[Korrespondent] 22:56 The Russians launched at least six strikes on Kharkov, previously with S-300 missiles. They are shelling from the direction of Belgorod, information about the victims and destruction is being specified, Oleg Sinegubov, head of the OVA, said.
22:07 Ukraine has been resisting Russia's full-scale aggression for 400 days, Zelensky recalled in an evening video message. He said that today he spoke with the commanders and intelligence, and also held meetings on the internal situation. "We are preparing our next steps, our active actions. We are preparing the approach of our victory," the president said.
21:33 Yermak said that 45 OSCE member states have initiated an investigation into the abduction of Ukrainian children from the territories of Ukraine occupied by Russia. "We are also working on the issue of the return of our children, we are creating an international working group that will focus on this," the head of the President's Office added.
21:28 Pentagon Speaker Patrick Ryder said that 65 Ukrainian military have completed training on the Patriot system in the United States and have already arrived in Europe. In Europe, they integrate with another group of air defense forces. In total, more than 7,000 Ukrainian troops have been trained by the US since the start of the full-scale Russian invasion, he added.
Ryder also said that at the end of March, more than 4,000 Ukrainian military personnel will be trained in Germany, including one brigade training on Bradley infantry fighting vehicles, and the second on Stryker armored personnel carriers.
21:25 The Cabinet of Ministers allowed for the period of martial law to import components for drones into Ukraine without the conclusion of the SBU, said the head of the Ministry of Digital Development Mikhail Fedorov. According to him, earlier it took up to 15 days to obtain a conclusion, and the examination itself delayed the process of importing components for drones. Simplification of the procedure will speed up the import, assembly and delivery of these components to the front.
20:49 US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken condemned the arrest in Russia of The Wall Street Journal journalist Evan Gershkovich and called on Americans who are in Russia to leave the country as soon as possible.
20:43 In the Chernihiv region, the curfew has been reduced: from April 1, it will last from 00:00 to 04:00, said the head of the OVA Vyacheslav Chaus. Alcohol can be bought in trade establishments from 11:00 to 21:00, in cafes and restaurants - from 11:00 to 22:00. In addition, it is allowed to study full-time in schools located 20 km from the border with Russia. Previously, all schools within 40 km from the border worked remotely.
20:17 Washington has received new information that Russia is actively trying to acquire additional ammunition from North Korea, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said. According to him, Moscow is going to send a delegation to the DPRK and offer food in exchange for weapons. Washington fears that Pyongyang will provide such assistance.
19:36 Putin signed a decree on spring conscription for military service, according to which 147,000 people will be called up to the RF Armed Forces from April 1 to July 15.
19:34 A new "head of government" has been appointed to the "DPR" - it is Evgeny Solntsev, who arrived from Moscow in June 2022, where he was assistant to the Minister of Construction, Housing and Communal Services of the Russian Federation. From November 11, he held the position of "First Deputy Prime Minister" of the fake "republic". Former "Prime Minister of the DNR" Vitaliy Khotsenko appointed Acting Governor of the Omsk region of the Russian Federation.
19:02 The monks of the UOC-MP were ordered to leave the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra due to the cancellation of the lease agreement. Priests refuse to comply with the demand of the Ministry of Culture and the National Security and Defense Council. Korrespondent.net is following the events, for more details, see the material The eviction of the Moscow Patriarchate from the Lavra. Online .
18:39 The Polish Senate adopted a resolution condemning the illegal deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia.
18:11 The Government of North Macedonia has officially approved the transfer of combat helicopters to Ukraine. Earlier, Defense Minister Slavyanka Petrovskaya announced her intention to transfer 12 Mi-24 helicopters to Ukraine.
18:08 In Malaya Oleksandrivka, Kherson region, a civilian car ran over Russian explosives - one person died, one was injured, the OVA reported.
17:49 The German government announced that it had transferred to Ukraine 18 Leopard 2A6 tanks and their ammunition, 40 Marder infantry fighting vehicles, two Bergepanzer 3 armored recovery vehicles, two WISENT demining vehicles, 28 Zetros trucks, 40,000 first-aid kits and 103,000 turnstiles .
17:34 Zelensky said that he had met with a delegation of the German defense industrial concern Rheinmetall AG, headed by Chairman of the Board Armin Papperger: "We discussed in detail the current state of cooperation with the concern and the prospects for its development. It is necessary to further deepen the partnership in order to meet both the urgent needs of the Forces defense of Ukraine, and for a significant strengthening of the defense capability of our state in the future."
17:11 Ukraine is ready to pick up deported Ukrainian orphans on the Russian border with any EU country - for example, with Estonia, Deputy Prime Minister Irina Vereshchuk said. According to her, now the process of returning is pointwise, it is very complex and lengthy. Sometimes the search, all the necessary procedures and the road take many months, but in this way 327 children have already been taken from the territory of the Russian Federation. And if they have parents, then they do it, and the state deals with the issues of orphans and children deprived of parental care.
"As a representative of the government, I officially express my readiness to take all our orphans. To do this, I propose the following mechanism. Through the mediation of international organizations - the UN, the ICRC or another - we are ready to come to any European country on the border with the Russian Federation. For example, to Estonia, to Narva, and there to take away all Ukrainian orphans who are now illegally detained by Russia," Vereshchuk said.
16:57 Kuleba said in an interview with the Financial Times that Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang assured him in a conversation that Beijing would not provide weapons to Moscow. And while Ukraine does not see an increase in military support for the Russian Federation from China, the Ukrainian minister added.
According to Kuleba, China has not yet decided what role it can play in the current situation: "Beijing has not yet decided whether to fully invest in mediating an end to the war through negotiations or increase its support for Moscow, including through the supply of weapons. China is probing soil, whether the moment has come to play a part or not."
Kuleba believes that China will not allow the collapse of the Russian Federation, but "they need a weak Russia that will make concessions to China and provide resources."
16:33 The first four MiG-29 fighter jets handed over by Slovakia are already performing combat missions in the sky over Kharkiv, Verkhovna Rada Vice Speaker Elena Kondratyuk said during a speech in the Slovak parliament.
16:28 Foreign ministers of the Bucharest Nine countries will meet on March 30-31 to discuss preparations for the NATO summit and further assistance to Ukraine. "We plan to adopt working agreements on the recommendations for the Vilnius summit. The negotiations will concern strengthening the eastern flank of NATO and supplying weapons here, as well as supporting Ukraine and a large number of topical issues," said Lukasz Jasina, spokesman for the Polish Foreign Ministry.
16:07 Moscow's Lefortovo Court has arrested Evan Gershkovich, a Wall Street Journal journalist, for one month and 29 days on charges of espionage. He faces ten to 20 years in prison. Gershkovich has already been sent to a pre-trial detention center. The meeting was held behind closed doors, the lawyer was not allowed.
CNN notes that Gershkovich became the first American journalist to be detained in Russia on charges of espionage since 1986.
15:29 Russia is trying with all its might to change the government in Moldova to a pro-Russian one in order to use the country for a war against Ukraine - like Belarus is now, President Maia Sandu said. “You have seen the Kremlin’s recent statements that they will deploy nuclear weapons on the territory of Belarus. This is exactly what Russia wants to do in the case of Moldova. However, today in Moldova there is an independent government elected by its citizens, working for the benefit of citizens, and therefore it cannot be use it the way a pro-Russian leadership would," she added.
15:10 There is not a single whole house left in Avdiivka, the city is completely destroyed, the head of the city administration Vitaliy Barabash said in an interview with Interfax-Ukraine. According to him, next week they plan to forcibly evacuate the last six children from the city, whom their parents hide from the authorities. He clarified that we are not talking about the removal of children from their parents: at least one of them must necessarily leave with the child.
"We gave them time, almost two weeks have passed. Next week we will take them out by force. I would not want to come to this, but if irresponsible parents put their children in mortal danger, then there is nothing to talk about - you just need to take it and take it out," Barabash explained. He added that the infrastructure in the city was completely destroyed, the housing stock was destroyed by more than 80% - "this is something that can no longer be restored, repaired, but only demolished and rebuilt."
14:58 For two days, Russian troops have been shelling the territory of the Zaporozhye region from multiple launch rocket systems, aviation and artillery, and also used drones. The residential infrastructure of the Pologovsky district suffered, in particular in Gulyaipole and Orekhovo. As a result of the shelling, one person died and two were injured, the National Police said.
14:52 The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation stated that the Russian air defense allegedly for the first time shot down a new Ukrainian tactical missile Grom-2 in the combat zone.
14:36 ​​Some representatives of the Russian elite have already contacted Ukraine with a request to provide them with security guarantees, Andrey Yusov, spokesman for the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense, said in an interview with Gazeta.ua: "Many representatives of the so-called Russian elite already understand that this was a colossal mistake and a crime, "and the finale will be tragic for Russia. They are trying to look for options for their own salvation. So far, it's not about fighting for another country, but about their own security and business. They are trying to get in touch and agree on personal security guarantees. There are already such cases."
Answering the question about who is in Putin's inner circle and knew about his plans to invade Ukraine, Yusov noted that these names are known to intelligence. In particular, Nikolai Patrushev, Secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, is among them. "To a large extent, the decision to start a full-scale war is a consequence of their management model. Modern Russia is a closed society, including within the dictatorial vertical: there is no discussion or pluralism of opinions. The decision is made by one person, not very educated and not competent, and therefore the consequences are catastrophic for Russia," the speaker of the GUR believes.
14:22 Volunteers from the Czech Republic, as part of the Gift for Putin initiative , raised 3.75 million euros, for which they purchased 15 Viktor mobile anti-aircraft systems to fight enemy drones. The complexes are already ready for shipment to Ukraine. Volunteers also said that they would soon send a Przemyslaw rocket launcher and 365 missiles to Ukraine - the collection for them is still ongoing.
13:44 The banking group Raiffeisen Bank International, after pressure from Austrian investors and the European Central Bank, announced that it is committed to reducing its business activity in Russia. In doing so, the group "will continue to promote potential agreements that could result in the sale or spin-off of Russia's Raiffeisenbank and the deconsolidation of Russia's Raiffeisenbank from the RBI group, in full compliance with local and international laws and regulations."
13:31 Russia is actively using cruise bombs against the Ukrainian military, Yuriy Ignat, spokesman for the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, said: "This is a new threat that we face: without flying into the zone of destruction of our air defense, they drop these bombs. Bombs of 500 kg fly tens of kilometers ". Ignat stressed that Ukraine badly needs Western fighter jets to counter the constant Russian attacks. According to him, air defense systems will not be able to cover the entire territory of the country.
13:25 Russia could have taken out several thousand Ukrainian children since the beginning of a full-scale invasion, Daria Gerasimchuk, presidential commissioner for children's rights, told Radio Liberty. According to her, we are talking not only about children taken to Russia, but also about those forcibly moved to the occupied territories. Currently, more than 19,000 deported children are known for sure.
13:16 The Wall Street Journal is deeply concerned about the safety of its journalist Evan Gershkovich, denies all charges and demands his immediate release. The publication stated that Gershkovich writes about Russia as part of the magazine's Moscow bureau and is accredited to work as a journalist in Russia by the country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
In turn, Peskov said that this was not about suspicions, Gershkovich was allegedly caught red-handed. And Zakharova said that what the Wall Street Journal employee was doing in Yekaterinburg "has nothing to do with journalism."
12:24 Zelensky spoke online before the Austrian Parliament and said that it is impossible to maintain a neutral position when it comes to evil. He also invited Austrian parliamentarians to Ukraine so that they could see with their own eyes the consequences of Russian aggression.
"We must understand how important it is not to be morally neutral against evil. This is not about geopolitics... This is about the fact that you always need to remain human and protect humanity," Zelensky stressed.
12:06 The Russian Foreign Ministry said that Russia "as a gesture of good will" will notify the United States about launches of intercontinental ballistic missiles and submarine missiles under the 1988 treaty, despite the suspension of START.
11:57 In Switzerland, a court found guilty the bankers who helped Putin's close friend, cellist Sergei Roldugin, transfer money to bank accounts, writes Reuters. Three Russians and one Swiss who helped Roldugin deposit millions of francs in Swiss bank accounts between 2014 and 2016 were sentenced to seven months' suspended prison sentences.
11:30 Minister of Energy of Ukraine German Galushchenko called on global energy companies to share their profits with Ukraine. “Many energy companies are making huge windfall profits because of the war. We estimate that it is more than $200 billion. They are getting this money because of the war because we are at war. I think it would be fair to split this money with Ukraine so that help us restore the energy infrastructure," Galushchenko said in a comment to Politico.
The publication notes that the Lithuanian Ignitis Group has already announced its readiness to send about 10% of its profits to help restore Ukraine.
11:23 Russia has included Hungary in the list of "unfriendly countries" due to Budapest's accession to European sanctions, Russian Ambassador to Hungary Yevgeny Stanislavov said. At the same time, he added that Budapest "demonstrates a pragmatic position, which is not going to give up even under pressure from its allies in the EU and NATO."
11:02 US citizen Evan Gershkovich, correspondent of The Wall Street Journal, was detained in Russian Yekaterinburg. The FSB stated that, on instructions from Washington, he was allegedly engaged in "collecting information about one of the enterprises of the Russian military-industrial complex that constitutes a state secret."
Earlier there was information that Gershkovich was missing. According to media reports, he was preparing a material about PMC Wagner.
10:46 The Chinese Ministry of Defense said that the Chinese army is ready to cooperate with the Russian one to further "strengthen strategic communication and coordination." In particular, the Chinese army is ready to "maintain regional peace and security" together with the Russian army.
10:29 Zaporizhzhya NPP is now impossible to protect, since the number of troops around it has increased significantly, said IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi after a visit to the plant. "Obviously, military activity is increasing throughout the region. Therefore, the station cannot be protected," Grossi said.
10:10 British intelligence does not believe that Russia will be able to recruit another 400,000 people voluntarily into the army, as it has declared. Analysts note that Russia presents this campaign as a voluntary call for professional personnel, and not as a new mandatory mobilization. But there is a real possibility that in practice this difference will be blurred and regional governments will try to fulfill their recruiting goals by forcing men to join the army.
Intelligence also reminds that in order to restore Russia's combat power, it is necessary not only to recruit personnel, but also to supply them with ammunition and military equipment, which it does not have in the required quantity.
09:51 Ukraine has arrested Russian assets worth 41 billion hryvnias, Vadym Melnyk, director of the Economic Security Bureau, said. He clarified that, in particular, we are talking about a variety of equipment, production capacities, inventory items, including construction and fuel and lubricants, which are already used by the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
09:23 In the Kherson region over the past day, as a result of Russian shelling, one person was killed, one was wounded. In the Donetsk region, one dead (in the city of Chasov Yar) and five injured, according to the IVA.
08:46 The General Staff announced the approximate losses of the Russian Federation as of the morning of March 30.
- personnel - about 172,900 (+560) people liquidated,
- tanks - 3610 (+1),
- armored combat vehicles - 6974 (+8),
- artillery systems - 2671 (+12),
- MLRS - 526 (+0),
- air defense systems - 278 (+1),
- aircraft - 306 (+0),
- helicopters - 291 (+0),
- UAV operational-tactical level - 2239 (+0),
- cruise missiles - 911 (+0),
- ships/boats - 18 (+0),
- automotive equipment and tankers - 5518 (+11),
- special equipment - 291 (+3).
08:31 The Russian army is concentrating its main efforts on conducting offensive operations in the Limansky, Bakhmutsky, Avdeevsky and Maryinsky directions. The units of the Defense Forces repulsed more than 60 enemy attacks on them. Belogorovka, Bakhmut, Avdeevka and Marinka remain at the epicenter of hostilities, the General Staff said in a morning report .
In Crimea, the Russian occupiers continue to put pressure on the citizens of Ukraine and violate human rights. In particular, in Krasnoperekopsk, FSB officers carry out active counterintelligence activities accompanied by "filtering" procedures - people are undressed, interrogated, beaten, etc.
08:22 Japan has allocated a new $470 million humanitarian aid package to Ukraine - the funds will be mainly used for demining territories and restoring the energy system, the country's Foreign Ministry said.
07:59 The American Institute for the Study of War (ISW) suggests that Lavrov, during a meeting in Moscow with Iranian Foreign Minister Amir Abdollahian, could agree on new deliveries of Iranian weapons in exchange for the transfer of Su-35 attack aircraft to Tehran. Analysts say Iran is trying to strengthen bilateral relations with Russia, in which both will be more equal partners, and will likely increase arms supplies to Moscow to achieve this goal.
05:04 The United States intends to double the production of 155-mm artillery shells by the end of 2023, and six times over the next five years, said Gabe Camarillo, deputy head of the Pentagon for ground forces. According to him, the Pentagon will spend about $1.45 billion to upgrade the production capacity of 155-mm shells in order to support the defense of Ukraine and replenish the US army.
He added that the US Army is also ramping up production of Javelin anti-tank missiles and guided multiple launch rocket systems (GMLRS). Specifically, Javelin production will more than double to 330 per month, and launcher production will double to 41 per month.
Camarillo said that by 2026, the US Army also intends to double (from 566 to 1110 units) to increase the monthly order for the production of rockets for MLRS. According to public data, the United States has already sent 1,074,000 155-mm shells to Ukraine, with the monthly consumption of these shells, according to experts, amounting to up to 143,000 units.
03:12 The United States has not recorded any egregious violations in the use of Western military assistance by Ukraine, said John Kirby, coordinator of the White House National Security Council. He stressed that the aid sent to Kyiv is being used for its intended purpose, and the Ukrainian authorities share concerns about its intended use and proper accountability. However, Kirby added that in the course of a war it is impossible to predict every movement of every product used by every soldier.
02:16 In response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, NATO has created a powerful military structure on the eastern flank, Christopher Cavoli, Supreme Commander of the NATO Joint Armed Forces in Europe, said: “Now I have more than 40,000 troops under my command, and another 200,000 troops that countries have brought to be ready in case I need them. We have almost 100 aircraft that patrol the airspace now, almost 100 ships that control the situation on the water."
Cavoli pointed to the need to continue to support Ukraine. More than 11,000 Ukrainian soldiers are now being trained across Europe, he said.