Worth noting, korrespondent.net has compiled its Invasion of Ukraine series into separate months, beginning May 9th, 2023. Linked in the title.
[Korrespondent] 21:34 During the day, the Russians repeatedly shelled populated areas of the Donetsk region with artillery - one person was killed and four were wounded, the prosecutor's office reported. In particular, one person was killed as a result of an attack in the town of Chasov Yar, Bakhmut district, local residents of the village of Ocheretino, Pokrovsky district, the village of Elizavetovka, Maryinsky community, the village of Arkhangelskoye, Ocheretinsky community, and the city of Ukrainsk, Selidovsky community, were injured.
21:13 France is gathering an alliance of countries that are open to sending Western troops to Ukraine, writes Politico. The publication notes that on March 8, French Foreign Minister Stephane Sejournet arrived in Lithuania, where he met with his Baltic colleagues and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba. “It is not Russia that will tell us how we should help Ukraine in the coming months or years. This is not Russia’s business. Therefore, we decide among ourselves,” the French minister said after the meeting. According to Politico, at the ministerial meeting the possibility of foreign troops participating in demining the territory of Ukraine was discussed.
20:47 Next week a bill will be submitted to the Rada on permission to mobilize convicts and prisoners, said Minister of Justice Denis Malyuska. He noted that there are thousands of prisoners and convicts who are ready to become full members of the Defense Forces.
“The military asked that we exclude from possible mobilization those who violated military discipline and committed crimes in the performance of military duty. They also do not want to see those who committed crimes against the state. Therefore, such categories will certainly not fall under mobilization... Not all commanders are ready to take in convicts and prisoners, but we will not and do not plan to impose such mobilized people on anyone. Most likely, these will be separate detachments," the minister added.
20:28 “Governor” of the occupied Zaporozhye region Yevgeny Balitsky announced a fire at an electrical substation in Pologi as a result of a UAV attack, power supply has been stopped, restoration work is underway.
20:12 Pope Francis called on Ukraine “to negotiate before the situation worsens.” Answering a journalist’s question in an interview with the Swiss television and radio company RSI about his attitude to a possible defeat for Ukraine, Francis said that he believes that the one who thinks about people and sees the situation, and who “has the courage to raise the white flag and negotiate,” is stronger.
"Today you can negotiate with the help of international powers. The word "negotiation" is courageous. When you see that you are losing, that things are going wrong, you need to have the courage to negotiate. You are ashamed, but how many deaths will this end? Negotiate in time, look for some country that will act as a mediator,” Francis said.
19:31 The United States was preparing for a possible Russian nuclear strike on Ukraine in 2022, CNN reports, citing anonymous sources in the White House. According to them, Washington was confident that after leaving Kherson, Russia would be ready to use tactical nuclear weapons in Ukraine. And although the United States did not have information about the preparation of strategic nuclear forces, the use of tactical weapons could be prepared in secrecy. Washington then paid attention to intelligence information and rhetoric from the Russian authorities about the alleged development of a “dirty bomb” by Ukraine. Since then, according to CNN sources, the risk of Russia using nuclear weapons has decreased, although the rhetoric of the Russian authorities has remained the same.
18:50 British Foreign Minister David Cameron spoke out against sending Western troops to Ukraine in any capacity. In particular, he is against sending instructors to Ukraine, who, in his words, “will become a target for Russia.”
15:07 Orban met with Trump and asked him to “come back and bring peace,” writes Reuters. According to the agency, the politicians discussed "a wide range of issues relating to Hungary and the United States, in particular the paramount importance of strong and secure borders to protect the sovereignty of each country." One CNN source described the meeting as "social" with no agenda; another source said it was "friendly."
14:53 The UK is offering assistance to Germany with the supply of Taurus to Ukraine, said British Foreign Minister David Cameron. In particular, he allowed a “ring exchange”: Germany would transfer Taurus missiles to Great Britain, and London would provide Ukraine with additional Storm Shadows. “We are ready to consider all options to achieve maximum effect for Ukraine,” Cameron emphasized.
13:19 The Russians fired artillery at Chasov Yar, Donetsk region - one person was killed, two high-rise buildings were damaged. Also in the morning, Ocheretino was under shelling - one person was wounded there, and private houses were damaged, said the head of the OVA, Vadim Filashkin.
12:51 Former Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valery Zaluzhny and Chief of the General Staff Sergei Shaptala were dismissed from military service, Ukrainskaya Pravda writes, citing sources in the Ministry of Defense. The publication ZN.UA writes that Zaluzhny passed a military medical commission back in the winter, where he was found unfit for military service, and in February he wrote a report on his dismissal from military service.
“Minister of Defense Umerov did not offer any significant military position adequate to Zaluzhny’s level of training and experience, just as President Zelensky did not offer it earlier. Under these conditions, General Zaluzhny decided to resign from military service in order to have the opportunity and right to do something else ", writes the publication.
12:18 The next meeting in the Ramstein format will take place on March 19 at an air base in Germany, the press service of the US Air Force in Europe reported. The meeting will be chaired by US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin.
11:40 In the morning, the Russians attacked the Odessa region with an X-31 missile, which hit a field outside populated areas. No people or infrastructure were damaged, the Southern Defense Force said.
11:24 The Russians fired artillery at the Krasnogrigoryevsk community of the Nikopol district of the Dnepropetrovsk region - a 16-year-old teenager was killed, another person was seriously wounded, said the head of the OVA Sergei Lysak. A private house, power line, and gas pipeline were damaged.
09:07 Russian public pages write that the night drone attack was aimed at military-industrial complex enterprises, in particular at the Beriev aircraft plant in Taganrog, where the A-50 is being repaired. As a result of the attack, an emergency worker was injured.
08:35 Air defense at night destroyed 12 of 15 Shahed-type strike drones that Russia attacked from the Crimean Cape Chauda and from Primorsko-Akhtarsk, the Air Force command reported. The drones were destroyed within the Dnepropetrovsk, Donetsk and Poltava regions.
08:26 The General Staff announced the estimated losses of the Russian Federation as of the morning of March 9:
- personnel - about 423,160 (+850) people,
- tanks - 6712 (+6),
- armored combat vehicles - 12,823 (+25),
- artillery systems - 10 428 (+53),
- MLRS - 1012 (+1),
- air defense systems - 707 (+3),
- aircraft - 347 (+0),
- helicopters - 325 (+0),
- UAV of operational-tactical level - 8041 (+43),
- cruise missiles - 1919 (+0),
- ships/boats - 26 (+0),
- submarines - 1 (+0),
- automotive equipment and tank trucks - 13,683 (+85),
- special equipment - 1666 (+10).
08:12 Over the past 24 hours, 63 military clashes took place at the front, the General Staff reported in its morning report. In particular, the enemy tried 22 times to break through the defenses of Ukrainian troops in the Novopavlovsk direction - in the Pobeda, Krasnogorovka and Novomikhailovka areas of the Donetsk region. Another 15 enemy attacks were repulsed in the Avdeevsky direction - in the areas of the settlements of Berdychi, Orlovka, Tonenkoye, Pervomaiskoye and Nevelskoye.
In the Kupyansky direction, three attacks were repulsed in the Sinkovka and Kislovka areas of the Kharkov region; in Limansky - five attacks in the Ternov and Sporny districts of the Donetsk region; on Bakhmutsky - nine attacks in the Andreevka and Kleshcheevka areas; on Orekhovsky - eight attacks in the Rabotino district and west of Verbovoy, Zaporozhye region. In the Kherson direction, the Defense Forces continue to hold positions.
07:49 In the Krivoy Rog district of the Dnepropetrovsk region, a Russian kamikaze drone hit an industrial enterprise, and a fire broke out there, said the head of the OVA Sergei Lysak.
07:38 Republican congressmen in the United States are developing an alternative aid package to Ukraine, part of which is proposed to be provided in the form of a loan, NBC reports, citing sources. With this scheme, blocked Russian assets can be used as collateral.
06:07 The Russian Ministry of Defense reported on the destruction and interception of 47 drones: one over the Belgorod region, two over the Kursk region, three over the Volgograd region and 41 over the Rostov region.