Ukraine – 3/26 Sitrep
Compiled by: Robert Homans
March 26, 2022
Kharkiv Batallion Request –
Attached, in both English and Ukrainian, is a request for non-lethal equipment to be supplied for a new volunteer battalion that will be based in Kharkiv. Kharkiv, along with Sumy, Chernihiv, and Mariupol, have has experienced substantial damage from Russian assaults, primarily from missiles and artillery. Anyone interested in helping, can email or call me, and I will put you in touch with the organizer who is based in the U.S. Thank you! (
3/26 Sitrep –
As usual, any comments of mine are in bold face
International Red Cross/J’accuse - Ukraine asked the International Red Cross for help in providing food aid to Mariupol and the request was denied because the Red Cross did not have Russian permission to distribute food aid.
Ukraine asked the International Red Cross for help in evacuating civilians from Mariupol. The Red Cross pulled its team out of Mariupol March 16, on the eve that intensive shelling of Mariupol began.
Ukraine asked the International Red Cross for help in identifying and locating Ukrainian adults and children that are being forcibly deported to Russia. The Red Cross considers this outside of their scope of assistance to refugees.
International Red Cross head Peter Mauer met with Sergei Lavrov on March 24, 2022, thanking him for his cooperation and requesting to open an office in Rostov on Don, a Russian city just across the border from Donetsk.
The International Red Cross historically and currently solicits financial donations and receives financial support from individuals and governments to provide refugee and disaster relief assistance. All the G7 countries and most EU countries provide the International Red Cross with financial support.
While taking money from people and governments the Director of the International Red Cross in Ukraine was convicted in 2012 of selling humanitarian aid to Ukraine and pocketing the money.
On March 25th, the quisling Mayor of Melitopol interdicted 11 tons of food aid and 2 tons of medical aid in Mariupol with the assistance of Russian soldiers and intends to sell it. There is no difference between this Russian controlled action and what the Red Cross is doing in Ukraine.
The International Red Cross is actively collaborating with Russian forces to displace, kill, maim, and ruin the lives of Ukrainian civilians.
Please do not donate to this organization, ask your governments to suspend all financial support of this organization and demand that an international tribunal review its activity in Ukraine, and whether there have been changes in the financial standing of officials responsible for its Ukraine programs including its international headquarters.
Yesterday’s hack of the Russian Central Bank by Anonymous led to the release of 28 gigabytes of confidential information. The information includes the audit results of Russia’s commercial banks, confidential agreements the Central Bank had with Russian commercial banks, and information regarding owners of Russian financial institutions.
Putin announced yesterday a new goal for the Invasion of Ukraine. The new goal is to help the recently Russian recognized terrorist puppet organizations in the Donbas to take the rest of the Donbas under their control. One third of all invading Russian forces are in the Donbas and they have not been able to make gains against much smaller Ukrainian military units. In effect, this announcement is an admission of failure on the part of Russia, that their initial war-aim, subjugation of entire country of Ukraine, will not be met.
Russian negotiators in the peace talks with Ukraine continue demanding that in addition to agreeing to forswear joining NATO and adopting neutrality, Ukraine must demilitarize, de nazify, recognize the puppet states in the Donbas, recognize the annexation of Crimea and other conditions. All but the first condition is unacceptable for Ukraine.
What is also unacceptable to Ukraine is the adoption of Minsk II, that would incorporate the Donbass puppet states back into Ukraine and give the puppet states an effective veto over Ukraine’s foreign and defense policies. If Ukraine was willing to agree to the terms of Minsk II, today Ukrainians wouldn’t be fighting and dying.
There is one well-respected commentator, someone who has followed Russian political economy for years, and who will go nameless, appears to be unable to acknowledge that Ukraine is winning this war. Here is a chronology of the positions he has taken. First, he claimed that Russia’s aim was only to get the West to acknowledge their security concerns, especially as they relate to Ukraine joining NATO and, if only Ukraine would agree that there would be no need for a Russian invasion. Then, soon after February 24th, after Russia’s “special operation” commenced, he changed course and said that Russia wanted to absorb Ukraine and establish a puppet government in Kyiv. Then, after Ukrainians started to slaughter Russian invaders, killed several Russian general officers, destroyed masses of Russian equipment, and denied Russia complete air superiority, he argued that Russians will bring the heavy bombers and ballistic missiles and level major Ukrainian cities. Now, he’s claiming that solidifying Donbas and taking over cities along the “land bridge” to Crimea was Russia’s aim all along. Which is it?
Yesterday Germany delivered to Ukraine 1500 low altitude surface to air missiles Strela, 100 heavy caliber machine guns, 8 million rounds of ammunition, 350,000 ration packs, 50 medical vehicles, and medical equipment.
Ukrainian police over the course of the last month confiscated from Ukrainian farmers in Poltava Oblast 11 operating Russian tanks, 2 armored personnel carriers, 33 offensive weapons and over 4,200 rounds of various caliber ammunition including mortar shells and grenades. The entrepreneurial farmers have been hunting down abandoned and damaged Russian equipment and hauling it away with their tractors. Their aim was to sell it as scrap.
Ukraine’s government plans to start immediate construction of temporary housing for internally displaced persons.
General - The United States Government plans to increase production of Stinger and Javelin missiles to meet Ukrainian demand. The USG also plans to introduce sanctions on Russian companies that provide parts to Russian defense manufacturers. Russian defense manufacturers located in Chelyabinsk, that are engaged in replacing the missiles used in Ukraine, are already experiencing shortages of components, likely due to western sanctions.
Ukraine’s military air command announced that yesterday it shot down 3 fighter bombers, five cruise missiles, an attack helicopter and three tactical drones. The air command headquarters in Vinnytsia was hit by a rocket. No one and no command equipment was injured or damaged.
Kyiv’s territorial defense forces shot down 3 exploding drones. The Kyiv shooters compared hitting the drones to geese hunting.
Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense said that there was evidence that Russia is once again starting to concentrate new artillery units along the northern borders. We note that to date Ukraine has held 40 percent of its army in reserve. As well 50% of the national guard, border army and most of the self-defense forces are not engaged in current fighting. Concurrent with a significant reserve force, Ukraine is training and reading new units of volunteers, domestic and international, as quickly as it can produce its own military gear or with donated gear.
Ministry spokesman said that Russia has other reserve forces, and these are slowly being mobilized for a second round of attacks. There are two questions: the impact of the ending of Russian military enlistments on March 31st; the level of training of new replacements?
Ukraine’s reserve forces are adequate to meet expected new Russian attacks. Even with a large reserve Ukraine has enough active forces to rotate its frontline soldiers on a weekly basis. The invaders have not had a single rotation to date.
Russia is starting to find those responsible for its complete failure and losses in Ukraine. Yesterday Russian prosecutors opened criminal proceedings against Naval officers who apparently helped themselves to 692 million roubles out of a budget of a billion roubles to maintain or repair long range rockets and cruise missiles.
Wagner, the mercenary organization associated with Putin’s cook, has come to an agreement with Hezbollah regarding sending Hezbollah fighters to assist Russian forces. The fighters are expected in Belarus in April.
The head of the Sumy Oblast Military administration said yesterday that it appears Russia is targeting the city for a chemical attack. Preparations for surviving this type of attack have started in the city. Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense reported that half of Russian forces in the oblast retreated overnight back to Russia as they were no longer battle capable.
Active skirmishing took place yesterday in the districts of Okhtyrka, Konotop, and Sumy in Sumy Oblast. Okhtyrka and Trostianets are the cities in the Oblast who have suffered the greatest amount of physical damage and people killed and wounded.
Citizens of Slavytuch, Kyiv Oblast, located just outside of the Chernobyl Nuclear Sarcophagus, demonstrated yesterday against the presence of Russian troops on the outskirts of the city. After the demonstrations were underway Russian soldiers entered the city firing in the air and tossing explosive light grenades amongst the demonstrators. Then they took the mayor off the podium and took him out of the city. They also occupied the local hospital, where there are lots of injured. Hospitals in towns and cities temporarily occupied by Russians are becoming targets, either for bombing, to serve as a sanctuary/human shield for Russian soldiers, or a place where patients and hospital staff can be abducted.
Kharkiv territorial defense units destroyed a Russian electronic jamming unit yesterday. 50 Russian soldiers operating and defending the unit were killed during the operation.
Kyiv police arrested two men that killed two unarmed civilians in Veluka Dimirivka, Kyiv Oblast, two days earlier. The arrested individuals stole automatic rifles and a car and went for joy ride. Along the road they shot the civilians.
Russian forces abducted the village elder of Motsyhyn Kyiv Oblast yesterday.
Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense said that yesterday it destroyed 8 tanks, 17 armored personnel carriers, 11 transport trucks and 170 soldiers in the Donbas. Russia had concentrated its invading armies in Crimea, Donbas and along the northern borders. They have least success in taking Ukrainian territory in the Donbas where a third of their forces were concentrated prior to the start.
Russian forces are starting to concentrate shelling of food warehouses in Luhansk Oblast.
Russian forces occupied part of the municipal hospital in the city of Luhansk to treat their wounded. They also transformed part of the hospital into a morgue, as city morgues are filled to capacity with military corpses.
Excavations at the destroyed city theatre in Mariupol are finished. More than 300 dead have been recovered.
Russian forces opened a United Russia party office in the occupied parts of Mariupol. The United Russia Party is Putin’s political vehicle.
National guard defenders in Mariupol destroyed five Russian transports and 2 armored personnel carriers.
Shelling of cities in Luhansk and Donetsk Oblast continues.
Russia’s quisling mayor in Melitopol announced a public meeting today for citizens to show their support for Russian occupation. Participants that take part and wave Russian flags to demonstrate their support will receive 1,200 roubles or ten US dollars. Those who don’t come out in support will be classified as Fascists by the occupiers and are subject to arrest and confiscation of their property.
The elected Mayor of Melitopol, who had been held for eight days in Russian custody, advised against attending. Also, he informed the media through social websites that the quisling blocked the distribution of 13 tons of food and medical aid that came to the city yesterday. The elected Mayor said that the quisling plans to sell half the aid, and give the other half to the occupiers who are short of food.
Yesterday in Melitopol 70 Russian soldiers refused orders to take part in further attacks. Their fate is currently not known.
Russian authorities are planning to pilot the rouble as the exchange currency in Tokmak Zaporizhia Oblast on Monday.
Ukrainian forces killed another Russian general at Chornobaivka, Kherson Oblast. This is tenth attack on the airport outside the city of Kherson that resulted in loss of commanding personnel or equipment. In addition to 10 successful Ukrainian strikes Russian friendly fire has also led to equipment losses there.
A Russian rocket hit a Ukrainian military base near Zhytomir last night, no injuries or deaths . Two Russian agents seen at the sight were arrested. The police found targeting information on their mobiles.
A village Korosten county in Zhytomir Oblast was hit yesterday by artillery fire destroying one home and damaging four others. There were no reported deaths or injuries. Korosten is the city where 2 of my wife’s sibling live, and her niece is the CEO of the local hospital.
SOURCES
https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/
https://invite.viber.com/?g2=AQBD3wxTrZ6XUU7IdXeHUfjVCydekezQCCGuwYnT6qPd1r7n1aVbFIewa6ng6Lis
A new defiance online radio station from Ukraine: https://play.tavr.media/radiobayraktar/
I have contacted my Congressman this morning and requested he investigate the actions (or inactions) of the International Red Cross with a link to this article/post. And if found to be true: asked that he bring it to the forefront of media news, stating we must stop all donations to them. I requested a reply and his office is usually very good about doing so. I hope to hear back within a reasonable time frame. 🙏