Ukraine – 3/17/23 Sitrep
By: Robert Homans & Bohdan Chomiak
March 17, 2023
Xi Jinping to Moscow
Xi Jinping’s visit to Moscow starts this coming Monday and it ends on the following Wednesday. During his visit he also plans to speak with President Zelenskyy. China wants to be seen as a peacemaker, not as an arms supplier to Russia.
China appears to be trying to build on their recent success in brokering a peace deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia. To succeed in doing the same between Russia and Ukraine, China will need willing negotiating partners, on both sides. Does that condition exist? Doubtful.
One underlying reason for Xi wanting to visit Moscow, as opposed to Putin playing a latter-day Lord McCartney by going to Beijing to pay respects to the latter-day Emperor, is that Xi likely wants to make his own on-the-ground assessment on how bad the situation in Russia really is.
Given its huge manpower losses, losses in equipment, and reduced ability to continue producing critical supplies like ammunition and cruise missiles, can Russia continue fighting in Ukraine, to the point of forcing a negotiated settlement that includes continued control of Ukrainian territory or, by trying to do so, does Russia run the risk of internal upheavals that can affect China’s security along its long border with Russia? In the end, does China have enough leverage to get Russia to agree to a deal that includes Russian withdrawal from Ukraine and, if so, what will be the nature of the withdrawal?
I sense that this isn’t a visit that will result in China agreeing to sell lethal weapons to Russia. There is too much of a downside for China, especially how such a decision would adversely affect its relationships with Europe. The relationship with the United States is already close to a rupture, and there’s the additional risk of the U.S. imposing secondary sanctions on Chinese companies that will supply weapons to Russia.
From Zelenskyy, Xi is almost certainly going to get the message that Ukraine won’t stop fighting until Russia is forced out of Ukraine. Here, China is in a box. If China provides lethal weapons to Russia, it will likely rupture their considerable commercial relations with Europe, invite secondary sanctions from the U.S., and get drawn further into a fight between Russia and Ukraine that is not of China’s making Conversely, China has no real downside from not supplying arms to Russia. Russia is not in the position to threaten a cut-off of oil sales to China. What other leverage does Russia have?
Agriculture also plays a role. Before Russia’s latest invasion, China had significant investments in Ukrainian agriculture. It is likely that much of this has either been written off or destroyed, and if China is seen as supplying lethal weapons to Russia, they won’t be welcome back. A smoothly functioning agricultural supply chain, consisting of both commodities and inputs such as fertilizer, is of great importance to China. The reason for the disruption of the pre-war agricultural supply chain lies with Russia.
Over the past several years, China and Ukraine have built up a substantial person-to-person relationship, consisting of students studying at the other country’s universities, reciprocal visits by business, etc. If China is seen as arming Russia, this will all disappear. I don’t think similar conditions exist in the relationship between China and Russia. This plays a minor role, but a role nonetheless, in Russia’s calculations.
For these reasons Xi likely isn’t coming to Russia to give Putin an “attaboy” pat on the back.
News From the Battlefield
“Reporting From Ukraine” includes a report a ploy by the Wagners fighting around Bakhmut, in which they shoot and kill their wounded, and then they ask Ukraine for a ceasefire, for the purpose of recovering their dead. When Ukraine agreed to the ceasefire and they came out to pick up their own dead, the Wagners threw a grenade at the Ukrainians.
At this stage the question about withdrawing from Bakhmut seems to be when, not if.
3/17/23 Sitrep
Russian Invasion of Ukraine 12:00 noon March 16 to 12:00 noon March 17, 2023
Abbreviations:
RMA = Regional Military Administration SBU = Security Service of Ukraine
RASHISTS = russian Facists/all russian invaders
INTERNATIONAL
March 17
11:24 Slovak Prime Minister: The Cabinet of Ministers of Slovakia has approved the transfer of MiG-29 fighters to Ukraine.
· 13 fighters will be sent.
08:11 CNN: Following the Reaper drone downing incident, the U.S. is exploring the benefits and risks of further drone use over the Black Sea, -.
March 16
23:51: Mass protests and clashes with police over pension reform take place in Paris
· Today, the French government has raised the retirement age from 62 to 64 without a vote. After that, protesters against this reform took to the streets of Paris. Clashes ensued between them and the police. Police used tear gas and water cannons. Protesters set fire to barricades and scaffolding.
23:40: Parliament is dissolved in Montenegro on the eve of the presidential elections.
· Montenegro's President Milo Djukanović on Thursday issued a decree dissolving parliament after he failed to form a government.
· In December 2022, after the failure of the government that approved the scandalous agreement with the Serbian Orthodox Church, parliament elected Miodrag Lekić as prime minister, using a likely unconstitutional procedure. After lengthy negotiations, a new government was never formed.
23:20: Legalizes Russia's seizure of Ukraine's territories: The United States did not support China's "peace plan".
· White House National Security Council Coordinator John Kirby said China's proposal, which stipulates that the parties must cease fire and start negotiating, is clearly in the Kremlin's interests and is at odds with the principles set out in the UN Charter.
· "In fact, this would recognize Russia's achievements in all its attempts to seize the territory of a neighboring country by force. In addition, it would allow Russian troops to continue the occupation of the territory of sovereign Ukraine. Therefore, a ceasefire right now, in our opinion, would mean another violation of the UN Charter," the White House spokesman said.
23:11 CNN: The U.S. believes Russia found the wreckage of a downed drone, -
· According to the publication, an unnamed official familiar with the situation said that fiberglass fragments or small pieces of the MQ-9 Reaper drone were found.
22:29 SkyNews: Western countries are currently negotiating a possible transfer of fighters to Ukraine to help in the war with Russia.
· This was reported with reference to the statement of the Prime Minister of Denmark Mette Frederiksen.
22:00. World media about Ukraine March 16
· ▫️ The New York Times: The Ukrainian military uses thousands of artillery shells a day, trying to keep the eastern city of Bakhmut, writes an American publication. The pace, which U.S. and European officials believe is unprofitable and could jeopardize a planned spring campaign that could prove decisive.
· The Washington Post: A report is offered about a bold front-line mission to evacuate reluctant Ukrainians from Chasiv Yar. Journalists point out that thirteen months after Russia's full-scale invasion, some Ukrainians who are too sick or too proud to evacuate from war zones remain in grave danger. A volunteer group is emerging that has pulled 4000 people out since May, pulling them out of some of the most dangerous places and helping them move to Ukraine or abroad.
· Politico: Ukraine has no time to waste, so the United States is in a hurry to prepare Kyiv for the spring offensive, the publication writes. Washington is increasingly concerned about the decline in supplies of ammunition and air defense in Ukraine. As noted, the US Armed Forces are quickly sending equipment to the battlefield and training Ukrainian forces on the eve of a major offensive against Russia, which is expected in late spring.
22:00 The Wall Street Journal: Ukrainian troops use more than 90 thousand 155-mm ammunition per month.
· According to the publication, to date, most of the ammunition came from US military reserves.
· In this regard, the United States hopes to increase the monthly rate of ammunition production to 50,000 shells by next year.
21:30 Bloomberg: U.S. sends a fleet of supertankers to transport oil to Europe.
· "A total of 11 supertankers, known in trade as the Very Large Crude Carriers or VLCC, and 16 Suezmax-class vessels are due to arrive in Europe from the U.S. Bay this month," the agency said in a statement.
21:03: The United States still has no plans to send F-16s to Ukraine despite Poland's decision to provide fighter jets.
· This was reported by CNN with reference to the statement of the coordinator of the US National Security Council John Kirby.
· "That doesn't change our calculations for the F-16. These are the sovereign decisions of any country and we respect those sovereign decisions," Kirby said.
19:55: Austria joins the coalition of countries working to create a special tribunal in the case of the crime of aggression against Ukraine. The group already includes 33 states.
19:46: Denmark has denied Russia access to an investigation into the Nord Stream bombings.
· This was reported by Local Denmark with reference to the statement of Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lücke Rasmussen.
· According to the Minister, the rule of law is observed in Denmark, Sweden and Germany, so their investigations can be trusted.
18:35: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says his country is providing humanitarian assistance to Ukraine but cannot transfer weapons due to difficult relations with Russia.
· According to an agreement reached several years ago by the Israeli and Russian sides at the level of governments and armies, Israeli and Russian pilots fly near Syrian airspace, which prevents Iran from opening a "third front" for Israel.
19:00: Sweden will send Ukraine 8 Archer artillery pieces.
· This was reported by Dagens Nyheter with reference to the statement of the Minister of Defense of Sweden Paul Johnson.
· "They will give Ukrainians the opportunity to disable Russian artillery systems," the statement said.
18:20: The Moldovan parliament has approved a decision to rename the state language from Moldovan to Romanian.
· In the legislation of Moldova, the phrase "Romanian language" will take the place of "Moldovan languages" the phrases "official language", "official language" and "native language" will be replaced.
17:50: Volodymyr Zelenskyy had a phone conversation with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
· He informed Sunak about the situation at the front, the defense of Bakhmut. We exchanged views on the latest international events.
· As always, we have concrete results in strengthening defense and economic support for Ukraine," the President wrote.
17:35 Head of the UN International Commission of Inquiry Eric Mösse said there was no evidence of genocide against Ukrainians. At the same time, a wide range of Russian war crimes has been identified.
· The Guardian writes that Mjose noted that the team is following the evidence and that there are "some aspects that may raise questions" about a possible genocide.
· At the same time, the Commission acknowledged that Russia had committed a wide range of war crimes in Ukraine, including intentional killings, systematic torture, and the deportation of children.
· The commission called the repeated attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure, which left hundreds of thousands of people without heat and electricity in the coldest months, potential crimes against humanity.
17:12: Germany handed over a new assistance package to Ukraine:
· five thousand 155-mm artillery shells;
· high-precision ammunition;
· missiles to the MLRS MARS II;
· 500 SFP9 pistols and more.
· The relevant information is published on the website of the German government.
17:10: EU poll: Most Europeans see Russia as an opponent of their countries.
· According to a survey by the European Council on Foreign Relations, two-thirds of EU citizen respondents consider Russia to be an adversary of their countries in 2023.
· The position of the "enemy" was the strongest in Denmark (82%), followed by Estonia and Poland (both – 79%), Great Britain (77%), Germany (69%), Spain (65%), France (59%), Portugal (57%) and Italy (54%). In Romania, 44% said Russia was an adversary or competitor.
16:55 Bloomberg: The EU seeks to strengthen sanctions against relatives of Russian oligarchs.
· The European External Action Service told member states on Wednesday that it would soon present a bill to expand the legal framework to impose restrictions on the families of Russian oligarchs.
· Also, well-known European politicians, scientists and cultural figures sent a joint appeal to the heads of state and government of 27 EU countries with a call to start negotiations on Ukraine's accession to the EU in June 2023.
16:43: Estonia will transfer weapons for snipers and equipment to Ukraine for 494 thousand euro, - Ministry of Defense of Estonia.
· The new assistance package includes: semi-automatic rifles, sniper rifles, optical sights, binoculars, ammunition, individual and special equipment, patrol boats and thermal imagers, medical equipment.
16:25: Well-known European politicians, scientists and cultural figures have sent a joint appeal to the heads of state and government of 27 EU countries calling for the start of negotiations on Ukraine's accession to the EU in June 2023.
· "Today, there is every reason to believe that the forces that are hostile to Ukraine's imminent accession to the EU have started working again," the appeal notes.
16:12: Lithuanian Defense Minister Arvidas Anushauskas announced the provision of a new military assistance package to Ukraine.
· Lithuania's new military support package for Ukraine includes 155mm ammunition, vehicles and military rations. The total cost of military support will soon reach 450 million euros.
16:04: Interior Minister Mariusz Kaminski confirmed information from the Homeland Security Agency (ABW) regarding the exposure of a spy network that worked for Russia.
· Kaminsky said that according to the evidence, this group controlled the railway routes and was preparing for sabotage actions in order to paralyze the supply of equipment, weapons and assistance from partners for Ukraine. The attackers had to attach GPS transmitters and cameras to the vehicle.
15:56 Le Figaro - French Defense Minister: French AMX-10 RC light tanks have already arrived in Ukraine, and some of them are on the front lines.
3:41 Bloomberg: The EU wants to tighten sanctions against relatives of Russian oligarchs.
· The European Union is set to create a clearer legal framework for imposing sanctions on family members of Russian oligarchs after an EU court lifted restrictions against the mother of Wagner PMC founder Yevgeny Prigozhin.
14:57 The Wall Street Journal: The member countries of the "Big Seven" intend to keep the upper limit of the price of Russian oil at $ 60 per barrel.
· According to the newspaper, US President Joe Biden told European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen that Washington had no desire to adjust oil sanctions.
14:26: The first 4 of Poland's promised 10 MiG-29 fighters will be handed over to Ukraine in the coming days.
· This was stated by Polish President Andrzej Duda at a joint press conference with his Czech counterpart Peter Pawel in Warsaw.
13:23: According to the terms of the agreement, the Russian Federation cannot suspend its participation in the Strategic Offensive Weapons Treaty.
· This is reported by the website of the US Department of State.
· In turn, the United States "remains ready to work constructively with the Russian Federation in order to fully implement the treaty."
12:51: The solar power plant was shipped from Finland on Ukraine on Tuesday, March 14. This is stated in the message of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
· The power plant provided by Finland is equipped with an intelligent backup power system that will help ensure the operation of critical electrical equipment in the event of a power outage.
12:37: The US Department of Defense published a video of a Russian fighter attack on an American MQ-9 Reaper drone over the Black Sea.
12:21 Reuters: IAEA nuclear safety inspectors found that approximately 2.5 tons of natural uranium had disappeared without a trace from one of Libya's landfills.
· According to the IAEA, uranium has disappeared from a facility that is no longer controlled by the Libyan government. The inspection of the uranium storage site was scheduled for 2022, but due to the possible dangerous situation in Libya, it was postponed. As a result, the inspection was carried out on March 14, 2023.
NATIONAL
March 17
11:56 Ukrenergo: Due to the consequences of the Russian attack on March 9, consumption restrictions are possible in Kyiv, Kyiv and Zhytomyr regions.
· In other regions, there are no restrictions on networks. Consumption limits were not brought to the regions.
· On Friday night, the energy infrastructure in the Donetsk region was shelled.
11:13 Ministry of Digital Transformation: The Southern Railway should now be called the Kharkiv Railway, - reported v.
· This railway includes Kharkiv, Sumy and Poltava regions.
· There were 4 variants of the name for this railway: Kharkiv, Slobozhanskaya, Slobodskaya and Vostochnaya.
10:22 Operational Command South: There are 19 ships on duty in the Black Sea, the number of rocket carriers reduced to 4
· The total volley "Calibers" can reach 24 missiles.
07:09 General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine: The Russians are focusing their main efforts on the Liman, Bakhmut, Avdiivka, Mariinsky and Shakhtarsky directions. During the past day, they carried out more than 70 attacks on them
· Over the past day, Russian troops inflicted 5 missile and 18 air strikes, as well as carried out 73 attacks from multiple launch rocket systems. As a result of another shelling of Kostiantynivka in the Donetsk region, 6 civilians were wounded, more than 20 houses, a school and other civilian infrastructure were damaged.
· Forced passportization of the population of the temporarily occupied territory of Zaporizhia region continues
· In particular, in the city of Melitopol, the Russian so-called authorities, together with representatives of the Russian federal tax service, banned any payments and payments to citizens who do not have a registration number of the taxpayer's account card of the Russian Federation. It, in turn, can be obtained only if you have a passport of a citizen of the Russian Federation.
· On the territory of the Oleshky district hospital of the temporarily occupied territory of the Kherson region, more than 20 severely injured Russians were brought for treatment,
· During the past day, the Aviation of the Defense Forces inflicted 7 strikes on the areas of concentration of Russians, and units of rocket troops and artillery hit 5 control points, 5 areas of concentration of personnel and military equipment of the Russian Federation, a warehouse of fuel and lubricants, 2 radar stations, an electronic warfare station and an anti-aircraft missile system in a firing position.
00:42: Ukraine will produce nuclear fuel that will replace Russian fuel on the European market - German Galushchenko
· "Ukraine is a world leader in the field of nuclear energy. And today, our nuclear specialists, together with American partners, are working to oust Russia from the world market of nuclear technologies," Herman Halushchenko stressed.
· Petro Kotin, President of NNEGC Energoatom, added that according to the plan to create its own line for the production of nuclear fuel, Energoatom plans to reach in three years.
00:21: Monitoring group Oryx claims that the Russians lost their first 2022 T-62 tank in battle.
· In general, the T-62 was put into service about 60 years ago, but last year the occupiers said that they wanted to modernize them. Now, in particular, they are installing more modern sights on tanks.
March 16
22:13: Volodymyr Zelenskyy: The day will come and a tribunal will be created to restore justice to our people. A tribunal that will punish this aggressor in the same way that the aggressors of the past were punished.
21:16: If Snake Island had not been liberated, the Russians would have destroyed Ukraine economically.
· This was stated by the Chairman of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine Kyrylo Budanov.
· "Without the restoration of control over the island, any shipping from the ports of Ukraine would be impossible," Budanov said.
19:30: Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Latvian Prime Minister Krišjanis Karins.
· "I talked about the situation at the front. It is critically important to unite the efforts of all partners and allies of Ukraine at this crucial moment.
· First of all, it is in the issue of providing the weapons necessary for the Ukrainian offensive," the President wrote after the meeting.
19:15: Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba had a phone conversation with Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang.
· "During the phone call, the importance of the principle of territorial integrity, as well as the formula of peace proposed by the President of Ukraine, was discussed," Kuleba wrote.
· The Chinese Foreign Minister stressed that Beijing has always adhered to an objective and impartial position on the "Ukrainian issue".
18:10 Operational information from the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine as of 18:00 on March 16:
· "During the day, the enemy inflicted 2 missile and 16 air strikes, as well as carried out 25 attacks from multiple launch rocket systems.
· In the Kupyansk and Liman directions, the enemy conducted unsuccessful offensive actions. In the Bakhmut direction, the enemy continues to storm the city of Bakhmut."
· "Russia continues to export looted grain from Ukraine.
· In the city of Berdyansk, Zaporozhye region, from the waters of the seaport, the transportation by enemy tugs of the Russian self-propelled barge, which is loaded with wheat, was noted.
· "Forced passportization of the population of the temporarily occupied territory of Zaporizhia region continues.
· Thus, in the city of Tokmak, the so-called Russian occupation authorities, together with representatives of the Russian FSB, threaten local citizens of Ukraine who refused to obtain Russian passports with the export of their children to the eastern regions of Russia."
· "During the day, the Aviation of the Defense Forces inflicted 7 strikes on the areas of concentration of personnel and military equipment of the occupiers.
· Units of the missile forces and artillery hit 3 control points, 2 areas of concentration of enemy personnel and military equipment, 2 radar stations, as well as a warehouse of enemy fuel and lubricants.
17:50: The "transport visa-free regime" between Ukraine and the EU has been extended until the end of June 2024.
· The agreement eliminates the need for Ukrainian carriers to obtain appropriate permits for bilateral and transit transportation to EU countries.
16:56: Ukraine has extended the "transport visa-free regime" with the European Union for a year, said Minister for Communities and Territories Development Oleksandr Kubrakov.
· "Ukraine and the European Union have extended the agreement on freight transportation by road for a year. It cancels permits for Ukrainian carriers," Kubrakov said.
15:26: Soon, a blackout in Ukraine is not foreseen if there is no shelling or damage to power facilities, said Petro Kotin, president of Energoatom.
· According to him, the situation was most tense during the winter months.
· At the same time, the President of Energoatom noted that the damage to the energy structure that occurred was damage to the lines and substations that connect nuclear power plants to the power system.
Mordor - russia
March 17
11:40: British intelligence: Russian forces advanced near Bakhmut, but this prevented them from advancing in other areas
· Along the entire front line, Russia is showing some of the lowest rates of local offensive actions seen since at least January 2023.
· For now, the Russian command will probably need to choose between conducting offensive operations and providing reliable defense along the front line.
10:08: Xi Jinping will make a state visit to Russia.
· The Chinese Foreign Ministry confirmed the Chinese President's visit to Moscow. It will start on March 20 and last until the 22nd.
08:11 Xinhua: As part of a large-scale reorganization of China's government, most areas of government will actually come under the control of the Communist Party (CCP). This is stated in the plan of reforming the party and state institutions of the PRC.
07:56 Institute for the Study of War:
· The FSB is likely to interfere in the internal work of the defense-industrial complex and the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, using the Soviet model
· ISW analysts took into account the statement of Andriy Rudyk, spokesman of the Ukrainian Center for the Study of Captured and Advanced Weapons and Military Equipment of the General Staff of Ukraine, in which he said that Ukrainian experts had found FSB markings on many Russian weapons components that Ukrainian troops destroyed or seized on the battlefield.
07:05 Institute for the Study of War: explains why Russia will lose influence in the CSTO countries.
· "Russia's redeployment of elements of its "peacekeeping forces" from Nagorno-Karabakh to Ukraine undermines Russia's influence on Armenia," the statement said.
· "Russian "peacekeeping forces" in Nagorno-Karabakh are most likely insufficient. Indeed, in March 2022, the Russian Federation redeployed units of the 15th Separate Guards Motorized Rifle Brigade - Russia's only special peacekeeping brigade - from Nagorno-Karabakh to Ukraine,"
March 16
22:51: During 2022, several Chinese companies sent Russian businesses a thousand assault rifles and other equipment that could be used for military purposes – including drone parts and bulletproof vests, Politico reports.
· Deliveries took place between June and December 2022.
21:45: New interception of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine:
· A Russian soldier talks about the murder on video of unarmed soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, his intentions and receives information about the functioning of the PMC "Wagner" on the territory of the Russian Federation.
14:42: The priority targets of Russia's future missile attacks are government buildings, said Ukrainian Armed Forces Air Force spokesman Yuri Ignat.
· "They can fire anything they want. They have priority goals - government buildings, buildings of the Armed Forces and the Ministry of Defense. That is, as they call them there, "decision-making centers," he said.
· Also, according to him, the goal of the Russians is transport infrastructure, hydraulic structures, sewage treatment plants.
13:53: In the Black Sea, 21 Russian ships are on alert, of which 5 are carriers of cruise missiles "Kalibr", the total volley of which is 32 missiles.
· According to the Navy of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the Russians also deployed 1 ship in the Sea of Azov, and 7 in the Mediterranean, of which 3 are carriers of Kalibr cruise missiles, the total volley of which is 20 missiles.
13:07: CCTV cameras recorded the moment of the explosion in the FSB building in Rostov.
· As a result of the explosion, one person died, two were injured, - the media, citing emergency services.
13:06: Gauleiter (term derived from WWII describes a collaborator), of Crimea Aksyonov called for the deprivation of Russian citizenship of all those who do not fall under the anthem of Russia.
KHARKIV
March 17
09:21 Kharkiv RMA: During the past day, Vovchansk, Kupyansk, Strelech, Ogirtsevo, Shevchenkove, Gryannikovka and others were under fire from Russians. Damaged residential buildings and utility buildings. No civilian casualties.
DONETSK
March 17
10:56 Donetsk RMA: A colony building has been damaged in the Kurakhivska community. The Mariinsky and Ocheretynska communities were under fire. In the morning, an air missile strike took place on Avdiivka, without casualties.
· There were two waves of shelling of Kostiantynivka from Uraganiv with cluster munitions : 6 people were wounded, 19 houses, a school and an enterprise were damaged. 1 person was killed and 1 wounded in Toretsk, it is known about 1 wounded and 5 damaged high-rise buildings in Bakhmut. In the Soledar community, 10 houses were damaged, and it was loud in the Chasovoyarska community.
· Under fire were the outskirts of the Seversk community, Torskoye and Zarechnoye of the Liman community.
10:36 Presidents Office: The Russians carried out 4 airstrikes on Avdiivka. No casualties
08:45 Donetsk RMA: On March 16, Russians killed 2 residents of Donetsk region: in Toretsk and the village of Krasnohorivka, - the head of the OVA Pavel Kirilenko.
· Another 8 people in the region were injured.
March 16
23:40 Social Networks: Explosions are heard in the Kramatorsk district of the Donetsk region.
20:28 Donetsk RMA: 6 people were wounded as a result of another Russian shelling of Konstantinovka, said Pavlo Kyrylenko.
· "This afternoon, the Russians twice struck the city with Hurricanes with cluster munitions.
· At least 19 houses, a school and an enterprise were damaged to varying degrees," Kyrylenko wrote.
15:11: In the temporarily occupied village of Maloyanisol, Mariupol district, there is a fire and detonation of an ammunition depot of the Russian military.
· This was announced by advisor to the mayor of Mariupol Petro Andryushchenko.
12:31 CNN: Defenders in the Donetsk region shot down a Chinese modernized Mugin-5 drone.
· Some tech bloggers say these devices are known as "Alibaba drones" because they were available for sale for up to $15,000 on Chinese internet sites including Alibaba and Taobao.
· Mugin Limited confirmed to CNN that it was their vehicle, calling the incident "deeply unfortunate."
12:16: One of them is a troop nurse: The SB exposed two friends who were leaking data on the positions of the Armed Forces near Bakhmut by the Russians.
· According to the special service, the enemy agents included two residents of Kramatorsk. In addition, women recorded the results of enemy shelling on Ukrainian infrastructure to correct repeated enemy strikes.
ZAPORIZHIA
March 16
20:10: In the city of Tokmak in the temporarily occupied Zaporizhia, the enemy conducts forced passportization, in case of refusal threatens that he will take the children of local residents to Russia.
· At the same time, units of the missile forces and artillery of the Armed Forces of Ukraine hit 3 control points and 2 areas of concentration of the enemy during the day.
DNIPRO
March 16
20:44 Dnipro RMA: Russians fired heavy artillery at the Nikopol district.
· "Previously, it passed without dead and injured. As for the consequences of the attacks, they are now being clarified by rescuers," Lysak wrote.
KHERSON
March 17
08:19 Social Networks: Explosions heard in Kherson
09:55 Kherson RMA: Russians attacked peaceful settlements of Kherson region 76 times.
· The Russian army shelled residential areas of Kherson 13 times. Shells targeted a medical facility, private and apartment buildings. One person was injured.
06:08 Social Networks: In the temporarily occupied Oleshky, Kherson region, a fire as a result of shelling by Russian soldiers. Video from a local telegram channel.
05:12 Social Networks: Explosions are heard in the temporarily occupied Oleshky, Kherson region.
March 16
21:42 Social Networks: Explosions are heard in Kherson.
KYIV
March 17
09:07 Kyiv RMA: In the Kyiv region, the sounds of explosions can be heard.
· Today, in the Vyshgorod district, explosive objects will be destroyed.
SUMY
March 16
12:06 Sumy RMA: This morning, 3 Russian shelling (2 artillery, 1 grenade launcher) of the Bilopilska community of Sumy region was recorded.
· 23 arrivals from artillery and 110 shots from an AGS grenade launcher were recorded. No casualties.
ZAKARPATTIA
March 16
13:38: According to the SBU, the rector of the UOC (MP) church in Zakarpattia was charged and suspended from service
· In December last year, he repeatedly publicly insulted the religious feelings of Ukrainians who expressed a desire to celebrate Christmas on December 25.
· SBU officers documented more than 7 episodes when the priest humiliated the religious feelings of citizens of other denominations and tried to form hostile sentiments towards them.
Comparing Soviet invasion of Afghanistan to Russian invasion of Ukraine using Wikipedia and Ukraine Ministry of Defense Daily Bulletins. Soviet and Russian military losses not including captured equipment.
SOURCES
https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/
https://espreso.tv/
https://cutt.ly/Blyskavka
www.ubn.news