Worth noting, korrespondent.net has compiled its Invasion of Ukraine series into separate months, beginning May 9th, 2023. Linked in the title.
[Korrespondent] 22:23 CIA Director William Burns warned that the US refusal to resume arms supplies to Kiev will lead to the loss of significant territories by Ukraine. According to him, without additional help in 2024, “you will see even more Avdiivka.” At the same time, Burns added that if the aid package is approved, Ukraine will have the opportunity to “penetrate” strikes on Crimea.
22:02 Ukraine's retreat from Avdiivka and its struggle to prevent further territorial losses demonstrated the vulnerability of Ukraine's military capabilities when external military assistance is reduced, US Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines said. According to her, uncertainty regarding Congressional approval of aid to Ukraine plays into the hands of the Russian Federation, increasingly shifting the situation on the battlefield in its favor.
21:56 Zelensky said in an interview with the French TV channel BFMTV that the Russian offensive has been stopped and now the situation at the front is much better than in the last three months. The president also stressed that Ukraine does not need foreign troops on the country’s territory, but would welcome trainers and technical personnel from NATO member countries.
In addition, Zelensky is convinced that a truce would be a “respite” for Putin, since it would allow him to restore the combat capability of his army and increase the production of ammunition. At the same time, the Ukrainian president does not believe that the Russian Federation will resort to a nuclear strike. At the same time, he admits that Russia is “20 km ahead of us” in terms of superiority in long-range weapons.
21:41 Biden said that without action from Congress, aid to Ukraine could not resume: “Unless Congress acts on this emergency request, the United States will not be able to continue to support Ukraine to meet its battlefield needs.”
21:35 Ukraine is ready to open airports and resume international flights. To this end, Kyiv has begun official negotiations with European and American regulators. About when airports can start operating in Ukraine, see the article Like in Israel.
20:59 Zelensky said in an evening video message that today he heard a separate report from Budanov: “Several questions, first of all, Russia’s military plans. And not only against our state - against other nations too. The joint task of the world now is to bring down this sick Putin’s fantasy that "he supposedly has time to continue the war. Perhaps he will increase the mobilization after the simulated "elections" now, in March - the mobilization of the Russians. But we must limit the mobilization of resources and finances, the remnants of Russian ties with the world, even more, even more harshly."
19:23 Stoltenberg said that NATO does not plan to send troops to Ukraine: “NATO does not plan to send troops to Ukraine... It is important for us to consult and come to a common approach on these important topics, because they matter to all of us.” The Secretary General noted that even if individual NATO countries send troops to Ukraine, this will affect the entire Alliance.
19:18 Macron is postponing a long-planned visit to Ukraine due to disagreements with allies in policy towards the Russian Federation, Politico writes, citing sources. According to the French diplomat, instead of going to Kyiv, the French president now wants to “take the necessary time” for negotiations with allies in order to visit Ukraine “with tangible results.”
18:47 The White House request for 2025 does not include funds for the needs of Ukraine due to the lack of agreement in the US Congress on this issue, Federal News Network reports. In total, according to the draft budget, the United States intends to allocate almost $850 billion for military spending in 2025. In addition, the United States intends to allocate $1.5 billion to contain the Russian Federation in 2025.
18:20 Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis believes that the time has come to discuss the possibility of sending Western troops to Ukraine: “Now is the time for discussion. Starting a conversation destroys self-imposed red lines.” He also emphasized that “none of the capitals is too far from Kyiv for Putin’s army.”
"Some of us may feel safe being far away. But the geographical fact is that the Ukrainian front line can be compared to the distance between Vilnius and London. If the Ukrainians no longer defended this line, imagine how it could have ended. This applies to everyone us," added the head of the Lithuanian Foreign Ministry.
17:49 A bill has been submitted to the State Duma of the Russian Federation to invalidate the decision to transfer Crimea from the RSFSR to the Ukrainian SSR, Russian media write.
17:02 The Russians have been shelling the Kharkov region throughout the day, said Oleg Sinegubov, head of the OVA. Three people were injured in the village of Glushkovka, Kupyansky district, and another person was injured in Volchansk.
16:28 Russian authorities have created special manuals for teachers to “re-educate” Ukrainian children, writes Meduza. They are forced to have a Russian identity and are told that they will never return to their homeland.
15:40 Zelensky said that he held a meeting of the Headquarters of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief. I heard detailed reports from the command on the situation on the battlefield, reports from the Minister of Defense Rustem Umerov and the head of the Ministry of Strategic Industry, Alexander Kamyshin, on providing the front with everything necessary. They also discussed the actual and future supply of shells, missiles and other weapons, as well as their own production.
Another topic is fortifications. Prime Minister Denis Shmyhal reported on the pace of construction of new defense lines. “Protection of three lanes with a length of 2,000 km is a large-scale task, but now the pace is good. I count on timely completion,” the president emphasized.
15:36 The Wall Street Journal writes, citing a NATO official, that Russia will likely be able to maintain its military operations at the current scale for another two to five years. At least two European military intelligence agencies believe Russia can produce enough weapons to hold out for several more years. At the same time, analysts question the quality of these weapons.
15:14 Ukraine is now closer to NATO membership than ever, Stoltenberg said: “Putin wanted less NATO, he gets more NATO, more NATO military presence in the eastern part of our Alliance. Finland and Sweden are full members, and Ukraine is closer to NATO membership than ever before." According to the Secretary General, Ukraine will become a NATO ally, and the question is not “if,” but “when.”
14:59 The City Hall of London invited city residents to donate them to Ukraine instead of disposing of their cars that do not meet environmental standards. The program starts on March 15. City residents will be able to receive a recycling grant and donate their car for humanitarian and medical needs in Ukraine. The London Ambulance Service also plans to join this initiative by donating 50 decommissioned ambulances to Ukraine.
14:28 NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg rejected the Pope's call for Ukraine to “raise the white flag” and begin negotiations with the Russian Federation: “Surrender is not peace. Putin started this war and can end it today. Ukraine, on the other hand, does not have such possibilities". He also called on all allies to continue to provide military support to Kyiv.
13:45 At the end of 2023, Ukraine entered the top five largest arms importers in the world, according to estimates by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). During the two years of war, at least 30 states supplied Ukraine with weapons as military aid. Among them, the US provided 39% of Ukrainian arms imports in 2019-23, Germany - 14% and Poland - 13%.
At the same time, Russian arms exports decreased by 53%, and it dropped to third place. In 2019, the Russian Federation supplied weapons to 31 states, in 2022 - to 14, and in 2023 - to 12.
13:17 The head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell, said that proceeds from frozen Russian assets in the EU could be used to purchase weapons for Ukraine, but this would require the decision of all 27 members of the bloc: “If the member states agree, we could use the profits from Russian frozen assets to purchase weapons for Ukraine and/or help strengthen its defense industry."
12:41 Peskov, commenting on the Pope’s statements about the need for negotiations on Ukraine, said that Putin “has repeatedly spoken out in favor of negotiations,” but Kiev “strictly denies” the possibility of such communication. According to him, Ukraine relies on statements from Western countries about Russia’s defeat, “and this is a deep mistake.”
12:16 Budanov explained the significance of combat missions in the Black Sea and Crimea: “These are all preparatory measures for a serious operation in Crimea. This is a test of the correctness of our statements about the routes of approach and departure from there. In addition, this is a good message for the population who lives "They have been under occupation for ten years. Many of them believe that they have been forgotten."
11:42 Russia produces about 250 thousand artillery shells per month, or about 3 million per year, which is almost three times more than the United States and Europe produce for Ukraine, CNN reports, citing Western intelligence data. Officials say Russia now fires about 10,000 shells a day, while Ukraine fires just 2,000. The ratio is even worse in some parts of the front, according to a European intelligence official.
11:31 Czech President Petr Pavel said that NATO troops can carry out auxiliary activities directly on the territory of Ukraine, since this does not violate any international rules. He said a clear distinction needs to be made between the deployment of combat troops and the possible involvement of troops in certain support activities in which NATO already has experience.
11:25 In Russia, during a massive drone attack on the night of March 8, two UAVs fell on the territory of an arsenal with ammunition in the village of Kotluban, Volgograd region, reports the opposition Russian publication Astra. Earlier, the Russian Ministry of Defense reported that on the night of March 8, 15 drones were allegedly shot down over the Volgograd region. According to sources, two of them fell on the territory of military unit 57229/51, while one drone exploded after the fall. Preliminarily, there were no casualties.
Military unit 57229/51 is a large arsenal for complex ammunition storage. This is at least the third drone attack on the territory of a military unit. So, on November 16, as a result of an attack, a warehouse with small arms ammunition burned down, and 630 people were evacuated from the territory of the military unit.
10:41 Ukraine officially begins negotiations with US and EU regulators on the resumption of passenger air travel. Consultations are also taking place with the Israeli Civil Aviation Administration, Infrastructure Minister Alexander Kubrakov said in an interview with RBC-Ukraine. At the same time, he added that it is too early to talk about any deadlines.
“There are not many examples in the world where there are airports where drones or missiles can fly in at any time. Israel is the most successful example. We spent and continue to spend a lot of time consulting with the Israeli civil aviation administration,” the minister said. He also noted that some European airlines are already showing interest and want to be the first to reopen the Ukrainian aviation market. Negotiations, he said, are also ongoing with three Ukrainian companies.
10:34 German Foreign Minister Annalena Bärbock supported the proposal of her British colleague David Cameron to exchange cruise missiles so that Ukraine could receive long-range weapons: “A circular exchange is, so to speak, a German invention. This would be an option. And we have already done this with other equipment some time ago."
10:22 The New York Times writes that 12 Ukrainian pilots are expected to be ready for combat flights on the F-16 in the summer of 2024 after training in Denmark, Great Britain and the United States. But by the time the pilots return to Ukraine, only six of the roughly 45 fighters promised by European allies may have been delivered. Delivery and preparation proved to be a “challenging task,” the newspaper noted. Another 13 fighters are due to arrive before the end of the year and in 2025.
Pilot training is now happening at “lightning speed,” but overall the training process is moving slower than Ukraine and its allies had hoped, the NYT writes. Although the Danish Ministry of Defense reported that Ukrainian pilots are already flying over the country’s airspace.
09:54 The Russians began to actively use powerful high-explosive FAB-1500 aerial bombs against the Ukrainian Armed Forces, capable of undermining the defense of Ukraine, CNN reports. The one-and-a-half-ton FAB-1500 consists of almost half high-explosive explosives. They are dropped from fighter jets from a distance of 60-70 km, where Ukrainian air defense systems cannot reach. The Ukrainian military says the damage from these bombs is very serious. “If you survive, you are guaranteed to have a shell shock. This puts a lot of pressure on the morale of the soldiers. Not all of our guys can withstand this. If they are more or less accustomed to the FAB-500, then the FAB-1500 is hell,” he told CNN a military man from the front-line Krasnogorovka.
09:17 Orban said after a meeting with Trump that he promised not to provide financial assistance to Ukraine if he returned to the White House: “He has a very clear vision, which is difficult to disagree with. He says the following: firstly, in the Ukrainian-Russian "He will not give a penny to the war. Therefore, the war will end, because it is obvious that Ukraine will not be able to fight on its own."
According to the Hungarian Prime Minister, if the United States does not give money to Ukraine, then Europe will also not be able to provide sufficient funding for Kyiv, “and then the war will end.” According to Orban, Trump has “fairly detailed plans” on how to end the Russian war against Ukraine, and they coincide with the interests of Hungary.
09:03 At night, the Russians attacked Kharkov with Shahed-type drones. As a result of the shelling, two apartment buildings, a hotel, an infrastructure facility and a public utility were damaged. No people were injured, said the head of the OVA, Oleg Sinegubov.
08:39 The General Staff announced the estimated losses of the Russian Federation as of the morning of March 11:
- personnel - about 424,980 (+920) people,
- tanks - 6739 (+8),
- armored combat vehicles - 12,874 (+24),
- artillery systems - 10,499 (+33),
- MLRS - 1016 (+1),
- air defense systems - 711 (+2),
- aircraft - 347 (+0),
- helicopters - 325 (+0),
- UAV of operational-tactical level - 8141 (+59),
- cruise missiles - 1919 (+0),
- ships/boats - 26 (+0),
- submarines - 1 (+0),
- automotive equipment and tank trucks - 13,826 (+74),
- special equipment - 1686 (+14).
08:24 Over the past 24 hours, 64 military clashes took place at the front, the General Staff reported in its morning report. In particular, the Russian army tried 25 times to break through the defenses of Ukrainian troops in the Novopavlovsk direction - in the areas of Krasnogorovka, Georgievka, Novomikhailovka, Urozhaynoye, Donetsk region. Another 17 enemy attacks were repulsed in the Avdeevsky direction - in the areas of the settlements of Berdychi, Orlovka, Tonenkoye, Pervomaiskoye and Nevelskoye in the Donetsk region.
The enemy did not conduct offensive actions in the Kupyansk direction. In the Liman direction, eight enemy attacks were repelled in the areas of Belogorovka, Lugansk region, as well as Ternov, Yampolevka, Sporny and Razdolovka, Donetsk region; on Bakhmutsky - five attacks in the areas of Kleshcheevka, Andreevka and east of Chasov Yar, Donetsk region; on Orekhovsky - three attacks in areas south of Novodarovka and north-west of Verbovoy, Zaporozhye region; on Kherson - four attacks.
07:45 Czech President Petr Pavel said that 800 thousand shells for Ukraine, purchased in third countries, can be delivered within a few weeks, “if there are no fundamental problems.”
06:58 The Russians massively attacked the Odessa region with drones. The Shahed-class UAVs entered from the Black Sea in complex maneuvers between residential and industrial areas, Defense Forces in the south said. In the Odessa region, as a result of the hit, an infrastructure facility was hit and administrative buildings were damaged. The fire was quickly extinguished. The shock wave damaged private houses around, but no people were injured. In total, ten drones were shot down in the region.
06:16 The Russian Ministry of Defense stated that air defense allegedly intercepted and destroyed four UAVs over the Bryansk region and two over the Oryol region at night.
05:59 Canadian Defense Minister Bill Blair reproached the United States for the delay in the delivery of the NASAMS air defense system paid for by Ottawa to Ukraine and called for “finalizing the contracts.” The previous leadership of the Canadian Defense Ministry promised back in January 2023 that the purchase would take place “as quickly as possible” and shipment “should not take years.”
03:11 The Ukrainian film 20 days in Mariupol received an Oscar for best documentary feature film. This is the first Ukrainian film to win an Oscar.