attack on the Odessa region from Su-35 fighters from the sea. Some of the missiles were destroyed, but there were hits, and a private house was partially damaged. There are victims, previously without casualties, said the head of the Odessa RVA Yuriy Kruk.
20:54 The US Treasury announced new sanctions against four companies and three people in Iran and Turkey in connection with the production of Shahed kamikaze drones.
20:46 Zelensky said that there were "no specifics" regarding his possible conversation with Xi Jinping: "We received some signals about a meeting or conversation with China, but there was no confirmation." He added that Kyiv publicly and through diplomatic channels conveyed to Beijing the Ukrainian formula for peace and offered to take part in its implementation.
20:28 Pentagon Speaker Patrick Ryder confirmed that Ukraine will be given an older version of the Abrams tanks to speed up their delivery.
19:33 Russia and China adopted a joint statement following the talks between Putin and Xi Jinping, which, in particular, states that the Russian Federation and China intend to provide "mutual support to protect each other's interests, above all, sovereignty, territorial integrity, security" . At the same time, they call on NATO "to respect the sovereignty of other states and their interests."
Also, Moscow and Beijing are calling to avoid "further degradation of the crisis in the Ukrainian conflict up to its transition into an uncontrolled phase", to stop "all steps that contribute to the escalation of tension and the prolongation of hostilities" in Ukraine. In addition, China and the Russian Federation agreed that "there can be no winners in a nuclear war, and it must never be unleashed." They also opposed "all unilateral sanctions imposed bypassing the UN Security Council."
18:49 Patriot air defense systems will arrive in Ukraine "within the next weeks," Voice of America journalist Ostap Yarysh said, citing a statement from a Pentagon spokesman. It is assumed that the Ukrainian military will complete training on these systems in the United States in the coming days. After that, they will go to Europe for final training with other groups of the Ukrainian military.
18:23 The most fierce battles are currently going on for Bakhmut and in the Avdievsky direction, the General Staff said in the evening summary. The Russian army continues to conduct offensive operations in the Limansky, Bakhmutsky, Avdeevsky, Maryinsky and Miners directions.
According to the General Staff, in one of the military units, which is deployed in the Krasnodar Territory of the Russian Federation, active work is being carried out with conscripts to sign contracts. Servicemen who agree to sign contracts are expected to travel to Ukraine in August 2023.
18:11 In Kiev, most heating points will be switched to standby mode, the Kyiv City State Administration reported. Two points in each district will remain in working order, and the rest will be transferred to standby mode. In the event of a massive power outage, all 767 points will resume operation within three hours.
17:52 Putin said that China's "peace plan" can be taken as the basis for a "peace settlement" when "the West and Kiev are ready for it." According to him, Xi Jinping paid much attention to China's "peace initiatives" during the talks.
Putin also commented on Britain's intention to supply Ukraine with depleted uranium shells: "The West has decided to fight Russia to the last Ukrainian not in words, but in deeds. Russia will be forced to react, since the collective West begins to use weapons with a nuclear component."
In turn, Xi Jinping called the talks with Putin productive and said that Sino-Russian ties "have gone beyond bilateral relations and are of great importance for the world order."
17:38 Russia has asked China to provide lethal weapons, but so far there is no evidence that Beijing is supplying this kind of assistance to Moscow, Stoltenberg said. At the same time, he added that Xi Jinping's visit to Russia testifies to the rapprochement between Beijing and Moscow, which has been taking place in recent years.
17:30 NATO member countries provided about $120 billion in military, humanitarian and financial assistance to Ukraine in 2022, according to Stoltenberg's annual report. The United States is the largest donor, with European countries and Canada collectively providing more than half of total aid. In addition, the European members of NATO received about 5 million refugees from Ukraine.
17:06 Lavrov said that Britain's plans to supply Kiev with depleted uranium shells indicate that London is "ready to take not just risks, but also war crimes." He added that for Britain "it will end badly."
16:54 Stoltenberg announced that on April 4-5 he will hold a meeting of the Ukraine-NATO commission at the level of foreign ministers. The Secretary General noted that he was aware of Hungary's objection to this, and he hoped that the issue of national minorities would be resolved. This meeting at the level of foreign ministers may be the first since 2017.
16:43 The Pentagon will accelerate the delivery of Abrams tanks to Ukraine due to the fact that Kiev will be the first to send a repaired older model of the tank instead of the newer M1A2, AP reports, citing US officials. At first, the US planned to ship 31 new M1A2 Abrams tanks to Ukraine, which could take a year or two to produce and deliver. Now they say that the tanks can be delivered in eight to ten months.
16:18 Stoltenberg warned China against supplying weapons to Russia - according to him, this will only prolong the conflict. The NATO Secretary General also said that Beijing needs to begin to understand the Ukrainian side of the conflict and contact President Zelensky personally. In addition, Stoltenberg believes that NATO countries are too slow to increase their military spending.
15:55 The Rada adopted bill No. 7253, which introduces a ban on assigning names to geographical objects that "exalt, commemorate, propagate or symbolize the occupying state or its sights, memorable, historical and cultural places, cities, dates, events, its figures who committed military aggression against Ukraine and other sovereign countries."
15:39 The SBU reported suspicions to the "head" of the Zaporozhye NPP, collaborator Yuri Chernichuk, as well as Russian blogger Artemy Lebedev, who illegally entered the ZNPP territory in June last year and filmed a propaganda report there. In addition, the SBU reported suspicions to the former deputy head of the departmental paramilitary guard of the Zaporizhzhya NPP - he was involved in the transfer of material values of the unit to the occupiers.
15:34 Zelensky held a regular meeting of the Headquarters of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, the presidential press service reported. The participants heard a report by Zaluzhny and commanders of operational-strategic groupings of troops; Budanov spoke about the possible actions of the Russian Federation in the near future. The members of the Headquarters also considered the issue of providing the defense forces with ammunition, in particular, the calendar for the receipt of weapons and ammunition from partners. Special attention was paid to the issue of information security and prevention of its leakage.
15:16 Representative of the Russian Federation Konstantin Gavrilov at the OSCE forum in Vienna said that Moscow would regard as "the use of dirty nuclear bombs" the supply of shells with depleted uranium cores to Ukraine.
14:47 The UK will transfer depleted uranium ammunition to Ukraine, Deputy Defense Minister Annabelle Goldie said: "Along with providing a squadron of Challenger 2 battle tanks to Ukraine, we will also supply ammunition, including armor-piercing shells that contain depleted uranium."
14:39 The United States is working to deliver Abrams tanks to Ukraine a little faster than previously expected, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said. According to him, "there are some changes that we can make to the process to speed it up."
14:20 It was possible to return 15 Ukrainian children to Ukraine along with their mothers and legal representatives, Ombudsman Dmitry Lubinets said. He clarified that these are children from the cities of Kharkov and Kherson regions, which were occupied at the beginning of the war.
14:18 After nighttime explosions in the north of Crimea, serious damage to the railway station was recorded in Dzhankoy, according to the Russian telegram channel Astra. According to journalists, at least five addresses revealed serious damage. At the railway station, the locomotive depot, the station security building, inventory and fuel depots were damaged. There was a power outage in the locomotive depot's electrical network. In addition, an agricultural shop was damaged, and one local resident was injured.
14:04 Parliament adopted bill No. 8169 on the performance of military duty and military service. The document proposes to establish a mandatory test for up to six months for citizens who are first recruited for military service under a contract.
13:59 The Rada supported the bill, according to which Ukrainian servicemen will be able to store their reproductive cells in cryobanks for free.
13:52 The Rada adopted changes to the state budget, which provide for an additional allocation of 518 billion hryvnias for defense.
13:38 Prime Minister of Japan Fumio Kishida has arrived in Kiev , Deputy Foreign Minister Emine Dzhaparova said.
13:23 The authorities of the Bryansk region of the Russian Federation said that Ukrainian troops allegedly attacked the territory of the Novozybkov oil pumping station with the help of a drone. There were no casualties, to ensure safety, power was turned off in five settlements.
12:41 China sent more than $12 million worth of drones to Russia in a year, writes The New York Times. Drones from manufacturing giant DJI and other smaller companies often came through small middlemen and exporters. In total, almost 70 Chinese companies sold Chinese drones from 26 different brands to Russia after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the newspaper notes.
At the same time, journalists note that official sales are most likely only part of a wider flow of technology through unofficial channels and through other countries friendly to Russia, such as Kazakhstan, Pakistan and Belarus.
12:25 The European Union transferred another tranche of benefits to Ukraine in the amount of 1.5 billion euros , Ursula von der Leyen said. "Our support helps Ukraine function on the defensive. It also puts Ukraine firmly on its path to the EU, supporting reforms such as good governance and financial stability," she wrote.
11:57 The defense of Bakhmut continues, along the entire front line in the zone of responsibility of the Eastern Group of Forces, intense hostilities are underway, said the commander of the Ground Forces Alexander Syrsky. According to him, in the Bakhmut direction, the Defense Forces are constantly destroying enemy equipment, manpower and warehouses of the enemy. Enemy assault teams are trying to move from the neighborhood into the city center, but the Defense Forces are destroying them 24/7, Syrsky added.
11:50 The Russian government has canceled the grace period of stay on its territory for Ukrainian citizens from the "DNR" and "LNR". In particular, the rule has lost its force, according to which, since 2018, such citizens could stay on the territory of Russia continuously for 180 days, and not 90, like other foreigners.
11:22 Russia is convening an informal meeting of the UN Security Council in early April on the issue of deportation of Ukrainian children, said Vasily Nebenzya, Russia's permanent representative in the organization. According to him, Moscow planned a meeting of the UN Security Council allegedly long before the decision of the International Criminal Court to issue an arrest warrant for Putin and children's ombudsman Maria Lvova-Belova. This is due to the fact that Russia is chairing the Security Council in April, Nebenzia specified.
He noted that the Russian Federation proposes to discuss the "real situation" with Ukrainian children, and called this issue "completely inflated." According to him, the children were taken to Russia "because they wanted to protect them from the danger that military operations could bring."
10:37 Russia manages to mobilize about 20,000 people every month, Andriy Yusov, a spokesman for the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, said. He also said that Belarus is used by Russia as a training ground, while China will strengthen its position in the region and on the territory of the Russian Federation. At the same time, the facts of the supply of weapons from China to Russia have not been recorded.
According to Yusov, Crimea has long been used by the Russians as a "military base with elements of a concentration camp," fortifications are being built there, because the enemy is aware of the inevitability of the de-occupation of the peninsula. The families of the occupiers are fleeing Crimea and trying to get rid of all their property, Yusov added.
10:29 Denmark intends to train the Ukrainian military in mine clearance and the use of CAESAR artillery systems, Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen said.
10:13 APU uses Australian disposable cardboard drones at the front. According to The Australian, about a hundred such drones come from this country every month. Durable cardboard is impregnated with wax so that the body does not collapse from moisture. The drone can lift 3-5kg, carry cargo for 1-3 hours, and has a range of 40-120km. Their main task is the delivery of ammunition, food and medicine. Reconnaissance flights and the release of explosive devices are also possible.
09:46 The Russians are changing tactics in the occupied territories of the Zaporozhye region. As the mayor of Melitopol Ivan Fedorov said, if earlier the occupiers promised high salaries and cheap utilities to local residents, now instead of promises there are more and more restrictions and more and more observers in uniform every day. So, following the FSB, the occupational "procurator" and "court" registered the department of the National Guard. A SOBR officer from Moscow was sent to lead the new structure, who appeared in the showdown of thieves in law.
09:17 In the Donetsk region over the past day as a result of Russian shelling, two people were killed (in Bakhmut and Avdeevka), three more were injured. In the Kherson region, one person died and seven were injured, including an eight-year-old child, according to the IVA.
09:14 British intelligence believes that in the coming weeks, thousands of Russian prisoners who fought in the Wagner PMC will be pardoned and released. According to analysts, PMC recruitment peaked in the fall of 2022, when they were offered a reduced sentence after six months of service.
And while about half of the prisoners recruited were likely killed or injured, evidence from Russia suggests the group is making good on its promise to free the survivors. The certificates issued to the released Wagner mercenaries indicate that they were approved by Putin's decree.
Now that PMC Wagner is likely to be banned from recruiting new prisoners, this will exacerbate personnel problems for the Russians, analysts predict. The intelligence also believes that the drastic influx of often violent offenders with recent and often traumatic combat experience is likely to be a major problem for Russian society.
09:03 The American Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reports that the Russians have increased the pace of operations and stepped up to make minor gains before they lose the initiative on the battlefield. In particular, Russian forces have made limited gains in and around Bakhmut amid reports of an increase in the pace of Russian operations around Avdiivka. As of March 20, the Russians appear to have captured additional positions in the southwest and north of Bakhmut, as well as in the northwest of Bakhmut between Bogdanovka and Khromov.
At the same time, the increase in the pace of Russian operations in the Avdiivka region has led to significant losses and is probably a misguided attempt to divert Ukrainian forces from other sectors of the front, analysts say. At the same time, ISW experts have not noticed that Russian troops are concentrating significant combat forces in the vicinity of Donetsk, and consider it unlikely that Russian forces will be able to withstand this temporarily increased pace.
The ISW estimates that the all-out Russian spring offensive is likely to culminate, and the Russian forces could step up efforts to make even minor gains before they lose the initiative. Experts consider it unlikely that a Russian offensive will force Ukraine to retreat from Bakhmut and/or Avdiivka.
08:46 The General Staff announced the approximate losses of the Russian Federation as of the morning of March 21.
- personnel - about 166,570 (+960) people liquidated,
- tanks - 3552 (+15),
- armored combat vehicles - 6879 (+10),
- artillery systems - 2586 (+9),
- MLRS - 507 (+0),
- air defense systems - 270 (+0),
- aircraft - 305 (+0),
- helicopters - 290 (+0),
- UAV operational-tactical level - 2167 (+7),
- cruise missiles - 907 (+0),
- ships/boats - 18 (+0),
- automotive equipment and tankers - 5428 (+12),
- special equipment - 266 (+1).
08:25 The Russian army is concentrating its main efforts on conducting offensive operations in the Limansky, Bakhmutsky, Avdeevsky, Maryinsky and Shakhtyorsky directions. Over the past day, the Defense Forces repulsed more than 120 attacks in the indicated directions, the General Staff said in the morning report .
08:19 The authorities of Dzhankoy, after a night attack by drones, introduced a state of emergency at the municipal level in the city.
06:36 The Chinese agency Xinhua released a report on the results of the first day of the meeting between Xi Jinping and Putin, in which it said that "an in-depth exchange of views on the Ukrainian issue took place in Moscow." In particular, Xi Jinping stressed that "the voices for peace and reason on the Ukrainian issue are growing, most countries are in favor of de-escalation of tension, for peace and negotiations and against adding fuel to the fire. History shows that conflicts should be resolved through dialogue and negotiations."
06:11 Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida left for Ukraine on an unannounced visit , the Japanese public broadcaster NHK reported, citing official sources.
05:25 The American Institute for the Study of War (ISW) believes that Xi Jinping, during a meeting with Putin, offered a more restrained vision of bilateral relations than the head of the Kremlin had hoped for. In particular, the leaders of the two countries, in their articles published on the eve of the meeting, offered different interpretations of the scale of future relations.
Thus, Putin in his article claims that Russia and China "are building a partnership to create a multipolar world order, contrary to the collective desire for Western dominance and the US policy of double deterrence against China and the Russian Federation." In turn, Xi proposed a less aggressive main goal for Russia-China relations, noting that the Russian Federation and China in general seek a multipolar world order, but not specifically against the West.
Analysts say Xi Jinping's refusal to join Russia in a geopolitical conflict with the West is a marked departure from China's declared "limitless partnership" with Russia ahead of its invasion of Ukraine. Xi's rhetoric suggests that he is reluctant to fully give Putin the economic and political support Russia needs to overcome setbacks in Ukraine, according to ISW.
01:20 EU defense ministers proposed to increase the European Peace Fund, from which, in particular, compensation is paid for military equipment and ammunition transferred to Ukraine, by 3.5 billion euros, Borrell said.
00:49 Justice ministers from over 40 countries have gathered in London for a conference on war crimes. As a result, they pledged to allocate $4.9 million to support investigations of Russian war crimes at the International Criminal Court, AP reports.