Ukraine – March 27 & 26 Sitreps
By: Bohdan Chomiak & Robert Homans
March 27, 2023
Yesterday I took the day off. My Ukrainian stepdaughter, co-host of the Ukrainian Language TV news broadcast produced by BBC News is in town. Instead, we spent most of yesterday afternoon hanging out with my 96-year-old aunt, followed by a visit to Christ’s Church in Alexandria, the church where George Washington worshipped, to pray for Ukraine.
Latest Lawrence Freedman, “Still Bakhmut”
He has sections on Chinese President Xi’s visit to Moscow and the fighting, especially around Bakhmut. On Xi’s visit, Freedman ends with the following –
“If it is the case that attitudes towards cease-fires and eventual peace settlements depend on the outcomes of the battles for territory currently underway, and if Russia continues to underperform and decides it needs to pause the conflict and even find a way to wind it down, then Putin’s first call will most likely be to Xi. If this is at all possible Ukraine and its Western supporters to start work on how to respond. US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken has observed, ‘Ukraine will likely regain its territory through a mix of military and diplomatic means. ’ Any diplomatic means is likely to have a role for China.”
“One indication of whether a serious diplomatic initiative can develop may come with the visit of Spain’s prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, to Beijing. He will soon take over the rotating presidency of the European Union. Sanchez has said that he will tell Xi ‘that it is the Ukrainians themselves who will lay down the conditions for the beginning of this peace, when it arrives,’ and that ‘the most important – the most fundamental – thing is to preserve an international rule-based order, which depends on respecting the UN charter. One of those fundamental principles is respecting territorial integrity – in this case the territorial integrity of Ukraine, which is being violated by President Putin.’ “
“This is the core Western position and Ukraine’s conditions for peace depend on Russian withdrawal. That will not change. But it will be hard to ignore any movement on the Russian side if this is communicated through Beijing. President Macron is also scheduled to visit Beijing next month. Xi might like to work with Europeans on a new initiative if only to wean them away from the United States, assumed to be irredeemably hostile.”
“All this is speculative for now, but the Americans need to think about the implications of developments of this sort, not least because the Biden Administration will still be central to any future diplomacy, and it will not to be caught out by a flurry of activity that creates problems in trans-Atlantic relations.”
As Freedman always does, he neatly wraps up his blogs with one or two ending paragraphs, such as –
“Since the invasion Russia has had two major reappraisals of its strategy. The first came at the end of March 2022, after it had lost the battle for Kyiv and had to withdraw its forces away from northern Ukraine. This led to scaled down aspirations, both politically and militarily. The focus would be on the Donbas. Then six months later, after it had made little headway and its forces had been pushed back from Kharkiv oblast and lost ground in Kherson, there was a second reappraisal. This went in the opposite direction, reflecting pressure from hard-line nationalist critics. Putin doubled-down, raising the stakes politically by annexing four oblasts, mobilising 300,000 extra troops and beginning the campaign against Ukraine’s critical infrastructure.”
“Six months on again none of these measures have advanced Russia’s cause one whit. Ukraine has been badly hurt but its relative military position is improving as more Western supplies come in (albeit not as fast as it would like). Putin’s strategic choices have narrowed. Perhaps he will persevere in a Micawberish sort of way, hoping that something will turn up. The arguments against conceding that this venture has been disastrous remain profound and there is no evidence that his position in the Kremlin is under threat. Yet he and his generals must have some misgivings about the consequences of a successful Ukrainian offensive with so little to show for their own. The best bet is that he will insist that his generals continue on their current course, perhaps taking even more risks to get a victory of some sort. I would still, however, not be wholly surprised if at some point he put in an anxious call to his friend XI Jinping to ask about how he is getting on with his peace initiative.”
Putin seems to be flexible, and he is capable of folding or changing priorities as he did last year after his troops were routed in front of Kyiv, especially as a result of Ukrainians continuing to inflict losses, or under pressure from the Chinese who likely see less and less upside for them in Russia continuing the war.
News From the Battlefield – Bakhmut and Avdiivka
The latest “Reporting From Ukraine” covers Bakhmut, where Ukraine appears to continue to widen the aperture, allowing it to continue to re-supply the City, while at the same time continue to inflict high Russian casualties. The previous “Reporting From Ukraine,” covers continued action around Vuhledar, where Russia continues to incur heavy losses. It is possible that the Russians who were moved out of Nova Khahovka a few days ago are now concentrated around Vuhledar.
Ukraine appears to be continuing to hold back the deployment of some of the weapons systems they’ve been receiving from Western partners, including armored personnel carriers. It is likely that they are saving these for a planned counteroffensive.
March 27 & 26 Sitreps (my comment in bold face)
Ukraine faces difficulties of its own making. A week to ten days ago the former Minister of Education and Science, who gained infamy for submitting a doctoral thesis that contained a significant amount of plagiarized material was fired and replaced. The newcomer, also with a higher education, was seen to be a step up as in addition to excellent academic credentials he had served on the front. Apparently, a new commission was assembled to review the new minister's writing as there was concern regarding plagiarism.
In my time here I have met many professional ghostwriters. However, unlike North America, where ghostwriters help literate celebrities to tie their thoughts into sentences, Ukraine's ghostwriting profession produces academic works on behalf of the rich and political opportunists.
This all started with scientific socialism. To be somebody in the communist party it was pretty much de rigueur to have written at least one book. Even Stalin found the time to produce three volumes of thought while executing almost the entire intellectual elite of the communist party.
Part of Ukraine's decommunization must be to clean the augean stables of its academic class and institutions. That tradition, where the sons and daughters of deans occupy the same chair as their parent, where degrees are bought, and where academic credentials are constantly forged, has been under attack by so called Ukrainian nationalist institutions such as Kyiv Mohyla Academy or the Ukrainian Greek Catholic University.
Now that its okay to be nationalist perhaps it will become okay to serve at the highest levels without a doctorate degree.
It should be remembered that former President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovich authored a book, for which he was paid an “advance” of $2.5 million and, after Yanukovich departed Ukraine, a copy of the first book ever printed in Ukraine, sometime during the 1500s, was found on the floor of a supply closet at his residence in Mezhihirya.
Russian Invasion of Ukraine 12:00 noon March 26 to 12:00 noon March 27, 2023
Abbreviations:
RMA = Regional Military Administration SBU = Security Service of Ukraine
RASHISTS = russian Facists/all russian invaders
INTERNATIONAL
Monday March 27
08:30 The Guardian: Ukrainian servicemen have completed training on Challenger 2 tanks in the UK. Crews and tanks will arrive in Ukraine in time for a spring counterattack.
· The UK Ministry of Defence reported that the crews were trained on how to command, drive and work smoothly on Challenger 2 tanks, as well as effectively identify targets and hit them.
08:01 North Korea launched two short-range ballistic missiles toward the Sea of Japan this morning, - Yonhap.
08:01 The Times of Israel Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu may announce on March 27 the suspension of judicial reform, which has sparked mass protests in the country. Justice Minister Yarov Levin threatens to resign if he does,-.
06:20: Mass protests began in Israel after the dismissal of the Minister of Defense: protesters broke through to the prime minister's residence
· Residents of Israel went to protests after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's decision to fire Defense Minister Yoav Galant, who called for a halt to the implementation of judicial reform.
· Protests against judicial reform swept Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. In Tel Aviv, protesters blocked the highway and announced a rally outside the army headquarters. Tens of thousands of demonstrators blocked the major Ayalon highway, lit a fire on the highway and planned to stay there overnight. The police tried to disperse them.
· Crowds gathered near Netanyahu's residence, writes Reuters. Clashes broke out between protesters and police forces. Police used water cannons and horsemen to disperse the activists. In addition, dozens of people were detained on suspicion of hooliganism.
· According to media estimates, about 58 thousand people gathered at the rallies in Tel Aviv. People. A number of experts say that up to 200 thousand people participate in demonstrations throughout the country at night. People.
00:03: A married couple who spied for Russia was detained in Slovenia
· The spies were Aria Mayer and Ludwig Gisch. In 2017, they allegedly moved from Argentina and settled in Slovenia in Ljubljana with two young children. The reason for the move, they called the fear of street crime in Argentina. Already in Slovenia, Mayer opened an online art gallery, and Gis managed an IT startup.
· Most of the couple's neighbors and friends described them as ordinary neighbors. They said the couple was a simple family whose children often played outside.
Sunday March 26
23:40: France condemns the agreement concluded between Russia and Belarus on the deployment of Russian nuclear weapons in the Republic of Belarus.
· The French Foreign Ministry believes that this agreement erodes the international architecture of nuclear arms control and is a strategic threat to stability in Europe.
21:30: Turkish President Erdogan has posted a photo of a new Turkish UAV, Bayraktar KIZILELMA.
20:00: The White House has yet to see no signs that Russia is transferring nuclear weapons to Belarus.
· This was stated by the coordinator for strategic communications of the US National Security Council at the White House John Kirby, reports CNN.
· "We have seen no indication that he has fulfilled this promise or moved some kind of nuclear weapon. We're just going to have to watch and see what it leads to," he said.
19:10: The first classes for Ukrainian dog handlers were held in Spain, according to the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine.
· "There are 4 months of training ahead for a program aimed at detecting weapons, ammunition and explosives by service dogs," border guards said.
18:50: The EU is ready to impose new sanctions if Russia deploys tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus.
· This was stated by the EU High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy Josep Borrell.
17:52 Pink TV: Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić expects Ukraine's accelerated accession to the EU in connection with the current war.
· Vučić believes that in June there should be a "big turn of Ukraine on the European path."
· According to him, a decision will be made on the immediate start of negotiations and accession to the EU, because, in his opinion, the United States intends to create a separate bloc within Europe.
· "It will be Poland, the Baltic states and Ukraine. These are countries that are larger in area than France and Germany. It is clear that they will become the most powerful in Europe and will be under the direct control of the United States," Vučić said.
17:30 Sky News: A supertanker anchored off Yemen's coast and containing more than a million barrels of oil "could sink or explode at any moment," leading to an environmental and humanitarian disaster.
17:10: From August 2022 to today, Ukraine has received 183 tons of power equipment from France, the Ministry of Energy of Ukraine said.
· According to the Ministry of Energy, among the equipment are generators of various capacities, circuit breakers, overalls, disconnectors, lighting fixtures, chemical products, gas equipment necessary for repair work.
16:11: Ukraine appeals to Belarusians to prevent the deployment of Russia's tactical nuclear weapons on the territory of their country, — statement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
· The Foreign Ministry noted that the deployment of nuclear weapons would turn Belarus into a hostage of the Kremlin and that this would have catastrophic consequences for its future.
· The Foreign Ministry also called on the G7 and EU countries to "warn the Belarusian authorities of the far-reaching consequences" of the deployment of nuclear weapons and demanded that an extraordinary meeting of the UN Security Council be convened immediately to discuss Moscow's decision.
15:49 Associated Press: Just because Hungary is offering peace talks doesn't mean russia will be left with the now controlled territories, says Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó.
· "When the war stops and peace talks begin, it is not at all necessary that the borders will be where the front line passes. We know this from our own history... A ceasefire must come now," Szijjarto said.
14:46 Tagesschau: Germany's Foreign Ministry called Putin's statement about deploying tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus "an attempt at nuclear intimidation."
· In addition, the Foreign Ministry reminded that Belarus had made several international statements that it pledged to be free of nuclear weapons.
13:48: North Macedonia plans to transfer 12 Mi-24 combat helicopters to Ukraine, the country's Defense Minister Slavyanka Petrovska said in an interview with Alsat.
· According to her, the General Staff of the country has completed the analysis and determined that North Macedonia can transfer helicopters to Ukraine — this will not significantly affect the combat capability of its own army. The government will discuss the decision on Wednesday.
NATIONAL
Monday March 27
11:07: A petition has appeared on the president's website calling for the blocking of TikTok on the territory of Ukraine.
· Its author proposes to shut down TikTok completely "at least for a period of war" as there is "a lot of propaganda going on" because of it.
07:12 General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine:
· Over the past day, the Russians launched 2 missile and 23 air strikes, carried out 38 shellings from the MLRS on the positions of our troops and civilian infrastructure of settlements,
· The Russians are focusing their main efforts on conducting offensive operations in the Kupyansk, Liman, Bakhmut, Avdiivka and Mariinsky directions - our soldiers repulsed more than 60 attacks.
· In the village of Troitske, Luhansk region, about 100 bodies of dead Russians were transported to the local morgue of the central district hospital over the past day. In addition, about 140 severely injured Russian troops arrived for treatment.
· Ukrainian aviation last day struck 3 strikes on areas of concentration of Russians,
· Units of rocket troops and artillery, at the same time, hit 1 control point, 4 areas of concentration of manpower, weapons and military equipment, an electronic warfare station and an ammunition depot of the Russian Federation.
00:04: More and more Ukrainians are switching to the Ukrainian language in everyday communication.
· 83% of respondents said they speak Ukrainian constantly or often. Prior to 2022, there were 66%.
It is impossible to diminish the significance of this trend, and why it is something that Russia fears the most. Ukraine is not going back into “Ruuskiy Mir” (“Russian World”). Russian language is no longer the 2nd language in Russian schools. It has been replaced by English.
Sunday March 26
23:52: Volodymyr Zelenskyy: Today there was a meeting with the military - a special military meeting, a special circle of participants. He also held meetings with the security sector, with intelligence. Defense, strengthening our defense – both from external threats and from internal threats. We are preparing our appropriate steps.
23:47: Ukraine will increase its ability to supply clean electricity to Europe to help the European Union in the green transition and increase energy sustainability. This was stated by Deputy Minister of Energy Yaroslav Demchenkov.
· Demchenkov noted that it is now necessary to discuss the possibility of building new energy corridors, as well as distribution networks that will strengthen the export-import capabilities of Ukraine and other countries. He added that Ukraine will help the European Union in the green transition through the export of clean electricity. The new grids will help in synchronizing the Baltic states' power grids with ENTSO-E and increase the EU's energy sustainability.
23:20: Famous historian Timothy Snyder visited Lviv and planted a tree on Rynok Square. This was announced on Facebook by Lviv Mayor Andriy Sadovyi.
· "Now Timothy Snyder's tree will grow on Rynok Square. We will win the war and Mr. Professor will give his lecture on freedom here," the statement said.
22:40: Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets says he took personal control of a rape case in Zakarpattia when a court gave a suspended sentence to three teenagers who raped a minor.
· "As it turned out, the mother of one of the boys is also an employee of that children's social protection service. Therefore, there are doubts about the 'impartiality' and professionalism of representing the girl's interests," the ombudsman said.
20:22: There are from 100 to 200 monks and clergymen of the Moscow Patriarch in the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, of which 15% are ready to join the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. This is reported by the clergyman of the OCU, Father Georgiy Kovalenko.
· "As for the sentiment, most expect how events will develop. Most are non-subjective even in terms of the desire to express their position. We know about a certain extreme percentage of sincere fans of the "Russian world" – this, I think, is 10-15%. And about 10-15% of people who would like changes and are ready for unity with the Orthodox Church of Ukraine," Kovalenko said.
21:10: The Ukrainian national football team lost to the England national team in the start of the EURO 2024 qualifiers – 0:2.
· The English scored both goals in the first half.
19:33 Financial Times: The National Bank of Ukraine will no longer resort to printing money to finance public spending, said NBU Governor Andriy Pyshnyy.
· According to him, printing billions of hryvnias to close the budget deficit was a quick but very dangerous decision that caused huge risks to the macro-financial stability of the country.
· He noted that the NBU's goal is to absorb excess liquidity through tighter reserve requirements and a gradual return to a floating exchange rate.
18:10 General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine:
· During the day, the enemy inflicted 1 missile and 16 air strikes, carried out more than 10 attacks from multiple launch rocket systems.
· Russia focuses its main efforts on conducting offensive actions in the Liman, Bakhmut, Avdiivka and Mariinsky directions. More than 50 enemy attacks were repulsed by Ukrainian defenders.
· in the village of Novovasilovka, Priazovsky district, Zaporozhye region, Russian troops use a local hospital as a hospital.
· As of March 25, about 200 wounded Russian soldiers are being treated in it. Civilians are denied access to a medical institution.
· During the day, the aviation of the Defense Forces of Ukraine inflicted 3 strikes on the areas of concentration of personnel and military equipment of the Russian Federation, units of rocket troops and artillery struck 3 areas of concentration of the enemy, an electronic warfare station and an ammunition depot of the Russian Federation.
15:06: The second group of Ukrainian artillerymen is completing training on a 155-mm AS90 self-propelled artillery unit in the UK, according to the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine.
· It is noted that more than a thousand British troops are participating in the implementation of the exercise, which is carried out at the facilities of the British Ministry of Defense in the north-west, south-west and south-east of the country.
13:31: In the Black Sea, 10 Russian ships are on alert, of which 3 are carriers of cruise missiles "Kalibr", the total volley of which is 8 missiles.
· According to the Navy of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the Russians also deployed 2 ships 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.
12:15 State Emergency Service: During the day, SES pyrotechnic units discovered, seized and neutralized 326 explosive objects.
· 1651 explosive objects were neutralized by SES sappers for 6 days.
Mordor - russia
Monday March 27
10:50: Ukrainian naval drone attacks in the Black Sea deter the Russian fleet from maneuvering, says British intelligence.
· "Despite the fact that the latest attacks near Sevastopol probably did not harm Russian warships, the threat of a drone attack continues to deter the operations of the Russian Black Sea Fleet," the British Ministry of Defense said.
09:35 Institute for the Study of War: Only a series of crushing Russian defeats on the battlefield can force Putin to sit down at the negotiating table
· Experts stressed that numerous major Ukrainian victories at the operational level are important for creating any prospect of resolving the current conflict through negotiations or to force Putin to accept unfavorable military realities in the absence of an official settlement.
00:50: "It was an attack UAV "Swift" - the Russian Defense Ministry named the cause of the explosion in the Tula region.
· Russians have traditionally accused Ukraine of a drone strike.
Sunday March 26
16:31: An explosion thundered in Kireevsk, Tula region, and Russian media write about the fall of a drone.
· At least eight private houses and a high-rise building were damaged. According to emergency services, two people received shrapnel wounds.
· Residents criticized Russia for shooting down the drone over a populated area, rather than waiting to shoot it down in a place there were no buildings.
15:25 Center for National Resistance: In the temporarily occupied territories of southern Ukraine, Russians will dismiss workers who have not received a Russian passport, citing a new "jurisdiction"
· In this way, the occupiers will resort to legal levers of pressure to force Ukrainians to obtain a Russian passport.
KHARKIV
Monday March 27
10:33 Kharkiv RMA: Last day, under the blows of the Russians were Kupyansk, Liptsy, Strelech, Ogirtsevo, Tabaivka and other cities and villages of the Kharkiv region.
· As a result of the shelling of Kupyansk, a 5-storey residential building and a private household were damaged. Also destroyed economic buildings. From mortars and other weapons, Russian troops shelled the village of Biennial. A residential building and utility buildings were damaged. There were no casualties.
LUHANSK
Sunday March 26
15:59 Center for National Resistance: Russian invaders have set up a military hospital for the wounded in a civilian hospital in the city of Starobilsk, Luhansk region.
· The Rashists converted part of the hospital into a military hospital to provide specialized medical assistance to the wounded in the war against Ukraine. It is reported that local residents, in particular pensioners, cannot undergo even a routine health examination in the newly created "hospital".
DONETSK
Monday March 27
12:00: Volodymyr Zelenskyy published footage of the aftermath of the morning strike on Sloviansk.
· "Another day that began with the terrorism of the Russian Federation. The aggressor state shelled our Sloviansk. Unfortunately, there are dead and victims of varying severity. All services are on site. Assistance is provided. The dismantling of the rubble continues," the president said.
11:35 Donetsk RMA: In Donetsk the morning before, the Russians launched a missile strike on Avdiivka. During the day, the outskirts of Kurakhove were shelled 6 times, and there was a loud one in the Ocheretyn community.
· Shelling of the Chasovoyarska community and villages of the Soledar community was recorded. In Zvanivska hromada, 3 houses in Zvanivka were destroyed and 6 houses were damaged, and 4 more houses were damaged in Pereizne. Several private houses were also damaged in Siversk.
· During the day, the Russians killed 1 resident of the Donetsk region, wounded 2 more.
11:20: Russian media report that the car of the chief of the occupation police, Mikhail Moskvin, was blown up in Mariupol.
· According to them, he survived and received a contusion.
10:36 Social Networks: Explosions are heard in Kramatorsk and Sloviansk, Donetsk region
10:15: The defense of Bakhmut is due to military necessity, says Commander of the Land Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Colonel-General Oleksandr Syrskyi
· "It is based on the competent use of the city's protective capabilities, erected fortifications and equipped fire structures," he said at a briefing in the Bakhmut district.
· Syrsky also noted that the most intense phase of fighting for the city continues.
09:58: In the temporarily occupied Mariupol, the car of one of the commanders of the Russian troops exploded.
· "Mariupol resistance struck in occupied Mariupol, blowing up the car of one of the top military," said The Mayor of Mariupol Vadim Boichenko.
09:56: All communal workers are evacuated from Avdiivka
· The head of the military administration, Vitaliy Barabash, said that such a decision was made in connection with the more frequent missile strikes and the work of fire correctors.
00:33 Social Networks: Explosions are heard in Kramatorsk and Sloviansk, Donetsk region.
Sunday March 26
21:50: In Avdiivka, mobile communications are turned off and utilities are suspended, said Vitaliy Barabash, head of the Avdiivka RMA.
· "From today we are exporting the communal service. It arrived near the utility service. Everyone is alive. We export the service in several stages.
· We will also turn off mobile communications, because there are Russian informants in the city. A few more days and there will be no way to charge the phone. A few more days and there will be no one to serve the generators and mobile towers," Barabash said.
16:50 Operational Command East: The Armed Forces of Ukraine managed to stabilize the situation in the Bakhmut direction.
· "We see and control the actions of the enemy, we understand his plans, we know our capabilities that we can count on, we know that we will have enough of them to keep the front line," the spokesman said.
13:16: Russians once again shelled Avdiivka
· Head of the Presidential Office Andriy Yermak said that the occupiers carried out a missile airstrike on two high-rise buildings. Previously, there were no casualties.
ZAPORIZHIA
Monday March 27
08:57: The building seized by the Rashists, where enemy security forces were located, was "affected", - said the mayor of the temporarily occupied Melitopol Ivan Fedorov.
08:51: The mayor of the temporarily occupied Melitopol posted a footage of the aftermath of the explosion in the city.
· "Thick cotton in a neighborhood near the Joker café and enemy barracks," said Ivan Fedorov.
08:38 Social Networks: Explosions are heard in the temporarily occupied Tokmak, Zaporizhia region.
08:23: The mayor of the temporarily occupied Melitopol reported explosions in the city.
· "There have already been several explosions in the city. What is burning at the enemy this time, we find out. We are waiting for good news from the Armed Forces of Ukraine", - Ivan Fedorov.
Sunday March 26
12:46: More than 500 civilian Melitopol residents are currently in Russian torture chambers, says Mayor Ivan Fedorov on the telethon.
· According to Fedorov, recently the occupiers have strengthened filtration measures in Melitopol. First of all, this is due to the effective work of local partisans who prey on collaborators.
KHERSON
Monday March 27
09:16 Kherson RMA: Russians attacked peaceful settlements of Kherson region 20 times. They fired almost 100 shells from mortars, artillery, tanks, drones and aircraft.
· Last day, due to Russian aggression, 4 residents of the Kherson region were injured of varying severity.
Sunday March 26
22:58 Social Networks: Explosions are heard in Kherson.
20:30 Police Chief of Kherson region: In the Kherson region, a local resident blew up on a Russian mine while inspecting a field. This is the fourth such case of the day.
· According to him, the incident occurred near the village of Kostyrka, Vysokopolsky district. There, a local resident inspected the fields and came across a mine left by the Russians. He blew up.
· "In a tragic outcome - 4 people with serious injuries are in hospitals," Prokudin wrote.
14:01 Kherson RMA: In a field near the village of Ivanovka, two men, 24 and 18 years old, blew up on a Russian mine and were seriously injured.
· As a result of the explosion, one victim lost both legs, the other suffered chest injuries and mine-blast injuries. The men were hospitalized in a hospital in Kryvyi Rih.
ODESA
Sunday March 26
20:50 Odesa RMA: The Armed Forces of Ukraine have liquidated a Russian officer who was one of the organizers of the Ilovaisk tragedy.
· "Our soldiers liquidated Russian army officer Dmitry Lisitsky, who was one of those who staged the shooting of Ukrainian defenders in 2014," Bratchuk said.
12:31 Operational Command South: A sea mine detonated in the Odesa region, hitting the coastal structures of one of the places of rest and basing of small craft. Several buildings were damaged. There are no casualties.
SUMY
Monday March 27
01:46 Social Networks: Explosions are heard in Shostka, Sumy 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.
Soviet Afghanistan
March 22
March 23
March 24
March 25
March 26
Duration
9 years and 9 months
After 392 days
After 393 days
After 394 days
After395 days
After 396 days
Military Personnel Liquidated
14,453
168,150
169,170
169,890
170,550
171,160
Material Losses
Tanks
147
3570
3574
3580
3595
3595
Armored Personnel Carriers
1,314
6898
6921
6932
6947
6953
Artillery, Mortars, and Ballistic Rocket launchers
433
3119
3127
3143
3153
3161
Cruise Missiles
909
911
911
911
911
Fighters Bombers
118
305
305
305
305
305
Helicopters
333
290
290
291
291
291
Drones
2203
2208
2214
2216
2216
Anti Aircraft Missile Batteries
273
276
276
277
277
Cargo/Fuel/other transport
11,369
5452
5464
5483
5486
5493
Naval Vessels
18
18
18
18
18
Specialized mobile electronic communication and jamming, ballistic radars
273
277
279
282
285
SOURCES
● https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/
●
https://espreso.tv/
● https://cutt.ly/Blyskavka
Russian Invasion of Ukraine 12:00 noon March 25 to 12:00 noon March 26, 2023
Abbreviations:
RMA = Regional Military Administration SBU = Security Service of Ukraine
RASHISTS = russian Facists/all russian invaders
INTERNATIONAL
Sunday March 26
11:43 Deutsche Welle: Residents of the Czech Republic purchased for Ukraine an RM-70 missile launcher and shells to it
· Since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion, the Czechs have already raised 18 million euros for the purchase of weapons and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine.
11:04 a.m.: The U.S. Department of Defense states that they show no indication that Russia is preparing to use its nuclear weapons — the Pentagon's statement on Putin's intentions to deploy tactical nuclear charges in Belarus.
· "We have seen reports of Russian statements and will continue to monitor the situation. We have no reason to change the way our strategic nuclear forces operate," the US defense department said in a statement.
08:05: Turkey has not closed the door to NATO for Sweden, says President Erdogan's representative Ibrahim Kalin in an interview with Turkish TV channel NTV.
07:00: About 200 thousand people on Saturday went to protests in Tel Aviv against judicial reform in Israel.
· The government is pushing for changes that would limit the Supreme Court's power to rule against the legislative and executive branches of government and give coalition lawmakers more power to appoint judges.
00:45: Tonight, a huge asteroid capable of destroying the city, NASA, will fly between the orbits of Earth and the Moon for the first time in ten years.
· The asteroid 2023 DZ2 with a diameter of 40 to 90 meters will sweep at a distance of about 175 thousand kilometers from Earth, and shortly before that the moon will pass.
08:04: Putin's statements about nuclear weapons in Belarus will not affect the US strategic nuclear position, says the White House
08:03: Associated Press: Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant has called on the government to halt the adoption of a judicial reform project, saying the bitter dispute over these measures poses a threat to national security—.
Saturday March 25
23:42 ESPRESO: According to Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, the European Union is tired of sanctions against Russia. Despite this, a new package of restrictions may be adopted in the coming weeks.
· "Material fatigue is already obvious. Therefore, it is important for Poland to convince our partners that what is happening in Ukraine is completely unacceptable, that we live in a key historical moment as Europe and must respond accordingly. I am cautiously optimistic that we will be able to convince our partners of the next aid packages," he said.
23:00: France plans to double the production of self-propelled 155-mm Caesar howitzers.
· This was reported by Les Echos with reference to the statement of the Minister of the French Armed Forces Sebastien Lecornoux.
· According to the minister, the production of Mistral surface-to-air missiles will also be doubled to 40 units per month.
22:42 ESPRESO: Iran must stop supplying weapons to Russia and condemn the use of its drones against Ukraine. In this case, Kyiv could maintain normal relations with Tehran. This was stated by Special Representative of Ukraine for the Middle East and Africa Maksym Subkh.
· According to the diplomat, Ukraine has repeatedly at all levels proved to the Iranian side the categorical inadmissibility of supplying Russia with Iranian drones with a call to stop such cooperation. Ukraine has warned the Iranian side that fixing the fact of the transfer of other weapons, including ballistic missiles to Russia, will have devastating consequences for bilateral relations.
22:00: Germany must guarantee Ukraine long-term support until the end of the war.
· This was stated by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, bild reports.
· "The price Putin pays for his imperialist dreams is the blood of Russian young people. It's really awful," Scholz added.
21:06 : Germany plans to expel more than 30 Russian diplomats from the country.
· This was reported by Focus with reference to the statement of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Republic of Germany Annalena Berbok.
· German security authorities believe that diplomats from Russia can use their immunity to illegally recruit German informants.
20:51 ESPRESO: Azerbaijani army takes control of roads north of Lachin corridor
· Azerbaijani forces violated the ceasefire and previously occupied Armenian positions in the area of the Khankendi-Halfali-Turshsu and Khankendi-Kosalar-Mirzalar-Turshsu roads north of the Lachin corridor. This is stated in the official statement of the Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan.
· The situation in Nagorno-Karabakh Russians accused Azerbaijanis of violating the agreements, Charles Michel talked to the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan
· The Russian military in the zone of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict on the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh on Saturday accused security forces from Azerbaijan of illegal, according to Russians, taking control of a mountain peak and arranging their own positions there. The Russian Ministry of Defense informs about this on its website.
· The Russians proved to the Azerbaijani side the demand for "the need to comply with the provisions of the tripartite agreements of the heads of state, to take measures to stop engineering work and to withdraw units of the national armed forces to positions that were previously engaged."
· Whether the Azerbaijani forces fulfilled this demand of the armed representatives of Russia is still unknown.
· Against the background of this event, in the evening, European Council President Charles Michel spoke by phone with Armenian Prime Minister Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Aliyev. With each separately, their press services report.
20:23 : 23 people are killed in a tornado that swept over the U.S. state of Mississippi that night, CNN.
20:01 IAEA press service: IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi will visit the temporarily occupied Zaporizhzhia NPP next week.
· "We must act now to prevent a possible accident," he said. The nuclear power plant has been under the control of the Russians since the beginning of the invasion.
19:21: Boxers Alexander Usyk and Tyson Fury failed to agree on a bout.
· This was announced by the President of the World Boxing Association (WBA) Hilberto Mendoza.
· According to him, the future opponent of the Ukrainian may be Daniel Dubois.
18:05 ESPRESO: As every year on this day, on March 25, Belarusians around the world celebrate unofficial independence day. A holiday called "Freedom Day" is prohibited in a country subject to self-proclaimed President Alexander Lukashenko. It is celebrated underground, but unhindered it can only be done abroad
· The head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell, congratulated Belarus on Vol Day and the EU will continue to support the Belarusian people in the struggle for democracy.
· Now in Belarus, almost 1500 participants in peaceful protests against the Lukashenko regime in 2020 have become political prisoners, hundreds of NGOs have been suppressed, as well as the political opposition, and the law violates human rights standards. In particular, the UN has documented numerous cases of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.
18:03: Clashes between protesters and police continue in France's Saint-Solin amid nationwide protests against pension reform.
16:29 Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine: South Africa will not be able to completely ignore the International Criminal Court's warrant for Putin's arrest.
· "It is clear that South Africa will not give up on Putin fundamentally, because it is their political ally. They conducted joint exercises, and the ship sailed there with the letter Z. But I do not think that South Africa will be able to completely ignore the ICC warrant," Kuleba said.
14:31: Poland will insist on purchasing ammunition outside the EU.
· In an interview with RMF FM, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said that he plans to convince partners in the EU of the need for joint purchase of ammunition outside the European Union, since Ukraine needs shells now, and there are not enough of them in Europe.
NATIONAL
Sunday March 26
10:01: Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valery Zaluzhny congratulated the National Guardsmen on their professional holiday.
· "Honor, courage, law are the concepts that unite all National Guardsmen... With the Armed Forces of Ukraine, from the first days of Russian aggression, you heroically fight in the most difficult areas of the front. Shoulder to shoulder. It is thanks to our unity and devotion to the Motherland that we are invincible," the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces said in his address.
07:11 General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine: Over the past day, the Russians launched 34 air and 4 missile strikes, carried out more than 70 attacks from the MLRS, in particular, the civilian infrastructure of settlements. There are wounded among the civilian population.
· Russian troops continue to focus their main efforts on conducting offensive operations in the Liman, Bakhmut, Avdiivka and Mariinsky directions. Our warriors repulsed more than 85 attacks on them.
· In Berdyansk, Zaporozhye region, the Russian so-called "administration" issued an order to local residents to receive passes in the city commandant's office until April 1 to move to the temporarily occupied territories of the Zaporozhye region. But subject to successful filtering. Passes will be issued separately for people and vehicles,
· Aviation of the Defense Forces in a day inflicted 11 strikes on areas of concentration of Russians. Also, Ukrainian defenders shot down Russian UAVs such as "Orlan-10" and "Superkam",
· Units of rocket troops and artillery, in turn, hit 3 control points and 5 areas of concentration of manpower, weapons and military equipment of the Russian Federation.
00:16: UNICEF goodwill ambassador and actor Orlando Bloom visits Ukraine
· "Today I arrived in Ukraine for the first time after a trip since 2016. Since I was here, I couldn't even imagine that war could spread throughout the country. But today I was lucky enough to hear children's laughter at a child's point," Orlando Bloom shared on social media.
Saturday March 25
21:25: Evening address by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy:
· "This week we have a decision on new defense support packages - from the United States, Lithuania, Finland, Germany.
· The Swedish parliament has already approved the 11th package of defense support for Ukraine. There is a security package and strong agreements with Japan - once again I want to thank Prime Minister Kishida for a productive visit.
· We received one and a half billion euros of macrofinance from the EU – the funds are already in the accounts of the National Bank."
18:20 Operational information from the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine as of 18:00 on March 25:
· "During the day, the enemy inflicted 1 missile and 23 air strikes, carried out more than 20 attacks from multiple launch rocket systems at the positions of our troops and civilian infrastructure of settlements.
· The enemy focuses its main efforts on conducting offensive operations in the Liman, Bakhmut, Avdiivka and Mariinsky directions.
· Thanks to professional and coordinated actions, our defenders repulsed more than 50 enemy attacks in these areas."
· Russian occupiers continue to rob the population in the temporarily occupied territory of the Kherson region.
· In particular, in the settlement of Krasne, Kakhovka district, Russian mercenaries are actively selecting private cars with trailers and trucks into which they load the looted property of local residents."
· During the day, the aviation of the Defense Forces inflicted 11 strikes on the areas of concentration of personnel and military equipment of the occupiers.
· Units of rocket troops and artillery hit 2 control points, 3 areas of concentration of enemy manpower, weapons and military equipment.
17:42: Ukrenergo urges not to join the international action "Earth Hour", as this may harm the power system.
· "Friends, please do not be fooled by calls to join the Earth Hour and at a certain time to turn off the lights en masse - this does not contribute to energy savings, does not help the Earth, but can greatly harm the power system," the message says.
17:22: Ukrainians should not discuss the details of the counteroffensive, so as not to interfere with the military.
· This was stated by Deputy Minister of Defense of Ukraine Hanna Malyar.
· She stressed that it was the information silence during the counteroffensive in the Kharkiv region that allowed the military to gain time and do their job.
16:47: "Pechersk Kittens" is a community group that actively helps the Armed Forces by making camouflage nets.
· Thank you very much to the followers of "Lightning" for donations!
15:31: In the coming weeks, electricity consumption in Ukraine will decrease due to the end of the heating season.
· This was stated on the air of the telethon by the Chairman of the Board of Ukrenergo Volodymyr Kudrytsky.
· "The end of the autumn-winter season and the heating period will lead to a further decrease in energy consumption, and it will be easier for the power system to cover it with the resources of power plants that we now have," Kudrytsky explained.
15:15: Interview with Volodymyr Rashchuk, commander of the 7th company of the Batalon "Svoboda", named three main reasons why Ukrainians should join the ranks of servicemen now
· He said that according to Russian prisoners, the leadership of the Russian army treats its personnel like pigs, practicing public executions.
· He said that the war turned his whole life upside down and simplified many things that previously seemed super-heavy and extremely important.
· He said that the Wagnerians on the battlefield behave like moles-diggers and how zombies die just in packs.
13:40: Yesterday, UNITED24 Ambassador Timothy Snyder visited Lviv and met with Ukrainian students.
· Snyder also met with Ukrainian paratrooper Alexander Shirokin, it was he who read the book "The Path to Freedom" by Timothy Snyder in a trench.
12:48: Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in an interview with the Japanese newspaper Yomiuri that he had signaled diplomatic channels about his desire to talk with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
· "I did not receive an offer from China to mediate. I didn't get an offer to meet. I also, through diplomatic channels, gave a direct signal that I want to talk to the leader of China," the president said.
Mordor - russia
Sunday March 26
10:17: Since the beginning of March, Russia has launched at least 71 Shahids in Ukraine. They are launched from two directions: from the Krasnodar Territory and from the Bryansk region, according to British intelligence.
· "This allows Russia to flexibly target a wide sector of Ukraine and reduces flight time to targets in northern Ukraine. It is also likely to be another attempt to stretch Ukraine's air defense," the British Ministry of Defense said.
00:54: A large-scale fire broke out in the village of Shakhovskoye, 154 km from Moscow.
· The composition with paints and varnishes burns. The causes of ignition are established.
Saturday March 25
22:46: In the city of Voskresensk, the Fregat plant, the largest plant in the Russian Federation to produce lead, is on fire.
· The fire was given the second rank of difficulty.
22:30: New interception of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine
· A Russian soldier reports on possible inspections of units by the military commandant's office due to cases of alcohol and drug use.
21:48: The Russian Navy was with a mini-submarine near the Nord Stream gas pipelines shortly before the explosions, — T-online.
· It is noted that nearby were the boats "SB-123" and "Alexander Frolov". They have cargo cranes that are suitable for transporting explosive devices or mines weighing hundreds of kilograms into the water.
· The publication notes that almost all evidence points to Moscow's responsibility, but government agencies have so far ignored T-online's request for this.
19:43: Belarus will have a storage facility for Russia's nuclear weapons ready by July 1, Putin said.
· According to him, Russian tactical nuclear munitions will be placed there.
· Putin also noted that Russia has already deployed the Iskander complex, which may be a carrier of nuclear weapons, in Belarus.
16:10: British intelligence information about the slowdown in the Russian offensive against Bakhmut needs clarification, said Sergei Cherevatyi, spokesman for the Eastern Group of Armed Forces of Ukraine.
· "The last three days show that today there were 18 combat clashes, until recently there were 30-50. But it needs more detailed analysis. The coming week will show it," he said.
· According to him, Bakhmut is still the epicenter of hostilities and the direction of the main blow of Russian troops.
15:49 Institute for the Study of War: The Kremlin is preparing the Russians to lose the initiative of the Russian army and launch a counteroffensive of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
· It is noted that the Russian military command "will need to transfer a significant amount of forces to the front line in order to either prevent the climax or begin the resumption of offensive operations."
KHARKIV
Sunday March 26
08:52 Kharkiv RMA: Last day, Kupyansk, Vovchansk, Strelecha and other cities and villages were under Russian fire.
· As a result of tank shelling in the village of Tymofiyivka, a residential building and utility buildings were destroyed, and 2 more houses were damaged. Due to the shelling of Vovchansk from the MLRS, residential buildings were also damaged.
· Yesterday, in the village of Shestakovo, Chuguev district, a civilian of 70 years old was blown up on an unknown explosive device. He died from his injuries.
DONETSK
Sunday March 26
11:24 Donetsk RMA: Late at night, the Russians launched a missile strike on Kramatorsk. There were no casualties, but there is destruction;
· One of the S-300 missiles hit the administrative building, destroying the three upper floors. The explosion damaged 8 apartment buildings, 6 outlets, a school and a hotel. A second rocket hit the industrial zone – one building was destroyed by a direct hit, several other industrial buildings were damaged by an explosion.
10:30 Donetsk RMA: On March 25, Russians killed 2 residents of Donetsk region: in the North and the city of Chasiv Yar
· Another 1 person in the area was injured.
09:09 Institute for the Study of War: The Armed Forces of Ukraine were able to recapture part of the territory along the E40 highway near Bakhmut.
· According to American analysts at the Institute for the Study of War, the Russians continued to launch ground strikes on the city and its environs. Despite this, according to analysts, Ukrainian defenders managed to counterattack north of the city and regain control of part of the territories along the E40 highway.
Saturday March 25
23:55 Social Networks: Explosions are heard in Kramatorsk and Sloviansk, Donetsk region.
23:15: In Bakhmut, about 10 thousand people have been brought to the limit of existence, the Red Cross.
· "About 10 thousand civilians of Ukraine cling to life in Bakhmut. They live in very terrible conditions, spending almost entire days under intense shelling in shelters," red cross spokesman Umar Khan said.
17:01 Head of the President's Office: Russians fired artillery at Chasiv Yar and Toretsk.
· "A civilian man was killed in the city of Chasiv Yar, and terrorists killed a woman in Toretsk," Yermak wrote.
15:00 State Border Guard of Ukraine: The State Border Guard Service of Ukraine in Bakhmut showed how the Ukrainian military is moving around the area of the city, which is constantly being shelled by the Russian army.
12:32 Donetsk RMA: Over the past day, Russians killed 2 residents of Donetsk region: in Bakhmut and Orlivka. Another 3 people in the region were injured.
DNIPRO
Sunday March 26
08:20 Dnipro RMA: Blow to Nikopol. Yesterday, when people were preparing for bed, Russians hit the city
· A drone was used. Of the locals, no one was injured. The consequences of the attack are being clarified.
Saturday March 25
22:15 Dnipro RMA: Today, the Russians shelled the Nikopol and Sinelnikovsky districts with heavy artillery and drones.
· "The shells of the aggressor did not affect people - it passed without casualties. What are the consequences of the attacks - the rescuers are clarifying," Lysak wrote.
KHERSON
Sunday March 26
09:24 Kherson RMA: Russians attacked peaceful settlements of Kherson region 49 times.
· Residential areas of Kherson were shelled by the Russian military three times. A humanitarian aid delivery point, private and apartment buildings were damaged in the city. 9 residents of Kherson region were injured of varying severity.
Saturday March 25
21:26 Social Networks: Explosions are heard in Kherson.
16:43 Social Networks: Explosions are heard in Kherson.
14:44 Kherson RMA: Russians shelled a humanitarian aid point in Kherson.
· He said two people were injured in the attack - a 41-year-old woman and a 25-year-old man.
14:11 Kherson RMA: A civilian exploded on Russian explosives near Velyka Oleksandrivka.
· "In a forest belt near the village, a man came across a mine left by the Russian occupiers. He was injured in both arms and legs due to the explosion," the report said.
13:57 Operational Command South: A massive rotation of Russian troops took place in Nova Kakhovka.
· Rotation was previously mistaken for the retreat of the occupiers from the city, but the occupier often uses the settlements of the left bank to restore his units.
13:44 Social Networks: Explosions are heard in Kherson.
13:23 Operational Command South: Russia has activated aviation, feeling the loss of positions on the Left Bank.
· According to the command, over the past day, the situation in the area of responsibility has not undergone significant changes: it remains consistently complex, but controlled.
· "The enemy continues to put pressure on the local population of the de-occupied right bank of the Kherson region. Feeling the loss of positions on the Left Bank, the enemy activated aviation," the message says.
SUMY
Sunday March 26
10:46 am Sumy RMA: At night, the Russians shelled the territory of the Krasnopilska and Belopole communities.
· Krasnopilska community: at night, Russians beat with mortars – 16 arrivals.
· Bilopilska community: this morning there was a grenade launcher shelling - 10 shots from the AGS. Preliminary – without consequences.
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