Bob Homans March 19
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Ukraine – 3/19 Sitrep
By: Bohdan Chomiak & Robert Homans
March 19, 2023
Wars Within the War/”The Museum Director Who Stayed Behind to Defend Ukrainian Literature”/”New Yorker” by Masha Gessen
In two emails last week I described 2 other examples of “wars within the war” that Ukraine is fighting, in addition to the shooting war that gets most of the attention, starting with the efforts of the National Bank of Ukraine to defend Ukraine’s financial system, and followed by the electrical workers who are keeping Ukraine’s lights on. This article, from the New Yorker Magazine, describes the work of Tetyana Pylypchuk and her staff at the Kharkiv Literary Museum, in saving Ukraine’s unique literary heritage from Russian assaults.
Kharkiv is a center of Ukrainian learning, the site of several prestigious universities, and Ukrainian culture, combined with the fact that a large portion of the population of Kharkiv speak Russian. At the time of the 1932/33 Famine, Kharkiv was the capital of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic.
Kharkiv’s universities and centers of learning have suffered heavy damage in this war. As Gessen writes, “On May 6th 2022, a Russian missile destroyed the museum of Hryhorii Skovoroda, an eighteenth-century Ukrainian philosopher and poet, one of the most important Ukrainian cultural figures, who was from a village near modern-day Kharkiv. Tetyana Pylypchuk spent the next morning crying. But she also felt a kind of relief. So, this is how it will be, she thought. This was precisely the terror presaged by Putin’s articles and speeches, the systematic annihilation of Ukrainian culture. Ukrainian culture had to fight back.” And so, she did.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) Arrest Warrants on Vladimir Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova
Bill Browder, no stranger to Interpol Red Notices initiated against him by the Russian Federation, reminds us in his interview on Times Radio of the significance of the warrant on Chilsren’s Commissioner of the Russian Federation, Maria Lvova-Belova, the implementor of the kidnapping of Ukrainian children into the Russian Federation, for which both she and Putin have been accused by the ICC.
Browder describes Lvova-Belova as “Putin’s servant.” If Lvova-Belova isn’t exempt from an ICC arrest warrant, then no one in the government of the Russian Federation, Putin’s servants all, is exempt. The Magnitsky Act that Browder championed was designed not so much to go after senior leaders. The Act was designed to go after the functionaries. The first people who were sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury and State Departments under the Magnitsky Act, were the approximately 30 individual Russians who were directly involved in Sergei Magnitsky’s prosecution, incarceration, and death. These are people who were identified by Magnitsky himself prior to his death, and the names were provided to Magnitsky by his lawyer. None of these individuals, mostly in their mid 30s like Lvova-Belova who is 38, can ever leave Russia.
In his interview, Browder also reminds us to “never say never,” when it comes to the prospect of Putin or Lvova-Belova ever going to the Hague. If a new Russian Government emerges because of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, they may well decide to remand both Putin and Lvova-Belova to the Hague, likely in return for relaxed sanctions. This is precisely how former Serbian President Slobodan Milošević ended up in the Hague.
News From the Battlefield
There is a lot of talk about a Ukrainian “Spring Offensive.” Perhaps this should be modified, to “Spring OffensiveS,” like the concurrent offensives of last Fall, in the Kharkiv and Kherson Regions. The last 2 “Reporting From Ukraine,” dated March 17th and March 18th should be viewed consecutively, complemented by the “Latest Denys” dated March 18th.
The March 17th “Reporting From Ukraine” covers multiple Ukrainian attacks across a wide area in the Zaporizhia Region, in southern Ukraine, in the same general area, above Melitopol, where many experts predict a Ukrainian offensive will take place. The March 18th videos from both Denys and “Reporting From Ukraine” not only describe recent developments around Bakhmut where, among other things, Ukrainians have re-crossed the river from where they recently retreated, but also a significant build-up of Ukrainian forces southwest and northwest of Bakhmut. Both include videos of large amounts of Ukrainian equipment located near Bakhmut, much of which appears to be armored personnel carriers.
All of this, in 2 theaters of operations some distance apart from each other, is likely taking place prior to the arrival of large quantities of Western equipment, ammunition, and over 30 MiG 29s from Poland and Slovakia. As the Economist pointed out, roughly 2/3rds of the equipment supplied by the U.S. since the start of Russia’s most recent invasion on February 24, 2022, have been/are being delivered since the December 2022 Ramstein Conference.
Perhaps Ukrainian General Zaluzhny, unlike British Lieutenant General Bernard Law Montgomery at el Alamein in 1942, isn’t waiting to be fully supplied with offensive weapons from the West.
3/19/23 Sitrep (my comments in bold face)
Russian Invasion of Ukraine 12:00 noon March 17 to 12:00 noon March 19, 2023
Abbreviations:
RMA = Regional Military Administration SBU = Security Service of Ukraine
RASHISTS = russian Facists/all russian invaders
INTERNATIONAL
Sunday March 19
11:25: Canada has sent Ukraine a new batch of military aid, including armored vehicles.
· The video of the process of loading it into the transport plane "Ruslan" was published by the Minister of Defense of the country Anita Anand.
· "We will support Ukraine as much as necessary," Anand wrote.
10:55: German Justice Minister Marco Bushmann said in an interview with Die Zeit that he would comply with demands for Putin's "arrest" if "his foot sets foot on German territory."
· "The ICC will quickly contact Interpol and demand enforcement. Then Germany will be obliged to arrest President Putin and hand him over to the ICC if he enters the territory of Germany," the German official said.
10:00: "In the coming days, we will transfer to Ukraine those weapons that will significantly help it in the coming weeks and months," said John Kirby, strategic communications coordinator at the White House National Security Council, in an interview with Voice of America.
· "We are transferring military assistance to Ukrainian soldiers with unprecedented speed, understanding the urgency of the situation. I will not foresee Ukrainian operations or their needs, let them talk about it themselves," Kirby said.
08:45: Serbia and partially recognized Kosovo have fully pledged to comply with all articles of the Agreement on the path to normalization of relations.
· This was announced by the EU representative for foreign affairs and security policy Josep Borrell.
07:43 Politico: NATO is discussing the possibility of deploying equipment and up to 300 thousand troops on the eastern borders of the Alliance with Russia so that the Russians could not go to war outside Ukraine.
00:31: A Ukrainian mural Grains of Culture ("Grains of Culture") was opened in the capital of Kenya, Nairobi.
· The project was developed by the cultural development agency Port and the Ukrainian Institute with the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine.
Saturday March 18
23:30: Police clashes with protesters continue in France.
· Police are trying to push protesters away from downtown Paris. In response, people launch flares at them and burn garbage cans.
22:51 Minister of Defense Canada: Canada has sent Bergepanzer 3 armored repair and evacuation vehicles to Ukraine
22:10 Polish Ministry of Defense: Poland and Slovakia will jointly transfer 33 MiG-29 fighters to Ukraine
· 13 planes from Slovakia, 20 from Poland.
· This is a very significant transfer, especially considering that Ukraine has been able to reconfigure some of its own MiG29s, allowing them to be used as platforms to fire missiles supplied by the U.S., such as the anti-radiation HARMS missile that Ukraine allegedly used last Summer to attack the Saki airbase in temporarily occupied Crimea. More information on this development can be found in the Latest Denys (around 9 minutes into the video).
19:58: China and Russia plan to create space weapons to destroy U.S. satellites.
· This was reported by American Military News with reference to the statement of the US Space Force Commander, General Bradley Chance Salttzman.
· According to him, China's technologies of greatest concern to the military include ground-based lasers and electronic warfare equipment that can disable communication satellites.
19:25 The Guardian: The U.S. has begun deporting Russians who have fled mobilization.
· According to the publication, at least one person who fled Russia after the announcement of mobilization in September has already been expelled from the United States.
17:45: Ukrainians in the temporarily occupied territories were tortured and ill-treated by the so-called "Russian authorities".
· This was reported by the Independent International Commission for the Investigation of Violations in Ukraine.
· "Particularly brutal torture was used against active or former servicemen of the Ukrainian armed forces and related persons, including their relatives," the report says.
16:46: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has supported changes to its lending rules. This paves the way for a new loan program for Ukraine.
· According to a report on the IMF website, the Executive Board of the Fund approved changes to its financial guarantees policy.
· This will allow the IMF to help countries in a situation of "extremely high uncertainty".
16:26: Britain's Ministry of Defence showed how Ukrainian Armed Forces soldiers are trained on Challenger 2 tanks.
15:56: Grain deal extended. This was announced by Turkish President Erdogan, Hurriyet reports.
· Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu also said that Turkey would make every effort to extend the "grain agreement".
· 16:08: The Minister of Infrastructure of Ukraine Oleksandr Kubrakov said that the grain agreement had been extended for 120 days.
15:22 Reuters: U.S. resumes reconnaissance drone flights over the Black Sea.
· According to U.S. officials, the RQ-4 Global Hawk drone has already made a mission in the region this Friday. They also added that this was the first such drone flight after an incident that occurred with a Russian fighter jet on March 14.
15:04: Former U.S. President Donald Trump says he will be arrested Tuesday.
· A message about this appeared on his social network Truth Social.
· According to him, the decision was made at the Manhattan District Attorney's Office, which he called "highly corrupt."
14:27 Reuters: On Monday, March 20, several EU countries will sign an agreement on the joint purchase of artillery shells for Ukraine.
· The agreement on joint purchases of 155 mm artillery shells will be signed on the sidelines of the meeting of the Foreign Ministers and defense of the EU countries in Brussels. The first orders according to the plan can be delivered by the end of May.
13:42: Moldova will never be "on the side of the killers", so Chisinau supports and will continue to support Ukraine, says Moldovan President Maia Sandu.
· According to her, Chisinau also announced the Kremlin's attempts to overthrow the constitutional system in Moldova. The country is looking for resources for its development in Romania, the EU, the USA and Japan.
12:45 Insitutute for the Study of War: Vučić refused to promise that Serbia would not impose sanctions on Russia.
· The Institute for the Study of War reports that the Serbian president recognized that Belgrade's decision not to join European sanctions against the Russian Federation led to "difficult economic circumstances" for the country.
12:28: The International Criminal Court's warrant for Putin's arrest for illegal deportation and the transfer of children from Ukraine to Russia is the beginning of a process of responsibility, EU diplomacy chief Josep Borrell on his Twitter handle.
· "We appreciate and support the work of the ICC. There can be no impunity," Borrell said.
12:15 Ukrainians still travel to Moscow via Lviv.
· For many, it may be unpleasant to discover that passenger traffic between Ukraine and Russia is actually open. Despite the closed border with the aggressor state, the carriers found workarounds through European countries.
12:12: YouTube unblocked Donald Trump's account after a two-year ban
· Obviously, in this way they want to let voters hear the opinions of the main candidates in the run-up to the US presidential election.
· In January 2021, Trump was blocked for inciting violence after his supporters stormed the Capitol.
11:06 U.S. President: The decision of the International Criminal Court in The Hague to issue a warrant for the arrest of Putin and the Children's Ombudsman of the Russian Federation Lvova-Bylova is justified.
· "The United States does not recognize the jurisdiction of the ICC, but the court's decision is a strong position, since Putin is involved in war crimes," Biden said.
11:00 State authorities, businesses and private companies in the Czech Republic have banned their workers from using the Chinese social network TikTok on work computers and phones for security reasons.
· As a reminder, civil servants have also been banned from using TikTok in the US, UK, Canada, the two largest governing institutions of the European Union, the European Parliament, the Danish Ministry of Defense, and are banned in the Netherlands.
10:15 Germany has announced that it will not boycott the 2024 Olympics because of Russians and Belarusians.
· "Regardless of the decision of the IOC and international sports federations to admit Russian and Belarusian athletes, we reject the boycott of international competitions for fundamental reasons. The only victims of such a sports boycott are athletes who will lose, perhaps, the only chance to fulfill their Olympic dream," the German NOC said.
08:14 The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) will consider the submission of the Netherlands and Australia against Russia over the downing of the Malaysian plane flight MH17, Dutch Foreign Minister Wopke Hoekstra said.
08:14 The United Kingdom positively assesses the publication by the International Criminal Court of a warrant for the arrest of Russian President Putin. The UK's deputy ambassador to the UN, James Kariuki, said at a meeting of the UN Security Council that his country was "fully committed to holding Russia accountable for its illegal actions in Ukraine."
07:00 The United States plans to provide $7.4 billion in humanitarian and budgetary support to Ukraine by September.
00:48: Poland will deploy MLRS HIMARS on the border with the Kaliningrad region of Russia.
· This was reported by Portal Samorządowy with reference to the statement of the Minister of Defense of Poland Mariusz Blaszczak.
· "They will be given to the 16th Mechanized Division in Olsztyn," Blaszczak said.
00:16: The Cabinet of Ministers has approved an agreement on the transfer of the MiG-29 from Slovakia to Ukraine, said the Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal.
· "The Slovak government today approved the sending of 13 MiG-29s to Ukraine.
· We are working promptly and smoothly to ensure that our military receives new "wings" as soon as possible," Shmyhal wrote.
Friday March 17
23:40: Director of the Center for Middle East Studies Igor Semyvolos: All politicians in the world are not able to talk to Putin and only Xi Jinping is able to negotiate with him.
· However, I believe that after the decision of the International Court of Justice in The Hague to issue a warrant for the arrest of the Russian president, it will be more difficult for Xi Jinping to work with Putin in order to promote his own ideas. Xi Jinping, like some other politicians such as Erdogan, is trying to mediate the war and put the two presidents at the negotiating table. Next, bring it to a process that will have no end.
21:46 World media about Ukraine Friday March 17:
· The Guardian: The International Criminal Court in The Hague has charged Children's Commissioner Maria Lvovskaya-Belova with mass kidnapping of Ukrainian children. This means that an international arrest warrant has now been issued, indicating the speed with which the international legal community pursued allegations of war crimes during Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the publication notes.
· The New York Times: China's top leader, Xi Jinping, will travel to Russia next week to meet with President Vladimir Putin during a visit that could have broad implications for Moscow's war in Ukraine and the problematic relationship between Beijing and Washington. Mr Xi is expected to make a state visit to Russia Monday through Wednesday.
· Politico: There are growing doubts about the expediency of keeping the destroyed front-line city of Bakhmut from relentless Russian attacks, the publication notes. But Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky insists that his high command is united in maintaining a grueling defense that has been going on for months. Bakhmut's detention made sense while Russia suffered much greater losses, the media writes, but the logic of postponing it is now in question.
21:15: Hungary, following Turkey, also ratifies Finland's accession to NATO.
· This was announced by the head of the Fidesz faction, Mate Kochysh.
· "We will postpone the vote in parliament on this issue to March 27, when we vote unanimously in favor," Kochysh wrote.
19:56: Turkey decides to begin the process of ratifying Finland's membership in NATO.
· This was reported by Anadolu Agency with reference to the statement of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
· At this, the Turkish President added that negotiations with Sweden on NATO membership would continue.
17:22 Reuters BBC: The International Criminal Court in The Hague has issued a warrant for Putin's arrest.
· The court also issued a warrant for the arrest of the Russian President's Commissioner for Children's Rights Levova-Belova.
· Putin and Lviv-Belova are suspected of illegally deporting Ukrainian children.
· Yesterday, the removal of Ukrainian children to the territory of the Russian Federation could be considered a war crime, the UN commission of inquiry said.
o Putin's arrest warrant means that outside of Russia he must be arrested and taken to court, explained Ukrainian Prosecutor General Andrei Kostin.
o "World leaders will think three times before shaking hands with him or sitting down at the negotiating table with him.
o This is just the beginning of a long journey towards restoring justice," Kostin wrote.
16:55: Latvia has added 35 Russians to the stoplist for supporting the war against Ukraine, the Latvian Foreign Ministry said.
· "Latvia strongly condemns Russia's unjustified war in Ukraine. Supporting the atrocities committed by the Kremlin regime means co-responsibility for the crimes committed," the statement said.
· The stop list lists artists, journalists, bloggers and public figures.
16:25: Several EU countries want to specify an initiative to jointly purchase ammunition for Ukraine.
· According to the publication Handelsblatt, they propose to transfer a million artillery shells by the end of the year. This is stated in the draft conclusions of the EU summit, which will be held on March 23-24.
· It is noted that now such an initiative on specific promises for the supply of ammunition has already been supported by the Baltic countries, Poland, Finland, and Romania.
15:55 The Guardian: Russian propaganda is increasingly using the far-right in the United States to weaken support for Ukraine
· Since Russia launched its invasion last February, Fox News host Tucker Carlson and Trump's ally – influential far-right podcaster Steve Bannon – have promoted several the most baseless allegations that help bolster Kremlin aggression.
· In addition, new research by think tanks that track disinformation notes that alternative social media platforms such as Parler, Rumble, Gab and Odysee are increasingly being used to spread Russian untruths, as Facebook and Twitter have strengthened their containment of Moscow's propaganda.
15:40: An important phase of the restoration of Notre-Dame-de-Paris has been completed in France. Restorers mounted a new spire instead of a burnt one - the media.
· With the end of the restoration, the spire will reach a height of 96 meters. Like its original version, it was made of elite oak wood and also covered with lead.
14:05: The European Union will transfer the second tranche of €1.5 billion to Ukraine next week under the €18 billion macro-financial assistance program.
· This was announced by the Vice President of the European Commission Valdis Dombrovskis.
13:20: Libyan National Army says it has found 2.5 tons of natural uranium that disappeared from the landfill the day before, the BBC.
· 10 barrels of uranium were found near the border with Chad, five kilometers from their previous storage point.
· The IAEA is currently "working to check" the national army's messages and is trying to find out who moved uranium and why.
13:05: After an American MQ-9 Reaper drone crashed in the Black Sea, the U.S. sent another similar drone to the scene of its crash.
· This was reported by CNN with reference to sources.
· According to them, the Pentagon does not intend to completely stop drone flights over the Black Sea until the investigation into the incident is completed.
12:50: Employees of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine conducted an operation to release from captivity and evacuate Ukrainian citizens who were held in terrible conditions in Syria.
· Military intelligence officers returned home two Ukrainian women and six children – tonight they crossed the state border.
12:42 Bild: Destroyed in Gostomel Ukrainian Mriya was due to fly to Germany on the eve of the Russian invasion.
· The German publication claims that in the evening before the start of a full-scale Russian invasion, the crew and pilots boarded a fully refueled cargo plane, but according to Captain Dmitry Antonov, they were "not allowed to take off at the behest of senior management."
· It is reported that since January 26, 2022, a parking space at Leipzig/Halle airport has been provided for Mriya in Germany.
NATIONAL
Sunday March 19
11:55: Over the past day, pyrotechnic units of the State Emergency Service examined almost 38.1 hectares of territories. 553 explosive objects were found, seized and neutralized, the press service of the State Emergency Service said.
09:45: According to the Navy of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, 9 Russian ships are on combat duty in the Black Sea, including 2 carriers of cruise missiles "caliber" with a total volley of up to 16 missiles, in the Sea of Azov – 1 Russian ship.
· Also, in the Mediterranean Sea up to 7 ships of the Russian Federation, of which 3 carriers of cruise missiles "Kalibr", a total volley of up to 20 missiles.
07:08: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine: The main efforts of the enemy are focused on attempts to completely seize Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
· To achieve its goals, it continues offensive operations in the Liman, Bakhmut, Avdiivka, Mariinsky and Shakhtarsky directions.
· Over the past day, our defenders repulsed 83 attacks on this sector of the front. The epicenter of the fighting remains Bakhmut.
· Over the past day, the enemy inflicted 11 missile strikes, 4 of them - on civilian infrastructure of the city of Zaporozhye.
· Also, 16 air strikes and 99 attacks from multiple launch rocket systems by Russian troops were recorded.
· Over the past day, the Aviation of the Defense Forces of Ukraine has inflicted 10 strikes on areas of concentration of Russian troops.
· At the same time, the Shahed-136 UAV was shot down, and Ukrainian rocket scientists and artillerymen hit 7 areas of concentration of Russian personnel and military equipment.
00:11: The Embassy of the United States of America in Kyiv congratulates Ukrainians on World Recycling Day. The postcard depicts a Ukrainian tractor, towing a Russian tank.
· "As we celebrate World Recycling Day, let's think about what we can do to reduce waste, reuse items, and restore the health of our planet," the Americans wrote.
Saturday March 18
23:50: Sowing campaign has started in Ukraine in 10 regions. The Ministry of Agrarian Policy reports that over the past week, farmers have sowed 66.6 thousand tons. ha of grain and leguminous crops.
· In total, since the beginning of the campaign, 82.7 thousand hectares have been sown. ha of grain and leguminous crops:
o 26 thousand. ha – spring wheat,
o 44,2 thousand. ha – spring barley,
o 12 thousand. ha – peas,
o 0.5 thousand. ha – oats.
21:32: Evening address by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy:
· "There are new sanctions of the National Security and Defense Council. More than 400 people and companies. Most of them are Russian. This is the military-industrial complex of a terrorist state.
· But they are also Iranian and Syrian individuals, those who help terror.
18:25 Operational information from the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine as of 18:00 on March 18:
· "During the day, the enemy inflicted 5 missile strikes, 4 of them - on civilian infrastructure of the city of Zaporozhye.
· The enemy also launched 12 air strikes and carried out more than 20 attacks from multiple launch rocket systems."
· "The Russian occupiers continue to use civilian institutions in the temporarily occupied territory of the Zaporizhia region for their own needs.
· In particular, the enemy uses the school building of one of the settlements of Pology district as a field hospital for 50 beds.
· Thus, the occupiers are trying to reduce the time for the return of personnel from among the sanitary losses to the ranks."
· "In Rubizhne, Luhansk region, the local occupation so-called authorities force the population to obtain citizenship of the Russian Federation.
· Ukrainian passports are not yet taken away from people, however, for employment it is necessary to have a passport of a citizen of the Russian Federation."
· "During the day, the Aviation of the Defense Forces of Ukraine inflicted 6 strikes on the areas of concentration of the invaders.
· Also, this day, our defenders shot down the enemy UAV "Shahed-136", and units of rocket troops and artillery in a day hit 7 areas of concentration of enemy personnel and military equipment.
15:45: Metropolitan Epiphanius denied information about the closure of the monastery in Lavra
· "In connection with the events related to the Holy Assumption Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, I consider it necessary to give explanations on a number of issues. In no case is it about the closure of this monastery, the cessation of prayer, services, monastic life in it. Comparing the current events with the past persecution of the communist authorities against the church in general and the two-fold closure of the monastery is an unfounded manipulation," the message says.
14:41: The President of Ukraine signed a law on compensation for housing damaged because of hostilities, according to the website of the Verkhovna Rada.
· Owners of the destroyed property will receive digital housing certificates with the right to compensation. Compensation will be provided for destroyed or damaged property from February 24, 2022.
· The law will not apply to objects that were in the temporarily occupied territory on the date of the introduction of martial law.
14:11: Volodymyr Zelenskyy imposes sanctions on Syrian President Bashar Hafez al-Assad for 10 years.
· The President also enacted the decision of the National Security and Defense Council on the application of sanctions against 300 individuals and 141 legal entities. Including three citizens of Syria, seven - Iran, the rest - Russia.
13:26: It is possible that today there will still be large-scale air raids due to the take-off of the MiG-31 in Belarus, says Yurii Ignat, spokesman of the Air Force Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
· The speaker reminded that the occupiers could attack with Dagger-type missiles and urged not to ignore the alarms.
12:56 NBU: Banks in Ukraine will check customers for ties with Russia to help increase transparency.
· Currently, the categories of clients for which the bank is obliged to identify and document such information and the amount of relevant information for each category have been identified.
11:53: According to the SBU, the assets of a Russian businessman in the Chernihiv region worth more than UAH 1 billion were transferred in to the state.
· It has been established that he owns a group of Russian companies that carry out orders to produce military clothing and equipment for the occupation groups of the Russian Federation.
· 11:30 Ukrenergo 21: In the Kyiv region and Zhytomyr region, power outages are possible –There are no restrictions in other regions. The restoration of energy facilities damaged by Russian attacks continues.
08:52 Operational Command South: The threat of a missile strike from the Black Sea is quite large.
· She stressed that this is indicated by the Shahid attacks last night, which the Russians use to detect air defense systems.
· According to her, the number of rocket carriers decreased overnight — now the group of Russians is 17 ships. The total volley of "Calibers" can be up to 22 missiles. Russian aviation has also intensified.
07:15 General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine: The Russians launched 34 air strikes. 11 of them - using the Shahed-136 UAV. 10 of these UAVs were destroyed by our air defense units, but one, unfortunately, hit the industrial infrastructure. Fortunately, there are no civilian casualties.
· They also launched one missile strike and carried out 57 attacks from the MLRS. One of them is in the village of Gigantic, Kherson region. The wreckage damaged 7 private houses and the building of a local kindergarten. Here, too, fortunately, there were no casualties.
· the Russians focused their main efforts on conducting offensive operations in the Liman, Bakhmut, Avdiivka, Mariinsky and Shakhtarsky directions. Thanks to professional and coordinated actions, Ukrainian defenders repulsed more than 100 Russian attacks in these areas
· The local so-called authorities in the temporarily occupied and occupied territories of Luhansk region announced the start of large-scale military exercises involving the entire male conscription population of Starobilsk, Shchastya, Novy Aidar, Novopskov and Nizhneteploye, which have passports with the words "LPR" and "Russian Federation". Thus, the Russians are trying to hide the total mobilization in the above-mentioned settlements,
· Between the settlements of Yishun and The Military of the temporarily occupied territory of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, Russians began construction of fortifications and trenches. Civilians are forcibly involved in the performance of work free of charge,
· During the day, the aviation of the Defense Forces of Ukraine inflicted 6 strikes on the areas of concentration of Russians, and units of rocket troops and artillery hit 2 areas of concentration of Russian personnel and 1 position of deployment of their air defense system.
02:30 Air Force Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine: The Air Defense Forces destroyed 11 of the 16 Shahedas.
· The attack was carried out from two directions - from the east coast of the Sea of Azov and from the Bryansk region of the Russian Federation.
Friday March 17
23:58 Defense Express: Only two directions of Russia's offensive have dynamics, and in the south there are signs of a counteroffensive of the Armed Forces of Ukraine: military results of the week.
· Bakhmut has become a section of the front on which more and more depends. The situation remains difficult. The enemy is trying to put pressure on the city from the south and north and squeeze ticks. There are also attacks from the east. The Russians are trying to squeeze into the territory of the metal plant, the fighting continues there. The Armed Forces of Ukraine have enough forces and means. The question is to maintain the northern and southern flank.
· Kreminna - Svatove - Kupyansk is a line that reflects the general approaches of the Russian Federation to press our troops to the Stallion River. The Russians' reserves in this area are up to four regiments that can be thrown to bolster Russian troops here. This could lead to an escalation of hostilities on this line.
22:01: The Security Service emphasizes the inevitability of punishment for crimes against Ukraine.
· Every perpetrator will be exposed and brought to justice, regardless of where he is hiding from justice, said SBU Head Vasyl Malyuk.
· "We are doing everything to show the world not emotions, but a clear evidence base that will eventually lead Putin to a well-deserved finale in the dock. putin definitely deserves an international tribunal," Malik said.
21:01: Minister of Education and Science Serhii Shkarlet plans to resign, according to media reports.
· According to the report, the decision was made "at the highest level", an application for dismissal is expected today.
19:18: Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a decree dismissing Mariana Betsa from the post of Ambassador of Ukraine to Estonia.
· By subsequent decree, the president appointed Maxim Kononenko to this post.
18:22 Operational information from the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine as of 18:00 on March 17:
· "During the day, the aggressor inflicted 19 air strikes and carried out 26 attacks from multiple launch rocket systems.
· On the territory of the Belgorod region, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation are holding groups of troops to carry out demonstrative actions and prevent the transfer of our units to other directions."
· "In the city of Svatove, Luhansk region, in one of the buildings, which is located in the eastern part of the city, there is a new hospital of the occupiers.
· Currently, there are about 30 severely injured soldiers of the Russian Armed Forces, which were brought there over the past two days."
· "In general, there is an increase in the number of severely injured Russian military.
· Evacuation flights to the territory of Russia increased from two to three per week.
· Local residents who have at least some medical education are involved in serving the wounded."
· "The Russians, with the active support of local collaborators, are increasing the number of torture chambers in the temporarily occupied and occupied territories of Ukraine.
· Thus, the newly created torture chamber was seen in the south-eastern part of Energodar, Zaporozhye region.
· Citizens with pro-Ukrainian views, as well as those who do not want to comply with the demands of the so-called local occupation authorities, are subjected to severe torture there."
· "The aviation of the Defense Forces in a day inflicted 6 strikes on the areas of concentration of personnel and military equipment of the occupiers."
15:45 Radio Svoboda: Suppliers of food for the army buy products two to three times cheaper than they sell to the Ministry of Defense.
· Journalists received at their disposal 8 contracts for army food concluded between the Ministry of Defense and private firms in December 2022.
· Investigators concluded that even after prices fell and contracts were limited to three months, from many key positions, prices still remain above the market average.
· It was also established that army suppliers themselves purchase the most "popular" products for the army (potatoes, apples, eggs, cabbage, etc.) at prices two to three times lower than they eventually supply to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
· For example, the cost of eggs for the Ministry of Defense averaged 9 hryvnias apiece, although companies buy them in the range of 5.4-6.3 hryvnias apiece.
16:15 Mine hazard:
· In the Chernihiv region, a tractor hit an enemy mine, as a result of which the driver was injured. Proceedings have been opened for violation of the laws and customs of war.
· In the Kalynivka community in the Kherson region, a 57-year-old man who was collecting firewood exploded on a Russian mine. He was taken to hospital in serious condition. Due to the explosion, the victim was left without part of his left leg, and he also had shrapnel wounds to his right lower leg.
· In Izyum in the Kharkiv region, a 66-year-old woman who was in the forest was blown up on an anti-personnel mini "Petal". With a serious injury, she was taken to hospital.
15:31: The National Anti – Corruption Bureau found $150 thousand of unjustified assets from the Deputy Head of the State Customs Service Ruslan Cherkassky.
· It is noted that in June 2022, Charkassky submitted to the register of declarations data on changes in property status: on June 11, he announced the receipt of a gift from his father - more than 3 million 995 thousand rubles. UAH.
15:25: Volodymyr Zelenskyy had a phone conversation with Prime Minister of Slovakia Eduard Heger.
· "Our Brussels agreements are working! In a phone conversation, he thanked the Prime Minister of Slovakia Eduard Heger for a powerful package of air and anti-aircraft weapons, in particular for MiG aircraft," the President of Ukraine said.
14:55: Mass searches are taking place in regional gas companies owned by Dmytro Firtash today – the SBU and the BEB are conducting a large-scale special operation against the gas wing of the DF-group.
· In particular, searches are taking place in Kyiv, Lviv, Rivne, Vinnytsia, Kharkiv, Transcarpathia, Ivano-Frankivsk and all other offices of the Regional Gas Company.
· Law enforcement officers are investigating a scheme of illegal withdrawal of funds paid for consumed gas to controlled structures. Losses reach billions of hryvnias.
· Firtash made millions of dollars on gas imports from Russia, through DF Group’s 50% ownership of a company called “RusUkrEnergo, that acted as the importer for imports of natural gas from Russia. Gazprom owned the other 50%. RusUkrEnergo served one purpose, to siphon off revenues from gas sales bound for Ukrainian consumers, for the benefit of Firtash and Gazprom.
13:35 CNN: The Armed Forces of Ukraine shot down a Chinese drone with Canadian spare parts inside.
· According to journalists, the Chinese drone Mugin-5 was shot down near Sloviansk. The Ukrainian military found in it the details of manufacturers from Canada and Taiwan.
· The Chinese company Mugin Limited confirmed that it was their drone, and they called the appearance of UAVs on the territory of Ukraine "a deeply unfortunate incident."
Mordor - russia
Sunday March 19
11:41 Institute for the Study of War: Prigozhin said his "Wagnerians" were allegedly already 600-700 meters from the Bakhmut administrative center. However, ISW analysts did not find visual evidence of Russian claims about the occupation of several facilities in Bakhmut in Donetsk.
· "ISW has previously assessed that Wagner militants are likely to carry out opportunistic attacks on settlements that are easier to capture, north and northwest of Bakhmut, as their ability to achieve tactical success in Bakhmut itself decreases.
· Prigozhin is probably trying to present these actions as ensuring the safety of the flanks in preparation for battle," the ISW said.
10:10: Locals from Russian Belgorod report that the region is now "loud."
· Residents of several settlements in the region notify there is "shelling".
Saturday March 18
15:36: After the decision of the International Criminal Court to arrest Putin, the Kremlin is looking for a successor to the Russian president, said Andrei Yusov, a spokesman for the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine.
· Yusov noted that on March 17, Russian propagandists did not come out with their shows where they discussed The Hague, since discussing this for the population of the Russian Federation would be "a strange and too alarming call."
14:49: Putin has arrived in the temporarily occupied Crimea, according to RosSMI.
12:41 British intelligence: The increase in the draft age in the Russian Federation is due to an attempt to replace contractors with conscripts in the rear.
· Intelligence reports that many men between the ages of 18 and 21 are now applying for an exemption from conscription due to their studies at universities, but most likely the authorities will change the age limit in order to force students to serve.
09:57 The Institute for the Study of War: Chinese leader Xi Jinping will meet with Putin, likely to discuss sanctions evasion schemes.
· Analysts note that circumventing sanctions is beneficial to China itself, since Beijing wants to support the sale and supply of Chinese equipment to Russia.
08:31 Social Networks: Explosions are heard in the temporarily occupied Sevastopol.
Friday March 17
22:50 The Guardian: Russian troops lose up to 1500 soldiers daily during the current offensive, mostly in Bakhmut.
· "The ratio of killed and wounded is one to three," the report said.
13:49 Shoigu gave state awards to the pilots who shot down an American drone over the Black Sea.
· "The Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation, Army General Sergei Shoigu, presented to the awarding of state awards the pilots of Su-27 aircraft, who prevented the violation by the American unmanned aerial vehicle MQ-9 of the boundaries of the area of temporary airspace use established for a special military operation," - Russian defense ministry.
KHARKIV
Sunday March 19
09:03 Kharkiv RMA: Yesterday, at least 13 settlements were under Russian artillery fire. Among them: Kupyansk, Biennial, Vovchansk, Veterinary, Gryannikovka, etc.
· "In the village of Biennial, a 51-year-old woman received shrapnel wounds as a result of shelling. She is hospitalized in a rather serious condition," he added.
Saturday March 18
10:51 Kharkiv RMA: Strelech, Staritsa, Vovchansk, Biennial, Veliky Burluk, Gryanykivka, Krasnaya Zorya and other settlements were under Russian fire.
· Yesterday, the Russians launched 2 missile strikes on the village of Veliky Burluk. One of the missiles hit the courtyard of a residential building. At least 20 neighboring houses and outbuildings were damaged.
· The second rocket struck the ground on the territory of the Velykoburluk district police department, the fire and rescue unit, 6 private cars and neighboring residential buildings were also damaged. No casualties.
DONETSK
Sunday March 19
10:40: The military administration evacuated all the children from Chasovoy Yar, near Bakhmut, said the head of the Chasovy Yar city military administration, Sergei Chaus.
· "There are no children in Chasovoy Yar, the last children were taken out the day before yesterday. Through the joint efforts of the military administration, the police, the "White Angels" — we have done this work. It's hard, it hurts, but we did it," he said.
10:25 Donetsk RMA: Operational situation in the region as of the morning
· the Russians struck Kramatorsk from Smerchiv and Uraganiv with cluster munitions — 2 people were killed and 10 wounded. 76 private houses, a high-rise building, 2 communal enterprises, a football arena, part of the State Emergency Service and Bernatskyi Park were damaged in the city.
· In the Horlivka direction, Kostiantynivka suffered 3 shelling and 5 volleys from the Uragans with cluster munitions — 1 person was killed and 5 wounded. 20 private houses, a high-rise building, a school and a shop were damaged.
09:15 Donetsk RMA: Over the past day, Russians killed 3 residents of Donetsk region: 2 in Kramatorsk and 1 in Konstantinovka. Another 18 people in the region were injured.
Saturday March 18
22:30 Kramatorsk Municipal Military Administration: The number of wounded in the shelling of Kramatorsk has risen to ten.
20:24 Operational Command East: The Russians lost 392 soldiers killed and wounded in the battles for Bakhmut in a day.
· "In total, 352 artillery strikes were inflicted on the Bakhmut sector of the front by various types of multiple launch rocket systems and barreled artillery.
· 193 occupants were destroyed, 199 were injured of varying degrees," Cherevaty said.
18:04 Donetsk RMA: Russian shelling in Kramatorsk killed 2 people and wounded 5.
· "The Russians fired cluster munitions at the city, targeted Bernatskyi Park and a funeral service.
· According to preliminary information, a dozen residential buildings and several cars were damaged," Kyrylenko wrote.
14:12 Social Networks: Explosions are heard in Kramatorsk, Donetsk region.
13:57: Special forces of the Security Service of Ukraine "White Wolves" destroyed enemy equipment in the Donetsk direction.
· A total of 10 tanks and one enemy APC were destroyed, the SBU said.
13:11: According to the SBU, 4 more militants who were captured near Bakhmut and Vuhledar received prison sentences, the SBU said.
· As a result of investigative and operational actions, substantiated evidence of the guilt of 4 more militants who fought against Ukraine as part of units of the Southern Military District of the RF Armed Forces was collected.
· According to the SBU, the court sentenced one of the defendants to 10 years in prison, the other three to 12 years.
12:50 Social Networks: Explosions are heard in Kostiantynivka, Donetsk region.
11:39 Donetsk RMA: The Russians struck the village of New York around the first hour of the night with a rocket.
Friday March 17
22:38: In Kostiantynivka, Donetsk region, residential buildings were damaged because of Russian shelling. This was reported on local social networks.
22:05 Social Networks: Explosions are heard in Kostiantynivka, Donetsk region.
19:36 Donetsk RMA: Russians today fired artillery, planes, tanks and "grads" at Avdiivka,
· "1 person is injured. Missiles and shells hit the territory of 8 different streets - the exact consequences of the attacks have yet to be established," Kyrylenko wrote.
14:36: The SBU detained informants who were handing over intelligence about the Defense Forces in the Avdiivka direction to the enemy.
· The received information was transmitted to the enemy in the form of encrypted codes through anonymous instant messengers and the banned social network Odnoklassniki.
· The perpetrators are currently in custody. An investigation is underway, during which the identity of their "curator" from the FSB and the "liaison" has already been identified.
ZAPORIZHIA
Sunday March 19
11:10: A Zaporizhia court has sentenced the gauleiter (quizling), of the temporarily occupied Berdyansk, Alexander Saulenko, to 15 years in prison with the confiscation of all property, Melitopol mayor Ivan Fedorov said.
· "After a full-scale Russian invasion, the occupiers, finding no other comers, made him a pawn of the "occupation authorities" in Berdyansk. Gauleiter distinguished himself by the failure of the pseudo-referendum and the export of Ukrainian grain through the Berdyansk port to Russia," Fedorov said.
Saturday March 18
10:15 Secretary of the Zaporizhia City Council: "This night, Russian subhumans hit one of the best and coziest residential complexes in the city, where families with small children slept peacefully."
· The restaurant located near the complex has been nearly destroyed, and as many as 240 windows and 7 doors have been knocked out from the blast wave in 9 houses. In four houses, the roof was partially damaged.
06:11 Secretary of the Zaporizhia City Council: According to preliminary information, a Russian rocket destroyed a catering establishment.
· "From the blast wave in the surrounding houses, window panes flew and roofs and facades were damaged. People were not injured. All relevant services are working at the place of arrival," Kurtev said.
03:19 Social Networks: Explosions were heard in Zaporizhia.
Friday March 17
20:37 Mayor of temporarily occupied Melitopol: Explosions were heard in the temporarily occupied Berdyansk, Zaporizhia region.
DNIPRO
Saturday March 18
09:41 Dnipro RMA: At night, the Russian army attacked the Dnipropetrovsk region with drones, probably with "Shaheda". Three of them were shot down. Two more hit a critical infrastructure facility in Novomoskovsk. There is severe destruction.
· Due to the hit of drones, a fire broke out at the enterprise. Rescuers are still curbing the fire. 6 country houses nearby were damaged. Another 4 - destroyed to the ground. People were not injured.
17:24 Social Networks: Explosions are heard in Kherson.
Friday March 17
23:04 Operational Command South: The enemy has used strike UAVs from the south-east direction on important critical objects in the Dnipropetrovsk region
· Three of them were destroyed by forces in the Dniprovskyi district.
22:16 Social Networks: Explosions are heard in Dnipro. Preliminary - air defense work.
22:14: Explosions rang out in Novomoskovsk, Dnipropetrovsk region.
· The mayor of the city, Sergei Reznik, said that emergency workers were working to eliminate the consequences of the attacks.
22:03 Social Networks: Explosions are heard in Zhytomyr and Dnipropetrovsk regions.
21:50 Social Networks: Explosions are heard again in the Dnipropetrovsk region, Social Networks
21:38 Social Networks: Repeated explosions are heard in the Dnipropetrovsk region
21:27 Social Networks: Explosions are heard in the Dnipropetrovsk region. Pre-working air defense.
KHERSON
Sunday March 19
11:25 Social Networks: Explosions are heard in the temporarily occupied Nova Kakhovka, Kherson Region.
10:00 Social Networks: Explosions heard in Kherson.
08:30 Kherson RMA: Over the past day, the Russians carried out 53 attacks, firing 269 shells from heavy artillery and Grad rockets.
· The city of Kherson was shelled 5 times by the Russian Federation. 17 shells hit residential areas, private and apartment buildings. Two people were injured.
Saturday March 18
10:37 Social Networks: Explosions are heard in Kherson.
09:13 Kherson RMA: Russians attacked peaceful settlements of Kherson region 50 times.
· Residential areas of Kherson were shelled by the Russian military 3 times. Shells targeted private and apartment buildings. Two people were injured and another person was injured by a Russian mine.
Friday March 17
16:40: According to the SBU, two enemy agitators received prison sentences: one of them administered the Telegram channel, the Kherson Republic.
· The perpetrators publicly justified the war crimes of Russian troops and spread calls for the seizure of state power in Ukraine.
· The court sentenced them to imprisonment for 3 and 6 years, respectively.
14:20 Kherson RMA showed what one of the medical institutions in Kherson looks like now.
· "Yesterday, the Russian army purposefully attacked an institution that saves the lives of Kherson residents. The enemy saw exactly where he targeted, because the projectile was dropped from a UAV. Only by a miracle there were no casualties," the report said.
KYIV
Saturday March 18
01:29 Kyiv City Miliary Administration: All air targets moving towards Kyiv have been destroyed —.
· At the moment , without casualties and destruction. The information is being clarified.
Friday March 17
22:53 Social Networks: Explosions are heard in the Kyiv region. Preliminary - air defense work.
21:35 Social Networks: Explosions are heard in the Kyiv region. Pre-working air defense.
16:10: Curfew will be reduced in Kyiv and the region to 00:00 - 05:00 on March 26, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said.
· According to him, public transport and shops will change the opening hours according to the curfew time - that is, they will work an hour longer.
15:10: A 21-year-old boy from the Kyiv region brought home a grenade that exploded in the apartment – the regional police.
· It is reported that as a result of the explosion, the guy's arm was torn.
SUMY
Sunday March 19
09:30 Sumy RMA: In the morning there was a mortar shelling of Sumy region - 10 arrivals in the city of Seredna-Buda. As a result of the shelling, 1 private house was damaged.
· The Russians also shelled the Novoslobidsk community - 7 arrivals from mortars and 41 arrivals from barreled artillery.
Saturday March 18
23:09 Sumy RMA: During the day, the Russians shelled the territories of the Shalyginsk, Esman, Krasnopilska and Belopole communities.
· Without loss and destruction among the civilian population.
· According to the military, the operational situation in the border regions of Sumy region is currently under control. The formation of enemy offensive groups near the state border was not detected.
KIROVOHRAD
Friday March 17
13:54: The SBU detained a Russian agent in the Kirovohrad region who was scouting the locations of Ukrainian defense industry enterprises.
· An investigation is underway to establish all the circumstances of the crime. The offender faces up to 15 years in prison or life imprisonment with confiscation of property.
CHERNIVTSI
Friday March 17
14:50: In the center of Chernivtsi, a man threatens to detonate a grenade in the court of appeals on Eminescu Street, according to local media.
· We previously reported that in court the man was sentenced to 5 years in prison, after which his father came to court with a grenade and threatened to blow himself up. Nearby is a school, children were evacuated to the basement.
LVIV
Saturday March 18
09:26 Lviv RMA: Three Russian drones struck Yavoriv district in Lviv region around the first night.
· The drones got into non-residential premises that were damaged. There are no casualties.
· Three more drones were shot down by air defense forces.
00:31 Social Networks: Explosions are heard again in the Lviv region. Preliminary - air defense work.
00:01 Social Networks: Explosions are heard in the Lviv region. Preliminary - air defense work.
Friday March 17
23:39: The head of the Lviv RMA urges residents of the Lviv region not to ignore the alarm, as the threat of using Russian air targets remains.
KHMELNYTSKI
Saturday March 18
10:31 Social Networks: In the Khmelnytsky region, at night, air defense shot down all the Shaheds that were flying in the region. There were no hits.
00:19 Social Networks: An explosion is heard in Khmelnytskyi. Preliminary - air defense work.
Friday March 17
23:20 Social Networks: Explosions are heard in Khmelnytsky region.
ZHYTOMIR
Friday March 17
23:15 Social Networks: Explosions are heard in the Zhytomyr region. Preliminary - air defense work.
22:28: Head of Zhytomyr RMA Vitaliy Bunechko confirmed the work of air defense in the region.
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